About fluidicice

Australia.

Electrical Gauge Specifications and Conversion Table

Lately I’ve been working on a backup lithium power station for those situations when the grid power goes out. You might (or might not – if you watch mainstream media) have heard that many countries have been having great difficulty with their power generation lately and have been losing power multiple times in a day – or have even been without it for a string of days in a row. This is precisely the situation I want to avoid by building my own power station because if you rely of third parties for your essentials such as power, water and gas you are at the mercy of the controlling authorities and utility companies.

Throughout the process of building my own Power Station to power the house I needed a lot of different cable specifications and ratings to be able to ensure it would perform correctly. These include: Cable Gauge (AWG, B&S, mm2) Cable Area (mm2, CM, MCM), Maximum Current, Maximum Surge Current, Maximum Continual Wattage, Cable Diameters with and without insulation, Heat Shrink Sizes, Wire Stripping Guide, Cable Resistance, Cable Weight, Crimping Tool Recommendations and Bootlace Ferrules. It includes both Metric and Imperial measurements for those that need it including conversions between Celsius and Fahrenheit.

Below is the electrical diagram I designed to help me with this project, since I couldn’t find all the information I needed on one website. The image is designed to be printed, laminated and hung as a quick reference guide while working on electrical projects.

Electrical Gauge Specifications and Conversion Table
Electrical Gauge Specifications and Conversion Table

All the information in the table above has been checked to the best of my ability multiple times over to ensure they are correct, however there still may be errors so do your own research as well as I’m not an electrician.

If you find any errors let me know in the comments below.

Internet Fallback

It’s a strange coincidence that the World Economic Forum simulated a worldwide pandemic a year before one spread across the globe. Strange enough that when they say they will be running a simulated hack of the worldwide internet infrastructure it makes one sit up and pay attention to what’s going to befall the planet next…

For a while now I’ve been quite content where I sit preparedness-wise, so I thought the next logical step to living a ‘normal’ life in a collapse would be to set up an internet fallback. It’s nothing spectacular – just a collection of information I’m likely to research and resources I would draw upon if the internet were to go down.

This includes:
● An offline version of Wikipedia
● Downloaded manuals for ALL my complex devices such as phones, cars, watches, bikes, CB Radios, inverters, headlamps, solar regulators, generators etc
● Mirrored preparedness websites (happypreppers.com, theprepared.com)
● Downloaded preparedness videos from YouTube including medical information, BOB tips, survival tips etc.
● Recent offline maps of my local area (Using MOBAC and run on Alpine Quest)
● Phone applications on a MicroSD card which I can reinstall if I have to wipe it completely
● Ebooks on almost every conceivable topic
● Entertainment such as movies, tv, music and computer games

My emphasis in this post is the downloaded manuals – something which many people forget they will need in an emergency or internet-less situation. It will not only help you use your items to their full potential but may also assist in repairing them if they do happen to break.

Stay Prepared,
Fluidic Ice

The Preparedness Encyclopedia (TPE) – Version 10

Version 10.00 of The Preparedness Encyclopedia (TPE) has been released and is now available for download at:
www.fluidicice.com/TPE

Version 10 is another partial visual update featuring 20% larger text to all content, larger headings, subcategory icons and new category title pages. A lot of content throughout the guide has been updated and new information added. A few major sections have been added such as ‘Search and Rescue’ to SURVIVAL and infiltration type skills to SECURITY. 6 categories have been merged with others to help reduce clutter and some larger unnecessary sections have been removed. Multiple subheading contents sections were added to the larger headings to make it even easier to find what you’re looking for. Overall version 10 should provide an easier reading experience with quicker searchability for needed information.

For a full list of the changes see the ‘Version 10’ heading in the MAINTENANCE category on the last page of the guide. This is the third release that features bookmarks and internal PDF hyperlinks so you can easily transition to any category by opening the bookmarks tab and clicking the section you want.

If you love my work, give it a share so that others may be inspired to prepare for the uncertain times ahead, or consider donating via TPE page. <3

LG 31MU97 Not Powering On

Lately I’ve had a ‘fun’ experience with my LG 31MU97-B 4K monitor not turning on. The night before, I unplugged it from the wall due to an oncoming storm and the next day it just wouldn’t turn on. This is a known problem with this monitor where the IC205 chip on the monitor becomes stuck in a state which doesn’t respond to button presses.

