The following article was generously shared with the SHTFplan community by regular contributor ‘Be Informed’ and provides skills that will be essential for surviving any number of catastrophes that may befall us.
Many people nowadays are quite aware that the world they live in is going to the toilet. Aside from the geophysical part that “seems” to be going haywire and could be nothing other than the planet’s cycles, there are plenty of manmade catastrophes that loom on the horizon. Never has the planet had as many people as now and the more people there are the more competition there is for resources. More countries seek nuclear devices than ever before and with advancements in technology this is a much easier process than anytime before. Biological and chemical weapons are also much easier to manufacture because of leaps of technology in regards to computers. Oil markets are much tighter because of the countries of China and India and their increasing need of energy to fuel their booming economies, and new finds of oil fields cannot keep up with the demand. The debacle of the world economies needs no introduction. In short, bad times, really bad times could and probably be coming to a neighborhood near you. Unless you and your family take quite seriously this possibility, if and when something extremely horrible happens, you could very well end up one of the large number of statistics.
Many survival sites have informative and excellent advice on survival that can help you make it through a limited amount of time when everyday life is totally disrupted. However, what exactly does a person do IF the society that almost all of us have become way too dependent on, fails to recover for an extended period of time, if ever again? What IF civilization implodes and only begins to recuperate after centuries have gone by? If you watch some of the ideas people have on survival being interviewed on television, you have to wonder what exactly these people are thinking. The people that have prepared for problems with the world are woefully ready for any disaster lasting for more than a few days at best. One lady thought having a flashlight was being prepared. Even those that have invested in years worth of food and supplies, there are some basic survival skills that need to be learned and understood to better increase one’s chance of making it through a possible long-term survival situation.
The following are 25 suggestions on those survival skills that will likely be needed after a nightmare has hit human civilization with a vengeance. Each of these 25 skills can fill an entire article on learning and teaching of it. So only a brief overlay of each of these will be discussed to avoid pages long descriptions. Further information can be obtained through many survival books and the many articles on each subject. Situations and personal handling of SHTF situations will differ widely, but the foundation will likely be there for almost everyone. The main objective is to get people into learning and practicing these survival skills so when something cataclysmic does happen, they can better deal with and make it through intense human tragedy.
1. Prepare for the worst. Individuals can still hope for the best, but something lacking with many preppers is that they still cannot even think about something really awful happening. Too many of those that do ready themselves for disasters cannot find within themselves to even discuss with their families and friends a calamity that is horrid and what to do if it should manifest itself. This denial leads to a failure of preparing enough beyond usually a couple of weeks or so. To them, there is still that government or other safety net waiting for them when their preparation runs out.
2. Learn and train your mind to expect the totally unexpected. The bizarre oftens happens, and there are events that are going to freak out even some the better prepared survivalists. A lot of people will prepare and practice all sorts of drills for various horrors, which is wonderful training. There still lurks the possibility of something so strange and weird that it shocks practically everyone. By addressing this possiblity in your thoughts before it actually happens, you have conditioned your mind to at least accept this. Training for something strange can be done through other individuals within your circle of allies coming up with sudden scenarioes that only their imaginations can fathom.
3. Learn to live meager. This is practicing for when times become lean for everyone. If a person wants to avoid the shock of living well to living under a rationed way of life, now is the time to get used to it. We all take so much for granted – the modern conveniences – it becomes an automated habit to turn on a light switch, flip on the internet, TV, cell phone, without even considering this could be wiped out within an instant. We open the refrigerator and there is food, or put food already pre-cooked into the microwave to warm it. We go to the supermarket and get what we need. We have entertainment at our fingertips. If this is all gone, how will people handle it? Horribly if they have not gotten used to going without it for at least part of their lives. A “time out” each day from what we so rely on that could disappear is quite helpful to being ready for if it does go away suddenly.
4. Find personal motivators to continue on. When it looks hopeless after a mega SHTF episode, having some concrete reason to fight and continue on is an absolute necessity to avoid giving up. Many people will feel, “what’s the point?”, and just stop trying to survive. Someone’s child sitting next to them, a parent, a sibling, a spouse, a friend, someone that means something to you can be that inspiration to continue on. It can be just someone’s desire for life that helps them over the hump. Finding that personal reason to survive and fight on is so important.
5. Understand the world and potential disasters that await. When you can better expect what could happen, you are less likely to be caught off guard. Timing is everything. An individual that can bug out before something hits is going to be way ahead of the pack. While predicting the future is probably going to be unlikely, seeing a situation developing and acting on it before it occurs can be a life saver. By monitoring the news of the world with vigilance you can see something others don’t. By becoming more informed about earth science if you live in an area prone to geophysical disaster prone areas can help much. The old adage about knowledge is power is very true, but knowledge is also part of survival and the more you have the more likely it is that you will survive.
6. Make plans and stick to them. After a disaster your mind is going to be racing around like a car on a race track. Pre-planning and having a written down set of measures to take will make someone’s life go much smoother when SHTF. Your own personal plan is ONLY what best fits what you are going to do during and after a disaster. People should also have back-up plans, PLAN B and C and D at least because nothing ever seems to go as planned. Haphazard approaches to the aftermaths of catastrophes are kind of like a chicken running around without a head.
7. Understand how you’ll react. Some people just cannot handle stress, they freeze up and panic overwhelms them. Everyone reacts to stress and fear in different ways, and even the most calm in control person can become ballasitic or paralyzed with fright. Addressing this issue before something happens and attempting to come to grips with it is essential. People have remarkable levels of tolerance for bad times and most can dig down and come up mentally with what is necessary to survive. Any phobia or fear is usually better dealt with before being put to the test. A first step is to admit to oneself that these disasters can and do happen and then thinking over, even writing down how one will handle it. Talking this over with another is invaluable.
8. Understand the psychology of desperate people. This is a difficult one. After a SHTF event people are going to, simply put, go crazy. That neighbor that was in control during many minor emergencies may be the one pounding on your door with whacked out eyes demanding what you have because they did not prepare for anything. Someone in your own survival group may just blank out in a zombie-like stare. Unexpected times brings out the worst in people and people should prepare for this possiblility. You yourself could lose it. Again, preparing for this will help should it occur. You always hope that disasters will bring out the best in your fellow person, but often this is not the case.
9. Be clever and inventive. When the world falls apart around someone, there is likely not going to be anyone there to repair what you have or somewhere to replace it. You will either have to go without, repair it yourself, or jerry rig up some contraption that will function for you. Much can be learned by practicing going without your power tools and fixing things using only hand tools and what you can find in spare parts laying around. Using junk to come up with unique devices that work for you will become a necessary skill you will need to master should society fail to come back.
10. Learn and condition yourself into a survival mentality. Homeless people become experts at seeing what others consider pure trash as survival tools. The fine art of scrounging around will become a chore that people will have to do to find what they need. That bottle on the ground after a disaster can be used for many purposes including collecting something you can use. People must first try to see in their minds what certain items can have use for them. Homeless people have become quite good at this during stable times, everyone will have to learn this skill after times become nightmare-like.
11. Know where you are going. Whether someone is going to bug in or bug out to somewhere safer, they need to know where they plan to take a stand and stay. Transportation is a very important issue to consider and how much of what they have can be moved to where they are planning to go. Fuel will be a huge consideration as the lack of it prohibits how far someone can go. Something else everyone should understand is how to read maps. You will likely not have any GPS system to guide you and the good old fashioned paper map may be the only way to show you where you are going. Understanding topographic maps is also key here.
12. Learn how to maintain light at night. One of the most depressing situations is to spend night in near to total darkness. Besides this, not being able to see at night is dangerous. Learning how to make candles and wicks should be a skill to consider learning. Fats and other oils will burn and can be obtained throughout nature and the outdoors. Long term solar battery rechargers for flashlights and LED battery powered lanterns are another option.
13. Learn how to hide. There will almost certainly come a time after a bad disaster that you will want to avoid being noticed at all. Learning how to camouflage yourself is a good start. Avoiding detection is concealing yourself from sight, sound, and smell from others. Any activity that a person engages in can be magnified many times when the normal sounds of a busy city or town are now quiet. Much careful consideration must go into taking this into account if a person wants to remain unbeknownst to others that mean them harm. Remaining inconspicuous can be difficult in some cases, but it can be done.
14. Maintain proper hygiene. This is one of the top priorities within the armed forces because disease and sickness can and do take down the toughest of soldiers. People must realize that after a terrible disaster it is not like someone that goes camping, comes back dirty, and takes a nice long shower or a hot bath. After SHTF the water to the faucets, as well the hot water heater, may not work. Bathing on at least a semi-regular basis is necessary to avoid all sorts of bacteria from building up on the skin and causing a variety of health concerning ailments that will then have to be treated. People should plan on just how they will keep themselves clean, even thinking about sponge baths as an option.
15. How to dispose of waste and proper sanitation. In third world countries and the pre-flush toilet era one of the leading causes of illness and death was and is waste not properly discarded. If the toilets won’t flush because there is no water to make them work, human waste is going to be a huge whopping problem for people trying to survive. Even improperly burying human excrement can lead to disease. Portable toilets, toilet paper and disinfection (bleach for one) should be one of the top items in any survival kit, lots of it. Also disposal of other trash is an issue that can bring hungry dangerous animals around drawn to the stench. Burning of trash can be choice of some, while plastic trash bags and the means to find some place to dump them is another alternative.
