Search Results for: start prepping

June 28th, 2014
post by policysup | | 0

3 Ways Prepping Saves Me Money! Prep Without Going Broke!

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the new gadgets and gizmos out there tempting you to buy them – and the preparedness industry is no exception. If you’re not careful you could be talked into spending $5000 for a year supply of food, $15,000 for solar panels, and even $36,000 for your very own survival shelter!

Nothing is wrong with any of those things, but it can leave many people ready to give-up before they even start. Too many times we make the mistake of focusing on how expensive prepping is or, even worse, go broke trying to get there.

It doesn’t need to be that way – you can prep without going broke! In fact, it can actually cost you more if you don’t prep! Prepping saves money!

Since our family decided to prep, prices for everything have gone up, but our bills have gone down. We’ve been able to spend less and save more – something that has always been very difficult for us to do.

Prepping can save you money too, and lots of it. Here are 3 of the ways I’ve noticed it’s made a difference in our wallets.

3 Ways Prepping Can Save You Money:

1- Become a Do-It-Yourself Person

I never considered myself a do-it-yourself person, but when you realize you can pay $100 to have someone do something for you, or $1 to do-it-yourself, it just makes sense!

I’ve realized that preppers, on the whole, are very much about learning how to do things for themselves. That’s just part of being prepared. You never know if you’ll need a doctor, mechanic, or a handy-man, or even if they’ll be available if the time comes. You don’t have to wait until a worst-case scenario to use the skills you learn – you can start using them now! This will help you save big, because if you’ve been to the doctor or mechanic lately, they aren’t cheap!

Other than skills, learning to make & fix things can help you too! I’m constantly impressed with all the DIY projects I see people do. There are too many to name, but if you’re interested in making something instead of buying it, I’m sure there is a tutorial out there for you!

Some of my favorite DIY projects
we’ve done include making a rocket stove, building a bow, & even sewing our own poo wipes.
I told you there are tutorials for EVERYTHING!!!

2- Get Huge Savings at the Store

Out of all the areas, the money I save from shopping (or more like NOT shopping) is the biggest! When I say I don’t go to the store often, I’m not talking about only going twice a month, but I’m talking about only going twice a year!

Stocking-up, which most preppers do, can really help you save big! Here are a few ways how:

  • Buy in Bulk – When you’re stocking up on food and supplies you can buy in bulk – and bulk pricing is usually significantly less than buying in smaller quantities.
  • Buy at the Best Prices! – If you’re only buying things a few times a year, you can buy when the prices are at the lowest. Therefore, you’re not stuck playing the grocery store game. You can play the coupon game instead.
  • Save on Gas – When you have everything you need at home, you’re not having to make last minute trips to the store for little things. Depending on how far away you live from the store, this can add up to a lot!
  • Not buying Extra Stuff! Maybe you have control over yourself and your kids when you go shopping, but sometimes I give in – I let them talk me into new shoes or a bag of Cheetos, and I usually find a cute necklace or something for the house. Even those these purchases may be small, they add up when you look at the entire year! Since I rarely go the store now, I’ve noticed my extra spending category has decreased quite a bit. Now if I could just figure out how to stay off Amazon I would be set!

3- Live a Self-Sufficient Lifestyle (instead of a Self-Indulgent One)

One surprising thing I noticed when striving to be more prepared: I stopped caring about keeping up with the Jones’. My priorities and focus definitely took a turn – I believe for the better.

No longer was I working towards a bigger house, nicer cars & more vacations, but instead I started spending extra time and money on starting a garden, learning new skills, and teaching my kids how to prep. One of our new mottos is…

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without!”

I feel striving towards a more self-sufficient lifestyle helped me to embrace my cheap side and be proud of it! I’m fine with the fact that we don’t have the nicest things and my kids aren’t being spoiled to the max. I feel our society is becoming an entitled one, and I hope to not add to it.

Besides my focus changing, striving to be self-sufficient opened up a whole new world to me. There were so many things that never even occurred to me I could do for myself – grow my own food, raise chickens, make my own soap and laundry detergent, and so much more!!!

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

Via: thesurvivalmom

Email, RSS Follow
Share on Tumblr
Prepper , , ,
April 20th, 2014
post by policysup | | 0

When Prepping for Survival, Put a Low Priority on High-Tech

Guest post By Melissa

Joe and his group thought they were prepared for anything.  Their provisions included three shiny new SUVs parked in a secure garage and guarded by a sophisticated alarm.  Each member communicated with the others using military-style hand-held radios.  Their communal bunker was outfitted with scanners, CB transceivers, and signal boosting antennas.

The armory held 20 weapons, including sniper rifles, tactical shotguns, and several 9mm pistols.  Most were equipped with laser sights.  Night vision goggles were stored nearby.  A locked vault held 10,000 rounds of ammo for each firearm, along with multiple high-capacity magazines.  In one building was a miniature clinic stocked with antibiotics, pain killers, and electronic diagnostic equipment.  There was even a medical library stored on CDs.

The compound’s exterior was monitored by wireless cameras that fed images to a server set deep in the compound.  The pantry held enough rations to provide each member with 2,000 calories a day for 18 months.  Solar battery banks and a generator fed by a local stream stood ready to provide the compound’s power needs, should the electrical grid go out.

To pass the time, Joe and his group had stocked high-definition televisions, hundreds of DVDs, and two gaming consoles.  When the poop finally hit the fan, they thought they would be living high off the hog for at least a year without breaking a sweat.

They were wrong.  When the crisis finally occurred, it came in the form of a massive solar flare, one that fried the electronics in every piece of equipment they owned.  The SUVs would take them nowhere.  The radios and scanners were useless, the medical library was inaccessible, and the TVs and gaming devices wouldn’t play.  Even the solar array/generator setup was useless; its circuits were burnt to a crisp by the sun’s temper tantrum.  Want to guess how long Joe and his buddies made it without any of their fancy gadgets?

This sad story illustrates a critical error many survivalists commit when planning for the big day.  They forget how incredibly fragile modern technology is, and how much it depends on the infrastructure set up by corporations and the government.  Without the Internet, centralized telecommunications, and an electrical grid, most devices made in the last few decades would be little more than paperweights.

Given these sad facts, what is the average prepper to do?  Here are some guidelines that should underlie any realistic approach to staying alive in truly tough times:

  • Minimize your dependence on technology.  Use smoke signals and stones arranged in patterns to send messages.  Buy vintage autos, ones that are free of onboard computers and other high-tech junk.  In a true survival situation, a VW Bug from the 60s will do you a lot more good than a modern truck with a dead computer chip.  Even better, get a bicycle or a horse.  Forget TV; read paperbound books instead.  Play cards or board games rather than video games.  Do as much as possible while the sun is up, because when it sets you’ll be hitting the sack.   Learn to appreciate silence, because the natural world is a quiet place.
  • Add a black powder weapon to your preps, like the venerable Kentucky rifle, and use it like the pioneers did theirs.  Learn to cast your own bullets and make powder from bat guano and other natural sources.  While you’re at it, make sure you know how to set traps, make compost, and grow vegetables from seeds found in nature, not the kind you buy in the store.
  • Keep some sort of currency around for barter purposes, one that will carry some weight in the post-apocalyptic world.  Hard chocolates, tobacco products, and even coffee beans will be more precious than gold in such a society.  Use these to trade for the items you truly need, like a metal pot to boil water in or a shot of penicillin.

This may not sound like much fun, but following these tips will keep you alive while others are floundering helplessly.  And, if you live long enough to see the return of technology, then you will appreciate its comforts more than ever before.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

Via: thesurvivalistblog

Email, RSS Follow
Share on Tumblr
Disaster, Economy, Power, Prepper , , , , , , ,
April 7th, 2014
post by policysup | | 0

Venezuela Enforces Fingerprint Registry to Buy Groceries: What to Do Before Rationing Starts in America

Note: In recent weeks the country of Venezuela has implemented everything from price controls to rationing in an effort to control the hyperinflation that has gripped the nation. All attempts at controlling demand and ‘hoarding’ have thus far failed, prompting government officials to issue directives requiring biometric verification for the purchase of foodstuffs. What’s happening in Venezuela is a clear example of how government first causes the problem, often leading to panic, and then points the blame at everyone but themselves. Officials claim that unscrupulous merchants (who have been forced to sell goods at prices lower than they have acquired them) and the hoarding of food by individuals is to blame for the shortages.

