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...
Showing posts with label prepare. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prepare. Show all posts
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Friday, July 24, 2009
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.
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.
Friday, May 08, 2009
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.
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.
Thursday, May 07, 2009
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.
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.
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
SHTF: Worse Case Scenarios
Let's start this off with a bang..
Best Case Scenario SHTF -
You are at your remote retreat. You have over 200 acres of high producing tillable land currently growing a mixture of grain crops, vegetables, fruit trees and small scale livestock. You can grow and produce enough food to support you, your group and more than 100 other people should you decide too.
You have several large, fortified buildings for storing grain, hay and sheltering the animals. All are connected by an underground series of tunnels which can also provide protection from fallout and weather for the animals as well.
Your primary residence is a completely off the grid super house which can comfortably shelter up to forty people. Half of the structure is underground, has several hidden exit and escape routes and massive amounts of storage.
Inside is enough LTS (long term storage food), medicine, toilet paper and booze for five years without having to grow a thing or run down to 7-11. The home runs entirely off of solar and wind power, but you have a number of diesel generators with enough fuel to power them for twenty years. Water comes from wells drilled within the house and around the property.
Protection is handled with your enormous armory, some legal but most obtained through back channels. Of course you are former military and are well trained on numerous small arms weapons systems as is many of the members of your retreat; they were your core unit when you were with Delta Force. Your wife is also former Special Forces (combat doctor), can cook beef stew under fire and still looks great in camo.
Most of the rest of the world is dead from some strange illness that killed everyone within seconds and decomposed their bodies minutes afterward into a harmless dust which blows away with the first wind. Fortunately, the disease disappeared before it reached you and your group.
Since everyone else in the world died in just a few minutes, all the stuff left is in pristine condition at Walmart and all the other retail outlets waiting for you and your group to come get it. For some reason, this strange virus also preserved gasoline and diesel fuel in storage, kept all canned and packaged food from going bad and left all animals in perfect health.
In short, the entire world is waiting for you and yours to show up and claim it.
Back to reality...
Worse case scenario - SHTF
The President comes on the radio and announces that global thermonuclear war is about to break out and diplomacy has failed. You would have known problems were coming to a head, but you had not kept up on the news lately. Since nuclear war is inevitable, everyone begins to panic.
You try and phone your wife but you keep getting the "all circuits are busy" message on your phone. Thinking it may be your office phone, you try your cell but get the same message. "I am sure my wife knows what to do" you think and head out to your car.
Too late. The parking garage is backed up as everyone tries to leave at the same time. There are no fewer than a half dozen fender benders and that is in the garage. Imagine what the streets look like.
You think you will try that mass transportation everyone is talking about and head to street level and look for a bus. Too late again. The only bus driving by is packed to the rafters and doesn't even slow down in front of your office.
It is early afternoon and you are twenty plus miles from your home in downtown. Surely your city is a grade A target for a bomb, so you start hoofing it home. Maybe you can catch a cab along the way.
About twenty minutes into your walk you mentally kick yourself for not grabbing at least a bottle of water from the office. Maybe you can grab something from the mini-mart at the corner.
Big mistake there. The owner and his wife have barricaded themselves in the store and are trying to preserve their stock for themselves. Already a mob is out front trying to get gasoline and what snack foods and water are available inside. You play it safe and go the other direction towards home. Now you are thirsty and your feet are beginning to hurt. Should have packed some other shoes in that Bug Out Bag you also never got around to putting together.
Two hours later and several phone calls, you finally reach your wife. She was at work as well and has been stuck in traffic since hearing the news as well. Unfortunately, she works in the other direction that you do and cannot swing by and get you. Besides, she is mad you left the other car at the office.
Your wife wants to get the kids from their school which is about to let out around now. Sadly, she is five or more miles away, stuck in traffic and about to run out of gas. You meant to fill up her car last night, but your favorite program was on. Besides, the quarter of a tank she had in her car should have been enough.
The kids are still at their school and have been placed in the gymnasium with all the other children whose parents had not picked them up yet. Only a few nervous teachers are left at the school. Most left when the news alerts went out. No idea how much longer they are planning on staying and watching your kids when their own families may need them right now.
Your kids have no idea where their parents are nor how to reach you. There was never a plan put in place so they have no idea what to do. Your oldest daughter has suggested that to her little brother that they sneak out and try and walk home. After all, it is only a few miles and they think they know the way home. Too bad another parent was not notified to get them in an emergency.
By the time darkness begins to fall, you are only three quarters of the way home. Your wife's car ran out of gas and she is walking to the children's school. The kids, now left unsupervised, have left the school on their own and are trying to remember the way home on foot in the dark.
Overhead, a couple of dull metal objects break apart over your city and being their slow decent of death...
Best case and worse case scenarios. Where do you want to be? Sure the first is over the top extreme, but the second scenario probably covers 90% of America right now. I think I know what my plan is. Do you?
Best Case Scenario SHTF -
You are at your remote retreat. You have over 200 acres of high producing tillable land currently growing a mixture of grain crops, vegetables, fruit trees and small scale livestock. You can grow and produce enough food to support you, your group and more than 100 other people should you decide too.
You have several large, fortified buildings for storing grain, hay and sheltering the animals. All are connected by an underground series of tunnels which can also provide protection from fallout and weather for the animals as well.
Your primary residence is a completely off the grid super house which can comfortably shelter up to forty people. Half of the structure is underground, has several hidden exit and escape routes and massive amounts of storage.
Inside is enough LTS (long term storage food), medicine, toilet paper and booze for five years without having to grow a thing or run down to 7-11. The home runs entirely off of solar and wind power, but you have a number of diesel generators with enough fuel to power them for twenty years. Water comes from wells drilled within the house and around the property.
Protection is handled with your enormous armory, some legal but most obtained through back channels. Of course you are former military and are well trained on numerous small arms weapons systems as is many of the members of your retreat; they were your core unit when you were with Delta Force. Your wife is also former Special Forces (combat doctor), can cook beef stew under fire and still looks great in camo.