16. Learn to control pest and other vermin. This is a problem that led to about half of Europe dying several hundred years ago with the black death. Fleas and ticks carry some terrible diseases. Even people that stay inside their own homes will have to deal with this problem. People outside will have to contend with the fleas, ticks, flies, mosquitoes, mice, rats, etc., etc., etc. There are many repellents in nature that can help a lot such as citronella, even the smell of garlic that most vermin do not like much at all. Stocking up on insect and other commercial repellents is always an excellent idea. It only takes one bite to make a person deathly sick.
17. Understand radiation and fallout and how to protect yourself. This is one of the least understood of the survival precautions taken. There are hundreds of nuclear power plants that could fail after the world goes to the toilet. There are still tens of thousands of nuclear weapons available for war should countries decide to use them. Fallout is something that you might not even see and until you are sick might not even know you have been contaminated. Purchase of a radiation detector that is protected against EMP is a wise idea. Even building what is called a Kearny radiation detector is something someone can do that doesn’t have much money to work with. Understanding about radiation accumulation dosage RAD’s and how to shield oneself against it is paramount.
18. Learn how to forecast the weather. Without knowledge of what to look at before a storm system comes in, someone could be trapped and die when they are are buried under snow or a wall of water from a flashflood. Even one of those pocket weather forecasters that can be purchased at most sporting goods stores is a good start. Other weather forecasting books are available to help someone get a better idea on what the future weather holds for an area that they are at. Weather is still one of the deadliest killers in the modern age. It will become magnitudes worst when people cannot get weather warnings over a radio or other source. People will have to forecast it themselves.
19. Learn first aid. Treating yourself and or others will probably be the only thing someone can do as medical professionals are going to be few and far between. Many places offer free classes on first aid because they want people in the community to be prepared. A good first aid book along with a first aid kit is something every household should have before, during, and after a disaster. Primitive conditions should be expected when anyone is helping someone after a catastrophe. A stockpile of antibiotics are always a good idea. Even acquring the skill of making your own antibiotics can save lives as infection is something that will become an epidemic, especially with minor cuts and abrasives that are sure to be plenty.
20. Learn about nutrition. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies are nothing to fool around with. Just look what scurvy, the lack of Vitamin C, can do to someone. Many survivalists and preppers make the critical mistake of only being concerned about calories to keep them going. Vitamins; A, B1 through B12, C. D, E, K, Minerals; Calcium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorus, Potassium, Selenium, Zinc, and trace minerals are necessary to keep a body going. Many survival foods have some of what your body needs, but sadly lack in others. Each person needs different amounts and any survival food supply should take this need as important as the food itself. Vitamin and mineral supplements should be stocked with food if someone is unsure about what they are getting. Trace mineral drops are a liquid that offers much and are a good addition to any emergency supply someone has.
21. Learn to keep body temperature uniform. The Goldilocks analogy here, not too hot, nor too cold, but just right. Your physical body should remain as near to what your body has been use to as possible. It is not only uncomfortable being freezing cold or roasting to death, it puts a lot of stress on the body making someone more susceptible to becoming sick. Trying to stay cool uses up a lot of water, and trying to stay warm uses up more calories. Plan ahead with good warm clothes and blankets for the cold. Find places that are cooler during hot weather. Keeping out the elements where you are is essential and should be given much thought. If living outside, having a good shelter is beyond important. Insulation is something everyone should become more familiar with.
22. How to start and maintain a fire. This is for everyone. Having a fire and keeping it going when you need to has been the essence to the very first people on the planet surviving. Fire cooks, heats water, keeps you warm, sterilizes items, and gives light. Having a lighter, matches, any starter is one thing, but actually keeping the fire going is another. Making sure the fire does not cause damage to your home or shelter is something not everyone thinks about. Burning of toxic wood or other material is something to remember never to do. Keeping a fire not too noticable to others is something everyone should remember because normally a fire means FOOD to a hungry person. While most everyone thinks that using a fire is rudimentry, there is much more to it.
23. Obtain water and purify it. This is one of the most rehashed subjects of survival but probably the most important one. Most people just assume the taps will continue to flow and water will be there. Preppers that take water as extremely urgent often forget just how heavy water is and the hauling of water back and forth from a source such as a stream can be difficult as well as hazardous if it is wiser to stay inside for whatever reason. People need to know that unless water is from a spring it will likely need to be purified and this means some reliable filters or boiling it which requires heat from a fire, along with pots to boil it in. Aside from drinking, water is also needed to rehydrate food, make milk from powder, and of course cleaning yourself with. We all have to have a certain amount of liquid a day, and juice and other sources will suffice, but water is something that everyone still needs in order to keep their bodies healthy and functioning, as well as to remove toxins in the body. Water need and how much water will be used is something that is often vastly underestimated by many.
24. Learn how to grow food and or find it. People’s supplies will only last so long, and eventually self sufficiency with acquiring food will become necessary. Many people are into seed storing, and in many cases growing your own food will feed the family. However growing food has many drawbacks that people need to look at. Water is an issue in dry areas as irrigation is very manpower or animal power dependent. Growing season is a huge consideration as most of the U.S. is under 300 days of rain a year. Pest problems are enormous as pest control, pesticides both natural herbicides and chemical, are not going to be readily available. One of the gravest things to contemplate about is actually guarding your yield, as two legged problems could be a bigger issue to your crops than some beetle infestation. Hungry people will see food growing and take it, 24 hours a day. No one can grow enough food to feed all those seeking food. From a practical sense, it might be a better idea for some to go the hunter and gathering approach.
25. Learn how to defend yourself and be willing to do it. This almost certainly means owning a firearm and knowing how to use it and be willing to use it to protect yourself or others. Many TV survival documentaries shows have people that feel they can defend themselves with knives, clubs, whatever, but in reality against someone else with a firearm they are going to lose 95%+ of the time. A firearm is an extension of a weapon that has speed and force behind it. Even the humble .22 caliber can stop any person. Many people think that they cannot use a firearm against another person, but this feeling changes abruptly when they see one of their family members at risk. Some people still cannot use a firearm, and in this case should consider some form of self defense such as the non-lethal devices including stun batons, pepper sprays, TASERS, even ball bats. NO ONE should ever consider themselves to be safe after a SHTF event, NEVER. People can feel that everyone will come together and rebuild society, many good people will, but there are plenty of bad people in this world. It may come down to you or them. Everyone needs to practice and practice with any self defense armament they have, so there is no hestiation when it comes to saving one’s life from someone that is willing to take yours.
These are 25 suggestions that people need to address now, before trying to survive the aftermath of a horrible event that sends the normalcy that everyone has become accustomed to down the drain for extended periods of time. People that prepare have to realize that when civilization stops functioning so does everything that most of us depend on. There may never be that safety net there for us to fall into WHEN our stocked up survival supplies run dry. Much of survival is having supplies, as well as backups for when food, water, and other necessities cannot be found. The other part is being ready for everything our new life could throw in our way. For this we all need to learn survival skills. At least think about it and then hopefully act upon it. When someone thinks about their personal needs, an individual can probably add many more survival skills to these 25. They should become quite proficient with the skills they presonally need and can use NOW before SHTF so they have a better chance of surviving some nightmare series of events that “seem” like an inevitability in the not too near distant future.
Great article…
Yes, great article. A great deal of research has to be done by most of us. #22 regarding fire appealed to me a great deal. Over the summer I taught my son a little about survival. For his first lesson we started fires using a magnifying glass and the sun. He got good at it. He said it was very empowering. Then we dug up some worms, caught a fish, chopped some wood, started a fire and had dinner. It was empowering.
SilverFox, I enjoy and appreciate the survival tips from this article and the many tips we all share with each other (SHTF website is like a class room). I applaud you Silver teaching your son and would like to add something.
One survival skill that we all need to learn or empart is profilling/body language. Because when the SHTF, even in battles, people act differently than they’ve been trained. Some times our own family and friends can and will become our enemies or biggest dangers to us. Teach your son some of the signs to look for in people to be on gaurd/alarmed about. We share this info with many women quite often where I’m at.
Stay in his grace.
Thank you so much for all you do to keep us informed. I shared this on my site. Blessings and may peace be with you. 🙂
Something no one ever has on the list especially a bugout bag good boots or extra shoes, how far you going to get without good boots and where you going to buy new ones.
excellent piece
I’m glad it gets into some of the psychological aspects
that is a very neglected subject
I especially like #3
understand the difference between your needs and your wants
Totally agree on the great article.
Also, #3 is great. But you have to start prepping your family (esp if you have kids) now to realize they won’t have these wants when the SHTF.
Satori, I agree about needs vs wants. My generation and younger have the two confused and get used to “having it all” over the years incl. me. Even several decades back we didn’t have the things that exist today: computers, many restaurants and consumer goods. Many are spoiled and no telling what they’d do if things were cut off. I encourage others to downsize, get rid or sell unneeded items and get back to basics. It takes time and I’m doing this.
Great article! This gives me alot to think about. I plan to forward this on to friends and family.