The solution, of course, is more government, and in this case that means registration of fingerprints and other personal data in exchange for permission to purchase food. Be assured that the same plans are in place right here in the USA. In fact, we already have an electronic mechanism of exchange in the form of Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards. Should the worst happen and the US dollar crashes at some point in the future, those who failed to prepare (or, hoard as the government would suggest) are destined to forced registrations at their local post office or other government entity. Daisy Luther of The Organic Prepper explains what’s happening right now in Venezuela, how a similar situation could unfold in the USA, and what you can do to prepare in advance.

For those looking to implement a frugal and highly effective strategy in advance of food shortages or currency crisis we suggest taking a look at Daisy’s book The Pantry Primer: How to Build a One Year Food Supply in Three Months.

Also check out another option from us here: A Year of Supplemental Food Storage for $300 for a family of FOUR !

(Pictured: Amateur photo: Venezuelans line up for miles in an effort to acquire food during hyperinflationary food shortages – March 2014)

 

Venezuela Enforces Fingerprint Registry to Buy Groceries: What to Do Before Rationing Starts in America
By Daisy Luther

What if you were forced to “register” in order to buy groceries?  And what if, through that registration, the food you bought could be tracked and quantities could be limited?

That’s exactly the plan in Venezuela right now.  The AP reports that in an effort to crack down on “hoarding” that ID cards will be issued to families.  These will have to be presented before foodstuffs can be purchased.

President Nicolas Maduro’s administration says the cards to track families’ purchases will foil people who stock up on groceries at subsidized prices and then illegally resell them for several times the amount…

Registration began Tuesday at more than 100 government-run supermarkets across the country. Working-class shoppers who sometimes endure hours-long lines at government-run stores to buy groceries at steeply reduced prices are welcoming the plan.

“The rich people have things all hoarded away, and they pull the strings,” said Juan Rodriguez, who waited two hours to enter the government-run Abastos Bicentenario supermarket near downtown Caracas on Monday, and then waited another three hours to check out.

Checkout workers at Abastos Bicentenario were taking down customers’ cellphone numbers Monday, to ensure they couldn’t return for eight days. Shoppers said employees also banned purchases by minors, to stop parents from using their children to engage in hoarding, which the government calls “nervous buying.”

Rodriguez supports both measures.

“People who go shopping every day hurt us all,” he said, drawing approving nods from the friends he made over the course of his afternoon slowly snaking through the aisles with his oversized cart.

Reflecting Maduro’s increasingly militarized discourse against opponents he accuses of waging “economic war,” the government is calling the new program the “system of secure supply.”

Patrons will register with their fingerprints, and the new ID card will be linked to a computer system that monitors purchases. On Tuesday, Food Minister Felix Osorio said the process was off to a smooth start. He says the system will sound an alarm when it detects suspicious purchasing patterns, barring people from buying the same goods every day. But he also says the cards will be voluntary, with incentives like discounts and entry into raffles for homes and cars.

Expressionless men with rifles patrolled the warehouse-size supermarket Monday as shoppers hurried by, focusing on grabbing meat and pantry items before they were gone.  (source)

Last year in Venezuela, it became a crime to “hoard” food, and the country’s Attorney General called upon prosecutors to crack down on “hoarders” by imprisoning them for the “crime”.

Some people may read this and think to themselves, “Why on earth do I care about what happens in Venezuela?”

You’d better care, because this is our future.

Already the Obama administration has moved the pieces into place on the board to be able to appropriate supplies from anyone, at any time.  Mac Slavo of SHTFplan warns:

It should be clear from the laws that are already in effect that the government has given itself a legal pretext for confiscating anything they so choose in the midst of an emergency.

Should an emergency befall the United States, the military, national guard, and local police operating under orders from the Department of Homeland Security will have carte blanche to do as they please.

In a widespread emergency where supply lines have been threatened and millions of Americans are without essential resources because they failed to prepare, the government will swoop in and attempt to take complete control.

They will enter our homes and search them without a warrant. They will confiscate contraband. And they will take any ‘excessive resources’ that you may have accumulated. This includes food, toiletries, precious metals and anything else emergency planners and officials deem to be a scarce material. (source)

Just think how much easier it would be to do so if every purchase you make is tracked and documented for future reference.

How Much of a Footprint Are You Leaving?

Now, think about those “loyalty cards” that every grocery store in North America promotes when you go through the checkout. Have you noticed how much more those are being pushed lately? Could there be a nefarious purpose to that?  I doubt the person at the cash register thinks twice about it – if these actually are data collection tools, it is something put in place by people far higher up the food chain (pun intended) than the staff of your local supermarket.

I strongly recommend you think twice about collecting “points” – the discounts may not be worth it if it means that your stock-up purchases are in some database, easily accessible to the NSA.  If you feel it is imperative to have one of those cards, consider using a pseudonym and false address.  You really don’t want to provide an inventory of your stockpile to the government. Some cards, like the one from Target, for example, even take it a step further and link to your credit card or debit account.  I can’t even wrap my brain around giving out that type of information to the person who rings up my paper towels and garbage bags.

To take this even further, if you haven’t been convinced yet that you need to begin producing your own food by gardening and raising micro-livestock, this should solidify the importance of not being totally dependent on “the system” for what you eat. Looking at the drought conditions across America’s farmland, is it a stretch of the imagination to think we could soon be facing rationing like that which is currently happening in Venezuela?  As the middle class gasps its last breath here in America, we may soon be faced with a situation where only the wealthy can afford to avoid rationing.  By becoming independent from the purveyors of food, you can assure that your family will not go hungry at the whims of a government who really doesn’t care.

Plan of Action

Here are a few things that you can do to pre-empt feeling the effects of a system like the one in Venezuela before such a change occurs on our own soil. Start now to leave less of a footprint for the government to follow.

  1. Plant a garden.
  2. Grow food indoors in sunny windows.
  3. Consider an aquaponics set-up in a spare room.
  4. Raise chickens and meat rabbits.
  5. Stock up NOW on long-term staples like grains and beans, before limits are instituted.
  6. Buy heirloom seeds – lots and lots of seeds.
  7. Practice careful OPSEC (OPerational SECurity) when making large purchases.
  8. Store longterm food supplies in more than one location. That way if you lose some of your supplies to thugs (government or other varieties), you still have supplies to fall back on.
  9. Learn to preserve food.
  10. Stock up of preservation supplies like lids, jars, etc.
  11. Do NOT use so-called “loyalty cards” or memberships to make large purchases.
  12. When ordering large quantities of supplies, consider having them mailed to some place other than your home.
  13. Use cash or prepaid VISA cards purchased with cash to make large purchases.
  14. Don’t tell others about your supplies and purchases.
  15. Teach your children not to discuss things like food pantries and preparedness.
  16. Don’t store your supplies out in the open for anyone who comes into your home to see. Stash your 5 gallon pails away in closets, under beds, or in the basement.
  17. Disengage from the system by purchasing from small local farmers.
  18. Use the barter system whenever possible.  When money was tight and I lived in a place where I couldn’t grow much food, I worked on a farm harvesting vegetables in exchange for produce that I could preserve for my family.
  19. Change the way you eat – go with a local, in-season menu that is far more difficult to track than grocery-store purchased items.
  20. Learn to forage. Even in the city, you might be surprised at how many things can be found growing in your own back yard or falling off of the trees in a local park.  My children and I picked up one small bag of walnuts a day at a little park down the street one year, resulting in almost 15 pounds of shelled nuts by the time we were through.

