Some Practical Questions About The Coronavirus Epidemic
ZeroHedge.com Sun, 01/26/2020 - 20:05
Authored by Charles Hugh Smith via OfTwoMinds blog,
Restrictions that allow a significant number of people to move about, either with official approval or unsanctioned "black market" activity, cannot stop the spread of contagious diseases.
Like everyone else, I've been reading the mainstream media reports on the Coronavirus epidemic. I haven't found any information about the practicalities that immediately occur to me, such as:
1. When public transportation is halted and commerce grinds to a halt as people avoid public places and gatherings, thousands of employees no longer go to work. Who pays their wages while the city is locked down? The employers? Then who compensates the employers, since their income has also gone to zero?
Does China have a universal unemployment insurance system that can quickly issue payments to all people who are no longer going to work and getting a paycheck from an employer?
What about the thousands of migrant workers who don't have regular employers? Who pays them? If they're technically not officially sanctioned residents of the city, they don't exist in government records.
2. If people idled by the lockdown are supposed to live off savings, what about all the marginal workers with few resources? What are they going to live on once their meager savings are gone?
3. Given the choice of obeying the lockdown rules and starving or slipping out of the city to find paid work somewhere else, how many migrant workers will choose to slip away?
4. Unlike the developed West, many people in China still have ancestral villages to return to, rural towns where their grandparents or or other close relatives live. If work has dried up and you're fearful of catching a potentially lethal virus, wouldn't it make sense to slip out of the city and make your way back to the village where you can hunker down until the epidemic blows over?
Since people who caught the virus may not know they're a carrier, how will this migration not spread the disease to rural areas with few medical resources?
5. The typical city has about a week's supply of food, fuel, etc. at best. If the lockdown runs longer than a few days, scarcities of essentials will ignite hoarding, and remaining supplies will be snapped up.
Since the city's residents need food, fuel, etc., it must be brought in regardless of the lockdown. This brings outside workers into the city and provides residents desperate to flee avenues to escape the lockdown. Every individual involved in this system is potentially exposed to the virus or is a potential asymptomatic carrier of the virus leaving the city.
These realities leave officials with an impossible choice: either truly isolate the city, which isn't possible for more than a few days, or allow the stupendous flow of goods required to sustain millions of city residents, thereby creating uncontrollable avenues for the virus to spread beyond the city as transport workers and those fleeing the lockdown travel to other cities.
6. The only way to end a contagion is to identify every carrier of the disease and immediately isolate them in full hazmat mode, and then track down every individual they had contact with during the incubation/asymptomatic period of the disease--up to two weeks--and isolate all these individuals until they either develop the disease or pass through the crisis unharmed.
This was the basic procedure used to end the SARS epidemic in 2003. As this article from the The New England Journal of Medicine explains (Another Decade, Another Coronavirus, (via correspondent Cheryl A.), the Wuhan Coronavirus shares characteristics with SARS and cannot be dismissed as just another run-of-the-mill flu virus.
During this process of isolating / quarantining everyone with the disease and everyone they had close contact with, all healthcare workers caring for these people must also remain isolated from the general populace lest they become infected and spread the disease outside the quarantine.
Treating people in crowded hospitals where hundreds of people are coming and going and moving freely into the rest of the city won't stop a contagion from spreading.
If the only way to end a contagion is to identify every carrier of the disease and immediately isolate them, and then track down every individual they had contact with during the incubation/asymptomatic period of the disease--is this even possible in China now?
7. China is making a big show about sending 1,000 doctors to Wuhan, but precisely what medical treatments are available for this virus, how effective are these treatments, and do they require a physician to be administered? If the answers are: there are no effective targeted medical treatments for this virus, and doctors are not required to administer what is available, then why expose a scarce resource--physicians--to the disease since they really can't do much to halt it or heal the patients?
Isn't sending 1,000 doctors to Wuhan more a PR move than anything else? And if it's basically a PR stunt to appear to be "doing something," doesn't that call the entire official response into question?
If there is no targeted treatment available, then the recovery of the patient is a function of their immune system. Building tent hospitals that are porous--healthcare workers returning home after their shift, relatives visiting the stricken, workers moving supplies in and out of other facilities, etc.--will do little to isolate carriers and potential carriers. And since complete isolation is the only way to stem the contagion, these porous tent hospitals won't do much to limit the contagion.
8. Are the travel bans on tours and other travel restriction measures 100%, in other words, not a single individual is being allowed in or out? If the travel restrictions are haphazard, then what's stopping asymptomatic carriers of the virus from traveling freely around the world?
There are many other practical questions about the epidemic and China's response that aren't being addressed in the conventional media. While we don't know precisely how contagious and lethal the virus is at this point--and it could mutate into a more contagious and lethal variation within a carrier at any moment--we do know complete isolation of every carrier and everyone they had close contact with is the only way to end the contagion.
We also know cities can't truly be isolated for longer than a few days, and we know people can't live without food, water, fuel, etc. and money to buy these essentials. We also know that restrictions that allow a significant number of people to move about, either with official approval or unsanctioned "black market" activity, cannot stop the spread of contagious diseases.
ZeroHedge.com Sun, 01/26/2020 - 20:05
Authored by Charles Hugh Smith via OfTwoMinds blog,
Restrictions that allow a significant number of people to move about, either with official approval or unsanctioned "black market" activity, cannot stop the spread of contagious diseases.
Like everyone else, I've been reading the mainstream media reports on the Coronavirus epidemic. I haven't found any information about the practicalities that immediately occur to me, such as:
1. When public transportation is halted and commerce grinds to a halt as people avoid public places and gatherings, thousands of employees no longer go to work. Who pays their wages while the city is locked down? The employers? Then who compensates the employers, since their income has also gone to zero?
Does China have a universal unemployment insurance system that can quickly issue payments to all people who are no longer going to work and getting a paycheck from an employer?
What about the thousands of migrant workers who don't have regular employers? Who pays them? If they're technically not officially sanctioned residents of the city, they don't exist in government records.
2. If people idled by the lockdown are supposed to live off savings, what about all the marginal workers with few resources? What are they going to live on once their meager savings are gone?
3. Given the choice of obeying the lockdown rules and starving or slipping out of the city to find paid work somewhere else, how many migrant workers will choose to slip away?