Fortunately I found an extremely useful blog which helped me solve the issue!

Find the original link including user comments (which are also very helpful) here:
Integer13 WordPress

My experience was a little different and I used a combination of methods from the original author and the user comments. Below is how you can either temporarily fix or repair your LG monitor.

What you need:

The IC chip I bought was from ‘coppelltvrepair’ on eBay:
Coppell Tv Repair
(The shipping to Australia is outright theft at $29 for a part that weights basically nothing, but it worked… and I saved money I would have spent on a new screen)

Or if that listing has expired, search for “LG 31MU97-B MAIN BOARD 62882801 / 31MU97/LM41C / EAX66105904 EEPROM IC205”

If you’re soldering the chip you will need:
● The new IC205 Chip
● A Fine-Tipped Soldering Iron
● Desoldering Braid
● A very narrow flat-headed screwdriver
● Very Fine Solder (0.3-0.7mm)
● Soldering Flux
● Isopropyl Alcohol
● A Cleaning Cloth


To Jump Start or Fix the Monitor:

DISASSEMBLING THE MONITOR
1. Turn off and unplug all the cables in the monitor and take it off the stand.

2. Remove the backing by levering the tabs on the back of the monitor all the way around. There is a big sticky pad in the middle on the back which can be slowly pried off with something like a ruler.

3. Unscrew the metal motherboard casing and take out the switch and speakers as well as the sticky tape that’s holding down the wires.

4. Flip over the metal casing while leaving all the wires and ribbon cables connected. Some wires may need to be taken out of the plastic wire holders to give you enough length to flip the casing over.

At this point you should rest the monitor on a box or something so that when it turns on you can change the settings as required in step 11.

5. You will see the IC205 chip at the edge where the ribbon cables are connected. Head to the link at the top of this post and familiarize yourself with the diagrams. At this point you should also cover up the power board on the left with the plastic backing of the monitor or something else non-conductive so you don’t slip and touch any part of that board.

6. Unplug and switch off the monitor’s power button (If it’s not already) then plug in the power cable and turn the switch on again. You should put the power cable through the plastic backing casing so you can reassemble it later without having to unplug it or turn it off. (Doing this is the best option to keep it working if you aren’t planning on buying a replacement chip, because as soon as it loses power it won’t turn on again)

TESTING THE MONITOR AND BOOTING IT UP
7. Using a multimeter on the DC voltage reading mode on setting 200 (or so), hold the positive (red) lead on the ‘JP’ to the left of the chip with the ‘antennas’ coming out of the top. Then hold the negative (black) lead to the ‘CS#’ prong. The CS# prong is the one nearest to the dot in the corner of the chip.

I recommend AGAINST doing what the article above says by touching the positive (red) lead to the array of positive terminals right next to the negative ones. You can easily slip and hit the wrong one creating a spark if not done correctly. (If you do create a spark like I did, you should be fine and there (hopefully) won’t be any damage to the monitor. Again, as per step 5 make sure the power board to your left is covered by something before attempting this step, you will electrocute yourself if you touch it and cause irreversible damage if you short circuit any part of it.

Alternatively, (and the most highly recommended) you can use a 1k resistor to connect the ‘CS#’ and ‘VCC’ legs of the chip to bring it to life. The VCC leg is the one opposite to the CS# leg. This method also saves you buying a multimeter if you don’t have one.

8. While holding the multimeter (or resistor) in place, flick the power button on the monitor next to the power cable. (You may need two people for this step and the next one)

9. While still holding the multimeter (or resistor) in place, press the toggle power button on the monitor every second or so until you hear the beeps of it turning on. You will also see the back of the monitor’s backlight glow when it turns on.

If you don’t hear any beeps after a minute or so, unplug the cable and head back to step 6 and repeat until you hear it turn on.

10. As soon as you hear the startup beeps, remove the multimeters prongs.

11. Use the control joystick to go into many of the settings and change them, including input method, volume, brightness and enabling/disabling PBP (picture by picture). This will help the chip to ‘remember’ the state it is in, if you do turn it off. (This only lasts a short duration once you turn the screen off) This step isn’t foolproof so don’t rely on it to work. If you aren’t soldering the new chip in place I recommend just reassembling the monitor without turning it off by the switch or by pulling out the power plug.

