Monthly Archives: July 2014

July 11th, 2014
post by policysup | | 0

A Get Home Plan, by H.H.

Guest post by H.H.

—————–

First, I want to thank all the contributors for all the time and effort that they have put into this blog. I won’t say I have read all of them, but I have considered a significant portion of them not only in my own lifestyle but in my preparation. My own situation is that I work in a large city in the south and the family is miles away. I have been prepping for a few years now and would just like to offer a few observations. I have done all the normal things at the retreat, including food to last years, medical supplies, ammo, and guns– basically the beans, bullets, and band-aid thing. However, I will have this problem one-hundred and sixty five miles door to door! It makes me tired just typing it. If you’re in a large metropolitan area I think you will need more than one escape route. As I started my prepping I became more observant on my travels back to the apartment where I live while at work. What would happen if:

  1. the Route had no electricity (stop lights weren’t working),
  2. the Route had electricity (stop lights worked) but I was trapped behind stalled cars,
  3. the Route had an overpass jammed or an off ramp jammed, or
  4. I had no transportation because my vehicle is not functioning (get a bicycle)?

Then I started thinking what routes are pointing the way out of town. I thought about roads, railroads, power lines, gas lines, septic systems, and even rain drainage. Okay, so I pulled up Google Earth and started looking around. (Use the “add path” function to highlight, and if you have the snipping tool on Windows it’s great for copying the map.)

  1. Roads— They’re the normal mode of travel. I planned out at least one route that did not involve off-ramps, overpasses, highways, tollways, etc. Okay, so now I have two routes– my normal route and one involving city internal arteries.
  2. Railroads—They’re all on Google Earth. Mark the ones you need. In my case I am now up to a total of four routes home and four routes out of town.
  3. Power Lines—These are also visible on Google Earth. Power companies usually have some type of road for maintenance purposes. However, you might need a bolt cutter to use them!
  4. Gas Lines—Although they’re not so visible, still keep in mind that those stations sticking up out of the ground do lead somewhere.
  5. Septic systems and rain drainage. Well, I think you are probably getting the idea.

Anyway don’t get functionally fixed about what is showing you possible routes, just G.O.O.D. (Get Out of Dodge)

What will it be like? First some highlights of an economic breakdown, civil unrest, or nuclear or solar grid-down situation. Just pick your poison. Here’s just a quick review.

  1. People will want what you have (food).
  2. People will probably try to take what you have (vehicle gas, water).
  3. Muggings, gang violence, assorted personal crimes will be rampant (car/bicycle theft).
  4. You will probably be chased down for anything you may possess. (medical attention required)
  5. You will consider fleeing the inner city any way possible, but it will be a fight all the way out. (lose weapon, out of ammo)
  6. You might find a place outside the city (country) that will offer temporary refuge.
  7. The gangs of people will eventually leave the city for one reason or another.
  8. Et cetera. I am sure, for the most part, I am preaching to the choir here. Of course, I considered all the normal arteries and methods.

Highways, if available and not clogged with stalled cars, are an option. Just a reminder, if you’re reading this and thinking about using the highways, watch those ramps and overpasses that you might have to use. One stalled car on that ramp or overpass and you’re stuck. These arteries could be jammed with people walking and wondering what happened (if EMP is the event), so this was not my first choice in an EMP event.

Otherwise, the highway will be my first choice if I have an automobile that is operational. Also keep in mind the socio-economic areas (slum) that might be surrounding these highways. (How’s that for being politically correct? Translation, does it go through the ghetto?) I don’t want to get lost in the weeds here too much because those middle class neighborhoods you will go through are more likely to have weapons. This brings us to interior roads.

Residential interior roadways are an option, but here I see the problem being that they are residential. With a grid-down situation, people will not necessarily be in their residence. The bike is a good plan and one I also have as a backup in this scenario. I believe that the probability of more numbers of people being out and about will be higher. So my plan in this scenario involves traveling at late night. The advantages with this scenario are that the availability of water will probably be high (swimming pools), if you have a good activated carbon filter, and the availability of stores.

A few years back, I had experience with electrical overhead distribution. Don’t dismiss this as a viable, although not paved, road. Most of those lines you see overhead need to be maintained and at regular intervals there will be structures to offer shelter. Needing to be maintained means, that they need to be accessible by trucks and other heavy equipment. Also, if you have previously studied the way they are laid out, it can be better than a map about the direction you are headed.

The same general principles apply to gas lines and other public utility structures. They can offer a means of not only direction but also escape. It might be worth your wild to at least become basically familiar with how these roads are laid-out.

Let me offer how I came to a conclusion. I was watching a show that my son likes on TV, and it was a show that had to do with a group of people escaping zombies. I was struck by the similarity between eluding the zombies and eluding “gang-bangers” or any type of rogue band of militia-ish type personnel.

This band of people had trouble organizing the very basics. Just to escape they had to:

  1. Avoid the zombies and get food.
  2. Avoid the zombies and get gas.
  3. Avoid the zombies and get water.
  4. Avoid the zombies and get transportation.
  5. Avoid the zombies and take care of the wounded.
  6. Avoid the zombies and get weapons.
  7. Avoid the zombies and get ammo.

Is this starting to sound familiar? If by the grace of God you manage to do all of these (and numerous other daily events we take for granted), avoid the zombies, and still “get out of Dodge”, there is some good/bad news: Zombies generally do not have GUNS. In the real world, that will be different.

In addition, if you “waited to evac” the gangs are probably going to have weapons from the National Guard or are going to be the National Guard.

This is from J.W.’s book:

“Provisional Government President Maynard Hutchings”

 “At least twenty-eight million are estimated to have been killed in lawless violence.”

My personal belief is that this is very conservative. It will boil down to two people meeting, and one wants what the other has, “one is usually not walking away from this confrontation”. I believe in very short order (probably no more than a few days) the population of urban areas will be cut in one-half. (One didn’t walk away. Multiply this by hundreds of millions of confrontations.)

Some advice to J.H. regarding the question Letter Re: Prospects for the Eastern U.S. in a Societal Collapse. I don’t think I could add any more to your issue than to offer similar advice to the one offered in the letter of Mar. 30 2012 by D.S.A.

“The dichotomy is that people are the biggest threat, but you can’t survive without the cooperation of other people.  You can’t make it through the listed events alone; you have to rely on other people to pool all your resources to survive. Every event on that list will cause people to lose their minds and cause chaos. Give it a couple of days, then the looting, crime and civil unrest explode like a powder keg.  Sure, you can crawl in your bunker, but for how long? You can buy 20 guns, but you can only shoot one at a time. You need to get organized, with a group of trusted friends/family, to provide, protect and plan your hopefully short term situation.  The well-organized, well-armed groups will get passed by the marauders for easy pickings down the road.”