Whatever your plan, don’t delay. We need only to read the many articles predicting a food shortage this year due to poor weather conditions to see the writing on the wall. You must become responsible for your family’s sustenance if you don’t want to suffer at the hands of those in power. I have no intention of standing in line for hours with my “ID card”, only to be allowed to purchase a small amount of highly inflated food.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

Via: shtfplan

Email, RSS Follow
Share on Tumblr
Disaster, Economy, Food Storage, Prepper , , , , , , , ,
March 21st, 2014
post by policysup | | 0

Prepping and the Mind

When people talk about “The End Of The World As We Know It” (TEOTWAWKI), it is almost always in ways of how we might prepare for the end, what equipment to have, how much food to store, and what skills we must learn. These are all valid points. Most people can agree on common standards in these areas, but what if the act of preparing for the end can cause danger to yourself and your family?

I’m not mocking prepping; I’m a prepper myself. I’m simply stating that a prepper must be in the correct mindset to make choices they may not have expected to make. Say a disaster happens; you’ve prepared for this years ago, and you know what to do. You go home, get your bug out bag, and get to your bug out location, which you have stocked with ammo, food, and everything you need to survive for at least a year. What if that location becomes compromised? Maybe, word got around about a guy with a lot of gear and food, and people slowly started to flock to your location. Some went to ask for food, and some that want to take it. What do you do?

I’ve asked a few people this question. Some were preppers, some were regular people, and some were people in my life who I considered very smart and successful at life in general. I was expecting some of the answers I got, and I was surprised by others. Most of the preppers I talked to had a “stand my ground” mentality. Nobody was going to take “his” or “her” stuff without a fight. The regular folks said to start hiding supplies. (I wasn’t really sure if this would be a feasible plan.) The answer that shocked me the most and opened my eyes to this problem is what I got from the people in my life that I thought of as successful. (These people are not preppers, but they have good jobs and have climbed the ladder fast.) They said they would grab a bag of bare essentials and leave.

I was very against this idea at first, but the more I thought about it, the more I believed that the common prepper mentality was very crippling. It is impossible to predict the future. You can have a lot of guesses about what might happen, but that is it. What if something comes and you are away from all that stuff you stockpiled, or you get injured right off the bat, or somebody steals everything? Prepping for a disaster is good insurance. However, if somebody doesn’t have the mental fortitude to abandon all of it if they need to, then all the prepping in the world cannot save you.

That being said, how do you prepare for that? Sometimes it’s just the type of person you are. There are survival stories all over the place of people living through almost impossible odds, without any prepping for it. To name a few of these people, there is Harrison Okene, who was trapped underwater for three days when his tugboat capsized; Norman Ollestad Jr., whose plane crashed in the mountains at age 11, and he climbed down, dragging an injured woman; Eric LeMarque, who got lost while skiing and used iPod radio signal as compass for seven days; Ricky Megee, who was lost in the Australian outback for 71 days; and many more. These people were very different in nationality, situation location, and the supplies each one had available to them. I found this very interesting while I was researching this. The recurring theme, in most of the survival stories I researched, was the complete lack of supplies. If any of these people did have supplies, they had no qualms about using them, but they had nothing compared to what is deemed necessary by the average prepper today.

There was some luck involved in these incidents, but was that all? How did these people survive with few or no supplies and little or no training? For every story of survival miracles, there are hundreds of stories about those who died or were never heard from again. What is that special “stuff” that they have that other people don’t?

We need to rule out a few things first. Was it their experience? I don’t think so. Many of these survival stories depict city slickers and woodsman that both survive, so that can’t be it. Is it their dogged willingness to survive no matter what? A lot of people think that this is true, but I don’t. I think that if determination and a little luck were all it took to survive in those situations, then we would have a lot more success stories. So what is it then? I didn’t figure it out for a few months.

It happened when I was talking to my father about getting ahead at work. One simple thing he said to me struck me like lightning. He said, “Dave, you just need to be the guy that gets things done.” I know that doesn’t sound like one of the Ten Commandments, but when you really think about it isn’t that who always seems to come out on top? Isn’t that who gets the big account at work? Who gets the girl? Who are the people celebrated by society for heroic acts?

We all know one or two people like this. They are the guy or gal who are always calm in a crisis and react to situations with speed and decisiveness. They are the guys to take down the robber in the bank. They’re the person who jumps down to pull a civilian away from subway tracks on which they fell. Once I realized this, I started to see it everywhere. You can also. I want you can watch this:

You can see a victim fall on the subway rail and is then rescued by a fellow commuter.

Now watch everyone else on the platform. It’s amazing when you really look. Most people do next to nothing despite being so close to the victim. This is not because they are bad people or just don’t care. It’s just their natural reaction. The person who saved the victim was one of the furthest away, and the reaction was instant without time for thought. That was not the only example. You can search for “real life heroes” on YouTube and find many more. These types of people are the ones who have the natural talent for getting things done. I believe these are the people who have the best chance of surviving TEOTWAWKI. That’s great for them. What is everybody else supposed to do? That is the really difficult question to answer. Luckily this problem has been around for a while, and other people have thought up solutions.

The army needed a way to keep soldiers from freezing up during battle. (I’m former military, and any of the former military guys reading this knows how epically messed up the situation can get, if someone in your chain of command freezes up. The way they do that is to train and train, and after that,they train some more. The theory behind the practice is to convert every action to muscle memory, so that you don’t even need to think; you just react. This is a pretty effective method. The one downside is that it’s very time-consuming, and you need a large amount of discipline, if you want to do this on your own.

Another way to deal with this problem is to just bypass it. By that, I mean that you team up with someone in your life that can just get things done. That way when the SHTF, you just stick to him like glue. I am personally not a fan of this practice. While it is better than nothing, it is just hard for me to completely trust someone like that, unless I know him or her really well. You also may guess wrong, and you can’t take chances with something this important.

So, if you’re one of the lucky few who was born with the natural ability to complete any task you were given, then I salute you and wish you luck. If not, then don’t lose hope. Start practicing those drills until they are second nature. Remember, the right survival mindset is a far more precious commodity then a fully-loaded AR-15.

In conclusion, I now only believe that the people truly prepared for disasters are the ones that are ready and confident to do so with NO supplies. So, you need to ask yourself, can I survive with just my bare hands and the right mindset? The answer for myself is, “No.” If it’s “no” for you as well, then you really need to work on this. Supplies and weapons are great to have, but you can’t bet your life on the guarantee that you will be able to use them. I hope that everyone learned something from this article and that it won’t be too controversial. Good luck and stay safe out there guys.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

Via: survivalblog

Email, RSS Follow
Share on Tumblr
Prepper , , , , , ,
August 6th, 2013
post by policysup | | 0

The US Government Is Prepping For Unlikely Events Like War, Catastrophic Collapse of Society, and Even Asteroids – Are You?

Your run of the mill prepper is likely stocking up on food, water, SHTF gear, guns and ammo for any number of “doomsday” scenarios that may occur – be they natural disasters or man-made catastrophes. Often times, those who take emergency preparedness seriously – especially longer term preparedness – may be depicted in the media, and perhaps by neighbors, friends and family, as “a little out there.” If they’re not being told to do it through their normal information acquisition channels, chances are that those around you don’t believe it’s real or even possible, thus they take no action, other than to maybe vilify you for your thoughts on the matter.

But, while the majority of Americans may not believe in the very real possibility of the occurrence of far-from-equilibrium situations, the fact of the matter is that the US government has been preparing for SHTF and TEOTWAWKI for decades.

If one had to guess, due to a lack of statistical data, one might say that the single largest preparedness goods and services consumer in the world is the U.S. government. They plan for all sorts of disasters.

We know from reactions to questioning during Oliver North’s testimony over the Iran-Contra affair in the 1980′s that the US government has alternate systems of governance already in place – referred to by some as “the shadow government.” We may balk at the idea of a non-elected government standing by to take over, but from the standpoint of preparedness it only makes sense, doesn’t it?


We also know, for a fact, that the US government has built secure bunkers in the past to protect high value personnel like the President of the United States and other elected officials. This was confirmed prior to and during the September 11th attacks, when President Bush and Vice President Cheney were reportedly transferred to secure, undisclosed locations.

