Survivalism articles

First, consider the most common questions when mulling through your initial preparedness journey-

What am I preparing for?

I needed to identify what it is that I’m going to try to protect myself from. If I was going to prepare for a one week loss of power in a winter storm then there isn’t much to prepare for. If I am preparing for a global collapse of the financial system or EMP that would send us back to the early 1800’s I’ve got some work to do. At a minimum I would suggest that new preppers start with a plan for being self reliant for 3 months. By the time you are prepared for this, you will have learned much and can then set out on whatever your phase II duration will be. I live in a northern climate with harsh winters so my phase I goal is to be prepared for six months. Personally, I am still in this stage of prepping, but phase II will be for preparing for a multi-year grid down scenario.

Am I going to bug in or bug out?

I agree with the opinion that bugging out should only be considered if you have somewhere to go. Heading out to the woods is not an option unless you are trained in surviving under these conditions. I’ve got a wife and three kids, heading to the woods is not an option for me. If you are going to bug out, it needs to be earlier in the collapse rather than later or you will find yourself stuck at a road block. Read the book One Second After for a detailed description of what happens to refugees attempting to flee to already starving communities. Personally, I have chosen to bug-in. It is where my preps are located as well as familiar neighbors.

Can I defend my family, property and preps?

Let’s face it, when the SHTF, my preps will be viewed as “their” preps to the golden hoard. Is a stranger more likely to watch their children starve or are they more likely to tell their wife “I’m going to get us some food and will return with it or die trying.” The prepared need to ask a different question. When they arrive at my doorstep, what will I do? Will I give them some of my preps as charity? Every meal I give out gets me closer to the time when I will be telling our family, as I head out the door, “I’m going to get us some food and will return with it or die trying.” This is a huge decision to make because we need to have resolve in our minds what we are going to do when this day comes. In a SHTF situation there can be no indecisiveness. I won’t go in to any detail on how to defend yourself as there are novels of information on this subject. I believe a defense plan is more important than a food plan because if you can’t defend it you might as well not have it.

Do I have enough to feed my family until order is restored?

That is assuming order will be restored. Personally, if it gets as bad as it can, I do believe eventually a new nation or nations will form and there will again be public services. I had to figure out what my comfort level is for the amount of time that I will need to eat from my preps, supplemented by gardens, hunting, fishing…etc.

How will I heat my home?

Since my plan is to bug-in in a northern climate, I need to figure out how I will heat my home. I live in suburbia and it scares me to see that relatively few people have wood burning…anything. I have a fireplace in my house and will secure enough firewood this summer to heat my house for two winters. All of my neighbors depend on electrical or natural gas for heat. I personally have seen the temperature in my location get to -60 degrees below zero with a wind chill of over 100 below. Many in my surrounding area will die of exposure unless they can be in my living room. I honestly don’t know the answer to the question of what will I do when people in my area are freezing and there is smoke coming out of my chimney. Anyone who has driven past a house burning wood in the winter knows it is fairly impossible to not alert people to a nearby source of heat. To me, this poses one of my greatest threats.

How will I keep clean?

Personal hygiene will be a huge issue in a SHTF scenario. I realized quickly that I need to stock up on toothpaste, TP, laundry/dish/hand soaps, medical supplies, and everything else needed to keep sanitary conditions in an unsanitary world. I made lists of lists of all of the things I will need. [Lists and more lists]

How will I provide light and electricity?

In an EOTWAWKI situation having some rechargeable batteries to use will be a luxury that we currently take for granted. I plan on getting a stockpile of rechargeable batteries and solar equipment. I have a basement with a sump pump, when the grid goes down what will keep my basement from getting inundated with groundwater? I picked up a secondary battery powered sump pump that runs off of a deep cycle battery. Solar rechargers can be purchased to ensure that the batteries can be kept charged. How great would it be to be able to watch a movie on a laptop? With respect to light, when there is no power, it will be very dark. Children (and some adults) can get spooked easily when there is 14 hours of darkness per day in the winter. I am going to stock some solar powered garden lights. These can be placed in the light during the day and provide for a night light during the hours of darkness. Radios, flashlights and other things can be hand cranked for power. Anything that is sustainable and will produce light or energy will become extremely valuable.

How will I keep up on information and communicate with the outside world?

Obviously my TV will become useless. Who knows if there will be radio stations transmitting, and if they are, what is the source of the information? Personally I plan on eventually getting a HAM radio and learning the trade. I believe this will be the best information available as it will probably be filled with info from other preppers in the nation.

What do I have to offer others?

In a collapsed society, skills, knowledge and items for trade will pay off in a huge way. The only thing that will help me acquire supplies that I don’t have or want will be the ability to offer something to someone who has it and they find the value of my goods or services to be more than what they have. If they don’t, then they will not be willing to trade. I have personally chosen to stock up on more of the convenience things for these situations. I plan on stockpiling coffee and lighters. People will trade for a hot cup of coffee and from my perspective, coffee is a convenience. People will need to be able to start a fire for cooking or heating their homes and a source of fire will be invaluable in a SHTF scenario. Personally I won’t be bartering away guns or ammunition because the person who I just armed would also realize that if I can spare these essential items I probably have other essential items and now they have a way to get them from me.

How will I fight off boredom?

One thing that has haunted me is when the SHTF, how can I pass the time without going completely stir crazy? Obviously, there will be many chores and a lot of labor involved in daily life after a collapse, but there will also be hours upon hours of sitting in a quiet house. My kids will be involved in chores of the day, but what can I do to reduce the monotony of a grid down situation? I plan on stockpiling books on many different subjects. Fiction and nonfiction. How to’s and stories. A bow and arrow can provide hours of target practice as well as developing a survival skill. Decks of cards can provide entertainment as well as bartering potential. If you go to a casino, you can get decks of cards for 50 cents. Puzzles, board games, pads of paper and plenty of writing utensils. Anything that can hopefully make life more fun for the family to escape reality, even for a moment. Don’t forget the most important book of them all, the Bible.

How do I pay for all of this?

OK, I know I said top 10, but this question needs to be taken care of pre-SHTF where as my top 10 deal with issues post-SHTF. Most are living paycheck to paycheck, so how can preps be paid for when we are in survival mode? My plan is to sell off anything that I don’t feel is necessary. Have a garage sale and go to garage sales – you would be amazed at what you will find. I recently found three oil lamps for 50 cents each! Sell things on Ebay and Craigslist. Get a second job and dedicate all income from it to preps. Don’t worry, if the SHTF doesn’t happen and you are prepped, you can always go back and replace these items, but get prepared first. I would rather have a stocked supply room than shares of Google.

These are but the tip of the iceberg of questions needing to be answered for when life as we know it comes to an end. When talking to and dealing with anyone new to prepping, please remember that they are entering a large and complex world where their decisions on what to do next could mean the difference between life and death. Help them to make a list of priorities and offer them advice on what the list should contain. This article is just a primer, but is more than what 99% of people have done to prepare themselves and their families for what is coming.

==





10 Things To Do Now!

What would you do?

No matter how much I beg, some of you, no doubt haven’t done anything to prepare (you know who you are). I don’t know what else to do. All I can do is give you the information, it’s up to you to act. No one can do it for you.

No doubt some of you are intimidated by my repeated suggestions of storing and using whole grains. If it doesn’t come from the supermarket shelf it’s strange and unfamiliar and you want no part of it. Fair enough.

But you still need to prepare. Here are ten things that you can do right now that will make you better prepared than probably 90% of the population.

And everything is available at your local shopping center – so it’s easy. You can do all ten steps at once or divide each into a separate week and shopping trip. But you need to get it done as soon as possible.

Keep in mind that this is only a starting point and isn’t presented here as a completed list.

1. Head to the nearest Wal-mart, Kmart, Costco or whatever and pick-up 20 lbs of white or brown rice and 20 lbs of pinto beans. White rice has a better storage life while brown rice has more nutritional benefits – your choice.

2. While you’re there grab 5 lbs mixed beans, 5 lbs of white sugar, 5 lbs of iodized salt, one gallon of olive oil (can be frozen to extend shelf-life), 5 lbs oats, 10 lbs each of white or wheat flour and cornmeal.

3. Now head over to the canned foods and pick-up 20 cans of canned fruits and 20 cans of canned vegetables. Be sure to buy only those brands and contents you normally eat and nothing exotic. No need to shock the senses.

4. Now over to the canned meats. Pick-up 20 cans of various meats, salmon, stews, spam and tuna. Again buy only those brands with contents you normally eat and nothing exotic.

5. Okay. Now to the to the peanut butter shelf and toss two 40-ounce jars in the cart. The listed shelf life is just over two years and each jar has over 6,000 calories. Peanut butter is an excellent instant survival food.

6. Over to the powdered drink mix – go on I’ll wait…Okay, pick up two 72 Ounce Tang Orange drink canisters (provides 100% of the US RDA vitamin C requirement per 8 oz. glass). Also grab six 19-Ounce Containers of Kool-Aid Drink Mix.

