Suddenly; No Internet.. What do you do?

The United States currently has over 287 million internet users; that represents 88.5% of the population.

Mobile devices account for 77% of that usage -- and the number is growing exponentially every year. 

Worldwide, there are over 900 million Gmail accounts.

There are 310 million active Twitter accounts in the U.S. alone.

There are over 222 million Facebook accounts in the USA. 

Just survey your own family:

How many mobile devices do you own and use?

How much time do you spend on emails; on texting; on playing games on the internet?

How much of your daily news do you get online?

And, most importantly, what would you and your family do if the internet were suddenly unavailable to you, and you and your family could no longer access any social media? 

Hikingware.com thinks it's important for you to be prepared for any emergency or disaster. That's why they offer the best emergency food storage and survival kit brands on the market. But they also know that man does not live by bread alone; you've got to be able to communicate with others during an emergency. And social scientists currently are studying the effects on children and teenagers of a sudden and total cessation of access to social media. Their initial results show that those under the age of 20 often become frightened, depressed, and even paranoid when they are suddenly cut off from their social media accounts for longer than 48 hours. 

Astro-physicists now say that solar flares of great magnitude could knock out our cell phones and wifi in an instant, and it could take months to repair the damage. Hackers are becoming more and more adept at breaking into even the most secure data banks, and in sowing viruses that could virtually cripple the internet for years to come, making it unsafe to use.  

Here are some suggestions to help you maintain your family's sanity and peace of mind in an offline world: 

Board Games.

Children need to maintain a sense of play and fun, even under emergency conditions. Otherwise their health can degenerate alarmingly, including bouts of diarrhea, bedwetting, loss of appetite, rashes, and disturbing mental quirks. Make sure you and your children learn to play and enjoy games such as Monopoly, Scrabble, or Yahtze; insist on playing them at least once a week. That way, if the internet becomes unavailable your family can still find a break from worry and maintain a sense of normalcy. 

Ham Radio.

A starter kit costs as little as $60.00 -- if your cell phone won't work and you don't have a landline phone (only 33% of Americans still have a landline phone -- and that number is dropping rapidly) it may be the only way to communicate long distances.

Books.

The National Librarians Association says that reading time for both adults and children has dropped to a mere average of 2 hours per week; in 1965 it was at an average of 20 hours a week. With no TV or movies to stream or social media to entertain and inform, a supply of good books can be a real godsend if you are stuck in your home because of emergency or curfew. Insist that before your children can go online they must read a certain amount of time or a certain amount of books. And make sure you set the example yourself by letting your family see you reading magazines and books.

Don't depend on debit cards and online banking in an emergency.

Your online banking and debit/credit cards could be compromised at any time. Prepare for that eventuality by keeping a few hundred dollars cash in a baggie in your freezer; paper currency is not affected by cold. Do not hoard thousands at home -- that is an invitation to theft and home invasion. But a few hundred dollars in cash kept at home is a prudent strategy for any emergency. Make sure you have it noted and insured on your homeowner's/renter's insurance policy. 

MOSQUITOES! DON'T LET THEM TAKE A 'BITE' OUT OF YOU.

City, county, and state governments allocate funds each year for mosquito spraying. This normally keeps the population down to manageable levels in most areas of the United States – but what happens during an emergency or disaster, when local services may be interrupted or discontinued?

This is an especially important question today due to the Zika virus, which is spread through mosquito bites.

Hikingware.com explains a little bit more about these critters, and what you can do, during both normal times and during emergencies, to eradicate their impact in your neighborhood:

Mosquitoes can breed in any standing water, but they are particularly drawn to standing water with lots of organic debris. Nasty water is a common place to find mosquito larvae. During the summer months you can verify a water source's mosquito content by dipping a cup into the stagnant water. Look for mosquito larvae in the cup. The larvae are about the size of a fingernail and they squiggle around.

