Prepper Book Festival 11: Prepping for a Pandemic + Giveaway

[My Militia 265]

 

Every few months or so, a new threat to our safety seems to emerge. One month it might be a terrorist attack, three months later it might be a cyber attack on the grid, and then, out of nowhere, there will be the threat of a pandemic.

 

Trying to decide what to prepare for and how to prepare for it is a dilemma we all face. We do the best we can, building up our knowledge and practicing day to day skills that will protect us if the worse should happen.

 

 

Today I want to address the topic of building knowledge and embracing skills that will see us through a pandemic. Who better to do that then Cat Ellis, author of Prepping for a Pandemic: Life-Saving Supplies, Skills and Plans for Surviving an Outbreak.

 

In this week’s Prepper Book Festival #11 entry, Cat sorts through various type of pandemics by assigning them a threat level. The highest, which she calls “Treat Level I”, are Influenza, Tuberculosis, and Staphylococcus Aureas. Ugly stuff, indeed, but in my opinion, the pandemics sited Threat Levels II and III are equally bad, just less likely to occur.

 

In her book you will learn everything you need to know about various pandemics, as well as what you need to do to prepare in advance, then treat the symptoms of the pandemic with both a traditional and herbal medical response. She even addresses what to do after a disaster to help mitigate and prevent the spread of disease – perhaps not a pandemic but risky to your health none-the-less.

 

Towards the end of the book you will find what Cat calls “Pandemic Preparation 201: Actionable Steps” as well as a robust listing of resources where you can delve into the topic of pandemics and herbal medicine in greater detail.

 

In Book Festival tradition, I have an all an all-new interview with Cat, plus three copies of Prepping for a Pandemic available in a giveaway.

 

An Interview with Cat Ellis, Author of Prepping for a Pandemic

 

 

Given your background, knowledge and experience, what do you feel are the three most important survival or prepping skills?

 

1) Plant identification. This will allow you to recognize both edible and medicinal plants, providing you both food and medicine no matter where you may be.

 

2) Water purification. Clean, safe water for consumption and sanitation is an absolute must. There are many different ways to go about this, so having a couple of methods up your sleeve is a good idea.

 

3) Fire-starting. Fire will allow you to stay warm and dry, boil water, cook food, deter pests, and sterilize metal tools, just to name a few handy, life-saving applications.

 

I have to give an honorable mention to self-defense skills. It was very difficult to leave that out.

 

What would you purchase if you only had $500 to spend on preparedness supplies?

 

• Good sneakers and good boots

• Seeds

• Mason jars- as many as I can get

• A good knife

 

Do you feel totally prepared and if not, what prep area concerns you the most?

 

I don’t feel totally prepared.

 

Honestly, survival is not a lone wolf kind of thing. Chances of survival are better when there are others with which to share the chores and responsibilities. I don’t feel like we have enough of an established circle of trusted people for a mutual support group. Changing this is my next major preparedness goal.

 

To what extent does your family participate in your personal preparedness efforts?

 

My immediate family is very supportive. My husband will get right in there with me if we’re canning all day, pull weeds in the garden, help set up herbal tinctures, and whatever else I need.

 

However, by preference, he’s more the mechanical/builder type. He built our bug out cabin by hand, handles much of our auto repairs (good, barterable skill), and so on. He also keeps bees, which is a huge bonus to anyone who is prepping or making herbal medicines.

 

Our children are still elementary school age. We homeschool and include preparedness lessons into their education. They should know how to grow their own food, have some self-defense skills (karate), and they love going camping.

 

What work of fiction do you feel gives the best portrayal of what could happen in real life?

 

This is a toss up between

One Second After by William R Forstchen

and

The Jakarta Pandemic

by Steven Konkoly.

 

If there was a disruptive event and you had to evacuate, what non-fiction books or reference manuals would you take with you?

 

I am a confessed book addict and hoarder. This is one of those areas that my husband teases me all the time about, because there’s no way we can take my library with me. I may even start buying multiple copies of books just to keep a spare set at our cabin.

 

 

Since we may end up making some of our bug out trip on foot, and medical emergencies are always on my mind, those are the factors which I used to narrow down my choices. After grabbing my own two books,

Prepper’s Natural Medicine

and Prepping for a Pandemic, I would have to take:

 

•

The Knowledge: How to Rebuild Civilization in the Aftermath of a Cataclysm

, by Lewis Dartnell

 

•

Where There Is No Doctor: A Village Care Handbook

, by David Werner, Carol Thuman, and Jane Maxwell

 

•

Where There is No Dentist

: Murray Dickson

 

•

The Complete Survival Shelters Handbook: A Step-by-Step Guide to Building Lifesaving Structures for Every Climate and Wilderness Situation

, by Anthonio Akkermans

 

Do you have anything else, such as an announcement, message, personal experience, that you would like to share with the readers on Backdoor Survival?