Most of the rest of the world is dead from some strange illness that killed everyone within seconds and decomposed their bodies minutes afterward into a harmless dust which blows away with the first wind. Fortunately, the disease disappeared before it reached you and your group.
Since everyone else in the world died in just a few minutes, all the stuff left is in pristine condition at Walmart and all the other retail outlets waiting for you and your group to come get it. For some reason, this strange virus also preserved gasoline and diesel fuel in storage, kept all canned and packaged food from going bad and left all animals in perfect health.
In short, the entire world is waiting for you and yours to show up and claim it.
Back to reality...
Worse case scenario - SHTF
The President comes on the radio and announces that global thermonuclear war is about to break out and diplomacy has failed. You would have known problems were coming to a head, but you had not kept up on the news lately. Since nuclear war is inevitable, everyone begins to panic.
You try and phone your wife but you keep getting the "all circuits are busy" message on your phone. Thinking it may be your office phone, you try your cell but get the same message. "I am sure my wife knows what to do" you think and head out to your car.
Too late. The parking garage is backed up as everyone tries to leave at the same time. There are no fewer than a half dozen fender benders and that is in the garage. Imagine what the streets look like.
You think you will try that mass transportation everyone is talking about and head to street level and look for a bus. Too late again. The only bus driving by is packed to the rafters and doesn't even slow down in front of your office.
It is early afternoon and you are twenty plus miles from your home in downtown. Surely your city is a grade A target for a bomb, so you start hoofing it home. Maybe you can catch a cab along the way.
About twenty minutes into your walk you mentally kick yourself for not grabbing at least a bottle of water from the office. Maybe you can grab something from the mini-mart at the corner.
Big mistake there. The owner and his wife have barricaded themselves in the store and are trying to preserve their stock for themselves. Already a mob is out front trying to get gasoline and what snack foods and water are available inside. You play it safe and go the other direction towards home. Now you are thirsty and your feet are beginning to hurt. Should have packed some other shoes in that Bug Out Bag you also never got around to putting together.
Two hours later and several phone calls, you finally reach your wife. She was at work as well and has been stuck in traffic since hearing the news as well. Unfortunately, she works in the other direction that you do and cannot swing by and get you. Besides, she is mad you left the other car at the office.
Your wife wants to get the kids from their school which is about to let out around now. Sadly, she is five or more miles away, stuck in traffic and about to run out of gas. You meant to fill up her car last night, but your favorite program was on. Besides, the quarter of a tank she had in her car should have been enough.
The kids are still at their school and have been placed in the gymnasium with all the other children whose parents had not picked them up yet. Only a few nervous teachers are left at the school. Most left when the news alerts went out. No idea how much longer they are planning on staying and watching your kids when their own families may need them right now.
Your kids have no idea where their parents are nor how to reach you. There was never a plan put in place so they have no idea what to do. Your oldest daughter has suggested that to her little brother that they sneak out and try and walk home. After all, it is only a few miles and they think they know the way home. Too bad another parent was not notified to get them in an emergency.
By the time darkness begins to fall, you are only three quarters of the way home. Your wife's car ran out of gas and she is walking to the children's school. The kids, now left unsupervised, have left the school on their own and are trying to remember the way home on foot in the dark.
Overhead, a couple of dull metal objects break apart over your city and being their slow decent of death...
Best case and worse case scenarios. Where do you want to be? Sure the first is over the top extreme, but the second scenario probably covers 90% of America right now. I think I know what my plan is. Do you?
Friday, May 01, 2009
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
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
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Prepare: Nuclear War
I watched this clip on You Tube this morning. There are several others related and like it on their so there is plenty of depressing footage available if you are so inclined.
What struck me are the people either standing around with their mouths open or panicking like morons. Yes, I have never been in a nuclear war, but these are actors and the directors/producers obviously wanted to create an image of how people would react in this scenario.
I know a bunch of people who would go into "ready mode"; that never gets portrayed in films though.
For instance, I have my computer up most of the time. The TV is almost always on and I carry a Blackberry 20 hours a day. If something happens news wise, I am usually on it. Example: During Sunday's Easter Egg hunt, I was the one who informed the other party goers of the rescue of the Maersk Alabama's captain moments after it was announced.
So, I find out that nuclear missiles are being launched. The internal clock in my head says "twenty minutes max" until something lands nearby. Let's get started!
Where is everyone?
Locate the wife and kids. If kids are at school, my butt is on the way to get them now. School is on speed dial. Call school, get my kids into the front office now.
Kids at home? Good. Get them in the house and get ready to go.
Wife not at home? Call her cell, tell her to get her butt home now.
Start loading water
Water is the most important product we will need. Start filling the bathtubs after throwing a splash of bleach in the bottom. Two tubs in the house, both will get filled.
Next, grab the jugs and bottles kept in the kitchen and put the kids to filling them up. Do the same with any and all tupperware and other type containers in the cabinets as well.
Start getting the food together
We keep food all over the house. Canned goods, pasta, buckets, you know like the rest of you. I am going to be stock piling all of it in my shelter in place (we will address that in a second).
Most will come as it is in plastic covered cartons, but loose cans and other stuff will be thrown into laundry baskets and storage containers.
And the contents of the fridge will be put into that giant ice chest sitting under the shelf in the kitchen along with all the ice and some of the frozen foods too.
Get the cars into the garage
And disconnect the batteries and ground the vehicle. I want this thing to start afterward if possible.
Close the windows and shutters. Lock up the house.
Get the family into the home shelter. Pile as much additional stuff around us as possible for mass. You can never have enough mass protection from fallout.
Get radios, gloves, masks, tools and other stuff. Most of it is already pre-positioned inside the home shelter, but I have a tendency to borrow stuff and use elsewhere.
Bring in the phone. Call anyone one last time.
This is crucial. Let's say you have friends or family away from the zone of damage, but close enough to drive too. If they know you are prepared and sheltered, they may be in a position to come to you afterward or expect you once the radiation levels have tapered off.