  To eliminate mosquito breeding sites, begin with obvious areas and empty the water from them. These sites include: old tires, buckets, wheel barrows, and clogged gutters. Keep an eye on birdbaths, and replace the water at least once a day; when not in use, make sure to turn the bowl upside down to keep water from accumulating in it. Flower pots and the saucers that they sit on are often over-looked so check these. In-ground pool drains remove water from the pool decking and they are often full of water. The pool drains aren't easily emptied, but they can be treated with either baking soda or white vinegar to kill the larvae. Usually 3 tablespoons of baking soda, or a half pint of vinegar will do the trick.

Adult mosquitoes are commonly found in bushes and shrubs because they feed on plant nectar. Females need a blood meal in order to produce new eggs. They feed on people by following the scent of our exhaled carbon dioxide, our body heat, and a complex blend of scents found on human skin.

To get rid of adult mosquitoes spray the foliage of bushes and shrubs with a residual insecticide. If you have qualms about the chemicals in a residual insecticide you can use sulfur powder or diatomaceous earth. 

When applying insecticides to plants, try to avoid spraying the flowers and blooms. This will minimize the insecticides impact on pollinating insects such as bees, butterflies, and moths. After a proper application, you can expect to start seeing results within two to four weeks.

It is a good idea to keep mosquito repellent stocked year-round. But did you know that you can get a mosquito repellent not just for your skin, but for your yard? It comes in the form of pellets you sprinkle in the grass which give off a scent that confuses mosquitoes so they can’t locate their human prey. Most larger hardware stores and home centers stock such pellets.

Finally, remember that biting mosquitoes are most active at sunrise and sunset, so if you are in an area that has experienced the Zika virus, Dengue fever, or malaria, make sure you minimize your time outdoors during those periods. 

Are You Financially Prepared for an Emergency?

Being ready for a disaster is more than storing water and supplies.  You also need to be financially ready.  Starting early and having adequate insurance, a plan to pay your bills and access to your important records and accounts will help you get back on your feet faster and avoid problems with your credit when you need it most.

Hikingware.com asks these pertinent questions:

How much cash do you keep in your home?

How much cash should you keep in your home?

Have you backed up all your important financial records and information, so if they're physically lost during a disaster they will still be on file and accessible?

Do you have a will?

Are all your insurance premiums paid up?

The Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (EFFAK), a joint publication from Operation Hope and the FEMA Citizen Corps, can help you prepare now. Use the EFFAK to identify your important documents, medical records, and household contracts. When completing the kit, be sure to include pictures or a video of your home and your belongings and keep all of your documents in a safe space.

In addition to using the EFFAK, these other steps can help you safeguard your assets and recover quicker from an emergency or a disaster:

1. Download phone applications that can help during emergencies: Use the FEMA phone application to access to disaster preparedness, response and recovery resources including disaster assistance.
2. Enroll in Go Direct to minimize disruptions to receiving any federal benefits you are now getting or may be eligible to receive.
3. Plan ahead of time to recover: The USDA has created great resources to help getyou started, including Recovery After Disaster: The Family Financial Toolkit and the Disaster Recovery Log.

As to the question of how much cash you should keep on hand for emergencies, the best answer is simply to use common sense and extreme caution.

First and foremost, of course, is that you should never let anyone outside of your spouse, your adult children, and perhaps a very, very trusted friend, know that you keep ANY money in your home. To do otherwise is simply to invite home invasion and robbery.

Next, figure out the absolute minimum amount of cash you'd need to buy necessities and take care of repairs if you could not access your bank account or get to an ATM for six months. That is the amount experts like Suze Orman suggest you should keep on hand.

If you're able to invest in a good wall safe, do so. Otherwise, U.S. News & World Report suggests these four hidey holes for your money:

1. Inside false infrastructure. Constructing fake fixtures around the house, like a drain pipe in the basement, return air vent in the living room or power outlet on a bedroom wall, gives the appearance of working household parts, but in fact, acts as a facade for hiding your emergency money inside.