4. Unlike the developed West, many people in China still have ancestral villages to return to, rural towns where their grandparents or or other close relatives live. If work has dried up and you're fearful of catching a potentially lethal virus, wouldn't it make sense to slip out of the city and make your way back to the village where you can hunker down until the epidemic blows over?
Since people who caught the virus may not know they're a carrier, how will this migration not spread the disease to rural areas with few medical resources?
5. The typical city has about a week's supply of food, fuel, etc. at best. If the lockdown runs longer than a few days, scarcities of essentials will ignite hoarding, and remaining supplies will be snapped up.
Since the city's residents need food, fuel, etc., it must be brought in regardless of the lockdown. This brings outside workers into the city and provides residents desperate to flee avenues to escape the lockdown. Every individual involved in this system is potentially exposed to the virus or is a potential asymptomatic carrier of the virus leaving the city.
These realities leave officials with an impossible choice: either truly isolate the city, which isn't possible for more than a few days, or allow the stupendous flow of goods required to sustain millions of city residents, thereby creating uncontrollable avenues for the virus to spread beyond the city as transport workers and those fleeing the lockdown travel to other cities.
6. The only way to end a contagion is to identify every carrier of the disease and immediately isolate them in full hazmat mode, and then track down every individual they had contact with during the incubation/asymptomatic period of the disease--up to two weeks--and isolate all these individuals until they either develop the disease or pass through the crisis unharmed.
This was the basic procedure used to end the SARS epidemic in 2003. As this article from the The New England Journal of Medicine explains (Another Decade, Another Coronavirus, (via correspondent Cheryl A.), the Wuhan Coronavirus shares characteristics with SARS and cannot be dismissed as just another run-of-the-mill flu virus.
During this process of isolating / quarantining everyone with the disease and everyone they had close contact with, all healthcare workers caring for these people must also remain isolated from the general populace lest they become infected and spread the disease outside the quarantine.
Treating people in crowded hospitals where hundreds of people are coming and going and moving freely into the rest of the city won't stop a contagion from spreading.
If the only way to end a contagion is to identify every carrier of the disease and immediately isolate them, and then track down every individual they had contact with during the incubation/asymptomatic period of the disease--is this even possible in China now?
7. China is making a big show about sending 1,000 doctors to Wuhan, but precisely what medical treatments are available for this virus, how effective are these treatments, and do they require a physician to be administered? If the answers are: there are no effective targeted medical treatments for this virus, and doctors are not required to administer what is available, then why expose a scarce resource--physicians--to the disease since they really can't do much to halt it or heal the patients?
Isn't sending 1,000 doctors to Wuhan more a PR move than anything else? And if it's basically a PR stunt to appear to be "doing something," doesn't that call the entire official response into question?
If there is no targeted treatment available, then the recovery of the patient is a function of their immune system. Building tent hospitals that are porous--healthcare workers returning home after their shift, relatives visiting the stricken, workers moving supplies in and out of other facilities, etc.--will do little to isolate carriers and potential carriers. And since complete isolation is the only way to stem the contagion, these porous tent hospitals won't do much to limit the contagion.
8. Are the travel bans on tours and other travel restriction measures 100%, in other words, not a single individual is being allowed in or out? If the travel restrictions are haphazard, then what's stopping asymptomatic carriers of the virus from traveling freely around the world?
There are many other practical questions about the epidemic and China's response that aren't being addressed in the conventional media. While we don't know precisely how contagious and lethal the virus is at this point--and it could mutate into a more contagious and lethal variation within a carrier at any moment--we do know complete isolation of every carrier and everyone they had close contact with is the only way to end the contagion.
We also know cities can't truly be isolated for longer than a few days, and we know people can't live without food, water, fuel, etc. and money to buy these essentials. We also know that restrictions that allow a significant number of people to move about, either with official approval or unsanctioned "black market" activity, cannot stop the spread of contagious diseases.
PPE For A Pandemic: A Guide To Personal Protective Equipment And Masks
ZeroHedge.com Sun, 01/26/2020 - 21:45
Authored by Cat Ellis via The Organic Prepper blog,
One of the problems with prepping for a pandemic is getting accurate information. When there’s a potential for a highly contagious and potentially deadly disease, people panic. Governments do what they can to minimize panic. This includes protective measures, like restricting travel. It can also mean controlling the release of information. We saw this with the West African Ebola outbreak, and we may be seeing it again with the Wuhan coronavirus.
Daisy reported on this earlier in her article, The Numbers for the Wuhan Coronavirus Outbreak Just Don’t Add Up. The official numbers released from China on confirmed infected and the low number of fatal outcomes compared to government response of locking down entire cities of millions of people under quarantine and health care workers seen in full hazmat gear seems incongruous.
Governments try to manage pandemic panic
Ebola was a top media story in 2014, as it spread from Guinea to Liberia and Sierra Leone. The public tuned in to hear the regular CDC updates from then CDC Director, Tom Frieden.
There was huge public outrage when several health care providers and volunteers from the US became ill and were transported back to the US for medical care. A nurse from Maine was quarantined in New Jersey before being released to Maine. Maine also sought to keep her in quarantine for observation. However, she was ultimately permitted to remain at home during her observation, in spite of the protests from her neighbors.
Then, it happened. The first case of Ebola in the US was confirmed in a traveler from Liberia, Thomas Eric Duncan. Two nurses contracted Ebola while caring for Mr. Duncan. One nurse had even boarded a plane for a vacation before being diagnosed. Tensions rose steeply as President Obama appointed Ron Klain, as his Ebola Response Coordinator. The media dubbed Klain Obama’s “Ebola Czar”.
Klain, a Fannie Mae lobbyist with had no medical background, was known for his unique ability to circumnavigate government bureaucracy and government regulations. Within weeks of Klain’s appointment to Ebola Czar, the Associated Press released a statement that was sent to editors that there would be no more stories on Ebola cases unless it also involved a major upset or delay, as happened with a cruise ship being turned away from port. Ebola was, essentially, out of the news.
Of course, that Ebola outbreak continued for over a year. But, you wouldn’t have known that by watching your regularly scheduled evening news.
Is China downplaying the Wuhan Coronavirus threat?
Downplaying the seriousness of a threat is nothing new. It’s much easier to manage information than to manage a panicked population. Unfortunately, it also puts people at risk. Saudi Arabia is a perfect example of this. When the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) first broke out, Saudi Arabia minimized the risk in its official reports. This led to a spread of MERS that didn’t need to happen.