Better yet, store a year’s supply of water in your basement like I did. It’s going to be dangerous to even be outside after it hits the fan. You’re not going to be safe walking two miles to and from a place where you can find water.
How much water did you store for two years? I am right now in the process of water storage. I figure I’d need a bunch of water for cooking my beans, rice, pasta and what not as well as for drinking and the occasional bath.
I have 1500 gallons for 4 people. Based on one gallon per person per day. That should be enough for drinking, cooking, and cleaning. You’ll have to take sponge baths. Water will be way too scarce to fill a tub and soak in it.
Also consider building a rainwater catchment system of some sort. That’s actually my next big project as I can use it to water my garden in normal times and avoid the high water utility rates where I live. My plan is to use 6 55 gallon food grade plastic barrels for three gutters. I’ll set it up so that the overflow from the first runs in series to a second. Both barrels will have spigots on them and allow me to irrigate with them. I am also considering plumbing in an efficient irrigation system to my garden with a movable pump. An interesting fact is that 1 inch of rainfall on a 1,000 square foot roof will produce over 500 gallons of water! Just be careful of the kind of roof you catch from. Galvanized steel roofs are made with zinc, which is toxic in humans in moderate doses. If you choose to drink from these barrels it may be advisable to build a still through which you can purify it. (Then again, that also raises the question of whether or not to treat the water before watering your crops with it.)
Winston, excellent input. Thank you.
Actually, your numbers are wrong. Assuming a 1000 square foot roof (which would have to be the equivalent of 80 x 125) with an inch of water, that’s 12,000 cubic inches of water divided by 231 cubic inches per gallon equals about 52 gallons.
I’m not sure if a garden is worth the effort until some time after the collapse. Hungry people would take your food even if it wasn’t ready to be picked yet.
I’m also not sure if I want an outside water collection system. People would notice it and that would make me a target.
WRong Redo Your Math…….
1000 sq ft is 20 x 50 =1000 sq ft 80 x 125=10,131 where your numbers coming from?
Actually your wrong. Its1000 x 144 cubic inches.Multiply your result by12 and your over600 gals per inch
I suspect most everyone who hangs out here is on board…It’s the “others” that will be infringing on our “clarity, purpose and fortitude”.
Isn’t that really our largest stumbling block?
I am amazed at how many sheeple are aware something bad is probably on the horizon, but do nothing to prepare.
European American: That is way it is soooooo important to enlighten your neighbors to start prepping.
It doesn’t have to be the dooms-day prepping, but prepping for a few days without electricity.
That happpens in most neighborhoods. Just get some of your friends together and make plans to help each other out during this time. And start stocking up on what you might need if there were no electricity.
After that, you can use events that fill the headlines across the country to prep even more.
God bless and keep on prepping.
You should be prepping for a complete economic collapse. That’s what’s coming. I’ve told relatives, friends, and people I know from church. Nobody else is prepping. They all think it’s nuts. I can’t prep for everyone.
So the wife (who kinda thinks I’m a little nuts, but appreciates my preps), moseys in the the “barn” with the next door neighbor. Here’s what he’s up to now. Oh,great. I try to tell wifey how and why, butif I get to specific, she thinks I’m even more nuts. I’m thinking, how do i get the neighbors on board, so I don’t have to, well, you know, when tshtf. So I kinda say it’s just insurance, ck out this website (martensen), etc,etc.
Later that day, neighbor’s hubby comes over, and starts spilling the beans, he’s been prepping for a year, stocking his 5th wheel camper on the sly because his wife would think he’s nuts. Needless to say, what a relief. We discussed working our way around the cul-de-sac.
Our little community is about 35 homes, and we like to respect our privacy. That being said, I like these folks, and would like to see them “get it”. It is a challange.
Sweet, thanks.
very good article and food for thought…
In the bible it says when East Jerusalem is taken by force, that leads to the SHTF. http://www.thetrumpet.com Thanks for another great article
Another reason to visit this site….
Tip ‘o the hat to informed and Mac!
An in-depth article on outdoor plumbing would a great idea,no?
Best to All
GFG
P.S.
Anyone have a site they can recommend that carries iodine(for the Radiation) or pink eye(something that ACTUALLY works!).
GFG
You want potassium iodide for radiation. It is not a magic bullet though. You can find it anywhere even on Amazon.
I wouldn’t see why you couldn’t use pinkeye medicine made for calves, for people. Any farm store should have it.
I also keep a couple cans of the blood clotting powder made for dehorning around. It will stop all but the worst of cuts/holes from bleeding, has some antimicrobial action and keeps the bugs away and is very cheap compared to the blood clot kits available.
countryboyseein:
Many thanks for the info on the eye stuff.Duly noted.I figured as much,but was uncertain what to look for.May the fish keep biting in your ponds this year.
All the best!
GFG
in an emergency, you can pack plain white flour on a severe cut and it will clot it, also keep crazy glue to stitch up a cut or small wound.
I work with sheet metal, super glue is a must have!
Good, cheap blood clotter: cayenne pepper.
Eat kelp for radiation, and use plantain(the common plant, not the banana relative) for pink eye. A knowledge of local herbal medicine should have been #1 on this list.
Just bring it on already!!
Greetings,
As a young boy, my father and his Vietnam era friends never hesitated to remind me that if I ever found myself in the presence of someone that actually wanted to go to war that I should know that I was “talking to an idiot”.
Coming from a family that witnessed first hand many of the horrors of the 20th Century, I am in no hurry to see the collapse of society and what that brings with it.
Having worked in the O.R. in a county Hospital for 7 years, and having to repair the destruction from the “Sturday Night Knife and Gun Club” meetings, I can only agree with you.
On the other hand, the quickest way for Evil to triumph is for good men to bo nothing.
I am a veteran and understand what NickelthroweR means and I agree. However, in defense of the Realist I will add this: The longer the decline takes place, the more devalued the dollar becomes and the higher inflation goes. Many people are barely hanging on now and an exaggerated decline will force many under who may be able to weather the storm now. I fear those numbers are going increase rapidly. We are gradually getting weaker and I too, would rather that the storm come while I am able to deal with it effectively, than in a weakened state.
Yo NickelthroweR –
It’s only the “three-beer-commandos” and other assorted “armchair-warriors” who ever express any sincere desire to see/experience a total collapse of society. If I could just keep experiencing great days like the one I’ve just experienced, from now until the nineteenth of next never, it would be A-OK with me.
Life, ya gotta love it. If they were charging to see the show, then we poor folks couldn’t afford the price of the tickets. As it is, we get to watch and perhaps even participate for free.
I don’t want the collapse to happen but I know it’s coming. I want it to happen before things get so bad I have to eat all my stored food. I don’t want to get in such a financial mess that I have to sell my guns. And with the economy so bad I don’t want to have to declare bankruptcy and have to list my preps as assets.
Great read, it’s no longer a question of “if?” it’s now “when?”
My parents have put me in charge of prepping for the entire family, food storage, medical supplies, guns, everything. I’ve learned it’s not easy. Skeptical family and friends doesn’t help. Any ideas to convince them?
No you cant change what people believe in, take care of your family and give them min. they will eventually turn on you or burn your place down trust me. when you think your best friends and family will be there it all changes in life and death. after a collapse tell them here this is all I can give you a good luck and cut the chain unless you can still remain ok. its going to be hard just for your family to survive start adding others and it could get worse. im 39 and the thing i learned over the years is tell your friends less. the more they know the more they can use it against you and they do. whoever you think you can trust turn in situations that benefit them. I would not be telling them anything and stop bringing it up. what else do you other older people think for this person? that is my opinion and not right or wrong but my opinion J cookies
Trust is a virtue. Trust yourself. Trust your instincts and intuition. You must trust someone at some point in time. It’s good to build trust relationships. That will be necessary regardless of what kind of collapse we experience. A good question to ask is “Does this person have a just NEED TO KNOW a certain piece of personal information?” It’s easy to be loose with information but it really needs to be handled on a “need to know” basis.
The scoffers are many. My own family members are so caught up in their day to day worldly shit, they can’t even slow down long enough to prepare for One month into the future, much less One year. they think I’m an extremist and talking depressing things. They will be the first ones to come running down my driveway when SHTF. I’ll deal with that on a one-on-one basis. The ones that have stabbed me in the back will have a tough time of getting any portion of my preps. Their young children will be OK and I’ll see to it. The sorry asses will have a lot of back breaking work ahead of them. This list of things is good info to post on the refrigerator as a daily reminder. I, personally, would have # 23 at the top of my list. You won’t survive long without clean, purified water. I look into the recycling bins every week for one gallon or smaller glass jugs. The wine jugs with screw on lids make for good water storage containers. The plastic containers are Ok if they are approved for potable water, but I prefer glass. Distilled water in clean glass containers will hold indefinitely. If you are in a situation were you need to bury your supply of water underground, use plastic lids. The metal ones will eventually rust thru in a damp environment. Dried meat, “jerky” will sustain a person for a long time; with clean drinking water. If you are hard core vegetarian, dried fruits and veggies will get you thru. We tried dehydrating some squash last year, just to see. It cooked up quite tasty, just a little chewy. Some chewy is better than no chewey.
wear ’em down a little at a time
progress may be slow
I had family members recently mention
that they now keep ” a good supply of canned goods just in case”
another asked me the best type of water filter to have
another was asking about the best weapons to have
I was over to visit a sibling recently and saw a new camp stove
(they dont camp)
none have turned into major preppers YET
but its a matter of time
one article that did have an effect was When the Truck Stops America Stops
that one hit home for some reason
Here are some youtube videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2N8gJSMoOJc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nI-BIVWlc7A
The first one is, “The Day the Dollar Died”
The second one is, “The End of America”
I’ll throw in my two cents. I like to ask the skeptics.