In 2006, the EU and other interested parties commissioned the building of a seed bank about 430 feet above sea level, deep inside a frozen mountain, with the hope being that if the Earth was ever threatened by a large scale catastrophe like climate change, nuclear war or an asteroid, the human population would retain access to the many varieties of fruits, vegetables, herbs and plants available in modern society. The so-called “Doomsday Vault” was built by the EU and other governments quickly and efficiently over a period of 18 months and houses millions of seeds from around the world. The rapid deployment of the vault has led some to speculate that a global catastrophe is imminent.

In Conspiracy Theory 2012, with Jesse Ventura, we learned that the U.S. government is still engaged in the building of massive underground bunker systems. According to Ventura, one of the largest has been built under the new Denver airport. In fact, the US government is reportedly building so fast and so widespread, that private contractors in the bunker business are having a difficult time obtaining necessary equipment and supplies to continue their developments.

We even have an entire department, funded by taxpayers to the tune of $6 billion per year that is specifically tasked to deal with disaster scenarios. We normally only hear about the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) during hurricanes, floods, fires and earthquakes, but they are responsible for responding to all major emergencies across the country. According to some, but denied by many, FEMA has even built refugee camps to deal with millions of people who may be displaced in large scale emergencies or during a declaration of martial law.


Anecdotal reports over the years suggest that the largest buyer of freeze dried goods from major freeze dried food manufacturers is none other than the U.S. government. One of our recommended emergency preparedness partners indicates that they serve not only retail customers, but government entities as well, including the Transportation Security Administration, US State Department, and the Department of Homeland Security.

The government is and has been preparing for something, perhaps many things, for decades. The very existence of FEMA and Department of Homeland Security suggests that they are planning for wide a variety of possibilities. To be clear, the fact that they are planning for something doesn’t necessarily mean that it will happen – just that it’s a possibility.

And how far “out there” is the US government when it comes to disaster planning and gaming emergency scenarios?

Consider an October 25, 2010 report discussing the potential threat from an incoming asteroid. It may be the stuff of science fiction movies for most, but for White House Office of Science and Technology Policy director John Holdren it’s a possibility that cannot be ignored. In a series of letters to Congress Holdren outlines a plan for “protecting the United States from a near-Earth object that is expected to collide with Earth; and implementing a deflection campaign, in consultation with international bodies, should one be necessary.” The plan includes collaborative efforts between governments and militaries around the world in the event that NASA spots an incoming asteroid.

If nothing else, this proves that there are agencies within the US government that dedicate time, money (lots of it) and resources to the study of scenarios that can be considered The End of The World As We Know It.

Those very same people – your neighbors, friends, and family members – who may consider your personal preparedness efforts a little over the top would likely agree that the government spending billions of dollars on emergency preparedness is worthwhile project given the many possibilities for calamity to occur.

The issue, however, is that the government may be spending billions, but they cannot possibly prepare for wide scale, total collapse situations where tens of millions of lives are at risk. It is simply not possible.

Our government, even if they tried, would not be able to stock enough food and resources for the entire population of the United States. They can’t possibly respond to widespread catastrophes that may include simultaneous nuclear, biological or chemical attacks on multiple U.S. cities, or an electromagnetic pulse threat from a rogue nation, or even a solar flare that threatens our power grid infrastructure.

The takeaway from understanding that the government is preparing for disasters is to acknowledge that, in an emergency, you and your family may be left floating up SHTF Creek without a paddle. The FEMA web site makes an effort to inform people that each individual should be preparing for emergencies themselves, though most Americans have ignored this, or are simply unaware that the recommendations exist.

In Food and Water in an Emergency (pdf) FEMA makes it clear that they may not be able to provide assistance. “If an earthquake, hurricane, winter storm, or other disaster strikes your community, you might not have access to food, water, and electricity for days or even weeks,” warns the report. The recommendations, similar to those we have made in the past suggest that everyone take responsibility for themselves, “by taking some time now to store emergency food and water supplies, you can provide for your entire family.”

The US government is preparing for large scale disasters. Are you?

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

Via: shtfplan

Email, RSS Follow
Share on Tumblr
Disaster, Economy, EMP, Prepper , , , , , , , , ,
July 6th, 2013
post by policysup | | 0

5 Reasons Why You Should Keep Prepping

As passionate as one might be about survival, it`s impossible not to have a “no more” moment at some point. That moment when you`re tired of stacking cans, of rotating, of eating survival food just because its expiration date is round the corner… When you`re sick of hearing other people call you paranoid and obsessed… When your family gets bored or tired of helping you out and they leave it all to you.

That`s when you feel like giving it all up and start living the comfortable, careless survival-free life. Forget about stockpiling, planning survival escapes, making bug-out bags and constantly looking for new survival techniques, tips and tricks.

Don`t worry, that`s all normal. Probably every prepper or survivalist has gone through a moment like this, at least once in their lives. But what`s important here is what you decide in that very moment… your state of mind… your goals. If you don`t keep your eyes on the prize, if you forget why you`re doing this in the first place, giving up will come easily. And that`s a shame, because you`ve worked so hard for this…

So I`m going to try to help you keep prepping, no matter what. And I will do this by reminding you, over and over again, why you`re a proud survivalist and why you should keep being one:

#1: You`re doing this for your family

This is why you`ve started doing this in the first place. To keep your family safe and protected at all times, even if a megastorm wiped your entire town, even if the food crisis turned the U.S. into zombieland…

No matter what happens, no matter how unexpected, you should be able to provide maximum security for your family. That`s the best way to show your love to them, even if they don`t understand it right now. They`ll understand it one day. And they`ll love you even more for building this incredible shield around them.

So if, at some point, you`re on the brink of giving up… just look at your loving spouse, look at your kids, look at your grandkids… and then you`ll remember: it was all for them. So it`s worth it.

#2: You`re not letting “them” win

The government hates preppers. They`re independent, they cannot be controlled; they pose uncomfortable questions and demand their rights be respected. You may not realise that, but people like us are truly a thorn in their side.

So why let them win? Why be one of the sheeple? Why let them take over you and your family? The whole thing about prepping is the independence it gives you. Independence from Americans` greatest suppressors: our leaders. So don`t go back to being another one in the crowd. Stand up for your rights, build your own future and yes!, be a thorn in their side.

#3: You`re using your free time wisely

Do you know what most Americans do with their free time? They watch TV. Mainstream media, of course. They listen to fake news, fake talk shows, fake reality tv. And they believe it. They`re brainwashed.

On the other hand, you`re doing something amazing with your free time. You`re building something. Not just for you, but for your family. Not just for now, but for the future. Now just here, but wherever you go. It`s not just about a pantry full of survival food. It`s about the skills you gain, the things you learn, the information you`re exposed to.

Being a survivalist means you`re a truth seeker, a fighter for freedom. And, trust me, there aren`t many like you out there.

#4: You`re educating your kids and grandkids

This is the most important thing you can do for them: teach them how to be independent. It`s a skill they will use their whole lives, no matter where life takes them. By the looks of it, the U.S. will go from bad to worse and not only that the government is not doing anything to make things better, but they`re actually doing their best to burn the country to the ground.

So the best gift you can give to your kids and grandkids is to show them how to build their own lives without depending on anyone else. This way, you make sure they grow the ambition to follow their dreams and also the strength of character to stick to their principles.

On the other hand, if you give up on prepping, the little ones will believe it`s ok to give up on your principles. Especially if it`s hard work to stick to them. And that`s the opposite of what they should learn. You should teach them they have to fight for their dreams, even if it takes a lot of effort and time to get there. So go teach them the right thing!

#5: It`s for your peace of mind

Even if sometimes you go crazy with all the stockpiling, rotating, being “on a budget”, making plans and worrying about the future… You have to admit it`s far less stressful just knowing that you`re more prepared than 95% of Americans than to stop preparing and live with the constant stress that you`re not prepared for anything.