A lot of questions surround the Wuhan coronavirus. There are the usual questions, such as how fast it is spreading, and how deadly it is. Then, there are other questions. Questions about why are millions of people under quarantine if there isn’t a significant threat? Why are health care workers being photographed moving patients wearing full-on hazmat gear? How legitimate are these photos anyway? Are they even from this outbreak?
We can’t know for sure, and uncertainty is the problem. Speculation is often a pointless exercise at best, and fear-mongering at worst. However, it is fair to have a certain amount of skepticism when it comes to anything to do with the Chinese government. They are already masters at manipulating and controlling their media.
As reported in Daisy’s article mentioned above, there are currently 900 confirmed cases worldwide with 26 fatalities. This is a mortality rate of just 2.88%. This is up by less than 1% from my article 2 days ago, Wuhan Virus Hits the US, What Preppers Need to Know. The overwhelming majority of these fatalities are reported to have been older men with a host of serious pre-existing conditions. Today, there was one fatality in a previously healthy man in his 30s.
Maybe I’m missing something, but if the risk of death from Wuhan coronavirus is still under 3%, that’s just not scary. Sure, it’s highly contagious. But, “highly contagious” does not automatically mean “highly fatal.” However, the response we have seen by the Chinese government, such as putting over 20 million people in quarantine, (now it’s 30 million) seems to be a bit of overkill.
There is, however, some precedence for these measures. China is opting to treat this outbreak as a Grade A infectious disease, as it did with SARS, because it is more effective to prevent its spread.
Currently, however, the new virus will be treated as a Grade A infectious disease, which requires the strictest prevention and control measures, including mandatory quarantine of patients and medical observation for those who have had close contact with patients, according to the commission.
At present, only two infectious diseases — bubonic plague and cholera — are classified as Grade A infectious diseases in China.
Wang Yuedan, an immunology professor at Peking University, said managing the new disease as Grade A will greatly help in its control and prevention. Some other serious infectious diseases, such as SARS, are also classified as Grade B infectious diseases, but have been managed as Grade A infectious diseases during their outbreaks, Wang said.
This is prudent, since we do not yet know if that relatively low mortality rate is accurate, or if it will continue to increase. And if it does, we certainly do not know by how much. The rationale at work here is that it is better to take extreme precautions now, rather than wait for proof that this virus is far more deadly than it appears at the moment.
I would love to believe that the Chinese government has taken these actions simply out of an abundance of caution. At the same time, this is China we’re talking about. A little, healthy skepticism is warranted.
Regardless of whether China is just being proactive, or if China actually is hiding the real risk, there will eventually be another major pandemic. Rather than wait for a deadly disease to visit your neighborhood, you should get prepped for a pandemic in advance.
Personal Protective Equipment
One easy thing you can do to prepare for a deadly pandemic is to have a solid supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) on hand. PPE prevents the spread of disease. These are items like facemasks, protective gloves, and so on that act as a barrier between you and pathogens.
The following PPE will allow you to create your own DIY hazmat suit. Please pay attention to sizing. All of these products were in stock and available within two to ten days from Amazon at the time of publication but please be aware that products are selling out extremely quickly right now.
Apron – Disposable Polypropylene
This goes on over everything else. If you just have scrubs, put this over your scrubs. If you have a suit, put this on over your suit. You want multiple layers of protection, and this is an easy-to-dispose option. (Disposal and decontamination options are important to consider.)
Base layer (Scrubs)
This is your base layer. Scrubs are made from durable fabric that stands up to the extra-harsh laundry chemicals used in hospitals. The fabric used is often treated to be antimicrobial.
Boot/Shoe Protectors
Shoe covers can protect shoes an boots from spills, if they are waterproof. Not all are. The boot/shoe protectors linked to above are waterproof.
Duct Tape
Duct tape has so many uses, I’m sure you already have some. You should, however, also keep some duct tape in your medical supplies. Use duct tape to tape down all seams of your chosen suit (example, where wrists meet gloves, where hood meets goggles, etc)
Encapsulated Suit
An encapsulated suit completely covers the body. While it covers the face, it still requires a respirator. It acts as a barrier against air, moisture, and water vapor, and it has taped seams to protect against spills. This was intended for industrial purposes, such as spraying pesticides. It isn’t cheap either. However, it offers more protection than either the Tyvek or Tychem suits.
Goggles
In the absence of a complete face shield, goggles will protect your eyes from being splashed with infected fluids, as well as from disinfectant chemicals. Goggles can fog up, so make sure you get some that resist fogging.
Nitrile Protective Gloves
These nitrile gloves are 9-mil thick and provide greater protection to your hands than cheaper, 4-mil gloves. However, it is better to wear a two-pair thickness.
Outer Protective Gloves
These go over your nitrile gloves. These provide another layer of protection but could impede any fine work you might need your fingertips for. Wear these when lifting a contagious person to move to another bed, stripping a bed of soiled linens, etc.
Protective Hood
This hood provides extra protection to the face. It can be worn over or underneath a mask but does not replace a respirator. Wear goggles over this hood and tape all along the seams between the goggles and the hood.
Respirator masks: N95 or P100 and extra P100 filters
N95 filters are disposable masks that will filter out particulates and aerosols. This level of protection was used by doctors working with SARS. Make sure you are using them correctly.
The P100 mask is a reusable mask. The P100 filters are an even more secure filter than the N95 filters. Here’s an article on selecting the right respirator masks.
Rubber Boots
Rubber boots will protect your feet and lower legs against standing in or being splashed by contaminated fluids.
Tyvek Suit
Tyvek suits offer more protection than scrubs, but less protection than a Tychem or encapsulated suit. These protect against many irritants and chemicals, and is often worn when doing pest extermination, asbestos removal, etc. They may not provide as much protection as other suits, but they are a cost effective way to add more protection.
Tychem Suit
This type of coverall offers more protection than the Tyvek suit. It is designed to withstand more caustic chemicals than a Tyvek suit. However, like Tyvek suits, it was intended for chemical and industrial applications, not medical. Still, it offers another layer of protection from potentially infected fluids.
For more specific information of PPE and preparing for a pandemic, please check out my book, Prepping for a Pandemic. That link is to the kindle version, as Amazon has been having a near impossible time keeping the paperback version in stock.
Is All That PPE Stuff Necessary?