Turn the screen off (every time) by holding the power button for a few seconds or by going through the screen’s menu until it’s off (press in then 2 seconds later pushing it towards the side the light glows from). Although you can continue with the following steps without turning it off at all.

SOLDERING THE NEW IC205 CHIP
12. This is the point where you would replace the IC205 chip if you have one. You need a very steady hand and an eye for detail and possibly an assistant. MAKE SURE THE MONITOR IS OFF AND UNPLUGGED BEFORE SOLDERING ANY PART OF IT! If you aren’t replacing the chip, skip this step.
a) First desolder the current chip using a desoldering band by heating up each leg of the chip and running the band over it to soak it up. Once desoldered, my chip needed a bit of a levering with a very narrow flat head screwdriver to get it to literally pop off. You will need a fine soldering iron tip for this purpose. Make sure you remember which side the dot on the chip is facing as this is how you will align the new chip.
b) Once the chip is off remove any remainder solder on the board with the desoldering band.
c) Clean the board using isopropyl alcohol and a cloth.
d) Cover the area with soldering flux to help the solder to stick.
e) Using very fine solder (0.5-0.77mm) melt a tiny amount to any two opposite corners of the board where the chip will go. You only need the tiniest amount of solder for this purpose. If you add too much, use the desoldering band to remove some.
f) Hold the new chip in place making sure the dot is in the correct corner, then melt the corner solder one leg at a time while pushing the chip down so it ends up flush with the board. Make sure the legs of the chip only touch the corresponding contact and that there’s not any two legs joined by solder. Try not to heat up the chip too much.
g) Once the corners are soldered in place you can add tiny amounts of solder to the rest of the legs to make contact with the board.
h) Once the chip is in place you can clean the board with isopropyl alcohol. and leave it to cool for a few minutes.

ASSEMBLING THE MONITOR AGAIN
13. Being very careful, take off the covering from the power side and flip the motherboard housing over, being sure to align the grooves it sits in perfectly as you don’t want to short the monitor on any metal. Check that there’s no wires under the housing as they like to find their way underneath it.

14. Put the speakers and button back in their places. Before you screw in the motherboard housing to the monitor again, slide the plastic backing up to the end of the power cable which is still inserted. If you screwed the metal housing down first you won’t be able to get the plastic casing back on and you’ll have to take the screws out again. (Check if the monitor still turns on and off) You won’t be able to screw in the two back screws, however you can screw in the two top ones by lifting the housing slightly and finger tightening them.

If you aren’t going to replace the IC chip at any point you can use a flame gun to melt away the portion of the plastic under where the power cable is inserted so you can screw in all the screws. Be warned that the resale value will drop significantly, and wear a mask so you don’t inhale the toxic plastic fumes! When you’ve melted a portion and it’s pliable, use a stick or something to remove the plastic before it re-hardens. Also make sure that it’s relatively flat when you’re done or you may not be able to get the monitor backing on again. (Even though it’s included – I don’t recommend doing this part of the step unless you desperately want a working monitor again)

15. Don’t clip the plastic casing back on (unless you are sure you won’t be opening it again). Screw in the top two (or a top and a bottom screw) on the back of the monitor again to secure the plastic backing onto the screen.

16. Put the monitor back on the stand, plug in the data cable and check if it still works. If it does then woohoo! This method will keep the monitor working until you get the replacement chipset. Therefore I recommend connecting a UPS between the wall and the monitor to safeguard it against future power failures.

Reclaim your Passwords!

With the rise of cancel culture in recent months I’ve been seeking new ways to leave the big tech companies and get back to controlling my own data just in case they ban or delete my accounts. If you aren’t familiar with cancel culture, simply put, it’s when a company or series of companies purges your profile, videos and data from their platform because they disagree with something you say or do. An example of this is Parler when Amazon pulled its servers from under them.

This is a terrifying accumulation of power which we as customers have given them over the years due to simplicity, convenience and the discounts they provide us. Because of this I’m transferring this power back into my own hands by moving my services to smaller companies bit by bit since it would be a challenge to do all at once.

What bothers me most of all is that companies such as Google are actively trying to accumulate as much power over you as they possibly can. One argument I recently thought of in support of this is your passwords. How many of you know the passwords to your online accounts? Do you actively try to create a password which is complex enough but memorable, or do you utilize Google’s automated password generator?