Yes, it gets really tough from time to time. But remember that you`re doing this for your own peace of mind, as well. So try to relax and look on the bright side. Your family will be safe and sound when the next disaster hits. They`ll be warm and well fed, healthy and secure. What more could you wish for? Now go and give them a hug. And keep prepping! You`re doing a great job.

By Alec Deacon

 

Email, RSS Follow
Share on Tumblr
Prepper , , , , , , ,
June 26th, 2013
post by policysup | | 0

5 Ways to be Prepared Even If Poor and Prepping

This is a guest post by “Zaeda”.

Educate Yourself

  • 1 + 1 = Stockpile
  • Taking Care of “Business”
  • Intelligent Investments
  • K.I.S.S. & Thrifty!

Educate Yourself

Many American’s working full time with car payments, mortgages, disabilities, student loans, and other financial insufficiency’s, believe it’s impossible to Prep. I can tell you from personal experience it is very, VERY POSSIBLE! Patience and good organizational skills as well as a little bit of work will get you in a great place – also making you of supreme value if SHTF and you don’t have a plan C.

Your plan C is education, skills, and knowledge.

No matter how little money you have, your knowledge can be vastly rich and useful! First I suggest taking a Free CPR courses through the American Red Cross. Everyone in your family should know the basics of CPR as well as the Heimlich Maneuver. Just because SHTF doesn’t mean no one will choke or need resuscitation. Also, look into your community hospitals – I got to sit in for free during a “caregivers” course for families of people receiving bone marrow transplants. The course was amazing – even gives you knowledge on how to properly change bandages, give saline injections, clean ports, and many other medical tidbits.

Study, read, and learn valuable skill’s, such as: Human Anatomy and Physiology, Veterinary Medicine, EMT, Intermediate, and Paramedic skills, Automotive, Metal Working, Aquaponics, Solar Energy Guides, Wind Turbine Guides, Composting, Homesteading, and one that many preppers overlook “Ocean Water Distillation” (making ocean water drinkable and usable on crops). There is a vast majority of topics that can make you extremely valuable and able to barter your knowledge if you find yourself in a Plan C scenario.

Textbooks are NOT cheap if they are new – buy used, look for them at thrift stores, garage sales, and online sites such as half.com, textbooks.com – you do not need brand new books!!! I buy ones that are at least 5 to 10 years old. You’re not at a disadvantage if the books are not new. You just want to learn as much as possible. There are many, many books out there. Not to mention you can use them for a fire, toilet paper, or insulation if worse comes to worst.

1 + 1 = Stockpile

So, you can barely make it through the weeks with the necessities (Groceries, toiletries, etc)? I have the same problem, it’s tough with the economy and prices on items. I have a few simple things I do to supplement my stockpile. Whether it’s weekly shopping or bi-weekly shopping try picking up simple long term storage items such as an extra bag of rice, dried beans, oats, and legumes. Buy powdered milk, and SALT (salt is valuable for various reasons including curing meats to last longer). For only a few extra dollars you can start your stockpile. What I like to set aside – a few examples:

Weekly:

  • 1 case of bottled Water
  • 1 or 2 rolls of toilet paper
  • 1 roll of paper towels
  • 1 package of napkins
  • 1 bag rice
  • 1 bag dried pinto beans
  • 1 bag lentils
  • 4 to 6 extra canned goods (canned tuna in OIL, canned chicken, spam, canned ham, soup’s, fruit’s, vegetables, etc.)

Buying in bulk is cheaper in the long run, but if you cannot afford to spend the whole $20.00 to $30.00 on rice, beans, or oats buy them in pound bags you can afford.

I freeze my bags of rice for 3 days, pack them in clean sterile mason jars with BAY LEAVES and “Oven Can” them. Rice weevil’s dislike bay leaves!

Bi-Weekly

  • 2 bar’s soap
  • 1 #10 can of freeze dried anything
  • Small laundry soap
  • Two textbook’s
  • Peroxide
  • Rubbing Alcohol
  • baby wipes

Monthly

  • Package of Tampons (these are handy for bullet wounds, women’s menstrual cycles, fire starters, and straws) UNSCENTED
  • Ketchup
  • 1 or 2 Spices
  • a bottle of booze or a few packs of cigarettes (we don’t smoke or drink , but we buy them as barter items)
  • 1 shampoo and 1 conditioner
  • Candles
  • 1 gallon distilled white vinegar
  • batteries
  • bleach

(I always keep 4 used bleach containers filled with water – in case we cannot flush out toilets, just pour the water into the holding tank or right into the bowl and wala!) (If you go on vacation and stay in a motel/hotel save the soap, shampoo, and other toiletries in your preps!)

There is a WRONG way to be prepared, especially if you’re hoarding everything but essentials, Make sure to add things you eat, use, and need – there are plenty of guides out there make sure to research and find the best plan for you. Make sure the food you buy is something you LIKE – it makes rotating your stock easy. When you add even 1 extra item into a beginning stock within a few months you will be amazed at how your prep is building. I like to use the large plastic tubs with lids, as they are more organized. Please note – you need extra space to put your preps.

Taking Care of “Business”

One of the avoided topics in any “off-grid” or SHTF scenario if human excrement. Let’s face it, no one wants to talk about going to the bathroom. There is a book by Joseph C. Jenkins “The Humanure Handbook“, he takes you deep inside the bowels of the issue! Gives you a way to dispose excrement, not by throwing it into an outhouse as “waste” but using it as nature intended – while taking the myths about poop out of the equation and making it an interesting topic, as well as providing a way to build a suitable long term composting toilet for $25.00. You may think it’s disgusting but if SHTF who expects public water service? This is a comprehensive guide on the topic and an interesting read.

Lets face it, no matter how prepared we are, during TEOTWAWKI situation the toilet paper will eventually run out! Personally, I don’t want to use leafs, magazine paper, or my hand! (YUCK)! Lets say hello to “Family Cloths” This isn’t a new idea by any means. What it is essentially is reusable cloth toilet wipes. You can either buy them pre-made or be budget conscious like me and make them yourself from old flannel sheets, old washcloth’s, towels, etc. I do not use family cloths – but I am making some and setting them aside with my preps. If I do decide to use them I would want to have a small bathroom plastic flip lid garbage can 1/2 filled with bleach-water to put them in for sanitary reasons. Remember that if or when you use a family cloth – they will need to be washed in hot water and sun bleached.

Ladies, we also have to be prepared for our menstrual cycles. There are a lot of viable options now, even semi-permanent ones without having a complete hysterectomy. Just like toilet paper, no matter how prepared you are – eventually the pads, tampons, and panty liners will be gone. Say hello to Diva Cup! www.divacup.com there are two sizes available check the web site for size information.

The Diva Cup has been around for a few years. Imagine how much money you could save! Yes the diva cup cost roughly what 6 months of pads or tampons would cost – but you save money in the long run! The $5.00 to $10.00 you spend on your menstrual cycle needs can now be used towards food preps, knowledge preps, etc! There is also a second option, similar to family cloth, there is cloth reusable maxi pads. You can find them at etsy, or make them yourself! Again, you save money in the long run.

For Family Cloth Patterns and Cloth maxi pad patterns – simply do a web-search for “free family cloth pattern” or “free cloth maxi pad pattern” Print them for future reference!

Intelligent Investments

Investing what little money you have in a proper manner will pay off. Select new items carefully. Many things you may need can be found in thrift stores, garage sales, and estate sales. However, there are items you will need to invest in eventually. One way to achieve extra funds to buy brand new goods is change – yes CHANGE! Enjoy your change, don’t rummage for it. Every single time I receive change I put it into two piggy banks one for silver coins the other for penny’s. I coinstar them yearly – last years haul was close to $350.00, yes $350.00!!! I purchased my water storage tower – which was one of my major investments. Instead of scrimping and saving, I just didn’t touch my change as tempting as it was.

Water

Water is THE most important intelligent investment in prep’s hands down, you cannot survive without it. Investing in water storage is the best investment you can buy. 4 days after I purchased my water storage unit – we had a water main break 1 street over. We didn’t have running water for 3 days. Talk about timing! I’m thankful my husband and I filled it the day we had it installed.

