This article was originally published by Chris Martenson at Peak Prosperity
We’re pleased to announce the first-ever Peak Prosperity Resilience Challenge.
Over an upcoming weekend in January 2019 (specifc dates to be announced soon) participating individuals will turn off their electricity from Friday at 7:00pm to 7:00pm Sunday and subsist entirely off of their existing preparations.
Are you in?
We’ll be seeking community input over the next month as we refine the particulars of this challenge; but the intention is to stress-test everyone’s current in-place emergency plans. So when the weekend arrives, no going out to the store to get new batteries, more firestarter, or a hot coffee.
A number of Peak Prosperity members proposed this idea to us in the wake of Hurricanes Harvey and Florence. During those storms, a lot of folks learned their emergency preps were much less robust than they had initially anticipated.
We agree this challenge is a great idea. Working out kinks and shortcomings during a practice-run like this will increase our odds of persevering through a future emergency.
Which is why we’re picking a cold winter month (for those of you in the northern hemisphere) to really push ourselves out of our comfort zones.
What will you eat? How will you stay sufficiently warm? Will you have to take steps to keep the pipes in your house from freezing? How will you communicate with the outside world? Do you have sufficient nighttime lighting? How will you occupy your time?
The goal here is to identify each of our weak areas while having some fun knowing that we’re all going through the experience together. We’ll all regroup here online once we turn the electricity back on Sunday night and compare learnings. Trust me, there will be many to share.
The Solution For Anxiety
In our ten years of alerting people to the growing predicaments presented by The Three Es, rooted firmly in the impossibility of attempting to grow infinitely on a finite planet, we’ve discovered something very important about anxiety: it dwells in the gap between what you know and what you do.
For example, if you know you live close to an active earthquake fault but have no safeguards in place, you’re going to experience anxiety. Maybe your mind is able to suppress it way down to a background murmur, but there it sits anyways, eating away at your peace of mind and sense of being a responsible adult.
And eventually, it will flare up the next time a swarm of light tremors hits your area, as an urgent reminder that the next big earthquake is not a matter of if, but of when.
Because you cannot ‘unknow’ something, your only course of action to reduce or eliminate such anxiety is to take action and bring your behavior into better alignment with what you know is right.
In our earthquake example, that would mean — at a minimum — procuring a 48-hour emergency kit for your home, an emergency contact plan for your family with backup plans and rendezvous points understood by all. You also should have a means of charging your phone and other light electronics without access to the electrical grid, as well as a means of purifying drinking water that doesn’t rely on boiling.
All of that might take you 60 minutes and a few hundred dollars to locate and purchase. But boy, will you feel an immediate sense of inner relief with those basic fundamentals attended to.
Very few families are sufficiently prepared for any sort of emergency or natural disaster. And an even smaller fraction actually run practice tests to ensure their plans will work properly when crisis hits.
So here’s the bottom line: if you’re are feeling anxious these days, then we invite you to figure out why and do something about it. Close that gap. You’ll feel better.
And if you are feeling anxious, know that you’re not alone. There’s a lot to be worried about these days.
Ecosystems are collapsing. The central banks are trying to undo a decade of idiotic money printing. Resource wars are on the horizon. Politics are getting increasingly divisive as the ruling classes seem unable to understand how their policies are harmful to the majority (which opens the doorway to all sorts of would-be demagogues and saviors).
Given the imminence of the end of the exponential economic growth model, an enormous set of obvious questions emerges: What material preparations should you make? Where should you try and store your wealth and in what forms? Where do you want to live? What skills do you need to develop? Do you know your friends and neighbors well enough to rely on them under a variety of potential circumstances?
Once you’ve worked your way through these questions, a deeper set emerges: What’s your role here on earth while you are alive? Who do you want to be? What mark are do you want to leave on the world? Are you on track to be a wise elder to the younger generation?
The approaching hornets’ nest of crises are truly existential, and therefore evoke a healthy amount of deep questioning, as is right and proper.
The Importance Of Training
To illustrate how stress-testing can dramatically ramp up resilience, increase community bonding, be fun, and be both humbling and inspiring at the same time, let me tell you about our most recent Peak Prosperity skill building event.
