I think it’s safe to say with some conviction that in the year of 2012 the concept of survival prepping is NOT an alien one to most Americans. When National Geographic decides there is a viable market for a prepper TV show (no matter how misrepresentative of true preppers it may be), when Walmart starts stocking shelves with long term emergency food storage kits, when survivalism in general becomes one of the few growing business markets in the midst of an otherwise disintegrating economy; you know that the methodology has gone “mainstream”. There is a noticeable and expanding concern amongst Americans that we are, indeed, on the verge of something new and unfortunate.
Is it the big bad hoodoo of the soon to expire Mayan Calendar? For a few, maybe, but for the majority of us, no. That jazz is a carnival sideshow designed to make the prepping culture appear ridiculous. We don’t need to believe in magical prophecies to know that there is a catastrophic road ahead; all we have to do is look at the stark realities of our current circumstances. It does not take much awareness anymore to notice looming fiscal volatility, social unrest, the potential for unrestrained war, and the totalitarian boldness of our government. I’ll take the wrath of Quetzalcoatl any day over the manure storm that is approaching us currently.
With some estimating a count of 3 million prepper families and growing in the U.S., the motto of “beans, bullets, and band-aids” is finding a home amongst legions. However, being closely involved in the survivalist movement during the past six years and speaking with literally thousands of preppers, it has become clear to me that we still have a long journey ahead of us before we can claim true efficiency and mastery.
Sadly, having a stockpile of food, weapons, and some slick tactical gear is not enough to ensure a high likelihood of survival, at least not in any of the social collapses that have occurred in the past century around the world. It’s a start, but only just…
There are a number of detrimental weakness to the survivalist movement and considerable holes in prepper knowledge that must be addressed now while we have the time and relative safety to do so. The greatest threat to the common survivalist is not economic collapse, roving bandits, Blackwater mercenaries, or predator drones; those dangers are a piece of cake compared to the threat of an overblown ego, which will get a man killed faster than the most sophisticated smart bomb. If we cannot accept that there is always more to learn, and room to improve, we have been defeated before we have begun.
The following is just a short list of the many areas in which there is obvious and acute inadequacy in the movement overall…
Secondary Retreat Locations
Never put all your eggs in one basket. I hear a lot of tough talk from some survivalists who claim they would rather die than leave their property. Of course, I suspect they will see the error in this brand of bravado when the legitimate chance of death actually arises. There is no harm whatsoever in having a backup plan. I’m not sure any survivalist who doesn’t is really a survivalist. Stand your ground when necessary, but don’t let pure pride and stupidity prevent you from living to fight again another day.
Physical Fitness And Health
You may be the Tom Berenger-like master sniper of your particular county, but if you can’t run a hundred yards with your rifle rig without going into coronary thrombosis, then you aren’t going to live long during a collapse scenario. Even those preppers who have age as an excuse…don’t really have an excuse. I personally know survivalists and homesteaders in their 60’s and 70’s who could physically outmatch numerous other preppers of the same age or younger without much effort. The difference? They make a concerted effort to take care of their health.
Sometimes certain wise-cracks made by the insipid yuppies of our modern era against suvivalists are true, and we should take serious note when this occurs. The primary insult being that many of us are far too fat to outrun or outfight a paper sack, let alone a determined opponent. I have, to be honest, seen chest beating antics from more than a few clinically obese “preppers” that were truly embarrassing. On the bright side, this does not have to be a permanent hindrance to our success.
The solution is simple: Eat less. Eat healthier. Exercise more.
A person who has attained a high level of physical fitness has done more than prove his prowess. He has also proven he has the will and the passion to pursue a directed goal and achieve it, regardless of difficulty. This is where the adults are separated from the children in this world. Are you willing to endure extreme difficulty to win something of legitimate value? Do you have the self discipline to forgo certain luxuries and comforts to gain long term advantages? Or, would you rather take the path of least resistance and certain doom? Personal health is no joke for the survivalist.
Community Building And Networking
Organization is not the strongest suit of the survivalist movement for a number of reasons. The first being that our paranoia completely impedes our ability to work with others. Now, to be clear, it is not paranoia if they are really out to get you, and with multiple leaked documents like the MIAC Report, the Virginia Fusion Center Report, and the DHS reports on “right wing extremism”, it is not as if our concerns are unfounded. However, the movement needs to realize that the primary object of labeling us as “extremists” and categorizing us as potential threats to national security is to create crippling fear. Their main goal is to condition preppers to censor themselves, and to stifle their own organizational efforts.
Solid community, even open formation of community, is necessary for countless reasons. The more we isolate ourselves from one another now, the more alone and vulnerable we will be tomorrow. Calls for “OPSEC” should be embraced to a point, but they can also become an excuse for laziness and inaction. No prepper who goes it alone during crisis is going to come out unscathed, if they come out alive at all. This is the great forgotten lesson of survival, from the Depression and Weimar Germany, to Argentina and Bosnia; those persons and families who were isolated simply did not make it. The wide spectrum of skill sets and supplies needed to establish a survival foundation are far too many for any single prepper to attain.
The logical fallacy that usually prevents survival networking is the argument that if you are a bigger group, you are a bigger target. This thinking shows a lack of prioritization. During a social or economic collapse, EVERYONE is a target. National chaos does not make distinctions between those who never shared their survivalist tendencies and those who did. The DHS might, but they are not the biggest threat to the common prepper. The most dangerous environment for the prepper, no matter what the circumstances may be, is one in which he has no support.
If you do not have ample neighbors and friends on board with the prepper lifestyle, and who can be counted on in an emergency, then you are not ready, nor are your chances very good. Period.
Barter Markets And Trade Skills
At Alt-Market we relentlessly promote the idea of decentralized trade markets because, to be frank, they are going to spring up one day soon whether the IRS, the DOJ, or the Federal Reserve likes it or not. The crisis in the EU has proven my position on the inevitability of the barter dynamic conclusively. These private trade networks are becoming the new foundation for countries like Greece, Italy, and Spain, and it should be noted that the financial instabilities in America far outweigh any of the problem in those places. If we know that economic danger is on the horizon, and we know that barter markets will be the immediate result, then why not build them now, instead of waiting and scrambling after disaster strikes?
Any survivalist that does not know who he will be trading for essential supplies, and who does not know what skills he will use to garner those supplies, is in for a world of hurt.
Overlooked But Vital Items
There is a saying in the survival movement: You’re never done prepping. I absolutely agree. Unless you are a millionaire with a highly organized brain, there will always be some other piece of equipment that you’ll discover you need down the line. That said, there are some things every prepper should have, but many, from my observations, do not. I have also heard every excuse imaginable and some unimaginable when such people are presented with the recommendation that they obtain these items, lack of money being the usual suspect.
Yes, many of us are broke, or feel broke, these days Invariably, though, when most survivalists examine their financial situation carefully, they will discover a host of peripheral expenses that are unnecessary or outright extravagant. I once had a would-be survivalist make the argument that he could not afford a year’s supply of food, then admit that he had just went on a Carnival Cruise to the Caribbean. This is an extreme example, but it illustrates a common hang up. Now is not the time for people to live beyond their means, or to shrug off their preps so that they can have a new La-Z-Boy, cable TV, an internet gaming account, a high priced vacation, a six day a week stockpile of beer (hey, cut back a day, guys! Try it out and see how it fits) etc. Times are changing, and they will definitely change without us if we are not careful.
There is always a way to get the preps you need, if you are motivated enough to make it happen. Here are a few items that seem to escape from people’s lists:
Extra Survival Clothing: Clothing is a real pain for a lot of survivalists because it is one prep that they must absolutely purchase doubles and triples of. Good durable shoes, pants, even socks, can get expensive. Base layer clothing like Smart Wool sometimes costs in the range of $100 or more for a single set. Take the pain, bite the bullet, and get the absolute best clothing you can find in multiples. It may have to last you quite a long time without replacement, especially the artificial fabrics. Imagine having to wear the same vapor producing sweat drenched crusty duds day in and day out while sharing a retreat location with some less than amused buddies. They may end up coming after you before the looters do.
Body Armor: This stuff is going to be at a premium in the near future. I have already seen price spikes in good body armor in the days after the Aurora Theater shootings. Why? Because the fear is that the establishment will move to try to ban said gear in response, causing a rush to purchase. That fear is not misplaced. Plus, I would imagine a bullet to the gut, whether accidental or intentional, is not an event to celebrate with a rootbeer float. Believe it or not, body armor rigs that include rifle plates are extremely sparse amongst preppers right now, and this simply can’t continue.
Gas Masks And Filters: Not long ago I wrote about the revolutions and rebellions that took place in Russia after the formation of the Soviet Union against the abuses of communism. At that time, the more successful the rebellion, the more apt the Soviets were to dump chemical weapons over entire towns, mountains, and valleys, to erase the problem. Never expect that a tyrannical government is going to fight fair. In fact, expect that they won’t. Even if you don’t foresee such an event taking place in the U.S., it is imperative that every person owns not just a gas mask, but extra filters as well. Plan on dealing with multiple incidences in which your air will be unsafe to breath.
NBC Alert Items: How many preppers do you know with a Geiger Counter? I know three, out of the hundreds I speak with regularly. This is not a good sign. If the Fukushima disaster has taught us anything, it is that radiological threats are not just relegated to the realm of nuclear bombs. Every community should have several Geiger Counter devices handy, along with chemical warfare strips which change color when exposed to an offending airborne agent. Remember the panic buying that ensued in Japan for these kinds of goods after the reactor meltdown? Don’t overlook radioactivity. Knowing what has been hit by concentrated fallout and what hasn’t is a tremendous advantage.
Thermal Countermeasures: A box of road flares, IR flashlights, and IR floodlights, should be in every survivalists home. With the advent of predator drones armed with night vision and thermal vision, as well as numerous other nasty weapons platforms, the need for countermeasures that create false thermal signatures to confuse an attacker with this kind of technology is a must.
Extra First Aid Supplies: During a collapse, you become the hospital, and no amount of Obamacare is going to help you. Almost every prepper has a first aid kit, but few have one that will really last through a prolonged crisis. Collapse brings with it all kinds of injuries and sicknesses we never think of facing in our current atmosphere, with more frequency than I believe many would like to admit possible. A sterile bandage may be as sought after and as rare as a warm shower in the near future, so stock an ample supply.
Solar Panels: I am astonished at how many preppers still do not have any solar power capability today. It’s FREE off grid power, for god’s sake! Pay the initial costs, and at at least buy a system that is capable of charging and running batteries and essential electronics that will aid you in your survival.
