This article was written by Joshua Krause and originally published at The Daily Sheeple.
Editor’s Comment: Not only are there lots of prepping items that are overpriced and expensive, but you may not even need it. There is quite possibly a better strategy that is usually learned only through experience and thoughtful planning– and recognizing what not to do after things go wrong.
With that in mind, the newbie prepper, as well as the veteran, should remember that blending in, lying low and adopting the “grey man” strategy may serve you better than hot-headed stockpiling of military surplus gear, and overpriced survival toys. Pace yourself, and invest in the equipment that will truly serve you in times of need, and avoid drawing too much attention to your efforts.
Five Alternatives to the Most Overrated Survival Items
by Joshua Krause
If you’re new to the prepping scene, you should probably know right off the bat that you’re about to waste a lot of money. I’m so sorry to break it to you, but it’s true. We’ve all done it. It’s practically a right of passage by now.
You’ve just become aware of how fragile our society really is, and all the horrifying ways the shit can hit the fan, and you think you have to rush out and buy a bunch of supplies and gear to survive the inevitable looting spree. There’s something you should know first though. If there is one thing that is practically guaranteed to part an otherwise smart person from their money, it is fear.
So stop, take a deep breath, and realize that in all likelihood the world is not going to end tomorrow. There may not be any serious crises for months or years. I know this (as do many other preppers) because I couldn’t possibly count the number of times I’ve heard someone I would consider reputable, sound the alarm on a possible threat.
Don’t get me wrong I’m glad they do, because it’s good that we have people who are dedicated to looking for these threats, but you should know that most of them never come to fruition. If anything, they are usually signs that our society is in a slow decline towards oblivion, rather than an explosive last hurrah. There’s still danger ahead, but when it’s all said and done, there may never be a single day that will go down in history as the day the world ended.
So now that I’ve assuaged your fears, hopefully you’re gripping your wallet a little tighter than you were before. That state of mind you’re experiencing, the one that isn’t an anxiety riddled mess, is the correct state of mind you should be in for prepping. It’s time to take a critical look at that list of supplies and gear you’re thinking of purchasing, and be prepared to cross a few items off, because some of them are highly overrated.
Canned Food and MRE’s
I don’t want to completely bash canned food. It certainly has its merits. In most cases it will last a very long time, longer than the expiration date in fact, but most canned foods aren’t very healthy. The whole canning process tends to degrade the nutritional value of the food, and most cans are laced with toxic preservatives and BPA. They’re also heavy and somewhat awkward to store. If you want to can your own food, that’s a worthy endeavor for other reasons, but to go to the store and max out your credit card on canned food is a terrible idea.
After realizing the folly of cans many preppers turn to MRE’s, but they also come with their own set of problems. For me personally, I find them to be utterly disgusting and unhealthy. They usually taste great when you’ve been hiking all day and you’re starving, but in that condition anything can taste good. I remember the first time I tried an MRE. I thought, “wow, this tastes familiar.” After looking over the ingredients, I realized that I was basically eating the same stuff that is served at McDonald’s and 7/11.
Freeze dried food. Mountain House brand is the most popular, but there are several other good brands out there. It’s arguably healthier than most packaged food, and has a shelf life of 10 years or so. It’s small and lightweight, and to me at least, has an excellent flavor. The only downside is that it’s not perfectly edible out of the package. You have to add water (preferably hot), but I consider that a fair trade-off compared to the downsides of the other options. If you live in an area that would have a severe lack of water after the collapse, then maybe canned food is for you. Otherwise, freeze dried is the way to go.
Generator
This is a tough one, because I have to admit that generators can be useful for many short-term disasters. If you need to keep the lights on for a couple of days it’s a viable option, but generators may be completely useless during any long-term disaster. In that case, they become a logistical nightmare. Since it’s safe to assume that there will be gas shortages during any major disaster, do you really want to store enough gasoline to last you six months? And keep in mind that gas has a limited shelf life, and generators are usually really noisy.
Another thing to consider is energy efficiency. The majority of the electricity you use in your home goes toward appliances that provide heat. But the process of turning the combustion from your generator into electricity, and then back into heat, is incredibly inefficient. We don’t normally think about this because the power grid provides electricity at such a low-cost, (relative to a generator) so it’s not a big deal.
If you live in a rural area, you might be able source wood from your environment. Otherwise, You should probably use propane for all your heating needs. There are portable stoves, lanterns, and space heaters that all run on propane. You can buy those tiny Coleman tanks for your stove, or you can buy an adapter to connect it to a larger tank. Most of the lanterns have to take the Coleman tanks, but many of the space heaters are designed for the 20lb tanks as well. It’s a pretty versatile option, and best of all, propane has a much longer shelf life than gasoline. If you have to stock up on fuel, this is definitely the superior option.
The rest of your energy needs will probably go to electronics, which will be minuscule compared to your heating needs. For that, I would take a thin and flexible 100 watt solar panel over a generator any day.
Camelbak Canteens
I’m an avid backpacker, so I think I have more experience with this than any other item on this list. For such a simple task, there is a wide variety of ways to carry water. Nowadays the most popular way is with any kind of soft, flexible canteen. They’re lightweight, easy to store, and since you can squeeze the air out of them the water doesn’t slosh around and make a lot of noise.
Over the past 10 years it seems that the Camelback and the Platypus canteens have come to dominate the market. But frankly, I’ve never been a big fan of those drink tube apparatuses, due to their maintenance needs. You have to keep the tube and the drink valve very clean if you don’t want to get any mold. It doesn’t take a whole lot of effort, but personally, I don’t want to put any more work than I have to into my canteen, and I don’t see the Camelbak giving me a huge advantage in any way.
For a while I tried using bota bags, but honestly I don’t think they make them like they used to. Maybe I’m just unlucky, but I’ve tried using three different bota bags over the years, and none of them worked very well (they always leak).
If you want a really simple soft-shelled water carrier, I’d recommend the military issue bladder canteen. It holds two quarts, and has all the advantages you’d come to expect from a flexible canteen, but without any of the fuss.
Camouflage
I’d have to say, the most overrated item a prepper could buy is military camouflage. There really isn’t a good reason for it unless you live way out in the sticks, in which case you probably don’t need a military pattern. A good hunting camouflage pattern should be sufficient. And since only 18 percent of the US population lives in a rural area, it’s safe to say that camouflage isn’t really that important for most preppers. If anything, that would just make you stand out in an urban or suburban area.
Even camouflage that is specifically designed for an urban area is a bad idea. Even if it helps to conceal you in a tactical situation, it will still make you stand out in literally every other situation.
Instead of camouflage, just get something that is durable, comfortable, and is dyed in solid, muted earth tones. I’m sure there’s more than one opinion on what that entails, but in this case I’m referring to brown, tan, olive drab, and gray, or at least something similar.
These colors have the advantage of being versatile. You can wear them on city streets or in suburban parks without standing out, but on the off-chance that you wind up in a rural area later on, you won’t be too obvious there either. Basically, it’s not the best you can use for any single environment, but it’s the best you can use in most environments without looking like a stereotypical survivalist.
Your best bet would probably be something made by Dickies. They make great civilian looking clothes that are just as durable as their military counterparts, and it’s not hard to find Dickies shirts and jeans that come in earth tone colors. Wrangler and Carhartt brands are also great choices.
Ballistic Plates
This one has a lot of the same problems as wearing camouflage. It’s pretty much impossible to wear these bullet proof plates without it being painfully obvious. They’re so big and heavy, that every soldier who wears them looks like some kind of sci-fi mashup with a Roman legionnaire.
That’s not to say it’s stupid. It’s probably just unnecessary. These plates are made for stopping rifle rounds, and considering the fact that only 2-3 percent of murders are committed with rifles, it’s safe to say that ballistic plates are overkill for civilians.
Keep in mind that the violent criminals you might face after the SHTF aren’t that different than the ones you might run into now. There will probably be an increase in murders committed by rifles since there would be no cops to stop people from carrying them openly, but I suspects that pistols, shotguns, bats, and knives will still be the most common murder weapons.
If you even need ballistic protection to begin with, which I don’t think most people will, just an ordinary kevlar vest will do. At most you won’t need anything that is rated above level IIIa, which should stop pretty much all handgun rounds, and some shotgun rounds. They’re also lighter, breathe better in hot weather, and some are designed to be concealable. There’s no need to overdo it with a hulking rig of ballistic plates.
Now I’m sure a lot of folks will disagree parts of this list, but does it sound reasonable to you? If not, then for the benefit of anyone reading this who is new to prepping, let’s hear your opinion in the comments. And if you have any overrated boondoggles from your early prepping days that you’d rather forget, now is a good time to get it off your chest!
There is a place for freeze dried sealed foods packets in some preppers stockpiles; just not ours.
We have dried foods like some veggies, and poundage of dried apples and jerky, that we made ourselves.
We looked at the Mtn. House packets at Gander Mountain, and laughed. Ridiculously overpriced.
I’ve said it before, stay quiet, be smart and hide in plain sight. Be prepared to go mobile. Negotiating an SHTF scenario is not only going to be about what you have but also about what you know, how you handle yourself and what you do.
The best tips I can give for canned food is take a sharpie black marker and on each can write the expiration date in large numbers like 7/16. Many of the dates fade or are printed so small you will not be able to read them in stress situations or the dark.
Also store your canned food according to expiration dates in like 4 big bins,labeled 1 through 4. The #1 bin being the food that will expire first and so on with #4 being the date the farthest out. Don’t store then according to category, that will be disaster and food will be hidden behind another can and you will waste a lot of time having to look at each can often to see what expires.
I can truthfully say that I have never thrown a single can of food out using these methods and tips.
