Moved to Sisters!

David and I are very excited to be finally moving to Sisters, Oregon. We have owned our home here since 2005 and now we have our first commercial space for our on-line business. We will be working together to get our order out the door quicker then before as now we have two worker bees and not just one.

Look for some new products to be arriving in 2021 as well.

As we work on getting all of the racks up, we will be open by appointment ONLY for now and always available online. We are so very blessed to have an awesome customer base and we hope that you will refer your family and friends too!

Prepare NOW to be PREPARED!

Download for FREE my list of 100 Essentials!

2020 What a Year!

December 2020 is here and what a year it has been for Amp-3 and the Pruett’s!

Kelsey was home for the month of January, doing a clinical rotation at the hospital that David works and it was great to have her home before the craziness began!

David and I had planned on putting our home here inHillsboro on the market and move over to our house in Sisters in February. Needless to say, that hasn’t happened…

We had been down at the ranch when we got a phone call from Matthew. Mom, we just had a tree fall on the house!

We thought he was kidding, but no…

The trees was removed on day #1 and needless to say by the middle of July our house still looked like this!

Our insurance company was awesome, but the contractor that I hired was the worst ever!! would have made a great car salesman!

All talk and no action after paying him several thousands of $$

March, started off with the panic of covid!

what we saw with Amp-3, was off the charts! Awesome customers who waited with patience for the orders that came in like a rocket and supply chains that were challenging slowing our shipping process down.

With so many moving parts we were able to get caught up winin a few weeks.

We are so blessed to have the greatest customers and support for our Mom and Pop company!

The Ranch was a flurry of activity this summer getting everything ready for Kelsey and Kyle’s Wedding in September.

David made all of the Signs, Corn Hole Boards, Giant Jinga, Ladder Ball and what ever else Kelsey wanted for the perfect COVID wedding!

August 23rd, David and I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary at our favorite winery in Southern Oregon, Dancin Vineyards!

Kelsey and Kyle got married in September, with COvid some changes had to be made but it was the perfect day!

David was a huge help with all of the flowers. This is a man of many talents!

We are blessed to have Kyle in our family for now and forever! They are so happy and living just outside of Denver.

Kelsey will always be David’s little girl!

Now she is Kyle’s wife!

We are finally getting power to the ranch and David put in 3 spur roads for the new power poles, that still haven’t been placed.

We had huge trenches dug for the electrical, propane and water for the new building that will be coming in 2021 and then they sat!

David and our electrician put in the conduit and were waiting to move forward with this in 2021.

David and I have been so busy with Amp-3, Ranch Projects, Wedding, and Family time!

We now have our House on the market and it’s Christmas! On December 18th, David officially retires from the hospital! Yeah!!!

As 2020 comes to an end, we will be looking forward to 2021!

Amp-3 will continue to grow and we will be adding some new kits as well.

Kelsey spent the month of January with us when she did her clinical rotation at the hospital where David works. Retirement will be so sweet! Finally…

Wishing you a Very Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

Preparedness is for Everyday!

David and I have been preparing for many years as you may be aware after reviewing our story. We are blessed to have Amp-3, and we hope to help you get better prepared for whatever might come your way. We look forward to your input as we continue to build on what we have started over 9 years ago. Amp-3, has given us a venue to provide quality products (Made in the USA) along with our 100 Essentials we hope to help you and your family become better prepared.

You never know what could be around the corner in our lives so here are a few steps to take to help you get focused and ready. Here are a few of my favorite websites to check out:

1. A great website with many aspects to it is Survivalist Boards. This forum discussion has so many pages for you to check out from General Discussion, Off Grid, Urban Survival, Food and Water and so on. This is a vast amount of information and a great website to join and follow.

 

2.  Off Grid Boot Camp presented by Nick Meissner. David has taken Nick’s course and thought that it was incredibility informative, comprehensive and money well spent. Nick just finished putting up a new solar system on his property in Idaho.