Greenhouse: When discussing the idea of relocation, I sometimes hear the assertion that places like Montana are terrible for growing food (usually from people who have never lived in Montana). In fact, a survival garden could be grown almost anywhere, regardless of region or climate, if you use the right methods. One of the best methods is the use of a greenhouse, which many preppers do not have. Set aside your preconceptions of what gardening is, and do what works. Even in winter, some plants can be grown in a greenhouse environment to provide you and your family with precious vitamin rich food. Just build it.
Raw Building Materials: Do you have a stockpile of lumber and nails? What about raw iron and steel? Sealants to repel pests and maintain your home? Bags of concrete to reinforce a new addition? Think about how much you will need to build after the final shoe drops. Probably a lot more than you have ever built in your life…
No Room For Error
Time is running short, and if we are to succeed as a movement, we must be ready to hold a candle to ourselves, admit where we are lacking, and fix the problem while we have the luxury to do so. Ultimately, the most important and most ignored aspect of prepping is our own mindset. Do we have the correct sense of urgency, and are we acting on it? Have we prepared ourselves psychologically for the difficulties ahead? Are we ready to make sacrifices for survival and victory? Will we have what it takes at our core to see this thing through? At this very moment, many do not. But, they have the potential to rise to the occasion. The decision is theirs to make…
You can contact Brandon Smith at: [email protected]
Alt-Market is an organization designed to help you find like-minded activists and preppers in your local area so that you can network and construct communities for mutual aid and defense. Join Alt-Market.com today and learn what it means to step away from the system and build something better.
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On the topic of drones, any way to hide from a thermal camera?
“space” blankets will cover your heat signature to a degree, but they’re not perfect.
If it comes down to that the drones may or may not be able to see me because I will be standing at the base of a tree shooting at it with the best ammo I have available.
I wonder if invisible kite/fishing line strung across a flight path between trees would be extremely disruptive or would the drones see the lines and avoid?
I sewed 3 layers of thermal blankets in a pair of overalls and we ran a thermal test on it you could not see it, when we tryed 2 layers you could still see it a little.. try it it works..Grego
I think you have to be careful because if you were just standing still for a test the blankets would not have time to heat up. If you are walking for a while the blankets may absorb heat and begin to show a heat signature. I think something like a poncho or pool umbrella, or large rain umbrella would work well. You don’t want the heat source to be in contact with the insulation. Also, thermal cannot see through glass, eg, it cannot see through a kitchen window to a frying pan that is cooking. The thermal imaging would stop at the pane of glass, whatever temperature it is. A poncho with a lot of air space between a body and the poncho, or umbrella works on the same principle. Or a tarp could be strung up over a campsite or 4 poles at each corner of a moving car could hold up a plastic or mylar tarp that would hide a heat signature, though it would not hide IR night vision.
If you have a dryer vent along the side of your house (and still have electricity) turn your dryer on. The heat coming from your vent can give you some temporary heat signature cover.
Wrap up in a space blanket.
A few options, as others mentioned mylar sheets that reflect most heat can help but depending on how sophisticated the camera, may not help enough.
Intervening materials of sufficient quantities that block heat transfer can help, earth, concrete, water etc.
Hiding your signature inside another larger one will help as well provided the other signature doesn’t warrant a closer on ground examination.
Of course if you’re Schwarzenegger a thin layer of dried mud will work.
Hiding yourself from ‘thermal’ cameras will vary… if it’s truly just a thermal camera you’re concerned about, and you’re planning on positioning yourself in a ‘forward – stationary – position’, then a simple sheet of ‘plexiglass’ works wonders – it’s shatter proof (not bullet-proof) when considering ‘incoming fire’ and it’s light-weight.
Thermal camera’s work – somewhat – on the same principle as a standard ‘passive infrared motion sensor used in security system and lighting systems – have you ever wondered why someone walking by your patio glass door won’t be seen by the security system motion sensor – it’s because it can’t see through the glass in order to ‘sense’ the body heat coming from the individual… plexiglass does exactly the same thing – it’s applications are virtually endless…
Keep in mind that the drones are ‘above’ you… plan on having ‘overhead’ protection as well.
The opposite of all this is that you also have to keep in mind that there are those who have the standard ‘night-vision’ scopes and monoculars – depending on the quality of that equipment, they’ll be able to see right through the plexiglass, but not if you’re buried under a brush-pile that’s set back at least 20 or so feet from a hedge row, dense tree line or the like… if the individual looking for you who is using a standard night vision scope uses his own IR enhancement illuminator in order to attempt to see things better, not only will he ‘normally’ have a concentration of the illumination reflected back at him by way of the dense foliage, he’ll give away his own position IF you’re simply using with your own night vision equipment WITHOUT the IR illuminator – it’ll show up in your night vision scope light a ‘spot-light’…
In other words, everything has it’s advantages and disadvantages… I hope this helps…
richard is right on this. even hiding under a car could help from above but not from a straight view. remember to try to get behind anything with dense like metals etc.
In trying to defeat Thermal Imaging, the key is to move frequently. The solar blanket will work for a few moments but will quickly heat up and give your position away. Also, better to plan activity in ambient temperatures that are close to normal /active body heat. Remember that Thermal imaging works better when there is a greater heat deferential between ambiant and subject temperatures. Also Thermal imaging is compromised by fog, rain, windy conditions and other foul weather.
Stay Safe Folks!!
Also, if you have a lot of sun light in your area, big rocks and metal absorb heat and radiate it for hours. Keep them on your property, they will make it hard to distinguish between organic and human.
Not that helpful, take it from a Shadow guy.
Buy a Richard Nixon and a B. Obama Rubber mask at the party store. Wear whichever is best at the time, nobody will shoot you.
I can hardly keep up with the ever changing times. Everything is happening so fast. I feel like I am living in a futuristic movie (which I hate by the way).
I used to wish that I could go back in history and live the “Little house on the Prairie life. Simple, to each his own, everyone responsible for their own life. I use to ask “why couldn’t I have been born then”.
Although we can’t choose what time period we are born into, I have come to realize one thing….we are all born for a purpose. We were born at this time in history for a special purpose. I am a suvivor….are you?
Tina,
I agree.
I found your words very encouraging. 🙂
Thank you for your post.
KY Mom
Superbly stated Miss Tina. Your wishes are not far from the wishes of many of us. You have gained wisdom & insight that will guide you safely.
Best wishes for the coming storm(s).
Tina, if you read between the lines of Brandon’s article, you will see he is talking about a return to [little house on the prairie]times. When all you have are the skills you have and the community you can depend on. I would say be careful what you wish for… but I think you know this is the future already. I agree with you about us having a purpose, God makes no mistakes. If any of you can see what is really going on, then God has already blessed you with clarity of vision. This is a gift of great magnitude. It will allow you to prepare so that you will be a beacon of hope for the many who are blind to the truth and will need our help. If you are heaping up supplies for yourself, you will find yourself very, very alone. God bless, and remember charity is the foundation of community.
I feel the same way! The only thing about modern times that I would have greatly missed would have been an epidoral 🙂
You might have a point with your “Little House on the Prairie” theory. I remember watching some of the things they did. They didnt have a lot. They worked as a family, had very tight ties to neighbors, sharing and working together to maintain the community. And no matter how tough you are, at the end of the day
Really, today, we are spoiling ourselves with lots of toys and fancy gear as our prep piles grow. But realistically, we can survive with much less. It’s having the confidence in yourself and being able to identify your abilities that gets you through rough times. Identifying weaknesses now and addressing those weaknesses by learning a particular skill in the time you have available is going to be invaluable in the future. Even, if that means going to your local library and checking out books on first aid, how to build or mend something, whatever. The point to surviving anything is being and learning to be ….. adaptable. One of the first things I learnt in the Military was flexibility and adaptability and turning negatives into advantages. Especially when partisapating on survival courses!!! And then in later years running those courses. It’s not just about pushing your body, it’s pushing your mind and putting your mind to work for you, in the environment you’re in at the present. To succeed you need to out think whatever your ‘opposition” is and remain in control.
This is a great article by the way. In particular I like the way egos have been addressed. We all have one, and wether you like it or not, egos are often stumbling blocks to “getin er done” The tough guy who talks himself up is often the guy who falls flat on his face
Tina
Agreed..
The one point Brandon (and most other preppers of means) discuss is a bug out/secondary location..
Let’s be realistic here..
in case you haven/t noticed..
Millions of us are
unemployed
underemployed
under foreclosure
wage freezes
living check to check
barely making ends meet
etc
etc
we have no options..period.
we will have to make do with where we are.
we are surrounded by the masses of sheep in our neighborhoods and communities who are completely unaware of what’s going on..
there is no option of community for many of us.
any thoughts.?
I am a landlocked island..
possee
Tina,
“One has to face fear or forever run from it”
– Crow
@Possee,
This post may not help someone in your situation, but those of us who have been working over half our lives should have accumulated some assets. At my age stuffing just $100 a month under the mattress every working month would total $30,000. I did not do that, but I did have a little home equity, a retirement account, and a credit card with a zero balance. This $30,000 bought me a solar-powered, wood heated cabin with hot and cold running water on a few secluded acres, multiple years of food storage, an armory and other equipment, and also enough silver to feed my family for several years. I have thought about submitting an article ‘How I Got & Spent $30,000’, but am unsure if I would be giving away TMI and if anyone would want to read it.
If I were giving one piece of advice it would be downsize before you have to. People will be doubling up soon enough so beat the rush and pocket the savings. Sell that late model car and buy and old reliable. The neighbor just gave me a TV antenna and pole for free if I take it down. My Virgin Mobile Internet USB costs $20 a month at WalMart. Ration money now like you will be rationing provisions later.
I uploaded a video a couple years ago called ‘Finding a Cheap Survival Retreat’ which you can see by clicking on my user name.
Community wise I’m screwed. I just don’t like people. Evolutions going to snub me out.
tin-foil teepee?
mabey not, but i hear they dont see well after getting a .223 right in the optic
train for it, try hitting a 50 cent piece…they are only worth 15 cents anyways..so its less thaan the round your sending its way
How about we don’t shoot at them? Evasion is far more prudent and less likely to invite fire on your position……THINK
Evasion is a great idea for younger folks. I have seen many things written about how foolish it is to make a stand when the jack booted thugs come to your door. Most end up talking about you not being much more than a big circle of blood at the end of it. (Strangely, they never mention who belongs to the other “big circles of blood”). Suppose everyone bugged out when Captain Parker called assembly at Lexington? No matter! I know and accept my physical limitations. I also know my mental strenghts. I am one of those 10% you often hear about who will shoot. It is not preppers, survivalists, militia, or separatist religious groups who brought the Republic to it’s knees. It was done by satanic one world scum; people without a moral compass. If I even think I am being threatened, I will open fire, without remorse, without prejudice and most importantly, without delay.
Setting everything around you on fire will definitely distract all thermal and non thermal cameras
Yup.
