Prepare: A Tale of Two Preppers

Prepper number one:

"Honey! I got to talk to you! I was just online on one of my forums. You know, DoomPreppers, and one of the veteran members, Skull of Liberty, told us something big is about to happen.

Skull was listening to the End of Freedom radio broadcast on his shortwave and they had a guy on there who used to be in the federal government and part of a highly secret organization.

He said the Chinese are getting millions of acres of farm land in the USA for the billions they loaned our government. The Chinese are setting up camps and rounding up Americans to work the land and they have a bunch of UN troops helping them! Skull of Liberty says the Chinese are working in concert with same underground aliens called the Grays and its all part of a New World Order with the global elite to eliminate the population according to the ancient runes of Zardoz.

Look, Skull says we need to get a retreat, a five year supply of food, some more guns, ammo and bug out! I got a bag packed for you and I am going to go clean out our bank account and buy a pallet of MRE from the surplus store. Get the kids! Fill water containers! Get in the car! We got to bug out of here!

Honey? Honey, where are you going? What do you mean? Skull of Liberty said so! He's one of the most respected members on DoomPreppers! Honey!"



Prepper number two:

"Hey, hon, can I talk to you for a second? Say, I read online at USA Today that the weather has affected the crops for this winter. They say the price of bread may jump to a couple of bucks by April. Also, gasoline down at the corner went up five cents a gallon since this morning. I am really worried how this is going to affect our budget.

I was thinking this might be a good time to get out our grocery list and make a special trip to Costco this afternoon. We might want to get flour, sugar and so forth now before the prices go up and make bread like we used to do. Also, there are a number of other things we don't have on the shelves that we all like to have, like dried fruit, oatmeal, beans. You know how much the kids like your homemade cookies.

What? Yeah I know we still have quite a bit of stuff put back already, but remember when we bought all that toilet paper and dog food in bulk? That sure helped when my hours were cut back last year. Now that we have some extra money, we should really stock up again, especially if the prices are going up. Why don't you take a look online and see for yourself? OK. Hey, let's fill up both cars before we go to Costco...."


Spend enough time online and it is easy to sound like person number one. However, to those around you, that may not be a good idea and it might be unnerving and not very convincing to those around you.

Just a little something to think about...

Prepare: Getting Started Part Three Food Part Two

Are the titles of these posts getting confusing? I hope not. This is a continuation of a "getting started" series for new preppers. Like you, I am no expert. I learned what I know about preparedness on the job and from websites like mine. I hope you find it useful.

My last post dove in to the subject of food, namely, building a practical long term food supply. If you have some liquid income, feel free to skip the hard work and make a purchase of LTS food from Mountain House or one of my other advertisers. My better half will appreciate it!

Otherwise, if you are pinching pennies and watching every buck, but want to have a preparedness plan in place, please read on.

As I mentioned yesterday, a food plan does not have to be so disconcerting. There are two easy methods to building a food supply -

One - Buy Two! That is when buying one item, double the purchase. Please limit this to dry, canned and shelf stable foods. Instead of two cans of tuna, get four. Five pounds of sugar on the list? Get ten. Take the extra and store it away.

Two - Buy Bulk. Get a membership to a warehouse club or search out an ethnic grocery store. Both carry extra large sizes of certain commodity foods like rice, pasta, flour, sugar and so on. Instead of purchasing a one pound bag of rice, get a twenty five pound bag. Place in proper storage and add to the storage until there is a one year supply for the number of people in the house. 

Both of these food buying plans demand the right storage. Putting a plastic bag of rice on the shelf may result in a bag of bug infestation at a future date. Food storage is mandatory. 

I store my dry bulk goods in 5 and 6 gallon buckets. I place the food item in a sealable plastic bag with an anti-moisture packet, place in the bucket, seal tightly and stack in a cool, dark closet inside the house. 

Don't store food - 

- in cloth or burlap bags. 

- outside in damp, temperature extreme sheds. 

- in hot attics

- only in original packaging.

- on ground or dirt floors susceptible to flooding, bugs or accessible by larger vermin such as rats or mice. 

I picked up my buckets at a restaurant supply store. I have also used the sealable buckets from the hardware store and they work well for me. Some of my buckets are five years old and I have had no problem with them. 

Here's a good video about storing food: 

There will be one more part on food before we move on to the other topics. In the meantime..

- Buy Two - buy double and store the extra.
- Buy Bulk - buy big sizes and store
- Store properly

Get your supply of storable food at eFoodsDirect.com!

Prepare: Getting Started Part One

I just finished reading an online preparedness fiction story. It went the usual way..

Man wants to get prepared. Has a retirement account, savings, inheritance, great credit and regular income. He makes a list of things needed for a fallout shelter, weapons, food and other supplies and within two years, is ready to ride out a nuclear attack which fortunately happens right when he completes his project.

For normal folks like us, this sort of story is depressing. I don't know about you, but I don't have fifty thousand dollars for an inground, sixteen hudred square foot shelter. I don't have five thousand for a year supply of LTS food for two. I don't have ten thousand laying around for a Springfield M1A, a fifty caliber sniper rifle or thousands of rounds of ammunition.

If I were new to prepping, and found a survival themed forum and read one of these stories, with it's over the top American Safe Rooms doors, Canning Pantry canners, or Slumberjack sleep systems, I would feel compelled to turn off the computer and invest in some cyanide for the Big Day.

If this sounds like you, don't run out to the hardware store for some rat poison yet. Like the saying, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step", prepping is the same way. One step at a time.

Survival, in any situation, can be broken down into small pieces. For instance, food, water, electricity, fuel, shelter, protection and medical. Each of these can be tackled reasonably as long as there are reasonable goals set. Jumping off the couch to make a one time purchase of food for five for one year is simply not doable for most of us. However, anyone can successfully stock one week of food, two weeks of water, or four working flashlights with batteries without going to too much trouble.

So, get ready to begin the journey of a thousand miles, one step at a time.



 

Prepare: Money for Preps, Earning Money

Money makes the world go around, right? Prepping is a cost normal, unprepared people do not have to deal with. They go to the store, buy one loaf of bread, a gallon of milk and some lettuce and call it a day. Folks who like to prepare for the SHTF buy one loaf of bread (and 10lbs of flour to make more), one gallon of milk (and 10lbs of dry to store), a head of lettuce (and five packets of vegetable seeds), 50lbs of rice and 24 rolls of toilet paper.

Preppers spend more at the grocery store. And other places, like the gas station, hardware store, and so on. That takes more money. Many preppers are frugal and live off less than they make so they have the extra cash. In today's economy, that may not be as easy as it was before. It sure feels like the end of the world some days.
How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It: Tactics, Techniques, and Technologies for Uncertain Times

For the financially strapped prepper,  the best strategy is to find some extra money each month specifically for preps. That can be an extra $20 at pay day. Or maybe from savings such as getting rid of a "want" like those additional cable channels (or cable entirely). Whatever the source, take the money and make some extra purchases such as 20lbs of rice and dried beans each month for instance.

The other solution, is to simply make some extra money and use that money to either a) pay off  a certain debt (to free up expenses) or b) use specifically for preps.

