A portion of the complete article Welcome to the Promised Land has been republished with copyright permission from James Rawles’ Survival Blog. It has been written and contributed to Survival Blog by Rod E.
Over the years, many people have told us that WTSHTF, they are coming to our place in the country. When people say things like this, we hear, “…so that you can take care of me.” This document is presented as a source of information for those who might need a realignment of their expectations, a clarification of ours or both. It should serve as a harsh wake up call for anyone who plans to flee to someone else’s survival retreat should the need arise.
If you have neglected, failed or refused to complete your plans for survival, here are things you need to know, should you decide to depend on someone who has been more diligent.
Did the Children of Israel expect Moses to provide all of these things for them? Nope! He started walking and they had to keep up. Everyone carried what they needed and everyone did everything they needed to do to survive.
Let’s take a look at what your life might be like WTSHTF.
For any number of reasons, you lose electricity without notice and your water stops running. (Public water supplies need electricity) When people eventually realize the outage extends beyond their immediate circle of travel, they will panic and stores will be looted. Stores cannot be protected because…the police departments have no electricity. Gas stations will be closed when they cannot deliver fuel because…they have no electricity. It’s funny how that works, isn’t it? As more people begin to panic they will assemble into angry mobs armed with guns, knives, baseball bats and sticks. No police presence means no protection for you or anyone else. The police have raced home to protect their families.
You are now officially unemployed with no benefits, you cannot withdraw your worthless money from the bank, you cannot make a phone call, listen to the radio or watch television. Your stove, microwave oven, refrigerator and Internet connection are no longer working. You cannot run to Wal-Mart’s camping section to pick up a sleeping bag or kerosene lantern. Your car has less than a half tank of gasoline and your terrified wife and children are begging you to do something.
A horde of lawless desperadoes is making its way down your street, hurling rocks and bricks through windows, setting cars on fire and breaking into homes in search of food and supplies. Through sheer numbers and merciless force, they overwhelm every feeble attempt at defense or escape, leaving death and destruction in their path. Like killer bees, they swarm your home and discover that it is vacant because you somehow managed to escape, either through a miracle, proper planning or dumb luck. They ravage what was once your comfortable home sweet home, laying waste years of financial sacrifice and hard work as you are driving or hiking or crawling down the highway or back roads to The Promise Land, your friend’s place in the country.
For the sake of this frightening glimpse into your new reality, let’s assume that you and your family somehow beat the one in a million odds and successfully escape the chaos and anarchy in the city. Exhausted and emotionally paralyzed with fear and anxiety, you eventually make your way to an overgrown pasture bordered by woods, provided that you were not attacked and killed on your journey or shot as an intruder when you arrive, which is always an unfortunate possibility.
So, in summary:
The place looks deserted, and there is silence as you cautiously scan the edge of the woods. You can’t help but wonder how many guns might be aimed at your head.
Welcome to The Promised Land. It is everything you expected it to be?
More than one person has referred to our place in the country as, The Promised Land. It is important to remember that the people followed Moses. He did not carry them…and I am not Moses…and our place is not The Promised Land. Adhering to the analogy, the city from which you fled was the land of Egypt, our place in the country is the desert. The Promised Land comes later if you survive and behave yourself.
In spite of arriving with nothing more than the inappropriate clothes on your back and the meager amount of food that you were able to carry, and given the obvious absence of expected amenities at your adopted survival haven, you are are still somehow confident that you will survive because you’ve been responsibly paying the premiums on your Emergency and Disaster Preparedness insurance policy.
You haven’t been paying the premiums? You did not sacrifice what you wanted today for what you might need tomorrow? The bad news is, your prognosis for survival is definitely grim. There is no good news. Read the full article…
Editor’s Note: The above article depicts a complete SHTF TEOTWAWKI scenario. Though it is an unlikely event, the possibility simply cannot be ruled out. Social structures have been known to collapse throughout history. The Roman empire collapsed, but it took decades for it to play out, during which there was pillaging and much suffering. During the American Revolution there was disease and famine – those who were unprepared died due to starvation or lack of medical attention, though this was not as widespread as a complete collapse where 90% of the population may be wiped out. In SHTF collapse scenarios like the German Wiemar republic which fell into serious hyperinflation or more recently Zimbabwe, which experienced a similar effect, the majority of the population survived.
