We Never Could Have Imagined (or Prepped For) What Actually Happened in Venezuela

by | Mar 9, 2018 | Headline News | 182 comments

Do you LOVE America?

    Share

    This article was originally published by J. G. Martinez D. at The Organic Prepper

    Can we prepare for everything?

    We never could have imagined…or prepped for…what happened in Venezuela.

    In this article, I wanted to analyze my preps, and the nature of the apocalypse we have been forced to face. I don’t know about you, but anything that kicks you out of your place, of your warm bed, your pets, kids, wife, and the rest of your family, for me does not have another better word to describe it.

    My comfort bubble was destroyed, my work of an entire life was thrown out by the window, my family insurance full coverage policy is gone with the wind (although with no medications to be had and doctors running away to Argentina and Colombia, it’s not like it was very useful though), and the few preps I had for 4 or 5 months are history now. Of course, they worked pretty well, and we stretched it a little bit, but once the system collapsed, there is nothing else we can do but close the place and bug out to some other place where we can at least buy food.

    What happened was something entirely different from what we had prepared for.

    I guess that what I mean is, that, within our means, we prepared more or less adequately, but what really happened was something entirely different that we had not prepared for.

    We prepared for some of the consequences of turmoil, unrest, riots, crime. We were able to hunker down for a while and able to defend ourselves silently and seriously, without having to leave our haven. The scarcity problems started back there around 2013-2014. Those years were the last time I remember we could buy large amounts of wheat flour, corn flour for arepas (yes, those yellow packages you see people fist fighting each other for on the web), pasta, powdered and UHT packaged milk, rice, and other staples.

    An economic collapse this long seemed like something that was entirely out of the question. It was entirely unpredictable. I would have expected a pandemics or a coup d’etat long before this hungry zombie-like scenario.

    We knew something disturbing was going to happen sooner or later. We could feel it in the atmosphere…but nothing like this. We never thought it would be impossible to find a battery, or engine oil, or gasoline (Jeez, this was an oil-producing country!!) or that kids were going to be endangered in the very door of their schools. In the worst of our nightmares we could have imagined that one of our rescued cats that we relocated with one of our friends in a barrio was going to suffer a horrendous death (please don’t ask for details).

    We never could have imagined that the oil and electricity state companies employees were going to be threatened with imprisonment for treason if they tried to quit their jobs to leave the country. Because THAT IS HAPPENING. When I found about this, I felt a deep sensation of relief as never in my life because I had left. The only similar feeling I can think about, was when my last son was born, and the doctors told me he was just fine, like a champion, and no reasons to worry about.

    Under the current situation, being accused of such terrible charges is a complete nightmare. But with the income from the online freelance work, we have been able to at least keep the home running, without the tiny salary that once was more than enough for a good living. Without it…our family would have been condemned to doom, no matter our preps.

    So quitting and leaving the country (and my family) behind was one of the choices that have been the hardest in our lives, but the most sound, and the most assertive in the long run. Just by avoiding the potential danger of being (falsely of course) accused of treason and getting in a messy problem, it’s already a huge benefit. I have always given trust to female intuition. When my wife and I discussed about how bad things were going, and the decision for me to leave first, I knew it was her intuition speaking.

    We never imagine that cash was going to be another commodity, and that the prices were going to be much different if you tried to pay with debit card instead of cash. If you pay with a debit card, the price will be double than if paid in cash. This is not surprising: the rate of the circulating cash to the non-circulating is deeply distorted. There are people even SELLING the cash: you transfer them one million BsF to their bank accounts, they will give you 500 or 600.000 cash. And that is barely enough for two dozen eggs and some cheese.

    In retrospect, what could we have done to prepare for the current situation?

    Let’s see.

    • A 5 years antibiotics supply, for each family member (please include pets, they could be sick or get wounded too, and we consider them members too), with the assistance of good will, close doctors. This should be considered as an insurance policy; a non-transferable, secret stash of medications for the worst scenario. Cefadroxil, penicillin, and some other similar stuff.
    • Diarrhea stopping meds
    • Serum
    • Needles and tubing
    • Surgical gloves
    • Breath cover masks, and a couple of reusable syringes that you could sterilize in a small backpack stove or a bonfire in the backyard…
    • A solar power array with a small battery pack just for lighting
    • A large, buried diesel custom-made aluminum tank with a proper sized generator (there is not too much space left in our place: we live in a subdivision, houses are wall to wall next to each other) with a homemade silencer, and adequately rigged to the wiring of the house for the largest systems, like freezers and air conditioning. Specially designed plastic diesel tanks would have been best as they don’t rust and they are cheap and strong; but the aluminum seemed a better idea because they make it with the size you want, and as the space is limited I would have optimized it. It could have been possible even designing an aesthetically attractive setup, something like a strong wood frame with the tank on top, and with a small hanging plants gardening to obstruct the view of the tank, and wrapping the feeding lines to the generator in ivy.
    • Enclosing our garage before the steel rebar disappeared from the white market and the production was destined to the black and grey market. (I hate fencing, it is like living in a birdcage, but this would helped a lot for peace of mind).
    • A sun-protected small herb garden in the roof of the small workshop in the back of the house, with spices and medicinal plants. The excess of production (These are the tropics, plants here grow like weeds from one week to another, remember, lots of sun and rain) could be exchanged for some staples.
    • Perhaps a chicken coop with a couple of hens. The eggs price has been so inflated this days that a single egg costs more than the minimum wage. A hen produces more than a laborer. Do you remember that stories about the eggs, chocolate, and potatoes acting as currency in the WWII? It is becoming currency here too.
    • Perhaps even growing our own sugar cane to squeeze, grind and get what we call here “papelon” (solidified sugar cane juice) for sweetening would be possible in our small front garden
    • A couple of corn rows, not the hybrid Monsanto genetically modified crap that needs industrial fertilizer, weed killers and unable to generate seed, but the Amazonic variety: larger production in much smaller time, just needs sun (we have more of it than what we would like) and water.
    • Another SUV, with a much taller ground clearance, larger tires, diesel-powered with no electronics and a huge front fender. Something heavy, strong, black or dark grey, windows covered by that plastic clear bullet proof sheeting, able to plow a pack of thugs in motorcycles out of the way without a blink.

    Yes, I know how it sounds. But I don’t care after some things I have known these MFs can do, like a guy being shot 30 meters from the person who told me the story by a criminal in a motorcycle, and me and my family almost being stopped in a desert road at 8pm in the middle of nowhere with a log in the middle of the way (I just push it to the floorboard, and we jumped over it).

    There is no possible way to have stockpiled pasta and other dry goods for such a long period without buying another house, or building a second floor adding about 60 or 70 square meters to the house. And even so it would have been risky: someone watching in the wrong moment and we would have been in deep trouble, accused of “hoarding” and yadda yadda (insert your favorite “socialist” excuse for stealing private property here). Our goods seized, the 10% sold in public to “the poor people” for the government-owned newspapers and the 90% stolen by you-know-who.

    Self-supplying proteins with our current setup in a subdivision is much harder. There is not too much space. Rabbits and other rodents are out of the question as the flies their poop attract here in the tropics are a problem, and economically not viable by the way. The cleaning products and food are too expensive and, as you must suppose, scarce. The people in country cottages already will be much better prepared than we nerdy, espresso-addicted, city dwellers.

    In this light, it seems that the best choices would have been moving out to a cottage, don’t you think?

    It’s not that easy.

    Our laws don’t approve home schooling; driving one hour from the country cottage to the school everyday is out of the question because getting car parts and consumables is nearly impossible, or too expensive.