Be mostly submerged underwater… Steam, lake, pond…EQUALS invisible.
Lay flat on hot pavement, gravel road or large rocks… Only works fire a few hours after sunset.
Enter a building or some structure.
Be under terrain (light tree canopy works fine), or defilade.
Glue a thermal blanket to an umbrella.
Hide under an engine compartment.
Think outside the box
start a large fire anywhere you can, or if a body of water is around get in and use a large straw to breath or use a snorkle, that will shade you, yes those space blankets do, but starting a large fire will be best. another one is if a tank is rolling in neighborhood dig a hole for you to be under the ground and not in open or multiple holes when hell breaks loose to hide in for shooting at enemy or dodgeing a tank, then throw the space blanket on top, double it up maybe. they have heat thermal cameras and mother earth is the best way to hide, you know what im saying, if they shoot a shot the earth will vibrate but might save your life. good stuff
…about the LAST place I’d wanna be, is in a shallow hole front of a tank…
Hands down the most overlooked and forgotten survival prep are germ control. Up until the modern toilets that flush, cholera and other diseases were rampant, also because more advanced antibiotics were not available. One reason people also live longer is because they bathe and remove very harmful bacteria that will build up without proper washing. Modern day washing of dishes and clothes are another reason for cleaning environments. WHEN SHTF, likely will be the loss of most or all of this.
Many survival supplies omit extremely important items such as anti-bacteria soaps, bleach for not over water purification but also for keeping items you wash clean, and other disinfectives such as hand sanitizer. What people also don’t realize is that anti-bacteria agents lose their potency over time and this is one item that MUST be rotated and kept fresh. There is a reason there is an expired date on that bottle of bleach. There should also be a supply of some sort of water that someone uses besides for drinking, used for cleaning.
Another forgotten aspect of people is the practice of being clean. Many people will go out to the woods get all dirty after a weekend and come home and get all cleaned up in the shower. This may not be possible after life goes to hell in a hand basket. Constant remiding yourself and others around you to wash and sanitize your hands after touching potentially hazard material is paramount to staying healthy and alive. One cannot just slaughter an animal and then eat lunch and dinner without cleaning themselves up. Salmonella, E-coli and a whole host of other bacteria and even viral agents are going to be everywhere. You will have to treat yourself if you catch something, no hospital visits or help. Prevention is key.
One other issue is the cooking of raw meat is going to be necessary somehow, as those that don’t are playing Russian Roulette with every bite. Proper cleaning of vegetables and nature’s bounty such as wild food should also be washed somehow. Even using the sunlight to kill germs is something.
Germs are the number one killer of almost all life forms, from the animal to the planet kingdom and humans have found means of preventing sickness, but must not forget this and plan for this when SHTF in spades.
One other very important set of preparations that many people also forget about are their teeth. The armed forces takes this quite seriously proper oral hygiene as necessary to keep a soldier abled and bodied. Toothbrushes, toothpaste and natural substitutes when this runs out, and dental floss. Rotten teeth will put people down in a hurry. This is again preventable. As I said above, germs are the number one killer of plant and animal life on this planet, and will especially be so to the human life that fails to take and prepare for it.
Don’t forget the baking soda. Has many purposes, including cleaning teeth and clothing. Walmart carries the fairly large bags, usually in the swimming pool supplies area.
@ PO’d Patriot. Excellent suggestion on the baking soda as it helps to neutralize acid. Sam’s Club like walmart sells these good size bags for a little over $6. A mixture of baking soda and water on corroded battery cable lines and the terminals cleans them up very rapidly. With teeth like you said, it will keep the acid level down and the growth of plaque as low as possible. Sure does help also with cleaning clothes.
I’ve worked many times for up to 6-8week at a stretch in environments where showers were not available and the only change of clothes were what I could carry on my back. So long as you can get your feet dry at night, change socks if possible and clean teeth with salt or baking soda (tooth paste stinks in survival environments – the smell can give your position away. Same as soap) you can live and operate just fine. A damp face cloth wash every once in a while if you have spare water maybe is a moral boaster. But seriously, you don’t need fancy anti bacterial soaps and salves or bleach to keep clean. Normal soaps good enough.
I think most people today just don’t have a clue without luxsuries like a dishwasher or washing machines and dryers. Heat water up on an open fire and wash dishes or clothes in a bucket!! Dry your stuff on a clothes line! A good, 5 gal canvas bag with an old shower rose sewn in the bottom makes a great shower!!! Heat your water up in a steel bucket on the open fire, fill the canvas bag up then hoist ya shower bag up on a rope and away ya go!!
If you want to get real fancy and you have an established property ….. Build a little methan gas collector for your long drop (outhouse) heat water and cook with it. It’s perfect.
As for cooking meat @Be Informed …use an open fire. Once your city slicker BBQ gas is gone and you generator fuel runs out ….. You’ll be using an open fire for everything anyway. If youre lucky and have solar panels that’s a different story.
baking soda, baking soda, baking soda. The 10000 uses of baking soda
Baking soda. Yes, absolutely. The most important use of baking soda may well be as a cure for cancer. That’s right my peeps, cancer. A cancer cure for pennies on the dollar.
Tell Big Pharma, the AMA, and the FDA to kiss your ass!
Google Dr. Simoncini or find the link at SHTF Science under health sites.
Chlorine doesn’t ‘expire’, it crystallizes when the water evaporates. We used to condense bleach to it’s crystalline form for storage all the time.
If the SHTF is as bad as we all believe it will be here in the US, the rest of the planet will be a shit hole as well. The powers to be will have their hands more than full trying to deal with the worldwide problem and certainly don’t have the manpower to do so.
DK is right..I read baking soda smothers cancer cells.
Sneak it in with a sweet cover, like honey and it’ll attack as the cancer cells feed on the honey, consuming the baking soda also.
as for drones, the only ones you might have to worry about would predators, most of the drones i work with have a very limited range and flight time. Also weather conditions hinder them alot, if its raining cloudy, too windy or snowing they will not fly as they cannot handle it. The army drones i work with also have a sight range, meaning they cannot operate beyond a mountain. They also can be heard pretty easily they are loud, another thought is that to get a good view of you they would have to come pretty low, you will be able to see them at that point and one well placed round will bring them down.
I think everyone is forgetting collateral damage. If the drone detects your doing something unacceptable they will hit the entire area with their bombs. They will make up a story that you were hiding someone or something and the sheeple will buy it. Space blanket, thermal shield or krypton won’t make any difference as the military is indifferent when it comes to making big holes in the ground. For localized troops the game will be decoy and ambush strategies, of course wearing our space blankets to deflect the drones eyes 🙂
IMHO
I was a tanker in the Army, on the M1A2 SEP. We had thermals that could see about 4 miles out. The infantry tried lots of things to hide from us, didnt work. If that range is impressive then the abilities of air assets, particularly the Apache (1980s tech), are even more so. We were doing a training op in Ft Hood with Apaches attached to a tank company. Those guys called up a contact report at 10 clicks from the target. They even described the weaponry and actions of the OPFOR.
My point is, even with the older technologies thermal imagry can see you before you put on counter measures.
I would be curious about the scenario in which you would hide from a drone. Engaged in contact? Privacy? Evasion? Going toe to toe with our modern military on their terms is deadly.
If privacy is the motive (which I agree) I dont know if its realistic to accomplish. They can look at you from miles away and you will never know. In fact, as a young Lieutenant that was ignorant to privacy, we used to watch people go out into the woods and do what people do and they had no clue we were even there.
If evasion, well, that is a sensitive topic.
Space blanket- check
Plexiglass- check
Just want to point out WHY plexiglass works, it is made of acrylic.
Thus acrylis paint can quickly become your best friend.
Acrylic is opaque to the IR spectrum.
Thus everyone should own a few gallons of acrylic paint that work as visual camo for the environment you live in. Now you can turn any fabric quickly and easily into a combo visual/thermal shield for you and yours.
there are mylar sheets with a high lead content which can make you invisible to infra-red…also as a sign of the times, amazon.com has BOB’s with KI and gas masks for bio-warfare…
http://www.amazon.com/Survival-Kit-Person-Crossbow-Mask/dp/B0080RCBKW/ref=sr_1_170?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1344022754&sr=1-170&keywords=survival+backpack
Go figure!
What about mirrors or lasers, mirrors for daytime, lasers at night.
This article only highlights to me how woefully under prepared I am. I only hope that there is a little time left.
US Centurion,
After reading this article I also feel the same way. 🙁
Some of these items (gas masks) I see as currently unaffordable, unless I should win the lottery.
I also pray my husband stays healthy, because the thought of facing this uncertain future by myself is scary.
Keep praying and prepping!
KY Mom
Agreed….the BEST prep I have is my spouse. I can only hope that they feel the same way.
Hey, sweetheart, not too expensive. Try israeli surplus. Not sure how much they are now, but a few years back, they were 20 bucks. Work just fine too.
GOt mine off ebay….5 for $100 just a few months ago.
They don’t work that is why they ar surplus. You will pay thousands for one that really work. Google it.
KY Mom and Tina
Have to agree on the husband we are a team what I don’t know he does and what he dosn’t know I do I can not imagine going through this with the kids and with out him.
I also realize how under preppared we are. And with money being so tight will do what we can and and pray it is enough.
Gas masks are relatively cheap. Google them. Many to choose from.
Google reviews first. Lots of cheap junk out there that will not work properly.
God bless, everyone.
I feel like a pilgrim in an unholy land. I have my wife and kids and I feel as if I am in a sea of ignorance and denial.
I got the Finnish gas masks a couple of years back for fifteen bucks. Came with a nice bag too. An extra $2.50 each bought the adapters for the american canister. These were brand new. I’ve put on all six and have checked the seals. GTG.
I suggest you go do some dishes and get off that computer once in a while……Ya think ?
There’s still hope for me! 🙂 I just bought three small greenhouses over the weekend and then read this article! How much is a Geiger Counter? If I can snag one of those, I’m on my way from a “C-” prepper to at least a solid “C”. Oh yea…
Mal
I find solace in the phrase; ” you don’t have to outrun the bear, just outrun the guy your with”.
While not perfectly prepped, just being aware and doing something proactive has to count for something.
Also, I’m going to enjoy life’s pleasures while they exist. Otherwise, what’s the point?
Agreed.
So True….Life is the greatest gift we are given and it is meant to be enjoyed.
So much to do, possibly very little time. I’ve decided to work seven days a week for the next 2-3 months in order to make the last of my primary goals, and start chipping away at some of the secondary goals, many of which are stated here.
SHTF survey: Who will join me in a hard push to prep smarter, faster, stronger in the coming months?