Do you wear a seatbelt in your car? A. Yes.
Do you have a fire extinguisher in the kitchen? A. Yes. Do you have a gun? A. Yes.
Do you have life insurance? A. Yes.
Do you have a will? A. Yes.
Then say, so, even though most of these are unlikely, you will prep for an accident, a fire, an intruder, and death but you won’t prep for an interruption in the food supply.
Why?
SF, great approach. I’ve used a variant of what you’ve said with good results.
For the past couple of years, my son has been telling his frinds to start prepping because the s is going to htf.
They went out and bought lots of guns and ammo with the idea that they would just TAKE what they need. Ha! Ha!
Son has been transporting all his preps up to our homestead where he will be bugging out to. Yes! He will leave his friends to survive the best way they can.
Always have a back up plan to go with your back up plan.
It is best not to frustrate your self further by attempting to force others to see the future needs of your family your way. There are many reasons why people who are normally in tune to things and events around them now are looking like they have their heads in the sand. But all may be summed up with one word. Denial, So all you can do is research how the nearing events will most greatly effect their greatest interest and appeal to that interest. Unfortunately as a believer in Christ, I see a great many unprepared Christians betting on the hope that they will be spared the coming disaster by being caught up with the Lord. To this I suggest the opposite. verses such as Rev.3:10 tell us that those how persevere through the coming trial will be spared from having to face the woes of the tribulation. Those woes start well into the Trumpet judgments. This could clearly to taken to mean that the church must persevere through the Seal judgments.
If you would like more details along these lines, you can read them on my face book page or email me and I will send them to you.
Dan Sherwood [email protected]
I think that many will try to be nice to you to try and lure you in and get your stuff or draw you in and take you out. be aware of this and your surroundings at all times. expect the unexpected always!! dont get too comfortable and always have a doubt if it doesnt feel right or a situation is a bit strange to you.
Great article this ia a keeper.
I like the point about light. Most folks just don’t know how dark ‘dark’ is because they’ve never been too far from an electrical outlet. I bought a few solar battery chargers the other day and a bunch of rechargeable AA and AAA batteries for the LED flashlights. Sanyo Eneloop are the highest rated, if you care to know.
As far as sanitation goes, I plan on converting my socialist neighbor’s domicile into a giant outhouse.
Time for a bourbon,
Mal
What brand? I like George Dickel #12 Tennessee Whisky.
I’ve heard that’s a fine whisky. (Dickel preferred the Scottish spelling, right?) Unfortunately, it’s not easily available in my neck of the woods. My ‘everyday’ bourbon is usually a bottle of Knob Creek.
If my wife only takes 1/2 the money from my wallet, I’ll snag a bottle of Woodford Reserve or Four Roses. If I’m really lucky (once or twice a year), the wife can’t find my wallet at all, and I’ll splurge on a bottle of Booker’s.
Mal
Knob is super, so is Maker’s Mark. If you like Scotch “White Horse” brand, which has been around since forever, is a great buy at $20 a liter. Better than many single malts at 1/2 the price.
Try Makers Mark.
Try to stay away from anything made by, or distributed by the Seagrams families. They are part of the controlling elitest and illuminati. I think they sold their “mixers” division to Coca-Cola, but the distillery part ???? For some reason people think Crown Royal is so danged special. When I was younger and entertained a lot, I kept a half gallon jug of Crown sitting on the bar. Very impressive to the ladies and I offered it freely. For over a fifteen year period not one person (and there were many) never realized what they were drinking was the cheaper Seagrams VO. LOL. Before those days, in the 70’s, when my expendable income was limited, I suffered thru many a hangover from 7 and 7.
Feels good to know I am doing nearly all of these things. I recommend the book “On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society” – Lt. Col. Dave Grossman
I was not in the Military but this book could help you ready yourself for the Psychological trauma of the Worst case scenario. I hope it never happens but God help the fool that tries to “F*ck” with me and my family…
Quite possibly the best article I have read here Mac. Hat tip. Also explains why I am not worried much. Having been in the military an avid hunter trapper farmer and fisherman Raised 5 kids and been poor most my life almost every one of those can be checked off. I do most definitely need to work on the radiation detection though. Goodness If I wasn’t so doggone private and paranoid myself I would be giving classes. Luck and blessings to us all we are going to need all we can get.
Boron is also useful to cope with increased radiation (not borax as that is for cleaning).
lost one liked what you said, you mean it too I can tell, but sometimes I think I dont wanna know the radiation levels in the area, 1. yes it would be good to know if you are in a hot area or not which is important if you have to move 2. But on the other hand if I dont know the radiation It will have me worry a lot less and what im getting at if we are exposed to a slightly higher level but moderate dangerous, sometimes the body resists and heals and sometimes changes cells permanately, but Id like to not know so I wouldnt worry so much, id be checking levels all the time and it would drive me nuts so I may not want to know, that is all im saying. For a lot of you this is off topic but yes water is so important and you can live a long time with it and scrapes of food. And get a 12 gauge for home defense for amatures, you will hit your target and do good damage. if you got someone in your home and kick in the foor with a ar-15 that will go thru most level 3 vests without plates but soft armor, so you want to take that threat out fast and a shotgun would be a better choice for most with buckshot. Have mulitple guns ready and loaded in muliple rooms in case you have to pull back or run out of ammo. rollplay different threats with muliple attackers to get a feel for it. because many will freeze if there door goes flying open you will be in shock and hesitate and the guy with the gun will be already shooting.
“””””because many will freeze if there door goes flying open you will be in shock and hesitate and the guy with the gun will be already shooting”””””
First order of business, replace all exterior doors now and make sure they will not fly open,
make sure that no windows can be broke into without making a lot of noise
A bougainvillea bush is great for under windows. Drout resistant and the thorns are murder.
I live in central Florida and have Cactus’s under my windows.
What is frustrating to me is when I broach the subject of preparing with friends and family members. They are clueless. They know ‘something’ is wrong, but do not conclude that they need to prepare. I told one close friend recently that I wanted him to go to the supermarket and buy a couple hundred dollars worth of canned food, rice, beans and pasta. Canned soup. Spam. He said he doesn’t like Spam. I pointed out to him how vulnerable the shipping system is, the time to buy isnow when the shelves are full, and said if he is hungry enough, Spam will be delicious. I have also told a few friends that failure to prepare on their part will not constitute an emergency on my part.
I’ve tried speaking with folks for years on survival topics and found that #1 They think you’re crazy and #2 They all would rather come mooch off my stuff. Oh, and #3 They think that you are crazy.
Best to keep a low profile and stop caring so much for others, as cold as that may be.
the book THE JAKARTA PANDEMIC
deals with the issue of how one family who was prepared
dealt with neighbors who were not
http://jakartapandemic.com/
and the book STACY’S QUEST
also shows very vividly what happens to a typical suburban family
and how they react when an EMP hits and they dont have so much as a spare can of soup in the pantry
tell him that the Russians and Germans didn’t like making soup out of old shoe leather and old dried wall paper paste off the walls during WW2 either, but many did and lived on it. many people who are used to lobster and pheasent under glass now will be fighting over a piece of road kill after TSHsTF.
Awesome article! Great advice. Thanks for sharing it Mac. Thanks Be Informed!
#26 must know crucial knowledge… how to go poo #2 safely!
learn how to properly take a dump , wipe your butt without t.p. , down side of flow away from your water sources and shelters safely!!!
~NinaO
p.s. remember rule #1 maintain at all times 98.6 degree’s and hydrate!
How Long Can You Tread Water?
http://www.survivalblog.com/2010/07/how_long_can_you_tread_water_b.html
another classic post that will endure the test of time
Very good to a point. I’ve been in many hurricanes, which will scare the crap out of you, but we are looking at is beyond anything most of us have ever been thru.
Who’s been in a riot, or seen massive looting except on TV? Could I shoot and eat my neighbor’s dog, or refuse feeding his kids? Do I hoard my meds, or do the “Christian thing” and help heal others? Having never stolen anything in my life, could I steal food, or will I just give up and die in place?
Auntie Commie,
All things in the world are two. In our minds we are two, good and evil. With our eyes we see two things, things that are fair and things that are ugly…. We have the right hand that strikes and makes for evil, and we have the left hand full of kindness, near the heart. One foot may lead us to an evil way, the other foot may lead us to a good. So are all things two, all two. -Mourning Dove Salish
I believe we all know in our heart whether we are performing good or evil. Your questions are personal to you and you must eventually come up with the answers that you can live with, and die with.
A Mother bear will tear apart anything that she feels is threatening to her cubs, that instinct is still in most of us, sometimes hidden. She is always alert and on guard, however she does not look for trouble, she simply wants to care for her young and be left alone. We can learn much from the animals.