    Crime is getting increasingly nasty. A cottage with crops and cattle is an easy target for hungry people that was too lazy and ignorant to prepare themselves when they could. Getting a tool like a shotgun for defense just would bring more problems. Thugs see this as an attraction too big to resist. Since weapons and ammo are scarce, they are a real treasure. They know where you are, and they are organized and have the proper contacts to be able to put you in a  very difficult position.

    It would have been much worse to take down something trying to mess with you in your own home, as they never steal alone. The castle laws won’t apply, unless the deceased has been a real pain in the backside and a dangerous criminal in his life, and if that’s the case, chances are that a lot of his friends are similar. A second “visit”, perhaps with more prepared thugs will come, because they know you will be able to do whatever you need and won’t take horse manure from anyone.

    Or even worse, LEOs will prosecute the cottage owner because they are a ‘threat to the government.’ They will empty the house of whatever is inside as possible “products of a crime” and the owner will be unable to prove the contrary from inside the jail. I have known from several people who had to pay monthly to the guerrilla militia the products that they preferred to sell at a loss.

    Having kids to take care of and provide for, the lone wolf option is not really an option. If the BOL is not far away enough or well hidden enough, sooner or later someone will discover it. The best option is to band together with some other families, each in their cottage, and build a communications network reliable enough and with good backup, in case some packs try to attack. I know this would be much easier for USA people, as their access to all kind of defense tools is much better.

    Personal note:

    I want to thank to those who have sent assistance, from the bottom of my heart. However, building the needed amount has been slow: I have still to buy some mattresses, a small table with chairs, and some other stuff, despite sending some money home weekly for food as well, before getting the tickets to get my people out. I had to leave all of my gear back at home, and starting from zero.

    I appreciate your comments, even if I have not responded to most of them yet, but I promise you I will submit a special article with the answers to all your questions, as they are very interesting and I know you will be interested in a lot of what I have to say about those topics!

    Thanks, my dear readers, and see you next week!

    About the Author

    Jose is an upper middle class professional. He is a former worker of the oil state company with a Bachelor’s degree from one of the best national Universities. He has a small 4 members family, plus two cats and a dog. An old but in good shape SUV, a good 150 square meters house in a nice neighborhood, in a small but (formerly) prosperous city with two middle size malls. Jose is a prepper and shares his eyewitness accounts and survival stories from the collapse of his beloved Venezuela. If you’d like to donate to help Jose get his family out of Venezuela, you can do so here: paypal.me/JoseM151

    URGENT ON GOLD… as in URGENT

    It Took 22 Years to Get to This Point

    Gold has been the right asset with which to save your funds in this millennium that began 23 years ago.

    Free Exclusive Report
    The inevitable Breakout – The two w’s

      Related Articles

      Comments

      Join the conversation!

      It’s 100% free and your personal information will never be sold or shared online.

      182 Comments

      1. A Venezuelan Selco. God bless.

        • amen

          • Keep America Great!!!
            Keep America WHITE!!!

            • More than half of my posts I submit, do not even show up here on this site. Waste of time. Even if they sit in moderation nobody must be reviewing them either. A waste of time.

            • Yes indeed, white is the important thing.

            • keep America great!! Good guys vs bad guys. MINUS the race baiting!not helpful.

              • No problems with racism if you eliminate all non-whites.

        • Except this jackass didn’t do anything but whine.

          • Looks to me like he did some prepping but as he said, no one expected it this long or this bad.

            And of course now he’s taking the time to share that insight with ungrateful jackasses like yourself.

            BTW, what are YOU doing today other than complain?

      2. PFFT! this is EXACTLY what i prep for.

        • only alterations with the list is not to rely on anything that requires a fuel you cannot produce yourself. As for the rest, if those here have done as they say they have …. we’re as ready a we can individually get. All depends on our personal commitment to surviving what is coming.

        • Yes, I prep for my wife and I. But knowing there are about 15 other people I might have to be ready to help I’m sort of ready for them also. Made mental lists and have some stuff. I’d need about 4 hours to have stuff for them for a year or so.

        • Exactly bud,,
          When i read that line about how you couldnt prep for that i almost spit my coffee all over my phone,,,
          WTF are ya prepping for if a societal collapse aint it? THAT is the primary thing most prep for,

          • My wife and I were just talking about how cool it could turn out if Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un were to get together and get things worked out. Obama would have flown him a 747 full of pallets of cash. Donald Trump will give him Stormy Daniels phone number. Brilliant!!!

            • I’m wondering who will have the cyanide strip on their hand like James Franco in “The Interview”? Would that be f’n hilarious!! Trump offs Little Rocket Man. Brilliant.

            • I was driving through Shreveport LA the other day and saw Stormy Daniels on the Larry Flint billboard for the local nudie bar.

              Stormy is just using this media attention to further her own money grabbing career. I don’t believe anything she or the media says.

              • And she doesnt exactly have a hot bod,,, more like a soccer mom pill popper bod

                • Yes but she has something that can get her anything she wants.
                  How about you?
                  Have you checked your Bank Account ?

                  • I’d rather have my dignity, thanks

                  • A blue dress with splooge on it?

            • Donald Trump will take his secret weapon to the meeting with Kim Jong Un. “Dennis the worm Rodman” You’re Hired! And get the women’s topless basketball tournaments going on over there. A good distraction from needless war.

            • anon says, Hey I love your comments about Trump, Kim Jong Un and Obama! But passing on Stormy Daniels is the best!

        • Well, close enough (no two societies go ‘splat in the same way.)

          On a related note, which one of you were just on LivePD just now?

          • that’s an odd question….what are you talking about?

          • no two societies go ‘splat in the same way.

            Gone one.

            LivePD – I was the old black lady that says, “he never hurt nobody.”

            • Another fear porn Story for food sales, However hunger really sucks. I was inspecting my MRE Stash today. About a month supply. Try to put back a few cases. You can get them for about $70 a case with the heaters. I have dozens of left over heaters, I may just buy the MRE entrees to put back for the extra heaters. Hey its a meal on the go, you will appreciate every bite and calorie. Stash some MRE’s in your TO-GO Bag. Bring a spork. When SHTF, you want a fast meal on the go, as you have many more other important things to take care of than looking for food. I cannot stress the importance of “Sandbags”. Buy some at CampingSurvival .27 cents to .35 ea. Great bullet stoppers. Infrared IR blockers, cover and concealment and camo it. Build a bunker at your property entry chokepoint.

              • Want to know what it takes to Bugout with a back pack. Learn from the best. Check out this good looking babes Ytube channel, “Homemade Wanderlust” This babe will tell you how to do it. She has hikes the Appalachian Trail and on to the Cali Pacific Crest trail to Canada. Better get a great pair of hiking shoes, or boots.

                • I have several different backpacks. Some large with frames and several smaller (like I carry in the truck). I also have several pairs of hiking boots/shoes. Depending on where (truck/ cabin/ house) I am dictates the bag I use. Look into a good concealed holster to avoid open carry and alarming others when being the grey man or bugging out.

              • As far as MRE’s go I stopped buying them years ago. They are loaded with chemical shit, don’t handle heat, bad shelf life, take a lot of space and weight.