Last month, roughly 30 Peak Prosperity members traveled to Pahrump, Nevada for an intensive four-day defensive hand gun training course at Front Sights’ incredible facilities. Here’s a group photo of all of us:
As good as the ranges were, the staff was even better. All the instructors had extensive, mostly military, experience with firearm safety and proficiency, and were extremely hands-on with each of us:
They drilled the basic steps into us, making us practice them over and over again. Loading and unloading. Drawing and reholstering. Squeezing the trigger and then permitting the trigger finger to only travel back far enough to allow the trigger reset. How to clear the four most common malfunction types. We repeated all of these over and over again during the four days.
A main point of all that repetition was that if, god forbid, any of us ever has to actually use a firearm to defend life or limb in the future, we’ll be lucky to recall 50% of our training in the heat of the moment. The other 50% will go right out the window as adrenaline and fear flood our senses.
So what mattered was that everything we did was always the same. This was to build muscle memory. At least we’d have that available to us, to some degree, if ever forced to defend ourselves under stress.
Look, I’ve been a shooting enthusiast for over 30 years and consider myself to be a decent shot with both pistol and rifle. But I learned more in those 4 days about handgun shooting than I had over the past twenty years, which consisted mainly of going to the range and repeating my self-taught habits, some of which I am having a hard time undoing (good grief, could my left elbow please stay by my side and not fly out like a chicken wing?).
Over the four days at Front Sight I watched a very wide range of skills and abilities narrow down to something approaching solid proficiency. People who didn’t know which way to load a bullet into a magazine on Day 1, and who initially repeatedly missed the paper targets from a generous 5 yds, were all smoothly and accurately cycling through the drills on day 4 and reliably putting their shots where they needed to go.
All the reading or lecturing or watching YouTube videos could not have replaced the value we received from ‘real world’ hands-on practice, especially with skilled eyes paying close attention and providing feedback.
Said differently, plans without practicing are essentially worthless. Anything and everything in life that we want to be proficient in has to be practiced. Navy Seals practice, doctors practice, football teams and ballerinas and musicians practice. Everybody who desires to be useful at something has to practice.
Practice, Practice, Practice
That’s one of the most important keys to life.
If you want to be part of our inaugural Resilience Challenge this January, be sure to register or better yet enroll at Peak Prosperity. For those interested, we’ll be providing more guidance on how to participate on the site soon.
Also keep your eye out for more installments of our newly-launched Knowledge Capital Excursions. Odds are high we’ll return for another trip to Front Sight next year. Adam is working on a weekend workshop for Peak Prosperity members at Joel Salatin’s Polyface Farm in Swopes, VA. And we’re working on a few more of these experiential outings in 2019 that should be announced soon.
Bottom line: the world isn’t getting any saner, and there’s certainly a bunch of surprises coming our way in the future.
By practicing and stress-testing your resilience skills now, you’ll be in a much better position to both weather the storms as well as help the many others who are neglecting to get themselves ready.
It’s my view that things are going to get worse before they get better. Maybe a lot worse. We just don’t know yet, but you should be prepared as best you can for whatever’s coming.
So in Part 2: Prudent Steps For Becoming Safer, More Secure & More Mobile I detail out a number of the specific preparations I’m taking in my own life right now in both home and personal security. These are the kind of investments you definitely want to have in place before you need to rely on them in a crisis.
I also address a new mode of preparation that applies to a wide range of potential scenarios. “Going mobile” as a well-stocked, robustly-skilled itinerant may find you lots of open doors should your initial emergency plans not work out. It’s a model worth considering either as a fall-back plan, or perhaps a primary plan for those living in areas unlikely to fare well in adversity.
Click here to read Part 2 of this report (free executive summary, enrollment required for full access)
If you have something that people want or need.
They will kill you for it.
Ever hear about a carjacker going after a 1986 Chevy citation? Ever heard of a thief targeting a plastic Timex watch?
BMW, yes. Rolex, yes. Thieves take.
If you have nothing. They will most likely leave you alone.
That is why cops TARGET white middle class people for tickets. This demographic pays money to thier thief masters,…. politicians.