This process works a treat if you’re in-step with Google’s (leftist) policies, but what if you weren’t? What if Google decides to block every one of your accounts including your stored passwords for every website you’ve ever visited? Will you be able to log back in to them and change your password? I doubt it would be easy. It would be virtually impossible if your backup email IS gmail which would now be blocked.

I’ve recently found Ctemplar, an encrypted email service which – most importantly – is a small company with a dedication for user privacy. I’ve started transitioning all my email accounts to Ctemplar over the past few weeks and it’s been going well. I’ve also lined up alternatives to Google Drive, Google Calendar, Google Search and have been creating memorable passwords and writing them down. Sure that’s not best ‘industry practice’ but who would break into your house for a book when there’s a TV and computer right next to it?

Don’t get me started on the amount of personal information these massive corporations are skimming from us and creating a profile online about literally everything you’ve ever done… But I will leave that one for another time.

Reclaim your passwords today and avoid the cyclone of cancel culture that’s coming towards us rapidly!

Excel Shape Distortion / Flattening Fix

If you spend a lot of time in Excel and have ever tried printing images you’ve imported, you would probably notice that they come out squashed, distorted or stretched. This is a problem that has plagued me ever since my huge Excel projects of TPE and TRSG which contain hundreds of images between them.

After much searching through posts online I finally found a solution to the bug which Microsoft hasn’t ever bothered fixing. You have to go into ‘Page Layout’ > ‘Fonts’ and select the ‘Metro’ font.
This doesn’t actually change the font of the cells, but it does change the fonts used for the headers and footers of the Excel sheet.

I decided to dive deeper into other fonts that don’t alter the images because I hated the style of the ‘Metro’ font on my headers and footers. After a lot of testing I found 5 fonts in total which are the most accurate when printed. That’s not to say they are perfect, but they are off by such as small amount that you won’t be able to tell the difference.

To find the fonts which are least affected by this glitch I inserted a circle into my excel file swapping between the fonts and measuring the length and the width of it each time. This gives you the middle column below. This column shows the stretch of the shape and which direction it’s stretched in. If the width (first number) is bigger than the height, this font creates a horizontally stretched circle and if the height is bigger, this means the circle was stretched vertically.

Afterwards I subtracted the difference between the two number which gives me the ‘Offset’ number which signifies how warped the circle is as seen in the table below. The table below lists the different fonts in Excel 2010 and their offset. The lower the number on the end, the more perfect the shape. You could get away with a 1 or even 2 without people noticing the warping, but try to stay low.

These are the links which proved invaluable to me to figure out where to start to solve this problem:
Excel will not print images at correct height/width!! (Post by “Chinchilla”)
Images distorted when previewing or printing from Excel

Font Name Font Type Width / Height Offset
Office 92×82 10
Office 2 80×77 3
Office Classic 92×80 12
Office Classic 2 80×77 3
Adjacency 92×82 10
Angles Franklin Gothic Book 71×71 0
Apex 80×77 3
Apothecary 80×69 11
Aspect 64×68 4
Austin 80×69 11
Black Tie 92×82 10
Civic 71×70 1
Clarity 80×77 3
Composite 92×82 10
Concourse 71×69 2
Couture 92×82 10
Elemental 80×86 6
Equity 93×83 10
Essential 80×77 3
Executive 80×86 6
Flow 80×75 5
Foundry 80×73 7
Grid Franklin Gothic Medium 71×71 0
Hardcover 80×77 3
Horizon 92×82 10
Median 80×77 3
Metro Consolas – Corbel 80×80 0
Module Corbel – Corbel 80×80 0
Newsprint 92×80 12
Opulent 80×74 6
Oriel 80×79 1
Origin 80×84 4
Paper 80×75 5
Perspective 80×77 3
Pushpin Constantia – Franklin Gothic Book 71×71 0
Slipstream 80×74 6
Solstice 80×84 4
Technic 80×77 3
Thatch 80×77 3
Trek Franklin Gothic Book 71×71 0
Urban 71×70 1
Verve 80×69 11
Waveform 80×75 5

Current UHF CB Band Plan (80 Channels)

This is the current UHF frequency usage chart if you’re looking for a free channel or just don’t know what each channel is for. CB radios can be a lifesaver if the mobile and internet networks go down and are therefore an invaluable resource to preppers. On flat ground the signal can reach around 5kms (3.1 mi) using about 5 watts of transmitting power.