                I now use Mainstay bars exclusively. A 30 day supply (1200 calories per day) is the size of a shoebox and is about 70 bux (way cheaper than mre’s). They can sit for 5 years in 200 degree heat and be fine. They taste good and are fortified with vitamins. So there really is no comparison as far as price, shelf life, compactness, weight, nutrition. Here is a table of mre shelf life…

                ht tp://www.mreinfo.com/mres/mre-shelf-life/

                • You can get this too, high protein, fiber, no additives, no chemicals, 6000 calories, cheap! 1 case of 6 cans 90 bux (36,000 calories). 25 year shelf life!

                  ht tps://beprepared.com/peanut-powder-large-can.html

                  • For 66 bux you can also add a case of refried beans. Lots of protein and no chemicals. Iron and carbs, fiber. Cheap protein!

                    ht tps://beprepared.com/refried-beans-large-can.html

                    • karl denninger hikes, and he says dukes sausages are great food, packed with calories….he also has a lot to say on fat and protein , and how fat isn’t BAD for you after all. you SHOULD be reading market ticker every day. dukes used to be carried at costco, not sure they still do.

                    • peanut butter is packed full of calories.

      3. Regardless how much a person prepps, cannot prepare for every event. There is always the unknown.

        No person should assumed that because they have purchased bulk food that it will be available during the duration and how much will be left behind in a bug out situation.

        • Prepping is the same as buying insurance.

          You buy insurance for house damage or car damage, how about insurance for society collapse?

          Sounds like a good investment.

          • House Insurance is a scam. Waste of good money. I have never filed a single claim in 30 years of owning houses. Been through 5 good hurricanes.

            Only fire traps, unkept houses, or those that have mortgages are suckered into house Insurance. I could buy another house with cash if I could have all that insurance premium money back I paid over 30 yrs. I own my own property off the grid, and no longer waste my money on scam home Un-insurance. Florida has a $5K deductable for roofs. To replace a roof it’s like $5K. So you really dont even get real coverage. If you are sloppy sure go buy house insurance. Have plenty of fire extinguishers and smoke detectors. And keep a tidy house. Keep others off your property that will try to sue you. Have a fenced off property with notresspass signs. Im insured by Sig Sauer, Beretta and Browning.

            My mom said that comment: well i just feel safer with Insurance. Then I asked her when was the last tume she filed a property Ins claim? She cauld not remember any in 50 yrs. What a waste of money.

        • watching and waiting, you are right. And we absolutely must realize that “they” know who is stocking up on what, so “they” know exactly where to start confiscating all that wonderful stuff. There is no hiding anymore! Better to be “hid with Christ in God,” so when “they” come for us, we can be safe, even if “they” kill us.

      4. The people of Venezuela voted themselves gifts from the treasury. I will never understand why the outcome was such a surprise.

        • Not to mention giving up their guns back in ’06
          definitely NOT learning from history

          those that choose to forget history are doomed to repeat it, and all the mistakes made

          • But but but
            The gubbermint was going to give them everything they needed and protect them too,,,
            Common defining name
            Sheeple

            • Wait for the day EBT CARDS Stop working in the US. 50 Million low income hungry looters will be lurking when you go buy groceries. Hijack your shopping cart in the grocery store parking lot. Its gonna happen. So shop in groups or pull up to the store door to load your groceries in your car. Put your cell phones away and keep your hand on your pistol and your eyes scanning the parking lot for thugs to shoot if necessary.

          • you can bet yer ASS they wish they had their guns back NOW…….oh well, torches and pitchforks it is!!!

          • when revisionists re-write history, giving up your guns sounds like a good idea.

        • Wait until the genocide starts.

          • And it will

          • It has already.

        • Beowulf

          The same thing is being done in this country. I realize it will not be a surprise to you but think of the millions that it will be a surprise too.

          • I have decided that most Americans are fully aware of the need to never give up your guns.

            Liberals and progressives don’t believe that applies to them, just like they believe freedom of speech applies to only then and not others.

            It is easy to demand gun confiscation if your are the only person that gets to keep guns in the end.

      5. Best wishes. We have family in Caracas that we send food, clothing, oil, oil filters, and such.

        I pray the Chauvista’s embrace economic liberty if they are ever given a chance again.

        Socialism is Lucifer hiding behind “equality”

        • Brilliant.

        • Does the united states postal service send mail there?

          How do you get the stuff to them?

      6. The rent and food costs are too damn high. How does that happen when the oil was nationalized to benefit all of the people in Venezuela? Give us your tired huddled masses and all of your oil or else what you see is what you get.

        • $24 a month is apparently too much for them.

        • The rent and food costs are too damn high.

          What I don’t get is how on Earth do you starve in fertile South America? There should’ve been a culture of growing your own food instituted among its populace a loooong time ago.

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPCZZjC1Jnk

      7. I don’t know about you, but anything that kicks you out of your place, of your warm bed, your pets, kids, wife, and the rest of your family, for me does not have another better word to describe it.

        … “Life”?

        *Mumble* being this way for me from 1975-1986, and again from 1994 to basically present.

        But hey that run from 86-94 was nice…

        Eh why am I complaining, I could be living out of my car.

      8. An economic collapse this long seemed like something that was entirely out of the question.

        …. In a communist country???

        …………….. really??????

        Yeah man I would never have seen THAT one coming. Le nope.

      9. A cottage with crops and cattle is an easy target for hungry people that was too lazy and ignorant to prepare themselves when they could.

        … Yeah. Like for instance your local Sheriff’s Department.

        JES A GOOD OL BOYS
        NEVER MEANIN NO HARM

        Uh huh.

        This is the part that worries me about the whole “move to the sticks” approach.

        • If I had to pick one factor which will affect survivability it would be population density.

          Of the families I know, those with the best chance of survival are in remote areas of the Redoubt. In addition to preps etc, they have an awesome ham radio net in place. And all homeschool, which for the author is illegal in Venezuela.

          • The US Military could move on Redoubt and take the entire place out in a few days. Using drones and tanks and Apache helicopters and Warthog A-10’s with the nose anti tank rounds. Redoubt is a target and a wet dream for the US Military, to make an example out of those who fail to comply. Redoubt could also vanish anytime, when Yellowstone Blows. You like minded are all toast with your preps huddled together like sheep to slaughter. You are living a fantasy.

        • The Guy

          You are looking at it from an American perspective. Yes they were basically in a communist country. Things were prosperous due to oil and gas. Chavez died and things went to sh.t. The price of oil also lost about 50 percent.

          The good old boy sheriffs department has around 15 deputies. If they band together they will run up against small groups of about the same size in this type of event. Even if they win one or too sooner or later luck runs out if they are steeling from the community. If the sticks are not a better place to be then are you saying the city is?

          • Just make sure you know the Sheriff, like I do. Of curse don’t take part in any looting, but hoping they would leave me alone.

          • Just as u or i can not prep for all scenarios, they cant either,
            The casualty rate will be high for them, its easy to glass out an AO or base of ops and hit one at random every day,,, same same,, they are not gods

          • My area, 1 Co Dep per 1000 people. And we are all mostly armed. They know its in their best interest to be friendly to these crazy rednecks.

      10. This is what happens when you have Democracy. Democrats always kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. I’m pretty sure Venezuela has the worlds largest oil reserves, they should have plenty of money, but they are ruled by democrats and thus they starve.

        • Wait till the tourism crashes over here, THAT is all these democraps have here, talk about ALLLLL the eggs in one basket

      11. Martinez was right about the difficulty of the decision to leave the country. You don’t know what you’re going to find in some other country. Better to do it before you run out of everything. He also mentioned the use of “civil asset forfeiture” by the authorities based on the idea that if you have a large amount of money (or other valuables), you must have gotten it criminally. We’re seeing the same crap being used here to steal from people.

      12. Preparing to “buy” and expecting to have what you’re accustomed to is not “preparing”.

      13. I would have expected a pandemics or a coup d’etat long before this hungry zombie-like scenario.

        Hate to tell you this, buddy, but the worse is yet to come. Venezuela is going to look like Syria before this is over.