Most of us work 8 hour a day jobs and generally between the hours of 9 - 5. What do you do with the rest of the day? Watch TV? Sleep? Spend time with friends?

The End of the World: Stories of the Apocalypse

That time can be used to make more money. In today's economy, that may not be easy what with other people competing for the few jobs that are out there, but here are some suggestions. Deliver pizzas. Deliver the news paper. Mow lawns and yardwork. Clean homes, garages or offices.  Most of these jobs can be done for cash.

Much of this work can be done for neighbors, family or friends. Don't be ashamed. Take out an ad in the church bulletin or put up a flyer at the grocery store.

For one time money makers, clean out the house and have a garage sale. Put the proceeds immediately into paying off something or preps. If you are successful at holding your own garage sale, ask neighbors if they want you to run one for them. Sit in their garage all day Saturday, sell their stuff and take a 25% cut of the sales. Most busy people will jump at the chance to get rid of their junk without having to waste a day or two doing it.

When All Hell Breaks Loose: Stuff You Need To Survive When Disaster Strikes

Most prep sites tell you to cut back on expenses and make casseroles out of carpet samples. But the reality is to prep effectively, you need to cut back on long term debt and find ways to increase your income.

Prepare: The next big disaster

We are all watching the disaster unfold in Haiti and the response of the world, namely from the United States.

Take a step back and look at the larger picture. The Haitian earthquake demonstrates the limitations of any response to a large scale disaster. Here we have what seems like most of the world desparately trying to get supplies and aid to a tiny, ravaged region and look at the results.

Most of the affected have still not received food, water or medical aid. Thousands are trapped and dying under collapsed buildings. Bodies are stacked in the streets. Looters have rabid and law and order have collapsed.

Imagine now if New York was hit by a massive tidal wave or San Francisco by a 9.0 earthquake. Imagine if the main airports were heavily damaged and also the connecting tunnels, bridges and ports. Despite the resources of the rest of the nation, it would be days before any significant aid could be brought in.

Now imagine if the disaster was in several cities and widespread. Say a nuclear attack or multiple natural disasters. Aid would be prioritized based upon proximity, expediency or worse, political connection. Planeloads of supplies and doctors might be diverted from North Carolina and sent to Colorado because the president is from there. It can and does happen.

Now, imagine if the rest of the world was dealing with their own simultandous disasters.  And what if they said they could only offer limited aid to the US. Or worse, were more than willing to help, but only certain lucrative regions? Like if China said they would only help (themselves to) Hawaii or Europe would only assist Washington DC?

So what's your plan? There is not much one can do if they live in San Francisco and the Big One happens. Other than move. But in the case of most disasters, what you can do happens NOW before the big disaster strikes.

That means while there is still food in the neighborhood store, still water in the tap, still aspirin at the drug store and gasoline at the filling station.

If it were me, I would lay in supplies and backups so I would not have to depend upon help which may or may not be on the way. But that's me. If Haiti has to wait a week for a simple bottle of water, how long would you have to wait in your suburb or neighborhood? Remember Katrina? Some of those people waited for days to be pulled from a submerged home in the middle of alligator and snake infested water.

Regardless, I hope this tragedy in Haiti is a wakeup call to all those who think FEMA will be on the scene in a few hours to hand out food, chase off looters and move debris. You may be on your own for days, weeks or maybe even years. The best bet is to start with a plan and supply yourself accordingly for a disaster in your local area.

Prepare: The Prepper Diet

The new year means it is time to get rid of those holiday pounds. At least that is what many think this time of year. Dieting, working out, join a gym, and so on.

I have been working out for some time; a mixture of running daily with weights. I refuse to put money into a gym if I cannot guarantee I will go daily, so I lift in my garage.

This year, I tried something different and am killing two birds with one stone. I put myself on the Prepper Diet. I only eat the foods I am storing and plan on eating if the SHTF.

For breakfast, its oatmeal. I only put honey on it as refrigerated milk will not be available (I have dried milk, but I am saving that for the kids). I also put some dried fruit on from time to time as well.

For lunch and dinner its rice, beans and ramen noodles. I make two cups of rice a day in the rice cooker and eat that throughout the day. I used canned beans for the first few days, but then switched to dry. I cook a big pot and eat them for two days straight.

The ramen are considered a treat and are not eaten daily.

The other day, I had four crackers with one of my meals again, as a treat and to break up the monotony. I only add salt and garlic powder to the beans and rice.

To drink, its tea or water only.

The diet results: I have last about six or seven pounds since starting. Yes, its starting to get boring and I have found myself staring at the can of Pringles in the pantry or the cookies left over from the holidays, but I am resisting so far.

One thing I do is tell myself that those other foods are for the kids and if this truly was SHTF time, I would eat less anyway and save as much as possible for the family.

This has been fun to try and if I lose some of this gut, then its a good thing. Finally, there is no reason to store rice, beans, noodles and the rest unless you really eat the stuff and are ready to live off it.

That's it.

Prepare: Building the One Year Food Supply

With the news being so cheery lately, all of us are concerned about putting some control back into our lives. That means making sure we have the basics covered in these trying times including food and the ability to feed our family.

Job loss or total SHTF, food is at the top of the priority list. Every day, each member of the family eats several times a day. We refill the pantry with weekly and sometimes daily trips to the grocers. But what happens if the Safeway is closed or looted and emptied forever?

Having a food storage plan in place can build a real insurance policy against hunger. However, the task is daunting to even the best of us.

Companies like Nitro Pak sell complete canned meal systems for one month to one year. Many of the foods contained in these packages can be obtained by anyone and stored similarly; its not rocket science. Here are a list of foods you can buy today at the grocers or warehouse store to build your food storage plan with.

Beans - go for red kidney and pinto. I happen to like black beans as well. Get the dry type and store in five gallon plastic buckets. Beans will last for years, provide protein and are filling.

Rice - American, jasmine, or long grain. Get the twenty five or fifty pound bags, put in plastic five gallon buckets and store in a cool, dry place. You can put oxygen absorbers in the buckets as well to ensure long term freshness. Rice is filling, lasts forever and is the best filler or platform to build a meal upon.
Remember, brown rice has more oils and may go rancid sooner.

Soup bases - Chicken and beef. Most warehouse clubs sell the really big containers of these products. Use a soup base for soup or to flavor the rice you stored above. Soup bases must be stored in an airtight container and put in a cool, dry location free from moisture and humidity.

Milk powder - Milk powder is more than for drinking. It can be added to any soup or cereal to provide a thickener and a boost of calcium. Dry milk has no fat so it lasts longer and will not go rancid like canned or perishable milk. But dry milk has to be kept in a cool, dry place in well sealed container. Get the five gallon buckets and add oxygen absorbers for best results.

Honey - While sugar lasts a long time, honey is a healthy alternative with plenty of uses. Honey has been known to last for hundreds of years as it has been found in tombs and forgotten stashes. Get the five gallon containers rather than the little glass jars or "honey bears". Some stores sell honey in the big buckets, but make sure that the honey is real and not corn syrup with honey flavoring.