  1. Plan your escape first! G.O.O.D or urban “AREAS” as the case may be.
  2. Get a like-minded group together and plan. “Prepare to get mobile”
  3. Like the people escaping from the “zombies” follow the list.
    1. Avoid the marauders and get food.
    2. Avoid the marauders and get gas.
    3. Avoid the marauders and get water.
    4. Avoid the marauders and get transportation.
    5. Avoid the marauders and take care of the wounded.
    6. Avoid the marauders and get weapons.
    7. Avoid the marauders and get ammo.
  4. I applaud you if you have the resources/opportunity to get to the “American Redoubt” but if you don’t, pick a spot to retreat to and that will offer refuge at least temporarily.

Now, I am probably going to say something that will cause a lot of you to cringe. I would not be picky about who owns this retreat, so long as it doesn’t get you shot! The fact is that in these types of situations “ownership becomes a relative term”, whether it is an apple or a parcel of land in the middle of nowhere is not going to mean a thing, hence the reason for weapons.

Now the good news is that I do believe that there are good people out there who are prepared not only for themselves but for the possibility of helping others survive. Also, we realize that there must be “in some fashion” a continuation of the species. I am not advocating that you act like a band of “Rogue-Marines”. This will get you shot, eventually. What I am saying is that you should get to a place that has water, some hunting or fishing, regroup, and move-on “if you must”. This is exactly what happened to our intrepid band of zombie avoiders in the TV show.

(Hugh Interjects: Yes. I cringed when I read this. Even if you are in a life-and-death situation, you should not just “take” what someone else has stored. I understand using enough of the supplies to keep yourself alive, but you should replace them at the first opportunity to do so. You may be “taking” supplies that someone else may be depending upon to live. Further, just because the “rule of law” has broken down in society does not mean that ethics and morals no longer apply. God’s law always applies and He is watching. After all, what makes you different than those who got us into this situation in the first place? Hopefully, it is your sense of morals and the ethics that you follow. As Christians, we have the highest of standards that we should adhere to.)

I agree with J.W. in that the cities (urban areas) will become death traps and that TEOTWAWKI, should propel you to G.O.O.D.

Now, as I sit here writing this in Texas (with relatively mild winters), with my own retreat approximately 165 miles away, I am reminded that when you EVAC in the north, winters will probably kill many. Even a mild one with rains will probably be lethal. In general, I would plan to get somewhere south and stay warm.

Now, generally, I recommend you consider your own survival skills!

  1. Can you hunt?
  2. Can you fish?
  3. Can you track?
  4. What kind of physical shape are you in?
  5. Can you make a fire?
  6. Can you hide a fire?
  7. Can you construct a basic trap or snare?
  8. Can you set a makeshift tent?
  9. Do you have basic medical skills and material?
  10. Are you prepared to live in the wilderness for months/years?
  11. Are you prepared to pray?

Well, that’s my experience/opinion. Here is praying you are not made one of the zombies. Maybe you will watch a few zombie shows/movies in a new light.

Best to you and yours, and good luck to us all.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.


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July 10th, 2014
post by policysup | | 0

FEMA: Are You Ready For the Heat?

Some parts of the country are sweltering under heat advisories and July just started! Here is some advice from FEMA about handling the heat.

Extreme Heat

Heat kills by pushing the human body beyond its limits. In extreme heat and high humidity, evaporation is slowed and the body must work extra hard to maintain a normal temperature.

Most heat disorders occur because the victim has been overexposed to heat or has over-exercised for his or her age and physical condition. Older adults, young children, and those who are sick or overweight are more likely to succumb to extreme heat.

Conditions that can induce heat-related illnesses include stagnant atmospheric conditions and poor air quality. Consequently, people living in urban areas may be at greater risk from the effects of a prolonged heat wave than those living in rural areas. Also, asphalt and concrete store heat longer and gradually release heat at night, which can produce higher nighttime temperatures known as the “urban heat island effect.”


Know the Terms

Familiarize yourself with these terms to help identify an extreme heat hazard:

Heat Wave
Prolonged period of excessive heat, often combined with excessive humidity.

Heat Index
A number in degrees Fahrenheit (F) that tells how hot it feels when relative humidity is added to the air temperature. Exposure to full sunshine can increase the heat index by 15 degrees.

Heat Cramps
Muscular pains and spasms due to heavy exertion. Although heat cramps are the least severe, they are often the first signal that the body is having trouble with the heat.

Heat Exhaustion
Typically occurs when people exercise heavily or work in a hot, humid place where body fluids are lost through heavy sweating. Blood flow to the skin increases, causing blood flow to decrease to the vital organs. This results in a form of mild shock. If not treated, the victim’s condition will worsen. Body temperature will keep rising and the victim may suffer heat stroke.

Heat Stroke
A life-threatening condition. The victim’s temperature control system, which produces sweating to cool the body, stops working. The body temperature can rise so high that brain damage and death may result if the body is not cooled quickly.

Sun Stroke
Another term for heat stroke.

Take Protective Measures

Before Extreme Heat

To prepare for extreme heat, you should:

  • Install window air conditioners snugly; insulate if necessary.
  • Check air-conditioning ducts for proper insulation.
  • Install temporary window reflectors (for use between windows and drapes), such as aluminum foil-covered cardboard, to reflect heat back outside.
  • Weather-strip doors and sills to keep cool air in.
  • Cover windows that receive morning or afternoon sun with drapes, shades, awnings, or louvers. (Outdoor awnings or louvers can reduce the heat that enters a home by up to 80 percent.)
  • Keep storm windows up all year.

During a Heat Emergency

The following are guidelines for what you should do if the weather is extremely hot:

  • Stay indoors as much as possible and limit exposure to the sun.
  • Stay on the lowest floor out of the sunshine if air conditioning is not available.
  • Consider spending the warmest part of the day in public buildings such as libraries, schools, movie theaters, shopping malls, and other community facilities. Circulating air can cool the body by increasing the perspiration rate of evaporation.
  • Eat well-balanced, light, and regular meals. Avoid using salt tablets unless directed to do so by a physician.
  • Drink plenty of water. Persons who have epilepsy or heart, kidney, or liver disease; are on fluid-restricted diets; or have a problem with fluid retention should consult a doctor before increasing liquid intake.
  • Limit intake of alcoholic beverages.
  • Dress in loose-fitting, lightweight, and light-colored clothes that cover as much skin as possible.
  • Protect face and head by wearing a wide-brimmed hat.
  • Check on family, friends, and neighbors who do not have air conditioning and who spend much of their time alone.
  • Never leave children or pets alone in closed vehicles.
  • Avoid strenuous work during the warmest part of the day. Use a buddy system when working in extreme heat, and take frequent breaks.