        The blood letting has yet to begin.

      14. A 5 years antibiotics supply, for each family member (please include pets, they could be sick or get wounded too,

        Or become a tasty meal?

        • Now, I forget. Is that cats or dogs that taste like chicken. [just kidding]

          • Ask obama.

      15. A large, buried diesel custom-made aluminum tank with a proper sized generator

        If you don’t have meds for 5 years, where are your going to get the diesel to run the generator?

        Generators run between 6 and 8 gallons every 24 hours for the average house.

        • JS;
          I actually have a single cylinder diesel generator that runs at 650 rpm. It runs on about a quart an hours and produces approx. 3.5 kw. Judging from your fuel estimates you must also use slow turning water cooled diesels. Good for you. Most of the diesel package units use vastly more.

          • Old single cylinder Lister deisel with a big flywheel and high ratio pulleys, thing will run forever if the fuel holds out

            • I got an old hit and miss engine for just that, but alas, no magneto.

            • Nail,
              Do you actually have one of those?
              I was looking for one locally.
              Do you know of any sources?
              We have a lot of off grid people here.
              I had found one in Puna but it
              was trashed by being left outside in
              the rain for years, was froze up
              and full of water.
              There is a guy on the mainland that sells
              them for about $2800, but
              shipping doubles that.

      16. A sun-protected small herb garden

        The only herbs I need is salt and pepper. Herb garden is a waste of effort and time.

        • Unless its a naturalized one like ours, the stuff just keeps re seeding and re growing on its own, go through and weedeat it once a year or so and boom, within a month everything is growing again

        • Eons of human history would argue otherwise. The medicinal uses of various herbs make the stockpiling of many otc pharmaceutical products unnecessary.

      17. Perhaps a chicken coop with a couple of hens.

        At least get a real number for how many chickens you need. For the last 5 years I have kept my chickens to 15. They produce about 12 eggs a day. We typically use about 6 eggs a day, so we give the rest away at church or to our friends.

        Two chickens would not be enough during a time of government imposed famine.

        • Plus you need a rooster. Your hens only lay eggs for so long.

          • tB-e,
            Had a friend with a couple hens that would not lay, they had no rooster. I suggested they play rooster calls, they found audio files on the web and played them at feeding time. The hens started associating the human with the rooster calls and did start laying in a few days, without an actual roster present.

            They got such a kick out of the hens making mating calls to them, at feeding time, even without playing the rooster calls.

            Chickens like most birds are either visual or auditory, the right bird calls (sounds) really do work. Hens are also sensitive to the length of day, a light on a timer to extend daylight to match summer day length can keep them laying all year round, even during the short daylight of winter.

            • Your layers eventually become fryers. At least with a rooster you are guaranteed some chicks. The hens have a good time, too.

              • It is common for chickens to suddenly stop laying eggs. Very often after the first freeze, or a massive thunderstorm, or some other stressful event.

                What I have found that works is cayenne pepper. for 15 chickens, mix 2 cups of cayenne pepper into two scoops of lay pellet, put a little water on it so it becomes like a paste and clings to the pellet. The chickens eat it just fine. It kick starts their egg laying.

                • for hens who stop laying:

                  hens love a drink of warm water on a cold winter day.

                  If hens drop down to the submissive position in front of you, reach down and rub and give their back a little pat (just like the rooster does when mating) and they will jump away ruffling their feathers. And lay eggs again.

                  the cayenne pepper thing works also.

                  • sounds like a good tip, grandee…..and at the same time, a little strange….i got no chickens, so i can’t try it.

        • I got 17. I guess in that situation I would be considered wealthy. Also a huge target.

      18. Perhaps even growing our own sugar cane to squeeze

        Now he is just talking out of his ass.
        30 pounds of sugar a year is more than enough for a family of 5.

        That is about three 5 gallon buckets of sugar to last for 5 years. Sugar does not go bad, if it clumps, just break it apart and it is just like new.

        • 6 lb of sugar per year per person is far far below needed. Remember, there are only 3 types of food: Meat, carbs, and fats. not counting the water in the product You need over a Lb per day per person. Fats have more calories but store poorly unless very well packed and a diet high in fat is very bad on your system, Carbs (Starches and sugars) only contain about 100 calories per oz. So for a 2000 Cal per day diet you need 20 oz. Sugar and starch are almost the same, so they can be substituted for each other as food; but sugar is a little denser and stores better, won’t get stale, also is a preservative for jams, jelleys etc so It’s preferable to starchy products. The Mormons Have lists of stuff I’d advise you to read them.

          • I’ve been dumping corn oil in 5 gallon plastic gas cans for along while . Tried some 10 year old stuff, seemed fine? Better then nothing?

          • I would feel comfortable with 1000 lbs. of sugar. Not for eating though lol 😉

        • If you have a Lidl grocery store in your area 4 pounds of sugar for $1.00. Much cheaper than any other stores in the Raleigh, N. C. area.

      19. A couple of corn rows, not the hybrid Monsanto genetically modified crap that needs industrial fertilizer, weed killers and unable to generate seed,

        Yes to growing your own food, but there is nothing wrong with Monsanto.

        Monsanto has genetically modified crops to be resistant to Round-Up Weed killer. So they can spray Round Up on the crops, kill the weeds, but not kill the plant.

        I don’t recommend Monsanto because it would contaminate the soil for any other plants that were not Monsanto.

        • What about glyphosate being the primary ingredient making up Round Up? That and glyphosate being increasingly noted as a carcinogen publicly while the FDA, big agro chemical,and tail dragging lying defenders brush off and buy off the truth further being revealed. Maybe we should let Monsanto set the school lunch menu. They kind of have already.

          • What is the alternative, Michelle Obama? pftttt.

      20. there is no possible way to have stockpiled pasta and other dry goods for such a long period without buying another house, or building a second floor adding about 60 or 70 square meters to the house. And even so it would have been risky: someone watching in the wrong moment and we would have been in deep trouble, accused of “hoarding”

        Now this guy is just full of shit. There are about 10 dinner meals that we regularly eat in my household. That is only about 36 meals worth of supplies for each meal to last a year. You can’t buy 36 packs of spaghetti noodles and sauce packets? You can’t buy 36 egg noodles and cream of mushroom soups to make beef stroganoff? You can’t buy 36 hamburger helpers?

        • This article has scam written all over it.

          • I got the same “scam” feeling while reading this.

            We will get a shtf wake up when the dollar crash comes after it loses it’s world Reserve Currency status.

        • Yeppers again,,
          I like classico pasta sauce from costco, little bigger bottle, one bottle and one of the bags of pasta noodles from Costco will do almost 4 meals for two of us if i make a big salad to go with it and add onions, bell peppers to it, so once a year i buy about 10 of the 3 packs and a corresponding number of the pasta packs that are 6 packs, so from those 30 bottles and 30 bags of pasta i make roughly 120 meals

          • Nailbanger:

            Before ever hearing about prepping, my family shopped Costco and stocked up on their pasta and their sauce which is bottled not canned in aluminum. It keeps a long time. We like the olives and artichoke hearts. They go well with pasta. It is a very quick and easy meal. The wine is optional. We also buy Welsh’s Grape Juice (original). Mix it with sparkling water or drink it plain or over ice. We buy a solid block of Parmesan cheese at Costco and grate it ourselves. But I suppose the bottled stuff would keep longer.

            _

            • Nailbanger

              Buy stuff your going to use anyway and rotate it through your stores. My father lived off of pasta-fazole (pasta and beans stew) as did Rocky Marcanio and Joe DiMaggio growing up. Its cheap, its nutritious, made well its real tasty.