If an emergency happens in a localized area. The ONLY thing you should focus on is getting the hell out. leave that local event behind you. Do whatever is necessary to get out. Leave EVERYTHING behind. Otherwise you will be targeted for your weapons, and goods/preps. Just Leave. Get out. Leave the insanity and troubles behind. Don’t feel sorry for yourself and don’t look back. Just MOVE it move it move it. All your focus should be getting out. NO MATTER what AUTHORITIES say. No MATTER assurances. The Authorities and Media LIE. Never believe anything they say. Just go, Leave. Do not hesitate.
I left. No one listened to me. Family/Friends Said I paranoid. Still I just go go go. Leave. I live.
Family listened to authorities, politicians, experts. They die.
I left everything. But kept my life.
I miss them. Wish they left stuff and kept life.
Anonymous, that’s good advise.
I realize that being tied to my possessions may very well cost me my life. In the coming months and years I need to preposition more of my preps at my fall back location.
Thats why you NEVER have all your preps in one place. Some at home, some at plan B, some at plan C, some in your vehicles. Fuel storage along the way if you need to travel very far too. Important papers/documents you should bury in a watertight container.
LED ZEPPELIN FANS: THIS IS EPIC! THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT SONG HA HA HA!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upBWWm86PXU
Awsome!
how’d they know, so long ago? great one!
HSN and QVC both sell a file box by Suze Orman (it goes on sale for $81) regularly. It is watertight with a good seal. Basic will / revocable living trust / power of attorney included and she tells people to share the code for those documents (valid in all 50 states) with friends and family.
I didn’t bury mine but it is under my bed, with a flashlight, and I can grab it in the dark.
I always keep a go bag in my SUV. It has good walking shoes, socks, basic tools, water filter, light, some food.
Interesting idea.
There is a guy commenting on this site. He lives in Puerto Rico.
He went a long time( months) without power. He had some good posts.
I’ve only gone for 4 days without power at any one time here in Hawaii, but I had no problems at the time. Cash is King!
I look at it this way, I used to own a 45 foot sailboat that was
set up to easily sail across the Pacific ocean non stop. I set my home(which is my BOL) up to be just as independent. Except with a home I get a garden, animals, and chickens.
Frankly “getting out of dodge” won’t work for me on an island out in the middle of the Pacific, so I dig in.
So many people in here talk about what they have and what they’re gonna do. I don’t think anyone knows what they’re really gonna do till it’s time. One subject rarely discussed is physical fitness. Being healthy and in good condition is, to me, required. I do a 2.5 minute plank, 50 crunches and 30 push-ups every day when I wake up. I usually work a 10 hour day then go to the gym for weights and walk 3 miles. I’m rarely sick and it’s generally a minor cold, I eat pretty well and I sleep like a baby. I take no medications, never have. I’m also 54 years old. I cannot stress enough the importance of physical fitness. There are many people in here and elsewhere that sound like they have survival in the bag in a shtf situation. My question is: have you ever truly been in a shtf situation where you were on your own or with a couple others and only had limited supplies, food and equipment? I have and let me say that it is extremely difficult. Can you keep your composure if you’re being fired upon? Physical fitness is an absolute must.
Panther is 100% correct.
Your lack of physical conditioning can kill you under the chaotic high stress situation of a terrible event.
Get off the couch. Walk daily. Work out at least 20 minutes a day. Eat right.
One major issue is the mindset of “preps, gear, guns.”
All of that may be taken from you. Like Panther stated, I too speak from experience. I have had nothing and under extreme fire. Once everything is gone. All you have is you. And maybe those around you? …sometimes?
Use your wits. Learn. Practice. Get outdoors. Try out that gear. Try doing things with nothing, No gear. No proper clothing. It is enlightening.
Final:
– Do not be attached to your location. Mobility is life.
– Do not hesitate. Leave immediatly in event. Before the paniced herd clogs roadways, airports, train stations, etc.
– Do not be attached to things, gear, guns, material goods. Posessions make you a TARGET. Get you killed.
– Do not be afraid to do without. Do not be afraid of hunger, thirst, cold, heat, the elements. Just learn your thresholds to maintain operational functioning.
– You can start over. With nothing you can start over.
Pray. God will hear.