First Aid for Heat-Induced Illnesses

Extreme heat brings with it the possibility of heat-induced illnesses. The following table lists these illnesses, their symptoms, and the first aid treatment.

Condition

Symptoms

First Aid
Sunburn Skin redness and pain, possible swelling, blisters, fever, headaches Take a shower using soap to remove oils that may block pores, preventing the body from cooling naturally.

Apply dry, sterile dressings to any blisters, and get medical attention.
Heat Cramps Painful spasms, usually in leg and abdominal muscles; heavy sweating Get the victim to a cooler location.

Lightly stretch and gently massage affected muscles to relieve spasms.

Give sips of up to a half glass of cool water every 15 minutes. (Do not give liquids with caffeine or alcohol.)

Discontinue liquids, if victim is nauseated.
Heat Exhaustion Heavy sweating but skin may be cool, pale, or flushed. Weak pulse. Normal body temperature is possible, but temperature will likely rise. Fainting or dizziness, nausea, vomiting, exhaustion, and headaches are possible. Get victim to lie down in a cool place.

Loosen or remove clothing.

Apply cool, wet clothes.

Fan or move victim to air-conditioned place.

Give sips of water if victim is conscious.

Be sure water is consumed slowly.

Give half glass of cool water every 15 minutes.

Discontinue water if victim is nauseated.

Seek immediate medical attention if vomiting occurs.
Heat Stroke
( a severe medical emergency)		 High body temperature (105+); hot, red, dry skin; rapid, weak pulse; and rapid shallow breathing. Victim will probably not sweat unless victim was sweating from recent strenuous activity. Possible unconsciousness. Call 9-1-1 or emergency medical services, or get the victim to a hospital immediately. Delay can be fatal.

Move victim to a cooler environment.

Removing clothing

Try a cool bath, sponging, or wet sheet to reduce body temperature.

Watch for breathing problems.

Use extreme caution.

Use fans and air conditioners.

Additional Information

An emergency water shortage can be caused by prolonged drought, poor water supply management, or contamination of a surface water supply source or aquifer.

Drought can affect vast territorial regions and large population numbers. Drought also creates environmental conditions that increase the risk of other hazards such as fire, flash flood, and possible landslides and debris flow.

Conserving water means more water available for critical needs for everyone. Appendix A contains detailed suggestions for conserving water both indoors and outdoors. Make these practices a part of your daily life and help preserve this essential resource.

After Extreme Heat

Follow the instructions for recovering from a disaster in Part 5.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.


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July 9th, 2014
post by policysup | | 0

Frustrations of Prepping with an Unsupportive Spouse, by B.C.

Guest post by B.C.

——

I actually began writing this as an email to a close friend in order to vent my frustrations. After several conversations, I realized that there may be others going through the same struggles, and hopefully what I share can help them.

I think in order to fully understand the situation, I need to share some information about myself as well as my wife. I believe the best way to understand where someone is coming from is to know WHERE they come from. I feel that Eric Haney in his book “Inside Delta Force” captures this best for me:

“The larger part of my family line is made up of the Scots-Irish, a people descended from that peculiar mixture of the Celts of the northern British Isles and the invading Danes and Norsemen. The result was a landless, illiterate, anarchic, and warlike people who were always difficult, if not downright impossible, to govern. They were a race the British Crown rightfully viewed as dangerous rebels, and consequently exiled to the New World by the tens of thousands.

On arrival in the American colonies, these people fled as far as possible from government control, many of them crossing the Blue Ridge Mountains and migrating from there throughout what eventually became the highlands of the southern United States. They were the original “backwoodsmen” of American history.

What did I receive from this lineage? Things I consider to be very valuable: a good raw intellect and a good tough body. A sense of independence and a realization that wherever I am is my home. A sense of humor. A sense of personal honor that results in a touchiness common to our people. We are easily offended and prone to violence when offended. When the only thing you own is your sense of honor, you tend to protect it at all costs.”

To sum it all up, the clan or family was the most important. The members of the family did what they needed to in order to survive. They were hardworking people who relied on no one but each other. There was never any outside assistance, and taking help from the government was almost sinful.

Now my wife’s family would be considered truly middle class. They are skilled workers who live in the semi-rural areas around a midsize city. She’s descended from English settlers who received land grants from the King and who, even today, don’t seem to even think about what is going on outside of their bubble. If it doesn’t affect them, then not much thought is given. Now don’t take this to mean that they are self-centered, as they are hardworking, Christians who will give the shirt off their back to help those around them and actually have done so while working missions. They just prefer to not give much thought to things they feel they can’t change or impact.

I’ve said all this to lay the foundation for the problems I’ve encountered. We were brought up with widely varying views on the world, which I attribute to our family’s past. I distrust outsiders and really anyone not a part of the family clan. I believe you only have yourself and your clan to rely upon; everyone else is a liability. I have an engrained distrust of authority and government, which is ironic since I work for the local government. My wife is more trusting and has called me paranoid many times.

My entry into the world of prepping began back around 2006 when I was finishing college. While I lived at home to save money, my mom and stepdad had moved away from the rest of my family in the hills of North Carolina and the upstate of South Carolina, so I was disconnected from most of my family. I was engaged to my wife at the time, and I was giving serious thought to this big change upcoming in my life. I stumbled across some books that were dystopian in nature and about the U.S. government scrapping the Constitution and turning citizens into subjects. Being a history major with a concentration in U.S. and military history, these appealed to me because at the time I couldn’t see how this could ever happen. My eyes were opened and this whole new world was revealed to me. I began to read as much on any topic that was even remotely related to prepping. That of course led me to this site, and I’ve been a follower ever since.

At the time I didn’t have a full-time job, and the money made from my part-time job went to buy basic necessities and help pay my share of the bills at my parent’s home, which was something I insisted upon doing. What little money I had left, I put away, as I was getting married soon. After my wife and I married in 2008, we were broke. I was four months from starting my full-time job, and we had bought a house together in the fall of 2007 that she lived alone in until we married. We struggled for the next couple of years but I/we refused to rely on anyone other than ourselves to make it work. I still tried to prep when I could, but I mainly relied upon my birthday and Christmas money to score any prepping items.