Dried fruit - Dried fruit like bananas, apricots and raisins last a long time in proper containers. They can be eaten as they are or served with hot cereal, in a dessert or rehydrated with water for a side dish. Store in a cool, dry place in a five gallon bucket. Many types of dried fruit can be found at the warehouse store, but watch the prices. Often, dried fruit is very expensive and is not cost effective for storage. A better idea is to get a dehydrator and dry seasonal fruit yourself.

Wheat - This is a tough purchase for many city folk. For starters, large quantities of wheat such as hard winter red is not available at the standard grocers or the warehouse club. Some organic stores carry it, but at higher prices for smaller quantities. The best bet is to find a grain supply source nearby rather than paying for shipping from one of the big outlets like Honeyville. Another problem with grain is "What to do with it?". Most of us have never had to grind grain to make cereal or flour. But that is where those things come from and having the knowledge to cook and use whole grains is crucial. Grain lasts literally for years in storage (remember the grain story from the Bible with Joseph and the Pharaoh?). Put whole wheat in five gallon buckets and store in a cool, dry place.

Pasta - Noodles are cheap and easy to get. Buy the largest bags you can find at the grocers or warehouse and store in five gallon plastic buckets. Pasta can be a platform for any meal and can be served with almost anything.

Cooking oil - Vegetable or olive. Oils do go rancid and will not last forever even in the best storage. But make sure you have five or more gallons on hand at all times. Cooking oils can replace butter when grilling or cooking over a flame. Also, our bodies need a certain amount of good fats which come only from oils.

Oatmeal - There is no complete food storage plan without oatmeal. Oats are easy to get in large containers from the grocers and you should have several pounds on hand at all times. Store in five gallon plastic buckets and your oats should stay fresh for months if not years. Serve oats with dried milk, dried fruit and honey for a hot, filling and nutritious meal.

There are some long term storage foods which are difficult to purchase from retail stores. Textured vegetable protein, cheese powder, powdered eggs, dried vegetables, and dried meats. These things will have to be purchased online from a company like Nitro Pak. The best part is these products come in long term storage containers which are easy to store and have on hand.

Anyone can start on a one year food storage plan, but you need to get busy now. Go to the grocery store or warehouse club with the list above and buy some of each item, store in proper containers, and start building a real food insurance plan.

Prepare: The New Years Prepper

Happy New Year.

Like many, you probably have a list of resolutions underway like "Quit Smoking", "Pay off Credit Card" and so on.

But there is a good chance you also were bothered by the state of the world and thought, "I need to do something and this is the time to get started". Good for you.

The first thing people do when they are want to get prepared is go on the internet and search for "prepare for disaster, survivalism" or something similar. The problem is the glut of information. Its overwhelming. Should one prepare for nuclear war or famine or civil disorder? Preps for one month, six months, a year or a lifetime? Should one bug out or stay in? Its a lot to consider.

The best thing to do is step back and prepare for what you can. Also, start with the broadest solution rather than the smallest possibility. Here are some suggestions to get started.

Food - I don't care what the scenario, if you don't have food, nothing else matters. Food is easy. But securing a one year supply of food seems impossible. There are three ways to get started.

1. Go the grocery store and buy double what you normally eat and use. Four cans of tuna instead of two. Two packages of spaghetti noodles instead of one and so on. One trip and you have an extra week's supply of staples. Do this for a month and you have two. Just remember to rotate the oldest to the newest and don't eat all your preps without replacing them.

You can improve on this by also buying shelf stable (does not require refrigeration) alternatives to perishable foods. Canned meat and vegetables for fresh for instance.

2. Go the warehouse store or a food wholesaler and buy several months of food at one time. Cases of canned vegetables, fruit, meat, powdered milk, etc. It will cost more than a few cans a week, but one can quickly get a three month supply of basics put away right now. Don't forget to get staples like flour, sugar and cooking oil.

3. Leave the hard part to someone else. Go to the Nitro Pak link on the right or the Mountain House link at the bottom of the article and purchase a one, six month or one year supply of long term storage food. All you have to do is put it away. Yes, the cost is more, but the peace of mind of having a one year supply of food with a twenty year or better shelf life is incredible.

Water - No water means no life. One gallone minimum per person per day for drinking and cooling. Cleaning means adding another gallon per person per day.

1. Get some two liter soda bottles, clean them and fill with water and one dropper of bleach. Put them in the closet or pantry. Do two or three a week and in about a year you will have enough for a family of four for a few weeks. Takes a while.

2. Better is to get several large 5, 10 or 55 gallon drums from one Nitro Pak, fill and put in the garage or basement. Yes, they are heavy, but having enough water is a good thing.

3. Plumb a well on the property if possible. Or get several large rain barrels, bleach, a heat source and collect water for filtering. Or put in a cistern to collect rain water. Same idea and a better long term solution.

Protection - In a SHTF situation, all the above food and water will make you a rich person. If you can't protect it, someone will take it from you and probably will hurt you and your family in the process.

1. Get a shotgun, 12 or 20 guage. A pump is better, but a single shot breakdown is better than no gun at all. Get at least 250 rounds for your new shotgun.

2. Get a rifle. .22 is a good starter, but move to something with some more hitting power as soon as possible. .223, the same caliber used in the military's M16 and M4 rifles is nice, but the stopping power is dubious in some cases. Go for something in a 30 caliber, .308 for instance, if doable. A 30.06 is also good as the caliber is common. Get at least 500 rounds of ammuntion for any rifle.

3. Get a handgun. For trip away from home where stealth and a low profile are required, a handgun is the way to go. A minimum of .38 is required. However, due to their popularity and thus, availability of ammunition, a 9mm or .40 caliber is preferrable. For stopping power, the .45 cannot be beat. Again, at least 500 rounds of ammo for any handgun.

Get some real currency - Dollars may lose their value in the post-SHTF world. What is a good substitute? Junk silver coins and gold are nice. But get some trading tangibles. Extra fuel, hygeiene products, food, growing supplies, anything tradable which someone else might want and is willing to give you something valuable in return.

That includes skills. Think about it.

OK. Food, water, protection, currency. Get started in those four simple areas right now. Those suggestions will prepare most for 90% of the problems out there. But there is more to cover later.. Until then.

SHTF: Strange places to stock up - Part Three

SHTF: Strange places to stock up - Part Three

Here's the deal. You are away from home, let's say in a strange town on vacation or business trip. Maybe you are across town in a neighborhood you are not familiar with. Anyway, the radio comes on and says "The end is here". Nuke attack, martian invasion, zombies, you name it.

You know you need food and water if you are going to get home. Also, you want to build some stocks for what will happen in the coming days. However, you don't know where the closest grocery store is. What to do?

You need a list of alternative and strange places to get supplies when you need them in a scenario like this. Today's idea - the office supply store.

Office Max, Office Depot, etc. Now bigger is better, but a FedEx/Kinkos will do in a pinch.

For instance, go to the office superstore and check the back section. There are cases of water, snack foods, coffee, tea, sugar and other stuff offices put in the break room.