3. Amp-3 Recourses page is another place to get your 100 Essentials. Download the document, cross off what you already have and that helps you narrow your list down to what you need to work on. We all live on a budget but if you commit to adding to your preparedness every month you will have this list completed in no time. 

The Humless ESS (Energy Storage System) is the one we are looking at to power our home at the ranch in Southern Oregon.

Remember, that preparedness in for Everyday, not just when you have an emergency!

Let me know what you think about my Blog by leaving a comment! Follow Amp-3 on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

What is your Plan?

Emergency Communication is probably one of the least talked about aspects of preparedness, but in our opinion, it plays a vital role in ensuring your survival during any type of disaster. We have some ideas that might help you be better prepared in the event of an emergency.

Do you have a Communications Plan? Having a pre-established plan will help you, your family and emergency contacts to maintain communication and obtain critical information in the time of need. 

For more information about Emergency Communications, click here for your downloadable document.

Many of you may have thought about getting a Ham Radio License but think I don’t have the time or it’s going to be too hard! Right???

Well, do your self and your family a favor and get this done on your Preparedness List! Look on line for a Local Ham Radio Club. Attend a meeting and find someone who can help you achieve this goal.

Every June in Oregon we have Sea-Pac where you can attend classes, purchase new and used equipment, talk to venders and meet other Hams. This is a really fun way to get you into getting your Ham.

Ham Radio Outlet also known as HRO is another great resource! The guys that work here are not only very knowledgeable but will get you going in the right direction.

One thing that I have realized over the years is that one radio isn’t ever enough. You need one in your go bag, home, and your car. Currently we have about 20 Ham Radios.

A few years back, David would with The Prepper Project to product our 2 DVD set on Survival Communication. We are no longer affiliated with The Prepper Project and have on 20 Sets of our DVD’s in stock. Once these are sold we won’t be getting any more but better things are on the horizon!

Let me know what you think on my Blog by leaving a comment! Follow us on Facebook, Linkedin, and on Instagram!

Go-Bag! What's in Mine...

Not that I am any expert on Go-Bags, I just want you to have an idea on what I have in mine. Small and compact but everything I need in case of emergency! I prefer this small but compact type of Backpack. The REI Flash 22. Not flashy but functional!

Here is what I have inside:

My Cannon Camera  (Charged and Ready), My Ham Radio (Charged and Ready), Flashlight (Extra Battery), 2 SnapLight Sticks, 2 Lighters, Fire Tinder, Knife Sharpener, Flint & Steel (Know How to Use Them), Whistle, Leatherman (Juice CS4), Head Lamp (It's Bright)

Top pocket of my backpack.

Inside my backpack I have:

Life Straw, Large Loksak with tubing plus Water Purifier Tablets (Katadyn), AM/FM Radio (Extra Batteries), Extra Socks, Jacket, Hat & Gloves, Sit Pad, Large Mylar Blanket, Sunscreen, Insect Repellent, Amp-3 PPK, Amp-3 EDC, Snacks, Stay Alert Gum, Hoo-Ahhs (For keeping clean), Emergency Food, and Hygiene Products. 

Remember: More people will die from poor hygiene then anything else. Stay clean and hopefully, stay alive.

If your going out of the house this bag needs to go with you or what good is it doing at home! I have to remind myself of this one... Extra walking shoes in your car maybe in the wheel well if you have extra room.

“If you fail to plan,

you are planning

to fail!”

-Benjamin Franklin

Please let a comment and let me know what you think!

Lights Out!

Lights Out! What happened in California, on October 19th was a complete failure to plan ahead. With very little time to get ready for the “Lights Out” plan that PGE in California caused panic and anxiety! Failure to plan ahead causes this.

David and I were in Harbor Freight in Medford, OR the other day. While we were there, the phone was ringing off the hook. We were standing next to a pile of Generators and a truck in the parking lot with California plates. In Klamath Falls the day before, Coastal Farm and Ranch was selling out of there Generator’s. This was a failure to plan ahead! Have you downloaded my list of 100 Essentials as of yet?