General chat channels are used in simplex mode, repeater channels must be used in duplex mode.
If you are not using a repeater, it is recommended to choose a “general chat” channel.

Channel Purpose Frequency
1 Repeater Channel – Transmitted from Channel 31 476.4250
2 Repeater Channel – Transmitted from Channel 32 476.4500
3 Repeater Channel – Transmitted from Channel 33 476.4750
4 Repeater Channel – Transmitted from Channel 34 476.5000
5 Emergency Repeater Output – Transmitted from Channel 35 476.5250
6 Repeater Channel – Transmitted from Channel 36 476.5500
7 Repeater Channel – Transmitted from Channel 37 476.5750
8 Repeater Channel – Transmitted from Channel 38 476.6000
9 General Chat Channel 476.6250
10 4WD Clubs or Convoys and National Parks 476.6250
11 Call Establishment Channel 476.7000
12 General Chat Channel 476.7000
13 General Chat Channel 476.7250
14 General Chat Channel 476.7500
15 General Chat Channel 476.7750
16 General Chat Channel 476.8000
17 General Chat Channel 476.8250
18 Caravanners and Campers Convoy Channel 476.8500
19 General Chat Channel 476.8750
20 General Chat Channel 476.9000
21 General Chat Channel 476.9250
22 Telemetry and Telecommand Only (No Voice or Data) 476.9500
23 Telemetry and Telecommand Only (No Voice or Data) 476.9750
24 General Chat Channel 477.0000
25 General Chat Channel 477.0250
26 General Chat Channel 477.0500
27 General Chat Channel 477.0750
28 General Chat Channel 477.1000
29 Road Safety Channel (Pacific Hwy between Brisbane and Sydney) 477.1250
30 General Chat Channel 477.1500
31 Repeater Input – Broadcaststo Channel 1 (w/Duplex Enabled) 477.1750
32 Repeater Input – Broadcaststo Channel 2 (w/Duplex Enabled) 477.2000
33 Repeater Input – Broadcaststo Channel 3 (w/Duplex Enabled) 477.2250
34 Repeater Input – Broadcaststo Channel 4 (w/Duplex Enabled) 477.2500
35 Emergency Repeater Input – Broadcasts to Channel 5 (w/Duplex Enabled) 477.2750
36 Repeater Input – Broadcaststo Channel 6 (w/Duplex Enabled) 477.3000
37 Repeater Input – Broadcaststo Channel 7 (w/Duplex Enabled) 477.3250
38 Repeater Input – Broadcaststo Channel 8 (w/Duplex Enabled) 477.3500
39 General Chat Channel 477.3750
40 Road Safety Channel Australia Wide 477.4000
41 Repeater Channel – Transmitted from Channel 71 476.4375
42 Repeater Channel – Transmitted from Channel 72 476.4625
43 Repeater Channel – Transmitted from Channel 73 476.4875
44 Repeater Channel – Transmitted from Channel 74 476.5125
45 Repeater Channel – Transmitted from Channel 75 476.5375
46 Repeater Channel – Transmitted from Channel 76 476.5625
47 Repeater Channel – Transmitted from Channel 77 476.5875
48 Repeater Channel – Transmitted from Channel 78 476.6125
49 General Chat Channel 476.6375
50 General Chat Channel 476.6625
51 General Chat Channel 476.6875
52 General Chat Channel 476.7125
53 General Chat Channel 476.7375
54 General Chat Channel 476.7625
55 General Chat Channel 476.7875
56 General Chat Channel 476.8125
57 General Chat Channel 476.8375
58 General Chat Channel 476.8625
59 General Chat Channel 476.8875
60 General Chat Channel 476.9125
61 Reserved for Future Expansion
62 Reserved for Future Expansion
63 Reserved for Future Expansion
64 General Chat Channel 477.0125
65 General Chat Channel 477.0375
66 General Chat Channel 477.0625
67 General Chat Channel 477.0875
68 General Chat Channel 477.1125
69 General Chat Channel 477.1375
70 General Chat Channel 477.1625
71 Repeater Input – Broadcasts to Channel 41 (w/Duplex Enabled) 477.1875
72 Repeater Input – Broadcasts to Channel 42 (w/Duplex Enabled) 477.2125
73 Repeater Input – Broadcasts to Channel 43 (w/Duplex Enabled) 477.2375
74 Repeater Input – Broadcasts to Channel 44 (w/Duplex Enabled) 477.2625
75 Repeater Input – Broadcasts to Channel 45 (w/Duplex Enabled) 477.2875
76 Repeater Input – Broadcasts to Channel 46 (w/Duplex Enabled) 477.3125
77 Repeater Input – Broadcasts to Channel 47 (w/Duplex Enabled) 477.3375
78 Repeater Input – Broadcasts to Channel 48 (w/Duplex Enabled) 477.3625
79 General Chat Channel 477.3875
80 General Chat Channel 477.4125