Food

Food reserve is the next intelligent investment. As you’ve read it’s quite easy to buy a few items weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly. Adding a few items at a time is essential when you’re on a budget and struggling! Wal-mart also has long term food cans cheaper than anywhere else. You can find a #10 can of corn with a 25 year shelf life for less than $10.00. “Augason Farms Emergency Food” If they don’t sell it at your local store – you can order it online. Long term shelf stable food is a must! Canned goods only last so long.

Medical Supplies and Antibiotics

I wouldn’t want to buy a used medical kit… Who knows where the items have been? Yes, it’s possible to sterilize certain items – but others not so much. You’re going to want a good kit which should include

  • Instant heating pads
  • Instant cold compress’
  • Medical suture kit
  • Emergency dental kit
  • Alcohol
  • Peroxide
  • Irrigation syringes
  • Blood clotting packs
  • Scalpel
  • Forceps
  • Long Tweezers
  • Bent snips
  • Nasopharyngael airway
  • Chest seal (HALO)
  • Battle Dressing
  • Tourniquet
  • Sterile Gauze in various sizes
  • Liquid skin
  • Pocket resuscitator
  • Medical Bag

Again, there are more items you can add. I buy items one at a time on a monthly basis for my medical kit.

Medicine

Many people don’t realize that some animal supply stores sell regular antibiotics that humans take. So yes, it is possible to purchase them without a prescription. Most price “per-pill” I just buy in increments of 30 when my husband and I take a night in, instead of going out to dinner.

~!~!DISCLAIMER!~!~

DO NOT TAKE any antibiotic you haven’t been prescribed or taken before! A lot of antibiotics have sulfa or penicillin in them. Allergies to these can be deadly! If you’re unsure of your allergies to medications speak to your doctor.

Weapons

If you do not have a weapon, this is another intelligent investment! Buy new, and learn how to disassemble and reassemble the gun for cleaning – after purchase make sure to buy ammunition. Buying a gun used can be risky – I’d advise NEW, as there is no way to “test” a gun when purchasing it second hand, unless you’re in the country. You would be surprised at what would entice some people to help you learn about guns. Simply ASK! Some people who are avid hunters and gun enthusiasts don’t mind helping a new gun owner – just last week my husband took a new friend to the range to shoot and learn gun safety. It also doesn’t hurt to offer up a 6-pack, a home cooked meal, or a box of ammo – it’s still a cheap lesson.

K.I.S.S. & Thrifty

K.I.S.S. “Keep it Simply Sustainable & Thrifty”. You don’t need to break the bank on a million different survival books local libraries have a vast majority of knowledge! If your local branch doesn’t have what you’re looking for either look it up on the library website, or have someone assist you to see if a different branch they work with has the title. 99% of library’s will hold, ship, and call you when the book is in for FREE. If you cannot find the title still, check www.half.com, www.textbooks.com, www.amazon.com,

www.betterworldbooks.com/used – there are many sites out there that have cheaply priced used books.

Make Thrift Stores a part of your weekly shopping, you can find troves of useful items cheap! Mason jars, oil lamps, wool and denim clothing and fleece blankets, tents, wagons, rain gear, cast iron pots and pans, silver utensils, old fashioned hand powered kitchen utensils/appliances. and many, many, other important items. You would be astonished at the discounted prices. I’ve gotten an amazing amount of items that will be invaluable in the future. Thrift store shopping can be a huge asset to you – especially if you’re on that tight budget like me. However, do wash the items immediately. Especially cloth type items.

Remember, every person is prepping for certain disastrous scenario’s. Choose a method that makes sense to you and what you are prepping for, not someone else’s preps. I live in snow country so I prep for a blizzard – I also believe that someday our economy is going to collapse causing a SHTF scenario.. You may live in Earthquake country and believe that am EMP attack or solar flare EMP is inevitable. My Blizzard preps wouldn’t make sense in Earthquake country – so rely on yourself, and the VAST information that is out there to help you along the way. Also, PRINT helpful blogs, articles, how-to’s, and other valuable information – if there is an EMP, no more internet.

Via: thesurvivalistblog

Email, RSS Follow
Share on Tumblr
Food Storage, Prepper , , , , , , , ,
May 4th, 2013
post by policysup | | 0

A Starter Supply List for Economic Collapse

This guest post is by Bam Bam.

 

The article M.D. posted in Junes Friday Miscellany on living conditions in Greece really hit home with me. I did a bit more research. There are food shortages. There are shortages of life-saving medications. There are concerns about the power grid. And if the electric grid goes down, clean water may not flow from the tap. In an economic collapse, debit cards may not work; cash will be king. Once awareness of the situation sets in, rioting, looting and violent crime will be the new norm.

If Europe collapses, the United States is sure to follow. This makes me nervous. And when I get nervous, I make lists. This is my best shot at formulating a comprehensive supply list for prepping. Sure, there are other lists on the Internet that claim to be comprehensive. And I have learned much from the lists that I have read. But I wanted to come up with my own list and present it to the Pack. And now for the 50 million dollar question: what have I missed?

If your debit card stopped working tomorrow, would you be ready? Let’s put our minds together and see if we can come up with a comprehensive list of items needed for survival. (I am assuming in what follows that I will not be bugging out. Hence, I have omitted discussion of my BOB.) Assuming you are staying put, what items would you definitely want on hand? Remember the motto: plan today because tomorrow your debit card may not work.

Please note that the order in which the following items are listed is not indicative of their perceived importance—i.e., I did not place cleaning supplies ahead of weaponry and hunting because I felt the former was more important than the latter. Each category is important, hence its inclusion on this list.

Comprehensive Supply List

1. Water Purification

  • Bottled Water
  • Canteen/Camelback
  • Rain Barrel
  • Water Bottle with Filter
  • Water Purification Tablets
  • Pool Shock/Bleach
  • Kettle w/ Lid for Boiling Water
  • Propane Stove
  • Matches/Fire Starter
  • Charcoal and Sand
  • Mosquito Netting
  • Coffee Filters

2. Shelf Stable Foods

  • Wheat
  • Rice
  • Pasta
  • Beans
  • Dry Milk
  • Honey
  • Sugar
  • Vinegar
  • Lemon Juice
  • Cooking Oil
  • Coffee/Tea
  • Canned Goods
  • Spices
  • Condiments
  • Water Enhancers
  • Baking Essentials (Yeast, Salt, etc.)
  • Sprouting Seeds
  • Non-hybrid Garden Seeds

3. Hygiene Supplies

  • Soap
  • Toothpaste
  • Toothbrushes
  • Dental Floss
  • Feminine Hygiene Products
  • Shaving Supplies
  • Baby Wipes
  • Toilet paper
  • Insect Spray
  • Sunblock
  • Lotion/Lip Balm
  • Manicure Set (Nail Clippers, Nail Brush, File)

4. First-Aid

  • First-Aid Kit
  • Extra Band-Aids
  • Dental Kit
  • Wound Care
  • Rubbing Alcohol
  • Hydrogen Peroxide
  • Listerine Mouth Rinse
  • Antibiotic Ointment
  • Snake Bite Kit
  • Respirator Masks
  • Latex Gloves
  • Scissors

5. Medications

  • Prescription Medication
  • Birth Control
  • Foot Care Products
  • Pain Reliever (Tylenol, Aleve, Aspirin, etc.)
  • Cold Medicine
  • Diarrhea/Constipation Medications
  • Antacid
  • Antibiotics
  • Allergy Medication
  • Vitamins/Supplements
  • EmergenC

6. Cleaning Supplies

  • Bleach/Pool Shock
  • Comet
  • Baking Soda
  • Washing Soda
  • Borax
  • Bar Soap (Fels Naptha)
  • Vinegar
  • Mop and Bucket
  • Broom and Dust Pan
  • Scrub Brushes
  • Dish Pan
  • Trash Bags
  • Trash Cans
  • Burn Barrel