When I took a new job (and a new career path in LE) in 2010, we started to actually have a savings account. During this time I really started trying to talk more about prepping with my wife. I began small and talked about natural disasters or I would share a news story from somewhere, but I got nothing in return. She said, “God will provide; we don’t need to worry about it.” I changed tactics and used the Bible to try and reinforce my ideas. I tried to use how Noah prepared ahead of time for the flood, but she dismissed that. I then read Prov. 22:3 “The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.” Once again she said, “God will provide.” While I full heartedly agree that God will provide, I also feel that we are to take responsibility for ourselves. My final Biblical attempt to persuade her was to discuss the “Seven Years of Plenty.” She responded by saying, “when God speaks to you and tells you to store up grain, then you go ahead and do it.” I seized my chance right then and there. I explained that I really did feel that God had called for me to do this. I had never given this any thought and then all of a sudden out of nowhere the whole idea of prepping was revealed to me, and I was filled with such desire that it could only be God-inspired. She relented, slightly and agreed to store away some items, but only a small amount at a time and ONLY if it didn’t get in the way.

I started with canned goods at first, but this didn’t last long. We don’t have a lot of storage space, and they were taking up room in our small pantry. I tried to move them elsewhere, and this created another issue; I was taking up closet space. After reading an article on here, I couldn’t believe I had overlooked the unused space beneath our bed and guest bed. Money became tight again as we had unexpected bills arise, so I backed off of buying canned goods for awhile and shifted my attention elsewhere.

Canning was a common occurrence in my home when I was young. At the time my grandparents were raising me as my parents had divorced. I fondly remember helping my grandmother with this chore many afternoons. My wife and I had started a garden in our backyard and we had excess vegetables. I wanted to can them, but she had no experience with this. Since it had been a while since I had last canned, I called my grandmother and had her walk me through it. When I had finished canning tomatoes, squash, and beans, there was quite a mess in the kitchen. My wife stated she didn’t have time to help, so I had to do everything on my own. She complained about the mess, and it infuriated me. In my mind here I was trying to not only save us some money down the road by canning, but I was trying to look out for our future and all I was getting was grief. I blew up; I couldn’t understand why she couldn’t see things the way that I did. I remember reading all the time on different survival sites about married couples or families prepping together and how they supported each other. I felt like not only was my wife not supporting me, but she was actively trying to interfere with what I was doing. I believed that as the husband, it was my responsibility to provide for the family and to ensure our safety and prosperity and that my wife was to support me in this. When she didn’t, it really put a strain on our marriage. This leads to the next issue and very big mistakes made by me.

Having grown up in the country where I shot my first firearm before I learned to ride a bike, having a firearm (or several) around the house had never been a foreign concept to me. I thought everyone had firearms in their homes. For my wife, this was something new. She had never seen a firearm in person before we were together. I tried to take her shooting, but she refused. When we were married, she didn’t like the idea of guns in the home, but she knew that I was adamant about having one so she didn’t put up too much of a fuss. After the first year when I received one for my birthday and one for Christmas, she said that was enough. Now in my mind, you can never have enough firearms, but we were newly married and I wanted to keep the peace so I compromised and said I wouldn’t get anymore any time soon. I couldn’t afford to buy them anyway, so I didn’t see this as an issue. Fast forward three years; I can afford to purchase more. I bought a small .22 rifle, which caused a huge disagreement. In retrospect, I should have talked to her about it, but as I said, I never saw the issue with firearms so it didn’t occur to me. A few months later, a friend told me someone he knew was selling a Mosin Nagant for $80. My wife and I have a $100 a month limit for purchases without consulting the other. I felt that I was under the limit, so it shouldn’t matter, but I also remembered the argument that ensued with the .22 purchase. This is where I made the first HUGE mistake. I hid the purchase from her. Then I compounded it by lying about it. She asked what I spent the $80 on, and I said odds and ends for around the house. I got away with it, but it caused me to slide down that slippery slope. I made another firearms purchase and many ammo purchases without her knowledge. She found out after using my iPad and seeing an email discussing purchasing an item from someone. She asked me what I had done that day and I lied to cover it up. This caused lots of trust issues in our marriage that I am still trying very hard to overcome and to rebuild that trust.

During this time, I had been talking to a friend of mine who I consider my brother. I had actually given him a copy of JWR’s “Patriots” to read, and he immediately began prepping as well. He was single at the time and able to purchase anything he wanted without someone looking over his shoulder. I was jealous. This increased my frustration with my wife for her lack of support. I decided that I would continue prepping, but I would do so in secret. My friend and I would go in together on purchases, and he would keep them at his house or if I purchased something I would take it to him to store for me. All this did was to keep my lying to my wife about what I was doing.

I’m sure you are wondering how I was able to keep the purchases secret at this point. First, I only dealt in cash. I knew she would see any purchases by our debit card on the statement. I also knew that if I withdrew money, she would know also so I had to find an alternative way to get money. I would barter for many items, but I also did a few small jobs on the side that paid cash. If I got $100 for the job, I would take $50-$60 and put it in the bank and stow away the rest in cash.

In 2012, my wife became pregnant with our first child. This immediately upped my desire to prep. Now, I was not only responsible for myself and my wife, but we were bringing a child into this world who was 100% dependent upon us. I soon realized how expensive a child can be. I came to the conclusion quickly that I wouldn’t be able to continue trying to prep the way that I had.

My friend called me and said he wanted to start storing away dried goods. He said he had read about using old two-liter soda bottles and juice bottles for storage. I had a lot of those every week between the one or two bottles of soda we would drink and the many bottles of juice that we had for my daughter. When we finished the drink, I would rinse the bottle thoroughly and let it air dry. I would then put the cap back on it, and I stored them in boxes in the garage. I had accumulated close to 100 of these bottles. One day I was at work, and my wife was home when her family came over. They went into the garage to look for something, and my wife saw all the bottles. I had actually told her that I was keeping some bottles in the garage to store things in for in the future. I guess she didn’t realize how many I had. When her family asked what they were for, she said that I’m preparing for the end of the world. They laughed and thought it was amusing. My wife became embarrassed by it. She then threw all the bottles away. When I came home, she told me what had happened. I couldn’t believe what she had done. I was so angry with her, and then she said she was tired of all the “stupid prepping”, that I embarrassed her, the only books I read were about prepping or surviving, and that she was done with my lying.