I have to agree with you there, Ohcumgache! My two little cubs are more precious than life itself, and I would fight fiercely for them and if necessary, lay my life down for theirs. I think we are given children as a gift to understand (just the tiniest bit, through a glass darkly) how God feels about us, how much we are loved, however unreasonable we may be, and how we have the capacity to break His heart.
I prepare for them…to protect them, and so I do not have to make the monstrous, horrifyingly sinful decision to take food from another mother’s baby. I am, after all, a Christian and not a predator.
Well said Mama Bear.
As for flashlights, you might think about the wind-up kind. Good lights and no batteries. Walmart, 10 bucks
Great idea Bam, I have a couple of those with radios attached.
The Westing House brand of solar outside lights (4 pack) have a NiCad AA Battery in them, in a pinch they make a fine light source and of course are rechargable.
Number 17#
Two site addresses:
(www.ki4u.com/free_book/)
All you need to know and wish you didn’t have to,
the links on the left offer info on every topic.
(www.ki4u.com/kfm.htm)
How to build your own fall out meter.
There you go NinaO,
Always helpin’
Y’all Beware! Good dump instructions!!
Here’s another:
A teacher asked her 6th grade class how many of them were Obama fans. Not really knowing what an Obama fan is, but wanting to be liked by the teacher, all the kids raised their hands except for Little Johnny. The teacher asked Little Johnny why he has decided to be different… again. Little Johnny said, “Because I’m not an Obama fan.”
The teacher asked, “Why aren’t you a fan of Obama?” Johnny said, “Because I’m a Republican.” The teacher asked him why he’s a Republican. Little Johnny answered, “Well, my Mom’s a Republican, and my Dad’s a Republican, so I’m a Republican.”
Annoyed by this answer, the teacher asked, “If your mom was a moron and your dad was an idiot, what would that make you?” With a big smile, Little Johnny replied, “That would make me an Obama fan.”
;0) Bwaaaaaahahaha Nice @y’all beware! That’s some funny sheeit right there!
“Lil’ Johnny for President 2012!
Do not get caught up with the false Left/Right deception.It’s not an issue of one,but a collaboration of many.Sock puppet replaced by another sock puppet.And as Gov of a state in New England,he banned semi auto rifles,yr 2004.Garbage In/Garbage Out.
I agree 10mm, but it was still funny admit it!
Just told that joke to the wife and she loved it! I am so stealing it and using it. Peace
Satori ,
Excellent – thanks for the link.
Y’all Beware!
Probably one of the best articles yet. As far as family members go, I’m planning for them as part of my own preps. I’m working on geting them to plan ahead, but they are still in their own world. I don’t talk to people anymore about prepping. When “it” all goes down, these people will remember the person who tried to get them to prep. Just look out for as few people as necessary. I plan to help my immediate neighbors, as I feel I need them for my own security. we have known each other for over 30 years.
One thing I think we all need to do, is try to better our critical thinking skills. learn to think on your feet, and act on common sense, and not so much on emotion. That will be difficult as we watch everything we thought was “forever”, go sour. I am trying to prepare myself mentally for the time when”nothing is ever going to be the same again, in our lifetime. I know without a shadow of a doubt, that this event is coming, in one form or another.
At some time in the near future, we will all wake up one day, and there will be a collective “oh s__t moment. From that day foward, our lives will revolve around the preps we make today. From that day foward, there will be no “do overs”, no second chances, no, “I think I’ll do that tomorrow”. Just the bone chilling fact of knowing that what you got, is what you got, maybe for a long time. And the biggest tasks in your life will be, how to make your stuff last the longest, and how to keep others from taking what you had the foresight to put away.
For me, this idea of nothing being the same as it has been, is going to be one of the hardest things to deal with. Anyone else feel the same way???
Fortunately mine live at least 50 miles away and are not nearly resourceful enough to get to me.
I know how you feel. It’s easy to have the “short-term” mentality because for most of us, disasters and weather events have always been exactly that, short-term. I’ve been through blizzards that took out the power for days but it always came back. When shtf, as we all think it’s going to, it’s going to be a long-term, maybe forever event. Part of my prepping has been to mentally and emotionally “see” the world as we know it as gone and not coming back. Not easy to do but almost as necessary and water, fire and food. Yesterday when I was driving home from work I came to an intersection that I drive through at least twice a day. In my mind, in a flash, I could see it gone; no people, no lights, only broken buildings, rubble and desolation. I only talk to a few people about prepping because most people don’t understand and many don’t want to survive in a world they no longer recognize. I think we just have to keep doing what we’ve all been doing – getting ready for what is coming – but maybe with a bit more urgency. This site and the people here make it a bit easier, knowing there is a community of like-minded people I can share with.
#26 Learn to rack that 12 gauge shotgun just right… the more indimidating the sound, the more likely the bad guys are to run away.
With spring here people can now really go out and get really cheap survival related items at GARAGE SALES. It is amazing all the good stuff that people sell for a small fraction of what they worth because they just don’t see the value of them. Auctions are always a good place to find survival items. Just because it is a garage sale doesn’t mean it is not in good or brand new condition for fantastic deals.
The following are some suggestions of what to look for:
– candles and candle holders, these usualy go quite cheap
– plastic storage bins, to keep items dry and clean
– blankets, even worn out can be use in SHTF event
– cookware- pots, pans, prefer more heavy duty metal
– manual hand grinders, many uses
– hand sewing equipment, especially threads
– clothes, warm jackets, rain gear, camouflage,
– hand tools, a popular item even for non survival times
– books, maps, anything to increase your surival know how
– cleaning equipment, wash boards, scrubbers
– eating utensils, can be only used for survival times
– water holders, anything clean to hold water, canteens, large durable barrels
– rope, chain, parachute cord, anything strong
– grooming material, scissors, mirrors, fine tweezers,
– sun protection, hats, sunglasses, etc.
– shelving, this used for storing food, often sold cheap
– automobile care items, everything to keep your car running as long as possible
– entertainment, board games, whatever to help keep down boredom when everything is gone we are use to
– tarps that are not torn or damaged, many, many uses
– weather related, umbrellas, snow shovels, ice breakers, anything to make it easier during harsh weather
– barter items, something you might not use but be of need to someone else
– camping equipment, practically anything in good usable condition is a bargin to purchase and will be used
This is a tiny list of suggested items to look at garage sales for. The prepper can spend little money and put some of all what they get at garage sales into their preparation stock until it is ready to be used. Some garages sales sell pure junk, but most will have something the prepper can use and the person selling it will be happy to take the dollar or two for it not realizing the item has much greater value when times become bad. Use your imagination and you can come up with some clever items that you can use.
I hope this further helps everyone to get a little more ready. Garage sale survival items are ready this weekend and many weekends after for the prepper and survivalist to go get in an area near you. 🙂
Like I keep saying extra boots and shoes. How many of us wear good boots and have an extra pair.
Don’t know about all of you guys, but I think I’ll just cover my eyes and ears, and start chanting “Yes we can”; or, more helpfully, “Yes, we have no bananas.” Same diff, same effect as the Obama chant.
Will US Troops Fire On Americans?
(this should read … “Will Americans Fire On US Troops?)
http://www.revolutionarypolitics.tv/video/viewVideo.php?video_id=18421
probably some will, they will be told that thier families “safety” will depend on it..and some are just itching for a fight no matter who , or the reason.
brainwashing is what our government stooges are good at, and some people are weak minded, and not capable of critical thinking for them selves…It will be those types you’ll have to watch out for..basically..trust no one!
Good article, Mac.
Regarding number 17, it might be a good idea to have a chassis for a computer or some other metal box that is grounded (no other connections, just ground the box), then store items in there such as the radio, radiation detector, etc, anything that would be vulnerable to EMP that can be stored easily in the box. This way, EMP strikes, but your electronics were protected when it happened.
Hello scout
If I am being stupid feel free to say so but if I ground all my stuff and everything else gets fried mine still won’t work. Will they?
I am not big on electrics so this is a genuine question.
Take care
@carolie uk … if your electronic are surrounded 100% by a FARADY CAGE (VERY FINE CONDUCTIVE METAL SCREENING CAGE) or metal container like a metal trash can with metal lid … they will still work!
though if you use a network “cloud” system like the “Windows 8” puter ops system where all your info is stored on a “cloud network server”! all the network stored data and online access will be gone … no more internet and the data most likely scrambled! puter (example c: drives) physical hard drives store data with magnetization , if your data is in a cloud network system its probly most likely lost forever!
don’t use cloud technology… is the bottom line! to protect your puter data and privacy only store your data locally at your home … with physical security set up.
hope this helps…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faraday_cage
~NinaO
Cheers
Take care
No problem Burt.
Grounding is not enough. I found this out when I accidentally fried a modem with electrostatic discharge. The static electricity (easily 30,000 volts) went from me through the plastic cover of the laptop into the electronics and then to ground, blowing up something in the process. The same would be true for a device exposed to an EMP.
A Faraday cage would grab the EMP and take it straight to ground before it could reach the device with sensitive electronics. If Mac approves my other post, you will find a link to a youtube video showing how to make such a cage, and also see it in action with a radio inside the cage.
After my last post, I went looking for a way to build a Faraday cage and found this. I hope you find it helpful.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWjT0Bh_KZ8
Thanks Scout, but I obviously am thick as I posed that question very badly…I’ll blame a hectic night shift lol.