              • Already on it ???
                Deen doing it for years,

            • Store bought pasta sauce is expensive, even the nasty kinds like Ragu. I look for those without sugar added. Sugar does not help pasta sauces. Look to pay $5 to $10 for a good jar of sauce. Parmasan cheese as a topper is grossly expensive, I’ve picked up glass bottles of it at Walmart that were green at the bottom of the inside jar. Besides all of store bought grated cheese have ground up wood inside to prevent caking. Pasta and wood grounds cheese, bon appetit.

        • a lot of valid points, john. thank you for taking considerable time to write it all out.

        • a lot of valid points, john. thank you for taking considerable time to write it all out.

        • John
          I understand what you are saying but he obviously lived in the city. Do you have enough supplies for a family of 4 for a year. 2 years. 3 years. If so it does take some storage area. In the country that is much easier.

        • In all fairness, let’s look at the whole picture.

          365.25 days x 3 meals = 1,095.75 meals per year.
          For a household of four = 4,383 meals per year.

          If you wanted to feed just two extra people that you really care about– relatives, neighbors, very close friends, whatever — you now have to plan on 6,575.5 meals for one year.

          In a country with large families, and in a situation where additional people mean additional strength, providing for just two extra people may be a lot less than you really need. And people under extreme stress, maybe working long hours to scavenge or build defenses or keep watch, will need more food than somebody sitting in front of a keyboard all day. Also, maybe somebody becomes injured or sick and needs extra food for a couple weeks to recuperate.

          Guys like Selco and Ferfal repeatedly caution that you always, always need more food than you think that you’ll need, and that there’s no such thing as having too much food on hand.

          And despite all precautions and best efforts, there will always be some amount of spoilage, spillage, what have you. Even if it’s less than 10%, you should conservatively round up to 7,000 meals for one year.

          Let’s not forget that you would also be prudent to have ‘extras’ such as salt for preserving food; vinegar for preserving food and disinfecting kitchen areas; sauces and condiments to make your meals more tasty; etc. (Plus, you might want to stock powdered milk, powdered eggs, etc. in case fresh sources suddenly get cut off.) These ‘extras’ can rapidly add up to a lot of bulk when you are preparing to feed 4 to 6 people for an entire year.

          Your pantry would have to be very secure, because that much food is a heck of a target in a crisis environment. And in an area that is subject to temperature extremes, climate control could also be an issue. Both of these factor into the amount of storage space that you will need.

          Seven thousand meals is a LOT of food; and, as I’ve outlined, even that much might turn out to not be enough. You may not really need “another house” as the author says, but you would certainly need a good big storage area; and I don’t think that the ’60 square meters’ that he mentions is any too large for something like this. That’s roughly 12 feet x 16 feet. For seven thousand meals — plus extras?

          I would not be too quick to sneer at the author on this issue. I would be interested to hear from anyone who has actually stockpiled ALL food supplies — not just a partial supply — for 4 to 6 people, for a full year, and see how much total storage space is required.

          How about it, guys? Anyone actually done this?

      21. Rabbits and other rodents are out of the question as the flies their poop attract here in the tropics are a problem,

        Rabbits don’t attack flies anymore than a cat would. Plus, rabbit poop makes for great garden fertilizer.

        • Yeah try that with cat shit.

        • Mix Diatomicateious earth with the manure and no flies will hatch and live. mix it with cattle mineral and salt and no flies hatch out of the cow pats. let your chickens sctatch under the rabbit coops and you don’t have a fly problem.

      22. Getting a tool like a shotgun for defense just would bring more problems.

        Where did you find this asshole, Mac?

        Defending your life with a shotgun would bring more problems than being murdered?

        • My reaction exactly. Unbelievable. This is why you have a 2ND Amendment. This is why every country should have a 2ND Amendment. What is going on in Venezuela is exactly why the “sheeple” need to be able to defend themselves.

          And of course our feckless and worthless government is going to let them all into this country. You either are willing to stand and fight or you die. But you don’t get to drag your cowardly a** into my country.

          Venezuela is a perfect example of the people not standing up.

          • Wrong, self defense is NOT why we have the 2nd A. The intention for the 2nd A is for defense of the people from a tyrannical government. And the path this country is headed, we will soon need to invoke the 2nd A.

            • No. You’re wrong.

              You don’t think warlords and organized crime and drug lords and drug cartels are a form of government and think, and act and kill and murder think they are in control? You don’t think Hitler was actually “Der Fuhrer” because he was “evil”? Or Stalin? Or Pol Pot? Or Mao?

              You don’t think that the people need to protect themselves from a government that exists solely for the purpose of fomenting endless wars and keeping its citizens on an endless war-footing? [Gee, I wonder which government he is talking about here?]

              Endless war and endless war-mongering chief affects are that you have a people ruled by the biggest gun crazies out there. And a bunch of gun crazies saying how the people should not be armed against them. [Venezuela. The Democrats here in this country.]

              The 2ND was designed so the people could resist tyranny of all kinds. There is nothing more 2ND than a people saying “You f*ck with me and I am going to shoot you in the face.”

            • It is both CJ. Overthrowing a tyrannical government is just self defense on a large scale.

        • They don’t have the rights to own guns John.

          • In tyranny, there are no rights to anything. It is kill or be killed. There are 6 million Je.ws in Europe that could attest to that.

            Well, no they can’t, because they are dead.

            • There weren’t 6 million of them IN EUROPE in WW2!

              • Germany.

      23. If you’d like to donate to help Jose get his family out of Venezuela, you can do so here: paypal.me/JoseM151

        I suspect this person is not really in Venezuela. This is likely some scam to get money.

        • Thought the same thing. Jose needs to talk to an arms merchant. Jose needs to stand up and take his country back.

          I would like to say that he can’t come here. The United States doesn’t accept cowards, but we all know that’s a big fat lie.

          • I love reading all these brave statements from keyboard warriors. So, Jose, who lives in a totalitarian country, should find himself an arms merchant, buy an illegal weapon, and take his country back by force of arms? Okay, keyboard heroes, how about you lead by example? Bring your guns into New York City, where they are illegal, and start the heroic resistance and the war to take America back. No? You’d rather run off to Idaho or Montana and hide? Yeah.

        • Why the fuck would we want to donate money to bring one more freakin hispanic cholo to the USA,,,

          • I will donate my time and gas to stuff him and his family in the woodchipper!

          • Actually, Venezuela being that far south, wouldn’t Jose be a Latino and not Hispanic?

            • A cholo is still a cholo.

            • Same smell

        • He is not in Venezuela – did you not read the article. He left first to earn the money to get his family out. His family is still there.

      24. John Stiner, for the first time since I’ve been reading your comments, you FINALLY said something intelligent

      25. Off topic:

        The nuclear war with North Korea has been cancelled. TPTB are looking for another place to bomb. Updates for fans will be forthcoming. Stay tuned. Don’t change the channel. Don’t move.

        _

        As for not being able to predict the future or be able to predict catastrophic events; that’s true enough. But even when people know, they still fail to prepare, or they continue on knowing the path they’re on leads to an unwanted outcome.

        __

        I’ll most likely be dead in thirty or forty years, without access to advanced medical breakthroughs. I prepare for both possibilities, living and dying. Do your children a big favor and prepare not only a will but a living trust.

        Sorghum is a healthier sweetener I hear, but have not tried it yet. Sugar keeps indefinitely. I have no idea how long sorghum keeps. I think I’ll google it.

        _Spaghetti takes up less space than noodles.