My current opinion, which is subject to change as newer data becomes available, is that a full DIY hazmat suit is probably overkill for the Wuhan coronavirus. If we get better information and find out that 2019-nCoV has a much higher mortality rate than the current 3%, I’ll be dusting off my PPE supplies.
For now, carrying an N95 mask on you to prevent inhaling the virus if you thought you were at risk should be sufficient. Handwashing, hand sanitizers (if handwashing is not available), and nitrile gloves would also go a long way to reducing the spread of this or any contagious illness.
The idea here is, however, not to prep for just one possible pandemic disease, but for a range of potential pandemics. We don’t know what kinds of new and emerging diseases we might face. PPE, however, provides us with extra physical barriers between us and potentially deadly pathogens, whatever they may be.
And even if this coronavirus ends up not living up to all the media hype, still, by all means, stock up on PPE. It’s not like there’s a shelf life on things like rubber boots, goggles, or scrubs. At some point, even if it isn’t 2019-nCoV, there will be some emerging disease that does become the next great pandemic. When that happens, these supplies will be hard to come by and 10 times the price.
ZeroHedge.com Sun, 01/26/2020 - 21:45
Authored by Cat Ellis via The Organic Prepper blog,
One of the problems with prepping for a pandemic is getting accurate information. When there’s a potential for a highly contagious and potentially deadly disease, people panic. Governments do what they can to minimize panic. This includes protective measures, like restricting travel. It can also mean controlling the release of information. We saw this with the West African Ebola outbreak, and we may be seeing it again with the Wuhan coronavirus.
Daisy reported on this earlier in her article, The Numbers for the Wuhan Coronavirus Outbreak Just Don’t Add Up. The official numbers released from China on confirmed infected and the low number of fatal outcomes compared to government response of locking down entire cities of millions of people under quarantine and health care workers seen in full hazmat gear seems incongruous.
Governments try to manage pandemic panic
Ebola was a top media story in 2014, as it spread from Guinea to Liberia and Sierra Leone. The public tuned in to hear the regular CDC updates from then CDC Director, Tom Frieden.
There was huge public outrage when several health care providers and volunteers from the US became ill and were transported back to the US for medical care. A nurse from Maine was quarantined in New Jersey before being released to Maine. Maine also sought to keep her in quarantine for observation. However, she was ultimately permitted to remain at home during her observation, in spite of the protests from her neighbors.
Then, it happened. The first case of Ebola in the US was confirmed in a traveler from Liberia, Thomas Eric Duncan. Two nurses contracted Ebola while caring for Mr. Duncan. One nurse had even boarded a plane for a vacation before being diagnosed. Tensions rose steeply as President Obama appointed Ron Klain, as his Ebola Response Coordinator. The media dubbed Klain Obama’s “Ebola Czar”.
Klain, a Fannie Mae lobbyist with had no medical background, was known for his unique ability to circumnavigate government bureaucracy and government regulations. Within weeks of Klain’s appointment to Ebola Czar, the Associated Press released a statement that was sent to editors that there would be no more stories on Ebola cases unless it also involved a major upset or delay, as happened with a cruise ship being turned away from port. Ebola was, essentially, out of the news.
Of course, that Ebola outbreak continued for over a year. But, you wouldn’t have known that by watching your regularly scheduled evening news.
Is China downplaying the Wuhan Coronavirus threat?
Downplaying the seriousness of a threat is nothing new. It’s much easier to manage information than to manage a panicked population. Unfortunately, it also puts people at risk. Saudi Arabia is a perfect example of this. When the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) first broke out, Saudi Arabia minimized the risk in its official reports. This led to a spread of MERS that didn’t need to happen.
A lot of questions surround the Wuhan coronavirus. There are the usual questions, such as how fast it is spreading, and how deadly it is. Then, there are other questions. Questions about why are millions of people under quarantine if there isn’t a significant threat? Why are health care workers being photographed moving patients wearing full-on hazmat gear? How legitimate are these photos anyway? Are they even from this outbreak?
We can’t know for sure, and uncertainty is the problem. Speculation is often a pointless exercise at best, and fear-mongering at worst. However, it is fair to have a certain amount of skepticism when it comes to anything to do with the Chinese government. They are already masters at manipulating and controlling their media.
As reported in Daisy’s article mentioned above, there are currently 900 confirmed cases worldwide with 26 fatalities. This is a mortality rate of just 2.88%. This is up by less than 1% from my article 2 days ago, Wuhan Virus Hits the US, What Preppers Need to Know. The overwhelming majority of these fatalities are reported to have been older men with a host of serious pre-existing conditions. Today, there was one fatality in a previously healthy man in his 30s.
Maybe I’m missing something, but if the risk of death from Wuhan coronavirus is still under 3%, that’s just not scary. Sure, it’s highly contagious. But, “highly contagious” does not automatically mean “highly fatal.” However, the response we have seen by the Chinese government, such as putting over 20 million people in quarantine, (now it’s 30 million) seems to be a bit of overkill.
There is, however, some precedence for these measures. China is opting to treat this outbreak as a Grade A infectious disease, as it did with SARS, because it is more effective to prevent its spread.
Currently, however, the new virus will be treated as a Grade A infectious disease, which requires the strictest prevention and control measures, including mandatory quarantine of patients and medical observation for those who have had close contact with patients, according to the commission.
At present, only two infectious diseases — bubonic plague and cholera — are classified as Grade A infectious diseases in China.
Wang Yuedan, an immunology professor at Peking University, said managing the new disease as Grade A will greatly help in its control and prevention. Some other serious infectious diseases, such as SARS, are also classified as Grade B infectious diseases, but have been managed as Grade A infectious diseases during their outbreaks, Wang said.
This is prudent, since we do not yet know if that relatively low mortality rate is accurate, or if it will continue to increase. And if it does, we certainly do not know by how much. The rationale at work here is that it is better to take extreme precautions now, rather than wait for proof that this virus is far more deadly than it appears at the moment.
I would love to believe that the Chinese government has taken these actions simply out of an abundance of caution. At the same time, this is China we’re talking about. A little, healthy skepticism is warranted.
Regardless of whether China is just being proactive, or if China actually is hiding the real risk, there will eventually be another major pandemic. Rather than wait for a deadly disease to visit your neighborhood, you should get prepped for a pandemic in advance.