7. Off to the vitamin and supplement aisle, pick up 400 tablets “one a day” multivitamin and mineral supplements. I buy this brand at the local Wal-Mart - comes in 200 count bottle for $8 each.

8. Now to the department we all love – sporting goods. Go to the camping aisle and pick up 4 five gallon water containers. Fill with tap water as soon as you get back home.

9. While you’re there buy 250 rounds of ammunition for your primary defensive weapon. More if you can, but this should be a good start. Also a good universal cleaning kit.

10. And lastly pick up the best LED flashlight you can afford, extra batteries and bulb. Also grab two boxes of wooden matches and several multi-purpose lighters.

Don’t forget to date, use and rotate – remember first in first out. Let’s get started.

What would you add to the list?

-----------------------------------------------------------

Ten MORE Things To Do Now

You may remember my post “10 things to do now!“, if not go read it before continuing – go on I’ll wait… Done. great. Now let’s go back to the shopping center with another survival food and gear list and ten more things to do now. Ready? Great.

1. Go to the grocery department and pick up 5 lbs of powdered milk or the equivalent of canned, now go over to the next aisles and throw in 5 lbs of rolled oats and a case of Ramen noodles. Ramen noodles aren’t the most nutritional food but they are cheap, add bulk to the diet and store well – just don’t rely on them to provide all your nutritional needs. And don’t forget a good manual can opener.

2. While you’re in the grocery department be sure to pick up an assortment of spices to taste, such as Basil, Chili powder, Cinnamon, Garlic, Sage, Marjoram, Oregano, Rosemary, Thyme and Black Pepper. Spices can go along way toward making unfamiliar foods palatable. Also, while you’re in that area add 5 or more lbs of salt to your shopping cart, as you know salt has 101 uses.

3. Okay, counting what you bought during our first trip to the shopping center, that should do it for the grocery. Now go over to the area near the pharmacy and pick up 3 large tubes of toothpaste, 3 brushes, 100 double edge razor blades, (note: if you don’t have a razor you’ll probably have to order one from Amazon.com and don’t forget a brush and bowl), I’ve used this type razor for years and think it is a cheaper long-term solution than disposable.

While your there, add the most comprehensive first-aid kit that you can find to your cart and don’t forget over the counter pain meds (Tylenol, aspirin etc.). If you’re a woman (or have one in your life) go over a few shelves and pick up enough “feminine” supplies to last three months or longer.

4. With all that food in your pantry its only a matter of time before you have to poop. I know, its shocking but we all do it. If you have a water source such as a stream or lake nearby you can still use the toilet in your bathroom, all you have to do is manually fill the tank in back and flush as usual. If this isn’t an option, you’ll need to look for other alternatives such as the Portable Toilets sold in the sporting goods department or making a sawdust toilet from a five-gallon bucket.

5. What’s next? You guessed it toilet paper. If you poop you need to wipe, if not you probably need to start. You could use a corncob, cloth, Roman sponge on a stick or paper from discarded books or newspapers but I would wager most of you prefer the softness of Angle Soft. Get enough to last at least a month, more if possible and remember women need more than men so plan accordingly.

6. While you are in that area of the store pick up a supply of disposable plates, bowls and plastic utensils. Don’t go overboard here but having a small stockpile of these items on hand can save a lot of water that would otherwise be used to wash dishes. Also add two or more gallons of regular, unscented bleach to your cart.

7. This is a biggie and can’t be done (legally) at the department store pharmacy without the signature of a doctor – that is stocking up on prescription meds. Getting more than a 30 day supply, at least in the U.S., can be difficult if not impossible. But there are ways to get most of what you need for long-term survival. See this post and this one and this book (note: some of the information in the book is dated but there is still good advice to be found).

8. Now push your cart (man this thing is getting heavy) over to the hardware department of the store and pick up a carpenters hammer, vice grips, adjustable wrench, screw driver set, duct tape, electrical tape, axe, pry bar, crosscut saw, hacksaw and large can of WD-40. This is your bare minimum survival tool kit.

9. After you get your tool kit, go over to sporting goods and in the camping supply aisle pick up a propane camp stove and 5 or more 1 pound propane cylinders or a bulk 20 lb tank and hose adaptor - yes the pressure in the small bottles is the same as a 20 lb cylinder or even 100 lb tank, just be sure to get the proper adapter and hose assembly. Another alternative and the one I prefer is the Volcano Stove because I can use propane, wood and charcoal.

10. Okay, we are just about done for today – only a few more steps pushing the cart and you’ll be out the door. You’ll need a way to keep in touch with your group so go to the electronics department and pick up the best two-way radios that you can afford – I have these. Don’t forget a battery-powered radio and extra batteries for both. While not necessary, I prefer a radio capable of receiving AM/FM and shortwave broadcasts – I have this one.

This shopping list will have you better prepared than probably 90% of the U.S. but it should not be signify the end of your preps only a good start. There’s always something to do and learn never become complacent – remember the quote “On the plains of hesitation lie the bleached bones of those who on the very threshold of victory sat down to rest, and while resting died.”

==

DOCUMENTS, IMPORTANT NUMBERS,CONTACTS, AND FUN STUFF



1) Make a copy of all important documents; both sides of wallet contents, marriage certs, titles, birth certs, etc. (Any valuable documents that prove identity or ownership)



2) Contact lists of pertinent people such as family, work, pastor, etc. (This is helpful for children and for others should you be unable to give them the needed information)



3) Games, books, other forms of entertainment. Implementation now reduces stress later!

===

MORE info......................

Bug-out

Local Topographic Map

Lensatic Compass

Flashlight / Headlamp, extra batteries

Extra Food, Light weight, easy open, temperature stable

Extra Clothes, sneakers, socks, jeans, t-shirts, underwear, jacket, work gloves and hat

Eye Protection, safety googles, sunglasses, extra prescription glasses, eyeglasses repair kit, Eye drops

First-Aid Kit, car type, scissors, suture thread/sets, extra Gauze wraps, bandage tape, pain killers, antiseptic, Tweezers, blister care. "New Skin"

Pocket Knife, with locking blade, non-serrated, 4 - 5 inch blade, sharpening stone and oil

Waterproof Matches, or strike anywhere matches in a waterproof match box

Firestarter, magnesium bar type with striker strip

Water / Filter / Bottles, Two quart bottles on shoulder straps

Whistle, (signal device, not stealthy)

Signal mirror, many uses

Insect Repellents or nets

Sunburn Preventatives

Toilet Tissue

Sewing kit (needles, thread, threader, thimble, BUTTONS, scissors, magnifying glass, WAXED Dental floss, and Upholstery 3" or 4" curved needles.)

Safety Pins (lots)

sleeping bags, rated down to ZERO degrees

Tarp 6x8 foot (2 or more), tent stakes

Heavy Nylon (Parachute 550) Cord, 200 feet

Light Nylon (100 lb test) Cord 200 feet

Blankets, "full" size

Blankets, Mylar, emergency

Large zip-lock bag of Dryer lint(For fire starting)

Firestarter bricks

Trash Bags, Yard sized and 33 gallon "Kitchen" sized

sleeping mat

Chemical hot and cold packs

Batteries, Batteries, Batteries (rechargeable with Solar charger)

Hand Crank radio/flashlight

Work gloves

Neoprene gloves

First aid manual

Tool Kit Bag (trunk of car)

Duct Tape

Small hand Bow saw, with extra blades

Screwdrivers, standard, Phillips #2, jewelers

Vice grips, standard and Needle Nose

Small C-clamps (6 each)

Camp Hatchet and Stone

Small Socket Kit, 1/2 inch drive

Hammer

Channel Lock Pliers, 8 inch or 10 Inch

Can Opener, hand crank

Side cutting wire cutters

Bolt Cutters

Small Scissor Jack, w/ handle

Small Shovel

Small crow bar

Hand crank Flashlight

Kitchen (bagged in trunk of car)

Hand Sanitizer

Cast (Black) Iron Skillet

Cast (Black) Iron grill plate

Metal Bladed turner

Camp Forks, Knives, Spoons

Paper Towels

Paper Plates

Stainless Steel Camp Cup with handle

Tongs

Pot Holders, insulated

Cooking pot with lid and fire resistant handle

Kitchen knife

Dishwashing liquid

Towels

Wire Coat Hangers ( for hanging baled pots, and other things.)

Baking soda (Bicarbonate of Soda)

Sanitation

Toilet paper

paper towels

baby wipes

Hand sanitizer

Garden Trowel

Portable toilet

bar soap

laundry detergent (dry)

wash board

small tub

Plastic Bags

Hair Combs

Hair Ties/clips

Signal mirror

Water Purification supplies

Water filter

Neoprene gloves



TRAVEL

Ruck sack/ day pack

Extra THICK socks

(Travel aid, like pulled golf bag cart)

Walking shoes

Walking staff

Compass

GPS device

Nylon trail marking tape (or garden tape (green with no sticky))(Can be used to tie things)

ROPE, mountain climbing 100 feet.