There is also trashbags, paper towels, toilet paper, soap and cleaning supplies out the wazoo. Same idea. They are for stocking the office. However, they are also survival supplies.

And then the batteries, flashlights, fire extinguishers. Some stores even sell tools for fixing stuff around the office. There may not be any tents or foul weather gear, but there are often plastic sheets and related material for covering desks or furniture. These can be doubled as emergency shelters if need be.

What if FedEx Kinkos or UPS store is available? My F/K store has snacks, candy, even beef jerky at the check out counter. They also have a limited supply of bottled water and energy drinks for late night presentation cram sessions.

An office supply store can be your best friend if the poop hits the fan unexpectedly. Keep it in mind.

SHTF: Strange places to stock up - Part Two

SHTF: Strange places to stock up - Part Two

So, the poop has made the fan smelly and everyone else is heading for the grocery stores or Sam's Club to clean them out. Where can you go? Yesterday, we considered the toy store of all places, today we look at another, yet less off the beaten path place for stores after the SHTF.

The drugstore.

Sure, there will be folks piled up at the subscription counter to get another 30 days of anti-anxiety meds or blood pressure pills, but today's drugstore is a great place to get lots of other goodies.

Food - The CVS, Walgreens or Rite-Aid always has a huge stock of food, including canned and other shelf stable foods on hand. There are lots of those little cans with pop tops which can come in handy if one is on the move on foot and traveling lite.

Besides the food aisle, there are edibles throughout the store; at the check out line, gift rows, etc. Get a handbasket rather than a bulky cart and load up.

Don't forget; drug stores have a huge diet section. That means protein bars and some things not found at a traditional grocers like body building supplements - lots of calories and proteins.

Water - Water, the staff of life, is in the drug store as well. Bottles and jugs. But there is also bleach and iodine handy in the drugstore, useful for sanitizing more down the line.

Hardware - gloves, basic tools, batteries, flashlights and other basics can be found now at the modern hardware store.

Obvious - take advantage of the hardware store for a large selection of things found there in large amounts; multi-vitamins, first aid supplies, OTC (over the counter) medicines, baby supplies, and of course drugs (with prescription).

So, the poop hits the fan and you are on the road or five miles from home and need to resupply. Rather than deal with that panicking mob outside the Safeway, go two doors down to the drug store and get what you need in short supply.

Good luck,

SHTF: Strange places to stock up - Part One

Strange places to stock up - Part 1

Ho Ho Ho! Christmas is now behind us and the New Year is on the way. While taking part in the great consumer grab over the holidays, I was in several different types of retail establishments which gave me time to make some observations which may come in handy.

If the Shumer his the fan, most of us might jump in the sled and head to the nearest grocery store or warehouse club for food, water, etc. However, we all know that the Safeway or Kroger is the first place to get hit hard. It helps to have some alternatives!

Here is the first in my suggestions of alternate places for supplies off the beaten path.

Since it was Christmas - the toy store. "Huh? The toy store? What good is a Monopoly game or Barbie doll going to me?" you ask in disbelief.

Try the mega Toys R Us toystore. The front of the store has a huge snack and candy section. I found bottled water, snack food, candy and better yet, protein bars. Apparently, some brainiac in marketing realized they could get some impulse buys on overpriced junk in this section from their shoppers.

Don't forget to see the check out line where they have even more edible junk.

Also, most toy stores now cater to babies as well. Besides valuable diapers, wipe and relate paraphanalia, there is almost always baby formula, food and jugs of sterilized water (for the over protective mothers in the crowd).

And there are batteries out the wazoo in the toy store. Can't have enough of those.

In the toy section, look for Easy Bake Ovens. They contain baked goods and there is usually a section of refills for those things as well. In a pinch, this is food.

The toy store is just one "off the beaten path" for supplies like food to keep in mind should the balloon go up when you least expect it!

Prepare: Preparing with Childiren

Here about that 61 year old guy in Atlanta who slapped someone else's 2 year old kid for crying too loud at the grocery store today? Don't know about you, but someone hits my kid I am going to take a frozen ten pound bat of hamburger meat to his skull and put him out of his misery. Where I live you can use deadly force to protect another life. I think the cops will be on the 2 year old and his dad and not on the old grump's side.

We have all heard the latest about the Prez wanting to indoctrinate our youth through the school system next week. If you raise weak minded children, the gov will have no problem. If you raise strong children, they will know to look like they are paying attention, will know how to fudge the required "feel good about feelings" homework and move on to the next subject.

This brings up the situation of children and emergency prepping. By now, if you are serious about being prepared, your kids have noticed the piles of canned goods, N95 masks, buckets of rice and lifetime supply of ammo in the house. They have to navigate around it in the morning while getting ready for school.

At the same time, little Timmy and Tommy next door have the latest video game, big screen TV and snack food and can't understand why your little boy has an emergency poncho, water filter and lifeboat rations in his school backpack. Someone is going to stand out and questions will be asked.

What's more is your little tyke may happen to mention at school during science class that a hurricane or ice storm does not scare him because "We got months of food at home and Daddy has about 400 gallons of gas hidden in a tank in our backyard". Or maybe Iran or North Korea are no big deal in social studies because "we have a fallout shelter hidden beneath our garage, but I am not supposed to talk about it".

So, what to do?

First, talk and teach your kids about emergency preparedness. They have to grow up sometime and must know where water, food and shelter come from and what to do in an emergency. Further, there are things they can do to help without making it seem like a big secret conspiracy. Things like "Johnny, we need to have these extra batteries in case the lights go out. Remember when that happened after the last storm?". And there is no reason to "Prep Bragging" by showing Johnny that extra batteries means a minimum of 100 of each size including hearing aid batteries.

Also, don't ever refer to the fallout shelter as a shelter. Call it a basement. Call the stored emergency food, groceries. Call the gas masks, painters masks. Call the MBR, well, figure something out there.

The deal is to give your kids misinformation until they are old enough to know how to keep low key and low profile about your survival preps. If you rename supplies common names then little Johnny is more likely to use that at school and around the other "sheeple".

Don't forget to incorporate survival thinking and planning into your families life, but don't let the kids spill the beans (or rice or wheat) on your survival plans. They may let teacher know and that will lead to you know what.

Good luck

SHTF: Minimum housing, Minimum wage, minimum life next

Couple of things ran across the radar this AM.

First, this article about this boarding house in Seattle with a new concept. Tiny apartment homes with shared kitchens and laundry facilities. The actual rooms are as small as fifty square feet. How cute.

Except when you realize how many of those in charge, (and who get paid lots of tax dollars and non-profit money), think this should be the ultimate destiny for all of us little ants and bees here in the U.S.. Everyone should embrace this small is better philosophy.

I can see their version of the future...

Imagine happy workers in their snug little one room homes with two sets of clothes, (two pairs of khaki pants and two blue shirts), a municipal bus pass and a secure job at the department of Coffee and Soy Burger Production.

Mandatory educational hours twice a week learning about subjects like "The Carbon Impact of Human Existence on Earth" and "The Progressive Values of Alternate Cultures Compared to the Failures of the Western World Belief System".