I finally realized what was happening. I was so focused on her not supporting me that I failed to realize that I was causing as much if not more of the tension between us. While my wife was never 100% behind my efforts, her anger over my lying and deception was focused on the issue of prepping. In her mind if I wasn’t so focused on prepping then I wouldn’t have lied or deceived her and then the lack of trust in our marriage wouldn’t be there. The thing is, she’s completely correct. I allowed my frustration with her lack of support to cloud my judgment to the point where I felt it was not only acceptable but, as it was the only way I could continue prepping, the right thing to do. I sat down and seriously thought about what was going on and here is what I came up with:

  1. I was prepping in order to provide a chance for my family to survive a SHTF scenario.
  2. I resorted to deception and lying to continuing prepping.
  3. #2 led to tension in my marriage.
  4. If left unchecked and something didn’t change, I could see myself losing my family.
  5. If I lost my family, then the entire reasoning behind prepping was for naught.

The decision I had to make was easy. I stopped actively prepping. I completely stopped talking to my wife and really anyone else about prepping outside of a few very close friends. I decided that we would have to rely on what I had stored to that point and pray for God’s provisions thereafter.

We are now a year later. While I am still not actively prepping, my wife has started to come around. She’s seen how hard I’ve been working to rebuild trust in our marriage. She also feels that her non-support was a contributing factor in my behavior. Regardless of whether or not she supported me, I should not have resorted to lying and deception. We’ve worked hard to rebuild what was lost.

Looking back, I hope that others can see and learn from the mistakes that I made. Yes, my wife did not support my belief that we needed to prepare, but the mistakes I made were of my own doing and actually made things worse instead of better. There is no justification for lying and deception in any relationship. Maybe one day I’ll begin to actively prep again. Maybe one day God will open my wife’s eyes the way he did mine. Maybe one day I’ll be able to send in another letter about how things have changed, but if that day doesn’t come I’ll sleep well knowing that I saved my marriage, saved my family, and I still have a few preps put aside for a rainy day. Hopefully, the family clan can pull together, as we have done for centuries, look out for one another, and get through the dark days to come.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.


Via: survivalblog


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July 8th, 2014
post by policysup | | 0

Find The Perfect Survival Retreat or Homestead: Strategic Relocation Preparedness Tip


Finding the right place to live can be a daunting task. And for those looking to strategically relocate out of major cities to a more sustainable and free lifestyle it could be even more challenging. From balancing your professional needs and familial goals, to finding just the right mix of acreage, security and natural resources, getting into that perfect home may seem like a far off dream at times.

Traditional assessments surrounding the concept of strategic relocation are often directed at limited regions or areas of the country, making it that much more difficult for people who have extended family or jobs in a certain city to leave those high population density areas.

Moreover, for many who have made the choice to head out to the country into an ex-urban or rural environment, the prospect of finding a home that meets all their criteria often ends with lackluster results. Perhaps they find a property with a water well and acreage, but it is so far removed from modern-day infrastructure that they can’t perform their professional duties because of lack of internet or activities for the kids are so far away that it becomes an impossible decision to make.

And if you’ve ever used one of the big real estate web sites out there to try and find a home you’ve likely come to realize that they aren’t there to cater to the needs of the modern day homesteader, prepper or survivalist. While these work great for those looking to stay in urban centers or suburbia, you’re not so much interested with amenities like a club house, community pool or tennis courts. Rather, your focus is on things like the existence of a water well, defensibility or food production feasibility.

It’s because of these challenges that survival property professional Todd Savage has teamed up with the world’s foremost strategic relocation specialist Joel Skousen to build the most comprehensive and user-friendly real estate portal on the internet now easily accessible at www.StrategicRelocation.com.

In addition to the advanced search tools that allow a user to filter thousands of properties by factors that include land topography, water accessibility, energy creation, fencing and vegetation, Strategic Relocation’s For Sale By Owner property listings also provide a survival rating that takes hundreds of factors into account to determine a strategic relocation score for a particular property.

The following post from Joel Skousen appears on the Strategic Relocation Blog and provides some additional insights into the new web site and how you can use it to find that perfect home anywhere in the United States of America (or internationally):

(Courtesy World Affairs Brief) This week, the long-awaited Strategic Relocation real estate website for FSBO and Agents has launched—a joint venture between myself and the team at Survival Retreat Consulting (SRC). I have given a considerable amount of advice and consultation to the formation of this website and highly recommend it. Todd Savage, owner and Nick Matthews, Worldwide Operations Manager have joined forces to create a Survival Property Listing website where visitors can search and find rural retreats in their chosen safe haven—almost all are currently in the West but that will change and expand as the site grows in listings.

The site will primarily focus on sustainable rural homes and land (with occasional commercial opportunities) and allows a seller to handle their own ad listing right from home. Each listing allows up to 100 photos and 4 videos as well as a nice topographical map of the retreat for the discerning buyer to evaluate. Sellers may also elect to have either myself or the SRC Team evaluate and rate the property.

Buyers will thus have access to significant information to decide if a property is worth investigating further. Most confidential information (safe rooms, concealed storage rooms and other high security features) will not be presented so as to preserve the property’s secure features for the new buyer. If some confidential items are revealed, the address and location will be concealed. There is nothing worse than buying a secure home where hundreds of people already know about all the sensitive features and where to find it. It will be left to the seller to decide when to reveal to a qualified buyer (privately) the special features of the home.

There will be a fixed, but reasonable listing fee for ads placed on the site, with zero commission fees whatsoever. The SRC team is now just adding properties, and they would appreciate everyone spreading the word to help kick off this exceptional venue for all.

A future addition to the site will feature a Relocation Forum where visitors will be able to post their opinions about where they live or other locations with which they have experience. Visitors will be about to research the pros and cons of their own locations as well as prospective new areas. I’ll let you know when this feature is up and running.

We expect this to quickly become the “go to” website for finding or selling preparedness property, so I would like to extend an invitation to all of you to visit the website at  www.StrategicRelocation.com and spread the word!

Joel Skousen, Author, ‘Strategic Relocation: North American Guide to Safe Places’ at www.WorldAffairsBrief.com

Looking to strategically relocate and a live a more sustainable lifestyle? Start searching now. 

Have a survival retreat property that you’d like to put in front of people who are ready to get out of the city? List it today!

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.


Via: shtfplan


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July 7th, 2014
post by policysup | | 0

How to Make Baking Powder

Baking powder is one of those must-have ingredients in everyone’s pantry. Just check out 32 uses for Baking Soda if you have doubts. If you plan on cooking any type of cookie, pancake, muffins and so on and you need to have baking powder.