Personal Protective Equipment
One easy thing you can do to prepare for a deadly pandemic is to have a solid supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) on hand. PPE prevents the spread of disease. These are items like facemasks, protective gloves, and so on that act as a barrier between you and pathogens.
The following PPE will allow you to create your own DIY hazmat suit. Please pay attention to sizing. All of these products were in stock and available within two to ten days from Amazon at the time of publication but please be aware that products are selling out extremely quickly right now.
Apron – Disposable Polypropylene
This goes on over everything else. If you just have scrubs, put this over your scrubs. If you have a suit, put this on over your suit. You want multiple layers of protection, and this is an easy-to-dispose option. (Disposal and decontamination options are important to consider.)
Base layer (Scrubs)
This is your base layer. Scrubs are made from durable fabric that stands up to the extra-harsh laundry chemicals used in hospitals. The fabric used is often treated to be antimicrobial.
Boot/Shoe Protectors
Shoe covers can protect shoes an boots from spills, if they are waterproof. Not all are. The boot/shoe protectors linked to above are waterproof.
Duct Tape
Duct tape has so many uses, I’m sure you already have some. You should, however, also keep some duct tape in your medical supplies. Use duct tape to tape down all seams of your chosen suit (example, where wrists meet gloves, where hood meets goggles, etc)
Encapsulated Suit
An encapsulated suit completely covers the body. While it covers the face, it still requires a respirator. It acts as a barrier against air, moisture, and water vapor, and it has taped seams to protect against spills. This was intended for industrial purposes, such as spraying pesticides. It isn’t cheap either. However, it offers more protection than either the Tyvek or Tychem suits.
Goggles
In the absence of a complete face shield, goggles will protect your eyes from being splashed with infected fluids, as well as from disinfectant chemicals. Goggles can fog up, so make sure you get some that resist fogging.
Nitrile Protective Gloves
These nitrile gloves are 9-mil thick and provide greater protection to your hands than cheaper, 4-mil gloves. However, it is better to wear a two-pair thickness.
Outer Protective Gloves
These go over your nitrile gloves. These provide another layer of protection but could impede any fine work you might need your fingertips for. Wear these when lifting a contagious person to move to another bed, stripping a bed of soiled linens, etc.
Protective Hood
This hood provides extra protection to the face. It can be worn over or underneath a mask but does not replace a respirator. Wear goggles over this hood and tape all along the seams between the goggles and the hood.
Respirator masks: N95 or P100 and extra P100 filters
N95 filters are disposable masks that will filter out particulates and aerosols. This level of protection was used by doctors working with SARS. Make sure you are using them correctly.
The P100 mask is a reusable mask. The P100 filters are an even more secure filter than the N95 filters. Here’s an article on selecting the right respirator masks.
Rubber Boots
Rubber boots will protect your feet and lower legs against standing in or being splashed by contaminated fluids.
Tyvek Suit
Tyvek suits offer more protection than scrubs, but less protection than a Tychem or encapsulated suit. These protect against many irritants and chemicals, and is often worn when doing pest extermination, asbestos removal, etc. They may not provide as much protection as other suits, but they are a cost effective way to add more protection.
Tychem Suit
This type of coverall offers more protection than the Tyvek suit. It is designed to withstand more caustic chemicals than a Tyvek suit. However, like Tyvek suits, it was intended for chemical and industrial applications, not medical. Still, it offers another layer of protection from potentially infected fluids.
For more specific information of PPE and preparing for a pandemic, please check out my book, Prepping for a Pandemic. That link is to the kindle version, as Amazon has been having a near impossible time keeping the paperback version in stock.
Is All That PPE Stuff Necessary?
My current opinion, which is subject to change as newer data becomes available, is that a full DIY hazmat suit is probably overkill for the Wuhan coronavirus. If we get better information and find out that 2019-nCoV has a much higher mortality rate than the current 3%, I’ll be dusting off my PPE supplies.
For now, carrying an N95 mask on you to prevent inhaling the virus if you thought you were at risk should be sufficient. Handwashing, hand sanitizers (if handwashing is not available), and nitrile gloves would also go a long way to reducing the spread of this or any contagious illness.
The idea here is, however, not to prep for just one possible pandemic disease, but for a range of potential pandemics. We don’t know what kinds of new and emerging diseases we might face. PPE, however, provides us with extra physical barriers between us and potentially deadly pathogens, whatever they may be.
And even if this coronavirus ends up not living up to all the media hype, still, by all means, stock up on PPE. It’s not like there’s a shelf life on things like rubber boots, goggles, or scrubs. At some point, even if it isn’t 2019-nCoV, there will be some emerging disease that does become the next great pandemic. When that happens, these supplies will be hard to come by and 10 times the price.
55 Ways To 'Starve The Beast'
by Tyler Durden
Sat, 10/19/2019 - 22:00
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PrintAuthored by Daisy Luther via The Organic Prepper blog,
A term coined in 1985 by an unnamed staffer of the Reagan administration was “Starve the Beast”. This referred to a fiscally conservative political strategy to cut government spending by paying less in taxes. So, in the original sense, “the Beast” was the government, and people were to starve said beast by spending less and using loopholes to pay less in taxes.
Now the Beast is a whole lot bigger.These days the Beast has a lot more tentacles than just the government.
The system now consists of the government and all aspects of corporatism. Big Agri, Big Pharma, Big Tech, Big Food, Big Banking, and Big Oil, to name a few. It seems that now it’s the Beast that’s doing the starving, as small businesses close because they can’t compete with WalMart, bigger chains are run out of existence by Amazon, the family farm is on its way out because it can’t compete with the huge, subsidized mega-farms, and people are going bankrupt because they can’t pay the outrageous medical bills…
These mega-corporations aren’t there to make our lives better or easier. They’re there to make as much money as possible and they’ll run you over if you get in their way.
(Please note that there are Amazon links in this article to show you the books I recommend. You may be able to find these books from local sellers.)
When I first wrote this article in 2013, Big Tech wasn’t quite as prevalent. I’ve added some recommendations from the comments over the years to expand this list.
Perhaps more of us need to starve the beast.Is it convenient to starve the beast and avoid doing business with mega-corporations or to work around funding endless wars that kill and maim our young people while enriching the Military-Industrial Complex?
No, but it’s time.