7. Cooking and Food Preservation

  • Solar Oven
  • Camping Stove
  • Barbeque Grill
  • Grain Grinder
  • Meat Grinder
  • Solar Dehydrator
  • Cast Iron Cookware
  • Cooking Utensils
  • Non Electric Can Opener
  • Non Electric Coffee Maker
  • Water Bath Canner
  • Pressure Canner
  • Jars and Lids
  • Extra 5 Gallon Buckets
  • Plastic Plates & Bowls

8. Lighting

  • Oil Lantern
  • Extra Wicks & Mantles
  • Matches/Lighters
  • Solar Lights
  • Light Sticks
  • Candles
  • Flashlights
  • Head Lamp

9. Weaponry & Hunting

  • Knifes
  • Machete
  • Shotgun
  • Rifle
  • Handgun
  • Ammo
  • Compound Bow
  • Extra Arrows
  • Sling Shot
  • Snare Wire

10. Clothing

  • T-shirts
  • Underwear
  • Bras
  • Socks
  • Thermals
  • Jeans
  • Belt
  • Work Shirts
  • Boots
  • Extra Laces
  • Flip Flops/Crocks
  • Tennis Shoes
  • Fleece
  • Jacket
  • Raingear
  • Work Gloves
  • Bandana
  • Wide-Brimmed Hat
  • Mosquito Head Gear
  • Extra Prescription Glasses
  • Eye Glass Repair Kit
  • Sun Glasses

11. Household Items

  • Sheets/Blankets
  • Bath Towels
  • Solar Shower
  • Kitchen Towels
  • Clothesline
  • Clothespins
  • Sewing Kit
  • Washboard and Buckets
  • Aluminum Foil
  • Ziplock Bags
  • Portable Toilet
  • Lime
  • Lye
  • Pest and Insect Control (Mouse Traps, Diatomaceous Earth)
  • Extra Keys (Home, Shop and Vehicles)

12. Alternative Energy Source

  • Generator
  • Extension Cords
  • Solar Panels
  • Rechargeable Batteries
  • Solar Recharger
  • Charcoal
  • Propane
  • Gasoline
  • Fuel Stabilizer
  • Lamp Oil
  • Seasoned Fire Wood

13. Tools and Gear

  • Gardening Tools (Shovel, Axe, Rake)
  • Fishing Gear (Poles, Tackle, Nets)
  • Shut Off Wrench for Gas/Water
  • Multi-tool
  • Binoculars
  • Basic Construction Tools
  • Hardware (Nails, Screws)
  • Lumber
  • Tarps
  • Tie Down/Rope/Para-cord/Bungee Cord
  • Duct Tape
  • Siphon/Funnel
  • Extra Gas Cans
  • Sharpening Stone/Honing Oil
  • Gun Cleaning Kit & Supplies
  • Wire and Wire Cutters
  • Window Screen Repair Kit
  • Fire Extinguisher
  • Plastic Garbage Containers w/ Lid
  • Crowbar
  • Chain and Padlocks
  • Weather Instruments

14. Communications

  • Two-way Radio
  • Weather Radio
  • Ham Radio
  • Mirror
  • Whistle
  • Flares

15. Money

  • Cash
  • Gold/Silver
  • Tradable Skills

16. Barter Goods

  • Candy
  • Coffee
  • Sugar
  • Ammo
  • Batteries
  • Matches/Lighter
  • Toilet Paper
  • Soap

17. Maps and Guides

  • Detailed Map of Local Area
  • Survival Guide
  • Field Guide/Eatable Plant Guide
  • First Aid Manual

18. Identification and Documentation

  • Photo ID/Passport
  • Birth Certificate
  • Social Security Card
  • Medical Records
  • Banking Documents
  • Insurance Documents
  • Marriage License
  • Contact Information

19. Entertainment/Sanity

  • Cards
  • Games
  • Dice
  • Musical Instruments
  • Paper, Pens, Sketchbook
  • Bible
  • Books

20. Pets and Children

  • Food
  • Water
  • Proof of Vaccination
  • Medications/Ointments

Via: thesurvivalistblog

Email, RSS Follow
Share on Tumblr
Bug out Bags, Defense, Disaster, Economy, Food Storage, Medical, Prepper , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
April 27th, 2013
post by policysup | | 0

How to maintain your relationships and keep prepping when the ‘better half ‘thinks you’re nuts

This guest post is by SurvivorDan.

Quite a few preppers have had to deal with the strain on a relationship from one-sided prepping commitment. Often one person in a relationship does not share the zeal, the sense of urgency that drives the other partner to prep vigorously. Sometimes the other partner does not believe in the need to prepare for a major disaster at all. Many of us have had to deal with that very situation.  It has been suggested on this blog and others that the prepper should make every attempt to get the ‘other half ‘ involved. I think that’s sound advice though I may have come to that conclusion a bit too late.

Firstly, you may believe in an imminent polar shift disaster, super tornadoes, coming comet/asteroid impact, a New World Government takeover and ensuing social enslavement, the total Collapse of the U.S. Government, world monetary collapse and world wide depression, global warming, global cooling, ad infinitum. There is an element of reality in all of them. Rather than  trying to convince your partner that such is the case, try pushing the more comprehensible rather than the extreme.

Such beliefs, right or wrong, are hard for the average person to embrace. So hedge a little.

You are mainly preparing for natural disaster, economic depression and possibly a temporary loss of services such as power and water, civil upheaval (rioting etc.). These are ‘reasonable’ and foreseeable crises which most people (and your ‘better half’) can agree are possible. Acquire some videos on the tsunami in Indonesia, the flooding and rioting at Katrina, the earthquake generated devastation of Haiti. Make it real for your spouse/sig-other.

Next involve them in prep related activities. What are their interests? Do they love to cook? Experiment with dutch oven or solar oven cooking. Do they like to garden or have they always wanted to garden. Encourage him/her to start or enlarge a garden. Get involved as much as you can. Expand the gardening activity to include composting and canning. You can learn to can together. Get it? Together. Mutually shared activities (prepping related) and interests.

Bring the other half into your related hobbies such as shooting, hunting, fishing, ham radio, etc.  Take CPR classes together. Maybe even EMT courses. Go camping. Teach them primitive fire making techniques and make it fun. I showed my wife how to make primitive powered traps and she really got a kick out of it. Naturally I taught her to look for sign and scat so she could site her traps if necessary. She now has a basic capability (and confidence) to make traps to acquire food if needed. I taught her how to track someone with the reasoning that one of the grandkids could get lost when we’re camping. She took an immediate and avid interest. Now she at least has the rudiments of tracking and interpreting sign at her disposal. Could come in handy in the event of TEOTWAWKI.

Often the non-prepping wife/girlfriend or husband/boyfriend tolerates a certain amount of disaster preparations. Bur occasionally, the ‘crazed’ prepper spouse/significant-other drives them over the brink.

I’m afraid I’ve driven MrsSurvivorDan over the precipice. It’s not that I did anything different or on a grander scale than I have ever done heretofore. It is merely that the cumulative effect has driven her ‘sane’.  Sometimes your loved one has a different vision and you can’t change them. You can’t make them see the ‘wisdom’ of your parsimonious, TEOTWAWKI focused lifestyle as you make adjustments prior to what you see as an inevitable Collapse. She says that she thinks I’m a good man but a little ‘nuts’. And indeed, I am a little nuts, I just think the Collapse is coming. Being a nut doesn’t make me wrong.