Now, what is the home shelter and shelter in place? It would be swell if we all had a swanky underground shelter with twelve months of supplies, blast door, filtration systems and multi entrance/exit hatches and room for forty. But let's face it - who has a couple of million around to buy one of those?
However, any of us can build an expedient fallout shelter in our home with enough time. The best bet is to have it laid out now and have the necessary materials on hand. First, google Nuclear War Survival Skills. Second, go to RadMeters4U and read this whole piece on What To When Nuclear War Is Imminent.
Our home shelter is in the center of the house where the most mass is located (We do not have a basement). The attic above the space has several large full storage containers. The surrounding walls comprise with bathrooms, closets or other inner walls.
Heavy materials such as storage containers, full drawers, boxes and other stuff will be put along the walls. I have several doors and pieces of plywood for the over head. These will be layered with additional storage containers, clothing and other stuff for mass protection.
The hallway has a right angle which will serve as the air flow port. Another is designed on one side.
I have already purchased dosimeters and KI for additional protection and detection. After the radiation levels have dropped off a couple of things will happen. We will leave and go to friend away from here or we will try and make a go of it here.
Is this plan fool proof? Of course not. If it were up to me I would have 15 acres one hundred miles from the nearest 7-11 complete with an underground shelter and storeroom. I would also have wings, could read minds and could shoot like Alvin York. Wishes and fishes. I have to work with what I have and where I am. Adapt and overcome.
A few more things...
The chances of an onslaught of nuclear warheads raining down from Russia are far slimmer than they were in 1982. Times have changed. So have our adversaries. Those nuclear weapons may arrive in rented u-Hauls or shipping containers today.
Why did I not mention running to the grocery store? You have to do that now. All of us should have food and water stored. Last minute water can and should be obtained because you can never have enough.
What will the world look like after a nuclear attack? Who knows. It will stink come to think of it. But I would rather prepare for my kids than sit at home watching them starve and wishing I had done something now.
Good luck and get off your computer and get some fresh air.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Prepare: Business Travel Preparedness
I travel frequently, (1-2 trips per month) and as such, like to travel ready for anything. By car, I can carry anything I may need. But most business trips are by airplane, which raises questions as to what I can legally and safely carry while on trips away from home.
To start, most of my trips are to urban and developed locations and all are in the continental U.S. (CONUS). I have colleagues who travel outside of the U.S. to Africa and Asia for instance; I could not imagine what I would do in those circumstances so I am thankful for what I have to work with.
When I travel, I carry a roller board suitcase and a backpack. I have always preferred backpacks over over-the-shoulder computer bags. Besides the fact they can be carried on two shoulders (I use this more frequently than you would think), they are designed to be carried for longer periods of time and have more features than a standard laptop bag.
While I would like to say I carry some expensive Kelty business ready backpack, all of my backpacks are generic, rugged bags which I replace annually.
There are a few things I prepare for while on business trips. They include:
Low risk:
Flight delays or reroutes due to weather, repairs, etc.
Getting bumped from my hotel or losing reservation
Change in travel plans, i.e. extra night or day travel
High risk:
Plane crash landing
Weather disaster such as hurricane
National emergency which grounds flights, i.e. such as 9/11
Other national emergency, like the kind we talk about here...
Here is how I pack:
My roller board contains my spare shoes (generally a pair of sneakers for workouts), workout clothes (sweatpants, t-shirt, hoodie and socks), and another set of business clothes.
Depending upon the time of year, I will carry gloves, thermals, a hat and a heavy pair of pants such as jeans and a pair of boots when traveling in the winter. I always bring along a hat regardless of the season.
The outer pockets of the roller board contain nearly always food. I pack foods which are approved for air travel and can be brought onboard. Almost always they consist of:
Packets of oatmeal
Boxes of raisins
Ramen noodles
Protein bars
You cannot carry bottled water through security; TSA will throw it away. So I sometimes purchase two overpriced bottles of water at the airport store once inside the gate area. Sometimes, the airline will give you a bottle if you ask on the plane, but not usually.
In my roller board, I also carry a portable water filter and bottle contraption I purchased at REI.
In my backpack I carry more food and other supplies. Besides protein bars and hard candy, I also have the following:
flashlight - 2. One small standard and another a clip on carabiner type.
3 heavy duty plastic bags. These are large enough to hold a laptop and are especially sturdy. When my company moved our office, the office manager gave me some of these.
2 standard black trash bags - for shelter, to carry
2 ziplock bags - pack small items, carry water, etc.
Tools and knives are no-nos on the plane.
I usually have a small first aid kit.
1 pair of nitrile gloves
2 N95 masks
(nope, I have never received a funny look or had a problem with these in my bag).
1 compass
1 road map for the area I am visiting.
1 spare pair of socks.
Sanitizing gel (actually, I stick this in my pocket in case it is taken by security).
1 pack of kleenex - those little packages. Guess what - toilet paper!
1 pack of matches. I manage to put those in my suit jacket and they are never taken by security.
1 lightweight wind/rain coat.
If the plane goes down in the middle of the wilderness and I survive, I have the makings of a shelter, light, and something to eat.
I know it is not likely I will survive an aircrash, but what if I am stranded at my destination city? Say there is a nuclear attack or other SHTF event? I will have the start of my pack to get from Point A to Point B (home).
Wish list:
We all wish we could travel "packed".
I wish I could bring along a multi tool.
I wish I could bring along another form of communication besides a cell phone.
I wish I could pack a car, trailer fully stocked in my roller board too.
To start, most of my trips are to urban and developed locations and all are in the continental U.S. (CONUS). I have colleagues who travel outside of the U.S. to Africa and Asia for instance; I could not imagine what I would do in those circumstances so I am thankful for what I have to work with.
When I travel, I carry a roller board suitcase and a backpack. I have always preferred backpacks over over-the-shoulder computer bags. Besides the fact they can be carried on two shoulders (I use this more frequently than you would think), they are designed to be carried for longer periods of time and have more features than a standard laptop bag.
While I would like to say I carry some expensive Kelty business ready backpack, all of my backpacks are generic, rugged bags which I replace annually.