        On a diet of wheat flour, corn flour, sugar and pasta; expect health problems, diabetes and obesity as you die from nutritional deficiencies. People who eat these foods are ok if they burn up the sugar with hard manual labor like turning soil planting vegetables and chasing down wild animals.

        Tesla got a job digging ditches when he left his research work. Tesla understood the benefits of physical exercise on mental clarity.

        _ ??‍♂️?‍♂️???⚾️??⚽️?⛷

        • yes, i believe trump is sending that basketball player….what was his name???….oh, yeah, korean abdul jabber.

        • The nuclear war with North Korea has been cancelled.

          What a terrible turn of events……

      26. They never Prepped because they thought that the Socialist monkeys would fly out of their butts and would take care of them. All their Food, Meds, ECT.

        Now the turds in the US think the same. Boy are they going to get hungry or have some kind of lead poisoning.

        I’m prepped and keep adding every time I get a chance.

        Sgt.

        • Same here, and when i cant afford to buy stuff i just up my garden and can my own

        • Sarge, anyone who wants to take away from me will definitely get lead poisoning. I’m still stacking myself. In 2 weeks I’m headed back to the BOL on another supply run and a week of R&R.

        • Sgt.,
          Bingo, thus the allurer of a communist/socialist society. Get everyone on the government tete, and get them to trade their civil rights and property for free handouts. Then, when the money runs out they are all helpless and defenseless slaves of the state.

          Obama in eight years expanded by tens of millions those on assistance, free ObamaCare, government housing. Real Unemployment was through the roof. Employment participation numbers were as low as they were in the 1970’s. Through Obama’s skilled leadership, the US lost 40 years of progress and growth. Hardest hit were minorities, who believed the lie that it wasn’t Obama’s leadership, but the white guy that lived next door that caused them to be out of work and on assistance.

          I have no doubt that had Hillary won, the problems would have grown to the point the US would have collapsed taking the rest of the world’s economy with it into another great depression.

          We aren’t out of the woods, the progressive globalists, shadow government and deep state are still fighting as hard as ever. It’s obvious they want more than ever to destroy Trump with a manufactured scandle. The Russia Collusion thing failed, so next they harped on N. Korea, which Trump fixed, though the MSM won’t admit Trumps NK victory. The latest is CNN found this pig Stormy Daniels, put lipstick on her, and are making her out to be a saintly victim, the latest reason to attack Trump.

      27. I have a good friend who says the Bible says to give to everyone who asks. That makes sense since he is always broke.

      28. Obviously this fool idiot didn’t read “The Long Emergency.” Venezuela is going to be toast for a long, long time. It’s called a full-on systemic collapse for a reason.

        For Venezuela, this time was different. Venezuela has always been a shit hole country. I was in Caracas in 1973. The army walked into a bar where we were. There were no tables for them to sit at, so they beat the shit out of some people seated at the table they liked. Shortly after that all the tables were vacant.

        You can only behave like a shit hole for so long and then you are a shit hole forever. There is no recovery. The only question is: “Who is next?”

        • shithole country = shithole genetics

      29. Muslims, N. Africans and Latinas would rather run like cowards to the USA and Europe than to take back their country and government.

        They know it isn’t worth risking their life overthrowing their governments because their fellow countrymen are low IQ shitholers.

        Besides, free ice cream in USA and EU.

        • Well said Bert.

      30. The shithole hit the fan without a plan.
        Conservatism means conserving your life by being prepared for the future without the help of government or society

      31. It is the glitches and gaps that will get you if you don’t actually practice what you plan to do in an SHTF situation beforehand. No matter how thoroughly you think things through, there is no substitute for a dry run. Martinez mentioned the things that he’d wished he’d done before the crisis and he was a prepper.

        Martinez showed a lot of concern about how things appeared to other people. If you live in a suburban or urban neighborhood, it is hard to hide things from the people around you. Lighted windows in a power outage, wrappers for freeze-dried food, cutting up and grilling your neighbor’s dog on your propane grill are things that are hard to hide. Genius-loved the Fargo video on how to use your wood chipper.

        One area of prepping that I haven’t seen much of is how to deal with the neighborhood kids in an SHTF scenario. Kids can get away with things that adults can’t. Any ideas?

      32. Bert

        Sad but I don’t see many in the good old USA taking our country back. Yes we vote for the lesser of too evils and give away little bits of freedom every year. There is a time coming for sure that a fight will begin. Problem is at that point I fear it will be a fight for survival. Us against the roaming hoards who think others owe them something. The country will be gone and honestly we are outnumbered. Hopefully they thin themselves out before they make it too the sticks. If not then were probably outnumbered 10 to 1.

      33. There is one very helpful prepper item that Jose has overlooked; perhaps because he is unaware of it.

        The CPT program originated by the Oathkeepers which was inspired by the Green Berets.

        I used to live in Venezuela. Love the place. So sorry to hear about Oscar Perez’s death.

      34. Ya gotta know when to leave the party, don’t be hanging around like the last drunk out the door, get out early and relocate. It’s hard because humans form emotional attachments to “things” like losing stocks/bitcoins, homes, jobs, and other possessions. You HAVE to be willing to walk away. Being on the receiving end of any government benefits makes it harder as well. All you have are the brains in your head and the strength of your hands. Like the Boers in South Africa now being dispossessed without compensation, I would welcome them to the USA even if they arrived emptyhanded, because them suckers can work!

      35. Yeah, you ran away to Panama, and Colombia, etc.
        You should be humble and grateful, there. Instead, you are ARROGANT, lording it over us, and trying to take over

        We, don’t like you. Because of your attitude, we have no sympathy.

        Don’t run away from your problems.

        When the Americans fought for independence from Britain, they didn’t run away

        When the French fought for Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, they did not run away to Italy.

        You’re causing havoc and dissent in Panama. We don’t want you!

        Go back to Venezuela, and fight for your freedom and country.

      36. I feel I won’t ever see the country I grew up in.
        It will take 60 years to undo the damage to freedom and I just won’t see it—IF we keep conservatives in control…and hopefully the direction will improve every term.
        If not, I thankfully have no relatives to lose sleep over. 🙂

        • Constitutionalists are what is needed. Conservatives are certainly not as bad as the CPUSA aka the democrat party, but incrementally “conservatives” have done quite a bit of damage over the years. All the big rino neocons call themselves conservatives and the vast majority of voters don’t understand the differences between conservative and constitutional men.

      37. You know if the population isn’t willing to rise up and dethrone that shit bag Maduro then yeah- there’s no way you can prep for tyrany as far as the eye can see. I guess the citizens of Venezuela are waiting for a white night. At some point the citizens have to put up or shut up…

      38. Has prepping gone mainstream?

        Costco is selling a $6,000 doomsday meal kit
        “Though the New York Times points out that Costco has been selling emergency survival kits since 2010, interest in doomsday packages has spiked in the wake of rising tensions between the U.S. and North Korea.”

        ht tp://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/2018/03/10/costco-is-selling-6000-doomsday-meal-kit.html

        • Here is the link to the only 6k meal deal on costco ..
          ht tps://www.costco.com/Nutristore-1-YEAR-Premium-Food-Kit-36%2c000-Servings.product.100302316.html

          Pretty bland assortment of plain staples and a few veggies. 1 year for 4 people. So 1500 bux for 1 year per person. I can do a lot better than that and have much better tastier food too. Rice and beans and wheat will get old real fast.