What are you waiting for? It’s FREE! Before planned blackouts are through in two or three days, as many as 3 million Californians may go without power. How many of these residents are prepared for this outage that they say could last 3-5 days? What about those folks with Electric Cars? Living through a major Earthquake back in 1989, we learned how to prepare for situations like this. First of all, you never want to wait for the situation, you want to have a plan in place when the emergency happens.

A great man once said: "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." Benjamin Franklin

Lately, I have been looking at alternative power sources for the ranch once we build the new cabin and in a couple of years the new house. In doing this, we are going to install the Humless Universal solar generator as well as the Wood Boiler that we already have for additional heat for the floors and home.

Click on link below to find out more!

Don’t wait for the emergency to happen, plan ahead and relax when everyone is panicking!

Please leave a comment and continue to follow along with my Blog!

New Video's!

Well, it’s been a long time since we have done any new Amp-3 Product videos. Over the next few weeks that will all change. David and I are heading down to the ranch for about a week, and our plan is to of course work on some clean up down there as well as work on some product videos.

While down at the ranch we will also be recording part 2 of a live podcast with Brian J. Pombo from Off-The-Grid Biz Podcast (STORIES FOR THE SELF-RELIANT!). We hope that you will Subscribe and Follow Along!

Are you following along? Please subscribe and follow USNERDOC for videos about our ranch and so much more!

Let us know if your have any ideas for video content! We are always looking for new ideas!

Please leave me your comments!

Latest Addition to our Preps! #Camp_Liberty

Sorry for the delay in getting a new blog post out to all of you. First of all, my Podcast is on hold as we have been super busy with all of the life things that are happening. Don’t worry, our family is doing great!

As some of you may know, we had Camp 216 for about 4 years and sold her in May 2018 to a wonderful couple from Mt Pleasant, Utah where she was built. They love her and have had several adventures to Florida and more!

The process to get our new camp, started back at that time with the same wonderful family that built Camp 216! Peak Mtn Camps opened in 2017 with Mike, Weston, Kyler and Dave Wheeler designing, building and selling the very best camps made in the USA!

We ordered #Camp_Liberty in March 2019 and we picked her up in October 2019. From the first moment that I walked in the door, I knew that we had made the right choice with our new Camp!

Why Camp Liberty you might ask? Liberty to go where we want to go, when we want to go!

Peal Mtn Camps

Why do they call them Camps? Great question! These travel trailers are modeled after the Sheep Camps that go back to the 1870’s. These camps were originally used on Sheep and Cattle Ranches for the commissary, animal food, storage and to house the sheep herder or rancher while on the land. Here is an old camp that we saw on the way to pick up our Liberty!

We had to stop and check out this old camp! Like #Camp_Liberty, this camp had a wood burning stove, bed, small kitchen but it was really beaten up and could use a good cleaning.

Peak Mtn Camps is located in Spring City, Utah just outside of Mt Pleasant, Utah where we purchased Camp 216. The sweet thing about ordering a new camp, was we got to choose all of our colors like buying a new home. Counter tops, floors, walls and so on!

Our First look at #Camp_Liberty!

Beth, David, Weston and Dave on Day #1 in #Camp_Liberty

Big Red and Camp Liberty on our way to Yellowstone National Park!

Having almost two weeks on the road with our camp was simply the best maiden voyage that we could have possibly planned. Park City Utah, Casper Wyoming, Buffalo and Sheridan Wyoming, Yellowstone National Park, Twin Falls Idaho and then back to Mt View Ranch in Southern Oregon. Wow! The sights that we got to see and the people we got to meet were simply amazing!

We just got to spend a few more nights in Liberty at the Ranch too! Have more questions? Follow along with #Camp_Liberty on our Instagram page and new YouTube Channel as well!

Super Excited!

First, I have to have a HUGE Shout Out to Patricia! 

