Prepare: Is Prepping an American thing?

One of the frequest readers to Prepare (Frugal UK, shout out!), asked if the obsession with the end of the world was an American thing. In relation, there does not seem to be the same concern in the UK.

Fair question. Here's my take on it...

I don't have any numbers of how many "preppers" there are in the US. And I don't know how many people are concerned about the end of the world. Fortunately, that sort of data is not collected by pollsters and that's good news because most die hard preppers don't want anyone to know what they are up to.

How did it get started?

Go back to the Cold War. America was locked in a multi-national tug of war with the Soviet Union. The stakes were high; both had large land and sea forces and a stockpile of nukes if matters got out of hand.

For the first time, Americans were faced with the prospect of a foreign nation being able to lob bombs on their cities from a variety of locations - land, sea and air. Up until then, the US had two oceans separating them from the problems Europe and Asia had dealt with for hundreds of years - war and potential occupation.

From the late 50's to the mid 1960's, America embarked on a national campaign of "civil defense". Government and individuals would prepare shelters in the event of nuclear war and would stock those shelters to ride out fallout from atomic weapons. Americans began stockpiling food (canned and dry goods), water, batteries and other supplies into their basements or backyard fallout shelters. The "prepper" was mainstream and lived in the suburbs.

With the 1970's, the civil defense movement waned (for a number of reasons) as Americans drifted through detente and turbulence at home. Then, with the recession of the late 70's, Americans discovered that the post WWII system of robust economic growth was collapsing and when combined with rapid social changes and constant confrontation abroad with the Soviet Union and new regional powers, had the forboding feeling that doom was imminent.

The American self image was shaken. Not only could we be attacked by what seemed, a much more powerful Soviet Union, our institutions of work, marriage and community were clearly not as strong as they appeared to be in the previous generation.

Whether it be riots in the late 60's, the deterioration of the American city, rampant crime, inflation, or corruption, American was not what it used to be and its best days seemed to be behind it.

Americans dug inward. Prepare for the worse, but hope for the best. During this period, from the late 70's to the end of the 80's, America and American culture, began prepping for the end of the world.

Not only was the modern survivalist movement born, but pop culture reflected the growing concern and facination Americans had with the apocalypse. Books like "The Stand" were published. Movies like "The Road Warrior" and "Red Dawn" were blockbusters at the theatres.

The 80's post-apocalyptic movement settled down with the advent of the 1990's and the end of the Soviet Union. But with the same era, came a host of new concerns. The potential for an overbearing, insidious federal government, encroachment by the United Nations, the rise of terrorism overseas and the potential for some sort of Balkan style dissolution of the US in the near future.

And then the decade ended with the single event which most defined the modern, post-Cold War prepper movement: Y2K. The collapse of a computer based society due to an oversight in software coding.

Overnight, millions of people who normally would be concerned with the latest news on the nascent Internet or the value of their stock portfolio became concerned about a technology induced shutdown of Western civilization. A remote rural retreat, a stack of gold coins and canned goods sounded pretty good to a society faced with the sudden and disasterous loss of all power, communications and transport.

Of course, the event never happened, but shortly afterwards, 9/11 did. America, after thirty years of internal anxiety saw their worse fears realized. War had come to their shores.

Again, sales in stored foods and bottled water went up, but so did demand for gas masks and Geiger counters. A rural home would not attract the attention of terrorists they thought, and so once again, a remote location seemed appealing to millions.

Toss in ten years of natural disasters, fires, blackouts and terror threats and the world becomes a pretty scary place.

Today. Take everything which has happened in the past generation and combine it with the current economic and social climate in the US and one has to wonder why the whole country is not digging a fallout shelter in the backyard and pulling the door closed behind them.

To be fair, Most Americans go about their business and are more concerned about keeping their job (most likely urban), paying their mortgage (most likely suburban) and keeping the lights on than they are about a foreign army marching down their street or a plague depopulating the earth.

However, whether it is a national best seller like "One Second After" or Tivo'ing a Discovery Channel documentary on 2012, Americans continue to be open to that little voice in the back of their head which tells them to "fill up the car before the weekend, grab that extra case of water at the grocery store or make a run to the warehouse store to do a little shopping..."

After all, it can't hurt - just in case.

And that might explain why we do the things we do here in the US.

SHTF Saturday

Its Saturday, so I can write whatever I feel like today.

Here is a short story, actually a piece of a story. Forget about the story line, instead see how many post-SHTF jobs and business opportunities you can spot.

Richard Lassiter finished loading the last box in the back of the trailer and secured it with tarp and rope. The other two trailers were ready and the families were climbing aboard the three trucks.

Richard's oldest son Luke and his nephew Jim were kicking their dirt bikes to life and pointed them out the open gate to the farm. Luke would ride out last after locking the gate down when the last truck and trailer pulled out.

It had been nearly a year since the Fall. That was what they called it around here at least. They called it the Crash in the Midwest, the Big Boom in California and simply the End in other places. The stories the Lassiter family heard on the shortwave helped them piece together some of what happened elsewhere. Nobody would ever know the full extent of how bad things had gone in the world over the past year.

Now, gasoline and diesel were in short supply, especially when running five vehicles as the Lassiters and their extended group of family and friends were doing early this particular morning. But the Lassiters were not one to miss an opportuntity for some trade and the chance to increase their bounty.

The nearby small town, which until last year was home to nearly 25,000 people, was the site of a new trading fair, bazaar,flea market, what have you. After several months of no commerce or trade, people were itching to get out of their homes and see what was available from nearby residents for trade or sale. And the Lassiters were no different.

As the Lassiters made their way to the high school grounds where the trading fair was to be taking place, several others made their way as well. Most had only a few things of value to trade. Others, however, were planning on providing services they knew would be in demand by survivors of the Fall.

These would be entrepreneurs all had quite a bit in common. Each mumbled to himself after the Fall, "I'm gonna be a knife sharpener, gunsmith or 'jack of all trades'. I am sure those things will be in demand". And so, they loaded up their wagons, yard carts and bike trailers and rolled them onto the fair grounds looking for business.

Imagine the looks they received from each other as they clanged, jangled and banged their identically laden carts of tools and files into the trade area at the fair.

At the same time, the Lassiters arrived. They parked their three trucks and trailers in a row length wise. Plywood board signs were erected on top of the trailers and along the sides of the trucks announcing their services, trade items and desired products of exchange. Folding tables were erected and chairs put out behind the tables.

Two young men with shotguns took up position behind the tables to provide security while the other family members, openly armed as well, setup shop.

Peg Lassiter, 19, set up tray after tray of vegetable seedlings on the two folding tables in front of her. Each was grown from the supply of hybrid seeds her father had collected over the years. They would not germinate next year which meant that today's customer would be back next season for more.

Jane Lassiter, Richard's wife, along with her niece Hope, setup two chairs side by side and a table laden with hair clippers, scissors and manicure equipment. Hope had been to beauty school before the Fall and Jane had always trimmed her husband's and son's hair. Now they would put those services to good use.

Max McCauley, Richard's long time friend, setup a bench and table with old shoes and boots. Each had been obtained from thrift stores and second hand for years before the Fall (and some scavenged over the past few months..). Max had repaired several seams and heels over the winter, had cleaned the shoes and provided new laces where needed. Now the worn, but completely serviceable shoes were going to bring Max a handsome profit for his winter's work. The shoes were organized by size and the prices clearly labeled.

Ted Lassiter, 12, was not to be left out. Piled on the ground in front of him were nearly 100 phone books and two trash bags of old newspaper. All had been scavenged and recovered from the numerous looted houses and businesses in the Lassiters area. A simple sign in front of the pile made Ted's case "Toilet Paper".