Good medical care provided by USCare and USPharm. Advocates praise the decrease in life expectancy among Americans to the "sustainable level" of 59 years of age. As their productivity drops, those seasoned members of society should be encouraged to Die With Dignity.

How about that big bump in the Minimum Wage today?

Yesterday the serfs earned $6.55 an hour. Today they can look forward to $7.55 and increased dollars to spend freely on big screen televisions, video games, new fuel efficient cars from GM and fast food. One economist praised this potential infusion of $5.5 billion into the economy as a "shot in the arm".

Forget that businesses are suffering and laying off employees, reducing hours and closing their doors. Mandatory government wage increases mean nothing if there are no jobs.

This minimum wage increase will definitely turn things around. It reminds me of those incredible crop predictions of the old Soviet Union. Prosperity for all!

Never forget that this is all part of the plan for us little people. 99% of the population going to our minimum wage government jobs moving park benches and painting the local Diversity Center. Living in crammed rabbit warrens eating soy mush and bean surprise. Children limited to one per couple once they pass their Child Licensing Test. Vast areas of suburbs, rural areas and wilderness off-limits to the masses and only available for the enjoyment of the Elders and Watchers assigned over us.

Peace and Tranquility upon you!

Bah. It won't work and it won't last. These brainiacs seem to forget we are human beings. Individuals with spirit, drive and determination. We refuse to climb into our pigeon holes and chase the cheese around the maze. We stubbornly cling to our antiquated religions and self preservation.

As individuals we want to make more money than we did last year. We want to live in the home of our own liking whether it be a two bedroom apartment downtown or five acres in rural Idaho. We may want to have no children or ten.

We may wish to pursue eight years of college, four years of technical school or simply avoid school and recycle discards found on the side of the road. Simply put, individuals fail to comply with Big Brothers Five Year Plan. And they hate us, but we have an advantage they don't.

We move faster. We are more nimble. Their bloated carcass can hardly get out of bed in the morning without a poll, focus group and consensus. We win in the end. They lose and go extinct.

In the meantime, you need to get ready. This is a marathon, not a race. We need to be prepared for the trying times over the next two years or so. The economy is not growing and cannot keep up with the spending. The collapse is inevitable. You must prepare for your family and friends. The usual; food, fuel, water, space.

We will persevere. We will overcome. We will survive.

Prepare: Suburban Survival Basics and Intro

Most people these days live in or around a city. Most of us can be classified as "suburban". Very few are completely rural or even part time rural. The reason being jobs, access (to school, health care, etc.), family and convenience.

The world right now is "out of whack". Here in the U.S. we are rapidly running out of time and options. Unemployment is spiraling out of control as all sectors of our economy are in trouble. Money is hard to get for businesses and individuals. Homes are foreclosing. Businesses are shutting their doors. There will be no more easy fixes and recovery will take decades.

With these two things in mind, you, Mr. or Mrs. Suburbia, better wake up and get ready. I truly believe we are about to be in for worse times, rather than better times.

The end will not happen at once.

There will NOT be a sudden "the government is broke" announcement followed by immediate rioting, looting and runs on grocery stores.

The end will come gradually. Another percentage uptick on the unemployment charts. Hiring and spending freezes by the government. Reduction in benefits to the unemployed, elderly and veteran. A mass migration of transient workers heading back to their home countries as jobs and money dry up.

Now is the time to stock your suburban lifeboat for the inevitable.

Money -

Starting now, take 10% of your paycheck, put it in cash and hide it at home.
Start selling (while there are buyers) all of your unneeded and unwanted junk. Hold a garage sale, post to Craigslist, etc. Sell off those compact disks and DVD's you never watch. Get rid of that old stereo forsaken for the IPod.

Stick all the extra money into two piles - Emergency cash and preparedness.

Food -

First, start laying out 4x3 planting areas in the back yard. Use bricks, wood, rocks, whatever to start building raised beds. A half dozen of those will raise a surprising amount of food. Plan on growing food which produces a lot from a little. Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, beans. Melons and corn take up too much room and water.

Next, go to the warehouse store and start buying big bags of rice, beans, spices, flour, sugar, salt, etc. Long term stuff which can be made into meals and food to fill you up.

Buy lots of canned and dried foods. Fill the pantry now while its available with food you like to eat and which can feed you, your spouse and children this winter.

For instance, let's say you go through a pack of hot dogs a week. Buy four packs, freeze three and put the other in the fridge. As long as the power is on, you have one month's worth of hot dogs. Do the same for macaroni and cheese, cereal, etc.

Water -

You need to store water. Buy ten cases of bottle water so you know you have something. Stick it in the closet.

Next, get some storage containers. A couple of 55 gallon, food grade barrels are not that expensive. They can be filled, placed in the garage and treated with a bit of bleach. You now have several days worth of water on hand.

Put up some barrels to catch rain water from the down spouts.

Find a nearby water source. Stock up on bleach, filters and some way boil water.

Energy, heat, light -

Buy several packs of batteries from the dollar store. Get more from the warehouse club store if you can afford it.

Buy at least one deep cycle rechargeable battery. Pick up a solar panel kit, (even a small one will do) to charge it. Once charged, you can use it to power..

A single burner hotplate. You now have an appliance for heating water and cooking small meals.

Also purchase a two burner camp stove and as many gas cylinders as you feel comfortable storing.

The big propane tanks for the grill are handy, I have four. But remember, cooking outdoors alerts the neighbors that "Soups on!".

I don't care to store charcoal. It goes bad too soon.

For light, pick up battery powered lanterns over gas; they are safer to use indoors. Candles are handy, but they don't put out much light. If you do get them, believe me, get the non-scented variety.

LED lights are great for flashlights and head lamps.

A single space heater run from the deep cycle battery can warm a single room the family can use during cold nights without central heat.

A fireplace is good as is a wood stove, but you will need a lot (6 cords a season minimum) of wood.

Protection -

Go to the nearest sporting goods store and select a pump action 12 gauge shotgun. Pick up at least 500 rounds of ammunition mixed in slugs, buck, and bird shot. That is 20 boxes of shells.

Go to another sporting goods store and purchase a .22 rifle such as a Marlin or Ruger. Pick up at least 5000 rounds of ammunition. That is 10 bricks.

Find any friends or relatives who shoot and own guns. Ask what their plans are and what they will do if riots break out or there are food shortages. There is strength in numbers but only among those willing to defend themselves.

Measure plywood for the front windows and door of the home. Put up the highest fence allowed around your property. Install real locks on the front and rear doors and measure out a cross bar as well.

Get a number of fire extinguishers for the house as well as smoke alarms.

Start putting all vehicles in the garage or behind the house if possible.

Transportation -

Keep cars properly tuned and full of gas at all times.

Start storing the largest amount of gasoline you feel comfortable with.

Get a bike for each member of the family and at least one full size bike trailer. Make sure it matches the type of bike you have so that installation is quick and secure. (The bike can be used for short trips to save money and gasoline).

Stock the basics for the car: jumper cables, motor oil, coolant, filters and belts. There is a good chance you will have to keep your own vehicle running in the near future.