          Nutristore™ Foods Included:
          (72) Hard White Wheat (30 year shelf life / Country of Origin: USA)
          (72) White Rice (30 year shelf life / Country of Origin: USA)
          (72) Elbow Macaroni Pasta (25 year shelf life / Country of Origin: USA)
          (72) Instant Rotini Pasta (25 year shelf life / Country of Origin: USA)
          (42) Instant Pinto Bean Flakes (30 year shelf life / Country of Origin: USA/Canada)
          (36) Instant Black Beans (30 year shelf life / Country of Origin: USA/Canada)
          (36) Instant Lentils (30 year shelf life / Country of Origin: USA/Canada)
          (36) Instant Milk (25 year shelf life / Country of Origin: USA)
          (36) Dehydrated Potatoes (25 year shelf life / Country of Origin: USA)
          (16) Beef TVP (10 year shelf life / Country of Origin: USA)
          (16) Chicken TVP (10 year shelf life / Country of Origin: USA)
          (12) Freeze-dried Corn (25 year shelf life / Country of Origin: USA)
          (8) Freeze-dried Broccoli (25 year shelf life / Country of Origin: USA/Mexico)
          (8) Freeze-dried Green Beans (25 year shelf life / Country of Origin: USA/New Zealand)
          (8) Dehydrated Apples (25 year shelf life / Country of Origin: USA)
          (8) Butter Powder (5 year shelf life / Country of Origin: USA)
          (8) White Sugar (30 year shelf life / Country of Origin: USA)
          (8) Brown Sugar (10 year shelf life / Country of Origin: USA)
          (6) Dehydrated Carrots (10 year shelf life / Country of Origin: USA/Poland)
          (6) Freeze-dried Bananas (25 year shelf life / Country of Origin: Ecuador)
          (6) Freeze-dried Raspberries (25 year shelf life / Country of Origin: USA/Chile/Serbia)
          (6) Freeze-dried Strawberries (25 year shelf life / Country of Origin: USA/Mexico)
          (4) Freeze-dried Onions (25 year shelf life / Country of Origin: USA/India)
          (2) Chicken Bouillon (5 year shelf life / Country of Origin: USA)
          (2) Shortening Powder (3 year shelf life / Country of Origin: USA)
          (2) Iodized Salt (30 year shelf life / Country of Origin: USA)

          • Also tvp (fake meat) is soy protein (turns you into a woman). And has other bad side effects. You can find deals on REAL freeze dried meat if you do some looking (craigslist, various sales, yard sales, etc.). But then most so called men today are femmy anyway so soy induced man boobs (moobs) will not be an issue lol.

            • honeyville was going out of business….or sumthin’….not sure WHAT is happening over there, but closing our local store…..so i picked up a BUNCH of stuff there for 75% off a couple years ago…..here’s MY list of food you will do well to have on hand. one of my considerations is that i live in a desert, so WATER will be most important….so i buy a lot of canned goods with high water content. EVERY TIME you drink water, you will be taking a chance on getting sick from it, so it’s better out of a can

              pinto beans
              macaroni
              rice
              pinto beans
              canned fruit like peaches, fruit cocktail, pears, apricots
              peanut butter
              tomatoes and tomatoe sauce
              cornmeal
              flour
              sugar, brown sugar
              tabasco sauce
              oats
              BBQ sauce
              popcorn and seasoning
              olives, black
              canned chilli
              canned soups…my favorite, cream of mushroom
              milk, dried, evaporated, and condensed
              cake mix, 7up or sprite, and canned fruit…to make cobbler, apple or cherry is MY faves(google that)
              canned veggies
              honey
              syrup
              vinegar
              shortening/corn oil
              soy sauce…teriyake
              beef/chicken bullion
              baking soda, baking powder, yeast
              salt
              pepper, garlic salt, chilli powder, italian seasoning, cinnamon, ketchup, mustard mayo.
              instant coffee, tea..creamer
              hard candy, chocolate
              tuna, spam(don’t stack it very high)
              powdered eggs
              well, that’s enough for now….u guys add to it and i will see if i want to add anything to MY stores…remember, this list is like a thousand lawyers chained to eachother at the bottom of the ocean……a place to START….

              • buttcrack, Thats a good start but I want you to know that MSG IS a major trigger of migraines. It is also a neurotoxin. It is hidden under names like autolized yeast extract, yeast extract, hydrolized yeast extract, monosodium glutamate. Most soups have MSG and bullion too. Read the labels and beware of these ingredients. I mostly have freeze dried foods because of the shelf life but also a good amount of canned goods for regular use. And yes we need some comfort food lol. Candy, coffee, tea, etc. Spices are overlooked a lot! They will make a huge difference in the palitability of bland staples. Have at least 20 lbs. of salt and 3-4 lbs. of pepper and a pound or more of everything else. Ebay has bulk spices CHEAP!

              • bcod,

                You always have great lists! Thank you for posting!

                If most people had the items on this list stored in their pantry, we would be much more prepared as a country.

                Our pantry has helped us through numerous difficult times over the years – illness, unexpected expenses, etc.

                • i didn’t even elaborate on my half a room full of freeze dried foods from honeyville……it’s a place to start thinkin’, especially if you got NUTHIN’…..which is 80% of americans….thanks to BOTH of you!

            • An assload of MSG and hydrolized soy and autolized yeast extract (msg). Soy flour and soy oil. By the time you ate that shit you would be takin’ it in the arse and loving it. MRE’s have a lot of that too. No wonder troops are soooo foooked up! Garbage food, vaccines, chemical exposure, realization of what they are REALLY doing, drugs from hell after discharge.

      39. I see folks who pay to have their garbage picked up. We don’t have any garbage. the plastic is burned in the wood stove. the paper and cardboard are composted. food scraps are fed to the pigs or composted. the tin cans are burned in the wood stove and then mashed flat. after they are burned they rust very quickly. I place them where the soil is thin. and cover them with wood ashes and dirt. also bury the cans around trees and rosebushes. been doing this for decades.

        • Or just take it to the mall or grocery store and chuck it in their dumpster lol 🙂

      40. Nigerian scam??

      41. So what makes anybody think they can prep like they’re doing for what’s coming to the rest of the world?? Jesus Christ has spoken of THE END. The ONLY way to prep for what’s coming is to get on your faces and repent in dust and ashes, crying out to God for forgiveness, then forsake your sins for ever, and be born again. Please, people, the bible is true, and hell is real. Why risk your eternal souls for maybe a few extra years in this depraved and wicked place? Eternity is never far away, but as we see THE END approaching faster every day, we absolutely MUST seek to be “hid with Christ in God”, or our souls will perish in hell. Please, heed this loving warning!

        • BlueBelle, there are many Christians in the prepper community and on this site. Christians need to prepare for hard times also. Remember the many parables of the Bible such as the wise virgins trimming their wicks. Jesus never said to sit on your butt and wait for him.

          • Stuart, that parable was talking about being spiritually prepared. There are lots of “christians” who are not Christians, because they have been deceived by easy believism, and have never repented of and forsaken their sins, and been born again. Sure, we can have some extra food around, but that can’t save your soul when “they” come steal it, and kill you in the bargain.

      42. Forget another SUV if you have one get a full size pickup truck with 8 foot bed add helper springs or get 3/4 ton for extra durability paint drab weld on plate steel bumpers. I’d ditch the SUV and get two pickups. Two is one and one is none. You could build folding bench seats in the bed just like a Duce. Easily fit six to eight guys with gear and two up front for an 8 to 10 guy squad. Get same make and model truck so parts are interchangeable. Id go with gas engine over diesel because there are more gas vehicles you can get fuel from. Forget lift kits and big tires it will be easier to get standard parts to keep them running. Pickup truck can do it all. Haul foraged resources and firewood. Put a 275 gal tote in one and a 3inch trash pump for an improvised firetruck or water buffalo. Put injured people on gurney in back for ambulance. Use back bumper for ramming through gates and buildings. Best vehicles because parts are always available due to business and commercial use. Nothing beats a truck period. I’m sure jeep fans will disagree but shtf is not off-roading.