She wrote to me at the end of March to say:

“I've been a reader of your blog for around 4 months and I would like first of all to say that I really enjoy it. I’ve recently had some problems with my eyes which effects my reading ability. Thereby I've a favor to ask. Is it possible for you to add Podcast audio version of your articles? It would be very useful for people like me or others who like to listen to your content.”

Well, readers, I am going to start a Podcast in the next few weeks! Had to order a few items that I will need to get everything started but I should be all set in about 2 weeks. I will keep blogging as well because some folks prefer that as well. As soon as its ready to launch, you will be the first to know!

How many of you follow us on Instagram (amp3prep)? Really excited about this too, I will be posting on this platform on a regular basis so I hope that you will follow along. We also have a Facebook Page and Twittertoo! So many social media spots but it’s really fun! 

iFak with Red Molle Bag $105

I have to order a few items for the podcast so it will be a couple of weeks before I am up and running but you will be the first to know. Invite your friends and following along. The podcast will be based on Practical Preparedness for the everyday person and finding items on a budget. Since 1992, we have been into preparing and collecting items that we have and use. This blog has given me a way to share knowledge and the podcast will allow me to have guests that really know about the industry as well as products they recommend. 

My husband, David is a ER Physician and one of two Physicians on the Hospital Disaster Community. He mentioned that they are planning a luncheon using Freeze Dried Food and I immediately thought of my favoriteChicken Tortilla Soup from Honeyville. I have made this before and it’s really a hearty and satisfying soup

I hope that in the weeks to come, you will send me some topics that you would like to see in my Podcast. Really excited about this new chapter in the life of Amp3 as well as working with amazing people on the road to better Preparedness. 

Remember to follow us on Instagram and Like US Facebook and Twitter! Leave a comment or email me! All of the links are below!

Do One or Two Things!

Preparing for an emergency such as an earthquake or wildfire can feel like a daunting task at the outset. What to pack? How much water? How much food? Where to meet? Who to call?

That's why I encourage everyone to take baby steps and check off one item at a time using my list of 100 Essentials or one initiative called Do One Thing!

With this in mind, let’s get started on becoming better prepared for natural disasters or what ever might come your way. Every month take 2 or 3 items from the list to add to your personal preparedness. Remember, slow but steady progress toward the ultimate goal of better emergency preparedness.

Getting your go bag ready, you can take a whole month and find some things for your go bag, get that ready, put it in your car, put it in a place in your house. Then the next month you can focus on getting a two-week supply of food and water. You get the idea! Have items for you and your family that you know you will eat. Purchase food items that have a long shelf life. We prefer. Honeyville has everything that your family will need! We order from them on a regular basis.

I think most people just really like to think it’s not going to happen to me! That’s when you know you are not prepared. If you live in an area that has forest fires you need to understanding that you’re in a hazard area or that it can happen to you is probably one of the greatest things you can do to begin with. Better to be prepared then to think it’s not going to happen.

Consider having a storage locker to store all of your preps. This should be fire proof and water proof to protect your valuable preparedness supplies. We currently have two storage places as we have two properties and depending on where we are, we want to be prepared.

Plan, Prepare and Practice are the three pillars of Preparedness. Summer coming soon so plant your garden and can your produce!

Let me know your thoughts and keep preparing for your family and your future!

December Is Here!

This time of the year seems to go by so fast! With shopping, decorating, cooking, family, friends and parties!. Where does the time go? Well, here are a few tips to keep all of this is perspective. 

Head out early in the morning to get your shopping done, easier parking, less crowds and the deals will still be there. This year, I shopped at the mall on Cyber Monday. The Mall was empty and I really enjoyed the process of picking out jus the right gift for my family and friends. This week should be about the same, it you can get to the stores early.

Shopping online has never been easier but be careful! Only use a Credit Card when shopping online as Debit Cards are not a secure. Order early so that you ensure you will receive your orders in a timely manner. 