The Tribulation Survival Guide

Below is part of my guide of “The Rapture Survival Guide” Part 1. I re-posted this under ‘Tribulation Survival Guide’ to help direct searches to the correct area, as more people know what the Rapture is than the Tribulation.

For the original guide follow through to Part 1.

This is the blog version of my PDF ‘The Rapture Survival Guide (TRSG)’.
Download the PDF Version Here

Introduction
The Rapture, otherwise known as “the Harpazo” is a Christian religious event in which the believers saved in Jesus Christ and those younger than the accountable age vanish from earth in the “twinkling of an eye” (instantly) meeting Jesus in the air. Those who rejected Jesus and were left behind on earth will be subject to 7 years of the wrath of God, known as the Tribulation. Immediately following this will be Jesus’ second triumphant return with those who were raptured previously, where He will claim His throne in Jerusalem and rule for 1000 years.

Following the removal of God’s people from earth in the Rapture and the standing aside by the ‘restrainer’ (the Holy Spirit) there will be utter chaos in the world as people seek to understand what happened. If you’re one of these people – you have found the answers to all the questions you may have on the subject alongside the Bible. Be warned that there will be a “lie” (2 Thessalonians 2:11) that is so powerful it will fool even the smartest of people. Many Christians believe that this lie will be an alien deception of some sort because it’s the only logic that could explain the disappearance of millions of people from earth in a single moment.

The tribulation covers the period of time in which the antichrist (someone who puts themself in place of God) rises to power and makes an existing covenant with Israel – even more spectacular, allowing them to build the third temple. Mid-way through the covenant he sits on the throne in the third temple of Jerusalem and claims to be god, kicking off the second half of the tribulation. (3.5 years into the covenant)

He will then proceed to slaughter all Jews and newly converted Christians throughout the entire globe and all those who refuse to take his ‘mark’ – The Mark of the Beast on either their right hand or forehead. The bible says his mark “666” will need to be ‘calculated’ and won’t be easily identifiable. (Revelation 13:18)

During this rise and reign of the antichrist God will be pouring out His just judgements on this increasingly sinful world which will cause utter devastation on the planet and ultimately cause the nations of the world to come together to battle God at Armageddon.

All of the terms discussed above are discussed in detail below to help you understand God’s plan for the gentiles (non Jews) and the plan for His nation of Israel in the final chapter of earth. So keep reading and feel free to print, copy, email and disseminate this guide to anyone and everyone seeking truth in these ‘biblical’ times as there are no copyrights on it.

If some of these prophecies such as the rapture have already been fulfilled and you’re seeking answers, please keep reading! If anything, the events in the book of Revelation (and re-iterated below) can be used to verify that the bible is 100% truth and given from a God outside of space and time. This section goes hand in hand with the “RELIGION > Christianity” section found in “The Preparedness Encyclopedia” by Fluidic Ice. If this section has been separated from its parent document you can head to www.fluidicice.com/TPE to download the rest for free.

1 Corinthians 15:51-53
Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

One of the verses in the bible referencing the rapture of the church.