We live in a modern world, and the hope is that the majority of people will survive a collapse scenario. However, because we are so technologically dependent, we must consider the possibilities of an all out grid-down collapse. Electricity is a very big factor, especially for a society that is completely dependent on it for energy and food transportation, as well as interpersonal communication. If we lose power for any sustained period of time, we’re going to lose lots of lives in the process. Think hurricane Katrina, 5 days, and the amount of lives lost due to lack of resources and planning – and this was isolated to a small region. People were dying while the entire world watched it on TV.
At the very least one should consider worst-case scenarios and prepare at least a 30 day reserve in the event of emergencies. In 1859 a solar flare took out a large portion of the communication grid, but people survived because they were not in any way dependent on electricity. If we were hit with a similar solar flare, an EMP weapon, a nuclear attack, or a full on economic collapse that led to riots and eventually famine, we could experience a long-duration grid-down situation. It is unlikely, yes. But it can happen.
The investment in time and energy to prepare yourself and your family for the possibility of a far-from-equilibrium situation is very small compared to the benefit. Several hundred pounds of rice and beans can be bought for under $200 – but they can get you a long way when there’s nothing on grocery store shelves. A weapon(s) and ammunition will undoubtedly be necessary, as will survival skills or barterable skills. Consider where you are today and what you might be able to do, even if your budget is limited, to be ready for an unforeseen emergency.
Hat tip Wheedle for sending the Survival Blog article our way.
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I know that things could deteriorate rapidly,, especially in large cities…..however, I keep thinking that the guy who said “an armed society is a polite society” is probably correct.
I don’t see  small rural communities, of close knit neighbors and families,  going postal.   This will be the safest places to be.
The life expectancy of  “lawless gangs” and “looters”, where I am from,  will be  very short.   (and that’s being “polite”)
At one time, I thought these catastrophe scenarios were very ‘far-fetched’.
However, when you read about how bad the banking crisis is, the wide spread foreclosure fraud, etc…… well, it’s not much of a stretch to think that a currency collapse could occur. Business activity would then come to a halt….. who knows? Maybe then the power grid and water utility servers would go dark, or stop for periods? Things could get out of hand, quickly- as this article suggests.
The insanity of the banksters and the crooked politicians working with them for decades now…… have undermined our Constitution and much of what we trust and believe in. Was their aim merely to reap super riches for themselves? or, was it control over others? I think the goal was to control us……. and I believe that marshall law will be declared very quickly. If that happens, the question occurs…….. will we all go ‘postal’? or, will we submit? Roaming gangs of looters may offer the least of the violence.
Great article! I too believe that things will get much, much worse. After reading the entire article on the author’s site, it made what is to come even more real for me. Will this happen? I hope not but it behooves all of us to prepare ahead of time to meet the coming crisis.
The government is good, save $10, don’t worry…all is well, bla bla bla…obummer is wonderful, reid is just dandy and don’t forget nazi pelosi! God help amerika and don’t forget about the $10 bills…send them to me, I’m just a shill and don’t forget to vote!
I have had several people say the same thing to me or my wife over the years and when said in jest it was treated as a teachable moment …when serious it was slapped down hard!
I have been living the independent self reliant life for over 3 decades now and for a while I sold army/navy survival supplies,folks didnt have alot of interest so I outfitted my family with the best and hid the rest,itll make good barter items sometime Im sure.
Folks who refused to make sure they were prepared are gonna find out the hard way that those of us who sacrificed and scrimped and endured the laughs didnt do so in order to make sure they survived too. I have enough to live on for years,and no I wont just turn away everyone ,but those I choose to help had better like ramen noodles or rice because I set aside a good amount for “charity” but nothing for shiftless lazy or demanding losers,well thats not quite true…I did plan enough ammo to deal with those types who think for a second they can force me to give them what they demand!