Finally, Richard pulled something out of his bag of tricks. Written on the plywood sign above his head was his shingle "Notary, witness and provider of civil wedding ceremonies - inquire within". Richard had obtained a "ordination" online before the Fall which proclaimed he was an ordained minister. Further, he had been a lawyer at one time before the Fall which might still have some revenue generating ability.

This combined with the large selection of used tools, knives and candles he had obtained from garage sales, thrift stores and flea markets which were now displayed on the table in front of him and who knew how he would make out today.

In the meantime, our dozen or so amateur gunsmiths and knife sharpeners were having a hard time finding business. One had hastily penned a sign which read "Knifes sharpened, fair prices". Another pushed his wheel barrow in front of every person he saw with a gun or knife on their belt "Sharpen your knife for ya. Tune up that pistol too".

"No thanks" was the reply which only angered and frustrated the would be business man.

Jane and Hope had a line at their "beauty shop" by this time. Of course it helped that after nearly a year, most people had uneven shaggy haircuts or ridiculously long locks hanging in front of their faces. And business was attracted to the Lassiters as twin sisters Mary and Faith serenaded the crowd with their violin and guitar duets. Music had been a stranger now that the power was out and radios, CDs and stereos were a thing of the past.

When a young couple shyly approached Richard about a wedding ceremony, the whole family stood and cheered. A time was set for that afternoon and Richard began to make arrangements. He quickly produced a silk flower arrangement and a wedding veil from his truck "Would you like to rent these for the happy occasion?" he inquired.

Two of the knife sharpeners were in a scuffle over an elderly man's pocket knife sharpening business. In the end, both were bruised and battered and the knife owner left with a dull blade.

The Lassiters were not taking old money for their wares and services. Only trade goods which were hard to get or manufacture. In particular,the Lassiters were looking for ammunition of any kind (but not to trade away, only to take in), fuel, unopened pre-Fall food stuffs, batteries and such. They also kept an open mind for "work of equal value". Why do the work when someone else would do it for you for cheaper? Outsourcing was not a thing of the old America.

When a man approached Ted for some toilet paper and offered a five dollar bill, Ted pulled the phonebook back from and asked for proper payment. An older relative sided up to Ted in case the customer became "difficult". He did not and he shuffled off with his money and goods for trade - a grocery bag of worthless compact disks and cell phones.

That afternoon, to the strains of "Hear Comes The Bride" as played by the twins, the young couple exchanged vows and Richard signed a marriage certificate, which he produced and notarized too, by the way. The couple handed over 8 rounds of 00 buckshot and a butane lighter for the services. Richard let the bride keep the silk bouquet. She looked too pretty to take it back.

A wonderful day for commerce, trade and love in the new America.

As the Lassiters packed up to head home before dark, a number of seething eyes were upon them among the stragglers lingering in the fairgrounds..




More tomorrow..

SHTF: Survivalist New Years Resolutions

I hate New Years resolutions.

Most people do not keep them and it is a symbolic waste of time.

They pack the gym and buy the bikes. They put in the big order to Jenny Craig or Nutrisystem. They clean the "fat clothes" out of the closet. They make lists and stick them on the refrigerator door.

Come February, they are parked in front of the TV watching American Home Idol with the Stars and stuffing their faces with Twinkies and Diet Coke. The exercise bike holds clothes and the fridge door is covered with kid drawings and coupons.

However, with the new year staring in less than a week, it is time for all of us to take stock where we are today and what we need to be preparing for in 2009.

How about a Survivalist To Do List for 2009 rather than a bunch of silly resolutions?

1) Start building up a cash supply
Cash will be the mode of exchange for days, weeks or months before the ax finally falls on society. Even afterwards, some fool will still take a Ben Franklin for a can of beans or roll of toilet paper long after the fall.

Start cutting lunches and coffee out. Stop buying treats at the 7-11. Take your lunch to work. Quit smoking. You know, all the little ways to save $20,50 or 100.00 a week.

Put that cash in a jar or envelope in the house somewhere and don't touch it. Stick your pocket change in another jar, sort it for junk silver and roll it for more green backs. Put those back too.

2) Build that food supply
Food is king. And food is cheap. Cheaper than that rifle or truck you want. Food is readily available at the corner market or Super Wal Mart.

Start buying an extra 6 cans of something, 10 pounds of rice, a bag of sugar or flour and so forth every time you go to the market. Put everything into a five gallon bucket you can get at the hardware store. Label it, close it and stick in the back of the closet.

3) Keep your car filled
Gas runs the world despite what all the renewable blabber mouths say. Remember Katrina? All the people with a quarter tank of gas stranded on the interstate? Keep your car above three quarters of a tank. Now it is easier than ever that gasoline has dropped in price.

If you want, and this is your risk if you do, keep a five gallon can filled in the garage or car port.

For sure, get 3,4 or 5 empty gasoline containers and put them in the garage. I carry an empty five in the back of my truck for just in case.

4) Plant something you can eat
A corner of the yard, ten big containers, the flower beds out back, heck, the whole backyard. Plant some food as soon as the weather permits.

Grow tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, carrots, anything that can be eaten and is good for you.

While you are at it, plant a fruit or nut tree on your property as well if you can. Plant something now before next fall when the stores are empty.

5) Start cleaning out your house and getting rid of the clutter
Sell your surplus junk and make some extra money for preparedness supplies. Have a garage sale, Craiglist or Ebay it. FreeCycle for that pile of stuff nobody will pay you for. Someone will want it and free is good.

6) Start a real health and fitness program
Eat right - fruits, vegetables, whole grains and less red meat, fats and stupid carbohydrates (beer, cake, cookies, junk).

Go the doctor and get a full physical. Do what he says (short of loading up on prescriptions).

Start walking every day. Buy a second hand bike and ride it to work once a week if possible, and to the grocery store.

Integrate exercise into your daily life and you won't quit.

7) Get some more clothes
After the SHTF the most valuable asset after food will be clothes and shoes well fitted for the post-SHTF world. My kids love their video console, but the price of it, I could have bought 4 pairs of good jeans, or two pairs of work boots or a couple of sets of Carhardts.

Jeans, coats, work shoes, socks, underwear, etc. will be worth their weight in gold in the month after the big one. Go buy a few extra things as money permits.

8) Get a bug out bag for the car and office
Stock an old back pack or duffle with the following:
- change of clothes
- pair of sock
- walking shoes or boots
- 6 .5 liters of water
- A Camelback (1.5 liter)
- 6 protein bars
- 4 Ramen noodles
- 4 Oatmeal
- 6 tea bags
- Condiment packet including sugar, salt, pepper
- Lip balm, sunscreen and bug spray
- rain coat, folding poncho
- tarp
- matches or lighter
- flashlight
- multi tool

Keep it in your office and another in your car.

9) Buy a gun
A .22, 9mm, 12 guage shotgun, bolt action rifle, etc.
Take it to a public range and practice shooting.
Buy enough ammunition as needed - 500 or 1000 rounds or more.

While never preaching that violence is best, having the means to defend your family and home is irreplaceable.

10) Water
Not a specific action, but a list.
Stock water in bottles and containers.
Get a good water filter and replacement cartridges.
Find alternate sources of water where you live.. well, spring, creek, river, rain barrels.

Water is essential to life and you never have too much when you don't have any.

10.5) Start learning
Make an effort to learn new skills.
Learn to fix things yourself.
Learn to build things yourself.
Learn to do things like canning or gardening by putting practice into action.
Start reading things that will help you and your family survive and thrive in the new world.