Medical/Health -

If you know a doctor or nurse, good for you. Get ready to treat yourself otherwise.

Stock a home medicine cabinet now. How many times has a child or spouse had a cold, fever or the flu and there you are running out to the drugstore or grocery for a box of NyQuil? Fix that now by stocking all of those products without excuse.

Build a real first aid kit. Not just those plastic band aids, but gauze, large compress and wrap bandages.

Have everyone blood type and allergies written down and handy.

Stock up now on soap, shampoo, cleaning products, baking soda, bleach, and lots of toilet paper.

Skills/Knowledge -

What can you do? Can you fix a car? Plant a garden? Home repair? What marketable skill do you have which others need and are willing to pay for?

Stock up on books on farming, small repairs, medicine and other useful subjects.

The bottom line is this. In a very short time, we will be forced to make do with what we have and what we are. You can get ready now, or you can be another statistic. It is totally up to you.

What are sitting there for? Get to work!

Prepare: Cycling for Survival

Cars run on gas.

Horses run on oats.

Bikes run on you.

That's the beauty of the bicycle. It is people powered meaning as long as you can pedal, you have the fuel needed to run the bike.

Now how does a bike work in to your emergency preparedness plans?

We have a working bicycle for each member of my family as well as one bike trailer. The trailer can hold an infant or toddler or supplies. We also have a jogging stroller with bike tires which can be attached to a bike as well.

With that in mind, we have an alternate form of transportation we can use just in case. For instance, we can take the bike and trailers along in and on the truck. If the road is blocked or we run out of gas, we can still move much faster with more gear than on foot. If vehicles have been disabled by an EMP burst, again, we have a viable form of transportation.

Some things to bear in mind. Learn how to fix your bike yourself. My bike store offers an "emergency bike repair and maintenance" course for $20.00 or free with the purchase of a bike. Great deal if you ask me.

Also, stock up on spare parts. Sure it would be nice to have everything, but just having a couple of extra tubes, a good quality pump and a patch kit is a good start. Don't forget the tools specific to bikes - they have those multi tools which are handy.

Get a mirror for at least one bike so you can see if anyone comes up behind you. All bikes should have a light, but the ability to disconnect them is a plus. The lights which can run off a generator on the wheel are handy for saving batteries.

Panniers are those special bags and racks which fit over the rear and front tires. Long range cyclists say these are a godsend along with a small handle bar bag for odds and ends. A backpack should not be worn while cycling.

A good bike can be found at yard and garage sales so you don't have to get a new one. But good deals one bikes can be found at big box retailers at the end of summer but before Christmas when sales heat up again.

I have a Trek which I purchased at a bike store. But good bikes can be found at big retailers as well so there is no reason to be a bike snob. Get the bike which works best for you. I ride my bike occasionally to work so I get some long distance (about 7 miles) riding in regularly. Take a long ride once a week to stay in shape and get used to riding.

A bike comes in handy even if you don't have to bug out. Consider a low gasoline situation or simply the ability to travel quietly from place to place. Plus a bike can go places a car or truck cannot go.

Get food, water, and guns/ammo first. But a bike, along with your current bug out vehicle and a plan is a good part of a complete survival situation.

Prepare: Last Minute Emergency Preparedness Purchases

Preparing for an emergency, both long and short term is an ongoing process. It is not something we run to the mall or grocery store and complete in a single day. Food for months or even years cannot be obtained with one trip to Kroger for instance.

We know it, but here is something that bothers me when push comes to shove.

If you watch or read survival themed fiction, it seems the main characters never act fast enough. The dawdle on the phone or at work when time is precious and seconds count. They go home and set to work on some long term project like "I had better get the trailer out and make it still works in case my best pal and his family come over. Oh, and I better inventory my tools and make sure they are all in their places".

What is up with that?

So I am at work, or at home with the family. The TV is on and the news cuts in and announces "Big natural disaster/Nukes flying/aliens have landed!"

The last thing I am going to do is clean out the garage! For crying out loud, I have plenty of stuff on hand, but if you knew the supply of Charmin was about to get real low real fast and permanently, wouldn't you run down the street and get a few rolls?

So, the emergency crisis happens, I jump in the car and head to the nearest grocers first. Food is king. I am going to bet that most people are in "deer in headlights" mode and staring at CNN OR on the phone with Aunt Sally in Schenectady OR talking with their coworkers about how this will affect the quarterly budget. Unlike the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1961, most Americans don't think to stock up on canned goods like they used too.

At the grocers, I go for substance.
- Bulk food like flour, sugar, salt, oil.
- Lots of canned foods
- Protein bars, Slim Fast (canned protein source), protein and weight gain powder.
- Bulk pasta, rice and beans, all dried.
- Quick ready to eat convinience foods.
- Drinks like coffee, tea bags, powdered cocoa and Tang.
- Over the counter medicines, aspirin, cold, flu and stomach preparations are high on the list.
- Vitamins
- Toilet paper, paper towels, feminine products, diapers, wipes.
- Dog and cat food, dry in big bags
- Bottled water but more important, filters and bleach.
- Bottled gas if they have it, matches, batteries

Once that is done, I go to the gas station and fill up. Gasoline is one of the first things to go in a major emergency, but most people will be coming from work. The suburban stations, those not near a major road, highway or freeway will be the best bet. If there is a line, I take my chances on hitting another neighborhood station rather than the big discount chain.

Next, I get cash. Cash is the currency of choice in an emergency, but you can't eat it or run your car on it so get it last.
Depending upon how much I have in the bank, I may hit an ATM several times (at grocers, gas station and elsewhere) before they run out of cash.

Then I go the final destination for my emergency preparedness run, the gun or sporting goods store. Most people will be at the grocers at this time while I buy bricks of .22, boxes of 12 gauge and what little center fire they have available in my calibers.

Then I go home.

In a last minute emergency scenario, getting away may be the only option. But the concept that rioting and looting will happen in seconds is not realistic short of aliens landing en masse or the Rapture. But you have to think fast and get what you need in the right order. It sure beats sitting at home or the office fooling around with trivial projects which can be done after supplies have been obtained.

SHTF: Worse Case Scenarios - How things turned out

A final chapter to Worse Case Scenario.

Best Case Scenario - Case One - Part One here

Now that you know how things went in the civilized world, you go to your master drawing room and begin making plans for the rest of the world. You take out a map of the United States and start setting boundries for your new nation. Naturally, it will be named after you.

You then draw borders around other areas, smaller than yours of course, and name them for the men in your group. After all, they should get a piece of the pie. Your plan is to conquer one area, yours, before allowing your men to see what their territory holds.

Sitting down with a snifter of brandy from your stores, you imagine the world before you. Stores full of loot. Guns, booze, gold all waiting for your greedy hands. Surely a few people have survived besides your group. To them, you will seem like a savior. That is, until you announce that from henceforth they will be serving you as their master and leader.

It is then you hear the door to your drawing room open quietly. Without turning the large leather chair you are seated in, you shout "I thought I told you I was not to be disturbed!".