I will, I have been a stay at home mom and have decided to go back to work. I will be able to prep way more. I am also looking to move. I live near rich old people. That is not the best place to have a survival community.
Good to hear JL. I am a little sad to hear you have to go back to work as my mother was a stay at home mom for most of my childhood and the memories of her being at home with my siblings and self are very fond in my mind. Prepping is essential for families though and your preps will be a labor of love I’m sure they wont forget 🙂
Hell, I just come to this site to see the hot chicks on the “Five things that can ruin a man” ads. (sarcasm)
We’re screwed, game-set-match. Mitt is a moron, Paul is a moron, Obummer is a commie moron.
D.C. is a big whorehouse where most of our leaders have been bought by Soros,the Chinese, and Saudi Arabia.
On the count of three, everyone say, “Bye-Bye America!”
Oh, and all you Rambo MF’s who are going to write “Not me, I’ll survive, I’ve got 800 lbs od rice in my basement”, to you I say F*ck Off!
Just sayin, the Koch bros. can buy Soros ten times over, and they have bought the teabillies lock, stock, and barrel.
Still gives me a chuckle to see you guys looking over your shoulder for Obummer’s marxism hiding in the shadows when the fascists have already taken control.
Communism is the last thing you need to worry about. They needed workers…
Guess who drunk the Kool Aid, hey Commrad? How are things in Moscow? I hear that Putin is one “Wild and Crazy Guy”….just say’n
words of a jealous person
but right when it comes to the first 3 paragraphs
God Bless You.
http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/120-powerful-pieces-of-advice-for-preppers
“120 Powerful Pieces Of Advice For Preppers”
Does endoftheamericandream.com have a chat forum?
One of my favorite, simple, to the point articles!
pictures of the grid down situation in India
imagine these scenes going on for month after month
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/what-670-million-people-without-power-look-pictures-blacked-out-india
It’s moved to Pakistan….
http://theextinctionprotocol.wordpress.com/2012/07/31/storms-cause-widespread-power-failure-across-pakistan-protests-against-outages-turn-violent/
Get some red, green, blue, and IR lasers. They are small and cheap. Aim them at a small mini mirror ball or cone. And then have it rotate via a small electric motor. Have some visors to make it aimable.
I call it the dazzler defense. Place a couple on your roof and when under attack, turn it on.
Can be aimed skyward too!
…and then all you’d need is a polyester pantsuit with really big lapels and bell-bottoms, a dance floor that lights up underneath, some Donna Summers and Bee Gees wailing it out on the stereo…
…the resulting Force Field of Pure Boogie(tm) is 150% guaranteed to prevent apprehension by any government force.*
* mostly because they’ll be too busy being doubled-over laughing their asses off.
Damn OQ, you beat me to it. I was more into KC and the Sunshine Band.
Why are you trying to diminish my idea? If someone is trying to blow your head off with a sniper rifle. All’s fair in love and war. Especially post collapse.
And if you can set up some means to disrupt your enemy’s ability to target you. Great!
My initial thought is you’re a government spook trying to reduce the likelihood of people developing the means to protect themselves from snipers AND UAV’s.
Well, to be honest your idea has one great big technical issue.
I used to work on FLIR systems in the USAF a long time ago as part of my avionics repertoire, and here’s your exact problem: Any IR-emitting source tends to stand out like a great big effing spotlight. It won’t “blind” anything, especially at the outputs that most commercially-available lasers use. Any competent active/passive IR targeting system can simply stop relying on its own targeting laser and instead use the one you just provided. This is why an Predator/F-117/B-2 FLIR kit (or even an F-15/F-16 equipped with LANTIRN pods) can either target things on its own, or use some ground-pounder’s laser targeting kit instead.
Your laser kit simply turns your disco-house into a great big spotlight that shouts “Hey! Target me! Here I am!”, even if it just blinks a lot due to the mirrors.
Seriously… it’s not the greatest idea out there.
Since the reply button isn’t working. Consider this an addendum.
This is not something you leave on all the time. If you come under gun fire from a quadrant. You turn it on facing them. All they see is multicolored flashes. Possibly even enough to do retinal damage. Better than a spot light that can be shot out.
And if someone painted your house for some incoming missile. Maye it would be a good idea to have a distracting laser source away from your main defense/home.
I’d rather do something. Compared to your do nothing.
“This is not something you leave on all the time.”
…especially since your electricity bill would be rather ugly if you did…
“If you come under gun fire from a quadrant. You turn it on facing them. All they see is multicolored flashes.”
…and all the IR targeting system of the drone will see is a nice blinking light that tells them exactly what to aim for – your house.
“Possibly even enough to do retinal damage.”
Which does not a thing to someone with a night scope or a FLIR kit between their eyeballs and your house.
“And if someone painted your house for some incoming missile. Maye it would be a good idea to have a distracting laser source away from your main defense/home.”
Now we’re getting somewhere, though if your distraction is outside the (very narrow) cone of an aiming system at final targeting rez, it won’t do any good. I’m also fairly sure that your neighbors would object pretty strenuously to having their house painted instead of yours, no?
“I’d rather do something.”
…even if it’s patently wrong, or makes matters worse? Seriously?
This article is well written, but IMHO some of these things are location specific and others are simply not going to work. A good gas mask cost hundreds of dollars. The surplus ones we see say right in the descriptions that they do not work. I do not think these things are as much forgotten as they are lower priorities. When multiplying the cost of mitigation by the risk of incident, spending $1,000 on gas masks for a family of four drops far below a great many things.
How would I know when to put on a gas mask in the mountains? If ground troops get this far off an improved road we will either be dead or have theirs. How will I know when to light the flare that will protect me from the unseen and unheard predator drone high above me?
This article did remind me to buy some IR floodlights. I found a great video on converting old VHS cameras to night vision devices, but have not acted on it. There are so many projects to do I will never finish, but at least I have the raw materials and like everything else I will just have to prioritize.
If you are looking for something to put on during a NBC type attack or accident, I’d save your money. Unless you have it with you at all times and have the ability to use accurate detection devices you are SOL. Seriously, by the time you realize something is wrong, it’s too late. Modern nerve and blister agents act very quickly and once you are exposed you need proper DECON facilities, atropine and a good doctor! Bio attacks… you won’t know until you are infected. Could be anything. Nukes… have some potassium iodide to flood your thyroid if you haven’t been vaporized by the initial blast.
Now if you have some gear you plan on using to traverse a contaminated area, then that’s another story. I wouldn’t want to cross an area like that no matter what is going on though.
I have 4 gas masks. It’s the filters (in my opinion) that will make the diff. The other thing is it takes a team to get through what’s coming and a well disiplined bunch at that. Preferebly Christians with a good moral foundation. Unfortunately our society has become a bunch of godless nihlistic bums.
@KK: How long can you live in a gas mask, just to drink with one on is a hassel, and how do you eat with one on been there and done that (hope you don’t wear glasses). No gas mask for me and I’m staying put at my HOME.
copperhead out
The christian thing doesn’t mean a thing. Have you never heard of the inqusitions,the witch burnings,or the crusades? I will trust good,honest,and moral people without regard to their belief system.
AGREED, Well written but not all items are practical for me either.
I built a green house this spring. I am an avid experienced gardener and this is throwing me a learning curve. It is not completely sealed yet, doesn’t need to be until late Fall, which fortunately allows more air circulation as it gets HOT in there!
It also sticks out like the sore thumb in my neighborhood but everything is a trade off right?
Here is anexcellent place to get afordable, STRONG, green house covers.
check out their catalog and read the testimonials they are great!
http://www.northerngreenhouse.com/ordering/files/Catalog.pdf
(PS) (a geiger is on my list of things to buy…)
HalfKin
Thanks for the link. Mother Earth News April/May edition has a good article on building an easy greenhouse using wire hog panels for the full arch.
Your welcome, and in addition if you go the site and read about Bobs projects you will see his huge A frame green house that he built a smaller one inside of until spring came!
It was 1 degree outside with a wind chill and 62 degrees inside his smaller one in the winter! He lives in the plies of North Dakota.
This is poly weave plastic that heals itself if your even able to get a hole in it.
Cats and birds don’t phase it.
A woman in Florida had her green house blow over in Andrew but the plastic did not tear!
pp i agree; most of those items aren’t overlooked, just over-priced. it’s challenging enough to get the basics together for the family, let alone a geiger counter and MOPP gear for everyone. the article almost makes it sound like we don’t have all this “overlooked” stuff intentionally…
physically fit, networking, bartering, yep going to be important and at least that won’t break the bank.
Yeah Pastor,
When the salmon start up the stream they are all ‘prepared’. But how many make it? I am as prepared as is reasonable but I am just going to have to resign myself to Whoever is looking over me & mine. Lot of unknown hazards along the way.
there was one model of sony handycam that came out without the IR filter, meaning, you could see other IR beams looking for a target. They tried to recall them.
If the filter can be removed, your sony handycam or other camcorder will spot the beams of them looking for you with IR, even track it back to them…a thought.
When the revolution starts, just remember- drones have to take off and land SOMEWHERE. All those trillions of bits of information digested in the fusion center means there’s a group of bureaucrats sitting in a building SOMEWHERE. Every mortar round, artillery shell, bullet and missile is fired from a specific location SOMEWHERE. Every rocket is launched from SOMEWHERE.
Every military/industrial complex corporation has facilities SOMEWHERE. The presidents and CEOs of them live in a house SOMEWHERE. Every unconstitutional, freedom destroying law aimed at your enslavement is passed by men in a government building SOMEWHERE. And each of those slimey sold-out politicians, and the bastards who buy their souls, all live in a house SOMEWHERE.
And don’t forget the propaganda machines. Every nefarious element of this constant attack on liberty has a broadcast tower, a studio, a printing press, a meeting room….SOMEWHERE.
When the ‘rockets red glare’ once again light the skies of this nation, remember that the battlefield is not only where the bombs are dropping. It isn’t just the target chosen by our enemies (which will be our homes and our families) In fact, the more important battlefields will be SOMEWHERE else.
– okie
Hell yeah Okie! Way to bring the passion as well as some great points. I believe it to be true that most wars aren’t won on front lines, its always the action behind the scenes that determine victory or failure. Maps are one of many main preps, and should be marked with points of interests of different degrees. Food, shelter, fuel, NSA “Demon Hole”.
and those SOMEWHERE people have to eat…ha!.. or not!
…and remember, it’s five o’ clock SOMEWHERE!
(I’m really sorry, I’m not normally a fan of country music, but I had to.)
In all seriousness, and having seen military thought and activity from the inside, I can tell you right now that all the somewheres you mentioned are going to be guarded by a lot of someones, and with a lot of somethings.
Your best bet is to get in quietly, do the job quietly, and get out quietly. Rinse, repeat, and as often as you have to – if it ever gets to that point, that is.