What I meant was if my stuff is okay and protected but every one else’s isn’t where does that leave my kit on a scale of usefulness?
Would I for example be able to contact others, like yourself that had protected their kit or is it the case that when and if things are back up and running I will have stuff that works as opposed to stuff that does not?
By the by I am off tonight so I cannot sleep today therefore future posts stand the chance of being even worse than these two, it is my automatic assumption bias that if I know what I mean everyone else knows as well….apologies in advance people.
Take care
There’s always the choice to not post anything. Just sayin’
Polly,
This is very true, but most people seem to cope with confused Burt, just seems polite to apologise for it.
Take care
@carolie uk … focus on the life saving gear … in a real world shtf scenario you musdt be able to pack you necessaries within minutes and bail out … flee for safer ground!
how much can you realistically carry???
focus on communications, emergency light, fuels, weapons, foods, water storage, wool clothing, solid hiking shoes, meds, gear for camping in -20 degree weather outside in wet conditions.
everything else is just extra weight and unnecessary worry!
~NinaO
Hiya mate
I’m with you on that, I just like to understand stuff and I don’t understand this bit lol.
Hope you and yours are good.
Take care
The IMF
I love the way you keep my brain organised when I am incapable Nina. Cheers matey. I hope you and yours are well.
Take care
Burt,
If you have a radiation detector and want it to be useful post-SHTF, the cage is a good place for it. It does not rely on other people’s equipment functioning to be useful to you.
Regarding radios, we just don’t know who will be up and running post-SHTF. A radio station or two perhaps? No telling at this point. In my thinking, it’s better to protect our hand-crank radio or battery-operated radio on the idea that they will receive *something* again.
There may be other devices useful to protect against EMP, but I’m not going to worry about putting my whole stereo in the Faraday cage, since there’s no telling if there would even be power to run it anyway.
Scout
Okay starting to get it. Thanks for your patience. If you want illness disease germ issues sorted as payment just ask lol
Take care
No problem at all Burt. From here we just pay it forward. 🙂
#5 is a big concern I have.Uderstand the world. Many here can see where our country is going and what the final destination that we will eventually arrive at is. You are right informed, no one can predict the future, but tyranny follows a pattern, and history gets mirrored. Time moves slow, events take time. The events we read about in the history books in a paragraph took years to happen and unfold, and our watered down,one sided and incomplete history books we “learn” from do not help us much. The feds have allready started talking about a plan for home “owners” to rent(another bank bailout) their own properties from the banksters, when that eventually fails the next step(nationalization) will start. Many eyes will be opened when the federal gubmint starts turning “forclosed” housing into section 8 housing, with our tax dollars paying the “rent” so to speak, and property values sink to detroit levels. Stay the course people and prepare. Intuition, and rational REAL world thinkink(and paranoia) are survival mechanisms that have served mankind for a millenium.
All true, and your point about History is well taken. I guess it comes down to how much “grit” and “Brains” God has given each of us and how we apply them.
As a White middle class guy, I’ve never been hungery, or even been around starving people. Sure, I camp out and hike, but I always know that I have a nice warm bed waiting when I return Home, the Lights will go on when I flip the Switch and Target and Walmart’s shelves are stocked.
An old Marketing slogan comes to mind, “Adjust or Die”.
You’re right, world events play out over time. My advice is to prepare for the LIKELY events in your neck of the woods first (tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, floods). Secondly, watch national and world events closely and prepare accordingly. Don’t panic, watch what is unfolding in Greece because it’s LIKELY to happen here…over time. And lastly, don’t waste your limited resources (and all of us here have limited resources) on prepping for volcanic ash nuclear winters, EMP attacks, Mayan calendar predictions, or flesh-eating zombies. You’re more likely to die in your car on the way to work than most of the dreamed up catastrophes you read about.
I wonder how many folks in Texas were huddled in their first floor bathrooms yesterday waiting for a tornado to pass while all their supplies for surviving a yellow fever pandemic sat useless in their garage.
what about TEXAS NO NEWS ON TORNADO OR WHAt
Question:
Your wife is disabled with severe and chronic back pain. She is on a controlled substance prescription drug. You can’t stock up on narcotics, legally, so she only receives a one month supply and she’s already into week four. The EMP/volcanic ash nuclear winter/yellow fever pandemic holocaust is upon you. You’ve made all 25 preparations above. What do you do?
a. Leave her at home and bug out on your own. After all, you spent a lot of money and time preparing for this likely event.
b. Take her with you, but be mentally strong enough to leave her on the side of the road when her screams of pain become uncomfortable for you to hear.
c. None of the above. An EMP attack, a nuclear war, a black plague-like pandemic, or a volcanic ash cloud of global size are unlikely events, so you spent your limited resources on preparing for LIKELY local events.
Question:
The Earth’s magnetic poles shifted overnight. You miss the pretty light show and you wake up to sirens blaring and the screams of your neighbors who can’t figure out which way is north. You grab your wife, kids, and bug out bags. You successfully weave your way through traffic and around the dead bodies and make it to your secluded mountain hideaway. Life is good.
One night you are awakened by your daughter who is complaining of severe abdominal pain. You quickly thumb through your USAF survival manual and determine that your daughter is suffering from appendicitis. What do you do?
a. tell her to go back to bed, there’s nothing you can do, you’re not a doctor.
b. tell your wife to boil some water, you’re going to remove your daughter’s appendix with your $89 Spyderco knife.
c. None of the above. The Earth’s magnetic poles aren’t going to shift overnight and you don’t see the wisdom in prepping for something that will never happen. You live in Texas and you built a tornado shelter instead. Your daughter went to a hospital to have her appendix removed. Life is good.
Ah, the Pompeii Attitude. It hasn’t happened so it can’t happen.
No, no, no. IF you live in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius you DO prepare… for the possibility of an volcanic eruption. You DON’T prepare for an EMP attack. You spend your limited resources on what is most LIKELY to happen.
Call it what you want, I call it common sense. But hey, I’m not here to deny anyone the fun of constructing a Faraday cage or an underground bunker.
Having been through several hurricanes in Florida, you have to plan for what is likely not just possible. Having been a week plus without power/water or any other gov’t help (more than once), everyone’s situation is different. But I don’t think anyone has to be a mental giant to look at the current financial situation this country is in and think doing more of the same is going to fix the problem. I have a strong faith in God, but He also said that we are to be gentle as lambs and wise as serpents. So you decide, roll the dice and take your chances.
To answer your first question.
I suffer with DDD and rely alot on eating ’13 foods for pain relief'(Yahoo search it) and also over the counter pain and inflamation meds(have 2 yrs supply). I also researched how to grow and harvest morphine (just incase I can not restock OTC’s). Takes about 3 months to grow and harvest. But it is very illegal to do. When SHTF and no meds available, I say F–K the Man’s Law. To let your wife suffer needlessly is against God’s Law. Only 10 Laws/Commandments to really obey,(and they can be tough the follow sometimes). Man’s 7 billion laws are meant to make everyone a criminal from birth to death. Get some how-to info and some viable seeds stored proper as part of your Plan B. Be her hero and protector because chronic pain makes life a bee with an itch,
I don’t discuss prepping with anyone – reckon over the age of 21 every adult should be taking some personal responsibility for themselves and their loved ones. I do quietly note who in my circle has an iota of common sense or life skills.
Minor situations arise locally that give me a clue as to individual characters. Sensible people tend to gravitate towards one another – the riots last summer and the odd burst water main in our neighbourhood over the years has shown me that.
My local “community association leaders” are my biggest risk as they have no skill set whatsoever beyond what they can organise others to steal for them. They would never in a million years do some REAL work life dig a latrine or weed a garden when they could connive to use the skills, facilities and supplies of others(Life off the government teat is unimaginable, they never leave the locality or look beyond the end of their own noses). They will tell the authorities where and when to look for supplies IF anyone is stupid enough to let the information reach them.
3 or 4 very nosey, irritating middle-aged women are my greatest security risk if shtf, NOT the potential hordes of “hoodies”. What’s interesting is that I’ve noticed recently I’m not the only “sensible” one who has clocked this.
My sight is minus eight both eyes – too severe for laser surgery and jeez those specs are pricey. I want to stock up at least 1/2 dozen pairs!!!!
I have to give thanks my son’s has inherited his father’s eagle sniper’s eyes or prepping for specs alone would bankrupt me I think. Just ordered a spare, “spare” pair of spectacles. If anyone knows and internet site that sells reliable prescriptions of complex lenses please post it.
If you NEED a walking stick, glasses, hearing aid, false leg or any other physical medical aid then get yourself spares asap. People think of drugs and are prepping for those post-Greece but today’s trip to the Optician here in the UK has taught me high inflation is affecting other medical-related items too. Get what you’ll need for the next decade or two BEFORE prices climb too far out of your reach.
Hygiene and pest control worry me a lot. So many sheople have become so dependent on refrigration, decent municipal water supplies and anti-bac household sprays they’ve forgotten the basic rules. It’ll be the poor hygiene of other’s (ijeects crapping in the stream 5 miles upriver for your rural folks) that’ll put an awful lot of us at risk. Damn fools can’t use a bin for their McDonald’s waste today – how much worse after shtf?