Resolutions are a waste of time, but resolving to do better in the new year is not only smart, but may save your life.

Happy New Year

SHTF: Raiders

The house was well off the beaten path, but with things being the way they were, it was only a matter of time until the vermin fleeing the cities found their way here. There were 7 of them and only one was injured from their last raid. That was another remote farm a few miles away. When the food ran out, the raiders moved on. The raiders spread out and moved in quietly. The evolution of their occupation taught them hard lessons and they adapted quickly. The family dog was first to go. Then the front door kicked in while other attackers moved in simultaneously against the back door and through two windows. A man, the father no doubt, barely had time to lift his shotgun before he was gunned down. A boy no more than 12 went for a .22. rifle on the wall, but he was overpowered before it could be put to use. The mother and a teen aged daughter clung to each other in the corner. Benefits of the job thought the raiders as they closed in...

In the post-SHTF world, raiders will be as common as roaches in many place. They will prowl the torn cities, patrol the highways and roads and sweep through small communities and farm towns in their quest for food, supplies, weapons and victims.

Authorities will be non-existent, only found in certain locations or for hire as mercenaries. I would not be surprised to see some authority groups break down into raiders themselves justifying their actions as necessary.

The post SHTF raider
Early raiders will evolve from a few demographics.

- City dwellers while escaping starvation in their former urban homes see the country side, suburbs and small towns as refuges and supply stations while they move from one location to another. Groups will form, break up and reform as authority figures establish themselves over others.

- Convicts, criminals, and gangs which continue their activities unabated.

- As noted above, authorities cut off from a central command or realizing the futility of their original mission will raid and establish territories to "protect" the local populations. Also, some governments, local and otherwise, may find their raids as "resource allocation and procurement".

Emergency Preparedness and Ambushes
The only defense is to wipe them out before they do the same to you and yours. A good defense is the first priority.

Location is everything

Don't give raiders a chance to attack you if they cannot find you first.
You can hide almost anywhere, but remote and rural is the best bet. Your retreat should be hidden from main roads with nothing (a big gate with Barnes Ranch on top is not advised) alerting passerby's to its identity. A dirt road can be made to look unused and less traveled.
Keep vehicles hidden and off the roads. When traveling from and returning to the retreat, take roundabout ways and alter them frequently.
Keep trees and brush heavy nearest the road to your retreat. Don't let them see a cozy house on top of a bare hillside 100 yards from the road.

Use natural landmarks to your advantage


A nearby hill should be modified with a hidden and camouflaged observation post with views 360 degrees available. The best and most able marksmen should occupy this spot with emergency communications equipment 24/7.
Rocks and trees should be marked around the retreat with ranges and setup as defensive positions. Remember, a raider will be using defensive positions facing the retreat - don't allow them any assistance.
Movement outside of the defensive parameter should be done through below ground or ground level paths (tunnels or ditches) and travelers should be in full camouflage or "gilly" suits.
Distances from the retreat in all directions should be measured and appropriate weapons assigned to the measurements. A shotgun is useless on a target at 400 yards.

Home preparation

The home should have stout doors with cross bars.
All windows should have shutters (metal preferred) and bars.
There should be at least three means of leaving and entering the home.
An escape route (a tunnel is best) for retreat should be in place with a meet up place nearby assigned.
Bug out bags should be maintained in the event some or all of the retreat residents have to escape.
Caches of supplies should be stored off site as well.
Call signals will be in effect for all communications even for the youngest members of the retreat.
Firearms will be worn by all adults and responsible teens at all times. The worse situation is to have guns locked up or in a central location. Needless to say, firearm training is mandatory and ongoing for all.
Have a 6 inch painted PVC pipe running along the ridge of the roof. Put 1 inch holes spaced a few inches apart in the pipe and connect a hose to each end. In the event of firebombs, the water can be run through the pipe to water the roof. Keep extinguishers, sand and buckets handy inside for the same purpose.
Obviously keep plenty of water and food inside the home in the event of a siege.

Attackers will use distance and stealth

Attack doctrine calls for one or two long distance shooters to "pin the defenders down" while others move in close.
Spread out your defenders using your Observation Post and hidden travel paths to work behind the attackers. Attack them and put their plans off.
Be prepared to use less than orthodox means to repel an attack. Historically defenders have used mines, booby traps, chemicals, fumes, flames and liquids against attackers successfully.
Have an early warning system in place of the observation post, communications with other nearby residents, trip wires and noise alarms.

Safety in numbers

Our scenario above might have been different if the family had joined up with two or three other families and shared resources and defense. Raiders are like any other predator; they look for weak and lone victims to attack. Give them a target which is more than they can chew off.

Tell me what you think!

Leave a comment or click below!

Tips to survive the end of the world

If you are new to "preparing for the end of the world" and need a solid reference to get started, check this book out.


The world won't really "end". After all, it survived dinosaurs, great floods, earthquakes, volcanoes and disco. There is nothing this place cannot handle.

However, there are massive setbacks which can happen and which will feel like the end of the world. If every grocery store closed, power was shut off, water was no longer coming from the tap and the government ceased functioning, it would be the end of many people's world.

Here are a few tips for surviving the end of the world.

Stock food now. This means shelf stable, canned, packaged and dry food. Most of this can from your grocery store, others from specialty stores like Nitro-Pak (see Mountain House link on right). Stock months if not years worth of food. Many food products, like sugar and salt, can last for decades if stored properly.

But don't stop there. Stock seeds, hand tools, grow some fruit trees and put in raised beds on your property to grow more food.

Store water now. You can fill 2 liter soda bottles or buy food grade water storage barrels on line. Fill them with tap water, add a little bleach and rotate every six months or so.

But don't stop there. Purchase a high quality water filter system like a Katdyn. Get extra cartridges for the filter. Buy extra bleach for treating water. And a system for boiling water be it a camp stove or hot plate and battery setup.

And dig a well on your property. I am a big fan of sand point wells where possible. A rain water catchment system and cistern can also be a good choice.

Get alternate power. Solar panels and deep cycle batteries come in all sizes. From a single 5 watt panel and 12 volt rechargeable battery to a bank of 85 watt panels and room of deep cycle batteries.

A generator is useful for occasional use, but drinks a great deal of fuel and is noisy. Don't let the neighbors know you have juice!

If need be, a stationary bike with an alternator and car batteries (ala Soylent Green)) works in a pinch.

Don't forget extra batteries of different sizes such as AA, AAA, D and C!

Get fuel now. Propane for the grill. Gasoline for the car. Camp stove cartridges.

Be safe first. Store properly and only store what you can store safely. Make sense?

Stockpile the things you need and cannot produce. That means needles, thread and cloth for clothing and repairs. Nails, screws, tape and glue. Wood for burning and for building. Glass. Storage jars and buckets. Every sort of cleaner, disinfectant, and chemical used around the house.

Prepare for safety. Arms and ammunition are a must. Purchase and practice with what you know. Reinforce the home or retreat. Doors, locks, window grates or bars. Burglar alarms will be useless as nobody will come to help you.

Buy extra medical supplies. Aspirin and extra eyeglasses come first. Followed by over the counter medicines and bandages. Take as many first aid and medical courses as allowed.

Prepare your mind, heart and soul to survive and succeed in a new world. Survival is not for the fittest (although good physical fitness is mandatory - start working out and dieting now), but for those that adapt. Adapting to change is the sign of a survivor in the world after it ends. Get your faith in order - you are going to need it.

Your tips to survive the end of the world. It is not impossible, only getting started is the roadblock most of you will face.

What currency after SHTF?