If you are seriously thinking of fighting against a militarized state like the US, you are not a survivalist and not a survival prepper. Good luck to you on your suicide mission.
Unfortunately, you are probably right….
Me? Of course not.
If it ever got that bad, a whole lot of other things would happen first to obviate the need to form any sort of resistance movement.
My thoughts exactly OQ. By the time ‘somewhere’ happens, nobody will be waiting for a rallying cry. Or a starting point. It’ll be obvious.
Some where is probably an out sourced sat op center in Beijing.
Amen, Okie…sing it loud.
Amen…pass the ammunition.
You are spot on with the physical conditioning. Crisis puts wild amounts of both physiological and psychological stress on the body. You may have the perfect strategy and the best preps but what good are they if you can’t physically put them into action. Plus, if you go down, what type of liability have you become to your group or your family?
If I suffer from say a broken back (in shtf) I will just eat a bullet. 10mm tastes just fine. 😉
Hmmm,my fav round.Ill be joining ya.
I figuare that many will die from Heart attacks either from the physical or mental strain
You’re correct, really.
Coronary, strokes, and a lot of dumb accidents caused by nervous individuals not paying attention to what they’re doing are going rack up and fast.
OTOH, heart attacks and strokes will likely kill off a huge percentage of folks over 65.
Bravo Brandon!
Well written and very motivating!
I am the prepper that walks among the masses, never noticed.
I am pleased with my metrosexual facade.
I am the poster child for the suburbia lifestyle.
Your article has caused me to reevaluate some opinions and preps that best serve
my situation.
Plus I put on a few extra pounds and this was just the nudge I needed.
+1 for that alone
The thought of fat prepper being eaten by a hungry mob of Zombies, should motivate
anyone that has a weight issue and preps.
Slick, a few extra pounds,not more
than 15,is one of the tactics the
Guys employ before going to Ranger school.
There is a difference between a few extra pounds and a complete fat ass. I have seen many fat people outwork thin people when I was a furniture mover as a teen. Heck my uncle was 5’6 and 230 but could break horses for hours on end. He is 80 now and can still hold his own. His conditioning was as large as his appetite. How one looks does not dictate actual fitness. Ranchers and farmers were not all thin but could out work most gym goers IMO. 2 hour workouts are not the same as 14 hour labor.
Living in a SHTP scenario is not easy, and yes, you do need to work together with family and friens if you want to survive and you have to be phisically and mentaly fit. Many people do not have extra time to go to gym to excersice, like me, but I walk with my litle doughter 2 kms. every day on our way to school and work. That keeps me and part of my family in good conditions, and I’m very consecuent with that, we walk 5 days a week, it does’t matter if it’s dark in winter,or if it’s raining or frostie.
She is 5 years old and can walk 1 km in 25 minutes up the hill, ans she really enjoy it !!!!
A green house is an excellent idea, we have one, made on very cheap materials and we have it working since 3 years, we are getting better every year and we do live in a place with a climate like in Seatle. We can even grow tomatoes ! Is just a question of practice.
Just storing food and other basic items will not help you on the long term, the most important thing is to be flexible enough to be able to adapt to the changes in the situation, to know that it will be far more difficult that you ever imagine and that you have to go through it for your loved ones.
you cant shoot back if they hit you first.
body armor is a must
its a bit expensive yes, but how much is your life worth…and how much is that follow up shot worth to you?
Absolutely! I just need to find some plates for the front and the back, maybe 2 in the back.
@VRF says:
Depends of the armor. You can’t be wearing Level III or IV hard armor every time you step outside. It’s bulky and hotter than blazes. Besides, any decent rifleman that’s got you in his sights will notice your snappy, yet bulky, ensemble and decide to take your head off instead.
Level III-A soft will stop a .44 magnum or 00 buck and offers good protection from blunt force trauma and doesn’t weight a ton. It’s good armor if you’re clearing a suburban or urban area. Personally, I think it’s the best ‘compromise’ body armor.
Have a great night!
Mal
I looked around online and this type of protection is ‘reserved’ for military/police. Why is that? can you post a link you recommend? Thank you
I’m sorry, but I don’t have a ton of time tonight. Here is a link to a site that sells EXPIRED vests for what I think is a fair price:
http://www.keepshooting.com/level-iiia-body-armor.html
If you use the code “sb”, you get 5% off your order. A friend of mine said the code “repeat” can get you 10%.
An expired vest is… well… old. The manufacturer won’t guarantee that they’ll still work, so police departments, military, etc, dump them once they reach their expiration date. That being said, I once watched an expired German flak jacket stop 9mm, .40 s&w, .45 acp, as well as buck shot.
Maybe someone else can get you a link to new stuff?
Cheers,
Mal
Gas Masks are not just for NBC. You also might want protection from raw sewage or piles of exposed dead bodies.
Also, a Goretex jacket or clothing sprayed with silicon waterproofing might be your home away from home.
this is for Joe(another)… and anyone else…. by spraying ANYTHING such as silicone on Goretex, you have just defeated the vapor emitting properties of the fabric !!! Never and I mean NEVER spray or apply a vapor barrier to Goretex. Even a drop of oil on Goretex renders it ineffective in that spot. This is factual and I know this directly from holding several patents at W.L. Gore and Associates.
So who is gonna loan me about 100K or 200K to be able to afford all that crap? That is the main problem that I’ve heard from most preppers, “We can’t afford anything more”.
you do what you can
with what you’ve got
with where you are at
thats all you can do
no sense in worrying about the rest
I make a practice of doing something to prep
every time I make a shopping trip
sometimes I spend 2 dollars
sometimes 200
I have no money and I have gather together solar panel for recharging for less then $300. I have back up power. Cost less then $500. Of course I bought when it was less then $300. It was one first item I bought over 5 years ago. At today prices I saw something for $1,000. in Heartland America catalog. Says it for RV. But that wont matter if power fails. Like India right now. Of course you can get small back-ups at 400 watts or 800 watts. For less but at least it would give you light or small fan.
Don’t let price stop you from doing something. One could used to start a car could be recharge with small solar panel, plus a inverter, cost less then $200. just would not last as long. But it better to do something then sit with nothing. As for gas mask I can only double up on hospital masks at this time and tape them together like I saw on Pepper show. Again the cost are less then $30. And better then nothing.
buy NIR multi-cam clothing. NIR doesn’t work during the day. It does work but not like you think and its not possible to even view and use in a shoot out. Thats why most day time attacks are done in the day. In corbra choppers use something like NIR, but it doesn’t work through trees,leafs, or buildings only in open. But if u have that clothing they won’t see ya. Thus you would see the chopper anyways. That is a example.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced Tuesday that he has reached an agreement with the White House and Republican leaders in the House to ensure there is no government shutdown battle before Election Day in November.
did he say this just to cheer us up or something?
Geez,they really got a jump on the can kicking.I was waiting till the last min posturing and mumbo jumbo shit.All good times in D.C.,red team,blue team striking early deals.
Theve got a “break” comming up. Thedy didn’t want any stupid stuff like a budget or the silly “economy” to distract from their “fun time”.
On the other hand, they do plan a vote when they get back from their well deserved break.
In honor of Milton Friedman’s 100th birthday, here is one his quotes; ” Put the government in charge of the Sahara desert, and they’ll run out of sand in 5 years.
The best congress is when they’re at recess. At least they ain’t jukin’ something up.
Something to consider is that a chemical mask with the replaceable cartridge bought from the large home repair store would be better than nothing. I work contruction and I use them to protect me from a variety of things I would rather not inhale. I have several in my prep storage.
Also I have put in a small garden this summer and are growing small amounts of a large variety of things. While this small garden isnt producing much of one thing, I am getting a huge amount of practice if it really matters. Everyone else, try a small garden of your own for practice.
One last thing. Take up camping with your family. It will likely become fun for all but it will get you used to going without your house and all we normally depend on.
What is camping to most people? 5th wheel with full electric hookup and satellite or a cabin.
Well, now you are competing with Big Sis @ Homeland Security for body armor. The price just doubled.
Thanks GW BUSH, for that lovely waste of a department and our hard earned tax dollars ……. NOT!
I really appreciated the entire article. I especially agree that it is imperative that we be fit when shtf. Like many here I can’t afford every item on the list but will try to barter for them when the time comes.
I think tools will be of great value in hard times. I will trades hoes and shovels, plows, seed, saws, and other items for the stuff that I can’t now afford.
Save some money and don’t buy stuff you will find lying around your dead neighbor’s house. Things like shovels, wheelbarrows, bicycles, and extra clothes will all be in abundance.
thermite grenades mixed for a long burn time (like in an aluminum can or larger) might mask you at night…but how are you to know you’re being tracked??
NEWS FLASH…NEWS FLASH…NEWS FLASH
Arkansas, California, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and West Virginia have all placed caps on the number of prescription drugs Medicaid patients can get.
So did IL. one can only have 4 name brands all the rest must be cheaper types and hope they are just has good. Plus other cuts on medical supplies.
Oh, they did leave out Illinois, and Alabama.
I my dh and I must choose generic, why can’t Medicaid patients??
need to get all of the states in on this
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/rationing-begins-states-limiting-drug-prescriptions-medicaid-patients
People- dont spend billions of dollars on guns etc, if bad guys come make sure you attack in sync with multiple in multiple angles in different areas, shoot the bad guys and take their equipment gear, armor, ammo auto guns etc radios. you get my point, if 3-4 attackers come into a house and your across in bushes and spread all around they will be confused and you have the advantage because you know the neighborhood, dig a hole behind bushes in front of front porches where you will be hidden and can camoflauge your gun in them in different locations with multiple people in your neighborhood, wish I had a drawing so you could see what im thinking. so when they fire you can duck in a hole fit for one person but behind a shrub or flower patch etc. you get the idea. even a .22 to the head will drop these idiots.
false rock over a hole in your front flowerbed..once you get in the hole pull the false rock over you..its got a peep hole to see whats going on..
see a problem..pop up and pop it..pop back down..you look like a rock again
exactly, or those pine shrub trees that are 5 feet tall that are the round ones hind behind it in a hole where you can stand up but your only out of the hole for your weapon and the bush is in front of you but you have a good field of view and when they look behind they will be looking on porches the yard behind cars etc and your beind a shrub and can pop down and up, that gives you a open target and time it takes to see you would be very difficult if a agent is standing in front of a door. your headshot would drop them and cause mass confusion and at that point another one drops from another hole in another location. what im saying is if you could have at least 4 shooters in various locations you would overpower at least 6 or more men or maybe women which is unlikely. Even buying some of those huge morters at the fireworks shop and not launching them in the tube but at the target would cause confusion and possibly small burns but would cause them to lose focus and at that point you do whats needed. Also wear earplugs! believe it or not shooting with earplugs will cause you to be more focused and not flinch from the shot. Even if they throw their flash pressure bangs at you it will help a lot. a set of earplugs and a pair over the ears. think about that. when you shoot a loud gun many flinch and are not as focused but with earplugs your more relaxed and will have the advantage. you can even get those 5 min smoke at fireworks shops that are about 2 bucks each and let off a lot of smoke for about 5 min. Youtube it! if you have 5-6 of those going off would cause even more confusion, make sure you put a shot into their engine too so they are stuck there.
toilet paper
I always get a kick out of these guys who promote “Secondary Retreat Locations”. In a SHTF situation, what happens if you arrive at your secondary retreat location and find 20 well armed “citizens” occupying your property…..ya gonna call a cop????
that is very true. I love idiots who give me thumbs down when they have never been in war before. internet tough guys. But yes people would take over areas in force and will be armed and banned together. if they are there in your 2nd backup spot and people are there they wont give your stuff back or let you in. your right ricky Gee. you gotta bury stuff in the ground or have it hidden in the country somewhere. I still believe there will be fires burning everywhere and out of control with no firemen to put fires out. can you imagine in a large city if a fire was lit. Its going to heat up and intensify and burn whatever is next to it. I know many city blocks are brick but would be a mess still. if a couple houses in your neighborhood start on fire they will catching the houses next to yours on fire too. you get the point. arsons will be everywhere
@Ricky
That’s why you have more than one retreat location planned, bud. You can sit around imagining all kinds of hypothetical situations and never accomplish anything. Just get er’ done!