"Don't worry, I won't be long" says a cat like voice. You turn and see your wife standing beside the chair. In her hand, a three foot long katana, a samurai sword. As she plunges it into you she whispers "A woman can lead as well as a man."

As your life ebbs away, you watch as she sweeps your map aside to the floor and pulls out a new one and places it on the desk.

Worse case scenario - Case Two - Part one here

Within seconds the two objects fall to the earth. One of two objects, both manufactured over thirty years ago in an eastern land once ruled by the hammer and sickle, fails to detonate but merely lands in an open field and the impact buries it some thirty feet into the soft soil.

The other lands in the heart of downtown and explodes. Within one second, every structure within one half mile is utterly destroyed. Within two seconds, another half miles is heavily damaged and so it goes.

You are still on foot now a few miles from your home. You see your shadow momentarily on the sidewalk before you and stumble by the sight. Unfortunately, your shoes are very worn by this time and you trip over the flapping sole of your $150.00 loafers.

Fate smiled on you as your fall rolls you of the side of the road and into a ditch. Just then the shockwave, greatly diminished due to your distance, but still deadly, passes over your head. The thermal heat is still deadly and a house across the street smolders as the paint catches fire. You don't feel a thing with the exception of the shock as it passes overhead.

You pull your hands and arms over your head and pray for the destruction to end. Within seconds after it starts, the actual detonation is over. After what seems like years, you slowly life your head and look around you. The damage is not that much considering that you are more than 15 miles from ground zero, but it is clear that a bomb of some kind or another has gone off.

You get up from the ditch and quickly start heading towards your house. The loafer is still flapping on your foot, so you kick it off along with the other and run off in your stockinged feet.

Your wife meanwhile, has made it within a block of the children's school when the bomb goes off. She is shielded by a number of buildings and does not directly see the blast but feels the shockwave and heat. She manages to drop behind a retaining wall before any object can hit her though.

When she hits the ground, she hears a shriek nearby. Once the shockwave passes her by, she goes towards the sound and sees your daughter and son crouched behind a stone wall in front of a home.

She grabs both of them in an embrace and says a quick prayer of thanks for their safety. With no time to lose, three head quickly towards their home not knowing where else or what else to do.

In the street in front of their home, the family is reunited. You know you have no car and with nuclear destruction upon you, there is little you can do in your home. Suddenly, your neighbor, that cranky old man and his wife come out of their garage.

They wave you inside and tell you to get inside their old green camper top pickup truck. "There's no time to waste!" the old man implores. "If we get on the road right now we can get far enough away from the fallout!".

Fallout? Get away? It makes no sense but your wife and children are looking at you for guidance. You realize the errors of your ways and turn to your neighbor.

"Thank you. Let me grab some shoes and a change of clothes for everyone and let's get out of here".

In a few moments, you and your family are on the road away from the immediate destruction. Your destination is your neighbor's brother's farm one hundred miles away. He is described as a bit of a kook, having bought forty acres of "junk land" and lived there for the past twenty years. But he is self sufficient and would welcome the extra help.

Life comes at us at odd times and in strange ways. Worse case scenarios can turn into better solutions and vice versa. Get ready, get prepared and look out for those curve balls.

SHTF: Best You Can Do Scenario

Note: Michael - this one is for you!

Best Case You Can Do Scenario - Part 2 of yesterday's post.

For the past several months, you have been quietly purchasing extra food and storing water. The events of Hurricane Katrina, compounded with the gas and food shortages of 2008 have prompted you to make some real changes in you and your families' lifestyle. It just so happened that a new government, more terrorism and nukes in every other third world nation coincided with your decision.

Having kept a close eye on the news, you saw the writing on the wall. Clearly there was going to be a global war or as close to it as possible. With military forces spread so thin, it would most likely escalate to nuclear war and soon.

You called your boss and took advantage of that two weeks of unused vacation time a little bit earlier than usual. Rather than be stuck twenty plus miles away in downtown, you plan on staying close to home.

Your wife could not take time off, but is not going to work unprepared. Her car has a full tank of gas, or as near to it as possible, at all times. In the trunk is a "bug out bag" containing shoes, change of clothes including socks, food, water, flashlight, N95 masks, a first aid kit, a .22 semi pistol with 50 rounds spare, a multi tool and a folded tarp which can be made into a shelter or rain cover if needed.

In addition, the two of you have agreed upon alternate routes from her office to home. Along with her cellular, she has a FRS radio with a five mile range and spare batteries in the car as well. In the event of emergency, she is to head for the house without delay.

The kids are still in school, but with you nearby for the crisis, you plan on picking them up no matter what happens. The kids know to stay at the school until you arrive. Three other families have been given permission to pick up the children should you not be available. There are code words and procedures in place for the children to follow in the event of emergency.

The kids have their own mini emergency kits in their backpacks. They include extra food and water, but also a poncho, flashlight and another FRS radio in a plastic bag with extra radios. They know when to turn it on and not to play with it.

When the President's announcement goes out over the air, you go into action. Your first job is to get the kids from school. You phone your wife and tell her to head home directly. In the car, you speed dial the children's school. As expected, its busy, but you know how to get them out of there.

Once at the school, you get both kids and get them in the car. Heading home, you see the first lines forming at the gas station. Your car is full and there are five five gallon cans full at the house waiting.

Once in the door, you direct the children to start filling both bathtubs with water. You splash a bit of bleach into both tubs and get in the kitchen. You pull the contents of the pantry down to the basement. In the corner, you have a bricked off 10 x 10 section. Sure, its not NORAD, but it will provide more protection than 99% of the population has right now.

Besides the contents of the pantry, you move down stairs everything from the medicine cabinet, cleaning supplies, toilet paper, all the batteries and lighting you have carefully stored.

You already have "The Package" from Rad Meters so you are good to go there. But you supplemented by picking up extra KI online.

Your wife comes in and announces there is a line out the door at the Kroger grocery store down the street. No, she did not stop in. She has been tripping over the extra canned and packaged food in the house for weeks now.

You direct the family to continue bringing things downstairs while you mount the pre-cut plywood over the windows. You put both cars in the garage and lock the house down tight. You put out the solar panels you purchased at Harbor Freight in the back yard and make sure the line running to the basement is well hidden.

In the basement, the six 55 gallon drums are full of water. There is a basement faucet you will use until water pressure drops too low. The bathtub water is for when you come out.

Around dusk you here the sirens going off upstairs. Your turn off the main electric breaker and gas line to the house, secure the house one last time and get to the basement.

Outside you think about the poor souls still on foot trying to make it home. You did not have a fortune or a well stocked hidden retreat, you just did the best you could with what you had.

Maybe you will make it. Maybe not. But at least you tried.

Prepare: How To Prepare and Survive The End Of the World

First up, if you are serious about preparing for the end of the world and need a good reference to get started with  check this book out.

Friday question round up. Nearly everything and anything will be answered here.

How do I prepare for swine flu?

http://survivalism.blogspot.com/2009/04/prepare-how-to-prepare-for-swine-flu.html

How do I stock food on a budget?

http://survivalism.blogspot.com/2009/03/prepare-budget-survival-food-list.html

How do I prepare for the end of the world?

http://survivalism.blogspot.com/2008/10/tips-to-survive-end-of-world.html

What vitamins are good to fight the swine flu?