Carabiners, steel locking type (For Climbing, not keyrings)

Blister kit

EXTRA laces for shoes and boots

Belt Knife









How to Survive Comfortably



or



What Friends are really good for...



By Steven D. Ramseur





Once you have studied the realities involved in surviving a long

term catastrophe (years, not weeks), it becomes painfully obvious

that maintenance of a reasonable comfortable standard of living

in a post disaster situation is beyond the resources of one

individual or one family.



It is simply impossible to know enough... to learn enough... or

to afford enough to meet all the needs of a family unit living at

more than a bare subsistence standard of living... a standard of

living far below what we would now consider to be "third world".

This is a future I would wish upon my family only if death were

the only alternative. We can, however, do better... much better.



"How?", you ask. "With a little help from our friends" is the

answer.



Team work is the key to survival, not only individual survival,

but survival of an acceptable standard of living... even survival

of a productive society. It is simply not possible to cover all

of your future needs from within your family unit.



For example, you may be a great gardener, but can you build and

maintain the tools necessary for production level farming. Even

if you can forge plowshares and tan leather for tack, what if

your animal gets sick, or what if your family gets sick? Can you

diagnose the problem, and if you can, will you have stored the

supplies needed to treat the problem?



What if you are a great farmer, a great blacksmith, a great vet,

and a physician on the side? What if someone attacks your family

while you are in the field?



Who will spin the yarn? Who will weave the cloth? Who will make

the clothes? Who will tan the leather? Who will make the shoes?

Who will teach your children? Even if you have every one of these

skills, you are not likely to have the current resources to stock

the supplies needed to maintain the trade. Even if you stock

everything that might possibly be needed for every one of these

trades, there will simply not be enough hours in the day to meet

even your most basic needs.



What is the answer? The answer is specialization. This is the

root foundation for human society. The whole is greater than the

sum of the parts. Forget the idea that you will survive in your

secure fortress with your solar power, your tons of wheat, and

your thousands of rounds of ammunition. You will succumb to a

superior force, or to disease, to starvation, or to isolation and

depression.



The "dream" survival situation would be a small, relatively

isolated community with a large agricultural base and some

manufacturing resources. It would have its own power supply,

temperate weather, and a good mix of trade skills. Very few of us

have the luxury to live in such a plane. In fact there are very

few such places at all. Even if you can find one, they are not

likely to welcome a total stranger into their community during

the turmoil of a post-catastrophe situation.



If you know of such a place, consider moving there now, even if

it means a career change and an income reduction. You may have to

give up your weekly trips to the symphony and the theatre, and

you might not have a choice if 15 different French restaurants,

but you might find your live very much richer for the safety,

fraternity, and slower pace of life.



I realize that we cannot all live in small town utopia, and even

in these communities, the vast majority of people don't give a

moment's thought to post-disaster survival. They don't have on

hand even a fraction of the supplies needed to carry on their

trade for even a few days out of touch from the regional and

national distribution system. Life in America is just too

comfortable just now to think about things.



So what can you do? You can learn all you can about everything

you can. You can stock up on reference books. You can collect all

the supplies needed for short term survival and intermediate term

subsistence. But most importantly, you can learn a practical

skill, then stock deep in what you do well, then recruit friends

of like mind who will do the same for other complementary skills.



A carpenter with some wheat and a rifle with loads of ammunition

might be in a poor situation with a sick or hungry child. A

carpenter who has seen fit to put aside a top quality set of hand

tools and several hundred pounds of nails might be a rich man in

a community with a need for shelter and building skills.



A physician may be a lousy shot and unable to defend his family,

but a physician with the tools to diagnose illness and a

stockpile of medicines to treat them is guaranteed to have the

whole community turn out in his defense. The combination of his

knowledge and his supplies, not necessarily either one alone is

what makes him an immense asset to the community. The whole is

again worth more than the sum of the parts.



After realizing that the team or group approach to preparedness

is superior, one must consider what skills are essential in order

to know what to learn or who to recruit.

Skills might be divided into essential or primary, and desirable

or secondary, based on whether they are necessary for personal or

cultural survival respectively.



Primary skills needed for personal survival, and the people to

provide them, might include:



1) Sustenance - storage, preparation, and production

of food and water



A) farmers

B) serious gardeners

C) cooks and bakers



2) Shelter - short and long term protection from hazards

of toxins, fire, radiation, the environment, and

antisocial behavior, including maintenance of existing

shelter



A) builders - electricians, plumbers, carpenters,

masons

B) wood cutters

C) sanitation or radiation engineers

D) mechanics



3) Security - protection from the antisocial conduct of

insiders or outsiders



A) law officers

B) military personnel or veterans

C) hunters or others skilled with weapons

D) administrators (yes, even after the great disaster

there will be a need for a few petty bureaucrats.

Someone has to keep the ducks in a row.)



4) Medical care - maintenance of the personal and public

health of the community



A) physicians, especially Family Practitioners and

Surgeons, a Pathologist might have his place but

would be of less general use than a primary care

clinician or surgeon.



B) dentists



C) nurses, physicians' assistants, paramedics, EMTs,

ex-military medics



D) pharmacists



E) sanitarians and public health officials



Secondary skills are things you personally might be able to live

without, but society cannot.



1) Education



A) teachers - parents can teach, but not as well or as

comprehensively as someone who is trained in it

professionally. Note also that teachers frequently

make good administrators if you don't want any real

bureaucrats in the group.



B) parents - education is their principle job anyway.



C) lawyers and accountants - Their primary skills may

be useless, but they are well educated people. Don't

let lawyers administrate, however, unless you want a

new world as screwed up as the old.



2) Transportation - life proceeds very slowly when you

must walk everywhere.



A) mechanics - There will be no shortage of surplus

vehicles, but keeping them running will be a task.



B) chemists and/or distillers - Those surplus vehicles

and machines must run on something.



C) animal breeders - If you can't get the truck run you

can ride an animal. This form of transportation is

also edible and produces fertilizer. Petroleum may

be hard to come by as well.



D) wood and leather workers - to make harnesses,

saddles, wagons, etc.



3) Communications - vastly increases the efficiency of

production, distribution, and security.



1) ham radio operators - they almost always have plenty

of equipment and they think a lot about emergency

preparedness.



2) telephone technicians - the telephone system will

still be there but keeping it working will be a

vital help to the community.



3) electricians or electronics technicians - the

generation and storage of electricity is vital to

communications and very helpful to almost every

other sector of the community.



4) athletes - If you can't get the message there any

other way, you can always send a runner.



Others might add quite a few more categories to this list, but

it's easy to see that the scale of the task in mastering even a

fraction of these skills is beyond reasonable expectation.



A practical way of dealing with this problem can be found in

studying the organizational principles of the U. S. Army Special

Forces.



Among the concepts taught in the Special Forces is the idea of

limited specialization. Every Special Forces soldier is expert in

the basic skills of soldiering such as weapons, movement,

concealment, survival, etc., but he is also a specialist with

very advanced knowledge in one particular area such as

communications, intelligence, demolition, or medical. Every team

member is familiar with the skills of the others, but he is

expected not only to be able to utilize his skills in a superior

manner, but also to teach his skills to others.



The Special Forces soldier is a consummate warrior, but his

principle mission is not to fight but to teach, lead, and

inspire. The "survivalist" should consider this to be his mission

as well. The Regular Army NCO would be expected to lead a squad

of ten or so men. The Special Forces NCO would be expected to

teach his skills to a large number of indigenous sympathizers and

then lead a group as large as a company or a battalion... jobs

usually held by captains or lieutenant colonels.



So too should the dedicated survivalist consider himself a leader

and teacher. After having mastered the basic skills of self-

reliance his next priority must be to master his specialty skill,

and having learned it well, to stockpile the tools of his trade.

He must then work on the other specialties important to survival,

with special emphasis on skills not yet filled by recruitment.



A good plan would be to become a specialist in one of the primary

or secondary skills, develop a good working knowledge of all of

the primary skills, and become familiar with the secondary

skills.



The camouflage clad, rifle toting loner of the popular media

isn't practicing survival, he is practicing for suicide. Don't

imitate him, and don't recruit him. Survival means teamwork, and

the bigger the team the more comfortable the future.



Just think, if everyone thought like a survivalist, then it's

likely none of us would ever need these skills and supplies we

work so hard to obtain. The best life insurance policy is the one

you don't have to collect on.

_________________





Balanced Survival Preparedness - Make Your Plans - Stay on Task





Introduction

The world has already changed. Most things on planet earth are seriously affected by the price of crude oil, one way or another. Crude has tripled in cost from January 2007 to July 2008. That change was just slow enough for us to adjust emotionally, and remain in denial as long as possible. It worked.