There are a few things I prepare for while on business trips. They include:
Low risk:
Flight delays or reroutes due to weather, repairs, etc.
Getting bumped from my hotel or losing reservation
Change in travel plans, i.e. extra night or day travel
High risk:
Plane crash landing
Weather disaster such as hurricane
National emergency which grounds flights, i.e. such as 9/11
Other national emergency, like the kind we talk about here...
Here is how I pack:
My roller board contains my spare shoes (generally a pair of sneakers for workouts), workout clothes (sweatpants, t-shirt, hoodie and socks), and another set of business clothes.
Depending upon the time of year, I will carry gloves, thermals, a hat and a heavy pair of pants such as jeans and a pair of boots when traveling in the winter. I always bring along a hat regardless of the season.
The outer pockets of the roller board contain nearly always food. I pack foods which are approved for air travel and can be brought onboard. Almost always they consist of:
Packets of oatmeal
Boxes of raisins
Ramen noodles
Protein bars
You cannot carry bottled water through security; TSA will throw it away. So I sometimes purchase two overpriced bottles of water at the airport store once inside the gate area. Sometimes, the airline will give you a bottle if you ask on the plane, but not usually.
In my roller board, I also carry a portable water filter and bottle contraption I purchased at REI.
In my backpack I carry more food and other supplies. Besides protein bars and hard candy, I also have the following:
flashlight - 2. One small standard and another a clip on carabiner type.
3 heavy duty plastic bags. These are large enough to hold a laptop and are especially sturdy. When my company moved our office, the office manager gave me some of these.
2 standard black trash bags - for shelter, to carry
2 ziplock bags - pack small items, carry water, etc.
Tools and knives are no-nos on the plane.
I usually have a small first aid kit.
1 pair of nitrile gloves
2 N95 masks
(nope, I have never received a funny look or had a problem with these in my bag).
1 compass
1 road map for the area I am visiting.
1 spare pair of socks.
Sanitizing gel (actually, I stick this in my pocket in case it is taken by security).
1 pack of kleenex - those little packages. Guess what - toilet paper!
1 pack of matches. I manage to put those in my suit jacket and they are never taken by security.
1 lightweight wind/rain coat.
If the plane goes down in the middle of the wilderness and I survive, I have the makings of a shelter, light, and something to eat.
I know it is not likely I will survive an aircrash, but what if I am stranded at my destination city? Say there is a nuclear attack or other SHTF event? I will have the start of my pack to get from Point A to Point B (home).
Wish list:
We all wish we could travel "packed".
I wish I could bring along a multi tool.
I wish I could bring along another form of communication besides a cell phone.
I wish I could pack a car, trailer fully stocked in my roller board too.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
SHTF: "I am coming to your house!"
You cut back on expenses, clip coupons, make lists, budget, plan and carefully put aside emergency supplies for your family (and maybe a few others) to last a year or so if and when things get bad.
While at work one day, you find yourself in a discussion with a co-worker about the economy or maybe recent world problems. Your friend remarks that preparing for an end of the world scenario is hopeless to which you counter, "Oh no. I have been putting aside food and water for my family for some time. It is not that hard to do..".
Before you know it, you hear those horrible words from the grinning co-worker, "Well, if things get bad, I am coming to your house!".
Great. Expect locusts for house guests the day after.
Where do these people come from? Why do they think they will be welcome, empty handed and wanting anywhere? Why did you open your big fat mouth?
Forget about the arguments about entitlement mentality or the laziness of the herd, if you don't want visitors, bring in the welcome mat.
First, shut up. Being blunt here, but nobody is going to show up with hand out (or gun drawn) if they don't know what preparedness supplies you have. Quit advertising what a great "prepper" you are and how many cases of beef stew you have put back in the basement, etc.
The problem with many preppers is they crave the attention and the approval of the crowd and can't wait to open their yaps and pontificate about their water well, dried food supply, canners, wood stove, grain mills and solar panels. In doing so, they essentially advertise the End of the World Holiday Inn is accepting reservations when the balloon goes up, come one and all.
So keep your mouth shut about what your plans are and the specifics therein.
Keep the emergency food and supplies hidden and out of sight. Nothing says "Come on over!" like a stack of Mountain House foods in plain view for all to see or a pantry floor covered in white buckets marked "Beans", "Rice" and "Wheat".
If someone questions the wheat grinder or dehydrator on the kitchen counter, just shrug and say "Why? Don't you have one?" and make the questioner feel stupid for asking.
Stop coming up with the elaborate stories and tales preppers come up with like "Oh, that stack of number 10 cans of textured vegetable protein? Oh, um, um, we are going on a church mission to open a vegetarian cafeteria in another country. Yeah that's it!" or
"All those bags of flour and sugar? We make cookies and cakes for the holidays. Would you like to order something?" (what do you do when they then ask for a dozen pies, Einstein?).
Ridiculous. Keep your stuff hidden. And if someone comes across a case of MRE's in the house or back of your car, just say. "Man, I gotta clean this place up. I don't know why I still have this junk..". and leave it at that.
Finally, practice saying the magic word - "No".
"No, I have no food or gasoline or a gun to spare for you. Run along and don't come back".
That's it, end of discussion. Otherwise, start working harder and buying more stuff for the deadbeats you will be directly supporting the day after.
While at work one day, you find yourself in a discussion with a co-worker about the economy or maybe recent world problems. Your friend remarks that preparing for an end of the world scenario is hopeless to which you counter, "Oh no. I have been putting aside food and water for my family for some time. It is not that hard to do..".
Before you know it, you hear those horrible words from the grinning co-worker, "Well, if things get bad, I am coming to your house!".
Great. Expect locusts for house guests the day after.
Where do these people come from? Why do they think they will be welcome, empty handed and wanting anywhere? Why did you open your big fat mouth?
Forget about the arguments about entitlement mentality or the laziness of the herd, if you don't want visitors, bring in the welcome mat.
First, shut up. Being blunt here, but nobody is going to show up with hand out (or gun drawn) if they don't know what preparedness supplies you have. Quit advertising what a great "prepper" you are and how many cases of beef stew you have put back in the basement, etc.