As far as prepping goes, the problem with baking powder is that its shelf life is only about 9 to 12 months. And what I’ve seen — especially when it’s been already opened — the shelf life appears to be even shorter than that.

So in an extended SHTF situation, what are you going to do if you need to bake some cookies (only slightly kidding here)?

Well, luckily the core ingredients of baking powder have an indefinite shelf life and there’s a good chance that they are already in your home right now.

How to Make Baking Powder

What You’ll Need:

  • baking soda
  • cream of tartar

The Process:

This process is so simple I don’t even know why I bother to put up pictures but it basically goes like this…

Mix two parts of cream of tartar with one part of baking soda and there you go, you have baking powder.


The “two parts” can be anything from 2 cups to 1 cup, or 2 teaspoons to 1 teaspoon and so on. So, instead of making a huge batch all at once, the best thing to do is just make the little you need at that very moment.

Again, because cream of tartar and baking soda both have an indefinite shelf-life, these are fantastic additions to your long-term storage if they’re not part of it already.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 
Via: tacticalintelligence

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July 6th, 2014
post by policysup | | 0

Tips for Selecting an Emergency Food Storage Company

If you have ever tried to find the ‘right’ emergency food company to buy from, you may have seen just how many of them are out there. They all make similar claims about being the best for various reasons.

It can be extremely overwhelming. Whatever your reasons for buying some long term emergency food in the first place, it can leave you feeling frustrated and tempted to just throw your hands up and put it off.

I have heard people say things like, “I will buy some when I have more time to research it,” or “They are all basically the same, I will just get one of those buckets from Wally World.”

I cringe when I hear this for several reasons. The purpose of this article is not to tell you which one to buy, but more to arm you with some criteria so you can choose the best one for you and your family.

10 Tips for Selecting an Emergency Food Storage Company (not in any particular order).

  1. Price per meal. Single packs are more expensive than buying in bulk. It is also important to pay attention to how many servings are in each bag. Some companies have large 4-serving pouches of dinner entrees, while others might contain just 2 servings. This affects the price per meal.
  2. Method of cooking. Some companies sell their meals in pouches that allow you to pour boiling water directly into them and let them steep, much like cup-o-noodles. Others require a pot and fire or other heating source to cook them. Consider your situation and where you see yourself actually using these meals. Will you have a pot to use? Do you have other ways to heat water and food if the power goes out?
  3. Ingredients. This is very important. Because you are looking at food to be used during an emergency, high quality food is more important than ever. Filling up on a bunch of chemicals and preservatives will have a greater negative impact should you find yourself surviving a disaster than just sitting on a couch. Just because you’re buying emergency food doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your family’s health.
  4. Caloric value per serving. This ties in with the ingredients criteria. Going ‘low fat, low carb’ is not the smartest option in an emergency and a SHTF situation is no time to worry over eating too much. You will absolutely be burning more calories than you do on average, especially if you are bugging out. Pay close attention to how many calories you will get per serving. Make sure you are getting at least 1800 a day per adult to maintain your body’s systems.
  5. Taste. Hunger will only go so far in making food taste good. Some companies offer a free sample or smaller containers so you can taste their product, and I highly encourage you to take advantage of it. If you never try the food until you need it to survive, you may be in for a nasty surprise. Taste plays an important role in not only palatable sustenance, it can improve morale and overall feelings of ‘normality’ which will be a precious thing in a catastrophe. If you cannot get a free sample, look into buying just one or two pouches. See if the company sells single packs via the internet or in chain stores such as Walmart, REI, Cabela’s, and others.
  6. Specialized diet options. Do any of the people in your group have allergies to certain foods? Is anyone vegan or have other special needs? There are companies out there who offer large varieties of packages that suit pretty much everyone’s needs.
  7. Do they offer packs of just one item such as a bucket of freeze dried chicken? While getting a 1 month bucket for each family member is wonderful, each person will still have the same foods to choose from and it will get boring. Companies that offer supplemental foods such as rice side dishes or dried fruit will make for a nice variety.
  8. What kind of variety? Can you combine to make new creations? Companies that do not have much of a variety should be avoided. At some point, you will need to get creative and extras on the side will help greatly. Depending on the time of year, you may be able to forage or hunt for some of your food and only need to add some freeze dried chicken or dried mixed veggies to make a meal.
  9. Weight. Weight is a consideration mostly for those who are bugging out. You do not want to have a pack so heavy that you cannot make it 2 miles.
  10. Optimal storage conditions and shelf life. You want to get high quality food, but you also want something that will last a good, long time. Look into what the optimum storage conditions are and how long the food will last for that time. Then factor in what kind of storage conditions you have available and go from there. Ask yourself if you think food that should last 20 years in perfect storage conditions will only last 10 years in the conditions I have – is it still worth it? Can I improve the conditions?

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.


Via: thesurvivalmom

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July 5th, 2014
post by policysup | | 0

Texas Rangers Dispatched to Secure Border Amid Stolen Mexican Nuke Threat

For the third time in less than a year Mexican officials report that security surrounding the storage and transportation of nuclear material in the troubled state has been compromised. According to civil defense officials a vehicle carrying a lethal dose of radioactive Iridium-192 was hijacked by unknown thieves.

The Mexican government warned Friday that a vehicle containing radioactive material has been stolen, and issued a dire warning to the thieves against taking the potentially deadly material from its protective container.

The substance “can be dangerous for human health if removed from its container,” the officials said in a statement, adding that the material can be lethal even if handled for only a brief time.

The theft in Mexico state prompted officials to issue an alert throughout the capital region and in neighboring states.

Last year a truck carrying deadly Cobalt-60 was stolen and in June armed gunmen raided a research facility near Mexico City making off with a device containing Cesium-137.

The thefts, although not officially spoken about in Washington, have prompted fears from concerned Americans that smugglers or terror organizations may be attempting to produce a “dirty” bomb that could be used in populated U.S. cities. Though such an improvised device would not cause a typical nuclear reaction, it could still spread highly radioactive material for miles and cause untold damage if it were detonated in a highly trafficked area.

A 2010 special report highlighted a “major terror threat” surrounding Other Than Mexican migrants making their way into the United States via the porous southern border. According to the report, border patrol agents routinely catch and detain individuals from Afghanistan, Iran, Jordan and other mid-east countries that have a strong extremist presence.