This came up the other day: What currency will work best after the SHTF? You know, what forms of payment for debts, public and private and all that stuff...

My answers?

Gasoline, any amounts, but one and five gallon containers for counting purposes.
Toilet paper
.22 caliber cartridges



What do all three of these things have in common?

Once used, they cannot be reused. Well, in the case of the .22 cartridge I am sure some enterprising person will figure a way...



But gasoline once used is gone forever. Same with toilet paper thankfully.

But in many cases, hauling a couple of rolls of Charmin down to the trading post or swap meet may not be handy, will there be a more liquid form of money?



For many in the preparedness community, it has always been considered that gold and silver would make a comeback for post-SHTF money. After all, precious metals have a real intrinsic value that any of us would relate too.

However, I think some may question whether or not a Silver Eagle is indeed what you say it is. That is why I suggest that "junk silver", pre-1964 U.S. silver coins such as dimes, quarters and halves have a more convinient value than gold or specialty silver coins.

For those just joining us, junk silver coins have 90% silver content and are easily recognizable as legal U.S. tender.

More to the point, small silver coins will have greater value in common trades say for a dozen eggs, a bag of roofing nails or a quart of honey. What's more, common coins are easily recognizable and in most cases, trusted as not being forgeries. WHo knows if that Silver Eagle or Kruggerand is really a foil coated fraud or not?



My advice is as always is to stock up on real everyday tangibles first. Then, and only after your preps are at a comfortable state, consider investing in some junk silver coins.

SHTF: Home supplies list

OK. I don't care what your motivation is. Terrorists. Nuclear war. Global warming. Jenna Bush as president. You want to have your list of supplies on hand for when ....

THE SHTF.

Food - start with the basics.
Canned, packaged and dry foods. Canned anything as long as you eat it.
Medium-term length survival foods - Flour, sugar, salt, cooking oil, yeast, beans, rice, vitamins and protein powder.
Long-term - long term survival foods like Ready Reserve, MRE's, Emergency Essentials, whole wheat, dry milk, honey and cooking oil.

Food final - arable land, a garden, seeds, good soil, even a bunch of pots and a compost heap. Anything which allows you to grow more food.


Water - the essential!
Water. A well, rain barrels, a catchment system, a cistern, water barrels to fill now for later.
Water filters and purification systems including filters, a pump and lots of plain bleach.
The ability to dig a new well, sandpoints for a hand hammered well, a nearby lake, stream, creek or river.

Power/Fuel - got to keep going!
Wood for the stove. Gas for the truck. Solar or wind for the home. Propane or diesel for the generator. Batteries for storage. Gas for the stove including propane, butane or natural gas.

Medical - Stay healthy or what to do when you get sick.
Other the counter medicines, lots and lots, starting with apirin and working your way across cold and flu season, allergies, bug bites, sunburn, anything which can be painful, deadly or harmful.
Herbs to substitute for manufactured drugs.

Protection
Firearms, ammunition, bows/arrows, knives/swords/axes, clubs, sticks, stones and chemicals.

Hardware
Building materials, filters of all kinds, batteries, tarps, buckets, nails and other fasteners, tools, spare parts, rope, wire, flashlights, lanterns, tents, campers, cook stoves, bedding, hammocks, sleeping bags, and anything else which can be obtained from a hardware or camping store.

Cleanliness!
Soap, shampoo, tooth paste, disenfectant, bleach, cleaning supplies, toothbrushes, toilet paper, paper towels, tampons, towels, and razors.

Finally, lots of common sense, prayer, religion, faith, hope and courage.

You can call it from there. If I missed something, well, drop me a comment.

SHTF: Car emergency survival kits

The other day I mentioned some of what I keep in my desk at work in an emergency survival situation like the SHTF.

In my car is another matter. First, I have more room which is a good thing. The bad thing about stuff in your car is, a) it might get stolen if someone breaks in your car at work or while it is parked at the mall, b) it is suceptible to the elements and where I live, it gets pretty toasty in a parked car and c) what do you do with all that stuff if your car does not start or runs out of gas on the way home?

First, I keep in my emergency survival kit the following handy items:
1. An inverter to convert car power to AC power; handy for stuff like cell phones, computers, etc.
2. A combination air compressor (tire inflation) and emergency light.
3. A tool box containing a variety of hand tools, road flares, tie downs and an odd fan belt or two.
4. One container of motor oil.
5. One jug of antifreeze.
6. One CB radio with antenna.
7. Another set of FRS radios.
8. A handheld super bright flash light which is powered off the cigarette lighter in the car.
9. Two regular flashlights.
10. Some fishing gear I keep leaving in the car.
11. One case of bottled water. Probably not good with the temperatures and plastic breaking down in heat.
12. One generic cheapo tarp.
13. One roll toilet paper.
14. One roll paper towels.
15. One bottle hand sanitizer.
16. One pair of work gloves.
17. A baseball bat (in case I go to a baseball game or something. There is a baseball glove and a couple of baseballs in there as well!).
18. A hat.
19. One windbreaker.
20. A cheap folding baby stroller. This is probably the best thing in the car. Imagine having to carry a small child 5 or 6 miles home? Or a bunch of stuff?
21. One five gallon gasoline container.

These contents, plus those in my bag at work and a few other odds and ends should be enough to get me home and hopefully avoid the worse that others deal with in a survival situation. I can think of more emergency preparedness stuff for my bag and car just from writing this article!

Food and Stress

Everyday I read the same thing on all the survival minded websites...

"When the SHTF your body is going to demand more fatty foods to deal with the stress.." or something like that. This is the rational to start stockpiling processed canned meat products and fatty convenience foods - as a hedge against mental illness post-apocalypse.

Crazy. The concept from this prepper mentality is that once the balloon goes up, all of us will be sitting in our retreats or bug out locations gorging on cans of Spam and Hormel Tamales in order to deal with the stress life has handed us. Our bodies will demand loads of fat, cholesterol and processed lard or we simply will collapse mentally.

Here is the real deal..

Take a real stressful situation and different people deal with it in different ways.
Remember when you lost a job? Had a sick child? Worried about that mid-term grade? Or maybe how you were going to pay that stack of bills? Bet you dealt with each of these in a variety of ways.. anger, depression.. The whole 7 Stages stuff we learn in psych 101..

My wife for instance, will probably get real grumpy, depressed and want to sleep long periods of time.

I am the opposite. I will suffer from insomnia and eat hardly anything for days.

I base this upon personal experience with things like death, financial problems, work stress, child rearing, birthing and sickness. I know when I am stressed, the idea of popping the top on a can of Vienna Sausages makes me want to hurl.

I know some people, when faced with insurmountable stress, do stuff their faces with sweets, or alcohol or chain smoke. Some will pop pills and others will go catatonic. The deal is all of us will handle things differently.

The way I see things, the first few days of a SHTF situation will have each of us concentrating on staying alive and keeping our loved ones safe. After a long period of incredible stress and worry, we will then settle down and adapt to the situation as it plays out.

Once we adjust to living without electricity and running water for instance, or the sounds of random gunfire and round the clock watches, then our bodies will begin to adjust as well.

We will work more manual labor doing tasks such as putting in a garden, harvesting, gathering wood and water and shoring up the home. That sort of physical work will push our bodies to demand more calories and fuel naturally.

However, I don't believe everyone has a sudden and universal physical demand on our bodies and minds which forces all of us to start consuming two times our normal caloric intake in fatty, processed foods the day after the end of the world. Some people may, others will not.

My own nasty belief about this mindset is the people who have it can't wait to dig into those cans of chile con carne, spam, tamales and the sacred, beef stew; they are merely making a pseudo-scientific nutritional and mental health case to do it sooner rather than later.