2. Buried outside. What better way to hide money inside your house than hiding it outside? Pick a reasonably conspicuous spot in your yard or garden to bury your money, and carefully protected, nobody will find it – except you, as long as you remember where you dug. Zip cash up in bags, put it in glass jars and/or wrap the bills in plastic or a small tarp.

3. Disguised and dispersed. Sometimes, hiding your money in less conspicuous places can be the most inconspicuous hiding spot that a thief might overlook. Are you a devout bibliophile? Hollowing out a book to stuff some bills into is an outdated method, but not for anyone with an extensive library of tomes floor to ceiling, where the "money book" is hidden among hundreds of other books and more difficult to find. What about hiding some cash in an envelope in a box of blank envelopes? Don't stash your cash in the freezer; it can develop frostburn and actually decompose when thawed out!

Scouting with Hikingware

The Boy Scouts of America program is now over 100 years old. It has proven to be a solid benefit to the boys and men who have participated in it, as well as to the communities in which it functions.

Part of the Scout Motto is “Be Prepared”. The Scouting Program in the United States emphasizes that scouts should be willing and able to offer help during times of crises and emergency.

Hikingware.com urges parents and others concerned with the welfare of their community to actively support the Boy Scout Program through membership and donations. In a disaster, anyone who has developed required skills is going to be an important member of any relief program.

Emergency preparedness means being prepared for all kinds of emergencies, able to respond in time of crisis to save lives and property and to help a community—or even a nation—return to normal life after a disaster occurs. To encourage Scouts of all ages to be prepared for emergency situations, the BSA has approved an Emergency Preparedness Award program for members of all ages.

When a member has fulfilled the requirements, a completed application is submitted to the council. Upon approval, the Emergency Preparedness Award is awarded. The pin may be worn on civilian clothing or on the uniform, centered on the left pocket flap. The award may be earned more than once; for instance, as a young person advances through the ranks and is capable of more complex preparedness activities, but only one pin should be worn.

It is a challenge to be prepared for emergencies in our world of man-made and natural phenomena. The Emergency Preparedness BSA program is planned to inspire the desire and foster the skills to meet this challenge in our youth and adult members so that they can participate effectively in this crucial service to their families, communities, and nation.

The emergencies of today's world demand more than ever that our young people and adults be trained as individuals and as units to meet emergency situations. The importance of this training is not new to the Boy Scouts of America, as Scouting has always taught youth to be prepared for all types of emergencies. Since Scouting began in the United States, Scouts have responded to the needs of their communities and nation in time of crisis.

When an emergency occurs, it affects every youth and adult member of BSA in the immediate area, creating the responsibility to respond first, as an individual; second, as a member of a family; and third, as a member of a Scouting unit serving the neighborhood and community. Because of these multiple levels of responsibility, the Emergency Preparedness BSA plan includes training for individual, family, and unit preparedness. Special training in all three areas is a prerequisite for BSA members conducting any type of emergency service in their communities.

Individual Preparedness

• The primary emphasis of this initial step in the program is to train members to be mentally and emotionally prepared to act promptly and to develop in them the ability to take care of themselves.
• Teaching young people to know and be able to use practical survival skills when needed is an important part of individual preparedness.

Family Preparedness

• Since family groups will be involved in most emergency situations, this part of the plan includes basic instructions to help every Scouting family prepare for emergencies. Families will work together to learn basic emergency skills and how to react when faced with fires, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, explosions, warning signals, fallout protection, terrorism attacks, and other emergency situations.

Community Preparedness

• The program fosters the desire to help others and teaches members how to serve their communities in age-appropriate ways. By taking the age-appropriate First Aid for Children course (Tiger Cubs) and Basic Aid Training (Wolf and Bear Cub Scouts), these boys help ease the burden on the family and community resources. Through all Scouting ranks and for adult members, the responsibilities and skills for community service increase with the members' maturity.

A community with a strong Scouting program is going to be a strong community in a disaster.