I planned and continue to plan for “whatever” happens but I did not include people (outside my family and a few friends into the plan,I worked this farm for little money when they scoffers held good paying jobs,a lot of people laughed at me back when I used to hold preparedness classes and talks and then they have the nerve to tell me they know where to come whe TSHTF,I tell them come but be ready to be sent packing too,of course I followed my own rule and didnt tell a soul I was ready or getting ready,your best bud or neighbor may shoot you dead for the food or supplies you have (or they think you have, even thought they laughed at you when you told them things were getting bad and they should prepare. I tell people a few gallons of water and a box of ramen noodles under their bed will look mighty fine when all hell breaks loose!
The point is simple,rely on yourself the good Lord and a few trusted friend and be ready, dont assume someone else gives a damn about you and yours surviving,cause you might be sad to know the truth,just a thought.
Great article Mac! This article really exemplifies what we are all up against. The true reality is that the odds are stacked against all of us, especially for those who have not prepared. It’s very easy for us to get “cocky” after we have prepped for short and long term disasters. However, the truth of the matter is we are never done prepping and wtshtf, it’s really going to suck. And this article is a good reminder of that.
BS The children of Israel were the only ones to see the promised land. God took care of his flock until the oldest generation died. They never seen the promised land.Â
Electricity, learn to live with out it or live so far out in the country that no one can find you because your house is hidden or under ground or build into a hill/mountain. The only other way is to live amoung like minded people that remember, when things look bad and it looks like you’re not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb, mad-dog mean. ‘Cause if you lose your head and you give up then you neither live nor win. That’s just the way it is.
A national infrastructure failure will occur in the near future due to some combination of a bankrupt, corrupt, and incompetent government (federal, state, and city), disasters (asteroid, drought, earthquake, fire, man made, solar, volcano, water, and wind), famine, plague, and war (civil, conventional, economic, nuclear, and terrorist).
http://www.planorperish.com/?page_id=1134
I recommend the book “How To Survive The End Of The World As We Know It” by the same author. Thanks Mac!
James Wesley Rawles is not a great writer. Maybe good, but not great. He is, however a great thinker. Make that a *GREAT* thinker.
Remember this: Many parts of his disaster scenarios are “modular” in that they can exist together or separately. One common them, however, is the almost certain fact that any major problem will include a grid down scenario. Public utilities will be the first thing to go. Law enforcement (which really isn’t LAWful at all) will be second.
What we have here is a typical YOYO, You’re On Your Own, scenario.
I also recommend another prepper/survivalist known as Jack Spirko of The Survival Podcast. One of his themes is to benefit from your prepping now. While Rawles is very wise and has good tips on the all out, TEOTWAWKI/YOYO disaster scenario (as does Spirko, to a lesser extent), Jack Spirko stresses reaping benefits now. I read Rawles and I listen to Spirko. From the two you can both prepare yourself mentally for the worst (Rawles is a good painter of the YOYO scenario…) but prep in a meaninful way. I have followed aspects of Spirko’s SWYE plan. Im here to tell you IT WORKS!
I started small. Now, a year later, I have a massive larder that didn’t really seem to take all that long or at that much expense. …and it just keeps growing! I look forward to the day when the cans and jars coming off the front are within a few months of thier expiration dates because I have such a long line of them piled in there.
But, as I am fond of saying, “Focusing your attention on one thing disproportionately can get you killed.”
I have lots of food.
I have lots of fuel.
I have lots of guns.
I have lots of ammo.
I have lots of chickens.
I have lots of land.
I was raised on an old-fashioned farm. I really do know how to do this stuff. We farmed the same way as my grandpa did, nearly so, 50 years earlier when I was growing up. We did all the mechanic work and maintenance ourselves. We butchered. We practiced vetinary medicine on our own. Why? Because it was survival of the *CHEAPEST*. Farming hadn’t been profitable for years. Frankly, we suffered some from lack of money. However, I had no idea I was being prepped for times like these. Honestly, except for the lack of grid power, it will be just like when I was growing up. Can’t say that I’m not looking forward to it.