Post-TEOTWAWKI: Where to fill up?

Subject: Where can a fictional hero get fuel in a post-apocalyptic world?

I am writing a fictional story. Basically, the "poop has hit the fan" in the U.S. Our fictional hero has squared himself away quite well with a rural retreat BUT has found himself caught in a large urban area with the tanks on his BOV sorely low on fuel. After slapping himself in the head numerous times, he checks his list of handy-dandy spots to get gasoline or diesel after the end times are upon the land and all the gas stations are empty or burned to the ground.

So here are a list of places any imaginary survivor might find fuel after the lights are out and the stores are closed indefinitely!

- Places of business. How many companies have fuel pumps on site? Lots. Think trucking companies, commercial delivery services, parcel services, couriers, and taxi companies. And what about the mega car sales lots? Most have to have gas and diesel pumps and storage tanks on site.

- How about government facilities? Police and fire stations, ambulance services, and some federal offices all have their own pumping facilities.

- Truck depots and warehouses. Any place an 18-wheeler or two or a few dozen have been left for loading and unloading. Those tanks might be full or hold only a few gallons. Beggars cannot be choosers.

- Forget vehicles, what about generators? Some run on gasoline, others on diesel. Find generators behind office buildings or any other facility which must have redundant power. In a SHTF situation, nobody will be going to work at the local high rise, but the generators out back probably still have a few choice gallons left. Did you think of this gem? Cellular towers and phone switching stations both have backup generators.

- Been working on the railroad? Train engines, (diesel pushers) have massive tanks which can hold hundreds of gallons of diesel fuel. Train on siding and not running? You have a filling station.

- Odd ball places. A golf course might have a gas pump in the maintenance shed at the course. A funeral home might as well. Why? Both have multiple pickup trucks and tractors which are used exclusively on the grounds. Having the vehicles licensed and tagged to drive the city streets for fill ups is an extra expense. Better to keep the fuel on site.

- The obvious. Parked cars. Now before our hero runs next door to siphon someone's Subaru, he should be aware that the owner of the vehicle may still be around and may take offense at his lack of discretion. Rather, where might one find lots of vehicles and potentially plenty of unclaimed fuel? Why the airport of course in long term parking! The owners are somewhere else faraway. If our hero can make it to the airport, he can find numerous vehicles containing rapidly degrading fuel.

Remember, this is purely a fictional situation which I have been mulling over. If you find yourself someday writing your own story, perhaps your hero and mine will run into each other.

Beef stew and Tang

TB2K had a great thread the other day about food. With the price of food rising daily, shortage of certain foods here and abroad and our obsession with the end of the world, naturally any thread about food, especially "shelf stable foods" found in our pantries and cupboards.

Someone brought up how they purchased a case of Vienna Sausages. I don't know what was more surprising. How many people had never had Vienna Sausages or how many people ate them regularly.

The problem with people into preparedness, in my opinion, is how many of them are into food which are not exactly the best for you. Yes, when the poop hits the fan, you had better believe I will be into my canned beef stew and Spam. Yes, I have multiple boxes of macaroni and cheese, corn bread mix and other cholesterol laden foods.

However, long term, I know I will also be eating far more healthy fare. Rice, beans, fresh produce from my garden. The junk is just to get me from point A to B.

Second is the fallacy, "Look. You will be stressed and your body needs more fats to survive". Says who? Or "Look. You will be doing more hard labor once the SHTF and your body will need more calories". I guess that depends.

Take this scenario. The end has finally come. You are in your suburban home waiting for things to settle down long enough to load up the truck and head to grandma's remote house in the country. You might be holed up for as long as a month. Are you really going to stuff your face with Little Debbies, Hormel canned tamales and Criso? You know that stuff is bad for you and putting more in your system just increases the risk of a massive heart attack later in life. I can see the health care available when that happens! ("We can get Doc Stone the 80 year old veternerian down the road or get Mama in here. She know all about folk medicine!").

My suggestion is the fatty, cholesterol-filled junk food be kept on hand for limited sustinance or for younger people. For the rest of us, prepare now for a diet of healthier fare. YOur body will thank you after the SHTF.

Rice? What rice? What price rice?

Rice is a staple food eaten all over the world. The top producers of rice are:

China, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, Brazil and Japan.

Of these countries, only Thailand and Vietnam export (send out of the country) any measurable amounts. The third largest exporter of rice is the United States and by the numbers, is not in the top ten producing countries.

China and India consume much of their production. The Philippines cannot produce enough to meet demand and must import a certain amount of rice annually.

Rice is inexpensive, nutritious and filling. It can be used a main dish and augmented with other foods such as meat and vegetables to create a healthy meal.

And now the problem.

Because of demand, weather and costs, rice has become difficult to buy. Check out this story from Costco's CEO. This is taking place in the U.S. Not some third world country, but here.

The demand for rice is outstripping the supply. As I said, there are many causes. A healthier economy in Asia. A colder than expected winter in China and Vietnam. Higher demand from third world nations. Even commodity speculation.

With so few countries exporting, then the other shoe drops. India announces that they are curtailing their exports to keep prices low at home. Thailand, which usually holds a large surplus, has found itself with a three month supply and multiple customers including oil-rich, cash in hand nations like Iran shopping for a dwindling supply.

Food, once considered a boring commodity, is now a hot resource, much like petroleum and precious metals.

How does this affect us?

Rice, like wheat, constitutes a large part of our preparedness stores. At our home, we regularly keep 100 to 400 pounds of rice on hand in storage buckets. I recently checked at our Costco and found no rice in stock at all, save for the 10 lb bags of basmati rice which is not a big favorite at our house.

Rice, which used to be cheap and could be counted on as an everyday and emergency food stock is now hard to obtain and more costly when available. This can seriously hurt our preparedness plans.

What can we do?

First, we are facing a demand problem and not necessarily a shortage. Rice is available, but it might be hard to find.

Second, the time to buy was last year, but the time to buy is also now before the shipments stop and there are no restocks.

A few suggestions;

- Purchase smaller bags (1, 2 and 5lb) from your grocer.
- Check big box retailers like Walmart. Often they have the big bags like Costco or Sams.
- Check with Asian and Middle Eastern retailers. I would buy 25 and 50 lb bags from the Asian market near our house anyway. Also check the Hispanic oriented supermarkets if they are in your town.
- Keep an eye out at Sams and Costco. Ask the manager when shipments may arrive. According to the news, new stock arrives daily.
- Buy in reason. There is no need to snatch every 50lb bag you see. Buy what you can afford and reasonably store.
- Store what you buy, eat what you store.
- Consider other grains which may be in stock.

A note.

There have been a number of news articles about food shortages and riots. So far, this has not happened in the U.S. yet and I don't see it happening for some time.

Also, there is plenty to eat (real long term storage food) in the markets. I have not seen the all edged shortages of flour, sugar, salt or yeast some are hysterically reporting nor have my retailers placed any limits on purchases.

Finally, the government has not issued a statement on the rice demand. When the government issues a statement like "please limit purchases" or worse, "we have implemented price controls and rationing", then you have a real problem on your hand.

That does not mean to say that you should not continue to store food. On the contrary, we prepare for all eventualities which includes short term shortages such as what we are experiencing in addition to more serious events.

Prepare! Pre-1964 silver coins are a waste of time

Read the official Junk Silver Blog Here.

Are junk silver coins really a waste of time? No, in fact it is highly desirable to have some form of portable currency during and after an emergency. Starting with a credit card with plenty of room, then cash, gold or silver and finally, trade goods. 
 