The problem with many preppers is they crave the attention and the approval of the crowd and can't wait to open their yaps and pontificate about their water well, dried food supply, canners, wood stove, grain mills and solar panels. In doing so, they essentially advertise the End of the World Holiday Inn is accepting reservations when the balloon goes up, come one and all.
So keep your mouth shut about what your plans are and the specifics therein.
Keep the emergency food and supplies hidden and out of sight. Nothing says "Come on over!" like a stack of Mountain House foods in plain view for all to see or a pantry floor covered in white buckets marked "Beans", "Rice" and "Wheat".
If someone questions the wheat grinder or dehydrator on the kitchen counter, just shrug and say "Why? Don't you have one?" and make the questioner feel stupid for asking.
Stop coming up with the elaborate stories and tales preppers come up with like "Oh, that stack of number 10 cans of textured vegetable protein? Oh, um, um, we are going on a church mission to open a vegetarian cafeteria in another country. Yeah that's it!" or
"All those bags of flour and sugar? We make cookies and cakes for the holidays. Would you like to order something?" (what do you do when they then ask for a dozen pies, Einstein?).
Ridiculous. Keep your stuff hidden. And if someone comes across a case of MRE's in the house or back of your car, just say. "Man, I gotta clean this place up. I don't know why I still have this junk..". and leave it at that.
Finally, practice saying the magic word - "No".
"No, I have no food or gasoline or a gun to spare for you. Run along and don't come back".
That's it, end of discussion. Otherwise, start working harder and buying more stuff for the deadbeats you will be directly supporting the day after.
Monday, March 17, 2008
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.
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! Ultimate Surburban Shelter
Check out this place!
Ultimate Home Shelter!
1600 Square Feet underneath a neat, suburban home located in Washington State. Yes, this whole place was built by hand over a TWENTY YEAR period. Incredible.
And it is for sale. Only 575K with creative financing available.
Before you run out and mortgage your home, life and internal organs, be aware of the following:
A - You want this house for a daily dwelling and survival location for bugging in.
B - The house has been at this location for several years so the neighbors know well about it and the shelter.
C - The current owners have publicized the heck out of the property so everyone else in the world now knows about it.
D - When the poop hits the fan, expect a mob run on your property and that mob knows where all five entrances are.
Ultimate Home Shelter!
1600 Square Feet underneath a neat, suburban home located in Washington State. Yes, this whole place was built by hand over a TWENTY YEAR period. Incredible.
And it is for sale. Only 575K with creative financing available.
Before you run out and mortgage your home, life and internal organs, be aware of the following:
A - You want this house for a daily dwelling and survival location for bugging in.
B - The house has been at this location for several years so the neighbors know well about it and the shelter.
C - The current owners have publicized the heck out of the property so everyone else in the world now knows about it.
D - When the poop hits the fan, expect a mob run on your property and that mob knows where all five entrances are.
Prepare! Fallout Shelter 353 changes
The new link is tpass.org (The Preparedness and Survival something or other). One of the forum members has taken over the old site, has revamped it slightly, (more of a blog feel) and hidden everything else. Look carefully for the Discussion Forums link on the right and find the old entries.
Jerry D Young has two new stories; QHT is really good. Jerry's writing and story lines just keep getting better with each entry. I don't know how he does it, but it says a lot about getting better at something from practice. I hope he is realizing some sort of revenue off of his passion.
Jerry D Young has two new stories; QHT is really good. Jerry's writing and story lines just keep getting better with each entry. I don't know how he does it, but it says a lot about getting better at something from practice. I hope he is realizing some sort of revenue off of his passion.
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!
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!
Friday, February 29, 2008
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.
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.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Prepare! The Most Important Emergency Supplies To Buy Now
Go online to any of the survival themed forums.. TB2K, Frugals, etc. Check and see what the experts there have to say is the most important items to have on hand should a nuclear war break out, an asteroid strikes the earth, a mega earthquake or alien invasion should take place.
Guess what? None of them will agree. One survivalist will say proper firearms. The next will insist upon junk silver coins or cash. Another will say a preparedness retreat in the hills.
All of the above survivalist answers are wrong. The correct answer is food.
Try this. Go a day without eating. No, not breakfast, no coffee, no quick lunch, no sodas, no dinner, no dessert or snacks. Odds are you will either make it until 2 in the afternoon before you break down and go for that candy machine or you will feel so awful you will give up on the spot.
That is what hunger does to almost anyone. The adverse affects kick in quickly because our bodies are programmed to want three squares a day at regular intervals. When we fail to get food, our blood sugar begins to short circuit and the rest of our body begins to suffer.
Only after a few days will our body adjust and begin to deplete our bodies fat and muscle content for energy.
A starving individual, family or group will be unable to produce, to work or defend a home or retreat. So much for the firearms and gold bullion.
What makes food easy is that unlike weapons or precious metals, food is readily available to any survivalist at a reasonable price. The local grocery store contains enough products to fill a survival pantry several times over.
Finally, food is available now. Once the stores are cleaned out, those with the supply of food will be able to barter and trade for the other things they need.
So, stock up on food now. Get to the market and start with the basics. No not beef stew and tang. But component foods; flour, salt, sugar, honey, baking soda, powdered milk, yeast, and oil. All of these products store well for a long period of time and are very cheap.
The survivalist stocks food first and all other items (with the exception of water) come second.
Guess what? None of them will agree. One survivalist will say proper firearms. The next will insist upon junk silver coins or cash. Another will say a preparedness retreat in the hills.
All of the above survivalist answers are wrong. The correct answer is food.
Try this. Go a day without eating. No, not breakfast, no coffee, no quick lunch, no sodas, no dinner, no dessert or snacks. Odds are you will either make it until 2 in the afternoon before you break down and go for that candy machine or you will feel so awful you will give up on the spot.
That is what hunger does to almost anyone. The adverse affects kick in quickly because our bodies are programmed to want three squares a day at regular intervals. When we fail to get food, our blood sugar begins to short circuit and the rest of our body begins to suffer.