If this post has made an impact on your life and you want to take the next step, head to:
Accepting Jesus

Jump To
Part 1 – Introduction
Part 2 – The Term Rapture
Part 3 – Rapture Timing
Part 4 – Date Setters
Part 5 – Rapture Prerequisites
Part 6 – Biblical Raptures
Part 7 – Left Behind?
Part 8 – Seeking Truth
Part 9 – Deception
Part 10 – Post Rapture Steps
Part 11 – Revelation Timeline
Part 12 – Post-Rapture
Part 13 – The Tribulation (First Half)
Part 14 – 1st Seal
Part 15 – 2nd Seal
Part 16 – 3rd Seal
Part 17 – 4th Seal
Part 18 – 5th Seal
Part 19 – 6th Seal
Part 20 – Sealing the 144,000
Part 21 – 7th Seal
Part 22 – 1st Trumpet
Part 23 – 2nd Trumpet
Part 24 – 3rd Trumpet
Part 25 – 4th Trumpet
Part 26 – 5th Trumpet
Part 27 – 6th Trumpet
Part 28 – Intermediate Events
Part 29 – 7th Trumpet
Part 30 – Mid Tribulation
Part 31 – 1st Bowl
Part 32 – 2nd Bowl
Part 33 – 3rd Bowl
Part 34 – 4th Bowl
Part 35 – 5th Bowl
Part 36 – 6th Bowl
Part 37 – 7th Bowl
Part 38 – Armageddon
Part 39 – The Second Coming
Part 40 – The Millennium
Part 41 – The Great White Throne Judgement
Part 42 – Eternity

Preparedness Bags

This is an excerpt from my PDF ‘The Preparedness Encyclopedia (TPE)’.
Download the PDF Version Here

Backpacks are an essential resource in the prepping community, they are designed to carry your gear and take the weight of them off your back. There are multiple types of prepping backpacks each with a unique purpose, and even though you don’t need them all, they have their place in your life. Generally they are designed to hike out into the mountains with and be fairly lightweight however every person is different and so should their bag. Having a lightweight pack means you can travel further and faster allowing you to GOOD faster if SHTF.

For the recommended contents of this kits, see the GEAR section in TPE.

Pocket Survival Kit (PSK)
The Pocket Survival Kit is a small tin which can fit into any pocket with the basics for survival.

● Size: The pocket survival kit should be small enough to fit into a pocket. A recommended size would be the size of an ‘Altoids’ tin or approximately 2.36″ (6cm) x 3.75″(9.5cm) x 0.7″ (2cm) High.
● Weight: Your PSK kit should be extremely lightweight and inconspicuous, typically below 150 grams.

Every Day Carry (EDC)
Stands for Every Day Carry – The kit you take with you everywhere you go and generally stays on your body or sometimes in the car.

● Size: Your EDC kit should all fit inside a moderate sized organising cell approximately 12cm (4.7″) x 12cm (4.7″) x 4cm (1.5″). But keep in mind that not all of it will be stored in this case, but instead on your body.
● Weight: Your EDC kit should be very lightweight and inconspicuous, typically below 500 grams (1.1 lbs).
This pack isn’t limited to a bag but also includes clothes, wearables such as watches and a gun. The 5 C’s of survival which the EDC kit generally should cover is: Cutting, Cordage, Combustion, Cover and Container.

Get Home Bag (GHB)
The Get Home Bag is only used for returning home to your preps and bug-out bag in a disaster such as EMP and there’s no transport.

● Size: A GHB should be the size of a small backpack. This can be between a 10L and 20L backpack. (2.1 – 4.2 gal). Size and fit should be based off the person’s size.
● Weight: The GH bag should be a lightweight pack under 3kgs (6.6 lbs) which doesn’t draw attention to yourself.
The bag is designed to get you home within 24 hours and can only sustain you for this period – including overnight once. It is assumed that you won’t have access to any reasonable food or clean water along the way home thus bringing your own is essential.

Bug Out Bag (BOB)
Stands for Bug-Out-Bag – The bag you take when SHTF and it’s purpose is to only assist you to reach a BOL within 3 days.

● Size: Your Bug Out Bag’s size should be between 30L and 80L. (6.5 – 17.5 gal) Size and fit should be based off the person’s size.
● Weight: Your BOB should weigh at most 1/5th of your weight. For ultralight the weight should be below 5kgs (11 lbs) or 1/15th of your weight.
These bags are typically designed to be carried on foot however – hiking frames, bikes and cars are also useful ways to transport your gear.

I’m Never Coming Home Bag (INCH)
Stands for I’m Never Coming Home – The bag you take when you aren’t “ever” returning home. Of course one day you might return, but the point is that when you return you expect your house to be destroyed and the contents gone. Therefore it should also contain everything you don’t wish to lose.