Personally, I am a big fan of pre-1964 silver U.S. coins. Rather, I created this post to dispel a notion many armchair survivalists cling to, but also to remind readers to stock tangibles (food, water, etc) before investing in precious metals. 

First up, read all the survival fiction you can find out there on the internet. 

And that is fiction with a capital F.

Every protagonist has a stash of pre-1964 coins for barter, trade and commerce. And without fail, so does every other character they meet and wish to conduct business with. They all seem to have a mason jar full of Franklin silver halves, Roosevelt dimes and old quarters.

And so, when the inevitable "trading faire" (who comes up with this stuff?) opens, everyone shows up with a pocket of pre-Beatles change jingling and ready to purchase chickens, honey and auto parts.

Horse feathers.

For those just joining the end of the world, pre-1964 US coins have a silver content of 90% silver. To the "fiat currency" crowd, these coins were the last "real" money available to citizens.

Most pre-1964 coins have been pulled from circulation, both by the government and by collectors. I still find a silver coin from time to time, usually about one or two a year. With silver so highly priced, it makes sense to keep those dimes which are now worth over a dollar for metal value.

However, I don't know anyone who has a stash of pre-1964 US coins. Most people I meet don't even know such coins had any value. So why do SHTF authors think that commerce will quickly migrate from barter (or theft) to usage of pre-1964 silver coins so quickly when so few people have any to spend?

Most likely, gold and silver and precious stones will have a certain value for a time after the SHTF, but will fall out of favor as people realize they cannot eat a diamond ring or ward off bad guys with a Kruggerand.

My advice is to stock the following in your post-TEOTWAWKI bank account FIRST with: 
- Food.
- Supplies needed to produce clean water, i.e. bleach, filters, storage containers, etc..
- Guns and ammo.
- Manufactured goods like nails, screws, lumber, concrete, safety pins, sewing needles, etc.
- Medicines. Aspirin alone is worth its weight in pre-1964 silver coins.
- Shoes and clothes in general.
- Feminine products and birth control.
- Cleaning supplies particularly disinfectant, bleach, soap, etc.
- Toilet paper (cash money on a roll!).
- Gardening supplies (tools, seeds, potting soil) and animal feed. For that matter, small livestock like chickens, goats and rabbits.

Stock up enough ammo and egg laying chickens and you can become the next Warren Buffet of the post-apocalyptic world. Only after your food and other supplies are stocked should you take dollars and invest them in silver U.S. coins or gold.

Check out the Junk Silver Blog here.

Mountain House Freeze-Dried Food

How long could you last at home?

Here is a neat quiz you might want to try today.



With the food I have on hand, I could live for over 200 days in my home. Funny, they did not ask about water or the ability to make more fresh drinking water. No water, you no live.

Prepare! Doomsday in 24 Hours - A test of survival

This post is a drill. I repeat this is a drill.

Actually, I came up with this idea the other day at home. My wife and I were short on time and had a busy schedule for the weekend. We quickly brainstormed in the kitchen and assigned various tasks and jobs, i.e. "You drive here and get this. I will drop off so and so here.." etc.

It dawned on me, "What would I do to prepare if I only had 24 hours before an impending doom event took place?" So I came up with this scenario. Read through it and consider your answers to the questions.



Thursday evening, around 7PM, your phone rings. On the other end is an old friend you grew up with who now lives in Virginia and works for a well-known U.S. government agency.

Your friend informs you that in 24 hours the United States will come under nuclear attack. Several cities and key locations have been targeted and will be struck by nuclear weapons.

The largest city nearest to you is one of those targeted. Your friend is calling to let you know because he cares about you and your family. (Further, it is payback for saving his life during a horrible tree house accident when you were both 13). Regardless, your friend has already sent his family to safety and would like to provide you that same chance.

Because he knows you most likely will doubt the veracity of his statements, he asks that you check your email. Attached to an email from him, is an irrefutable document from the same agency he works for which attests to the facts he has presented.

There is one caveat.

The document in question ties directly back to your friend. If it gets back to his agency and the government he will be executed on the spot without question or trial. Therefore he asks that you only show it those you most trust and not to release it to the general public.

Good luck your friend wishes you. You have 24 hours to prepare. The line goes dead.

Here is your situation:

You and your family (wife, two kids, dog) live in a standard suburban home - single story, 3 bedrooms, 2 and a half baths, attic, basement and two car garage.
Your home is on city water, gas and electricity. You have several neighbors some of whom you and your family have known for years.

Your subdivision is located in a small bedroom community about 30 miles northwest of a medium to large sized city. Your town has a variety of standard big box retailers, stores and businesses.

You think you might want to weather the attacks at home.

- For instance, you generally have a good stock of food and other supplies on hand, probably more than most other people you know, but still inadequate for a major catastrophe like a nuclear war.
- In the backyard you have a 30x30 garden space which you plant each spring with a variety of fruits and vegetables.
- Your home has plenty of good storage space including a two car enclosed garage.

So, do you stay or go?
Should you batten down the hatches or take to the open road and try to reach someplace untouched by war?

Remember, this is only make believe and in no way real.

If you decide to stay..

First, print out the document your friend emailed. Then take it to your spouse. You will need an their support and cooperation to get through the next 24 hours and the many more afterwards; they must know what together you are up against.

Once your spouse understands the implications, the two of you must decide which friends and family members you can trust with this information. Further, you need to determine who you will be riding out the storm with during and after the attack is over. Your shelter will comfortably house your immediate family and could probably squeeze in another like sized family or two.

Who would you invite?
Would you tell all of your neighbors or just a few?
Would you phone distant relatives and possibly create a panic (and potentially the death of your childhood friend)?

Once that is decided, you take your list and you wife hers and you start to make contact. You and your wife agree to only tell the others parties once and leave it to them whether or not they trust and believe you and your wife.

Next, there is no time for grocery lists. You take the family car and head out the door. The first stop is to the bank. The bank is closed according to the hour, so hit the ATM for the largest amount you can get with your card.

Next your check your credit card and balance and make a note what type of funds you have to work with.

Would you empty out your bank accounts?
Would you max out your credit card?
Or would you take only a budgeted amount of cash out for supplies and hope your friend was wrong?


Next, head for the closest warehouse food store if the are still open i.e. Sams, Costco, etc. Many are open to 9 or 10 in some areas so you might be okay.

Once there, grab a flat handcart and load it with staple foods; flour, sugar, salt, powdered milk, honey, cocoa, etc. You then top off the hand truck with several of the largest packages of toilet paper, feminine products, trash bags, paper towels, cleaning supplies and batteries.

After you pay and load, you take your first shipment home and working in tandem with your wife put everything down in the basement.

Next head out to the corner supermarket. Many are open until midnight or all night. Fill your cart with over the counter (OTC) medications including stomach, cold, and other medication. Also load up on aspirin, tooth paste, tooth brushes, and other daily usage personal care products.

At this point, is this considered hoarding?
Are you taking more than your fair share of supplies that others may need and want to obtain in the minutes after the pending attack takes place?
Or are you being prudent and stocking up while there is plenty and others are oblivious to what is coming?
Are you only concerned about taking care of your family and friends?

Come home and unload your purchases. While you are shopping, make sure your wife runs all of the dirty clothes through the wash. While they are washing, have her start collecting everything you will need in the shelter and start carrying it down to the basement. Start with clothes, housewares, food from the pantry and most important - water. Have her fill every container available in the house.

Your next stop is the all night Wal Mart. Once there, hit the hardware section. Get more water containers, gasoline containers, duct tape, plastic sheeting, flashlights, fruit and vegetable seeds (hybrids are okay considering the circumstances), camp stove fuel cylinders, water filters, and air filters.