To see our country reset and go back to its roots and rule of law, well, honestly, just the prospect of it brings tears to my eyes. I long to see the bastards get what the bastards deserve and to have the American People be on the serving end, well, frankly, I have to take a break between sentences and do a little happy dance around the rack here in the larder.
Oh, I know it won’t all be fun and games. But! I am ready to cope with this. Frankly, my life up until entering my chosen career left me il-equiped for the wold of dog-eat-dog professions where politics and deciet are rewarded far and above hard work, performance and downright scrappy, never give up sticktuativeness.
Let’s get this show on the road! I was tired of TWAWKI anyways! It kinda sucked. Oh, it was comfortable, but, with comfort comes meaningless existence. Time to work for what we have. What a unique idea!
the blog 5 blogs up above was not written by me
sorry for this nonsense. i sincerely believe that imitation is proof of excellence by me and jealousy by someone else.
/s/mushroom…
Level One Event:       Forest Fire, Flood, Tornado, Medium    Â
                                     Earthquake, Toxic Spill (Local)
                          Â
 Level Two Event:     Hurricane, Major Tsunami, Major       Â
                                       Earthquake, Solar Flare,
                                       Evironmental Disaster (Regional)
                              Â
   Level Three Event:   Massive Earthquake, Nuclear Device,
                                       Massive Tsunami, EMP, CME, Meteor
                                     /Astroid Strike, Pandemic, Pole Shift Â
                                      (National and/or Global)
SHTF Teotwawki site identifies and categorizes three Teotwawki Threat Levels. Prepare for the worse, pray for the best, and do the best you can with what you have to work with. Encourage your family, friends, and neighbors to do the same, now.
We are after all, human beings. It is unlikely that the Golden Hoard will reach me, but if a straggler or two did, I hope that I would be gracious enough to extend a hand to another human soul before sending them on their way. In ancient times it was commonplace to offer a traveler something to eat and drink if they came by.
Can we not do the same?
I woke up from a dream this morning and I felt certainty about “it”.
I have “seen the future” before, and I see it now.
This ain’t no tea party. We will not be sitting around eating buttered crumpets (peacefully protesting) much longer. Where does it get us? Nowhere, and the rest of the world calls us pussies, but that’s not the case.
Americans know. There is no effective “peaceful protest” for us. The only thing that Americans (ugly americans) can do is this: Lynch mob.
When we finally get it that there’s no point in these rigged elections (after this one), that our congresspeople and president care NOTHING for what THE PEOPLE want…and they start voting to bail out the banks once again, at our expense, or worse…that’s it. We go OFF.
It’s over. Those riot police might look all badass in their riot gear, their bulletproof vests and helmets and shields, but when snipers start shooting them in the feet, they won’t look so badass, will they? Tear gas won’t protect them. They will lie on the ground, writhing in pain, while the lynch mob swarms over them, taking the badass riot gear off them and stomping them into puddles of bloody jello.
I see “the dead” – “regaining their honor” – a bloodbath. When we reach a breaking point, it won’t be half-assed. Just look at the riots we have over sports games!! Mob mentality is not about moderation.
Wait till people are hungry. DC will burn. Heads are gonna roll. Everyone says the French have the balls to protest, but wait till the ugly american gets pissed enough.
So far, we’ve kept it peaceful, because we know. We are a powder keg. We hold out one last hope – these elections. But that is false hope. The elections will be shown to be rigged. The Lame Duck Congress will follow their orders, and these holidays will not be about pleasantly sitting around exchanging Wal-Mart gifts, drinking eggnog and eating ham and fruitcake.