~WWTI… KISS – keep it simple stupid
It’s not an expiration date….they don’t expire.
canned food does indeed eventually expire. either way, the point he was making was rotate your food.
Steamboat Bertrand sank on the Missouri River in 1865. In 1974,the National Food Processors Association(NFPA) tested canned food from the wreck and found “the foods were as safe to eat as they had been when canned more than 100 years earlier …significant amounts of vitamins C and A were lost. But protein levels remained high, and all calcium values were comparable to today’s products.”
Granted these canned items were “stored” under possibly ideal conditions, it demonstrates that canned food can outlast our lifetimes and still be nutritional.
source:
http://web.archive.org/web/20070509153848/http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/CONSUMER/CON00043.html
Bought can food for SHTF in 2009. I still eat them from time to time. Tastes good, some degradation though. Here, I’m talking about chicken noodle soups and new england clam chowder. Items are still in decent condition. I haven’t touched my tuna in oil, vienna sausages, spam. These should last longer. Things with tomatos and canned fruit has acids that will eat thru the metal,
eventually. Because SHTF didn’t happen in 2009, I’ve moved to freezed dried for longer term food storage. Mountain House tastes great, but it contains GMO. But, who cares in a Mad Max, SHTF, WROL scenario. Don’t forget about drying foods too. Here in Hawaii, where electricity is more expensive, I sun dry apples slices for about 2-3 days then burn off the extra moisture in an electric dehydrator (apple slices will
start to develop molding if you skip this step). I still workout at the gym and try make fresh fruit and vegetable juices with my juicers. Instead of throwing out the scrap pulp
or mixing it with my dog’s food, I dehydrate it for longterm use too. Just wanted to share my experience.
You may want to sample your vienna sausages. Mine started to deteriorate so I ate them up before they became just putty.
Good idea on saving the juicing pulp. I hadn’t thought of it but I have been juicing Chayote we grow and using the pulp in several baked and sautéed dishes.
We’re growing Maringa now. Awesome fresh greens and holds its vitamin content when dried.
Thanks. Will check my stores.
Interesting find.
I have charts for most canned food that gives a better use by time. So I use a Sharpie to mark the month/year of purchase on the cans. I like to use the first ones purchased regardless of date code. There are lists available that tell you what the manufacturing date is on foods that don’t have dates.
I have a large pantry and line up everything grouped by category. I have enough of each that I don’t have the old can in the back problem. I fill up a shelf with canned corn, for example, and use it until there’s no more more on the shelf. Then I go get another case and load the shelf.
In sum, all my oldest stock is on the pantry shelves ready for me to choose. The newest stock is always in the flats it came in, stored oldest on top. The only exception is new items that I am trying out. For them, there are only the ones on the pantry shelves.
I think having a designated pantry for food is necessary. Many years ago, I didn’t have a pantry, so food was stored in various kitchen cabinets. One day I found a can of pork ‘n beans that had swelled up round as a softball. I carefully took it outside so it would explode in the kitchen.
Archivist. Having a pantry is OK if you are Bugging in forever. Read my above post. If I needed for some reason to bug out in a moments notice, All my food cans are in numbered bins and within 5 minutes, I can put all the plastic bins in my vehicle and take off. How will you unload your pantry with no containers? Did you think of that yet? Or what if?? I am critiquing your food plan and that seems to be the flaw, I see. Other than that Kudos on the Black Sharpie Date marking. You can also write what is in the cans too if the label should happen to fall off or get wet. Unless you like surprise meals.
~WWTI…
…”How will you unload your pantry with no containers?” – ANSWER – Pillow Cases – Sweep a shelf into one in seconds, tie it shut and throw it on top of anything in the vehicle. The bundle fills in odd gap’s and the weight would keep all of it from blowing out the back of a truck bed. Simple, Fast, and Un-Identifiable. Your welcome.
Also the beauty of store bought cans of food it that it has already been cooked, and if you need to, you can just open the can up and start eating. Many times I was tired and hungry and just ate the veggies out of the can. Tasted good to me. Pour a little virgin olive oil and vinegar over canned string beans or corn with some cracked pepper and it was just like they serve it, at any salad bar in the US.
~WWTI…
As a matter of fact I was going to box some of my old canned goods and buy a bunch of new stuff tomorrow. That’s a good idea to take a sharpie and mark the dates in large print. Good tip.
WWTI, spot on. I use the same method for the canned goods in my stockpile. The one canned good item that will expire before the expiration date is canned fruit. I don’t buy it that much but when I do I go ahead and eat it before it can go bad. Everything else still keeps for a long time, way past the ALLEGED expiration date. I’m eating up some canned goods from 2011 and they’re OK, no problems with it. Eat what you store and store what you eat. I’ve got a small supply of Mountain House I touch only on occasion. It’s way too expensive to build a huge supply of unless you’re rich. Most of my food supply is canned goods and I do rotate them every so often. I don’t throw out any canned goods if I can avoid it.
WWTI, Good point to rotate canned foods! I have some but not a lot. Mostly freeze dried and dehydrated. MRE’s are garbage! I have in the last few years gone more towards freeze dried because of the shelf life. More bux but worth it imo. If you shop around you can get great deals like I bought several cases of mtn. house chicken for 27 bux a can. Rehydrated that is about the normal store price. Ground beef for 28 bux a can too!. Veggies are cheap so is canned butter if you catch the sales on beprepareddot com. I won’t be living like a bum when shtf and I have spent years and braincells and cash making sure I don’t 🙂
Don’t forget some freeze dried JESUS! lol
I just go to costco once a year and buy an unusually large pile of cases of canned and bottled fruits, vegetables, and meats. We either eat them or they go in the stash for giveaways in a shtf.
I ate some stuff that the best by dates were in 11/12 , seemed fine to me,,,
We will be eating a lot of stuff we normally wouldnt if things go awry so IMHO its just a good safety net.
SPEND YOUR CASH? Most asswipes don’t even have cash lol…..
Lots of problems with this article. Don’t buy can food because it is heavy but carry propane tanks. Don’t have a generator but carry solar panels. Don’t waste your money on camouflage, you will stand out. Last time I went to town, I stood out because I was not wearing camo. It is the fad right now. Pretty much everything he told us not to get has its usages. If you are staying put, can food is a cheap alternative to the expensive Mountain house, Wise, etc, etc. Only an idiot would p[ut it in a back-pack, but if you were leaving in a vehicle and you have extra room, why not. I belive in “name brand products” in certain cases,but this is survival, prepping. Not everybody is rich.
Plan three ways. 1: stay put, 2: leave in a vehicle, and 3: leave on foot. You should always have backup plans and that is where things get more expensive. The only one I really agree with is the body armour, it is hot as hell, even in the winter.
Every time you go grocery shopping, you should pick up a few extra cans of food. OPSEC. Propane is good for staying put or leaving in a vehicle, but it is best served for warming food. You should have as much prepared food as possible for the first 6 months or so. Why you ask? Because cooking food smells good to a hungry stomach, and for a good distance.
We also made our on MRE’s. 10,000 calorie, 2 person, one a day. They are for foot travel ONLY. We will not be hauling that much food on our backs.If you can’t hunt and forage, you are not going to make it anyways.
DO NOT burn propane without proper ventilation. (I.E. Inside your house for warmth) you will fall asleep and never wake up.
My Honda 2000iu ran my heat ( forced hot air ) for a week and powered a quarter of my houses electrical units with a 12 gauge suicide cord for over a week in 2009. That house was about 2800 sq. ft. The generator was purchased in 2002 and I still use it regularly for work.
Perhaps the author should waste his money on a Honda rather than space ice cream.
Prepare in any way and you already have a physical advantage and clearly show signs of mental advantage.
I have prepared for dozens of business start ups for when SHTF.
But don’t read what I have to say because my name isn’t “sherpa-derpa-derp”
No offense taken.
One of the weaknesses of freeze dried foods is the fat level. Have some edible oils on hand to add.
I buy olive oil and immediately freeze it, that stops its expiration clock until defrosted. I also have coconut oil, very healthy and I understand it has an unlimited shelf life without freezing. You can add a teaspoon or two to every portion of freeze ride foods and boost the calories, taste, and nutritional value. If you are going to have freeze dried foods, have some edible oils.
Instead of a LeatherMan multi-tool, I hear the one that Gerber makes is better made. Yes I have one and agree.
The wife started a new drug that caused constipation! So I’ve been buying cashews, an ounce a day and she is fine. Not to disappoint the drug store, but no other drug needed. Now when I buy them I double buy on sale. I’ll continue doing this until I have a years worth. Nuts are loaded with protein, oils and have a great shelf life.
Freeze dried foods? If we reach the point where we need to eat freeze dried foods, we’ll likely also be having to boil our drinking water. Sounds like a perfect combination. Out of the boiler and into the freeze dried food mix for the next meal.
Have a pressure cooker to boil water. You may need to boil contaminated water for up to a half hour to make it safe. You can do the same in a pressure cooker in ten minutes using a lot less fuel and with less loss to evaporation. If you must bug out to a high altitude location, a pressure cooker is the only way to make anything cooked safe to eat. At high altitudes water boils at lower temps and just doesn’t get hot enough to kill all bacteria.
Good points.
Coconut oil is an excellent source for fats and can be bought in small containers, it is in solid form, but will melt at body temp so its good for cooking even skin care. One important note when purchasing, make sure to buy the “Refined coconut oil” it has no coconut sweet taste, or else everything you cook will taste and smell like coconut.
I agree – Mountain House products are astronomically expensive, which makes them a very bad choice for the average, common sense prepper who has to adhere to a reasonable sized budget. After all, who wants to spend that kind of money on something that they stack inside a closet and forget about – just in case SHTF Day arrives, but what it it never does?