It’s time for another financial revolution – one where people group together and use the power of the pocketbook to starve all the arms of this Beast that would swallow us whole. If we vote with our dollars, eventually there will, of necessity, be a paradigm shift that returns us to simpler days, when families who were willing to work hard could make a living without selling their souls to the corporate monoliths.
Every penny you spend with small local businesses is a penny that the big box stores won’t have. Everything that you buy secondhand or barter for is an item on which you won’t pay sales tax. Disassociate yourself completely with “the system” that is making Western civilization broke, overweight and unhealthy.
Here are 55 ways to starve the Beast.
https://www.zerohedge.com/economics/55-ways-starve-beast
by Daisy Luther
Starve the Beast by taking as many of these steps as possible…
by Tyler Durden
Sat, 10/19/2019 - 22:00
0
SHARES
Twitter Facebook Reddit Email
PrintAuthored by Daisy Luther via The Organic Prepper blog,
A term coined in 1985 by an unnamed staffer of the Reagan administration was “Starve the Beast”. This referred to a fiscally conservative political strategy to cut government spending by paying less in taxes. So, in the original sense, “the Beast” was the government, and people were to starve said beast by spending less and using loopholes to pay less in taxes.
Now the Beast is a whole lot bigger.These days the Beast has a lot more tentacles than just the government.
The system now consists of the government and all aspects of corporatism. Big Agri, Big Pharma, Big Tech, Big Food, Big Banking, and Big Oil, to name a few. It seems that now it’s the Beast that’s doing the starving, as small businesses close because they can’t compete with WalMart, bigger chains are run out of existence by Amazon, the family farm is on its way out because it can’t compete with the huge, subsidized mega-farms, and people are going bankrupt because they can’t pay the outrageous medical bills…
These mega-corporations aren’t there to make our lives better or easier. They’re there to make as much money as possible and they’ll run you over if you get in their way.
(Please note that there are Amazon links in this article to show you the books I recommend. You may be able to find these books from local sellers.)
When I first wrote this article in 2013, Big Tech wasn’t quite as prevalent. I’ve added some recommendations from the comments over the years to expand this list.
Perhaps more of us need to starve the beast.Is it convenient to starve the beast and avoid doing business with mega-corporations or to work around funding endless wars that kill and maim our young people while enriching the Military-Industrial Complex?
No, but it’s time.
It’s time for another financial revolution – one where people group together and use the power of the pocketbook to starve all the arms of this Beast that would swallow us whole. If we vote with our dollars, eventually there will, of necessity, be a paradigm shift that returns us to simpler days, when families who were willing to work hard could make a living without selling their souls to the corporate monoliths.
Every penny you spend with small local businesses is a penny that the big box stores won’t have. Everything that you buy secondhand or barter for is an item on which you won’t pay sales tax. Disassociate yourself completely with “the system” that is making Western civilization broke, overweight and unhealthy.
Here are 55 ways to starve the Beast.
https://www.zerohedge.com/economics/55-ways-starve-beast
by Daisy Luther
Starve the Beast by taking as many of these steps as possible…
- Grow your own food.
- Shop at local businesses with no corporate ties.
- Use natural remedies instead of pharmaceuticals whenever possible.
- Homeschool your children. If you can’t homeschool, at the very least, spend time undoing the indoctrination by giving them the tools to think critically.
- Walk or bike instead of driving when you can.
- When possible, get care from naturopaths and healers instead of doctors.
- Make paper logs from scraps for free heat if you have a wood-burning fireplace or stove.
- Boycott all processed foods.
- Shop at local farmer’s markets or buy directly from the farms themselves.
- Don’t buy from corporate stores: Wal-Mart, Costco, Best Buy, Home Depot. Instead, pay a few extra dollars and buy from local vendors.
- Give vouchers as gifts for an evening of babysitting, a homemade meal, walking the dog, doing a repair, or cleaning
- Join a CSA or farm co-op
- Ditch television (and all the propaganda and commercials). If you want to view programs, enroll in a streaming service without commercials like Netflix.
- Participate in the barter system – although remember that even if no money changes hands, the government would like for you to let them know so you can be duly taxed.
- Buy secondhand from yard sales, Craigslist, and thrift stores
- Sell your own unwanted goods by having a yard sale or putting an ad on Craigslist
- Repair things instead of replacing them
- Avoid fast-food restaurants and chain restaurants
- Dine at locally owned establishments if you eat out.
- Brew your own beer and wine.
- Cook from scratch to avoid all those Big Food chemicals and additives.
- Grow or gather medicinal herbs.
- Give homemade gifts.
- Attend free local activities: lectures, concerts, play days at the park, library events.
- Dumpster dive and pick up things from the curb.
- Play outside: hike, bike, picnic.
- Mend clothing.
- Invite someone over for dinner instead of meeting at a chain restaurant.
- Throw creative birthday parties at home for your kids instead of renting a venue.
- Travel to other countries and note how most are not filled with mega-corporations, and local businesses still thrive.
- Bring your coffee with you in a travel mug.
- Do all of your Christmas shopping with small local businesses and artisans.
- Reduce your electricity usage with candles, solar power, and non-tech entertainment.
- Drop the thermostat and put on a sweater.
- Bring your snacks and drinks in a cooler when you go on a road trip.
- Stay home – it’s way easier to avoid temptations that way. Shopping should not be a form of entertainment.
- Pack lunches for work and school.
- Make delicious homemade treats as a hostess gift.
- Close your bank account or at the very least, strictly limit your balance.
- Visit u-pick berry patches and orchards, then preserve your harvest for the winter.
- Use precious metals stored at home as your savings account.
- Raise backyard chickens for your own eggs.
- If you are a smoker, roll your own cigarettes – if possible go one step further and grow tobacco.
- Brew your own beer, wine, and liquor.
- Use solar power for lighting or cooking.
- Collect rainwater for use in the garden
- Learn to forage.
- Buy heavy, solid, handmade furniture instead of the flimsy imported stuff
- At the holidays, focus on activities and traditions instead of gifts.
- Make your own bath and body products using pure ingredients like coconut oil, essential oils, and herbal extracts
- Use alternative social media.
- Get an old-fashioned flip phone while you still can.
- Drive an older car without GPS tracking.
- Use a VPN like ExpressVPN to keep your location information masked on your electronic devices.
- Avoid adding surveillance technology such as Ring or Nest to your home.