I agree with the nosey thing. too many old biddies with noyhing better to do. Thing that worries me most here in the UK is the difficulty in being able to defend yourself i.e. no pistols and longs are difficult to get (licencing). The othere issue is havinv to bug out(live in the capital) on foot with a toddler and pregnant wife.
I have given up trying to wake sheeple on my terms, now I use theirs.
Visiting my eldest who is a good mom but totally asleep and immune to my “chats” I commented how it would be a shame when she had to stop going out with her friends once a week due to not being able to afford it. She told me she spent very little and I pointed out that very little is a days food for the family and the way prices were going up every penny would need to go into the home, not on enjoyment
.” Maybe if you brought a few things extra each time you shop it would help protect you from price rises, meaning you can still get out sometimes” says I.
” you may have a point there” says daughter.
Two days later she is on the phone telling me she had some great multi-buy bargains when doing her weekly shopping. She also announced that she intends to do this every week “because it saved me so much, and thinking about it if the fuel drivers do strike I won’t have to worry because there’s stuff in the cupboards. ”
Two more days later she calls and says “do you realise just how much sugar has gone up in the last month? It was on sale in Price Right so I got six bags….saved me a fortune, you need to think about doing this mom.”
I told her I would think about it as it seems like good advice lol.
Hallelujah.
Substitute going out with cigarettes, booze, cable or whatever hits home. The more people that do something for themselves the less will be banging my door down, the less panic there will be and the easier life will be for everyone, in the short term at least.
Take care
Burt, that is the way to do it. If you throw a rock into a lake, you scare the fish(aka-drop to much info at her all at once, will trigger denial), and you will not catch one(her, others). Just throw a hooks with a worm on it one at a time(logical,common sense, and info you can verify with proof), she(and others) will eventually get it..
For many of us our kids are our primary motivator.
School holidays are here. As our budget is tight my son gets to choose one or two activities he’d REALLY like to do.
His first choice was camping and taking his dog rabbiting. Sadly family visiting meant I had to say no.
His second choice was a “no-electic” weekend.
I’m so happy – he wants to stay home with the lights out & no access to his nintendo. His friends all want to go to the VERY expensive funfair locally but his choices remained unchanged even after the usual peer pressure.
It’s a parenting “moment” I wanted to share with others who “get” what it’s like trying to prep in a Western society with children. The sheer tide of the consumerist flood our kids are bombarded with makes it sometimes feel like running up a down escalator sometimes.
OPSEC means we oft times can’t tell em WHY we teach them the skills we do, so we are left hoping stuff left unsaid will sink in at the critical time. My son’s choice of holiday activities has given me more hope than I’ve had in a LONG time.
I can’t agree enough about finding out what’s going on in the world. The more you learn of the experiences of others, the less likely you are to repeat their mistakes in a similar situation.
I don’t even WANT to survive. Sheesh.
Ah. One of those. Yes, Ancient, we already have your measure. From this comment, I can infer that your lack of foresight and wisdom to prepare would only be trumped by your failure to actually curl up and DIE promptly if SHTF. You might be surprised to find that yes, the survival instinct is one of the most powerful you have ever experienced, and your actions will range from screeching for the gov’t to redistribute the food of the “hoarders” (formerly “preppers”) to joining the Golden Horde to strip the landscape of every vestige of greenery and burn down homes for the sake of a semi-rotten can of SPAM, to which you will feel 100% entitled, because it’s to save your precious LIFE.
Fool.
@mama boo boo bear … ;0) lol “Wow , GET SOME!”
Mama Bear is very wise.
I didn’t say I wasn’t prepared, now did I, folks? And it’s exactly the idea that I’d have to live with the judgmental likes of you all that helps create my opinion.
Why waste your time here then?
Take care
Great article, as far as it goes. Remember, the premise is that we go off grid PERMANENTLY. There will be no return to our luxurious, oil-subsidized, electricity-dependent lifestyle. And this is how I see it playing out, because when the lights go out, it will be because the underlying infrastructure has failed and cannot be re-started for a very long time, if ever. This, in a world of 7 billion people, means that a very large number of people will die. Those tractors run by ADM, or the GMO sterile seed stocks pushed by Monsanto, will be bye-bye. But this does not mean the end of human existence. Think 1750, and you will be in right mindset.
Transportation and movement occurred in 1750, but it was by hoof, foot and sail.
We don’t need to return to the stone age. We figured out smelting a long time before oil was extensively used. But knowing how to identify base materials (iron, copper, lead, etc.), mine them, smelt and work them, alloy metals, will all be necessary. We can live off the scraps of this society for a long time, but not forever. Learn how to make gunpowder. The biggest problem is that all the easy-to-mine stuff has already been pulled out of the ground.
As for growing food, it is critical to know what is indigenous to your area and climate. Irrigation is energy dependent, and the more you can sow and raise with natural rainfall, the more you can identify plants that supply basic nutritional needs, the better off you will be. My area of the country has been inhabited for at least 12,000 years. They weren’t doing it with Twinkies.
I could go on for hours about this. The trick is to get people to see what they depend upon daily. A good exercise is to ask someone to explain how they are going to take care of certain basic needs. Every time they give you an answer that relies upon an existing manufactured item, take it away from them. (Example: I’ll boil water…In what? … A pot. … What pot?)
Okay, I’ll step out now…
One of the many skills you might want to hone is correct breathing techniques prior to the squeeze..trust me in a tense situation its one of those things many dont think about, or utilize
Ya, childbirth will be tricky…
;0)
especially while trying to get good target acuisition
🙂
Which is why birth control supplies should be on everyone’s list. Yes we all did it for years without doctors, and it still gets done that way but having a newborn in a shtf situation would be madness if it is avoidable.
Take care
The night before, we had caught some bad weather that was passing through the south Louisiana area. The lights started to flicker and my girlfriend started screaming and yelling that she was scared, for me to do something. I went grab my oil lamp and lit it, un-phased by the outage. I had to tell her to calm and relax, and imagine if we had to live like this if something happened. She didn’t have anything to say to that as she blasted on Facebook that the TV wasn’t working. I wonder if she will ever wake up. Anyways, props to #12. We need to see, but not be seen.
Might I suggest you take a look around for a more sensible girl? What happens if she finds a mouse in the kitchen, much less a few ugly 6 foot four violent intruders (Hint I can’t see a gal like that utilising Birt’s wasp spray & a lighter!)
Three zero……oh dear, this could be an issue.
Close your eyes, think about the two of you in a dire situation and how she wold cope.
Open your eyes and act accordingly….sounds better than saying trade her in for a new one lol.
seriously, you have to have a long chat with her I think. Good luck with that.
Take care
UN troops entered Los Angeles… what you don’t see???
A source who attended the 1991 Bilderberg meeting in Baden Baden, Germany related the following comments to The SPOTLIGHT and attributed them to mattoid David Rockefeller.
We are grateful to The Washington Post, New York Times, Time magazine and other great publications whose directors have attended our meetings and respected their promises of discretion for almost 40 years. It would have been impossible for us to develop our plan for the world if we had been subjected to the lights of publicity during those years.
But the world is more sophisticated and prepared to march toward a world government. The supranational sovereignty of an intellectual elite and world bank ers is surely preferable to the national autodetermination practiced in past centuries.
The high-ranking State Department official, who has been a reliable source on Bilderberg for more than a decade, went on to say: “I am unable to confirm those precise words, but I have absolute knowledge that Kissinger, Rockefeller and the others always express their gratitude to the collaborating media, many times as individuals and sometimes during a formal meeting.”
Henry Kissinger reportedly made similar remarks during the Bilder berg meeting in Evian, France in May 1992:
Today Americans would be outraged if UN troops entered Los Angeles to restore order; tomorrow, they will be grateful. This is especially true if they were told there is an outside threat from beyond, whether real or promulgated, that threatened our very existence. It is then that all peoples of the world will pledge [sic] with world leaders to deliver them from this evil.
The one thing that every man fears is the unknown. When presented with this scenario, individual rights will be willingly relinquished for the guarantee of their well-being by their world government.
The SPOTLIGHT reported on this meeting on June 8, 1992, saying that Bilderberg was determined on “conditioning the public — especially ‘those stubborn Americans’ — to accept the idea of a UN army that could, by force, impose its will on the internal affairs of any nation.”
nothing just happens… everything is planned… trust them not if you want to live!!!
~NinaO
… now think of what happened on 9/11?
… now think of what happened at Oklahoma city , oklahoma federal child daycare center filled with children?
… now think of what happened at the world trade center bombing of the parking garage?
etc etc etc… this is happening all over the world no country is untouched immune from the secret Illuminati global banker terrorist government spy masters and assassins!!!
this is all planned and executed by our own federal government and the imf nwo cfr Illuminati and their dogs at the cia fbi nsa pentagon and the Israeli zionist mossad!!!
get it???
~NinaO
Yesterday a tornado passed one block away from our house here in DFW. My wife and kids were in our sheltered space, with their BOBs, about 30 seconds after I saw it coming down the street and gave the order. I couldn’t be more proud. Apparently they have taken our training a bit more serious than I gave them credit for. That comforting, fwiw!
Tym
308 may be interested if your wife has a sister. Only kidding. It’s great when something comes together like that. Well done all of you.