BTW: I have sampled Mountain House products – by purchasing a few of the individual backpacker sized meals that are sold in the sporting goods and camping supply section of Wal-Mart. You can get those for about $5 or $6 bucks, and it’s good to have a few of them stashed away in your 72 hour bug-out-bag.
And, they are pretty tasty. I’ve yet to consume an MRE, but based on what I’ve heard – Mountain House is probably easier on the taste buds than MRE’s.
Just too danged expensive!
Freeze dried foods are fine, so long as you already have them in your meal rotation. Attempting to feed yourself and your family food that is unfamiliar to them in a stressful situation will just make things worse. Even if it tastes great to you t the prepped expo. I recommend freeze drying and canning your OWN food and eat it regularly. Bottom line….”store what you eat and eat what you store!”
canned foods being “unhealthy” is really not something I would be worried about in a survival type situation
calories would be !!!
food storage should include a mix of canned goods and freeze dried
Going to my BOL with a good year supply of Canned food was Awesome. The Canned Salmon (5 yr exp date) steamed over a pot of rice or Mixed greens or spinach is tasty and satisfying. Canned Tuna, Canned Beef, Canned BBQ pork, Canned corn, veggies, string beans all very good. And I was burning about 2000 to 3000 calories per day the first 6 months here, eating well and I still lost about 15 Lbs, in my gut. Things like canned tomatoes only have about a 6 month expiration date, so pay attention to your food rotation.
Canning is nice but the Ball canning jars can easily break if dropped opposed to cans of food, plus they let light in, opposed to cans. Please stay away from WISE bucket food. The sodium content is like 300% the daily recommended amount. And after the first test bucket all the packages of basically creamed mush is disgusting. It is false advertising because the package labels show vegetables, and inside there is None to be found. I pretty much threw the rest out. Plus it will kill you of a heart attack, with such a big sodium/ salt content as a daily staple.
Also the first month or 2, I did not have ready made kitchen set up to cook, so for convenience, I complimented my meals with Good MRE’s, Not the Low budget crap that many buy and why they say MRE’s suck. American has good MRE’s. Do your research for quality and price. CampingSurvival is way over priced as much as $50 per 12 pkg case of MRE’s, but found “Cheaper than Dirt” to be a good value with great MRE meals. They also have a good buy on Power Bars in many flavors. I did not open any Mt House, but is a great light weight product to carry in your Bug Out Bag.
Even after a year at my BOL, I did go into town for meals and beers often, and still have about 6 months of food left in canned form with expiration dates of 2016 and 17, and I am about to stock back up on that, with a 2+ year expiration dates. Forget about anything that needs refrigeration, until you have a shelter and an offgrid solar system set up, to power up a fridge. Now I buy package meats for the freezer, creamer for my coffee, cheese, OJ, Cranberry Juice, Katsup, beer and soda in my fridge. Also buy lots of Bottled water. Solo I still burn through about 3-4 cased of 32 bottles a month and about 4-5 2.5 Gallon spicket containers of water, for dishes, washing hands, etc. Working on digging the water well this year. I still go into town to a Laundry mat which cost me about $12 every 2 weeks. Still cheap. I will eventually have my own laundry here at the BOL, once I get the water well set up and lines run. The solar can run it. And I could always hang dry the clothes if needed.
I also stocked up on all the Cool battle rattle camo gear, camo ponchos, and boonie hats and wear that on occasion due to its durability. I don’t wear that into town though. You can buy hunting Real Tree camo patterns which a lot of people in the area wear. I’ve bought about 3 woodlands camo ponchos, one for my Get Home bag, one for my BOB, and daily use when raining. Hard to carry stuff and an umbrella at the same time.
If I was to say what I have not used yet out here, it would be. 550 paracord, only a few times, all the long knives which are Just it case, and that is about it. Buy several camp stoves, as one will fail or break. Propane tanks are the biggest assets for cooking and heat. And I have 6 total.. 3 need to be refilled as winter has now ended here in FL. I have used axes, hatchets, splitting mauls, chain saws, weed trimmers, 6x 5 Gal Gas in Jerry cans rotated out. And stock up on lots of car fluids and filter changes. The entire grid could crash and essential parts may be hard to find one day.
I am on the fence for Ballistic plating, as it is so damn hot here in FL in the summer, and just more weight to carry. It may be more of an advantage to be faster mobile, than siting duck wearing a plates getting shot at.. If I did buy it, I would get the full level IV and not 3 protection. It is affordable. And you may want to get it for when driving in your vehicle. And while the Government has not banned it yet. But could. After a ban you could get double what you paid for it, like Ammo and AR15’s were in 2012. So it is an investment as well as life saving.
~WWTI… Good Luck Preppers.
WWTI
Body Armor in Florida. Heat and Humidity.
I call it the “Baby Bib”.
Purchased a Level three “A” collar, throat plate, and under the arm deltoid soft armor. Using snaps, attached underarm plate to collar. Already had snaps for throat piece. Then found a side ballistic plate to slide into arm pouch. Looks like a bib but provides good frontal, lightweight protection.
Provides small child protection too. You never know.
Sling, do you have a link or name brand for your bib gear? I’ll check it out.
~BTW/ It will be hilarious watching FEMA Thugs or Blue Helmets trying to invade Florida wearing all their gear and battle rattle. They will melt in their boots at 95 degs in the shade and 100% humidity come mid summer. I will be wearing shorts flipflops and mosquito netting, sniping with ease from the bush, like the Patriots did against the British Red Coats.
~WWTI…
WWTI
Glenn’s army surplus store.
Carries interceptor armor
Has Collar, Throat and side panels.
You have to modify the side panel with snaps to attach it to the collar. At least it gives you a pictures of gear.
Also I do not know if they sell one side panel only with inserts.
The ballistic side plate which is used as a frontal piece varies. Mine is 10 x 8 inches and is APM2. Better than a trauma plate. Find on E-Bay.
Wanted to get this out.
My computer is acting stupid at this site and it seems that the current article is under attack cause I am here with no problems but go into a loop when I try to access the new article. Typing replies is slow to register also.
Sling thanks for the Armor info. Also what you describe is exactly what I am experiencing for the delays and slow response time from this site alone. Probably Macs server is being hacked into or getting spam or the hack is saving IP addresses. WhoTFKnows. Also all these adds that blast response time and downloading just to scroll down to read comments is frustrating. As much as a 5 second delay when typing or clicking. Mac is under attack. Get rid of the Google Adds, or maybe it is Amazon adds. Crazy.
WWTI, Ha you sounds just like me when I had to live at my retreat lol. You learn what works and adapt and go with it. Sounds like your doin good and Im very glad for you! I’t is fun and an adventure and you learn a lot. My retreat saved my ass from the 2008 depression and so did my preps I din’t miss a beat lol. I love people like you who actually take the time and money and have the brains to do it! Rock on my offgrid friend!
Satori, spot on. I’ve been eating out of cans for most of my life, even in situations when I had nothing else available. If it’s all you have to eat at that particular time, you’ll eat it if you want to survive. A small supply of freeze-dried is OK as long as your family likes it. Since I’m alone I don’t have any such worries.
I realized after my first go round with canned foods that I wasted a lot of money. I donated hundreds of dollars worth of soups, canned veggies, etc. to our local food pantry a few weeks before expiration. This was 5 years ago when I was new to this, and did not understand buy what you eat, eat what you buy. Still, even now, I have a lot of waste in that department although I will use the occasional out of date product with the understanding that most shelf life dates are not the best representation of usability. Ther’s a case of mac and cheese in a secondary pantry right now that has to go… i am trying to think of what army I can feed that to right now:) I never worry about my Mountain House products like that. They have a good chance of outlasting me.
Feed to your chickens
I have a great deal of experience with generators and “gasoline” fed units are a definite no, no, diesel is the only way to go. First they are built much more robustly but the most important advantage is that diesel fuel will last indefinitely. After starting the unit on diesel switch to oil (transmission, engine, hydraulic, any grade, synthetic, canola)after warm-up and with proper maintenance the system will run for years. The fuel has to be filtered first and the supply is virtually unlimited in our society. Anyone who cares to try this will be amazed at the efficiency and they are easy to silence. I speak from extensive experience and because my truck is a diesel I have clocked thousands of miles on virtually ANY blend of oils and driven for free. I live in a cold winter climate and have successfully driven in -35 -40 temperatures and a stationary diesel generator would be easy to do. Just my 2 cents.
I agree with Wayne about the diesel being a better fuel source. I have used solar panels in the past and found that Inverters will turn any car or truck battery into a generator quickly. If you have a running vehicle, you have a generator. If you use deep cycle (Marine Batteries) They will last a long time. Inverters are lighter and easier to grab on the run than a generator. Old ford voltage regulators work really well in a pinch to control your voltage to batteries when using solar too. Remember stealth can be an issue, solar is quiet. And your average car makes less noise than a generator and it’s mobile.
So..it seems no one knows about this item?
ht tp://www.saferwholesale.com/Solar-Generators-s/2464.htm?gclid=CKG37dXt3sgCFU6SfgodF94LTg
Live Free or Die…and we’ll keep the lights on
Talon1776
How does one get 12,000 watts out of two 100 watt panels? The description states the Charge Controller “Handles up to 400 watts of solar power on 12V or 800 watts on 24V”. Where do they get the 12,000 watts figure?
wayne D
You sound like you may have a slow turning heavy flywheel diesel like some of the rest of us. You are correct. they will run on almost anything that burns. I ran on 19 year old #2 fuel this winter in a power outage. Solar and wind are nice but I like to have my whole house powered up. Most people think of a generator as a 3600 rpm screaming gas hog that sucks fuel. Doesn’t have to be so.