How to Prepare Your Home for an Earthquake
by Daisy Luther
If you live on the West Coast, you know that the fault lines there are pretty active right now. You may even be dealing with regular aftershocks from the two major quakes last week.
I’ve written a detailed article about what you should do to survive an earthquake if you find yourself in the midst of things, but what should you do before the shaking begins?
Between some awesome comments on this site, my own experiences with earthquakes, and a bit of research, here are some tips to help you prepare for an earthquake. And this isn’t just for people in California – folks near oil fields where fracking is taking place have experienced a huge uptick in tremors and the New Madrid fault running through the MidSouth is a ticking time bomb. (The 150-mile (240 km) long fault system, which extends into five states, stretches southward from Cairo, Illinois; through Hayti, Caruthersville and New Madrid in Missouri; through Blytheville into Marked Tree in Arkansas. It also covers a part of West Tennessee, near Reelfoot Lake, extending southeast into Dyersburg. source)
Make sure to have the basics in place.
Your basic preps are important for the aftermath.
The following steps will help you prepare for an earthquake.
Below, find some tips to get yourself prepped specifically for an earthquake.
There are more major adjustments you can make to your home to stabilize it:
by Daisy Luther
If you live on the West Coast, you know that the fault lines there are pretty active right now. You may even be dealing with regular aftershocks from the two major quakes last week.
I’ve written a detailed article about what you should do to survive an earthquake if you find yourself in the midst of things, but what should you do before the shaking begins?
Between some awesome comments on this site, my own experiences with earthquakes, and a bit of research, here are some tips to help you prepare for an earthquake. And this isn’t just for people in California – folks near oil fields where fracking is taking place have experienced a huge uptick in tremors and the New Madrid fault running through the MidSouth is a ticking time bomb. (The 150-mile (240 km) long fault system, which extends into five states, stretches southward from Cairo, Illinois; through Hayti, Caruthersville and New Madrid in Missouri; through Blytheville into Marked Tree in Arkansas. It also covers a part of West Tennessee, near Reelfoot Lake, extending southeast into Dyersburg. source)
Make sure to have the basics in place.
Your basic preps are important for the aftermath.
- Part of it is just like getting ready for any other disaster. You want to have food, water, and other essential supplies to last for at least two weeks in the event your area is cut off from supplies.
- Expect to lose water, power, and heat. Prep accordingly.
- Expect to be stranded – in many places roads will crack, shift, or be covered by rockslides.
- You may not be able to buy food, gasoline, or water locally. The stores will be dealing with the same issues you are.
The following steps will help you prepare for an earthquake.
Below, find some tips to get yourself prepped specifically for an earthquake.
- Teach kids to drop, cover, and hang on.
- Reduce the risk of things falling. Secure shelving units and large furniture items to walls. If you have kitchenware in open shelves, install a lip to make it more difficult for the items to crash to the floor.
- Store your heaviest items down low. For example, my cast iron cookware will forever live in the bottom of my stove.
- When hanging pictures, hang from closed hooks and add putty to the corners for extra security. Always secure the artwork to a wall stud.
- Don’t hang heavy objects over sofas or beds – go with soft art like tapestries.
- When hanging things like plants or lanterns from the ceiling, locate a stud for the hook. Once you’ve hung the item from the hook, squeeze the hook closed with pliers.
- If you have decorative items, secure them to shelves in your curio cabinet using a little bit of putty.
- Learn how to turn off both the gas and water to your home well before you ever need to do so.
- Develop the habit of keeping hard-soled shoes beside your bed in case you have to get up in the middle of the night and walk through broken glass.
- If you’re a canner, like me, take extra steps to protect your jars. I had a pantry with a lip on the outside edge and added hooks to the walls at each end of the shelves. To those hooks, I attached bungee cords for some added protection. Not pretty but it was inside a closed pantry.
- Place fire extinguishers around your home and make sure all family members know how to use them. Fires are very common after earthquakes. The most famous post-earthquake fire happened in San Francisco after a lantern got knocked over. That fire spread throughout the earthquake-ravaged city.
- Make sure your homeowner’s or rental insurance policy covers earthquake damage. Most do not. If yours doesn’t, you may want to expand your policy.
- Install child safety latches on cupboard doors to keep the contents inside where they belong.
- Don’t put beds under windows. They’re safest against interior walls.
- Consider applying safety film to your windows. This does double duty by making it more difficult for someone to break your window to get into your home.
- Make sure all gas appliances have flexible lines. They’re less likely to crack and break during an earthquake.
- Consider a sturdy kitchen table – definitely not a glass one – to provide a place to take cover.
- Be ready for a lack of communication. You may not have internet, cable, or phone service for quite some time. Consider a battery operated radio to get news and announcements.
There are more major adjustments you can make to your home to stabilize it:
- Have your chimney checked for stability and safety; this is particularly important if your home was built before 1960.
- Have a professional make sure your home is bolted to the foundation; this is particularly important if your home was built before 1935.
- If your home is built on a raised foundation, make sure your home has shear plywood walls in the crawlspace, rather than older-style cripple walls.
- If you have slopes or a hillside in your backyard, consider installing a retaining wall to stabilize the area and help to prevent landslides.
- If you have slopes or a hillside on your property, you may also want to consider installing artificial grass to manage erosion and runoff to help prevent landslides.
- Bolt your water heater in place, and install a water heater strap to keep it secure.
Don't worry, you can prep with little or no money!
There's a lot more to being prepared than buying a bunch of stuff.
Here are the top 5 ways that you can get prepared with little to no money:
1. Search craigslist for free stuff. You won't always find good stuff in the free section of craigslist but you might find some gems every now and then. Think outside the box of what certain items could be used for and you could walk away with some great and useful stuff!
2. Practice your skills. Practice shelter making, fire making, tying knots, making things out of paracord, etc. Practicing skills never gets old.
3. Exercise. Go for a walk, hike, run, meditate, do yoga, use your gallons of water as weights; you don't need a gym to exercise.
4. Read/watch. Read blogs. Borrow books from the library. Watch YouTube videos. Learn all the knowledge!
5. Take a free class. You can often find free classes such as Stop The Bleed. Maybe your local REI is holding a free class. Take advantage of free classes! Search online, search Craigslist, search Cabela's, REI and other sporting goods stores, and also search 'Eventbrite'.
There's a lot more to being prepared than buying a bunch of stuff.