We are aware that things cost more. We denied things were really changing, or convinced ourselves that things will return to “normal”. Facts are facts:

The housing bubble popped, credit has nearly vanished, gasoline is twice what it was a year ago, everything we buy is going up in price. Our world has changed.

Get used to it. Adjust – or watch your life as-you-have-known-it be destroyed.

In the fall of 2007 some folks stocked their pantries as a means of saving money once they figured out that prices would continue to rise. Remember the rice shortage?

That is a good plan by the way – if you are alive you will need to eat, and prices are not going down. A thoroughly stocked pantry is a good savings account. You will use the food.

Many folks wound up with several hundred pounds of rice last fall (good) but no way to cook it if the power went out (bad). Do It Yourself Preparedness is a plan to do what you need to do to take care of yourself, while keeping a balanced perspective of your personal big picture. This is not so easy as one might imagine. It is really easy to wind up with a lot of some things you will need – and none of other things you will need even more.

There are so many ways our personal lives can be trashed. Job layoffs, sickness, living expenses rising beyond our ability to pay, a local disaster (think of a Katrina magnitude disaster in your neighborhood), and the worst of the bunch – these kinds of things happening to enough people that they get mad enough to rebel or riot – right down the street from you.

Without changing your life much, you can prevent many of these things from trashing your life by being prepared. For a tiny example, if your town's electricity went out for a week and you have appropriate food, a camp stove and extra propane, you would be way ahead of those without a way to cook.

There are 12 basic categories of preparedness. Don't buy anything till you have read about these and Levels of Preparation.

We have to walk before we can run – in all things.

It won't do your family a bit of good if you plan strictly for emergency X and then emergency Y (that you did not think of) happens. To cover everything pretty well we make the following assumptions for planning purposes:

• There will be no public electricity, water, or stores open for shopping.

• Police and fire services will be overextended and not available.

• There will not be any government or agency help available (in time to save you) such as FEMA, the Red Cross, etc.

• Most, if not all, of your extended family, friends and neighbors will not be prepared.

• You may have to evacuate your home.

Sounds pretty grim. On the bright side, if you plan for this state of affairs you will be ready for just about anything. You won't go broke getting ready by buying all kinds of stuff that sounded good at the time, but winds up being useless when you desperately need it.



Balance

The goal of balance in preparation is critical. If your preps are kept in balance, then when a disaster strikes (without warning, of course) you will be prepared in all 12 categories at whatever Level you were able to achieve. Your family will be together, safe, have food to eat, have a place to rest, and so forth. This is your job, a sacred responsibility. It is a huge expression of love. Its also tough to do.

Whatever your particular reason for prepping, you know there are hundreds of other reasons coming to light as our economy's fragility continues to reveal itself. If things go bad, chances are they will go really bad, ie; the domino effect.

So, lets get real. When commerce stutters to a stop, emphasis will be quickly focused on getting food and essentials to stores. Do you suppose politicians will take advantage of the situation to advance their agendas? “No guns or ammo will be shipped. Today's valuable shipping space is needed for food – for the children.” Can you see this coming?

Swell. If you do it now you have a shot at taking care of your family. If you don't, well, you don't.

Do you have enough ammo to see you through? Many of us buy a box or two of ammo (50 to 100 rounds) on our way to do a bit of shooting. Yet, during the LA riots in 1992, one Korean family shot 2,000 rounds during the six days they were in danger. How long do you think our American collapse will last?

Experts in survival preparation suggest that you should own an absolute minimum of 5,000 rounds per gun. The point of mentioning this now is that with all the preparedness supplies needed for your family, you will have to plan how to use your resources wisely to keep things balanced. If you have 300 pounds of rice and no other stored food, nor a camp stove or pot, your family is in bad shape. Balance the needs of your family. Start with Level 1 and complete all of it – in every category – before you start on Level 2.





Levels of Preparedness



Levels

Preparing for an emergency can be overwhelming and expensive. These Preparation Levels keep you focused on getting the job done with the resources you have. One step at a time works if you have a plan. This is the plan.

Seek to fulfill all your family's needs in Level One before you start Level Two, especially in categories that you find more interesting or fun.

Level 0: This is planning. What will your family really need? Worksheets will are available to help you think of these things. The good news is that you probably already have a bunch of these things and skills.

Level 1: You and your family are fully prepared for up to a 7 day emergency in your home, or if need be, you are prepared to evacuate to a safer location. This includes being prepared to take your emergency provisions with you. This Level is the most important preparedness accomplishment of all. You will learn what you need to be thinking about and what you can do to take care of your people.

Level 2: Is like Level 1, but you are now prepared for a crisis of up to 2 weeks long. Don't even think about this Level till you have completed Level 1 in every category. At this Level you build atop everything accomplished at Level 1.

If you skip around on the Levels when you are getting your stuff, you will run out of resources (money or time or energy or commitment or etc) before you accomplish the basics. Then your family is in danger. Stick to your plan.

Level 3: Like level 2, but for a 30 day long crisis. Transporting your provisions adds another dimension to your planning. You may need a small trailer.

Level 4: Upgraded to 60 days provisions and evacuation. Things become more complicated by the sheer volume of provisions (in all categories). A trailer is needed. Time to consider prepositioning (more on this later) some provisions and gear.

Level 5: Ninety days of provisions. Prepositioning is now necessary.

Level 6: Six months of provisions. Prepositioning needs to be expanded.

Level 7: A full year of provisions. Prepositioning needs to be expanded again. You should be seriously looking for land.

Level 8: Your own land off the beaten path, far from a large population base, with water, fertile soil, southern exposure, etc. Treat this as a vacation property while preparing to live there, possibly permanently. Everything about this place will be low key, out of sight, quiet, and defensible. Provisions for up to 4 years. Whatever is needed to grow food and raise appropriate farm animals (crop seeds, gear, buildings, equipment).





Catagories

These categories are listed in order of your survivability priority. We should always try to keep a balance of things and skills between categories. If you do not plan ahead you can easily end up with 500 pounds of food and no way to cook when the power goes out, or insufficient clothing, or no way to communicate, etc. These errors are a serious threat to your survivability.

Please keep these in balance. This is crucial to your success. Read Preparation Levels to get a handle on this.

The Categories in brief:

0 Planning Create plan A, then B and C plus variables in each category. No plan = plan to fail.

1 Water (hydration, cooking, cleaning & sanitation)

2 Food (Cooking, storage, growing...)

3 Clothing weather considerations; hot, cold, rain, snow, wind, etc and combinations of these: (plus layers, a plan for washing, drying, repairing) Footwear!

4 Shelter – If you have to evacuate your home, specifically where will you go? Alternatives? For the short term a tent), mid term (yurt, other?) longer term (ranch, tiny community)?

5 Protection – 1- Anonymity 2 - Stealth 3 - Evasion 4 - Be formidable 5 - Guns, ammo and practiced skill with each of these!

6 Transport – vehicles (car, truck, bikes, walking) with at least three alternative routes to each of your several possible destinations. Other considerations: fuel, oil, parts, etc for each mode. Maps, compass,

7 Health Physical & mental health, first aid, remedies, supplies,

8 Financial – Cash, silver, extra supplies. Digitized copies of your important records. Think about including charity and barter.

9 Comm (Communications) – Receiver AM/FM radio for news. FRS/GMRS and HAM for two way.

10 Power – Rechargeable batteries, chargers with multiple input sources (12VDC, 110 VAC, solar, wind?, pedal power? other?

11 Fun (Entertainment) Boredom quickly leads to stupid mistakes.

In all Levels and Categories you should have a plan A, B &, C. If it can go wrong, it will. Alternatives can be life savers, yet they need not be expensive, just thought through and planned.



Our Personal - Y2k

When Y2k was approaching my immediate family was experiencing desperate times. Long story short, we had recently experienced multiple mega tragedies. Simply put, we were stressed out beyond our ability to cope.



I remember being online at midnight 12/31/99 ready to watch our world end. So I was aware, I just was not able to function well enough to do anything about it. Thankfully, those particular horrible problems are behind for us. We are better people for them.



The reason for bringing this up: Many folks are facing terrible scenarios today. The housing bubble burst, the credit crunch crunched , peak oil peaked, prices are rising very quickly on everything - and there no end in sight. No one's income is growing fast enough to keep up. My adult children are worried. Heck, I'm worried.



Things are going to fall apart. We know this. Most of us reading this are functioning well enough to do something about preparing for the worst. There are many, many, more folks that are clueless, or simply unable to handle these times. I have been there.





Protection - Anonymity

Protecting yourself has layers. The first is anonymity. If you are not obvious about preps, appear to be just another sheeple, blow off other's talk about how bad things are getting, you will probably not be suspected of being an "Evil Food Hoarder", or worse (in the public eye), a survivalist.