Head home and unload again. Even though the hour is late, get to work on the shelter.

An improvised fallout shelter can be built in a basement using simple materials (see here).

Using this guide, make sure all of the framework is in place. Check the ventilation and access points to the basement and shelter. Increase shielding in the basement as much as possible and as needed. Also check outside for further additions like soil or other material on the walls to block radiation.

Do you think you could adequately shield an area of your home to survive fallout and radiation from an atomic attack?
Do you think it is possible to shelter in place and survive?
Do you think you could prepare your home in time?

Take a nap. If you can. You might feel like heading out for more supplies. Hitting an all night gas station might be wise. Fill up your car and a few of the gasoline cans you own or have just purchased. While you are at it, do you have a generator? A portable one will work fine for temporary life in the shelter, but it might be loud. You might want to consider getting some deep storage batteries from the auto parts store in the morning. Charge those with the generator and live off the stored power.

When the new day starts, your first destination is the grocery store or warehouse store. This time, stock up on canned and packaged foods. Remember to get things you can eat, if needed, without cooking. Get as much as you can load into the car. Plan on making two trips if there is time.

Run home and unload in the house quickly. Now head to the hardware store. You need sandbags, cinder blocks, plywood and plastic sheeting. (A good substitute for sandbags which work just as well and have a dual purpose are bags on potting soil. They will act as shielding first and then later can be used to grow food in pots outside once it is clear).

If you have time before hand, measure your homes windows and doors on the ground floor. Call the hardware store contractors' desk and have those measurements cut to order with plywood. Pick up this order and your other needs and head home.

Once back at home, board up the doors and windows at the ground level. Put plastic sheeting on the inside of the windows and doors to keep dust out.

By now, your invited friends and neighbors should be on the scene are on the way. Have them help with covering the windows, getting water and putting away supplies. Remember water is the most important resource to have on hand. If you have a faucet or sink in the basement, good for you. As long as the power is on you will have water. A large container for water storage would also be ideal.

Do you think your invited friends and family would show up?
Would they doubt you or your friend's credibility?
If they did show up, would they help?
Would there be trouble?
What would you tell your neighbors who might see what you are doing?
Would you let them pitch in and stay in your shelter?

Put plastic sheeting over your garden area and as much of your yard as possible. It will make fallout cleanup much easier.

Now take some time to head to the sporting goods store to pick up camping supplies like lanterns, camp fuel, freeze dried food, sleeping bags, air mattresses or cots. If you have firearms, you may want to get more ammunition. If you do not have a gun and think you might need one, you might be in trouble. Some states will not allow you to purchase firearms on short notice, not even a long gun. But if you have the funds and your state allows it, you might want to pick up an all-purpose firearm like a shotgun if available. Take the ammo home and store it quickly but carefully.

Should you purchase a gun or ammunition in this circumstance?
Do you think you need it?
Would you be willing to use it?

Once home, check your shelter again. Do you have more than one point of entry into and out of the shelter? Do you have firefighting supplies? Tools in case you have to dig your way out? Adequate ventilation? Secure locks on your home and shelter to keep out evil doers?

Depending upon the time, consider any other supplies you might need and are available. For instance, another run to the grocery store might be worthwhile.

Would this be hoarding and selfish?

As the clock reaches the limit of your 24 hours, put your car or cars in the garage and lock it. Lock your home and board up the front door. Place furniture in front of doors and windows along with other heavy objects.

Go down the basement and lock the door. Check your water supplies once more. Check your other supplies and plan on using them as shielding too. Enter the shelter and say a word of prayer. You and your family may make it.

What if the bombs go off and your neighbors or friends show up?
What if they have small children?
Would you let them in?
Would you threaten them with violence if you did not want to let them in?
What if they threatened to break in the house or your shelter?
What if you simply do not have enough room for the people you already have?

In today's scenario, it is safe to say that most of us would have a hard time determining what we would do. This might be a moral dilemmas which we should consider now in peacetime rather than in haste during times of conflict. Regardless, as we live in interesting times, this might be worth thinking about.

What would you do?

Prepare! Water storage and plans to produce more

Water.

Without water we die, our animals die and our plants die. No water means no life. Thus the relation between water and life since the beginning of time.

Most survivalist sites direct readers to a) move to the country and b) get a house with a well. Sound advice if it applies, but most of us have to stay in the big evil city if we want to make a living.

If that is your particular situation, what ways can you build and maintain a water supply?

First, unlike most foods and manufactured goods, the means to get water is at your fingertips. Water service is a few steps away at the kitchen sink. So the fastest way to build up a water supply is to get some containers and start filling them from the tap.

For many, that can mean a tupperware or pitcher filled and placed in the fridge. Great, but what about when that is empty?

Fill those pop bottles

Many survivalists recommend storing water in empty plastic "pop" bottles (we call it soda down here, but to each his own). The drawback with this is it requires the survivalist to incur an additional cost for the two-liter bottles of unhealthy soda at 1-2.00 a pop. Also, the bottles have to be stored and with their design, that is not always the easiest to do.




But, if you do have soda bottles, please use them. For water storage, the suggestion from experts is that you wash the bottle out thoroughly with soap and hot water. Fill the clean bottles nearly to the top and add a couple of drops of unscented bleach. Store the bottles in a cool dark place. The water should remain fresh for about a year, although some rotate (pour on plants or in toilet) every six months.

Larger water containers

For larger water storage containers, you might want to take a look at 5 gallon water containers available at big box retailers and sporting goods stores. I have seen these at a major sporting goods store for less than ten dollars and they are fairly durable.



Even larger, 15, 30 and 55-gallon drums can be obtained from specialty retailers online or in the yellow pages.




Have even more room for water storage? How about a multi-thousand gallon agriculture storage tank? They are available at farm and ranch stores. I saw several for sale recently at the farm and ranch store north of where I live. They can cost several hundred dollars but are designed for outdoor usage so they are quite durable.




How about rain barrels? Hundreds of gallons of water roll off your roof when it rains and all of that water can be collected and reused.



Dig your own well?

How about a well? Doesn't that mean a lot of money and/or a great deal of work and expensive machinery? Well, yes and no. Not many are familiar with the sand point well. A simple screened drill point which is hammered into the ground and connected above with lengths of pipe. Once the water table is reached, the water can be pumped out using a manual pump (if not too deep) or a motorized pump.



If you are a city dweller, check with your local municipality and make sure that drilling a well in your yard is permitted. Many cities allow small wells like a sand point well for agriculture (read: watering yard and garden) use.


Water storage supplies to have on hand.

Make sure you have the following water supplies on hand:

A high quality water filtration system and extra filters. For daily use, a Brita filter will do for city or treated water.

For questionable water, check out Katydyn for small and medium size filter systems.



For larger quantities and home use, you might want to look at the Berkey Systems filters.


Finally, bleach.

Bleach kills almost any bugs found in water. When boiling + filter + bleach
are used, nearly any water source can be made safe to drink. Stock up on inexpensive, fragrance-free bleach today.

Prepare! Dealing with starving hoardes

In every survivalist, end or the world, fiction story, we have our hero holding out in a remote location. Our hero is protecting his family, friends, and stockpile of carefully stored food and supplies from wandering gangs of stereotypical convicts, inner city thugs and "veneer of civilization rapidly removed" desperate former friends and neighbors.

All are of these marauding bands are "starving" and have resorted to any means necessary to feed themselves and their followers. Our hero grimly surveys the changing landscape and spends countless hours fighting off hoards determined to steal his hoard of Mountain House entrees.