If you have packages to ship out of town, I usually shop for them first and get them in the mail weigh away. This morning, I actually shipped all of my out of town packages. Feels great to have them off my list... Remember the later you ship your packages, the more it costs to get them for Christmas.

Can't think of gifts this year, give the gift from my 100 Essentials List and start your family and friends on Preparedness. Just a thought!

The Christmas season is all about spending time with family and friends. This year, I will be baking some Christmas Cookies and I will share some of my favorites. Here are two from last Christmas! Yum...

 

Christmas is such a special time of the year if you can plan ahead, take each day as it comes and enjoy the process. We getting excited to have time to spend with our family, friends and we hope that you do too!

Just had to share! Sustainable Preparedness

Your going to want this in your library! Now is a great time to order! Thank you Lisa and Nick for putting this together! Click on the picture below and watch the video. Great Christmas Gift if your looking for any ideas! Sustainable Preparedness Holiday Special

https://www.susprep.com

It's Been A While! 100 Essentials Plus....

Well, its been awhile since my last blog post. This year has been a year of changes with Chemo and Radiation treatment ending in August. Really glad to have that behind me. Here I am on my last Chemo treatment!

Final Chemo Treatment June 18th. Followed by 4 weeks of Radiation! Glad to have this done!

David and I celebrated our 38th Wedding Anniversary down at the Ranch!

As far as our preparedness goes, I started working on our “Under The Bed” emergency kits. These are plastic tubs that currently have the following items in them. Here is the list so far of what we have in them:

Leather Gloves, Bandana, Flashlight, Batteries, Street Map, Knife, Large Pack Hoo-Ahhs, N95 Masks, Pair of Socks, Shoes, Duct Tape,

Amp-3 EDC (Everyday Carry) , https://www.amp-3.net/amp3-support-kits-1/edc-every-day-carry

Amp-3 PDK (Personal Disaster Kit) https://www.amp-3.net/amp3-support-kits-1/pdk-personal-diaster-kit

Hand Warmers, Head Lamp and Light Stick. I have yet to add the Hard Hat and Clothes.

You might ask yourself, “Why Would I Need This”? We live in earthquake country and found out the hard way what it’s like to not be prepared. When a larger earthquake hits, you might have broken glass on the floor and you DON”T want to just step out onto that.

This tubs is prefect and slides right under the bad and ready in case of emergency.

You never really know when you might need this but I would rather be ready when I do. Seems like every week or so, I am adding to this kit with something. Go ahead and plan ahead for whatever emergency you might have heading your way. Let me know what you think too? Your thoughts are always important to me.

Water Storage! 100 Essentials

Since we moved into the new house here in Oregon, we're just are not as prepared as we need to be. Water, is something that we have to have so we can up with this solution.

Check out your local grocery store for 5 gal water containers. They might even have a fill station like the one that I used. Even if your on a budget, like we are and purchase something every month to add to your preparedness, you can do this. 

I purchased four water containers and the water for less then $32. Realizing that you need one gallon of water per day per person (Don't forget your Pets). If the water is coming from a city source, it will already be chlorinated and you won't need to add anything to it to keep it for a year. If your not sure, then add a few drops of bleach.

5 Gallon Water Bottles for $6.95 ea. You need a Gallon of water per person per day...

Water filling station at the grocery store! .30cents per gallon

20 Gallons Ready to use! Less then $32

You can start with this but realize that, you need enough for your family and pets for at least 2 weeks to start. Adding more will only give you more backup or share with your neighbors. 

Preparedness doesn't have to be expensive but everyone should be prepared!

Let me know your thoughts and your suggestions! Keep adding to your 100 Essentials! https://www.amp-3.net/resources/

Getting You Better Prepared! 100 Essentials

We live in Oregon but no matter where you live, preparedness is for everyone! In Oregon, we need to prepare for the big one! Have you heard about the Cascadia Subduction Zone? Watch this!