 

This spring and summer 2016, I will be launching a number of online herbal and traditional skills courses, including herbal certification courses created with the unique concerns of preppers, survivalists, and homesteaders in mind. I’m almost done with the edits and look forward to bringing these courses live.

 

And for people who want a taste of what my courses are like, they should sign up for

my website’s newsletter

for my webinar announcements. These are generally 2 hour online trainings in herbal and preparedness topics.

The Giveaway

 

 

Cat has reserved three copies of Prepping for a Pandemic for this Book Festival Giveaway.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

The deadline is 6:00 PM Pacific Tuesday with the winner notified by email and announced on the Rafflecopter in the article. Please note that the winner must claim their book within 48 hours or an alternate will be selected.

 

Note: This giveaway is only open residents of the United States.

 

The Final Word

 

 

Knowing when and how to use nature’s remedies for various ailments is an important part of preparedness. I currently take the lazy way out and purchase essential oils but that does not mean I do not continue to learn as much as I can about herbal remedies. Nor does it mean I shun medical remedies

 

That is the beauty of books like these. Armed with knowledge, you can pick and choose what works best for you, your family, and circumstances of your illness. But remember, regardless of your book knowledge, it means squat if you have not put it to practical use now, before your life depends upon it.

 

I hope you will take a few moments to enter this giveaway. For more information about the books in this latest book festival, visit Prepper Book Festival 11: The Best New Books to Help You Survive.

 

Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!

Gaye

 

If you enjoyed this article, consider voting for Backdoor Survival daily at Top Prepper Websites!

 

In addition, SUBSCRIBE to email updates and receive a free, downloadable copy of my e-book The Emergency Food Buyer’s Guide.

 

 

 

 

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Spotlight: Prepping for a Pandemic: Life-Saving Supplies, Skills and Plans for Surviving an Outbreak

 

Every year pandemics strike! And they can easily spread all over the world—overwhelming doctors and hospitals. Will you be ready when a deadly epidemic hits your town?

 

Prepping for a Pandemic provides the vital information and life-saving steps needed before and after an outbreak, including:

 

•Outbreak Warning Signs

•Initial Symptoms

•Ease of Transmission

•Quarantine Protocol

•First Aid Skills

•Medical Treatment

•Future Threats

•Home Remedies

 

With detailed information on deadly diseases, tips on stockpiling supplies and plans for bugging out, this book offers everything required to keep you and your family safe.

 

Bargain Bin: For your convenience, here is a list of all of the books in the current Backdoor Survival Prepper Book Festival 11.

 

Non-Fiction

 

 

Failures of Imagination: The Deadliest Threats to Our Homeland-and How to Thwart Them

Prepare Your Family for Survival: How to Be Ready for Any Emergency or Disaster Situation

Prepping for a Pandemic: Life-Saving Supplies, Skills and Plans for Surviving an Outbreak

The Prepper’s Guide to Caches: How to Bury, Hide, and Stash Guns and Gear

Prepper’s Communication Handbook: Life-Saving Strategies for Staying in Contact During and After a Disaster

 

Fiction:

 

 

Dark Ages: 2020: A Post Apocalyptic/Dystopian Thriller

Oathkeeper

Braving the Storms (Strengthen What Remains)

 

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Plus: The Preppers Guide to Food Storage

 

 

No list of books would be complete without my own book,

The Prepper’s Guide to Food Storage. The eBook is only 99 cent plus the print version is available for less than $6.00.

 

 

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Shop the Emergency Essentials Daily & Monthly Sales for Fantastic Deals!

 

 

For over 25 years Emergency Essentials has been providing the highest quality preparedness products at great prices. Plus, each month they feature sales that quite honestly are fantastic.

 

 

Emergency Essentials carries a wide variety of equipment and supplies – all at competitive prices.

 

 

 

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Help support Backdoor Survival. Purchases earn a small commission and for that I thank you!

 

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The post Prepper Book Festival 11: Prepping for a Pandemic + Giveaway by Gaye Levy first appeared on Backdoor Survival.

 

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