For example, when buying a quantity of anything, pay cash (not a debit or credit card!) and do not use any type of ID in the process. This rules out club stores like Costco that track your purchases with your club card. Remain totally anonymous. I was stunned when I found out Costco tracked all my purchases (so does Safeway). It is uncomfortable to know that the authorities can find out we have a bunch of food stashed. I can see it now: after TSHTF, they declare us as "Evil Food Hoarders", and steal our preps "for the greater good". "The greater good" means feeding themselves while they go about the business of being "in control". I am hoping enough time has passed that last fall's purchases are falling off the radar. We are taking steps to mitigate these possibilities.



Do not store your preps where a neighbor can see you access it. Back your vehicle into (or up to) your place then haul it in on the QT, after dark if necessary.



Keep your preps to yourself. Hide them. Ours are on shelving in the insulated garage, but covered with various stuff ranging from some homemade cupboard doors (scrap 1/4" panels on hinges) to frilly curtains the wife made. The garage looks a bit messy, but normal with no sign of preps: lawn mower, work bench, a few miscellaneous boxes of stuff and some camping gear (in plain sight, though part of our preps).



Go about the business of prepping with your mouth shut. People remember the littlest comments at the worst possible times (like kids). When they are hungry and scared, they will recall you tried to talk them into prepping. This is not good. [More on this later.]



An old friend of mine one day commented that he thought I was doing a good thing (prepping) and wanted me to keep him posted on what all I was getting. Uh oh - I thought the hair on the back of my neck was gonna stand straight out. I let it drop and didn't said another word about prepping to him. Seven months later we were chatting about the cost of fuel when he asked how the prepping was going. Not good.



We are moving a few hundred miles away in a month or so. Our new address will be kept very quiet. We are still working out how to do this.



When I was first stocking up on 22 ammo I bought 10 bricks at a time at four different stores in the same chain. I paid cash and selected the checkout clerk carefully: a young lady obviously not paying close attention to anything. I got away with it then, but in the future I will buy only two or three bricks at a time using the same method. Things are different now...



Avoid calling attention to yourself and what you are doing. Act casual about it. Be anonymous.



Another example: Sam McCool is my pen name, each part borrowed from old time personal heroes of mine. In this way I hope to help others learn from my mistakes and do a better job of prepping for themselves without calling obvious attention to myself.



About finding other preppers: When you think you may have discovered another closet prepper, start very slowly with a light and casual prepping type comment. It shouldn't take much to figure out if they are or not. Even before this, consider what the upside is for you if they are a prepper. Generally speaking, the fewer that know you are a prepper, the better. That of course leads to another whole, and large, can of worms.



Be anonymous.





Protection - Stealth

Protection - The name of the game is survival, not ego feeding man stuff. Think Stealth.



In the 1960s and 70s I was a hot rodder. I built a bunch of fast cars, raced them, and miraculously, lived to tell about it. One in particular comes to mind today. I put a big Pontiac motor (a 389) in a '56 Chevy. The sucker was pretty quick when I was done with it. In those days cars like that were called sleepers. It looked factory stock. Later on I started adding cool stuff; chrome wheels, loud mufflers and so forth. By then it was a pseudo street rod, no longer a sleeper. But as a sleeper, that old '56 Chevy fooled a lot of folks. I didn't know it then, but it was stealth-like.



Today there are hundreds of things we can do to be stealth-like with our preps. One that comes to mind is NOT parading around the neighborhood in cammies and showing off your prep stuff. In light of my car-guy background, one might suppose I have a cool 4X4 with all the off-road goodies. I wish, but nope, not where I live today. That would stand out like a '23 Ford T-Bucket in the grocery store parking lot. Not smart. I do have a 4X4 that will go just about anywhere, but looks like a cleaned up beater thats never been off the road - just the look I was shooting for. I miss the rumble of power the last exhaust system had. Now my rig is as quiet as a new Cadillac. This sucks, but at least others won't hear me if I need to be stealthy.



An awesome, fully decked out 4x4 might take you virtually anywhere. A not-quite-standard 4X4 (with a locker rear end) will take you 95% of anywhere, and you just might still have money to get the little things, like enough stored food for the family. My 4X4 is a 1988. Does the job, and we have stored food, arms & ammo, gear and goodies. I am nowhere near ready for SHTF, but I am getting there without having to make payments on a cool truck.



Preps should be kept as quiet and personal as your underwear drawer. One of my pet peeves is the proverbial monster gun safe in plain sight. Showing off the manly collection of firearms is fun, BUT - Do you really want desperate folks (like your neighbors at/in SHTF) singling out your family as a possible source of food and gear they need very badly? Hide the safe.



Leaving ammo cans in plain sight, not good. Sure they're cool, and useful for lots more than just ammo, but they send multiple subtle messages. One of which is you are a manly man with guns and stuff, all the other subtle messages are about your family someday being a target of desperate folks. Stash them somewhere. And paint them any color but green or black. Mine are gray, boring, and hardly noticeable.



Protection - Clarification

Suppose you have a dozen large bars of solid gold. These particular magical golden bars need to be stored in a somewhat controlled environment that has limited access. You live in the suburbs.



You are stuck having to hide these, more or less, where others might accidentally get a peek.



Thus we go about figuring out ways to stash our preps. Thinking of your preps as golden bars instead of miscellaneous stuff might get you into a proper mood regarding who you want to know about your preps.



We have neighbors that are fine people. The proverbial cup of sugar is lent around the neighborhood. There is a reasonably good sense of community here.



The value of these magic golden bars means more to you than wealth, they represent the future survivability of your family.



Which of your neighbors do you want to look after your gold when you go away for a weekend?



We need to protect our preps. We start by keeping our preps secret. No one needs to know about it, unless your preps are for community use.



When TSHTF we will see a major paradigm shift. Stuff like food and other preps will become more valuable to Joe Citizen than gold. He will be desperate to feed and care for his family. If Joe knows about your stuff that he needs, you will become the bad guy - thus the enemy - your own community will turn on you and treat you as such. Instead of a prudent prepper, overnight you will become a "Food Hoarder".



Protection - Evasion

Huh? What the heck is this about? The first two layers of protection (Anonymity and Stealth) will go a long way towards preparation security. Evasion is a jump into the future, to the time when SHTF has happened. The following is a little story I wrote to illustrate the Evasion part of Protection planning.



Frank decided it was time to evacuate their home. He and his wife, Connie, spent the last three hours loading their buckets and boxes of preparations into their 4X4 and trailer, checking their preps, and going through their house to make sure they had what they needed. Frank's goal was to get his family out of danger and to their (relatively) safe land, 320 miles to the southeast.



Frank knew avoiding a confrontation is an especially good thing now. The kids were already scared. He knew the only chance they had was to move quickly, efficiently and quietly... right now. The last thing they wanted was some kind of trouble, he just wanted to get his family out of town. He was hoping that the further they got away from suburbia, the safer his family would be.



Finally they pulled out of the driveway in their bug-out-vehicle (sheesh, only yesterday it was just my 4X4!) with their loaded trailer in tow. Even though it was the middle of the night, there was a lot more traffic than they thought there would be.



Frank's crystal ball was a tad off, a zillion other folks were thinking the same thing - at the same time. Most of them are not prepared anywhere near as well as Frank's family. Then again, the "if onlys" were heavy on Frank's mind. If only we left yesterday. If only we had practiced bugging out. If only, if only, if only...



There was palpable tension in the air. Drivers were rude, worse than during his normal morning commute to work. Always more perceptive, Connie saw this as people being afraid, half out of their minds with worry, and probably closer to doing stupid things. Like starting a riot.



Their clever plan to use the back roads and stay off the highways and main roads was in peril; apparently a number of other folks had the same plan. Though the traffic was thinning as they got farther away from town, there was still an inordinate number of travelers for such a time and place. They started to calm down a little as traffic continued to thin the farther out of town they got.



They saw that folks had all kinds of stupid stuff packed in their vehicles (TVs, toasters and such). Suddenly Frank was not all that pleased with his well tarped load, he noticed several people looking at it with open curiosity. Uh oh. "Connie, we need to get on an even less traveled road. What are our options?"



She pulled out their evacuation map and looked at the possible routes Frank had marked on the map last year. Connie had him turn left off this crowded little county road and proceed to use their Alternative Route #3. A mile or two later they found that they were alone on the road. Frank was relieved that the possible threats seem less, yet at the same time they were alone in unfamiliar territory. He kept going, aware that they had over 280 miles to go, as the crow flies. He had no idea how far they had to drive on this route. Another "if only".



By mid morning Frank was really tired. The family needed to take a break; it was time for meal, to use a bathroom, walk the dog, and it wouldn't hurt to top off the gas tanks from the supplies in the trailer. They started looking for a likely place to pull over and take a break. Its not like there were west coast freeway rest stops out here, in fact they were just glad the road was paved. Another "if only"; Frank should have actually driven this route and figured out possible rest points.