PS;
Sure wish I could get shit posted without an hours long stint in moderation hell. If I started Jew bashing would that help?
Joooo never know 😛
How do you deal with crudded up injectors? I know you can mix in the fuels you mention, My fix for low sulfur fuel is Automatic transmission fluid( 1 qt per 5 gal) but I thought running straight Canola for example screws up injectors. Keep in mind all the fuel you mention is way more expensive than Diesel.
ThankX!
How about a bit of kerosene (white) to clean those injectors? Canola will ‘crud up’ injectors especially in cold weather running …but so will diesel, and that’s why kerosene is most often used to ‘cut’ it …preventing ‘gelling’ (congealing).
I love a diesel burning Canola oil. Smells like a giant donut cruizin’ down the road.
I agree on diesel durability and fuel sources. What I did though was to buy a small 3500 watt gasoline generator and buy a NG/Propane carburetor. I can run gasoline NG or Propane. Carburetor cost nearly as much as the generator. I don’t plan on running it much, because I have solar. Not a lot, but enough to run the regular loads in the house. Of course not the heat pump or electric dryer. We will be doing without. Have a 1000 gallon propane pig, and the stove and hot water heater are the only things on it. Propane will store forever in the tank.
Shtf clothes- definite Carhartt and Dickies fan. There is also a gender neutralizing effect due to their fabrication which will be useful for women in bad times. Stiff fabrics minimize curves.
I am shopping for an overseas trip right now- and am going drab with navy and black, as opposed to turquoise and the greens I am attracted to. There’s a reason why urban women dress in dark, drab colors… not to attract attention to themselves.
Most ‘prep’ items are overpiced and overrated but let’s face it…a lot of people are just too lazy to make their own stuff or figure out a home made alternative.
Everyone has to prep their own way and if you want to blow a wad of cash on dehydrated food and canned stuff, that’s your perogative.
I think that’s a very worthwhile article for most people interested in getting started prepping and for those intermediate in the process.
I’ve favored dehydrated foods in #10 cans mainly because I don’t like the idea of freeze drying and the fact that the can size is better for just two people over a pail.
That being said, you can never have too much food stored. Or can you? some of those on the ‘doomsday preppers’ shows had tons. Like the water in plastic gallon jugs, by the pallet load. How long til the plastic breaks down? I suppose it’s better than dying of thirst.
I suppose I should try some freeze dried foods. currently have none.
What are your favorites? How’s the turkey or chicken taste?
Have you seen freeze dried ice cream sandwiches??
lol, at be prepared .com, my only source..
We just recently tried the freeze dried beef chunks and chicken. I carefully read the ingredient list to make sure I wasn’t getting too many strange additives. We went with the Thrive brand and were pleasantly surprised. It’s something I will repurchase and recommend. The price is offset by the fact it takes nothing but water to rehydrate it in 15 – 20 minutes and you have a good source of protein. You will need to season it according to your tastes as it is unseasoned.
Keep preppin!
I have to 100% Agree on THRIVE Brand. We have tried them ALL and Thrive is the best overall.
TCM, when you opened your cans of Thrive, were they full? When I first started prepping, I tested different brands and bought some Thrive. The cans were only about 1/3 full or less versus brands like Mountain House or Emergency Essentials which were more than 3/4 full. I had essentially bought cans of air. I realize they settle after packaging but not so much to be only 1/3 full. I tried nearly every brand out there but soon realized I couldn’t go wrong with Mountain House or Emergency Essentials. For those of you wondering, yes, I tried Wise too. I’d rather eat my dog’s food than Wise garbage.
N…..I was surprised that they were 3/4 full. I had to play around with the water ratio and now add an extra tsp. Per batch. Also, I had a lot of fun with trying different flavors and really appreciated the flexibility of the plain unflavored meats.
There is a bit of powder in the bottom of the can and it would make perfect baby food. I’ll probably pretend it’s a pate or meat spread of sorts. Again, it’s extremely important to have protein in our diet…..amino am incident keep us happy and calm.
……smartphone. …..amino acids!
TCM, the Thrive cans were only about 1/3 full. It was the Mountain House and Emergency Essentials that were over 3/4 full. The product does settle during shipment but not to were there’s only a 1/3 of a can. Thrive just didn’t put anything in their cans to begin with. At least, that has been my experience with Thrive. I don’t like paying premium prices for cans of air! Sorry if I didn’t make that clear.
Nubmaeme, MH is the only brand I found that I liked. I tried Wise one time and threw it up. My canned goods tasted better than Wise. I think I’ll try some Emergency Essentials and Thrive.
You know I think a lot of these writers who call themselves experts or with Military based titles write these articles based on theory, and not proven experience. Try canning food while bugged out, or even at my BOL, after a year I am still not set up to cann food yet even though I have all the materials to do it. I need more counter space as an example. It will take a lot of clean water, lots of propane and many hands to carry out canning. Sure when I lived in the city with utilities it was an easy 1 day task solo. Out here in the woods the rules all change. Not taking away from this article as Mr Kruase is spot on with most of his writing.
J Johnson lives in a fantasy world. What worked in the Military with a dozen grunts backing up the soldier, carrying all his gear, it is all fantasy. In the real world here in the states, solo, like what I am doing, it is a large experiment, and I can see, as prepared as I was, there are still lots of daily hurdles just to accomplish simple tasks, as it takes twice as long to do them.
So all I can do here is refute BS when I see it, and tell what really works for me through real experience. My location in FL is a different set of rules of where you may live or being in a winter climate. The rule of being able to adapt and keep pushing forward is the goal for survival. Either adapt or be very innovative is the key.
~WWTI… Turn the power out in your house and try canning food for a day. yeah right.
Not a problem here canning if grid power is out. Propane stoves inside and out. Backup power for well. you can do that even if you have to carry water.
Fookin A WWTI!
I sure glad the propane truck will still fill up your tanks when the SHTF. You WILL run out.
Are you saying you can’t stack a few rocks, place an improvised grate and split a little wood for a fire? That’s how mountain folk canned for years, as well as making syrups and sorghum. I could see not having an adequate supply of food grown at a BOL after a year, but I’d sure be able to can it if I’d grown it. Propane is nice but I wouldn’t waste it for canning when you can use a wood fire.
It’ll be tough, if not impossible, to make a fire pit in a tree when the swamp rises 6 feet. Swamp rat may have plans for cooking on top of his OSB shack, until it crumbles under the swamp water, in short order.
Gators and zombie thug neighbors will have an easy sight window on him as he will stick out like a sore pecker. lol,lol,lol.
But then again he does have demons at his beckoned call.
Kentucky hillbilly
of course you can cook and can on an outdoor fire. I wish I had maple sap for syrup though! Mm mm mm
I do like a rocket stove to reduce wood use, but they are easy to make.
Get a Sams club or Costco Membership and buy in Bulk. Way cheaper for canned foods, rice and beans, spices and lots of everything else, than standard Grocery stores. Go to the store and request a one day Guest pass, then back up the truck and load up.
-WWTI…
We have a SamSung propane stove that has features we’ve never had before. The two most used are Convection Oven (twice as fast to cook about anything), and a “food dehydrator”. Hey, it works and it works very well. For meats we most often use the smokehouse …especially fish.
Equorial
I was just talking to someone last night about my mom smoking salmon… she called it kippered… she smoked it with brown sugar… now I wish I’d paid attention.
Rebecca, can give you the recipe I learned in Oregon..
cut fish into the size pcs. you want, coat them with brown sugar both sides. You can add a touch of salt to the sugar mix for variations. I used a 50-50 mix sometimes. Use Morton’s smoke salt if available. If sea salt, use much less of it, say 80-90% brown sugar.
Put the fish on a rack if possible, if not a large flat pan/baking dish and refrigerate, 1-2 hours. This will draw out the moisture in the fish.
You drain the fish, and put on smoking racks. I’ve found Pam coconut oil spray here to coat the racks first.
If you want you can leave the fish out at room temp. for 1 hour before smoking. This will add a little crust on the fish and seems to work well.
Smoke the fish with sugar mix on it. Smoking times varies with thickness and your smoker. My Brinkmann needs constant monitoring and adding wood chips and seems to take about 2&1/2 hours with tuna.
It’s possible to overdo it and end up with dry fish, but it’ll still be edible.
Unfortunately it’s damn near impossible to check the fish while smoking (never lift the lid during) and the proper way to finish the process is wrap each pc.(or a couple) in foil and refrigerate overnight. This completes the smoking process.
A lot of trial and error..I vacuum bag and freeze whatever we won’t eat in a week.
I have had smoked salmon turn bad in the fridge after about 3 weeks, thinking it was preserved. It wasn’t.
Ketchup
Thank you. That will get me started and I will keep it for when I get to fish for salmon again. BTW I am originally from Oregon… God’s country! New Mexico is beautiful but not the same same.
My idea is to have lots of canned goods on hand at all times, at least 3 months’ worth or so. I also have a bunch of freeze-dried stuff, but that is my emergency stock and since it has a shelf life of 30 years (maybe longer) we just pull out a can once in a great while. That and pails of wheat, rice, etc. is what we’ll lean on after the canned stuff starts to run out.
But overall I try not to overthink things related to shtf. Nobody really knows what it will be like and I’m also trying to enjoy life as it is while I can. I just know that between our food preps, the garden and a year’s stock of wood and fuel and a few other things, we’ll have time to reorient if/when needed.
Good post Jaxx. Anybody with just a modicum of preparations and protection will put themselves far ahead of the eight ball.