You are stronger than you bellieve.
Stop worrying, fretting, prepping 24/7. Live life. enjoy the goodness of the Lord’s Creation. This world is beautiful.
Nah. Count me out. I’ve got
My stuff and I’m not going to use it up needlessly on a test.
The kinks will be worked out in real-time.
Ya me too. I’m not letting the food in the fridge go bad and drink warm beer. I KNOW I can go a long time on what I have just here at our house let alone even longer at other locations. Woodstoves are your friend lol. Besides, I know you guys would miss me lol 😛
I agree, Exercises, Drills & Run-thru’s are very important.
You should also simulate medical situations, e.g. a tooth infection, a root abscess – with antibiotic resistant bacteria.
I don’t need to simulate, because of a local dentist’s extraordinary negligence, I had 2 cavities filled on July 17, and have had a root canal on one of them, and now need a root canal on the second.
That tooth abscess has also morphed into a continuing sinus infection.
I have taken Cephalexin, Penicillin, and now, Amoxicilin (which is in the Penicillin family.)
Another question – how can you be prepared for a tooth infection, if you’re not prepared for the pain from that tooth infection ? Using alcohol for treatment of pain might dull the pain, but if you need to be functional WHILE YOU’RE IN PAIN, you need something besides alcohol.
I encourage people to be as self-reliant as possible with their medical care. American “doctors” have proven too many different times, in too many different ways, that they can not be counted on to do anything except drain your bank account.
Because the Amoxicilin upsets my stomach if I take it too late in the day, I have started using Amoxicilin suppositories to deliver the antibiotic.
I hope you all get a good night’s sleep, because you might need it.
Train and field test All your gear now. Work the kinks out in practice. I’m going with a short AR-Pistol 60 Round Mags and a 12g Shotgun with 000 Buck and slugs, and 9mm pistol, for patrol around my place, Got a battle belt, spare side bags with filled spare magazines and don’t forget your camel back you will need hydro. I can break out the full 5.56 if needed and lay down some green tips on moving vehicle threats.
Be the Minute man on your property. Can you get all your battle rattle on and out the door in less than 1 minute? Get it all together. Socks, boots camo fatigues, get it ready to deploy. I just set up a crude back up water catch system for rain water. Top off all your supplies. Guns, Gold n’ Silver, Grub, Gear, Ground, and never enough Ammo.
TSB,
” I just set up a crude back up water catch system for rain water”.
I live on a catchment system. I have 34,000 gallons of storage, filtration, UV sterilization, and a good collection system( in excess of 4000 sf of roofing). My system is not crude, but I always have a good supply of water and I don’t need any government services to get it.
OFF TOPIC: Does anyone here have experience with the Ruger LCP pistol? Do you think it is reliable? They are thin as can be and look like they would be a good ultra light carry weapon.
LCP is good if you have nothing else. Its a close in weapon but I’d rather have a nine. I recently got a Sig 365 which is small but it is in 9mm and can hold 12 rounds. Bigger is better but train with what you have…..even backup guns.
Ya I had a kel-tec P-11 9mm. 10 rounds + 1. The thing is it was small but heavy and too thick for easy concealment with summer clothes. That sig would be too heavy and thick too. Just looking for a real close up unit that is reliable and at least a .380 .
Got one (380) about four years ago. Initially had some feeding problems and had to send it back to Ruger. They did send me a box and postage. They had it for a week and did some work on the feed ramp at no cost and it has been performing flawlessly ever since. I usually carry it on me when I’m outside doing work. I know its not the best round for self defense but it will get me to a better gun if necessary.
I’ve got one and I love it. It is small enough to fit my hand and still have good accuracy.
Genius, I carry the Ruger LC9 pistol every day. I love it. It shoots good and is reliable. I have a Shield 40 cal that I also love but it’s a little too heavy. I wish the Ruger had a few more rounds in it, but I usually carry an extra magazine.
Kimber Micro 9mm great little Pistol.
I stock up on a supplement off amazon called defense plus. And I make my own colloidal silver.
The defense plus twice a day and colloidal silver 4 or 5 times a day if I start to get tooth pain and the pain is gone by the evening. The defense plus is amazing stuff, all natural Vit C, zinc, reishi mushroom, goldenseal and a bunch of other natural antiviral/antibiotic.