Or the common cold or bird flu. I take lots of vitamin A,C,E, selenium, zinc, elderberry extract, echinacea and golden seal. Also, drink lots of clean water, green tea and orange juice.

How much food should I store?

A good rule of thumb is at least three months worth of food (and water) and it gets better with the more you store. Most people who "prep" have one to three months of "normal food" (what they eat daily) backed by several months of survival food - rice, dried beans, honey, sugar, flour, yeast, cooking oil, wheat, dried corn, etc. Further, they augment their stored food with a garden, fruit trees, domestic animals and local game.

Which gun is best post-SHTF?

The gun you have and know how to use. With lots of ammunition and plenty of ongoing practice. If you are new to guns or have not fired one in a while, talk to a gun shop or sporting goods store as well as regular shooters before you buy a firearm of any type. My personal opinion and that of others is the following in order of importance:
1) Shotgun
2) .22 rifle
3) Bolt action medium to large caliber (.243 to 308) rifle
4) Revolver in medium caliber (.38, .357)
5) Common sporter semi auto rifle (.223 caliber) i.e. AR15 or Mini 14

Remember, lots of ammunition and practice.

I need a list of survival foods. What should I get?

- Rice
- Dried beans
- Powdered milk
- oil and cooking lard
- canned vegetables and fruit
- canned meats like tuna and salmon.
- Sugar, syrup and honey.
- spices
- salt
- canned soups
- flour, baking powder and baking soda
- pasta
- dried meats, fruits and vegetables
- peanut butter

Where and how should I build a survival retreat? How do I start?

http://survivalism.blogspot.com/2008/07/shtf-where-is-your-survival-retreat.html

I just read "One Second After", how can I prepare for an EMP attack?

An EMP attack will take out modern electronics. To what size and scope, nobody knows but if something depends upon electricity or electronics to operate, you can be rest assured it will probably have problems. So that means have all important papers reading material (like those how guides on the internet) printed on paper. Get a tube radio such as the kinds everyone had in the 1940's. If you can afford it, a running pre-electronic ignition vehicle (pre-1970 to make it easy) will make you the king of the neighborhood (and the target of thieves and government goons). Have something to heat water and food on which runs on wood, coal, charcoal, or gas. And if you really want to hang on to that laptop, cell phone or modern radio, build a Farraday cage which may protect at risk electronics.

Can anyone survive a nuclear war?

They did in Japan and that is the only one we have to research. However, after the atomic bomb as invented, several countries including the U.S. spent lots of time and money to figure out the answer to the same questions: How to survive a nuclear bomb?
It can be done; check out Nuclear War Survival Skills for more in depth information. The real trick is after all is over: Having enough food and the ability to produce more.

Why would you want to survive the end of the world?

The world will not truly end short of a major astronomical event such as Earth being obliterated by another object in space or the atmosphere being completely ripped away from the planet. Otherwise, what we are really talking about is the end of our society as we know it. It may mean a total global war, financial or government collapse, or a pandemic. All have happened before and will happen again unfortunately.
Why do it? I take a look at my children and think what an irresponsible parent I would be to not provide for them in any way possible and that includes being prepared for worse case scenarios.

Swine Flu Guide Available Online

Prepare: Dealing with Swine Flu and Pandemics

Yikes! This time its not Avian (bird) flu, its the pig version - swine flu.

Swine flu is a virus which pigs get and is like the flu humans get. One very big problem - it can be transferred to other pigs and humans. That's not very nice.

What's worse, is humans can transfer it to other humans and it is very contagious.

The final note; Swine is flu is potentially fatal and has proven so in several cases in Mexico.

Apparently, the flu broke out in Mexico, infected at the very least several hundred people before moving across the border into the United States. [Note: some sources are saying the real estimate is thousands of cases in Mexico where it is overwhelming the health care system and being hushed up by the government].

Swine flu has some of the typical symptoms of other flu bugs. From the CDC website:

The symptoms of swine flu in people are expected to be similar to the symptoms of regular human seasonal influenza and include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite and coughing. Some people with swine flu also have reported runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.


Let's get serious: The swine flu could get out of control just like any other pandemic could. Unlike raiders or looters or riots, viruses can't be stopped with firepower and threats. Only with quarantines, personal protection equipment and dillegence can we avoid catching a bug.

First, avoid sick people. It sounds easy, but is harder than we think. For instance, avoid places with potential sick people like mega stores, sports events, school, work and travel. Airplanes are my particular nemesis during an outbreak. Sick people have a tendancy to think everyone else wants their bug and they board up stuffy nose, fever and all.

The same type of person sends their child to school with a runny nose, mile fever and aches so Mom can have her "time off". If the flu comes to your kids school, pull them as soon as possible. By the way, ask your school what the policy is regarding outbreaks. What do they do about sick children? Do they let them stay?

Next, do you have personal protection equipment? Go to the hardware store and pick up a big ole box of N95 masks. I did some time ago and keep them in my work bag, in the car and in my kids backpacks. In other countries people routinely wear masks to avoid sickness in public places. We might want to start doing the same thing in the U.S. before long.

Also get some hand sanitizer. Get the big size and some of the smaller hand sizes too. You can make hand sanitizer out of alcohol, aloe vera gel and vegetable glycerin. Wash hands frequently with soap and water especially when out in public.

It would be nice to have a doctor friend and stock up on Tamiflu, but some viruses are not affected by Tamiflu or other drugs. It is better to get some elderberry extract and supplements from the health food store. I picked up Sambucol, vitamins C, D, E and other antioxidants, echinacea and zinc. I nave been dosing myself regularly since this whole thing broke out.

Keep your home clean too. Routinely use disinfectant and bleach on all surfaces to kill viruses if they get in the house. We also strip the beds at least twice a week, wash bedding in hot water and detergent and spray the mattresses with Lysol. My wife has covers and pads for all the pillows and mattresses as well.

My kids have been trained to blow their nose with tissues and wash immediately afterward. We never use handkerchiefs but tissues which can be thrown away and disposed of. We also have the kids change their clothes and wash school clothing after they come home from school. No reason to bring anything home and into the house.

This morning before school, we told the kids to do what we do; avoid anyone with cold symptoms. Don't play with them or sit next to them in the cafeteria. Sounds harsh but its not my problem that some thoughtless mom sent her kids to school sick.

Finally, there is quarantine. If its swine flu or bird flu or whatever, are you ready to quarantine at home? What is the government declares a state of emergency and puts in place a curfew. Schools closed, non-essential businesses shut down, workers told to stay home.. Do you have cash on hand? The ability to pay bills for an extended time? What about a stockpile of food and water? Better get stocked up now if you have not already.

Here are a few great resources I found online during the avian flu scare. They are still pertinent for swine flu.

http://www.getpandemicready.org/
http://www.fluwikie.com/
http://www.fluwikie.com/index.php?n=Consequences.PandemicPreparednessGuides
Swine Flu Guide Online