“We have left the back door to the United States open… We have to understand that there are definitely people who mean to do us harm who have crossed that border.”
-Former Rep. J.D. Hayworth

Though tens of thousands of illegal immigrants have been flooding the border for several months and overwhelming border patrol personnel, many politicians claim that there exists no security threat. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee of Houston reportedly handed out lollipops to migrant children being detained at internment camps. “This is not a national security crisis,” Lee told reporters, claiming she visited emergency detention camps without a firearm and did not fear for her life.

The camps, according to reports, are being managed by armed security teams calling themselves ‘brown shirts.’

In Texas, where the federal government has pulled back federal law enforcement and border security personnel, Governor Rick Perry has been left with no other choice but to deploy Texas lawmen to help stem the tide of incoming migrants.

The state is spending upwards of one million dollars per day to man the border every few hundred yards at the more popular crossing areas.

The legendary Texas Rangers have been sent to assist with securing the southern border along with other Texas Department of Public Safety law enforcement officials.

The Texas Department of Public Safety has admitted it is spending millions to transfer Texas Rangers and state troopers to the border for “saturation patrols,” confirming what Infowars encountered on the state’s southern border.

Last week, we encountered a state trooper every few hundred yards for several miles east of Pharr, Texas on Highway 281 which hugs the Mexican border.

Yet the state and local police patrolling the region heavily outnumber the Border Patrol agents Infowars observed in and around a 50 mile stretch of highway between Pharr and the border city of Brownsville, Texas, even though kidnappings and other violent crimes in the area have increased exponentially due to illegal immigration.

Infowars finally found an abundance of Border Patrol vehicles, but they were sitting in the parking lot of a government facility.

“We are simply being ordered to stand down and stop tracking and trying to apprehend the criminals,” Shawn Moran, Vice President of the National Border Patrol Council, told Breitbart back in October.

He added that Border Patrol agents “in every single sector from San Diego to the Rio Grande Valley in Texas” were receiving these orders.

While Americans are being routinely monitored and flagged as extremists who are a danger to society, the entire southern border has been left completely unsecured.

The Federal government, while stockpiling billions of rounds of ammunition, deploying thousands of armored vehicles around the country and heavily militarizing law enforcement agencies, has refused to utilize these taxpayer funded assets to protect the United States from the very real chance that diseases, violent criminal gangs, and now even nuclear devices could cause more damage than any ‘domestic person of interest’ ever could.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.


Via: shtfplan


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July 4th, 2014
post by policysup | | 0

New Open Carry Georgia law allows guns in some schools, bars, churches


Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal signed a wide-ranging gun bill into law Wednesday that has critics howling and proponents applauding.

House Bill 60, or the Safe Carry Protection Act of 2014 — which opponents have nicknamed the “guns everywhere bill” — specifies where Georgia residents can carry weapons. Included are provisions that allow residents who have concealed carry permits to take guns into some bars, churches, school zones, government buildings and certain parts of airports.

GeorgiaCarry, which lobbied for the bill, calls it “meaningful pro-gun legislation,” despite it being watered down from the group’s perspective. Still, the group has lauded the legislation, which will go into effect July 1. Americans for Responsible Solutions opposed the bill, calling it “extremism in action.”

Wednesday’s signing came at an open-air picnic area along a creek in Ellijay, in northern Georgia. It opened with a prayer, the singing of the national anthem and a recital of the Pledge of Allegiance.

Hundreds of people filled more than 25 picnic tables, while others stood. Many were openly carrying handguns, and some wore National Rifle Association hats and buttons proclaiming, “Stop Gun Control” and “Guns Save Lives.”

The bill, which easily navigated the state Legislature — by a 112-58 vote in the House and a 37-18 tally in the Senate — also earned the support of Democratic state Sen. Jason Carter, the grandson of ex-President Jimmy Carter and a 2014 gubernatorial candidate.

Calling it “a great day to reaffirm our liberties,” Deal said the law allows residents to protect their families and expands the list of places where they can legally carry firearms, while allowing certain property owners, namely churches and bars, to make judgments on whether they want worshippers and patrons carrying guns.

“The Second Amendment should never be an afterthought. It should be at the forefront of our minds,” Deal said while touting his NRA endorsement for governor and “A” rating during his 17 years in Congress.

The governor said the law “will protect the constitutional rights of Georgians who have gone through a background check to legally obtain a Georgia Weapons Carry License.

“Roughly 500,000 Georgia citizens have a permit of this kind, which is approximately 5 percent of our population. License holders have passed background checks and are in good standing with the law. This law gives added protections to those who have played by the rules — and who can protect themselves and others from those who don’t play by the rules.”

Americans for Responsible Solutions opposed the original bill that GeorgiaCarry pushed for, and while the group is pleased that the version Deal signed Wednesday doesn’t allow guns on college campuses or in churches, except in certain cases, it feels the legislation “takes Georgia out of the mainstream.”

“Among its many extreme provisions, it allows guns in TSA lines at the country’s busiest airport, forces community school boards into bitter, divisive debates about whether they should allow guns in their children’s classrooms, and broadens the conceal carry eligibility to people who have previously committed crimes with guns,” said Pia Carusone, the group’s senior adviser.

“So it is no surprise that while being trumpeted by the NRA as the ‘most comprehensive’ gun bill in state history, the legislation … was opposed by Georgia law enforcement, county commissioners, municipal leaders, and the Transportation Security Administration for its potentially harmful impact on Georgians’ safety.”

While the bill says no one is allowed to carry a firearm past an airport’s security screening checkpoint, it allows guns in other areas, including “an airport drive, general parking area, walkway, or shops and areas of the terminal that are outside the screening checkpoint.”

TSA spokesman Ross Feinstein would not say how the law might affect its agents at Georgia airports, particularly Atlanta’s, the world’s busiest, but he said, “Individuals who bring firearms to security checkpoints are referred to law enforcement and are subject to criminal penalties. However, TSA has the ability to impose a civil penalty.”

Another provision of the new law allows firearms into any government building that is open for business and doesn’t have security personnel restricting access or screening visitors.

Some critics have said it was hypocritical to allow guns in so many places but not the state Capitol. Deal addressed that perception in a question from reporters, saying the Capitol fell under a wider statewide provision that affects many government buildings, and it’s “a uniform carved-out area all across our state.”

The law also allows Georgians to carry guns into bars and churches as long as the property owner hasn’t banned them. Anyone bringing a gun into a church that prohibits them won’t be arrested but could pay a fine up to $100, the law says.

New York church to give away AR-15 semi-automatic rifle

One church that won’t be allowing parishioners to carry weapons is Atlanta’s historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, which remembers well the 1974 shooting deaths of a deacon and Alberta Williams King, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s mother, in its sanctuary.