Take care
radiation spikes in usa … boston doctors plan to evacuate to australia if fukushima gets any worse the containment shell are collapsing from china syndrome full meltdown… all of amerika is being bathed in radiation now!
time to bug out to south america…
http://enenews.com/caldicott-if-spent-fuel-pool-no-4-collapses-i-am-evacuating-my-family-from-boston-to-southern-hemisphere-video
~NinaO
#13..
my favorite color
camouflage
VRF
My favourite colour is orange, I am having to add the green and brown patchy stuff bit by bit. Mind you being short and curvy…or as grandma used to say ” you’re built for comfort not for speed love” I find that camo does turn me into a rather good imitation bush.
I am looking for some in Tarmac and red brick design so I can blend into the urban environment lol. I find poking fun at myself and everything else sometimes keeps me sane.
Take care
Great article – logical and informative and good ideas for things we’ve already done and things we need to do more of. I don’t talk about prepping with most of my family and friends; they don’t understand and the few times I’ve mentioned it they were either skeptical or said they wouldn’t want to survive in any other kind of world other than what they’ve got now. The problem is, they might survive whether they want to or not! To digress a bit, one thing that really bugs me are the “apocalypse” movies that have the 20 and 30-somethings surviving but the oldsters dropping in the first few minutes. I actually think that the oldsters (and the almost oldsters – those of us who came of age in the 60’s and 70’s)will probably do fairly well. Given the changing times we’ve lived through, I think we’re fairly adaptable. Anyone else remember knobs on TV’s and when Jiffy Pop was a technological marvel? I’m not making light of what we know is coming – just a squirrel moment there. Prepping on all levels goes on. Misneach.
It’s programing, think “Logan’s Run”, when you turn 30, you die. Remember the old hippie motto, “never trust anyone over 30.” The thing about all the Bilderberg stuff is most of them are old, how long do they think they can control?
Mac,
Love these blogs. I need the encouragement to be diligent and prepare more. It’s always a struggle, but I feel so much more coherent as I prepare than before. I love the practical steps you offer. Thanks.
JBJ
Hello Celtic Nana
I am a bit off the 60 mark but I also remember the pre-microwave era. I think a fair few on here are the wrong side of 40…..or the right side depending on how you look at it. Experience is something that cannot come from anything but life, best of luck to you.
Take care
The question keeps poping up on this site..will they fire on us?
well ,,,,…. here is your answer..
Yes!..they will..how do I know this
history
http://news.yahoo.com/cops-face-decades-prison-katrina-shootings-092744135.html
I missed the “first” post. Dang, I wanted to ding someone today.
Just watch for RICH99 to post. Believe me, you will get your chance.
Lol
Sounds like the end is coming. But we will just have to wait and see.
I saw a video recently of the backwoods boot-dryer. 1-boil water with a rock the size of your fist in it. 2- take rock out, waite for all water to evaporate. 3-wrap in cotton rag 4-put in boot, shove as far towards the toe as possible. 5-cover top of boot with another rag 2/3rds of the way.
http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/news/local/review-team-detroit-in-severe-financial-stress-20120326-ms KNOW the idiots that surround you. These idiots are protesting because of the color of the would be tyrants skin???NOT the tyranny??? WTF!! HOW CAN PEOPLE BE SO BLINDED BY HATE, AS TO MAKE THEM SO IGNORANT????
Mac:
I cannot thank you enough for the information I glean from your articles. I was a “voyeur” for many, many months before I ever posted on this site. I have actually printed many valuable guideline materials like what you have shared with this featured article. They are permanently preserved, together with helpful comments from posters and available if needed in the future. The day may come when there is no internet, or a severely restricted internet. I pray that if the S does htf, people posting here may have the good fortune of actually finding each other or others of like mind.
Thanks for the kids words JoJo… I would eventually like to offer the Emergency Preparedness area of this site in an easy-to-get download. I will look into it for the next site update scheduled over the course of the next couple months.
-mac
That is one terrific idea!
i have something i would like to share/suggest. It is mentioned and made reference to extensively in the SHTF community, but is overlooked as a necessity. Time. not …of day. Time of year. I suggest you are familiar with and keep an accurate calendar. one thrown in your bugout bag may get you through the first year, then what?
The charting of an accurate calendar could be far more valuable than you ever imagined
This is a VERY interesting point – especially in relation to using previous years hard-gained (in my case) knowledge of planting and harvesting schedules for your locale.
Thank you what’s in a name for that.
How to use a sundial and stars to chart North etc could also come in handy for when the landsacpe bears no resembalnce to your carefully stored maps post civil disorder/fire etc.
Good article, great list. I especially appreciate the non-inclusion of individual items which get pounded out constantly. Survival, and the survival mindset, is not always about acquired items. This article reminds us of the importance of preparing the mind and body.
http://www.blacklistednews.com/Military_surplus_a_bonanza_for_law_enforcement%3A_Assault_Rifles%2CTactical_Vehicles%2C_Helicopters%2C_Amphibious_landing_craft%2C%E2%80%A6../18773/0/0/0/Y/M.html 10 years from now, the american stazi will be 100% up and running.
Situational awareness is almost non-existant. Normalcy bias prevails. 10 days ago I just missed being in the middle of a violent bank robbery in Berwyn, Il. It was a take over robbery. The bank was empty except for me, one teller and one female manager. No guard. The robbers waited for me to leave before entering. The robbers changed plates on their suv across the street before the robbery. In an Office Depot lot. I went in the Office Depot today and the employees had no idea anything happened. Either the police didn’t check their security cameras, or the store manager didn’t inform the employees. Nothing to see here folks. Move along. Nothing in the local paper about the crime. Cover up as much black crime as possible. The sheep won’t know.
I just……….farted !
Great informative article! I’ve talked with family members about preparing for the worst. Yet they look at me like a deer in my spotlight LOL. Even with the price of food, gas and other misc things going up up and up they do nothing.
They don’t think an economic collapse will happen! I surely do and I think it will be within the next couple of years.
So I no longer say anything to family about prepping. Very few I know are prepping for the worst. Most I’ve met think it will never happen in America. I’m not willing to take that chance. I’ll be prepped and safe!
Don’t forget basic first aid. Take a local course, be a volunteer firefighter, read a blog. 🙂
This is the very first article that I have seen that touches on the important stuff. Not the flavor of the minute like guns or gold or whatever. Everyones circumstances and available options are different, even your next door neighbor in the same job. One size does NOT fit all. I will be spreading this link around.
One source I highly recommend is a new novel by Allen Currie. It examines what might happen in the immediate aftermath of a financial meltdown and what wonders a little imagination can provide. It is available for free read (Or download or hard copy purchase) at http://www.AllenCurrie.ca for a limited time, as he wants to give back to humanity for having lived in the best time and place mankind has ever known. Then he is going to switch to a teaser read in an attempt to get a bit of pay for the nearly 20 years labor and expenses to produce it.
There is also a forum for comment and more importantly a cross fertilization of ideas to help each other.
The novel is a thriller that you will not be able to put down. IMHO Greece has much futher to fall and is just an indicator of what will happen as this financial Tsunami roars around the world. Most people cannot even imagine what is happening in Greece, never mind worse.
For all persons “new” to prepping, or those that live in an apartment,possibly in the city, and are kind of intimidated by all the options; here is a good way to get started cheaply. We drink wine occasionally and have found that buying the “three” liter glass jugs are best buy. I fish them out of the recycling bins sometimes, because for long-term storage you can’t beat glass containers. Anyways, after the jug is cleaned and dried throughly, we purchase two- 3 lb. bags of long grain rice(not minute or instant) and try to buy when it’s on sale. Then take a funnel and pour the rice in. After shaking down, the 3 liter jug holds exactly 6 lbs. of rice. With two gallons of clean, distilled water(preferrably in glass)sitting beside the rice jug, you have approximately 60 servings of rice on hand, that will keep in a closet or basement and can make you feel good about getting started without too much expense. Next time, I’ll give the same type info using dried pinto beans. In proteins per pound, I don’t think you can go wrong with dried beans and rice as a mainstay for your prepping foods. You may get tired of it after a few weeks, but it will keep you alive. Just a very good choice to start with. I’ve noticed the large bags of pintos are usually sold out at the supermarkets lately.
Having your own backup power in place is a must for emergency situations and disasters. Whether you simply want a portable solar power device or to live completely off the grid, it is a must you are prepared when the power goes out. Check here for more good info about this topic: http://easyemergencypreparedness.com/
That site was forbidden.
average millionair gos bankrupt 4 times option avalabile to everyone including gov. where did you all go to school
http://wakawakasolar.com/
Didn’t know if anyone had heard of these excellent solar lights. They have a few reviews on amazon.
Great article, thanks. I’ve started prepping. I spent a few years in the military, so know a thing or two about cover, concealment, weapons, sanitation and I just finished taking a 5 month emt class. Of course, I never told the instructors the real reason I was taking it! lol…like my family, when I mention preparing for the worst, they look at me like I’m nuts. I’m an outdoorsy type, hunted, camped and fished a lot when I was growing up. I still have a lot to do and a lot to learn. I’ve started getting in shape again and teaching my kids a few things. Stocking up on medical supplies, canned goods, water, and ammo.