Canned foods do have a place in storage for the what if. Just keep them rotated. Freeze dried Foods are a must with most having a 25+ year Shelf life. we started on the Journey over 35 years ago and now are eating Freeze dried Foods over 30 years old. yes we have have a few cans that were not edible for us and just returned them to the garden. Mountain House as advertised here is OK but the sodium content is way to high and what hey have to offer is limited. MRE’s I will have to agree are not for any long term but a few cases in the closet is a must.
Generators in our case are a must. Gasoline Generators are not reliable unless you run them often. We have 2 Diesel Generators 3KW and a large 10KW. Both are military surplus and work flawlessly. The key is to run them every 30 days (like rotating food stocks a must) Storing diesel is easy. we have enough stored to run our Gen’s for our needs (what we think we need) for 6 hours each per day for 4 months and we are constantly increasing our Storage as we can (especially with the way prices are now)
Propane is a good option but at $3.65 per gallon now? it doesn’t work out. Best you can hope for is a 1000 gallon pig and everything running on propane. As for the little 1 lb tanks they are expensive out the gate but the adapter to refill from 20 lb bottles works well but how many can you afford to purchase. Whole House propane Gen’s consume anywhere from 2 – 4 gallons per hour and most of these are NOT EMP Proof, Lightning static proof etc.
Can’t agree on the water/canteen issue. Camelbaks are the best way to go for us. a 100 oz Camelbak is = to 3 1 quart canteens. 3 canteens bouncing around is annoying and cumbersome. 1 – 100 oz bladder mounting on your back or in a pack with the drinking tube at the ready works well. As for keeping clean if you rotate and check your water storage either in Canteen, camelbak, drums or tanks every 6 months you should have very little problems.
CAMO. If in city/urban area I have to agree on ZERO camo of any type. But if you plan to head out to the Country side you need to have what the area will support for concealment.
Body Armor is must. Soft armor level IIIA is a must. Most are concealable and light weight. As for Plates if you can afford them it doesn’t hurt to have them but could if you don’t. The Steel Plates are way to heavy for any type long haul movement. If you can find them Military Light weight plates are the way to go. You just need to know how to inspect them for damage. We call it the Rice Crispy check. If you attempt to flex a military plate and hear crispy noise DO NOT purchase. Most Military plates are rated Multiple hit with the APM2 Plates being the best and you only really need 1 for the front.
I just had my big propane tank refilled here in eastern NC. It cost just $1.50 per gallon. I think you might have been overcharged. Now that winter is nearly over, the price should go down for the summer.
Ditto;
We refilled 750 gallons a coupe of months ago for $1.18 per gallon
NW 1.50 a gallon. You got buttraped lol. Don’t forget the pri-g stabilizer!
100lb propane tanks will be an excellent barter item, and it doesn’t go bad. I’ve collected a few used tanks – off season they’re cheap
seems as though mr. krause has no clue how bad things will be in the end. we will just have to agree to disagree on many points in this article. if you need a parachute, or a bulletproof vest and you don’t have it….chances are, you will never need one again. just think about two people facing each other 100 yards apart, shooting at each other…all OTHER things being equal, which one will be the harder to place a kill-shot on?…the one wearing a vest or the one not wearing a vest?… and canned food, which has water in it will be a must-have…even if you HAVE water, you could die from water containing pathogens, or chemicals…i prefer to get water where it’s safe, and drink as little as possible. so I THINK canned food will be very valuable…maybe if yer on the run/road, and weight is a factor, you would want dried food, but then you will need to find water to rehydrate it….and when you cook, it takes water to clean pots/dishes….you’ll need MUCH more water than you realize.
it’s as if this guy thinks the rifles won’t come out when the shtf. yes, you WILL need those plates, and you’ll need them soon.
There’s nothing wrong with having a few MREs on hand. They do come in handy occasionally. If you are intent on getting some for your pile, try to get the contractor grade ones. They’re a little better than the regular military grade. I found mine at MRE Depot (mredepot.com) and they were less than 4 months old. MRE Depot buys government overruns and other surplus items. I got them to use as my absolute last line of defense against starving. I hated eating MREs when I was on active duty but will eat one if I have no other choice.
MREs are good if you need to go mobile for a short span,,
I’m pretty sure MREs were invented by the enemy,so they’re not part of my preps.Rice, dried beans, dried fruit, jerky, honey and peanut butter store well and provide excellent nutrition.I limit canned goods to concentrated protein and fat sources but no acidic foods.
I agree with limiting camo as it often announces you are a prepper. I prefer to remain a gray man, although I do carry a compact camo poncho in my BOB for special occasions.
Isn’t there a lot of salt and preservatives in these packets of food?
You can even get dehydrated alcohol but who knows what’s in that. I prefer my own brand.
JRS, preservatives might be a concern, but when shtf, you gotta eat somethin’
As for salt, I believe Dr. Douglass when he said do not be concerned with salt intake. It is one of the excuses medicine uses to blame symptoms/illnesses on when they cannot be explained.
Stress is another; granted, it has it’s issues, but doctors use it to issue prescriptions.
Dr. Douglass said you will excrete excess salt thru urination. so, water is paramount.
We have been using salt freely on most everything for years and we have zero health issues.
As for canned foods, the FDA has mandated every canned food in America be acidic, ph-wise. It’s a throwback to the early 1900’s when too many people got sick from canned foods.
But standards have changed for the better, but the concern now is that too much canned/processed foods are causing acid reflux..so stock up on fruits and vegetables to counter that. (source for that last was newsmax Health, ca. 2013 or so.)
Ketchup, thats why baking soda was invented lol. Take it daily it helps 🙂
JRS, I have a few pallets of dehydrated water too just in case 😉
I live in a Very very rural area. I guess he wrote the article for city dwellers. I can’t agree any of his points especially the propane. You cannot make propane, but you can make alcohol fuel for stoves, lighting, small carberated engines, and even your old tractor. Kevlar is better than nothing, but why not add a ballistic plate if you are going to wear a vest and have restricted movement. Canning and can foods have sustained people for decades. Its to hold you over during winter when your Garden isn’t producing much/anything. Freeze dried foods are usually Way out of peoples budget. Camo clothing that is genuine GI issue and used/surplus is cost effective and durable. Wool is your best friend way up north. Im wearing wool pants from Army Surplus Store, they are out of Eastern Idaho…Pocatello (I think?). Pants cost 20$ M1951… Very warm and it is going to be cold and rainy today, so I will stay comfy while I work in the garden.
Talk about luck, I just saw an article on another site about building a 13 brick rocket stove, and it just so happened that my neighbor has an open shed just over the fence and he has boxes of insulated fire brick that have been sitting there for years, so I asked if he would be willing to sell some, and he said just take what you need, nothing like having good neighbors. Anywho it took me about 5 Minutes to put the stove togather and it works great. I may never need it but it’s handy to have. Trekker Out. Semper Paratus!
I don’t know how available these insulating firebricks are but the more I fool with this 13 brick rocket stove the more impressed I am with it. It takes about 2 minutes to start a fire with a piece of paper and a few sticks, this would be very easy for anyone, even a novice at fire building, and these bricks are very light so you can box them up and stick them in your truck or camper. I will take this stove with me on my camping and hunting trips from now on because it is quicker and cheaper than using my coleman stove to heat water for coffee or to make soup. This would sure be great in a SHTF senario, cheap to operate, twigs and sticks sure beat coleman fuel at $13 per gallon. Trekker Out
Trekker
I looked this design up and will get the brick to make one.
I have a solar cooker also, but Iget 300 days of sun here in NM. I have put a modified solar cooker in 2 windows of my trailerstead for winter heat generation. They work very well as a “force multiplier” for passive solar heat so I have to store less alternate heat for winter. Once I put in my underground cabin, my temps will be stable around 50 degrees… good enough, with cooking and body heat. I have planned a rocket stove in the kitchen that vents outside. This will do well for outside and summer cooking.
Rebecca I don’t kow how much the insulating fire bricks sell for locally, But I set mine up on a small piece of plywood and I picked it up and moved it around the house, it is relatively light and the outside of these bricks would take a very long time to get hot, mine never did, but I only had it burning for about an hour. I saw this on JWR site and it had a picture which made it very easy to set up. Trekker Out. Stay Focused!
Trekker,
That makes sense, I have a piece of plywood just waiting for a project. Thanks.
When we needed an insulated layer, like fire brick, we mixed plaster of Paris with, vermiculite, or perlite. It will never burn and is a great insulator.
Dave, I agree about making alcohol fuel. I can grow sugar beets and sugar beets can also become alcohol, along with other plant material. I think storing propane is an intermediate solution, especially for those already on propane, but creating alcohol is self-sustaining. My list of equipment is long. I have to remember that most have prepped longer than me.
I think ima eat whater ever i can find after shtf, cuz no matter what you will need food. Water is a concern of mine, since i live where it rains plenty i think im going to get one drum and some pvc, to collect rainwater, and i have water bobs for storage in bathtubs too. I have ballistic plates because id just rather have them. And i eant it to stop everything short of a 50 cal so
Just check out how to make a solar still for purifying water.
I too live where there are multiple water resources. However, should toxins ever contaminate the air, they will also contaminate the water.
The only choice in some cases is to distill the water. Have a plan.
Everything has its place.
MRE’s, Canned Goods and Freeze Dried. Can you mix these three survival foods with Things that you grow and what you harvest off the land. Fishing also.
Propane stoves and lanterns are a good way to go.
Generators? Whatever floats your boat only that if you are going to spend the money. Research both price and dependability. What are you going to power up.
Ballistic Plates. I recommend, One. For that special time. Pro’s ‘s on body armor are varied. Me I live in a area with sporadic gunfire at night. Celebratory or drive by its all the same. Consider what materials your home is constructed from and how bad the gunfire can get.