It’s Revolution, and high time. Someone will give the word. Maybe it will be Ron Paul? Alex Jones? Somebody? Or else it will arise organically when several people simultaneously, unplanned, go take out their own congressperson or SOMETHING.Â
There will be a spark. The fire that ensues will burn hot and furious.Â
Theoden and Aragorn will ride out together – Gimli will sound the horn and the Orcs will not know what hit them because they thought they had this unbeatable strength but the spirit of freedom will prevail and it’s gonna be all over for the forces of darkness. We may still have a few more battles to win (the rest of the world must follow suit, and rout out the vermin) but it will happen. Americans will sleep on the sofa dreaming of losing twenty pounds and being on Dancing with the Stars…no longer. Nobody will care who wins Monday night football. The evening news will go unwatched because we see it for what it is – propaganda, paid for and brought to us by the same people who want us microchipped “for our own safety and well-being” and vaccinated against the viruses they create in their labs, which also will, oops, kill us or make our children sterile, because like Kissinger came RIGHT OUT AND SAID – we are USELESS EATERS to them. Slaves, “human resources” for them to exploit till we die…
F them.
Heads are gonna roll. It will be a red day. Victory will be with the people.
Bout time.
No longer will we live in fear of our “masters”.
Or,… we could just ignore them?
The idea of nullification could spread and like an unbalanced pile of sand everything goes to a more level plane?
No bloodshed, no riots, no destruction, just walk away and refuse to go along and keep supporting the things that have gone bad?
That would be a much nicer way to do things, wouldn’t it?
Nullification has such a nice ring to it.
Ignore the Orcs?
Nullification was only achieved by destroying the ring of power
The fed controls our money
That must be tossed into the fires or Mt. Doom
Nullification is a great “idea”
Good luck with that…
why apologize shroomer, we all wish someone else was doing your writing for you, or that you just shut the fuck up altogether you tard
While we are on a Lord of The Rings kick, check these out, LOTR movie clips set to Nicklebacks “Hero”, very cool!!
If you could Mac, embed these, then tell the code so I can do it next time.
*ADMIN NOTE: Links Embedded As Videos*
I would not want to be close to any city over 50,000. The first 72 hours will be typical of post Katrina – look out Best Buy.  Most of these farm animals will be out hunting for useless consumer goods and not thinking about shelter, food or water. By week two as the system dries up they will turn on each other and loot their best friends and families, think LA post Rodney King riots. Massive deaths will thin the urban herds in the first few weeks, it will not be so dire in the hinterlands as the auther warns.  Disease from rotting corpses will sicken and kill the sheeple waiting for a government handout.Â
Survival of the fittest is the only rule to understand. Get your mind and body fit first, they make your other preparations. Mankind lived off the land longer far than they have in suburbs with WalMarts. Â
Alli: I think it is important that you hear this. You are nuts! Gonzo! Stupid! Self-absorbed macho badass! Do not come near me or my family when TSHTF or for that matter, ever.  Please seek help…
I like nullification, I like elections, I like passive resistance, I like civil disobedience,  but I like freedom more than anything ( except my Lord ) and I will not back down and except anything less no matter what it takes.   “  with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”
Comments…..
“””We are after all, human beings. It is unlikely that the Golden Hoard will reach me, but if a straggler or two did, I hope that I would be gracious enough to extend a hand to another human soul before sending them on their way. In ancient times it was commonplace to offer a traveler something to eat and drink if they came by.
Can we not do the same?”””
Nope–not when we warn them and they laugh behind your back ….I don’t fricking think so–I’m sacrificing for the new Berkey this week while I keep my water heater off and rooms with closed doors to save gas for the winter and they live like kings??
UH–uh…no way will I feed them.
Comments…..
Note: heard this on Alex jones show…
the world council churches must relieve the religion of ‘God’ to bring in new world order
one example: a county pastor in Arizona told Pastor Williams that a new ordinance was just passed in his county that if any complaint came to their attention they had the ability to close the doors for good…can you say communism anyone?? the complaint can come from an outsider(atheist) and not be confirmed…no trial, no confrontation with the accuser..end of story,..
they are now coming for our churches.
IF Alex Jones said the sun was coming up tomorrow, I’d want to confirm that for myself.
Alli: You have my permission, but not my participation. Violence is a last resort. Vote November 2nd.
Pastor Williams also said the dollar has little time left.Â
So I ask, “Is it time to buy a house before my cash is worth nothing?” Â
Mac, you said earlier this year, you’d let us know.