Recently, I bought her a new loaded Mazda3 to please her but I did it with much reservation about the ‘unnecessary’ expense. Our home is paid for. Our vehicles are 5-10 yrs. old but in good condition and more importantly – sans payments. She was pleased….but her new car wasn’t enough. At one time we took several expensive vacations per year. We leased new vehicles every three years. We bought what toys we wanted with little thought to the expense. Even though we closed our stores I still bring in a good income but I am resolved (more than ever) to convert the excess funds into preps as opposed to financial investments. I don’t spend much on frivolous things. I quit being a reserve deputy last year because in this county we bear all our own expenses.  Even the bullets needed to qualify yearly with! I can no longer afford to do what I used to consider a civic duty. I seldom go out on the town and only do so to please Mrs. S.D.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not cheap. But I don’t splurge on the scale at which I used to and Mrs. S.D. misses the restaurants, clothes and travel. I don’t blame her as she doesn’t believe that any Collapse is coming. She was willing to humor me as long as preps were only at a natural disaster scale. Emergency preps for a year, etc. As we have once again passed that mark she has rebelled more and more. She thinks that cases and cases of water in all the closets is excessive. Imagine that! Questioning the wisdom of all of my prepping. Refusing to convert our savings into preps. I truly believe that our savings won’t be worth ‘spit” in a few years.

Yeah…I know there should be a  balance between prepping supplies and  investments/savings but I don’t believe that my money will be worth a plug nickel after a worldwide economic Collapse. I’d rather have ammo, food, medical supplies, water filters, tools, etc. Things that are useful will always be worth something.  I can trade them for other things that I need. The former Mrs. SurvivorDan would rather buy some Petron and go to Vegas for a getaway. That’s okay. She’d rather go to a nice restaurant than B-B-Q a marbled ribeye at home. She’d rather go to Hawaii than spend a week training at Gunsite. That’s her choice.

And so sadly, we amicably go our separate ways. I was too late getting her more involved. I put my head down too often and ‘bulled’  my way to get the preps I wanted.  If you value your relationships…. compromise more my friends.  Get the ‘better half’ involved in prepping related activities earlier and more often.  Play down the looming threats as you see them. Don’t be as vociferous in your declarations of impending doom.   Paint a more ‘reasonable’ picture they can get their thoughts around as to why you need to prep.

Or like me …… you’ll have to pony up for that bachelor bunker.

Via: thesurvivalistblog

 

Email, RSS Follow
Share on Tumblr
Prepper , , , , , , , , ,
April 10th, 2013
post by policysup | | 2

Flying under the Radar – Wallflower Prepping

Usually this goes without saying…however many don’t understand this as it needs to be understood in its full concept.

First off I will start off by saying this.

IF YOU WANT TO BE KNOWN AS A PREPPER, TELL EVERYONE YOU ARE A PREPPER AND YOU ARE FINE WITH THIS THEN DO IT!

I’m not one to tell ANYONE what to do with their life, if they want to live alone in the woods, more power to you, if they want to work a blue collar job and have buckets of food at a cabin somewhere, good for you, whatever makes you happy and increases the happiness in your life and your families as well as gives you the ability to care for them, man..do it!

However MOST preppers don’t want to be known as Preppers or for their friends and families to know that they do this, or they just fear that others will come looking for a handout or the government might come knocking, there’s a lot of reasons.

REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD LAY LOW

  • People won’t come crying looking for help because they know you have a lot of stored stuff.  You can choose when, how and if you will help them according to your conscience and faith.
  • The government won’t peg you as a “danger” to society since you well, are responsible.
  • You won’t have to worry about criminals or friends turned criminals putting your family in more danger because people know about your buckets and water barrels.
  • You won’t be asked to “give” your stuff to the local, state or national government for the “greater good”
  • Overall it’s just smarter in my opinion.  I may have a podcast and a site, but I can count on my fingers the amount of people who know where I keep my preps and that I do this.

HOW YOU CAN LAY LOW

  • First thing is don’t call yourself a Prepper, don’t talk about it at office parties, don’t mention it to family, AND ESPECIALLY DON’T TALK ABOUT IT ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER!

Like I said if you WANT to then do it, by all means.  And a caveat is often you will end up meeting someone or a family member who is a prepper or is just starting to get into the prepper mindset and mentions it to you or around you.  Play it smart ease into the conversation, make sure YOU ARE both on the same wavelength, be paranoid, like your CIA approaching a possibly Russian you can turn to your side; you have to be sure they are friendly to the idea before you verbally diarrhea all your pent up energy on this subject!

  • If you want to “Like” Prepper Facebook pages, or talk to Prepper friends on that site, create a fake identity.

I know I know, i have a GNP Facebook page and I ENCOURAGE people to share it with their friends, etc.  I assume that those of you who like the page or comment, etc are the “out” Preppers, and I would never try to force someone to do anything public like that if I didn’t think most of their friends knew it in the first place.  To create a “fake identity” just read my post on ONLINE PRIVACY, and download the TOR browser.  Once you get on that go to yahoo.com, and set up a email account, unlike GMAIL you don’t have to give your phone number!  then use that to create a Facebook page, upload the photos, use a fake name or a similar one.  Conduct ALL YOUR PREPPING SOCIAL STUFF USING THIS IDENTITY.  Log into forums, chat rooms, twitter accounts, pinterest, etc all using this identity, to insulate your Real person from the persona.

  • For Pete’s sake DO NOT UPLOAD VIDEOS OF YOU SHOOTING A TARGET WITH SOME GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES NAME OR FACE ON IT! That includes elected ones! DON’T MAKE THREATS OR VEILED STATEMENTS ON ANYTHING! Don’t go around posting on Facebook (real or fake identity) that you’ll shoot it out if they come for your guns, or that you hope X person gets shot, etc.  That’s stupid, unnecessary and just not in good taste.  Never with death up on anyone.

Even if you use the fake identity to do this, you will be SMACK CENTER on the radar for investigation, and now your fake identity will be investigated and even with all the privacy this offers, I personally don’t think it will shield you from a Full-fledged intense investigation.  So don’t try.  After that you will be forever on every list known to man.

  • Purchase Prepping supplies, guns and ammunition with Cash. No Checks, Avoid Credit Cards.

If you HAVE TO buy someone with a credit card try using a prepaid one like Green dot which is affiliated with Visa, your name will be registered with that Credit Card however it insulates you if you buy a few of them and use different ones sparingly.  No matter how you slice it online purchases will leave a trail, but you can insulate yourself A bit (not much) more with a pre-paid credit card.  Sometimes the best deals are on the net.  I buy on the net quite a lot but i use various cards so no large orders are ever pegged to one card or to have a repeated history with them.  Plus, you are smarter with your money that way.  Especially since ammo (as of this moment) requires no background check you can purchase large quantities without having a paper trail.

  • DON’T ASSOCIATE WITH IDIOTS, NUT-JOBS AND A-HOLES

If you are online and looking for prepper communities there to talk to, check out their forums, see what others are saying, pay attention to the person who runs the site (if they put themselves out there) and what they are saying, read their posts and see their videos.  If they are out there, talking about “going to war” or will “fight to the death” or that they want this race to rule over all or whatever. DON’T SIGN UP! NOT FOR A NEWSLETTER! NOT FOR A FORUM! NOT A LIKE ON THEIR PAGE! NOTHING! Its idiotic to associate yourself with whackos, you will be just inviting scrutiny. Why put all your hard work into jeopardy because you associated with a-holes like that?

  • DON’T SIGN PETITIONS

Don’t sign these online petitions to stop the gun ban, or to impeach Obama, or to END THE FED.  Don’t get me mixed up, I want to end the Fed, i want to stop the gun ban and I want that man out of the white house through legal means.  However those mean nothing, they make you feel good, think that they will matter, but they don’t, and there’s no reason to have your NAME put on something, especially since its public and that along with say a few Facebook likes and a YouTube video holding your gun, could be just enough to be put on a “watch list” people have been put on no fly lists and others for much less.

CONCLUSIONS

A lot of this is common sense and once again, for the third time….If you want to be known as a prepper, if you want to be a loud voice, or feel you must be public then keep on trucking, go for it.  However do not “Look down” or call others “cowards” for not doing the same, each of us make a choice, weigh the options and decide what’s best for ourselves and our families.

Basically the rule of thumb is, don’t use your real name, don’t be public and most of all DON’T DO ANYTHING TO DRAW ATTENTION TO YOURSELF!

Via: greatnorthernprepper

Email, RSS Follow
Share on Tumblr
Prepper , , , , , , , ,
Older Entries
Newer Entries