You can hold it up in front of you to protect your head at the very least. Or a phone book if you can find one.
Sling, I too have gun fire almost daily out where I live. I count the rounds when they practice and see if they are using 17 round mags or 30 rounds which then I can identify the caliber they are using. One old man jackass was taking pot shots at a 10 Ft 3 gator last fall across the lake from me, and a few of the 20 cal rounds hit above my cottage in the trees about 30 ft up. I went over there and had a good talk with him.
“Lets see, firing at housing, and towards other people, reckless endangerment, hunting gators without a permit, and out of season, and harvesting a 10 ft 3 gator, shooting across the lake or body of water on land you don’t own.”
Somewhat scared him strait and have not head anymore gunshots from him. We don’t call the Cops out here, we talk with people and crate an understanding. We swapped phone numbers and I told him if he needs any help or has problems to call me first, and together we can figure out what to do.
~WWTI… BTW/ We are 911 out here in the boonies.
EXACTLY!
I remember commenting on this article a couple of years ago. I guess we are recycling now. how “green”.
by the way, been using the same name and email for about 5 years. why am I being moderated constantly now??!??
My cooking experience is limited to, put fire under stuff to be heated up. I just found out the other day that “gobbledygook” isn’t Chinese food!
another helpful hint
the smoke alarm is NOT an oven timer!
When mine goes off it’s time to go out to eat.
EMP STRIKE WILL NUTER OUR ASSES IN A FEW DAYS.
HOWEVER I PREP, SO I AM READY
http://www.thecommonsenseshow.com/2016/03/08/north-korea-to-use-specialized-emp-weapons-against-the-united-states/
Yes, i have to agree with not using the MRE’s in that phots. Those are Garbage. Instead use the one from the Ready Store.com. The militray MRE Heater meals. I have personally tested that brand in the real field of my 18 months in Houston, the Hot weather, bad hostile city conditions, of starvation, etc. And Mountain House performed very well. Backpackers is GMO crap and packed with Salt, so i dont recomend that Brand. Mountain House make really good Grounded Beef, that you can add water to and eat dry, and the energy levels and results perform like real Cooked Beef and is of hight quality. Good ole canned meat is also good, Lost of grains, basics, like rice, and none GMO beans, and lets not forget losts of protien bags, large one from Optimum Nutrition, Labrada Nutrtion is also a very good Brand. The one thing you must have is water, and learned the hard way with that one, when i suddenly ran out of water one day in 99′. No waters filtration. I got the first shipmend if my MRE’s and Life straws and literally tested the Bayoo water of Houston, the Grass fileds, raod water and drank from it, and it saved my life and y sorry ass. Before i even made enough money to get my place during the middle of my shtf callapse, i invested in water and food. My gut was full, i had energy and i was able to workout successfully on Mountain House, and the Military MRE’s from readystore.com. Another really good one is Mypatriotsupply.com. Now this is quality to another level, even better than Mountain House because you have the meat MRE’s packets to supplement with the Mountain House thier other Packets.
Something really bad is about to happen, they are attacking Trump and Neut ginrich said tha Trump is not in the the Club. I am waiting on Cruz to announce the he is the VP under Trump, then i will reveil the Next set of info leading up to what is really going on. Byt first i have to see the Trump/Cruz merger first. Once this is proven, then i will tell more. Then again, if the North Koreans EMP the living phuck out of us, with china to cause the current administration to decalre martial law, then the Trump/Cruz deal Nomination falls through the cracks. I persoanally belive that the elections will be cancelled and have had been told enought info from the scientist validating this fact, and he backs up ED Dames. The SHTF EVENT HORIZON IS PENDING RIGHT NOW AS I TYPE, IT COULD HAPPEN ANY MINUTE any second now, any day now is what my scientist friend told me.
This is scary sh…..t to accept and yes since i have almost starved to death, passed out in the streets, etc., accepting the fact that i am homeless at the time, while others are driving down the street, and not adapted to this type of crap. No discipline, all out stupidity, and acting foolishilly living with reckless abandonment. Keep going at it people, you have no earthly phucking idea what and EMP can do.
NUTTY PEOPLE AND OTHER PHYSCO ELEMENTS:
Just last week a black woman in Houston, just less than 5 miles from me strips down butt assed naked on the freeway, climes on top of and 18 wheeler on the freeway. Then what kind of crazy BS can we expect when these unprepped idiotic people run out of the physco medication, espically the men, what will they do.
DRED LOCK AND LATINO FELONS AND NEW CRIMINALS RAPIST AND MURERORS.
What will the dred lock, and tatooed up latino lowlives that pester out cities do, once shtf commenses? At the end of the day, guns, bullets, food, water, batteries, MRE’s, Water filtration, vitamins, and dont forget to get vitamins folks.
FOREIGHN SOLDIERS ATTACK US IN OUR HOMES AND SUBDIVISIONS
Soldiers, of the above mentioned variety will be killing families, raping the women and children, shooting us men, blowing up our house, businesses, etc and all other sorts of attrocities planned for us by the UN, not a good site, a literally hell on phucking earth was we know it. Get ready because this our lickly future. I can tell you first hand that men are not going to like to experience this, i have and its hard on your mind, so you better be able to deal with these types of things.
This is not a laughing matter. Men don take these things easily when if happens to loved ones, and i can tell you from personal experience. You will literally loose your mind if your not strong. I almost did.
Youneed this to boast your immmune systems, this is the one thing that helped me alot because i had lots of them. Now i am storing up on Whey protein, a recomendation from one poster on this site mentioned it awhile back and he was 100% on the money. I dont remember who you are, but thanks for the suggestion..
HCKS..
Prepare for the phucking worst case senario. This is no joke of a future and those who laugh, will not be laughing once they realize the crap that they are really in.
Yawn, yeah, we’ve NEVER heard this before. Anybody care to give odds on any of this crap happening. If a man says ” the sky is falling any day now” literally hundreds of times and yet nothing ever happens but repeats of the same thing, I’m inclined to laugh more then anything else. What possible difference could it make to anyone who Trump picks for vice president? To say it’s going to be Cruz isn’t exactly Earth shattering news, just look up the Las Vegas odds and see for yourself. I’m wondering what we’ll be hearing this summer when none of the above happens either, anybody else curious too?
Your homeless but prepped? Ed dames ever hit anything right? Steve Qualyle a fearmonger? Too much fear porn for me lol.
Camo especially.
The purpose of Camo is to make you blend in with your surroundings and not stand out so you attract attention.
In a city, a simple janitor or mechanics uniform type of work clothing will make you far less noticeable in a crowd than either military camo or flashy clothing. Either of those will attract more attention than normal.
And avoid all black at all costs, it’s probably the most noticeable of all in any situation or condition. (for you paramilitary survivalist types, a few decades ago I did some testing of observing of movement at night by people wearing different colors and black was always identified first and at the greatest ranges under any light conditions with dark gray and darker blues being the one that was most likely to escape detection)
Old joke from Major John Plaster (Ret)
What do you call a SWAT team (all in black) … Skeet
Anonymous
Thanks for the information. I own too much black, I will shift to dark gray immediately.
Chuckling, I do all my own repairs, that includes heating and AC.
When I’d go to buy parts as Joe citizen they wouldn’t sell them to me. They only wanted to sell the complex stuff to professional techs.
I finally went to a uniform shop and got a blue shirt with my first name embroidered on. Never had a problem buying parts since! Camo comes in all forms.
I’d rather have the canned food that I currently eat. Buying 100 lbs of dried beans makes no sense. How are you going to prepare them? Just boil them? Or do you have bacon and molasses to make them taste good?
I bought 100 cans of Bush’s Baked Beans. They taste good. They’ll last forever. When I’m eating my canned food to survive I won’t be whining that it lost some of its nutrition in the canning process.
Gave me a smile on yer comment, sounds about like what was going through my mind
Get a pressure cooker to prepare dry beans, it will save lots and lots of fuel and time over just boiling them. Dry beans are usually cheap to buy in bulk during harvest season and easy to store for extended periods of time.
FWIW, Black Eyed Peas (Cow Peas) are very fast cooking in a simple pot over a fire if you pre soak them overnight. They are nutritious and taste good, usually prepared with some ham or bacon boiled along with them but fine as they are if you don’t eat pork (or meat).
Anon, thanks for the info about the cow peas, I will have to try them. The two problems I have with storing and cooking most kinds of dried beans is that they require a lot of water and time for soaking as well as boiling, and that they cause me personally a lot of tummy upset and sometimes even headaches which would be even more unwelcome if having to deal with any kind of emergency scenario. So I store lots of lentils, which don’t require soaking, cook fast and digest well. I even grew some in my garden a few years ago, using seeds right out of the bag from the grocery store.
this is probably late replying, but toss out the water (on a plant, etc.) that you soak the beans in. Lessens the chance of upset stomach. Some beans, red, etc. need overnight soaking.
Rebecca, thanks much for the info about Redbud, which I didn’t know before. It so happens I planted two Redbuds in my forest area, as part of an effort to restore the native plants. Those trees I planted are still pretty small, but I know of more mature Redbuds around here that could provide flowers and pods in spring.
K, thanks for the good suggestion. I’ve tried both changing the soaking water at least once, and dissolving some baking soda in the soaking water (one of many great reasons to store lots of baking soda)! I think that does help a bit. Another thing that helps is to chew each mouthful many times to thoroughly mix with saliva to start the digestion process.
Plan Twice,
Thanks, I put that in my list too.
Carol Mar
The reason most beans need soaking is they have saponins a soap. Soaking dissolves them and let’s you pour the saponins off.