Little conundrum: If you are a Prepper and have food stashed for yourself and your family do you share a bit with others?
If you are a christian and a prepper can you “not share ” with others?Â
It is clear that you must share with others if you are going to follow your christian beliefs. That could mean getting someone to do some work for food and then thety must  move on, but you can’t refuse to help those in need till you have nothing left to give. After all, what you have was generously given to you, and you are expected to generously share it with others.
I know that is not a popular idea on this site but if you are christian…….you have no choice.
But, you say, I saved and went without to put all this stuff togeather and they just partied and spent all their money. True. But you were granted to hear and understand the message of needing to prepare so you were given that gift and all that you stored up was given to you by God (through your job and hard work of course). So you must share.
And yes I am a prepper and have struggled with this. But the bible is clear. So do your thinking and praying on this now. Remember Gods promise to us to give to us what we have given to others. If you don’t share with others, don’t expect God to share with you.  In TEOTWAWKI you really NEED the big guy on you side. So decide now : are you truely christian? Â
And no that does not mean that everyone has the right to move in with you. Just that they can get a night and a meal on their way to where ever they are going.Â
It is up to each of us to exercise personal responsibility but we must also exercise charity.
If you have “friends” who plan to just move in with you, ask them where they will live and what they plan to eat etc. Perhaps they can build a large shed on you property and stock it. There is safety in numbers.
We all have choices to make,those of us who prepare against the day and those who choose to toddle onward without a care,choices have consequences.
IÂ have been a minister of the gospel, I have helped feed the poor,build churches here in America and all over the world, I have seen good people lose and bad people gain,usually based on choices they made,their choices…not mine…not Gods…not yours…theirs!
The scriptures have alot to say about being prepared and upon whom the responsibility rests…it ALWAYS rests with the individual,not his friends, not his relatives not his church…him.
As I stated in a previous post I have a certain amount laid aside for charity but I will choose who gets it,not you not the church,n ot the community…me!
The idea that I as follower of Jesus’ teaching must give to anyone till I have nothing left is retarded and is one reason people think christians are weak,you may feel that you must do it that way and if you do more power to you, I can respect that. I will not however find myself in a position where having fed every stranger who comes along I must then tell my family or dear friends to do without because I gave it all to strangers based on a guilt trip and a mistaken idea of what Christ taught,Jesus was no fool nor was he a pansy,he was a mans man…strong,realistic,brave,he taught us to have compassion not suicidal thoughts and actions,like giving everything away just to feel holyor whatever,thats not rational and Jesus wasnt anything if he wasnt rational!
He wanted us to have mercy and I believe there is a place for mercy in giving,but he did not imply at any time that we are to be stupid and just let everyone walk on us.
I would suggest everyone have a little extra set aside for those hardship cases that he wishes to help out but also to know when to say NO,and then back it up if need be,just because a person is hungry does not obligate me or anyone else to feed him,that goofy idea is why we have a socialist govt trying to make everyone contribute(at gunpoint) to so called social safety net programs,enough already,charity is good,forced charity is not charity it is theft,whether by govt force or by religious coercion…BOTH are evil,BOTH violate the liberty of man,its a choice for each person to make on his own in his own good conscience…PERIOD! Shame on you if you refuse to help another person who means you no harm simply because you are greedy and stingy,thats not nice and it will cause you trouble even if its only a hardened soul,but even at that it still a persons choice! Oh, and what I have I worked for,no body gave me one thing, I didnt ask either,I will make it on my own by Gods grace or I wont make it. Thanks!
The problem is that anyone who comes to your home after a SHTF event is a threat. If they aren’t family or friends and if you didn’t specifically invite them then they are a threat to you and your family.  For your own protection the best thing you can do is turn them away and turn them down. The worst you can do is invite them in.  Giving them a handout falls somewhere inbetween. It confirms you have extra food and you are manipulatable.   Don’t give anyone charity at your door or property. If you want to provide some charity let the church or the town run it and you contribute to them.Â
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