● Size: Your INCH bag should be between 50L and 120L. (11 – 26.3 gal) Size and fit should be based off the person’s size.
● Weight: Your INCH bag should weigh at most 1/4th of your weight, assuming you’re carrying it yourself.
Typically INCH bags are accompanied with a transport mode such as a car or a bicycle as they can weigh up to 100kg’s. The bag includes more tools then all other bags which are single function to increase their longevity and efficiency. The bag only has 7 days worth of food and water for one person – therefore acquiring an income of food and water is vital early on.

Survival Comfort And Redundancies (SCAR)
The Survival Comfort And Redundancy (SCAR) bag is a term I coined in response to all the spare prepper gear I accumulated that wouldn’t make it into any of my other bags. Its primary purpose is to store your spare and redundant supplies to increase your comfort and give you more redundancies during bugging out. It should be grabbed in addition to your other bags if you have the space available in your car. However if it’s not required later on, or you can’t carry it any more you can safely ditch it knowing that you already have the basic gear in your BOB/INCH bags.

● Size: Your SCAR bag could be between 10L and 150L. (2.1 – 33 gal) Any bigger than 150L (33 gal) then this bag may be a struggle to carry depending on what’s inside. This bag doesn’t have to be a backpack, but could also be a duffel bag or other type of bag.
● Weight: Weight shouldn’t matter in a SCAR bag as it will only be used if you are using vehicle transport and have free space. However an average estimate would be 5-30kgs (11 – 66 lbs).
This bag could contain things like extra warm clothing and blankets, tool redundancies like hatchets, knives and shovels, extra camping gas, fishing snares and larger traps, long rolls of paracord or advanced medical equipment. Most preppers have spare items that didn’t make it into their BOB’s so why not have them in a bag themselves to grab if the need arises and you have the space available.

Zero Hour

This is an excerpt from my PDF ‘The Preparedness Encyclopedia (TPE)’.
Download the PDF Version Here

Zero Hour signifies an unknown date and time that a disaster worthy of preparedness action occurs. You could be anywhere when ‘zero hour’ occurs and your primary objective from then on is to reach your preps and then decide how you should proceed. An example of zero hour is the second you hear about a nuclear exchange in your country.

● Bug In or Out
When an incident occurs weigh the benefits of bugging in and out and whether it will get harder to travel as time progresses or not.

● Be Ready
When the situation arises to bug out, you should be ready to grab the bags and go with enough food you will need to survive the disaster.

● Be Aware
You want to be one of the first people to realize the gravity of the disaster and leave long before anyone else considers it or the roads will be parking lots.

Contact
When you first hear about a disaster that is or will affect you, the immediate action taken would be to contact your family and others whom you will meet up with. Whoever hears about the disaster first and contacts the others in the party, will give the others more time to prepare to leave work or meet up at the rendezvous point earlier. Confirm the plans you have with everyone on the phone and where they are currently as they may need assistance getting to the rendezvous point. If your family is at home already get them to start packing the car and be ready when the last person shows up. If no communications is available such as during an EMP you should follow through with the plan you set up prior to the event.

Returning Home
If you’re away from your preps the first thing you’ll want to do is return to a rendezvous point where your companions or family will meet up. You may not have an available mode of transport for returning home therefore you may have to walk home.

Step 1 Communicate
Communicate with your family or bug out partners if possible and tell them what’s happening and to set in motion one of the plans based on the scenario. Try to use code such as: Location X or Location Delta as there’s always the chance that people are listening in or some who will ambush you there. Include what to do if communications are down such as returning home and packing the car ready.

Possibilities
● Communication Works
● Communications Down
● Everyone Together

Communication Points
● Communication Works
● Communications Down
● Everyone Together

Step 2 Rendezvous Point
The location you will meet if a disaster occurs. It should include an estimated timeframe of when you should expect to meet after a disaster occurs if communications are down.

Step 3 Gear Grab
Your gear is basically essential to grab before you bug out. The only reason you wouldn’t is if it’s already packed, you can’t safely reach it or you are more likely to die trying to retrieve it. You should have your gear pre-packed in a secure, easily accessible location so you can grab it as quickly as possible.

Step 4 Depart
Set out on your selected bug-out route with your party members. If you forget anything after you leave you shouldn’t return for it unless it’s essential to your survival.