Another bean most people overlook is the small beans on Redbud trees. Opsec. If you have a Redbud you have a legume crop. It is such a common decorative tree you can count it like a survival food, although I have eaten them for years. Easiest bean to grow.
Hope you remembered a can opener?
Barn Cat
Boil the beans, cover, then bury for a few hours. Go about you business and come back to dinner. We did this when I was a kid, and there are pricey models available nowadays called thermal heat retention cookers. But really, a hole in the ground’ll do it. I’ve been thinking about a deep sand box on the patio, though. No cat at my house. 🙂
I noticed no mention of a multi-tool like a leathreman. You can get an adaptor at HFreight for the 15lb propane container to the smaller can for about 8 bucks (have 3 in various bags). Canteen: I have three (1 gal shoulder strap and two quart) this allows me to also wear a backpack. My freezer has 3 frozen gallons of water – it will prolong my stuff longer in case of power outage and 3 more gal of water. Camo: grey or black: the eye has a hard time distinguishing grey in a myriad of colors at distances or low light; black in a self defense situation is very hard for the eye to track (as told by my instructor, Master Bohan). Has anyone experience with using CHEESE WAX? I would like to learn ways of preserving cheese.
The propane adapters are quite useful and reduce the number of total items you need on hand if you have a larger propane tank.
I recommend the Gerber multi tool that opens out the front since it can easily be opened and closed with one hand while the other is still in use (I do a great deal of ladder and rope work at my job and have found this to be superior to anything else in difficult places and reasonably priced). You should carry one of these with you at all times unless you live somewhere it is not allowed for some reason (they have a knife blade in them).
Good advice Sling. Phone books work really well. I have seen the ballastics, you can literally protect yourself from gun fire and if you get hit by a few bullets and they penetrate, they wont go very far. See youtube.com for video’s on this topic..
HCKS
Just a few thoughts. The writer was addressing new preppers.Most of us are past that point. Any food is better than none for newbies. We do need salt in our diets, it’s a must. Always check the sodium content. Really a 25 yr shelf life? If your eating those 25 years from now we are in a bad place. I have mt.home in my stores. Duel fuel stoves and lanterns. the only plates are for eating not for stopping rifle rounds.(head shots?) Just saying have lots of options because 300 million people are not just going away.
I believe that it should be pointed out that a person can get a propane fridge. Solar is great but has it’s limits. Can not tell you how much propane is needed to run a fridge, but assuming you already have propane for heating, the additional propane for keeping the food safe would not amount to much.
I’ve got a propane-powered Coleman dual-burner stove and also a Kelly Kettle, which uses ‘nature’s fuel’ [twigs, leaves, etc.]. I’ve got a few small stoves which fir into a BOB or backpack which will always come in handy. Also have a Mr. Heater, propane heater which I used a few times during the winter and worked like a charm. another good emergency item to have for winter.
I like dehydrated foods I made myself. I do prefer to buy jerky. A soup made with dehydrated beef is very good. I freeze food, can, and dehydrate. I have a partly underground root cellar. I would like a springhouse.
Any advice on keeping cheese?
Nels,
Cheese is pretty easy. I cut it into 1 pound blocks. Wrap in cheesecloth, then dip in melted cheese wax or paint it on. Store in a cool, dark place. It will keep for years and age well. I designed in underground storage that will be about 50°F year round, in addition to my existing building.
I sure want goats for cheesemaking, butter, milk. Cattle are too much for me, no experience yet.
I turn butter into ghee and can it. Tastes good and stores indefinitely.
All of that store bought can corn products is GMO, unless it is organic, but it probably still is. I quit eating even fresh corn on the cob because it is GMO too. I know the GMO’s are hidden everywhere and the FDA knows what is good for us to eat, thus the legisation to force people to eat it and shut up.
When TSHTF i dont think GMO will be the biggest worry, and just an FYI, producers in the US have been planting GM corn since the early 80s
Aljamo, your right, all the corn is GMO, unless you buy it directly from a local Red neck country farmer. In fact Russia, turned down all corn exports from the us. The french doctor won his case in court, when they threatened to end his life for exposing the cancer, liver and kidney turmor causing corn and other crap they have been exporting. Government wants to tell you what to eat next.
Food town sells GMO apples, and i discovered this when i bit into the apple and noticed that the apples have no seeds. Even the catelope and i mean all of them are GMO. Here is how you test, plant the seeds and see if they grow and you will notice that they dont grow. I test all of the fruit in the local grocery stores and none of them grew. When i bought the seeds from the feed store that advertise none GMO. The seeds sprouted within weeks, the cantelope, and the apples, and everything spruted. I do not eat any of the produce from the stores anyomre unless they are lables NON GMO CERTIFIED, then i am certain for sure that is good. Go to Sprouts, they have more non GMO certified apples, and other fruits. Whole foods got busted lableing GMO as organic and tried to have Alex Jones reporters arrested when they went after them. Sorry whole foods, your a sh..t lying company. No telling what causes my future liver and kidney deseases. I buy from the red neck farmers in my city. Not only will they shoot your ass, if you mess with them, they grow good stuff, and i have noticed more muscle mass, weight loss, more energy mentally and physically onced i switched to organics. Big difference. In fact ladies, if you go organic, you will notice that you loose weight much faster and feel better. Get th duck eggs also, thats really good stuff, very organic and alot of protein for the muscle head enthusiast like me and others. Places to aviod, Krogers, food town, Randalls. Good ones HEB, Sprouts, and HEB is gradually kicking out the GMO crap from thier stores and have hooked up with local farmers, which for me is a good thing. As for Walmart, anyone eating produce from that store, your days are numbered, you will have sores and tumers in your liver in the next 12-16 months. Good luck to you. For the muscle boys on this site, your would not belive the difference you see in your physique when you eat organic, you dont gain weight, as in fat, you lien out and then you check your blood testerone levels, and then its increases by 300′. Mine is 700, so i have face to face conversations with russian spetsnatz and don’t get nervous. Must have been my distinct body ordor that fended him off that day.
Aka
HCKS..
It is only a waist is if you need it and don’t have it.
Get what you if you don’t have to use it that is GREAT. “Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it”!
Sgt.
Get all you can and barter the rest.
Funny – just recently a buddy and I have been rotating some of our freeze dried and dehydrated foods in our regular dinners without informing wives or kids. No leftovers. We’ve both used various companies but agree Wise is the least favorite. MREs kept for dire situations same as those 2000 cal bars. We can about 700 quarts of veggies a season as well as beef and chicken. Store purchased cans still have shelf space. I’ve eaten bobcat – dog – clucking chickens – trust me, when you’re starving it’s all good. Propane – wood here and a 110 ft fresh water well. Let it burn.
Will Hillary be charged? Here is a take on that, she will not be charged until after she is the Democrats choice running for president. Then she will be arrested and charged will the crimes and Obama will have no choice but to call off the elections till a new candidate is chosen making him still president till the process in picking a new person is completed, which will never come about leaving him President.
All IMHO.
I believe all of the food products have their advantages and disadvantages. Can is cheap and for every day use. MREs are great for backpacking due to weight but so is freeze dried. Body armor is choice of use and situational need. In the middle of the night and I here a noise in the house you can guarantee I will be wearing plate armor,ease of putting it on and with the increase of home invasions its the way to go at home and after the shtf, the choice weapon will be a rifle. Everyday normal would be regular body armor because it would be most likely that a handgun would be used. Water,I use both of the containers, the advantage of camelback is that they help keep you cool and can be attached to gas masks if needed.
I would say social contacts and social networks are a big and over-looked prep tool. Take for example the attacks on women these days by Muslims. Most feminists have little to say or do about it. They just tune it out and get back to ditto heading along with Hillary and Rachel Maddow. But they should be organizing with tech-savvy women and taking the fight to Muslim dirtbag men invading Europe. This can be done through identifying them and then sharing that data. It is straight forward to get photos, finger prints, gait tracking, DNA, names, etc. parse it through a platform and serve it up to women via an app on their phones. The Japanese have software that can sort through photos at millions per second. Base your servers in Belarus, North Korea etc. to evade meddlers.
I have used one of the screw on burners that fits on top of the mini-propane tanks for years. It is small so it doesn’t take up much space. The other things I keep with it are one of those long barbecue lighters and a stainless steel coffee maker, the old-fashioned type, a percolator. Don’t get the one with decorative wood on the handle, find one that is stainless steel. If possible purchase an extra glass piece for the top (I have broken them in the past and it is hard to find a replacement). I don’t like the ones made out of aluminum. If you can find a SS percolator with a wire handle, even better, because you can hang it from a tripod over an open fire, too. It is an easy way to boil water, make tea, make coffee, warm up soup, boil pasta and it is fast, too, about five minutes. Have used this burner in the worst weather outside. Reliable as long as you have fuel. I have used it during power outages to make coffee in the garage, too. Coffee, tea, sugar, and those little bullion cubes / jars are good morale boosters. The good thing about the little burner is there is no smoke and it is easy.
I agree. I have wasted money! I bought a huge 25-pound bag of rice. Unless you seal it in a way that takes out the air it goes rancid. I have had to throw away old rice. How can you tell it is bad? Smell it. MREs: I have some but they are for an absolute emergency and come with self-heating packs that only need water. They are horrible. I have tried a few types of dehydrated foods but most of them have too much salt, many are not organic and they are not GMO-free. I prefer to just keep the types of food I eat, on hand.
Boots: I wasted $100 on a pair of Ariat boots. I tried to break them in for at least two years and ended up throwing them away because they tore the hell out of my heels. It took two weeks before I could wear a shoe again, that is how badly my heels were blistered. Looking back, the best pair of boots I have ever worn was a pair of Redwing steel-toed construction boots. They make women’s sizes, too. I wore those boots until they fell apart. Hiked all over Europe with them. Women should always keep a pair of boots and a couple pair of good socks in their vehicle, in case they have to walk. Most women’s shoes are useless.