There lies the problem. If these writers knew anything, they would have noticed that "starving masses" rarely wander the country side (or many other places) in search of food or water. Rather, they have a tendency to stay right where they are at. [Case in point; all of us of a certain age remember the images from the 60's and 70's of millions of starving third world people sitting in huge refugee camps holding out empty metal bowls and pans to passerby.]

You see, when people are hungry, their activity begins to drop off, not increase. Thus the concept of roaming bands and mobs of starving people walking miles into the country side in search of a meal is less likely than fiction writers would have us believe.

A more realistic scenario which might happen in the post-apocalyptic world is what we have witnessed during past wars and national catastrophes. Hungry citizens combing through ruins for leftover canned food or moldy bread, rummaging through trash cans and dining on stray pets, pigeons and squirrels.

In the end, most urban survivors would be trapped in their cities or far too unprepared to wander out into the open countryside or even the suburbs searching for supplies.

However, there is a possibility that scavengers, strong enough and mobile enough to move from one location to another might come across your hidden retreat. Not likely, but possible. If you are far enough off the beaten path and well disguised, you will probably avoid all raids by strangers.

But, if you have friends, neighbors or co-workers who know about your retreat and strategic relocation plans, then you must prepare for this eventuality.

In fiction, the hero turns his back on the nosy neighbor, the friend with whom he bears a grudge or the classic "rich person who did not get it". All good fun in the sense of getting back at the people who caused so much frustration in the hero's former life.

In the real world, though, not many of us would turn any friend or acquaintance away when they arrive at our retreat or farm with small hungry children. Only the cold hearted would shut the door or run them off at gun barrel. Because of this, our best bet is to make arrangements for any who "might" know about our retreat. That includes addtional food, water, bedding, clothes and medical supplies, (not too mention work plans for newcomers!).

In my family, we have purchased additional, "no frills" long term storage foods for family and neighbors who might be in need. The rules are simple; this is for you only, don't complain, be willing to help when asked and don't bring others. Sure, we run the risks of trouble, but I would rather help my friends and neighbors and unite us in the face of danger than divide us over a can of tuna.

Prepare! Eating in a crisis

Like most of us, I eat all sorts of things daily. Yesterday, I had eggs and biscuits as part of a Sunday morning feast. We picked up hamburgers after church and dinner last night was meatloaf, scalloped potatoes and broccoli.

Here on survivalist, we only discuss ways to be prepared in the post-TEOTWAWKI, post-apocalyptic, end times world we think is coming. Most of what was on my menu this past Sunday would either not be available (hamburgers) or hard to get (broccoli) or rare (eggs) in the survivalist' bomb shelter.

With that thought in mind, how can we better prepare for the end of the world with practice? You can, by trying a little experiment.

Take a fixed amount of time on the calendar. Say one week or a month, whatever. For that time, only eat the foods you have stored for "just in case". For instance, oatmeal for breakfast, rice and beans for lunch and dinner and once or twice a week, a "treat" or something extravagant like a can of tuna, beef stew or a chocolate bar. The rest of your diet would include a single servicing of instant coffee or tea once a day, multi-vitamins and water.

Could you do it?

With the Lenten season coming to an end, I thought it might have been a good experiment to try before Easter. Unfortunately, I thought it up just a few days ago and Easter is next week. Maybe next year?

Regardless, it would be a good test of my will, preparedness and personal survivability.

In my own opinion, I don't think most could survive this sort of experiment. I think most armchair survivalists believe they will make the changeover in diet and living conditions without a bleep. That should be interesting to see!

Prepare! Realistic defense post-SHTF

I read a great deal of survival, end of the world fiction. Most includes this type of scenario:

Ted carefully approached the now defeated raiders vehicle. Checking the bed of the pickup, Ted saw several pelican cases stacked haphazardly. Curious, Ted took the two largest and carefully opened them both. His eyes nearly popped out of his skull when he saw the contents. Not one, but two fully operational Barrett BMG .50 caliber rifles with all the needed accessories...

If you read survival fiction, you would think that Barret .50 caliber rifles grew on trees. The protagonist is always finding one, or purchasing a couple for his retreat or whatever.

Realistically, unless you win the lottery or have an enormous sum of unallocated money, a Barret and most other high end firearms are out of your preparedness budget. Face it, while preparing for TEOTWAWKI, we also have to pay bills, buy clothes, food, etc. and a three thousand dollar rifle and five buck a pop ammunition is not going to happen.

Self defense and firearms are part of your complete preparedness planning. Keep your plan simple and arm accordingly. Experts generally recommend a few core pieces such as a pump shotgun, a center fire rifle and a revolver. Once obtained, along with an appropriate amount of ammunition, magazines and cleaning equipment, a rim fire rifle might also be useful to have in your basic armory.

Having the firearms is not enough. Ammunition is required and not a single box. Plan on a few hundred rounds minimum for monthly practice and another few thousand rounds for each weapon for use.

Next, practice, practice, practice is required. Regularly and with appropriate training and coaching. Select a range near home or work and visit often.

The defensive plan and strategy

Randy examined his work. He used the backhoe to dig a eight foot deep defensive moat around his forty acres. He filled the trench with a combination of claymores, napalm and pointed sticks. This was the first ring of defense. His three story retreat was made of impenetrable rock reinforced with rebar steel and featured another redoubt wall eight feet high with the top covered with concertina wire, high voltage strands and broken glass embedded along the flat surface. A dozen starving dobermans and rottweilers patrolled the inner wall twenty four by seven, yet Randy still slept with a Cold Steel fourteen inch fighting knife between his teeth and kept a loaded .45 tied to each hand...

Again, survival fiction. In the real post-apocalyptic world, you will be defending your suburban home, country retreat or possibly car or truck on some remote highway. Most likely, you will have a limited armory to choose from and a fixed number of people to assist in the defense.

Rather than invite a large scale attack, it is far better to maintain a "low profile" and to make your location as uninviting as possible.

For the suburban home, that would mean boarding up the windows and doors, hiding vehicles or leaving one out front on jacks, partial vandalized. A foreclosure sign on the front lawn and little activity could make your home appear abandoned and less of an opportunity for thieves and looters.

The rural home owner would close off the road to his retreat or hide the access road inbound with bushes and debris. Trips outside of the retreat would be done cross country, under the cover of darkness or in a round about, hard to follow pattern.

A round the clock guard, watching from higher ground nearby is necessary as is at least one other person watching the primary home from inside. Good communications are needed as well which can be as simple as a wired handset or a pair of walkie talkies.

Most important is to not attract attention to you or your home. Too many survivalists plan on making as much noise in the post-SHTF world as they would today. Don't plan on running loud generators or other equipment until you know full well that others with less than honorable intentions are not nearby.

Yes, in the fictional world, we all have military style weapons collections, dozens of trained helpers and a nearly impenetrable defensive location. In the real world, however, we have only ourselves, a few resources and our intelligence to protect ourselves and those around us.

Prepare! Friday useful survival links

Jerry D Young over on FalloutShelter653 has a new story posted. Jerry writes the better survivalist fiction out there. I read this sort of thing frequently and will feature regular reviews of good stories. See Jerry's story here.

How much food should you plan on storing for your family when the SHTF? I found a great food planner here courtesy of the LDS. After making my calculations, I realized I needed to stock up on a few things. Since running the calculator, I have picked up another 10 lbs of corn meal, 5 lbs of honey and always more rice. Check it out and don't forget about water!

Another neat blog to check out. Nice layout and good information.

Have a good weekend. Check your preps, check your vehicle and get ready.