I would recommend a few bottles stored at least.
I also have had cellulitus on my calf 4 or 5 times and if I start this regiment right when my leg starts feeling swollen/hot/painful I can stop it in its tracks.
If you haven’t seen this yet, check it out.
Pence: “All-Out Cold War” Coming If China Doesn’t Change Course; “We Won’t Back Down”
h ttps://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-11-14/pence-all-out-cold-war-coming-if-china-doesnt-change-course
Justice:
Relax, a Cold War is no war.
The Cold War with Russia that terrified Americans was largely a hoax. All the time we were sending Russia a massive amount of money to prop up the Communist failure. Sure President Reagan prophesied the collapse of the Soviet Union. He knew when we stopped baling them out, they would sink and collapse.
Theater. All the world’s a stage.
_
Yup and filled with crisis actors lol.
(((the Communist failure)))
Been off the grid now for 44 months now, Solar panels. Just maintain the batteries water levels with distilled water, that’s about it for maintenance. Are you prepared to gut a deer, dress it out for the freezer. No hormones in venison, and wild game. Got my BOL wild Rabbit population growing. Get 40 Lb bags of grain, and put some out every day. You will attract all sorts of wild life.
I actually have over 1000lbs. of grain (got 20- 50lb bags on craigslist for 100 bux). I don’t hunt anymore because I like having the animals around and don’t need to but I was a hunting maniac years ago so ya, I can do that. I could live indefinately at plan B and C. Now I just need to up my supply of sugar to 1000lbs. lol.
Tonight, Central N FL, cold front moving in, going down to 38 Degs tonight. I got my propane heater and a fresh 15 Lb tank to heat up the place if needed. Got blankets out, prepared for winter.. Fire wood chopped about 4 cords
What if yourself to death
Go ahead I dare you
Learning and skills are as valuable as any or all your preps put together.
Everything lost, what could you do?
_
Uhhhh, move on to plan B and C if needed. Many tools stashed there 🙂
will THEY stop the caravans of welfare hordes ?
Or is it vet more lies?
https://youtu.be/uiLY6ZMEm9E
https://youtu.be/V7vqAQJm6sA
Disturbing credible intel about the caravan and copycats from Central and South America and tanks.
i camp with my scouts every month, so i aint gotta spend a EXTRA weekend doing it. and as a merit-badge counselor for first aid, cooking, cycling, and a whole bunch more……i don’t need no stinkin’ trainin’……bring it!
i HIGHLY recommend y’all joining a scouting organization as volunteers, even if you got no kids…..it’s great training.
Boy Scouts of America, a once great organization.
Now failed and morally bankrupt. No thank you. My boys will not be on overnight camp trips with gay men as scout masters.
Then BSA are now allowing girls. Just what I need to be a grandfather because of a camp trip. No thanks.
I offered up a knife some nieghbor kids that was overnighting with BSA. Boys mother knocked on door and said her kids could keep the mess kits I gave them, but not the knives. Because “scouts are not allowed knives. They may cut themselves.” I thought she was joking.
She was not. Scouts not allowed knives. INSANE.
Not sure if that is just local policy or nationwide?
I was a scout. We rappelled, kyaked, and yes we carried knives. ALWAYS.
Times have changed. No my sons will not be around gays overnight or become 14 year old fathers. No thanks BSA. And yes my boys have knives. And yes they take them to school. Along with a lighter, paracord, and a bandana. They are to keep those items on them at all times unless on the baseball or football playing field.
* Boy Scouts of America have lost their way. No!
* NFL have lost their way. We no longer watch. No!.
* StarBucks has lost their way. We no longer use them.
* Public school have lost their way, Private school now.
* Catholic church lost their way. Pope is communist?
* News Media lost their way. Cable cancelled.
* FaceBook- Twitter, thought police. We canceled.
* Republican party lost their way. TRUMP has allowed the invaders in. He didn’t stop them. He lost our vote. Also Trump sent missles on Syria. No. We want Peace.
Lost our vote Trump. You did not do what you were put in office for. You lied. You have failed your promise.