@B Smith: Why live where you have to bug out to more than one retreat? If you are on the move you are more likely to run into more trouble than you want. If you live in the city, making it out of the city limits will a chore in it’s self. So move to one of your bug out hide aways in the first place. Thats just me
My retreat neighbors live there full time. Be the only one not living there and they will watch out for you. One winter I was driving a rental car and had to hike up the mountain. I got a text the same day that they saw my footprints in the snow.
Another alternative is to build a cellar/bunker. This sounds expensive, but I’ve seen them hand dug and built with lumber. Keep some backup supplies there and hide the entrance in the floor of an over-sized outhouse. You will be needing one of these anyway.
Can’t afford a secondary location? Look for someone to partner with. They double up with you in town now and work for income to buy preps. Later you join them in the sticks. Our population is aging. There are elderly people sitting on farms they can no longer manage. Spend weekends there helping them out now in exchange for a place to go later. ‘Meals on Wheels’ knows where these people are.
The risk that someone may take something from me is no reason not to do it. I do the best I can to mitigate that risk.
I live in a very cold climate and I have a greenhouse. Nothing fancy, but I am able to grow food all year long in it. I was worried about the power going out (as I heat with a small electric heater in the winter) so I purchased a clear solar swimming pool cover for the greenhouse. Works great. Just throw the cover over the building and tie it down. No need for a heater any more even if temps go below zero.
Shilomax, Would you provide some more info? What zone are you in? If you are referring to the plastic ‘bubble wrap’ covers, I don’t understand how they have come to be called solar covers because there is almost no ability for these plastic covers to store heat. They provide some insulation against cold but they really do not store heat that can be radiated out during the nighttime.
We use the plastic ‘bubble wrap’ insulation covers and in Zone 6b/7a, our polycarbonate greenhouse temp drops drastically when the sun goes down.
Zoltanne,
I live in zone 4-5, at about 4000 ft. These covers are made for swimming pools. I put the cover over the outside of the greenhouse. The part that touches the building is infact some kind of heavy duty bubble wrap, but the out side is a heavy duty transparent type plastic. I believe the name of the company I bought it from was http://www.pooldeals.com. It’s been a awhile so you might google it. My greenhouse is double glazed and the pony wall is well insulated as well. Hope that helps.
Please see my green house comment above, you may find some answers there.
The on line info is backed by their 33 years of experience gardening under cover in North Dakota plains!
Lehman’s catalog sells a railroad lamp oil lantern that they say puts out enough BTU’s to heat a green house. I think this would make a good back up heat source for a room during power failure too. Haven’t tried it yet, but plan to.
Thanks HalfKin. I hadn’t thought of that.
Watch out for carbon monoxide.
add to list
wear items for your firearms
and small parts that can get lost or wear out..also spare parts etc
Extractors, extractor springs, any and all types of springs in your go-to guns. Bolt carrier groups, piston cups and op rods for piston driven AR’s. Keep Plenty of Slip 2000 for lube on firearms. Magazine springs(Wolff brand) and followers, sold by Midway USA. If any one here is running EOtechs on their battle guns, keep plenty of spare batteries on hand, or go to Aimpoint’s T-1, H-1 which have a 50,000 hour battery life.
IMO everytime the gun is used 1 of 2 things will happen.
1. I will have gained another gun/ammo combo.
2. Game over
A good recurve bow is worth more than a bunch of spare parts.
Brandon Smith and Jim Quinn would be the first two victims. They both think they are smartest people on earth, however neither one of them has ever given a solution to anything or even a clue. Just the same old crap, reworded. I called Brandon on an article which he stated ot was d3eadly to have the safety on on a revolver, he is as dumb as a box of rocks.
For radiological emergencies, you need a NukAlert.
Easy to use and cheap. Much better than a geiger counter. Just google it. Doctors for Disaster Preparedness has written about this
NukAlert is a good tool to give you the initial warning. It will not however allow you to test for low levels of radiation in food or water.
Check out geigercounters.com
also approvedgasmasks.com
Both sites give you a lot of information for free.
Interesting fact : the average life span of a mountain man was 35 years .
When you do everything yourself …..your body wears out . Those of you that practice wilderness skills know that everything you do out there takes a lot of time and labor , no getting around it . Your gear will help you but in the end …..your on your own and its rough going . Nature will kick your ass if you dont respect it .
In regard to the drones, at what altitude do they fly and are they detectable without visual instruments?
Forget about the drones! Even the hand-thrown ones can fly as high as 4 miles. So, no, you will not (!) see/hear drones.
Anybody who thinks they can defend against a professional military is seriously deluded.
The key to dealing with LEO/Military is to stay gray.
You keep your head down, stay invisible, melt into the background.
There are not enough troops available to go after everybody, only those that arouse suspicion.
Keep your head down, keep your head.
This is yet another reason we have to kick the preparation into a higher gear: http://www.debka.com/article/22227/Netanyahu-I-won’t-let-Israel-face-an-Iranian-atomic-threat
Israel does not want Iran to obtain the ability to mass produce nukes like Pakistan. One or two nuclear weapons will not destroy Israel, no way. It will take at least 10 hits to do it. This means with a success rate of nuclear bombs at around 40-50% at best, either and delivered by plane or missile, it means having a much larger arsenal. It means having 20-25 nuclear bombs minimum to destroy Israel. Iran will have the ability to mass produce nukes soon and this is what Israel knows it must stop.
Israel attacks Iran, Hezbollah and Palestinians begin lobbing thousands a hour of rockets into Israel. Gaza is now well stocked up thanks to the relaxed conditions of Egypt. Hezbollah is now made up of tens of thousands of Iranian commandos on top of their own ranks. There is at least 300,000 rockets ready to go, maybe even more than 400,000. Syria would love to galvanize their citizens against the Jews and will almost certainly join in with their Scuds and other weapons.
Israel is only 9000 sq. miles and most of it is desert. There is only so much it can take in raw firepower before they go to their own weapons of mass destruction, likely the neutron bomb to take out rocket crews in Lebanon and other places surrounding Israel. When the first weapon of mass destruction is deployed by either side the situation will rapidly escalate and spiral completely out of control. Syria, Iran, and Hezbollah all have the worst nerve gas there is available to these countries, VX. This gas sticks to concrete and is an absolutely mess to clean up. It only takes a pinpoint on someone’s skin to kill them. Biological weapons are also available.
In short, Iran hits Israel, and it will spread all over the Middle-East. Out of the sky gas prices will be the least of the world’s problems as the entire region will be engulfed, including nuclear armed Pakistan. NATO and Russian and Chinese forces will likely get involved and that means the end of civilization period. Yes time is waning and people should be getting ready as much as they possibly can. Something horrid is coming, and it is a lot closer now than it has ever been.
BI: Interesting scenario but wrong. Right now Israel is waiting for the Arab League to neutralize Syria and its not happening fast enough.
Israel attacks Iran after losing patience with O’Bummer. Sooner or later, perhaps within six to eight weeks, they launch a “surgical strike” at Iranian nuke facilities rather than an overall strike. Israel can “justify” a surgical strike.
Iran responds by unleashing everything they have left at US bases in the Gulf. Once attacked the US military reduces Iran to ruble in self defense.
Self defense by America eliminates any possible Russian participation. Iran calls for “jihad” in Europe. Sleeper cells are activated. Chaos ensues in Europe, as it becomes neighbor against neighbor. (So much for the brilliant idea of the NWO to encourage mass illegal immigration.)
If Assad has not been eliminated first, the Syrian conflict is escalated, Israel attacks Hezbollah simultaneously and moves to pacify Lebanon.
Gold spikes again and again and I sell my basis. No reason to let a good crisis go to waste. 🙂
@ Durango Kidd. There is much what you are saying that is true in there. I just know that Hezbollah is not going to be easy to defeat without Israel using “special” weapons. Hezbollah is no longer a terrorist organization, maybe they never were, they are now just commandos of Iran. Mix China in there because China gets 25% of their oil from Iran and you have a potential for WW3. Even if Syria implodes, Israel will have to face down thousands of rockets a hour from its north and south, and mayeb east.
I think the best course of action for the prepper is just to get ready the best they can, then when it happens finalize their preparedness items like fuel before the government shuts everything down. I would say buy your extra ammo before it happens because the state could put some sort of hold on firearms and ammunition. Fuel is a funny thing because you don’t really want to have a mass in the garage during the hot weather unless it is necessary.
I wish I knew the exact way the war will start and what will happen, but this time I really don’t feel that Russi will allow any further encirclement. Of course all of this could be all planned out. I wish I knew and could predict people’s actions. Earthquakes are far easily to predict because they follow a type of pattern.
While this article covers the generalities of preparedness, author Brandon Smith did not adequately cover the most critical factor of ultimate survival: the human personality. It can be argued that preparedness is not necessarily just ‘survivor’ mode but the end goal of preparedness is survival.
Brandon Smith admits, “Ultimately, the most important and most ignored aspect of prepping is our own mindset”, this aspect of preparedness was not really addressed at all. (Perhaps another article on the subject of survival personalities?)