Only after a few days will our body adjust and begin to deplete our bodies fat and muscle content for energy.
A starving individual, family or group will be unable to produce, to work or defend a home or retreat. So much for the firearms and gold bullion.
What makes food easy is that unlike weapons or precious metals, food is readily available to any survivalist at a reasonable price. The local grocery store contains enough products to fill a survival pantry several times over.
Finally, food is available now. Once the stores are cleaned out, those with the supply of food will be able to barter and trade for the other things they need.
So, stock up on food now. Get to the market and start with the basics. No not beef stew and tang. But component foods; flour, salt, sugar, honey, baking soda, powdered milk, yeast, and oil. All of these products store well for a long period of time and are very cheap.
The survivalist stocks food first and all other items (with the exception of water) come second.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Prepare! Who will survive the end of the world
The other day, I was talking with my good friend, open survivalist and curmudgeon, "Dan'l Boone". Between "Dan'l's" rambling about fiat currency, black helicopters and Trilateral Commission hijinks, "Dan'l" opinionated about who would not survive Doomsday.
"Them rich folks are going first, followed by the welfare rabble and then a bunch of them politicians. Finally, it'll be all them hippies, commies and gun grabbers."
"So who will be left?" I asked.
"Good folks like us and a bunch of Mutant Zombie Bikers (MZB), convicts and raiders. After all, we got to have someone to shoot, don't we?" Dan'l winked.
I hated to disagree with "Dan'l" but his was wishful thinking.
Let's think about some real end of the world situations. Whether you call it TEOTWAWKI, Doomsday, the Apocalypse or the end of the world, some will be the first to suffer.
Addicts - nope, not the stereotypical heroin addicts portrayed in movies and fiction, but the everyday addicts around us. Those people you live and work with today who are hooked on cigarettes, Diet Coke and prescription drugs.
Studies have shown the first things to go in a crisis are not generators and match grade .308 ammunition, but more common addiction products: Cigarettes, soda, beer, ice (to keep that beer cold) and junk food. Many in the "prepper" community suffer from these same addictions and for some reason or another, think they will have plenty of time to stock up on Marlboros and Bud before they get to the retreat. Further, they think everyone else will tolerate their addictions and subsequent withdrawl after things really go down the toilet.
Moderately disabled - These are the folks you know (and may be one of) who tools around in their scooter, has a kitchen counter covered with a half dozen prescription drugs, and wears a "fighter pilot mask" at bed time to counter the effects of sleep apnea. So many of the survivalist crowd suffers from one or more of these symptoms, but for some odd reason, thinks they will survive the end of the world just fine thank you very much.
(Somehow the idea of seeing some 50-year old, overweight guy in a scooter toting an AR-15 at the bug out retreat does not inspire too much confidence).
Everyday entitlement dependents - Nope, not he inner-city queen with 15 children, but the other government dependent you know all too well. These are the folks living off Social Security payments, disability checks and government pensions.
I don't know how many preppers I have met who are financially dependent upon the government to provide for their day to day living expenses and then believe that they will magically survive economic and societal collapse.
The less fit or out of shape crowd - This is the overweight, 50-year old guy with a full gun safe and closet of Mountain House #10 cans, but who gets winded walking to his truck in the morning.
This is the same person who thinks the MZB's will stand still while he huffs and puffs around his retreat plinking them off like old beer cans... This is the same guy who thinks everyone else will wait for him to catch up while they walk to the bug out retreat after a dirty bomb has detonated in the city... This the same guy who is the first to complain about how bad his feet and back hurt, how he pulled yet another muscle and needs to take it easy on the couch today...
Dump this turkey from your preparedness invite list now.
The picky eater - The post-apocalyptic menu calls for rice, beans, gritty homemade bread, water and powdered milk. What is the picky, grown up eater suddenly going to do? Dig in with relish? I don't think so.
The picky eater is the middle aged person (perhaps you) who has to have meat three times a day. Needs crackers with their chili, white bread with butter at dinner and condiments on everything. This person complains if food is not prepared to his liking and mopes in the living room until his wife fixes his favorites just right.
If you know this person, remove them from your retreat list now. They will only serve to infuriate and bedevil you.
Afterwards, "Dan'l" looked at me like he was hurt and left the room muttering about needing to go inventory his preps or something. I hated to hurt his feelings, but I know Dan'l smokes, has high blood pressure and hates rice. (He has 321 cans of Spam, though). Oh well, perhaps he can find some MZB's who have an opening at their retreat.
"Them rich folks are going first, followed by the welfare rabble and then a bunch of them politicians. Finally, it'll be all them hippies, commies and gun grabbers."
"So who will be left?" I asked.
"Good folks like us and a bunch of Mutant Zombie Bikers (MZB), convicts and raiders. After all, we got to have someone to shoot, don't we?" Dan'l winked.
I hated to disagree with "Dan'l" but his was wishful thinking.
Let's think about some real end of the world situations. Whether you call it TEOTWAWKI, Doomsday, the Apocalypse or the end of the world, some will be the first to suffer.
Addicts - nope, not the stereotypical heroin addicts portrayed in movies and fiction, but the everyday addicts around us. Those people you live and work with today who are hooked on cigarettes, Diet Coke and prescription drugs.
Studies have shown the first things to go in a crisis are not generators and match grade .308 ammunition, but more common addiction products: Cigarettes, soda, beer, ice (to keep that beer cold) and junk food. Many in the "prepper" community suffer from these same addictions and for some reason or another, think they will have plenty of time to stock up on Marlboros and Bud before they get to the retreat. Further, they think everyone else will tolerate their addictions and subsequent withdrawl after things really go down the toilet.
Moderately disabled - These are the folks you know (and may be one of) who tools around in their scooter, has a kitchen counter covered with a half dozen prescription drugs, and wears a "fighter pilot mask" at bed time to counter the effects of sleep apnea. So many of the survivalist crowd suffers from one or more of these symptoms, but for some odd reason, thinks they will survive the end of the world just fine thank you very much.