Created by the Oregon State University IDEAS Visualization Team

Are you prepared with a Go-Bag? How about a Ham Radio? Do you know how you would get home if you had to walk? This is going to be a very bad day no matter how you prepare. Be smart NOW about how you prepare. FEMA tells you to be prepared for 3 days, how did that work out for the folks of Hurricane Harvey? Not well, they needed to prepare for 2 weeks instead. That is about what you will need here in Oregon for this very bad and disastrous day!

Two weeks of preparedness means, without help from the outside! You need to self sufficient for this time with your neighbors and surrounding community. Will you be able to live without running water, without being able to flush your toilet or electricity? It's more then just stuff that you will need to be prepared with. 

Preparedness isn't easy, it takes time and you have to have a plan. Do you know how to shut off your Natural Gas? Do you have the tool need to shut it off? Do you know how to shut off your water? 

Gas and Water Shutoff! Zip tie this to your Gas Meter! Be Ready....

Do you have satellite radio in your car? If you have a newer car, you probably do but you pay the $$ each month to use it. You will be able to get information about your area via Satellite radio in the event of a disaster. . Communication is key during any disaster.

Do you have a meeting place for your family. Have you practiced getting to this place. Remember, you may be walking to this meeting place be ready with a good pair of walking shoes. 

When experts talk about a 9+ earthquake hitting off the coast of Oregon, this is not a small event. It will effect the entire West Coast. 

Estimated Impacts:

The scenario Cascadia earthquake would be an unprecedented catastrophe for Oregon and for the United States. It would impact every aspect of life for all Oregonians and for the residents of northern California, Washington, and British Columbia. The effects of a Cascadia subduction earthquake will be greatest on the coast, which is right next to the subduction zone fault, and will diminish as one goes inland. This, in combination with Oregon’s mountainous geography, divides the state into four impact zones: within the tsunami zone, damage will be nearly complete. In the coastal zone, shaking will be severe, liquefaction and landsliding will be widespread and severe, and damage will be severe. In the valley zone, shaking will be strong, liquefaction and landsliding will be common but less severe, and moderate damage will be widespread. In the eastern zone, shaking will be mild, landslides and liquefaction sporadic, and damage generally light.

The impacts of a great subduction earthquake on Oregon are impossible to predict accurately, but several studies have estimated damage and casualties, and those estimates give a sense for how far- reaching a disaster the next great earthquake will be. Estimated consequences include:

• Earthquake deaths ranging from 650 to 5,000, with another 600 to 5,000 deaths due to the tsunami.

• 24,000 buildings completely destroyed, and another 85,000 with extensive damage requiring months to years of repair.

• Approximately $32 billion in economic losses.

• 27,600 displaced households.

These high levels of damage and loss reflect both the great size of the earthquake and the fact that many buildings, roads, bridges, and utility networks were designed before Oregon’s building codes and practices recognized any significant earthquake threats, and most were designed before codes began to take great subduction earthquakes into account. Lifeline systems, such as highways and pipelines, are particularly vulnerable to ground failure, which will be widespread in the next great earthquake. As a result, the vulnerability analyses done for this plan are grim. For example, if the earthquake were to happen tomorrow. 

Estimated Time to restore services: 

• One to three years to restore drinking water and sewer service in the coastal zone.

• One month to one year to restore water and sewer in the valley zone.

• Six to twelve months to restore partial function of the top-priority highways in the valley zone.

• Two to four months to restore police and fire stations in the valley zone.

• Eighteen months to restore healthcare facilities in the valley zone, three years or more in the coastal zone.

I am not really sure how you totally prepare for this situation but you still have to be aware and prepare the best you can if you live anywhere in Oregon.

What are Schools, Universities and Churches doing to prepare for this scenario? Have they even begun to talk to teaches, students or congregations on what to do in the event of this disaster? I am not really sure! 

Let me know your thoughts and what your doing? What is your plan?? We would really love to hear from you.... https://www.amp-3.net/resources/