      43. …and in the end we all die anyway, sooner or later – it’s what we did in love in that time we had that counts:

        [KJV] Job 29:11 When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me:
        [KJV] Job 29:12 Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him.
        [KJV] Job 29:13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.
        [KJV] Job 29:14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.
        [KJV] Job 29:15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.
        [KJV] Job 29:16 I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.
        [KJV] Job 29:17 And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.
        [KJV] Job 29:18 Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand.

        [KJV] – King James Bible

      44. If you could never have imagined or prepped for what happened in Venezuela, then you don’t seem to have much imagination or are having difficulties with math. The wishlist of things is sort of halfassed too. I’m sorry but this just doesn’t seem like a super credible article to me.

        Every commie/socialist/gerrymandered ‘democratic’ (vs republic) shithole goes the same way as soon as they can’t keep spending other peoples money and experiences an Atlas Shrugged when those holding up their world (for instance doctors) finally throw in the towel and lose all remaining faith in things ever recovering.

        What I consider unforgiveable is the bottom 51% either goes along with and enables OR votes for this shit in country after country, ruining everything, while the upper 49% refuses to throw their asses out of the country, deny them voting rights for being so stupid, or feels it’s unethical to override their ‘rights’ to ruin everything. The writing is on the wall YEARS in advance IN EVERY SINGLE CASE and in most cases intelligence is linked to getting the f_ck out of dodge way before it ever reaches that point.

      45. Unless of course you happen to be continuously fighting the corrupt U.S.Deep State.

        I’d never have thought that DAISY LUTHER would have been a cover for the establishment, but to complicitly blame the people of Venezuela for that country’s issues is tantamount to complying with the underhand methods of disinfo and propaganda perpetuated by the US Gov for decades as clearly laid out in John Perkins “Confessions of an Economic Hitman”.

        Venezuela, like Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Nicaragua, et al, is a classic example of a country with desirable assets the US Deep State want, except the people continue to say NO to having their country raped by the international banksters and oil/chemical /mining corporations, so the keep voting for a President for the PEOPLE, who promises to share the wealth.
        Sadly the U.S. continually disrupt this, even to the extent of kidnapping Chavez back in 2005 election.
        So, the hitherto well respected Daisy Luther, falls under the politically corrupt bus and has lost all credibility as a puppet of jewish propaganda.”

        • but to complicitly blame the people of Venezuela for that country’s issues is tantamount to complying with the underhand methods of disinfo and propaganda perpetuated by the US Gov for decades as clearly laid out in John Perkins “Confessions of an Economic Hitman”.

          Venezuela, like Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Nicaragua, et al, is a classic example of a country with desirable assets the US Deep State want, except the people continue to say NO to having their country raped by the international banksters and oil/chemical /mining corporations
          —-

          I completely agree with the above statement. And this is something that needs to be repeated in the alternative press when discussing these “surprising” economic collapse machinations in places like Venezuela.

          And let’s be honest with ourselves for a moment, vulture capitalism (corporate welfare/SOCIALISM) has completely DESTROYED the American Dream. Millions of good paying middle class jobs shipped off to Asia and Mexico by executives with Ivy League MBAs whom the media presstitutes claim to be the epitome of Western capitalism. But alas, these ‘Western’ markets are neither FREE nor FAIR.

          My point is that we always slam Venezuela for its alleged socialism yet, right here in America as we speak, signs of socialism are EVERY WHERE (HUGE welfare rolls, too big to fail banks getting free money, free money to Military I.C. gangsters & Deep State attack dog apparatus – TRILLION$ gone missing, free money to maintain destructive entangling military & trade alliances, etc…). Is this not socialism? 😉

      46. You guys are a lot smarter about this stuff than I am. I thank you very much for all you’ve said here.

      47. there are different breeds of cattle. Jerseys are good for milk and angus are good for meat. The same goes for humans. some folks make good Peons & serfs and some make good slaves. The hardest folks to control or bribe &appease are white Europeans. and when hard nosed white Europeans are well armed and finnaly get fed up. Its a entirely diffiernt outcome. When whites go on the warpath is isn’t just citys that burn. Entire continents burn. The recient show of nuclear force by Russia is a prime example. And Putins statement speaks volumes. He said what good is the world if there is no Russia.

        • Yep. +1
          Old Guys rule.
          This is why.

      48. I think, a truly-dedicated person would be so specialized, that he could only make one thing, on one of those store shelves. You might be able to make the can or jar for the canned meat. Or, you might be able to grow only one of those vegetables well. You could devote your entire life to making one cup of tea or rolling a decent cigar.

        While you’re doing this, ideally, each of your neighbors has taken-up a separate trade, until you can make, as a society, all the things, which are in your house.

        It is impossible to buy enough MRE’s, foil blankets, cheesy Swiss army knives, and gas-station peg-board kinds of items, to sustain you for your entire lifetime.

        You’re nosy, thug-like, and sedentary neighbors are not going to have your back.

        We have basically been demoralized and dissembled, to the point, at which society could be re-built, from scratch. You don’t need to wait for any Malthusian check or social emergency, as the implied, social contract has already collapsed, some time ago.

        • Thats true! I will just open a casino/bar and sell booze and cigarettes and hoes! And maybe some dirty deed’s done dirt cheap 😉

      49. Most of the farmers I knew in the 50,s and 60,s where jack of all trades. The hardly ever needed any outside help To get what needed to be done accomplished.Im pretty much the same way. We don’t can stuff in glass jars. We freeze most everything. I even freeze eggs.We are not going to overheat canning stuff in the middle of the summer. And Come a new Madrid quake or just a need to bug out those glass jars will break. Besides if it does collapse. It will not be a reset or a 1800,s lifestyle. It will be a stone age existence. If a SHTF WROL happens society will not be rebuilt in our lifetime.

      50. Blueberries are one of the all time best foods. It’s good for your vision. Helps calm down diarrhea. Helps constipation. Helps regulate blood sugar. Helps losing weight.

        But I couldn’t get this acid loving bush to grow properly. Well, I found out why. I was watering the pots with municipal water from my garden hose. Rain water is more acidic (acid rain). Blue berries require acid rain water. Damn.

        Well, now I know.

        _ oh, you can get free seeds to grow blueberries from blueberries that are too old to eat.

        If you leave berries especially blue berries in the fridge too long and they get dried up, don’t throw them out. Put them in a blender with water. Pour out the water after blending. The seeds drop to the bottom.

        Dampen a paper towel. Smear seeds on it. Put into plastic bag. Let seeds sprout in a warm dry place like the top shelf in your pantry. Plant sprouts in little planter. Treat soil to stay high acid.

        Keep moving to bigger preferably clay freeze safe pots. Takes four years from seeds to get berries. So, get some bushes that are near fruit bearing if you want berries this summer, or next.

        And keep growing the back up bushes for a super crop of blueberries. Use only blueberries from the USA. Imported berries have been radiated and the seeds are sterile. The radiated seeds won’t grow.

        _

      Commenting Policy:

      Some comments on this web site are automatically moderated through our Spam protection systems. Please be patient if your comment isn’t immediately available. We’re not trying to censor you, the system just wants to make sure you’re not a robot posting random spam.

      This website thrives because of its community. While we support lively debates and understand that people get excited, frustrated or angry at times, we ask that the conversation remain civil. Racism, to include any religious affiliation, will not be tolerated on this site, including the disparagement of people in the comments section.