(Somehow the idea of seeing some 50-year old, overweight guy in a scooter toting an AR-15 at the bug out retreat does not inspire too much confidence).
Everyday entitlement dependents - Nope, not he inner-city queen with 15 children, but the other government dependent you know all too well. These are the folks living off Social Security payments, disability checks and government pensions.
I don't know how many preppers I have met who are financially dependent upon the government to provide for their day to day living expenses and then believe that they will magically survive economic and societal collapse.
The less fit or out of shape crowd - This is the overweight, 50-year old guy with a full gun safe and closet of Mountain House #10 cans, but who gets winded walking to his truck in the morning.
This is the same person who thinks the MZB's will stand still while he huffs and puffs around his retreat plinking them off like old beer cans... This is the same guy who thinks everyone else will wait for him to catch up while they walk to the bug out retreat after a dirty bomb has detonated in the city... This the same guy who is the first to complain about how bad his feet and back hurt, how he pulled yet another muscle and needs to take it easy on the couch today...
Dump this turkey from your preparedness invite list now.
The picky eater - The post-apocalyptic menu calls for rice, beans, gritty homemade bread, water and powdered milk. What is the picky, grown up eater suddenly going to do? Dig in with relish? I don't think so.
The picky eater is the middle aged person (perhaps you) who has to have meat three times a day. Needs crackers with their chili, white bread with butter at dinner and condiments on everything. This person complains if food is not prepared to his liking and mopes in the living room until his wife fixes his favorites just right.
If you know this person, remove them from your retreat list now. They will only serve to infuriate and bedevil you.
Afterwards, "Dan'l" looked at me like he was hurt and left the room muttering about needing to go inventory his preps or something. I hated to hurt his feelings, but I know Dan'l smokes, has high blood pressure and hates rice. (He has 321 cans of Spam, though). Oh well, perhaps he can find some MZB's who have an opening at their retreat.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Prepare! Preparing for the unprepared
Welcome to the 21st century! Will you survive?
Imagine a nationwide pandemic resulting in travel restrictions, quarantines, and funeral pyres. How about a Zimbabwe style economic meltdown which makes the Great Depression look like a bad day at the races? Or how about a handful of nukes going off in random cities across the U.S.?
Sounds depressing? O.K., so why bother? Only an idiot would prepare for some imaginary crisis the thought of which would be so unsettling who would want to survive?
Hurricane Katrina was not an imaginary crisis. Some people who were prepared, those that had food, water, gasoline, reliable transportation, etc. either
a) got out before the hurricane hit or
b) successfully rode out the flooding and subsequent looting.
Others waited for any outside help. Help for a scenario which had never been imagined or prepared for. And those people who waited, suffered.
We all saw the images on television. Stranded motorists lining up for fuel. No food or water. People gravely ill for lack of basic medication and sanitary facilities. Most of all we saw the local, state and federal government paralyzed and overwhelmed by the magnitude of the crisis. The individual "crazies" who prepared were at home or safely somewhere else out of harm's way.
So what can one do? I don't have a fortune to buy an underground complex in the Idaho mountains, a five year supply of canned food, an arsenal of weapons and a stash of gold coins.
And most of you don't either. Most of us work in cities and live in populated suburbs. Our homes no longer have basements, water from our own well, a tended garden, or chickens in the front yard. In our zero-lot lined communities, we are lucky to have a backyard!
However, any one of us can purchase extra food at the supermarket down the street. Water comes clean and ready to drink from the kitchen tap. What is to stop you or anyone else from storing a few gallons in reusable containers? Why not purchase a camp stove or outdoor bar-b-q grill for emergency cooking? Most of the supplies needed for the unthinkable are readily available and affordable to 90% of the population.
Your Mission: Success!
My philosophy is this: I don't believe in survival, I believe in success. Survival is cold oatmeal and water from the water heater three times a day. Success is three balanced daily meals, a comfortable and secure shelter with running lights, fresh water and heat. Make your goal the ability to successfully ride out any scenario.
Survival scenarios run the gamut from the inconvenient to the dangerous.
1) Minor inconvenience, non life threatening - Power outages, blizzards, ice storms. In most cases the above are non emergency if you have the basic standbys - food, water, alternative heat and lighting, and communications.
2) Limited or regional catastrophe - earthquake, flood, hurricane, volcano. In this case, the immediate area is affected but the majority of the nation is unaffected; i.e. Hurricane Katrina - the rest of the U.S. was available for refuge and to bring in supplies.
3) Break down with long lasting repercussions - war, insurrection, invasion, economic collapse. Although the framework (utilities, security, purchase and exchange) may be functioning in some parts of the country, the majority of the nation is affected and suffering from systemic dysfunction.
Even with all of your planning, you most likely are not going to be ready for item 3 tomorrow. However, you can get a good start today on item 1 if you start now.
Imagine a nationwide pandemic resulting in travel restrictions, quarantines, and funeral pyres. How about a Zimbabwe style economic meltdown which makes the Great Depression look like a bad day at the races? Or how about a handful of nukes going off in random cities across the U.S.?
Sounds depressing? O.K., so why bother? Only an idiot would prepare for some imaginary crisis the thought of which would be so unsettling who would want to survive?
Hurricane Katrina was not an imaginary crisis. Some people who were prepared, those that had food, water, gasoline, reliable transportation, etc. either
a) got out before the hurricane hit or
b) successfully rode out the flooding and subsequent looting.
Others waited for any outside help. Help for a scenario which had never been imagined or prepared for. And those people who waited, suffered.
We all saw the images on television. Stranded motorists lining up for fuel. No food or water. People gravely ill for lack of basic medication and sanitary facilities. Most of all we saw the local, state and federal government paralyzed and overwhelmed by the magnitude of the crisis. The individual "crazies" who prepared were at home or safely somewhere else out of harm's way.
So what can one do? I don't have a fortune to buy an underground complex in the Idaho mountains, a five year supply of canned food, an arsenal of weapons and a stash of gold coins.
And most of you don't either. Most of us work in cities and live in populated suburbs. Our homes no longer have basements, water from our own well, a tended garden, or chickens in the front yard. In our zero-lot lined communities, we are lucky to have a backyard!