A big problem occurred to Frank. With the trailer he cannot turn around just anywhere; the roads out here were barely two lanes wide. Taking a gravel side road was a big risk because he couldn't turn around. He wondered where are they would stop for a break, maybe even a short nap. There is very little traffic, so eventually he pulled over as best he could in a wide spot and searched the evacuation map for a likely spot. Another "if only". He wished he had a more detailed map of the area.



A pickup truck pulled up beside them from the opposite direction. Both Frank and Connie were looking at their map and didn't see it coming. The two men in it were checking out their trailer, "You lost Mister?"



In a flash Frank realized: he is a stranger to them; everyone knows the SHTF; his hand gun is inconveniently located in his holster, tucked under the safety belt; and the 4X4 was turned off. "We're just passing through, looking for a place to pull over and feed the kids." He was very aware of the one guy looking curiously at his trailer.



The older man said, "Folk around here ain't so friendly these days. Best to move along."



"Thanks neighbor," Frank said. He started the 4X4 and drove off, not too fast, but not messing around either. He told Connie to watch that truck till it was out of sight. The truck did not follow them.



By now the whole family really needed to use a bathroom. There was no traffic, so he told the family, "We are going to stop in a minute for a bathroom break. We are going to do this differently, there are no bathrooms. The ladies will use the right side of the road, the boys will use the left side. Break out the toilet paper, plus handy wipes to clean your hands."



A few of minutes later, he found a spot with a mile long view in both directions, so he stopped in the road. Everyone got out and did their business while Frank kept watch. Then Junior cared for the dog's needs, Connie took over the watch, and Frank did his business. The road was still clear, so Frank pulled a gas can from the trailer and poured it in the gas tank. It was still all clear, so he put two more cans of gas in the tank to top it off.



Frank pulled the truck forward 100' to escape the fragrances of his family's completed business. Then he kept the watch while Connie broke out food and drinks for everyone. Their daughter saw to the dog's meal.



Meanwhile Frank was wondering how to provide better access to his pistol, and for that matter, his rifle while driving. More "if onlys". He should have also made some provision for bathroom breaks, that was gross.



There is still no traffic, but everyone is staying close to the 4X4. Connie brought him a huge sandwich and a large cup of cold coffee. Once again he marveled at how smart, observant and thoughtful she is. After 20 minutes the family got back in the rig, all were ready to go.



Connie had her rifle beside her feet, barrel down. It had a loaded magazine in it, plus she had two more loaded mags in the door pockets, ditto for extra pistol magazines. Her pistol was tucked between her seat and the console for quick access. Frank put his pistol in the same place on his side, then he saw that Connie had put two loaded pistol mags in his door's pocket. He smiled when he saw she had a band aid over the end of her rifle barrel to keep stuff from getting in it.



Feeling much better, they started out again. Frank was wondering what else he should worry about. They had driven through six little towns so far on these back roads. They chose not to stop in any of them because of the very uncharacteristic, but obvious, unfriendliness in the few people they did see, and everyone they saw was armed. Were they worried about the "golden hoard"? Were they assuming we are squatters/refugees looking for a safe place to land?



What about ambush/roadblocks? He remembered reading about those in two excellent fictional survival books; Lights Out by Halfast, and Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse by James Wesley, Rawles. Another "if only" he should have planned for.



"Connie, I've been thinking about the way folks looked in every small town we've driven through. I guess they are worried about the coming refugee and squatter problems. I think we should avoid towns the rest of the way to our retreat. I remember reading about some people setting up roadblocks to ambush travelers for whatever they had with them."



Connie thought about this for a full minute before she said, "I think you have a good point. Find a place we can stop for a few minutes to re-plan our route around towns, especially Millersburg."



"Millersburg? Our place is only 12 miles from there. That will be our home town for sometime to come. What are you getting at?" Frank asked.



"Do you really want those folks to see us drive through town in this rig loaded down with buckets of stored food?"



"Well, duh. At least one of us is thinking. Good call Connie." Frank stopped on the crest of a small hill so he could watch for miles while Connie figured out a route to their land. This time he used his binoculars and studied the road very, very carefully.



Half an hour later Connie called Frank over, "Sorry it took so long Honey, we have quite a tangle of roads and three little towns to get around. So many of the roads wind up either going through or very close one town or another. If my calculations are right, we are only about 15 miles from the cabin, but we have to drive nearly 40 miles to get there safely." The kids cheered and climbed in. "The first thing we have to do is turn around and go back 3 miles, then turn left on..."



They made it to their cabin on 12 acres without further incident.



Evasion can be (should be) way more detailed for countless situations. This is my attempt to introduce the concept.





Protection - Formidability

Just so you know, it was a coin toss for me as to which comes first, Formidability or Evasion. It depends on what happens around you, and when.



Being formidable is not about size, that helps of course, but that is not it. Among the most formidable people I ever met is a little lady named Tracy. No kidding.



In my misspent youth I was a brawler. I'm just big enough to irritate those very few shorter fellas that feel the need to take down a guy because he is taller. Years later I learned that many of the fights I got into were because I was an easy-going wuss. Well... after a tour in Vietnam something changed in me. Nobody picked fights with me anymore. Vietnam gave me a certain level of formidability.



Webster's on-line dictionary defines it this way: Formidability: formidable



1 : causing fear, dread, or apprehension

2 : having qualities that discourage approach or attack

3 : tending to inspire awe or wonder



Definition #2 is the subject of today's little chat. "Having qualities that discourage approach or attack." If you are seven feet tall with 300 pounds of solid muscle, that ought to do the trick.



But what about Tracy, at 5'6" and maybe 130 pounds? When we were camping one year, she stopped a bunch of bikers in their tracks, torn them a new one, and sent them packing with their heads hanging. I saw the whole thing (and thought I was gonna get killed protecting her - I never had to do a thing, whew!). Trust me, she has frozen this boy in his tracks with just a look. She has one of those aforementioned "qualities" so rudely not clarified by Mr. Webster.



Wouldn't it be cool to be a formidable creature when SHTF. Folks getting mugged right and left while you dance between the raindrops, so to speak.



Sorry, I don't have any instant formidability pills. Some guys that go off to war come back with it. It is more than simply self confidence, or a certain strut when walking. Lots of guys try to act like they have it, they mimic what they've seen on the tube. Nope, that don't work in a real pinch. You and I have seen many a "tough guy" melt when confronted for real. I've seen some little dogs with it. What the heck is this formidability thing?



I asked my lovely bride (of 35 years, last week) to define formidability for me. "Some creatures radiate a certain essence from their inner core." Excellent, but not clear enough for our purposes here today.



From The American Heritage Dictionary: #3 is: Difficult to undertake, surmount, or defeat: a formidable challenge; a formidable opponent.



The best definition for preparedness purposes is from Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary: Exciting fear or apprehension; impressing dread; adapted to excite fear and deter from approach, encounter, or undertaking; alarming.



In particular, I like the "deter from approach, encounter, or undertaking" part.



This is what I came up with. Suppose you are confronted with situation that requires you put someone down, or die yourself. That moment is not the time to decide whether or not you can take a human life. That soul searching choice had better be made long beforehand, long before you take up arms to defend yourself and/or your people. If you don't, you will die in the moment you are thinking about it. When you make the decision, in your soul, that you will do the deed, something changes inside you. You become a tad more formidable. Becoming a first rate marksman adds to this choice (it does not replace it!). Excelling in certain martial arts does the trick too. Part of this is self confidence, sure. Another part is the knowledge, as apposed to the belief, that you can, and will, take down your opponent. People can sense this, they can feel somehow that they are in real danger.



Considerable experience, real experience, at controlling a threat seems to be one of the common denominators of those with formidability. Another is courage, facing a threat whether you feel fear at the time or not. Tracy is not a physical threat, but she gets the job done rather well. Whatever her thing is, she has become really good at it.



When some yahoo starts talking tough, it is just talk. He is just trying to pump up his bravado to do what he thinks he can do, and has done so many times, but only in his dreams.



As soon as he says, "I'm gonna [whatever his threat is]", take the threat as real and beat on him till he is whimpering. Do not listen to him pump up his bravado, just do it. The down side to doing this is some of these tough talking critters are cowards. They may come back with friends, or try to hurt someone you care about, to hurt you however they can. Watch your back. The best way to stop this is to physically hurt this fool so much that he is not just a little scared, but terrified of you. Leave the area promptly. [My opinion only - this is not a recommendation.]



A policeman in uniform, with his holstered gun and all sorts gear on his belt, and especially dark sunglasses, looks formidable. Some of this is our human conditioning. Policemen are an "Authority", and oftentimes it is the person in the uniform as well.



A jovial cop is not particularly formidable, neither is one with attitude (the attitude is scary only because of the authority behind it). This is why, IMO, most cops try for the "poker face" non-expression. It works fairly well. We also presume cops have all sorts of training and expertise.