I always clean all of my leather with a bar of basic saddle soap and a soft brush. I have used Murphy’s soap but it leaves too much of a residue. After cleaning off dirt with saddle soap and patting dry the leather, my favorite leather preserver is Neatsfoot oil. You can buy it by the quart at a farm supply store. As a groom and working with horses I have used all kinds of different products to clean really expensive saddles and bridles and horse tack. Glycerin, Murphy’s soap in the big tub, Lexol. Overrated and expensive.
Philo, I wear boots of one type or another all-year-round. I keep extra boots and socks in storage. I wear boots with Thinsulate insulation when it gets extra cold and waterproof boots when it rains. Need that ankle support. No shoes for me, period. I also use Dr. Scholl’s insoles in my boots for extra comfort. Can’t stand anything that’s uncomfortable. I’m very picky about my footwear.
Brave, the blisters I got from those danged Ariats were horrible! I was basically crippled for two weeks they were that bad. Being able to walk and having decent footwear is critical, I agree!
In Germany I ended up buying some German engineer boots that had Thinsulate. They were good, but heavy. They also had the tongue sewed to the inside of the boot (to prevent water and debris from getting inside) and they had metal loops for the laces. I forgot, the one thing I didn’t like about the Redwings were at the top, the lacing hooks got bent and some eventually broke off. Not good.
I always use a pair of insoles too. They are replaceable and keeps the boots cleaner, longer. Easier to throw out a pair of insoles than a pair of boots.
The local farm stores keep rubber boots in stock, too. Good if it is wet and you can get them insulated, too, and is worth it. I have spent plenty of time walking through mucky, wet, gross pastures to deal with horses. If you have livestock and live where it gets wet, a good pair of rubber boots is critical. Wet, cold feet from chasing a horse (or cow or goat) though muck is not fun. Plus you can just hose off rubber boats for easy cleanup. Not good for walking any distance but essential when working with livestock.
There are two things that you should buy of the best quality that you can find and afford.
Boots/Shoes and your mattress
Because when you are not in one you are in the other!
Good post, Philo.
Definitely agree with you on the boots. I’ll raise you one on the boots: you need two good pair, one Gore-Tex and Thinsulate, the other steel or composite toe. Best boot deal I ever got was at Bass Pro, of all places: 600 gram Thinsulate Gore-Tex boot for $119; boot is as light as my wrestling/martial arts shoes, and works great with mid-weight socks. They put the very same boot on sale less than a month later for $79; that made the decision to get a back-up pair real easy. I’m looking to upgrade my current Magnum steel toe hikers to a more athletic, higher cut boot; they’re too much like Frankenstein boots from a mobility standpoint.
I’ll disagree a little on the MREs. I can tolerate them rather easily. I’m a little different on how I buy them: I like to cherry-pick entrees and snack packs because that works the best for how I build a kit. I’m someone who spends a bunch of time on the road. I use a Condor shoulder bag as a sustainment pouch; the pouch is built around the premise that I will be on the road, and for whatever reason, have no option but to take to the road on foot. I want the contents of that pouch to extend past 7 days should that be the case; maximum number of meals in minimal amount of space is a big priority. Cherry-picking MRE parts helps me do that. Then I’ll cherry-pick some off the shelf stuff to round it out. Tuna pouches and tea are automatics there.
Good choices.
For food – I’m pragmatic. Whatever I can get. If it is growing and edible, I’ll eat it; even if I have to convince it to stop moving first.
For water – old-school. Give me a good sturdy Army issue canteen. Steel or the newer plastics. A foreign army version with a metal cup, so much the better for the uses of that.
Heat. Very wise. I’m more practical though. The heat source must be something found locally. Wood, dried dung, paper…. whatever burns easy and the flame and smoke be kept low.
100% agreement on the clothes. Nothing will say “detain me” like camo. And the bottom line is muted, earth-tone clothing works virtually as well as the most expensive camoflauge. One can always add dirt or foliage if need be. And hunting animal looks most for movement anyway.
I own a ballistic vest. USCG issue. Has the plate and I hope it would stop a round. Big ‘but’ though. Arms, legs, head, groin, neck….. all targets. I personally practice head shots anyway. Basic rule of warfare is that to kill merely takes out one person, to wound takes out several. So, until they make a literal suit of armor that encloses all directions, I’m with the person writing also from Florida – heat, humidity…. oh my.
Get a pair of good leather boots that fit. Cause those cheap Chinese sneakers will rot your feet…
…And you will have a long way to march to the labor camp after our loving government breaks down your door and takes all of the shit you have been saving for all of these years.
This is the best discussion this year.
Great ideas and comments from you all.
Greetings! Been building a short-term and long-term pantry since 2009. Wide variety of foods we normally eat, plus some we don’, but are great for storage (like home-dried veggies, I prefer fresh or frozen). Recently realized I was long on beans ‘n’ rice ‘n’ oatmeal, but pretty short on long-term storage of vegetables and fruit.
Checked into a few of those (overpriced?) combination buckets of dehydrated veggies/fruits, wondered where the stuff in those buckets comes from, and ended up discovering North Bay Trading Company out of Wisconsin: https://www.northbaytrading.com/
Wow! Amazing selection of both air-dried and dehydrated fruits in vegetables, wild rice, soup mixes etc. You can go with little bags to big bags to boxes, depending on your budget. Everything is extremely well packed in mylar. Orders over $99 ship free. They also have a variety of organic foods, plus some nice sampler style gift boxes.
I’ve decided to divert some of my regular grocery budget each month to building up my stores of this great stuff. I don’t have the budget to buy a fancy dehydrator, so this is a good option. I’ve got several air food dryers but I’ve found that dehydrated food works best for my backpacking trips…that home air-dried food was still pretty chewy even after soaking! I’ll keep the home dried stuff for long-cooked soups.
Also, North Bay Trading Company has great email customer service. I emailed to see if they ever had “seconds” or “rejects” (being a thrifty shopper!), and that I led youth in hiking and outdoor activities. Got a friendly reply that no, they discard anything that doesn’t meet their high quality standands, and an encouragement to keep teaching our youth useful skills.
Hopenjoy, thanks for the web site. looks good, may try some things from there.
Here’s my deal got canned beans fruit corn carrots potatoes ham I didn’t get it all at once just a few cans a week. The mountain house buckets are $75 to $100 a bucket and you’ll pay that up front as opposed to a few bucks at a time going with a few cans. Grabbed a few 5 lb bags of rice too. For heat got two 100lb propane tanks and a space heater in the basement was already in the house when I bought it works good. Got Real tree camo its common around here doesn’t raise suspicion. Wally’s sells it most of its on sale now cause it’s not really hunting season. A little at a time not breaking the bank and you will be set up. Anyone running out and making impulse buys because of an awakening will make poor choices.
LOL, How come BitCoin didnt make the list?
everything point was wrong. everyone
1st, canned food keeps for years, i personally have eaten canned food that was 5 years old. it tasted a little canny, but it was good enough to use. Canned food from your grocery store is a quarter the price at the most of freeze dried food and it goes on sale AND YOU CAN BUY WHAT YOU NORMALLY USE! I buy cans of vegetables, fruits and meats and rotate them out when they are 2 years old. They taste fine and I buy them on sale but the case.
2nd, yes you CAN store gasoline for years with the right preservatives. Do some home work.
3rd you do NOT WANT TO HEAT YOUR HOUSE WITH PROPANE!! ITS A GOOD WAY TO DIE FROM CO1! DUH!
4th, no camo? good, more for me. You’re an idiot of you dont have SOME camo in case you need to be hidden. Are we not talking SHTF?????
5th, CANTEENS? simple ALWAYS have a steel canteen 1st, then whatever else you want .
SHTFPLAN needs to read what their writers post once in a while………or their credibility will fall quickly
“After realizing the folly of cans”…folly? One of the most beneficial inventions in the history of mankind…canning…is most definitely not folly in any respect. That’s just stupid.
As the General Manager for BulletProofME.com Body Armor for 15 years, I agree that it’s best to focus your budget on soft vests for pistol protection first, before getting rifle plate protection. He’s right – outside of an all-out TEOTWAWKI pistols are the primary threat, percentage-wise.
However some major corrections are in order:
1. Saying pistol vests “breathe better in hot weather” is NOT TRUE. Neither soft pistol vests or rifle plates are breathable. Pistol vests cover more of the upper body than rifle plates, and thus give LESS ventilation in hot weather.
2. Rifle plates can be easily concealed under a jacket.
3. Modern rifle plates can be very light – even 4.5 lbs. each or 9 lbs. per pair (e.g., our Ultra-light Ceramic)
The best solution is not either/or, but BOTH in a modular system as appropriate for the situation.
Of course it is always wise to be informed and prepare for any possibility. TPTB have more resources, and tricks and options than one can imagine; and they have access to information that we never would. It is likely not in TPTB interests for things to collapse now, actually it is in their interests to prolong their situation as long as possible. The real economic and financial crisis we preppers are preparing for is not any time soon.
Some among the preppers are lusting and craving for general suffering, chaos, and death and are becoming impatient. They thought they would have at least been able to shoot some people by now. Others have been for years predicting total collapse to occur within days or weeks and keep making predictions; they are only fools expressing their true desires. I personally know a person who told me at least 10 years ago and several times since then the collapse is imminent; now he is actually really angry it hasn’t happened (and his wife recently left him). Meanwhile, I recommend we try to enjoy life as much as possible.
Are deer easy to see? What color are deer? That solves the clothing question, and you don’t look like a prepper.