However, any one of us can purchase extra food at the supermarket down the street. Water comes clean and ready to drink from the kitchen tap. What is to stop you or anyone else from storing a few gallons in reusable containers? Why not purchase a camp stove or outdoor bar-b-q grill for emergency cooking? Most of the supplies needed for the unthinkable are readily available and affordable to 90% of the population.
Your Mission: Success!
My philosophy is this: I don't believe in survival, I believe in success. Survival is cold oatmeal and water from the water heater three times a day. Success is three balanced daily meals, a comfortable and secure shelter with running lights, fresh water and heat. Make your goal the ability to successfully ride out any scenario.
Survival scenarios run the gamut from the inconvenient to the dangerous.
1) Minor inconvenience, non life threatening - Power outages, blizzards, ice storms. In most cases the above are non emergency if you have the basic standbys - food, water, alternative heat and lighting, and communications.
2) Limited or regional catastrophe - earthquake, flood, hurricane, volcano. In this case, the immediate area is affected but the majority of the nation is unaffected; i.e. Hurricane Katrina - the rest of the U.S. was available for refuge and to bring in supplies.
3) Break down with long lasting repercussions - war, insurrection, invasion, economic collapse. Although the framework (utilities, security, purchase and exchange) may be functioning in some parts of the country, the majority of the nation is affected and suffering from systemic dysfunction.
Even with all of your planning, you most likely are not going to be ready for item 3 tomorrow. However, you can get a good start today on item 1 if you start now.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Prepare! So why do it?
1999.
The dreaded "Y2K" is looming. On that day, computers will freeze when code is unable to translate the date "00" (short for 2000). Banks, airlines, traffic controls, water plants, power stations, ATMs and every other computer enabled device and system will fail and our system will crash to its knees.
When you wake up on January 1, 2000, your TV, radio, CD player, VCR, and DVD player will be silent. Your car won't start. The water, electricity and gas are off or barely functioning. Your refrigerator is idle and your shelves are bare. The local grocery store is without power, but is still functioning. Of course, all of your neighbors are thinking the same thing and the store has been stripped clean. Those with running cars have drained the local gas station of any available fuel.
The bank is closed and the ATM is down, you can't even get cash to buy black market goods. And those credit cards - useless plastic. The government is paralyzed. Law enforcement is stuck with non-running cars and no communications system. Panic and lawlessness quickly takes over the city streets. Your family is hungry, scared and cold and there is nothing you can do about it.
2008.
Thankfully, this never happened. January 1, 2000 was just another New Year's Day.
But what if you were one of the millions who worried and prepared for the worse? You sold your stocks in the fall of 1999. You converted your savings to cash and gold coins. You stockpiled food and other essentials. You planted a garden and stored propane and gasoline. You simplified your life in preparation of a future world without modern conveniences.
Were you a sucker and a fool for falling for the greatest non-event of the century?
Maybe. But consider the following.
You sold your stocks and other over-hyped investments.
In 2000-2002, the stock market plummeted. You may have very well preserved your principal while others lost their shirts.
You invested in gold.
Dumb. Not really. Gold has soared almost 200.00 an ounce since 1999. Compared to most stocks, this was a very prudent investment.
You simplified your life and stockpiled essentials.
Over reaction? Maybe not if you were one of the millions who lost their jobs in the following years due to the recession and the after shocks of 911. You were better prepared others for daily life with reduced income and job insecurity.
So what do we do now? Y2K is over, as Alfred E. Newman says, "What? Me worry?".
There is plenty to worry about. Avian flu, bio terrorism, dirty bombs, Iran, hurricane Katrina level weather events, economic meltdown and the list goes on and on. You can do nothing and wait for help to arrive or you can began working on your own to not only survive possible emergencies - but succeed.
The dreaded "Y2K" is looming. On that day, computers will freeze when code is unable to translate the date "00" (short for 2000). Banks, airlines, traffic controls, water plants, power stations, ATMs and every other computer enabled device and system will fail and our system will crash to its knees.
When you wake up on January 1, 2000, your TV, radio, CD player, VCR, and DVD player will be silent. Your car won't start. The water, electricity and gas are off or barely functioning. Your refrigerator is idle and your shelves are bare. The local grocery store is without power, but is still functioning. Of course, all of your neighbors are thinking the same thing and the store has been stripped clean. Those with running cars have drained the local gas station of any available fuel.
The bank is closed and the ATM is down, you can't even get cash to buy black market goods. And those credit cards - useless plastic. The government is paralyzed. Law enforcement is stuck with non-running cars and no communications system. Panic and lawlessness quickly takes over the city streets. Your family is hungry, scared and cold and there is nothing you can do about it.
2008.
Thankfully, this never happened. January 1, 2000 was just another New Year's Day.
But what if you were one of the millions who worried and prepared for the worse? You sold your stocks in the fall of 1999. You converted your savings to cash and gold coins. You stockpiled food and other essentials. You planted a garden and stored propane and gasoline. You simplified your life in preparation of a future world without modern conveniences.
Were you a sucker and a fool for falling for the greatest non-event of the century?
Maybe. But consider the following.
You sold your stocks and other over-hyped investments.
In 2000-2002, the stock market plummeted. You may have very well preserved your principal while others lost their shirts.
You invested in gold.
Dumb. Not really. Gold has soared almost 200.00 an ounce since 1999. Compared to most stocks, this was a very prudent investment.
You simplified your life and stockpiled essentials.
Over reaction? Maybe not if you were one of the millions who lost their jobs in the following years due to the recession and the after shocks of 911. You were better prepared others for daily life with reduced income and job insecurity.
So what do we do now? Y2K is over, as Alfred E. Newman says, "What? Me worry?".
There is plenty to worry about. Avian flu, bio terrorism, dirty bombs, Iran, hurricane Katrina level weather events, economic meltdown and the list goes on and on. You can do nothing and wait for help to arrive or you can began working on your own to not only survive possible emergencies - but succeed.
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