Having the ability to understand your own personality and how it relates to the ‘survival personality’ can be critical. By identifying your predictable emotional/behavioral responses, a person can become more self-aware when it comes time to work in extreme conditions, with high levels of stress, and abrupt changes.
The book entitled “When Technology Fails” by Matthew Stein identifies key traits of survivors worthy of note:
Flexibility
Commitment to survive
Staying cool/calm
Playful curiosity (shows ability to adapt)
Sense of humor (stress reducer)
Mixture of opposites (not rigid)
Intuition (rational thought combined with ‘gut feelings’)
“Get over it” (no time to mourn or moan)
Not good “rule followers”
The best preparedness plan is all-encompassing and the more serious people will admit this is more a lifestyle than a ‘hobby’ for them.
Great point ,
we have all met people that flip out or cave in during a crisis . Those are the same people that consider suicide as a viable option instead of digging in and going on however is possible . Personal belief : you commit suicide , you take all your baggage with you that you were trying to escape . Nobody said it was going to be easy .
Brandon is always a great leveler, just when you think you are getting a handle on your preps he will give you a reality check. All his points are valid and I do heed his suggestions as best I can. Bottom line; when the SHTF even the most prepared will be I’ll equipped to handle it materially, mentally, physically or spiritually.
The people who can adapt and overcome will survive even without preps. and many with all the preps. in the world will perish.
Prepare; absolutely! But eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we will die of something.
good point and well said.
You know Clint I’m not one who would want to survive an ELE.
If an Asteroid or Global Nuclear war happens, I pray God would drop in right on my head and take me home.
As for a Financial Collapse, Natural Disaster, Pandemic or War, yeah I want to survive and thrive. You can’t plan for everything, but the beginning of wisdom is knowing what you don’t know or knowing you don’t know it all.
I have a radiation detector I purchased last year. You now know another one. I also got a bunch of potassium iodide tablets. Am looking into some 2x4s and plywood in case I have to cover up any windows.
ok here is my thinking for what it is worth. first if our new is censored how will we be aware that the troops are marching into town to take us to a camp until they are at our home? It would be a lil late to dress up in body armor sont ya think? If ther is a killer bug in the air how are we to know it til somebody is 3rd sapcing and bleeding out? A lil late for a mask don’t ya think? If a buje is set off I would think that there would be a hundred more to follow blasing for hours and days maybe longer. If ya have a bunker how long ya gonna be a mole? Now if you are not in direct hit considering prevailing winds,waiting your two weeks befor seeing some sunlight, how long really do yo think that it would be safe> The dust laying, the rain falling, everything will be contaminated because this is not gonna be on bomb like Japan we are talking MASSIVE amounts of radiation and dust. unless you have a shelter to live in for a year you are not gonna make it. Now we can think a million things the drones the army the po po whatever but in reality we need to think a little more down to earth here. BOL is good idea if yo do not have land have a van to travel campping gear and a location such as a friend or relative with land owned. Feel free to own the masks etc. I can not afford it and when I sit back and think on a medical level it would be very hard to avoid. The way a super bug travels and mutates would be hard to beat. The best defense is be a clean freak. Take your shoes off before going in your house, clean your groceries befor bringing them in the house spray em with lysol before putting in your car. wash hands ONLY in a pinch use sanatizer it is not as effective as soap n water. a hospital mask for airborn illnesses are effective. I plan on staying home unless I need to leave then I will go as far as my car will take me, the rest is in Gods hands. I think disco lights on the roof and stuff is a lil much. you aint gonna see or hear the drone til is hanging over your head anyway. we are dealing with sci fi stuff and unless we use our brains we (including me) are not gonna get anywhere in the fight for freedom. They will sneal in to our homes while we sleep we will not see this coming, we have warning now but when the chess pieces really start to move it will be swift. Sorry I know I will be all thumbs downed on this because I know I made people mad sorry in advance just MHO
sorry for the stinkin typose I lost my reading glasses I meant if a nuke was set off not a buje (ooops)
Dollar Tree..just bought dh 3 pair.:-)
Justin, I would be careful of the hospital surgical masks. They are only a barrier for blood and sputum, mostly keeping the doctor from coughing or breathing into an open wound!. We use a 3M mask known as a HEPA mask, in the hospital I work at. Works for TB and other large molecular airborne pathogens. If you buy a box of these they will have directions, follow them exactly! But you are absolutely 100% on cleanliness. This doesn’t just go for the people washing and keeping clean, be sure to keep trash policed up in and around of the home and yard. Trash pick up will be a missed luxury. Nothing spreads disease like rodents and other vermin. Peace!
A can of spray paint to tag your ‘work’ with “Wolverines”?
Patriot One has it right, big thumbs up. I loved the article but my oh my did we ever go off the deep end folks. Prep and prep some more but seriously unless your made of money lots of this stuff is not going to be available and if it is , it wont help the average prepper. Im talking from experience, I was the company NBC NCO back then and I would train soldiers NBC tasks and they had a hard time of it. Now throw Joe Public that has zero exposure to NBC warfare defense and the whole thing is rediculous. Its all about time and we’re talking seconds here, without warning just forget it. You would be better off spending your money on something you can use. Unless you have the latest testing equip dont bother its a waste of money.
What I would suggest is spending more time in the wilderness, that will raise your mental fortitude and your physical abilities. Try going out to the woods alone on a rainy cold night and observe yourself and your thoughts. Grade your performance be honest and fix what needs to be fixed, and for goodness sakes forget about drones thats another waste of time IMHO.
Again kudos Patriot One eat drink and be merry for tommorrow (or the next day)we die
@ BH, Dead on… I was also the NBC NCO IC for my unit where I was stationed back in the mid 80’s… Did you see the one training film where a single drop of nerve agent was put on the nose of a goat – it was dead inside of two minutes… I can’t help but wonder what is in storage today.
@Jerry, nahh I didnt see the goat film. However I know that a large percentage of folks in uniform are not ready for an NBC attack. That being said, Joe Public is wasting money on Pro-masks that could be used for something they can use. Lets put it this way, I do not own any NBC defense equip, its just that simple. If youre in the wrong place when the shtf no mask or NBC suit is gonna help you out if you dont know when to put them on, by the time youve figured it out its allready too late.
All of the countermeasures for thermal sensors whether from drone above or toadie on the ground will not work unelss employing them at the right time. It does you no good to use fire or hide under an engine block if you don’t know WHEN to do so. Eternal vigilance!
Stay under the radar for as long as you can. Read your Sun Tzu – He who is prudent and lies in wait for an enemy who is not, will be victorious. Hence that general is skilful in attack whose opponent does not know what to defend; and he is skilful in defense whose opponent does not know what to attack.
Hi all. Here’s my 2 cents worth. First aid a must going for iodine,alcohol and proxide asap
Clothing – that’s the wife’s thing,keeps two seasons ahead for the kids.
Bartering – I think cigarettes would be a good one. Skills learn all you can(they can’t take it away)
Thermal countermeasure – got a night owl scope and drive way monitor. A security camera system is on my wish list. Along with home security system.
Solar panels – keep looking at them. Time to sh$t or get off the pot.
Gas mask – thinking about a charcoal filter upgrade to my hepa filter vemmar system , might help
Green house – a good idea so start crops early.
I want to know if anyone on here has the aquaponics system set up. Looks like a good idea for warmer locations. I got winter and Would have to heat building. Any thoughts.
Daniel San ,
Check out Eliott Colemans “Four season harvest” the guy has been growing organic without heat in Maine,the past30yrs . Im in Vermont and Im trying it out. Heated greenhouse may not be neccessary if you plan it out the way he does.
Thank you for this excellent article. Purchasing extra sturdy/warm clothing and lots of it is an expense but it is a worthwhile expense. NBC Alert items are definitely a hole in my own preparedness plan – on which I will have to address. How do I convince my wife that we need a Geiger counter? 🙂 May I also suggest that the control of parasites and pests deserves some forethought. Here is an article about doing so in less than sanitary conditions: http://barkingwindow.com/?p=2957
Best,
Earl
I was watching a congressional hearing on the drones being deployed by local entities in the US.The professor who’s team showed DHS how they could hack them was testifying along with a sheriff. These local drones are not permitted to fly above 400 feet according to FTC regulations. Not sure if this applies to the Federal drones.The sheriff stated you would be easily able to hear them as they sound like a weedwhacker.They are allowed to spy on you if you are out of your house.I imagine these local ones would be fairly easy to take down from cover if someone were so inclined to.
http://machineslikeus.com/news/working-assault-rifle-made-3-d-printer
This is cool!!!!
I do not recommend anything in the thermal countermeasures, ie IR flashlight/chem lights to go blind aginst a drone. IR can also be seen by night vision. You’ll just be spotted out more quickly. Ever see a lit cigarette with night vision on? Thermal blankets are best, and there are anti FLIR cream. Havnt seen that stuff commercially tho.
… and not a word about sustainable lifestyles other than “greenhouse” and “solar” LOL. This article is just more trash on the concept of true survival, which means survival of our species, which means stopping the idiocy that got us here in the first place. And no, that doesn’t mean “the fed,” but rather our inability to live without destroying every resource around us. Until that is fixed, our time on this planet is running out anyway. Saying “grow your food in a greenhouse” is making a vast assumption of skill and experience. Unless you have grown your own food (and enough to live on) for several years, you will not even begin to be able to survive that way. And that’s barely even getting started on pointing out the fallacies in this article.
Mercury rising: 5 consequences from the drought that’s scorching American farmland
The worst drought in a generation is punishing farmers and burning up the nation’s corn crop. Nearly 65 percent of the nation is experiencing a drought right now, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Many farmers were just trying to get over last summer’s dry spell when the hottest June on record rolled in, threatening to destroy crops and desiccate pastures.
1. Rising food prices at home
2. World food prices and social unrest
3. Sad, skinny animals at county fairs
4. Wildfires
5. Barges stuck on riverbeds, roads buckling
im going to add #6
Possible starvation, or malnourishment of some populations
But our wonderful government wants to use up even MORE corn for ethanol in gasoline. They are still trying to bump up the percentage from 10% to 15%. Just asinine….
Obama & Hillary are RULED by Jews.
And JEWS want OUR Guns!
Jews want nothing more than to DISARM the GOYIM.
Get used to it America….the same people caused a “scene” to occur at Port Arthur in Tasmania (Australia) to take our guns away.
It worked, now the criminals (cops) and the druggies are the only ones with the guns.
This was all started by the CFR and Mossad, and I care not who you listen to or believe…..but this is real, so get used to it.
Jewish Supremacists Behind Financial Collapse, Says Leading Wall Street Economist http://www.davidduke.com/?p=35375
This is for the Jewdeo Christians, and Christian Zionists (useful idiots!).