Protection - Firearms

(plus ammo and practiced skill)



Our dad gave my brother and me each a tube feed .22 bolt action rifle and a single shot 16-gauge shotgun when we were 11 and 12. First came all the gun safety lessons of course, then he showed us how they worked in detail (he was an engineer). Dad was a good teacher, with high expectations. We both became pretty good shots and learned not to waste ammo.



In the military I was introduced to the 1911 45ACP. I did okay, but I was not near as good as I was with a rifle. After Vietnam, I went plinking twice, then didn't shoot again for 35 years. Do not misunderstand, I have believed in, and wholeheartedly supported the second amendment since the first day I understood it.



When I became preparedness aware I realized it was time to get back into firearms. I decided my bride and I should, as much as possible, have the same brand and model in all our weapons.



So, whats "the word" on weapons choice in the self defense-preparedness-survival world? The answer is easy: every caliber ever invented is the only smart choice - according to someone or another - ditto for weapon type, brand, model and ammunition too. The only consensus I found is that we should be armed. There are a number of very bright gun guys out there, and sometimes they even agree! I gotta say, I really enjoyed this research. Nearly everyone is quite passionate about their choice of caliber and weapon. In the end, it really is very personal.



I had the advantage of knowing guns rather well (decades ago) and I was starting from scratch at the same time. There is a ton of cool stuff available today. After a few weeks (the wife says months) of reading everything I could find on the subject, going to gun shows, and bugging my friends about what they think, I realized I was having a wonderful time. Guns are fun!



During this time of research, one of the things that surprised me is the recommendation that we should have a minimum of 5,000 rounds per weapon stored for preparedness. I thought that was nuts myself, so I did a little investigating. I read the accounts of the LA Riots (1992) in which one Korean family fired 2,000 rounds in six days protecting their business and family. I thought about this for awhile. Theirs was one of the few businesses not destroyed in the area. They could not call a "time out" and go shopping for more ammo. They had food, weapons and ammo on hand when they needed it. Good plan, and it worked. So I factored the cost of "minimal" ammo into my planning.



That thoroughly screwed up my great plan for weapons. The cost of 5,000 rounds of 45ACP starts at about $1,500 (as of this writing), plus the pistol and gear (cleaning stuff, magazines, holsters, etc) is at least $600 - call it $500 used. Thats $2,000 each - $4,000 for the wife and I together! My vow not to cuss was seriously taxed.



There is always a bright side. This got me to thinking about what we are preparing for. We needed a bunch of other stuff, like stored food and a zillion other things. This is when the concept of Levels of Preparedness was born. Everyone needs to start somewhere and get the ball rolling. A preparedness plan of some sort seemed in order. First we needed to get the basics in every Category of Preparedness for a 7 day long problem (Level 1), then add more stuff to be prepped for 2 weeks (Level 2), then a month (Level 3), and so on.



As the length of the emergency increases, so does the threat level. A week long emergency is bad of course, but it is not likely to unhinge my little world resulting in rampant crime. A month long emergency is a horse of a different color.



Relating this to firearms turned out pretty good. We needed to start with small bore weapons for training anyway, to build up the wife's confidence and our skills before we went to the larger bore weapons. At the same time, a 22 will likely be enough of a deterrent to keep honest folks honest in a small emergency (Level 1, maybe Level 2), before the unprepared folk's desperation becomes a big factor. Plus we would have some money left to work on the rest of our categories.



The 22 pistols, with 10,000 rounds, plus all the gear, spare parts, magazines, and supplies cost less than $800 for both of us. We now shoot a lot, the wife is having a ball (whew) and we are getting pretty good. Personally, I am way better with the little 22 pistol than I ever was with a 45.



After we got the 22 pistols we bought 22 rifles (and all the stuff: ammo, mags, parts, etc). Then larger bore pistols. Next is larger bore rifles, then matching M1 Abrams (hers will have pink tones)...



I have avoided mentioning any specific weapons. I will write about what and why we got the particular guns we did. I will also detail what, why, and how (with pictures) I set them up as I did. Right now I am writing as often as I can to explain the concepts of the Categories and Levels of Preparedness.



I just reread this so I could post. Being an airhead, I left out a significant part of Protection prep: shooting skill. Opps.



Just about the time humans are comfortable enough with guns to think we won't shoot ourselves, we also start thinking we are more powerful, even formidable. This is a natural feeling of course, but it will get you killed. A gun is formidable, not you. Well... maybe you, but not most of us until we have deeply ingrained multiple skills with our little fire-sticks. Accuracy under many varying conditions is the bigger goal, but so is judgement, various reactions, mind set, predisposed decisions, and a host of other things.



There will always be the yahoos that think holding a gun will change them. Our job is to develop the responsibility and talents that go with guns. This takes training and a lot of practice.



The Fallacy of Bugging Out – Are You Prepared to Be a Refugee?

Survival Acres

April 19th, 2012

www.SurvivalAcres.com

Many websites, blogs and forums have covered the topic of bugging out in excruciating detail, all under the assumption that this will be a necessary escape plan for many of us when the proverbial shit hits the fan. This notion is predicated upon the belief that escape and evasion, necessary for your immediate survival will be a (likely) event that you must plan and prepare for now.

However, nothing could be further from the real and actual truth. This cherished myth is a deceptive and dangerous notion that has little place in reality. I’ve long held a stance against this notion because in nearly all cases and all situations, this is a very bad idea with oftentimes fatal consequences. Bugging out is embracing the refugee lifestyle – a very bad idea. Refugees throughout history have fared very badly, suffered extreme hardship and deprivation, with many not surviving the experience. There is a far better alternative to this.

The rejection of the “bug out” mythology flies in the face of the so-called ‘expert advice’ and theory being proposed by many websites and authors, who are also very active in selling products and gear specifically oriented around this concept. You could say quite rightly, that there is indeed a agenda at work here, but it is not one in your best interests. Hold onto your pockets and read on.

Bugging out entails leaving everything you are, and everything you own, and everything you use, day in and day out, and everything you cannot carry or transport with you, behind. Not only behind, but inaccessible, unusable and abandoned, potentially forever.

How much of our lives, and the things within our lives, do we truly want to abandon? You will also leaving behind all rules of normalcy, the concept of “plenty” and abundance (which also means replacements and repair), all laws, rules, behavior and expectations that we have come to expect from each other and within our society, both good and bad.

Let’s make a list of these things to put this reality into perspective:

You will be leaving behind your job (income), perhaps your family (wife, kids), your home (shelter), your friends (support network), your contacts (other people you know), your bank accounts (money), your credit (ruined), your retirement (pension), your property and everything you own (everything you cannot carry with you), your vehicles (except perhaps one, at least until the gas tank is empty), your future (prospects, employment, credibility, integrity). Don’t forget things also left behind, such as electricity, running water, Internet access, news and information, communications, telephone and even cell service, a warm, dry bed and other ‘essentials’, some more then others.

You will also leave behind all expectations of normalcy, decency, morality and expectations, i.e., a “normal life”, forever – more on that below.

If you were dependent upon a job, it will be gone. You will have either been fired or laid off with a ruined reference for any future employment. You would not be able to pay your rent or your mortgage, your utility bills or any of your monthly obligations. If they’ve lapsed far enough, then you would be facing bankruptcy and / or forfeiture of your (remaining) assets, or at the very least, their liquidation (if you still have them) in order to survive a few more weeks.

It’s possible your kids or your wife could be gone, having abandoned you for abandoning them or sucked up into the system by the welfare state or child protective services. Your marriage could be in ruins, your family and friends could disown you, but in any case, what would be left of your relationships could potentially be in complete tatters. Worthwhile? You decide.

Your connections to society and civilization would also be destroyed, or certainly damaged, perhaps beyond repair. In effect, you’d be “cashing out” completely and perhaps forever, of the life you’ve lived and starting over. Worthwhile? You decide.

But you’d be alive! (supposedly).

In effect, bugging out will mean you will be totally abandoning your present life in exchange for huddling under a tree in the woods, trying to avoid hypothermia and starvation, wondering where you next meal will come from, and how long you can hold out in your new ‘reality’. And whatever it was that you chose to run away from — will still be there. This is perhaps the most overlooked point of all.

How long could you hold out? Not long. The reasons are many, but they are sound.

The need to bug out is an exceedingly tiny reality — a future event that will probably never happen. But it is not a zero possibility (nothing is, not even an alien invasion). Yet this topic still receives a ridiculous amount of attention despite its extremely low probability, which makes no sense at all. The reason is because escapism is thought to be a ’solution’ versus contributing to the problem. It’s not, as the points above demonstrate.

Running — from whatever the problem is, usually ensures that you are taking your problems with you. Only if your life is in immediate danger does running offer a better opportunity then staying put and dealing with the problem. Running does not make problems go away, it will very often make them much worse.