The Rev. Raphael Warnock, the church’s senior pastor, said a deranged man who had access to guns but not health care was behind that shooting, a circumstance that still resonates today. The shooting would have been even more tragic “had everyone been packing that day,” Warnock said.

“The message of today’s bill signing is very clear: Our politicians, tragically, are owned by the gun lobby,” he said. “No one asked for this bill but the gun lobby, and still, we’re here. … We will remind them in November that they work for the people.”

Most churches throughout the state are focused on social issues, such as better health care and education, Warnock said.

“I don’t know of a single pastor in the state of Georgia who has been lobbying to have guns brought into their churches,” he said. “When we say pass the peace, we mean P-E-A-C-E, not the P-I-E-C-E.”

The law will also allow the carrying of firearms by any “duly authorized official of a public or private elementary or secondary school or a public or private technical school, vocational school, college, university, or other institution of post-secondary education or a local board of education.”

Deal also touted how HB60 would allow soldiers to obtain a carry license at age 18 if they’ve completed basic training and are either actively serving or have been honorably discharged.

“If they’re old enough to hold a gun in defense of our liberties, then they’re old enough to hold a gun, and they shouldn’t have to wait until they’re 21.”

Other notable provisions of the law allow hunters to use silencers and suppressors when the owner of the property where they’re hunting is aware they’re using such a device; permit gun owners who have had their licenses revoked to apply for a new license after three years; restrict access for anyone whom a court has deemed mentally incompetent or insane, or anyone involuntary committed to a mental institution; and forbid police officers who see a resident carrying a gun to ask for their permit unless they’re committing a crime.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

Via: cnn

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July 3rd, 2014
post by policysup | | 0

4 Realistic Knife Defense Training Aids From Your Halloween Store

Want realistic knife-defense training? I found some great tips at my local Halloween store.

I noticed something…

Halloween stores are a virtual paradise when it comes to
training for realistic knife defense training!

Now I’m NOT talking about grabbing your own Ninja outfit for your next trip to the mat with your training partner.

But once you open your eyes to the incredible props that are available to you for just these few short weeks out of the year, you’ll see that you can make your knife defense training more realistic for just a few measly bucks.

Here are a few things I found at my local store…

Training Knife: $2.50

I’ve seen training knives go for as much as $20 in martial arts catalogs. But the rubber ones these days look so incredibly realistic, silver blade and all that it makes little sense to invest in expensive training models.

Look for one that already looks “bloody” like the one at my local shop. This added effect that’s meant to scare the Hell out of other trick-or-treaters adds visual realism to edged weapon defense training.

Fake Blood: $.99

Sorry…defending yourself from an edged weapon doesn’t work as perfectly as it does in the movies or on training DVD’s where you’re able to easily kick the knife out of your attacker’s hand.

In a real knife fight, you’re pretty much guaranteed to get cut at some point and blood has a dual drawback for the defender…

For one, the sight of a large amount of blood can be enough to put you into shock and make you less effective at defending yourself.

And second, blood is slippery and can make it harder for you to grasp your attacker’s hand and stop the stabbing.

Stage blood looks and feels like the real thing and is a GREAT training tool for your edged weapon training.

Stock up now while it’s only about a buck and during your training, put some on your hands and forearms (the most likely spots you’d get cut) right before defending from your attacker’s knife attack.

Fake Machete: $12.95

Oh, you thought that people are only attacked by 4″ pocket knives?

6 years ago, a woman in my upscale neighborhood was attacked by a man with a machete…in her own driveway.

Particularly for soldiers, the chances of facing an attacker wielding a machete aren’t as uncommon as you may think.

At my local Halloween shop, I found a great fake machete that was relatively heavy, durable, and even had an inner chamber where the blood oozed around the blade.

(Call me twisted if you must, but the more realistic my edged weapon defense training, the better!)

Red Lipstick Makeup: $.50

Here’s one of my favorite edged weapon training tips…

Grab several inexpensive red lipstick makeup containers from your local store. Since these are for kids, the lipstick is meant to wash out of clothes easily.

Next, right before your edged weapon training session with your partner, apply some of the lipstick to the edge of your rubber training knife.

NOW when you go through your knife disarm training, the red lipstick marks on your clothes will show you EXACTLY where you would have been cut had you been using a REAL knife!

When it comes to how to defend against a knife in a real street fight, realism is key – and as you can see, just a few dollars and a little creativity around Halloween time is all you need to take your edged weapon defense training to the next level.

Oh, and here’s a “Bonus Tip”: Wait until the day AFTER Halloween and you’ll probably find each of these items at about 50% off…IF there are any left on the shelves!

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

Via: moderncombatandsurvival

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July 2nd, 2014
post by policysup | | 0

Securing your family in a disaster.

One of the most common questions I get about their survival program is…

        “How can I rally my family back together if we’re
separated in an attack or disaster that comes
        without warning?”

This is a great question because those initial moments of an “instant crisis” create a lot of confusion and panic.

If you and your family are out of your home and an attack or some disaster happens (like a bombing, tornado, flash mob, etc.) it’s possible you could all be separated by a stampeding crowd or just doing different things in different locations.

As a father myself, I don’t want to imagine being separated from my children or spouse when they need me the most.

The thing about most emergencies and disasters is that many of the “normal” methods of communication we take for granted (like cell phones) have the potential to stop working.

Here are some tips for you and your family to prepare for an instant disaster scenario…

  • Work out your rally point, your bugout routes, your supplies, and everything else you need BEFORE the emergency.  Communicate this plan with your family. Test them on it. Drill them on it.  Make sure they now how the plan goes into effect, where they’re supposed to go, and how they’re supposed to communicate with each other.
  • Implement a system of alternate communication.  There are lots of ways to do this.  Family members can leave signs or coded messages for each other, as long as these are kept simple.  Even colored bandanas can be used for this (red means “go to the rally point immediately,” while a white handkerchief might mean, “wait at home until we come back”).  A good pair of handheld radios is one way to stay in touch at short ranges if the cell phone grid goes down.
  • Make sure the roles of each of your family members, and their responsibilities, are clearly defined.  That way you won’t have different members of your family “team” working against each other.

Most people don’t think about survival strategies like these.

They think that they’ll just call up their spouse on the phone and give each other instructions… that the kids’ school will have the right plan to get them to safety… and that everyone will just “know” what to do.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Assume the worst – a complete clusterf*ck – and have your own rally plan in place ahead of time.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

Via: moderncombatandsurvival

 

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