Member of Israel’s Knesset Publicly Tears Up the Bible! http://www.davidduke.com/?p=35296
‘Nazi’ Concentration Camps on Staten Island? http://www.davidduke.com/?p=35274
Thanks for the article! Loved the section on building community, something I preach #1 every time. There is nothing that can so vastly expand your skill set in such a short period of time as having others in your band.
OpSec is a conflation of two words: OPERATIONS, and Security. It makes no sense to talk about OpSec if we forget about the Operations part, and there are no Operations if we’re not interfacing and working together with others. Sure, we can increase “security” in some respects by not disclosing anything to those around us, but what we gain is far outweighed by what we lose in not gathering in the skill sets and additional preps other folks can bring to the table.
I know a lot of you folks aren’t real peachy on the Occupy movement, but last September I met a hundred like-minded people, some more than others, and in the subsequent months that initial group has morphed into a group of dozens of people who I trust to resist the prevailing system, who garden, fix autos, build structures, many who have military skills and training, who raise and can their own foods, and WHO KNOW OPSEC. We KNOW the government and the banksters (etc.) are watching us. (Many also read this site, btw, and its articles regularly show up in Facebook posts for the group. I, personally, avoid all social networking sites.) And when the SHTF, we all have a community already established.
Has anyone purchased an AR from a private individual and have the BATF show up at your door 2 weeks later to make sure you still have it and they want to see it?
The only AR you can sell without federal paperwork is one defined as a “HBAR” ( Heavy barrel). It is considered to be the same as a hunting rifle or shotgun. State laws may vary.
Sounds strange; some sort of sting op? Was seller being watched? Private sale is just that no paperwork. Curious, more details if possible.
(MM)
No. Do you deal in firearms without a license? Only reason I can think of….
KY Mom
I got a North model 7700-30L with 75SCP 100 canisters instead of expensive full mask.
Use tight goggles no vents. Works well and have replacements too.
Y’all Beware!
Y’all Beware!
Thank you!
Can you recommend a site to purchase these from?
Take care!
KY Mom
Everyone seems to overlook digital hand scales, a necessity for bartering! I guess you’re all gonna use your kitchen scales?
An Observation: In the classical definition of money portability is a major consideration. Considering how now (brown cow!) Gotcha! I got ya good! I won’t do that again. Where was I?
Considering how we now have (it was tempting) we now have extremely advanced transportation methods with larger cargo loads than when the definition was propounded, I suggest the Age of Bartering will work out better than you are imagining!
Good luck, hope the bed bugs don’t bite! But! If they do! Seal up the room and introduce an atmosphere of hydrogen peroxide and ozone for about an hour.
QuantumBubbler,
Another way to rid bedbugs and also to prevent bedbug infestation is Diatomaceous Earth. I buy it in 50# bags at the local Feed Store. It has many other uses also and it will store forever – just keep it dry.
Here is a link with some information:
(www.dirtworks.net/Diatomaceous-Earth.html)
Note: This site has a very handy information sheet to download and print.
Direct link…
http://www.dirtworks.net/Diatomaceous-Earth.html
Pool supply stores have it as well for filters. May be cheaper at the feed store.
@ Jeff M: Pool supply stores usually do not carry FOOD grade DE. Always look to ensure the package indicates that it is food grade.
Feed store..TSC …$11.00 for 20 lbs.
U.S. heading into a mega-drought situation ???
http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/historic-drought-giant-dust-storms-and-massive-power-grid-failures-a-glimpse-into-our-future
one year of failed harvest is bad enough
what happens if this occurs on a regular basis ???
just some FYI..
The 22 Winchester Magnum is a known body armor penetrator. It`s something called sectional density. The little bullet is so small and traveling so fast, it doesn`t catch enough Kevlar fibers to stop it.
plates?..now thats a different matter
The old 7.62×25 is a very good round against body armor in as cz-52 etc.
One of the items the author said to get is Body Armor. Our survival group has been looking into this purchase, but we don’t know which level to buy?
Can anyone here help us?
look up .. bulletproofme DOT com call and talk to them
they helped me out big time
California cop who pepper-sprayed protesters off police force
By Chris Francescani | Reuters – 2 hrs 7 mins ago..
(Reuters) – The campus police lieutenant captured on video pepper spraying seated Occupy Wall Street protesters last November at the University of California, Davis is no longer on the force, a university spokeswoman said on Wednesday.
The image of a cop pepper spraying seated protesters came to symbolize law enforcement aggression against the movement and sparked multiple investigations.
UC Davis police Lieutenant John Pike remained on the force until Tuesday, said university spokeswoman Claudia Morain. Citing the school’s personnel privacy guidelines, she declined further comment.
The Sacramento Bee newspaper, which first reported Pike’s departure from the force on Tuesday, said he had been paid while on leave, reporting his 2010 salary at $110,243.
a hum, i see a problem here..110,243 salary! for a street cop?
no wonder we cant afford them..and their unions
oh sorry , but even worse..he was not a street cop but a campus cop…or so im told
makes you wonder what his superiors are making..or stealing?
That’s common all around the country. I know regular cops in the northeast that make over $200k annually with overtime, and have their retirement and health insurance completely paid for. Disgusting!
I hear some of their retirement packages are dollar for dollar as much as their last years pay..
example say they made 189,900 their last year on the force..their retirement is 189,900 per year
understand that this is just the police, same shit is going on or probably worse for thier superiors, the firefighters, and thier superiors..etc..
no wonder these municipalities are going broke, and that we dont have any police presence on the streets of some cities..WE THE PEOPLE CANT AFFORD THEM or THIER UNIONS ANY LONGER! not to mention the civil rights violations they perpetrate against us citizens an than we sue the municipalities..thus ourselfs, and not the PERSON who violated our civil rights under the cover of a badge or uniform (s)
the unions learned that the auto companies can move, or shut down..but the municipalities cant..so they latched on to them as another source to extort..and not only are they extorting from the tax payers, they are also extorting from the police and municipal workers too..they just dont see it, or dont wanna rock the boat or they would lose thier cushy retirement
As a Fed, I’d kill for 100% pension based on salary with overtime…..we get a maximum at 42 years of service of 80% of base pay, no overtime, bonuses, nothing added.
In this state, the State employees were working overtime like mad their last 3 years to get their pensions to a rediculous level.
I’m glad some sanity may be coming around in some states.
it’s not me
Start leading a group to change the above and you will have more traffic tickets than you could count. Hope you like a taser because in at least on of those stops because you threatened an officer you will be arrested. Your face damaged the officers hand and that is a felony charge.
I can see the future by looking at the past.
TPTB BATTLE PLAN…LISTEN TO IT
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/cfp-radio/2012/08/01/the-hagmann-hagmann-report
KY Mom,
Sorry I went out to buy some preps. I used to buy mine direct from North. Let me take a google and I will let you know.
Y’all Beware! Later.
(www.emedcodotcom/north-7700-silicone-half-mask-respirator-re232.html)
$35.59 Compatible with all North cartridges, filters and accessories. Select the cartridges you want.
(www.norkandotcom/Norkan_Store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=80_82&products_id=132)
$22.99 Select the cartridges you want.
Y’all Beware!
Y’all BeWare!
Thank you! 🙂
KY Mom
KY Mom,
Info above for the North Masks.
Y’all Beware. You still have to buy cartridges.
One thing I would like to add to this amazing list of preps is the preparations for children. If it gets really bad and there are children in your group, there need to be plans in place to help the kiddos cope. Things like crayons, coloring books, chalk, books, games, puzzles, toys, legos, balls, etc will keep their minds busy. Let’s not forget about the value of a sound education. Things could be such that kids are without a formal education for months upon months. I’d hate for that to happen but it could. If you have kids, I would encourage picking up age appropriate workbooks. You can get them at major bookstores, ebay, walmart, amazon. When the SHTF, be mindful of what you say around kids…they hear everything but often times don’t know how to digest what they hear.
In my opinion, a happy child is a sign of hope.
In re to the kids a great pit stop fpr spme cheap school stuff is dolar tree. was ther today and a million school supples from work books, to flash cards. I was shicked. I may rake a trip back next week for some stuff. I dod not think of those things my oldest is 20 and my lil one is only 3 so I think toys and books but not long term things like that
I guess I am toast since I have lung tumors and can’t run for naught but it isn’t because I smoked or didn’t take care of myself.
Hi guys, reading these posts is very worrying about what the future holds for all of us. I am an Australian and the situation here very much mimics what’s happening in the US. Earlier Barry posted a comment on Port Arthur which was a very suspicious mass murder in Australia which the federal government seized on to disarm the Australian citizens. First it was rifles, I still remember having to go to a collection centre to hand in my chrome plated, French polished M1 rifle and watch it get crushed in a press. It was emotional not only because it was a beautiful weapon that I had never fired but also I was unexpectedly overcome with a flood of grief that someone had taken my possession I had owned for many years against my wishes, a beautiful piece of collectable art or almost furniture that just happened to be a firearm, but also my freedom, rights and hopes where also being crushed by unknown uniformed enforcers in that huge, dark, government owned hydraulic press.
Several months later they clamped down on pistols and I had to hand in my Unique Olympic target pistol, 357 Magnum and 22 Remington. I had been a pistol shooter for 20 years and though never an Olympic hopeful I did hope to be good enough to compete competitively one day. Shooting is an Olympic sport you know, though you never see it or hear about it on our Australian TV coverage of the Olympics. I was a law abiding citizen in fact a Justice of the Peace for some 25 years and I was now completely disarmed something I thought I would never be in my lifetime. So what is happening to the World? Do I need to prepare for the worst for a shoot out with Army troops with tanks, helicopters and drones attacking me. No citizen would stand up against such odds in fact it would all be over before you knew it was even happening.
freedom is not free
freedom must be earned
freedom must be defended
the tree of freedom at times through history must be watered with the blood of tyrants and patriots
which are you prepper peeples and do you have the heart to stand your ground in the face of tyranny
you all very soon will find out if you truly deserve to be FREE .
arm up stock up prepare for nwo u.n. fedgov false-fag martial law designed starvation cia directed biological attack and american freeman revolutionary civil war in your own front yards .
choose a side prepper peeples – choose whether your a nwo tax debt slave or a freeman freewoman FREE AMERICAN .
~N.O.
Sprouts! Just 3tbsp of seeds can sprout into 5 lbs of nutrition in just 3-4 days.
What type of seeds? Chia? Alfalfa?
L.A.,
I’ve been sprouting these for awhile. They’re great.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Sprout-House-Sprouting-Broccoli/dp/B00522AFRE/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=152PHGSCWT4MD&coliid=I3GYFKG4EXXIMT
Scroll to the bottom of the page for several other mixtures. Also keep in mind, any seed increases it’s nutritional value by as much as 10Xs when sprouted!