Running is also thought of as being romantic, adventurous and even ‘brave’ in some circles. Taking on the world all by yourself while you’re on the run is a common theme in movies and books, but has nothing to do with real life. Running means you’re in full-blown survival mode and all bets are off, including all notions of morality, right and wrong, doing the “right thing” and what you can even reasonably expect to happen. Anything can happen if you run, and often does, because you are replacing all of your security for a whole series of things unknown (and insecure).

Did you know that if you abandon the system, then the system will also abandon you? Nobody much talks about this point, but it is true. You will find yourself outside of society, unhelped and unhelpable, unknown, disconnected and even hated for being what you have now become. With no address, connections, no references, no family or friends, nothing with which to help connect you back into society, society will turn its back upon you in fear, and you will be outside of all normal channels of help and assistance, effectively cut off. This is a huge issue, but nobody ever mentions it.

To The Woods

Bugging out is usually assumed to mean “to the woods” where survivors, patriots, militia, end-timers and others will be making “their last stand” (apparently together, whether they like it or not) while roasting hotdogs and marshmallows. Instead, it will be the last man standing over a pile of rotted and half-eaten corpses, since the food and supplies and the notions of ‘living off the land’ will have died out with the last slaughtered deer to be found. And every ’survivor’ will have been hoping all along that nobody has turned them in for poaching.

Campsites, caves and hidey-holes will have become armed, dirty and infested encampments of hungry and desperate men (the surviving women would have long since been forced into prostitution and slavery), all fighting over the remaining scraps to be found (and newcomers showing up) necessary for their survival. Informants, traitors, thieves, murderers, rapists and thugs will quickly become the defining characteristic, with the strongest ruling (or eating) the weak. Those who arrive “first” will potentially be better prepared to prey upon the late-comers or the weak, so if you are still planning on trying this, get your seat at the table early.

Think not? This is exactly what happens during civil wars and internal conflicts when a country turns against itself. The war in Bosnia saw tens of thousands of murders, rapes and thefts as the people turned on each other. It was a fight for survival, for food, for weapons, for money, for women.

It has happened all over the world, and it will happen again. Whenever there is not enough to go around, and whenever there is strife, secrecy and conflict, those involved will resort to whatever methods of survival that they have to in order that they might live another day by whatever means possible. It will be no picnic, no romantic “retreat into the woods” where faith, truth, righteousness or rebellion will flourish and grow. Instead, it will be a bloodbath where the young, old and the weak succumb the quickest. I suggest you bring lots of Tabasco sauce, as it does make the meat taste better.

Bugging out also means you are leaving the norms of society behind. These are the rules, laws, restrictions and expectations that you have come to expect (and largely appreciate) that govern human behavior. Would-be dictators and gang leaders will spring forth from unlikely sources. Since there is nothing to hinder them, then they will allow themselves to be unhindered. Unrestrained, you will find the true nature of what your “friends” can really be. You’ll soon regret not locking up the mad caps among you and taking away their weapons. If food or medical supplies are in short supply, then expect gang on gang, tribe on tribe warfare to begin. Expect slavery, torture, imprisonment and rape. Also expect the nearby communities (cities, towns, villages) to become their prey, as theft, robbery and murder to go hand in hand with their (daily) need for food and other things like fuel and medical supplies.

Inversely, you could also expect smart and prepared communities to expel, exterminate and hunt down these refugees if things get way out of hand, exacerbating an already bad situation. Forget for a moment the military or law enforcement going after these woodland refugees (a topic unto itself), the locals themselves will not be the helping hand that you may have naively come to expect, especially if you or your gang have already trod upon their welcome mat. They’re trying to survive too, and live normal, unfettered lives as best they can. They don’t need nor appreciate you coming along and messing things up. Camping out in their back yard or nearby forests will often pit you against them in violent and lethal ways. And they will be far more adept then you are outlasting you because they will have the infrastructure and support network to do so.

Survivalism is only rarely about ’surviving in the woods’. Rather, survivalism is about living, and staying alive, and how you might do that while experiencing as few hardships as you can. Bugging out to the woods to survive your end-time fantasies is going to be a quick path to death for the majority of people that try this route. There is a better alternative to this.

Staying Alive

Bugging out is never quite what everyone seems to think it is, where living off the land and finding adequate nutrition and staying healthy is grossly overlooked. Many people claim that they can “do it”, yet return year after year from hunting season empty handed. When the beer runs out, they head home. Or when the food is bland or gone, they’re beating tracks as fast as they can to the nearest restaurant. These ’survivalists’ and ‘outdoorsman’ will not survive their voluntary refugee status by bugging out, but they will (if they show up, far from home) be a serious problem for the locals.

You will burn up a tremendous amount of calories (as much as 3 – 4 times as normal) while trying to live off the land. Finding and building shelter, hunting and gathering for food and water, providing heat, establishing security and working and waking / walking for long hours at a time, will cause you to expend far more calories then you will be taking in. Even if you are very well supplied, you won’t be for long (you cannot carry enough). Foraging for food will very rarely provide enough calories versus what you are expending while looking. You will quickly go into a calorie deficit, burning off fats and muscles as your body adapts to your new environment and demands.

I’ve seen lot of ill-informed discussion of ‘nomadic lifestyle’ whereas the individual or group is roaming about, living off the land. This notion is pure b.s., as it is calorie-deficient, ill-advised for security reasons and will increase the risk of injury and health issues. You will need to preserve calories — not expend them (if you can).

Calorie deficiency cannot last very long (mere days in most cases) before your health diminishes and your strength drops. You risk hypothermia, vitamin deficiencies and a higher risk of contracting illness and injury due to your weakened condition. Unless your nutritional needs are met and you are able to also stay warm and dry, avoiding hypothermia (core temperature drop) and frostbite / exposure, then it is just a matter of time before you become incapacitated, unable to effectively help yourself.

There are countless examples of ‘modern day survivalists’ who have found this out, believing that they too could live off the land and survive, but lacking the skills and experience to do so. Additionally, our forests are not the cornucopia of food waiting to be plucked many seem to think, they’re vastly depleted monocultures of trees, lacking sufficient edible foods and wildlife. Some of these people wound up dead, others were found or rescued. All of them learned that foraging for sufficient nutrition and calories is why we have modern farms — it is the most efficient way of meeting our nutritional needs. Even growing your own food at home in a controlled environment (garden) with a plentiful supply of soils, seeds, water, tools and time is extremely difficult, if not nearly impossible for most of us (really) to meet all your daily nutritional needs, all while leading a far less demanding lifestyle then living off in the woods in survival mode. I’ve long been advocating sustainable living and raising your own food, but here in the woods where I live, I cannot even grow half of the food I need to stay alive and healthy, let alone expect to hunt it down. Nor can I grow enough to feed my family, compounding the nutritional needs required.

Bugging out is in nearly all cases, a very bad idea, fraught with danger and pitfalls, destined for failure and doom for those that believe that this will be “their answer” to whatever they’re running away from. It would only be necessary in the most extreme circumstances (extremely rare) and for very extremely short periods of time and for extremely few (skilled) people. This rules out almost everyone else. You would need to return to civilization far sooner then many seem to be planning for. If you did run off into the woods, you’d soon be back (as many Y2K refugees found out). Wouldn’t it then be a better solution to avoid this unnecessary step altogether if you could?

Ultimately, this then is the far better solution — bugging in, back to safety, food, heat, clothing, medical attention and survival. If you truly think that you foresee a need to bug out — then revise your plans to bug in to a new location within civilization where you can find (or work for) food, clothing, shelter, safety and security (including an income) where your survival is a far more sure thing. This is the only long-term answer there really is. You will also be in a much better situation to deal with whatever the problem was in the first place that caused you to leave.

I do not have a bug out bag anymore, since it no longer makes any sense to me to have one. I do have cash, toys, tools, vehicles and other things of interest at my disposal. Disappearing off into the woods is a dead end and it will not work for the vast majority of people that would try this. You would have to come out sooner then you think (if you survive) and return to life within civilization somewhere. You’re not going to live off the land indefinitely, and not even as long as you may think, so it makes far more sense in your ‘escape plan’ to prepare for living someplace else instead.

The entire concept of bugging out truly needs to be redefined to fit within the parameters of reality and how this would really work for the vast majority of people. Leaving for reasons of safety, security, natural disasters or some other valid reason is perfectly acceptable — but where you go and how you will plan on surviving while you are there seems to be where this theory falls flat on its face against reality. Having the means to leave, but having some place to go, where you can find safety, food, shelter and sustainability is key to a true “bug out” plan. Planning on disappearing into the woods is in all probability one of the worst ideas you could attempt. You would have to come out sooner or later, weakened, possibly sick or injured, broke, destitute and impoverished — a true self-made refugee. Basically, a dumb idea all around, one that should only be tried in the most extreme circumstances and only for the adept.