Here are the top 5 ways that you can get prepared with little to no money:
1. Search craigslist for free stuff. You won't always find good stuff in the free section of craigslist but you might find some gems every now and then. Think outside the box of what certain items could be used for and you could walk away with some great and useful stuff!
2. Practice your skills. Practice shelter making, fire making, tying knots, making things out of paracord, etc. Practicing skills never gets old.
3. Exercise. Go for a walk, hike, run, meditate, do yoga, use your gallons of water as weights; you don't need a gym to exercise.
4. Read/watch. Read blogs. Borrow books from the library. Watch YouTube videos. Learn all the knowledge!
5. Take a free class. You can often find free classes such as Stop The Bleed. Maybe your local REI is holding a free class. Take advantage of free classes! Search online, search Craigslist, search Cabela's, REI and other sporting goods stores, and also search 'Eventbrite'.
The “NEW” First 100 Things To Disappear After The SHTF The original “Top 100 Things To Disappear After a Disaster” list has been passed around the internet for a number of years. It remains a viable list of barter items and accurate in every way. Due to the list being fairly old and times have changed a few prepper friends and I have pulled together and updated it. While many if not most of the original items remain – some changes were necessary.
The “NEW” First 100 Things To Disappear After The SHTF1. Generators
Prices can range from a few hundred dollars to thousands. Lots of fuel must be stored(away from home).
2. Water Filters/Purifiers
The Sawyer Mini Water Filter is highly recommended and widely available. For higher usage volume check out the Sawyer Bucket Kit.
3. Zippo Lighters, butane, Bic lighters
4. Seasoned Firewood
(About $100 per cord; wood takes 6 – 12 mos. to become dried, for home uses.)
5. Lamp Oil, Wicks, Lamps
(First choice: Buy CLEAR oil. If scarce, stockpile ANY!)
6. Tents
7. Guns, Ammunition, Pepper Spray, Knives, Clubs, Bats and Slingshots
Any means of defense will be highly sought after.
8. Manual Can Openers
These can be picked up for as little as $1.00 each.
9. Sweeteners such as sugar and honey.
10. Rice – Beans – Wheat
(White rice is now around $20.oo – 50# bag @ Sam’s Club, pack in Mylar with oxygen absorbers)
11. Vegetable oil (for cooking)
(Without it food burns/must be boiled, etc.)
12. Charcoal and Lighter fluid
These will disappear QUICKLY post-event.
13. Water containers
Any container that can hold water. Water will need to be stored AND transported.
14. Propane Heaters
This includes the larger Mr. Heater models and smaller versions.
15. Grain Grinder (Non-electric)
16. Propane Cylinders
17. Silver/Gold
18. Buckets
19. Baby Supplies: Diapers/formula/ointments/aspirin, etc
20. Laundry Supplies for Manual Use
Washboards, plungers, and also compact washer machines
21. Cookstoves
(Propane, Coleman, and Kerosene)
22. Vitamins
Important due to changed diets.
23. Cough drops
24. Feminine Hygiene/Haircare/Skin products
25. Thermal underwear
(Tops and bottoms)
26. Bow saws, axes and hatchets and Wedges (also, honing oil)
27. Aluminum foil Reg. and Heavy. Duty
(Great Cooking and Barter Item – available at Dollar Store)
28. Gasoline containers
(Plastic or Metal)
29. Garbage bags
Emphasize 13 gallon and larger 30+ gallon sizes. Impossible to have too many.
30. Toilet Paper, Kleenex, paper towel
31. Milk – Powdered and Condensed
(Shake liquid every 3 to 4 months.)
32. Garden seeds
Heirloom seeds only. Seed banks can be purchased for under $20.
33. Clothes pins/line/hangers
34. Pet food
35. Clothes – underwear, socks, pants, shirts, jackets, hats
36. Fire extinguishers – such as this one
37. First aid kits
38. Batteries (all sizes…buy furthest-out for Expiration Dates)
Prioritize AA/AAA and CR123 types
39. Garlic, spices and vinegar, baking supplies
40. women’s makeup
41. Flour, yeast, and salt
42. Matches
(“Strike Anywhere” preferred. Boxed, wooden matches will go first.)
43. Writing paper/pads/notebook/pencils/solar calculators
44. Insulated ice chests
(good for keeping items from freezing in Wintertime)
45. Work boots, belts, Levis and durable shirts
46. Flashlights/Light Sticks and torches, “No.76 Dietz” Lanterns
47. Prescription medications/insulin/syringes
48. Plastic Garbage Cans
(great for storage, water, transporting – if with wheels)
49. Shampoo, Toothbrush/toothpaste, Mouthwash/floss, nail clippers, etc
50. Cast iron cookware (sturdy, efficient)
51. Fishing supplies/tools
52. Mosquito repellent
53. Duct tape
54. Tarps/stakes/twine/nails/rope/spikes
55. Candles
56. Laundry detergent (Liquid)
57. Backpacks and Duffle bags
58. Garden tools and supplies – manual
59. Scissors, fabrics and sewing supplies
60. Canned Fruits, Veggies, Soups, stews, etc.
61. Bleach
(plain, NOT scented: 4 to 6% sodium hypochlorite)
62. Canning supplies (Jars/lids/wax)
63. Knives and Sharpening tools: files, stones, steel
64. Bicycles…Tires/tubes/pumps/chains, etc.
65. Sleeping bags and blankets/pillows/mats
66. Saline solution for contacts
67. Board Games Cards, Dice, cards
68. d-Con Rat poison, MOUSE PRUFE II, Roach Killer
69. Mousetraps, Ant traps and cockroach magnets
70. Paper plates/cups/utensils (stock up, folks…)
71. Baby Wipes, oils, waterless and Anti-bacterial soap
(saves a lot of water)
72. Rain gear, rubberized boots, emergency rain poncho’s, etc.
73. Shaving supplies
(razors and creams, talc, after shave)
74. Hand pumps and siphons
(for water and for fuels)
75. Soy sauce, vinegar, bouillons/gravy/soup base
76. Reading glasses
77. Chocolate/Cocoa/Tang/Punch (water enhancers)
78. Rain barrel kits(valve assembly)
79. Woolen clothing, scarves/ear-muffs/mittens
80. US Army Survival Manual FM 21-76
81. Plastic sheeting for insulating windows and shelter creation
82. Food storage products such as freeze dried food/buckets/pouches
83. Walkie-Talkies/ham radios/CB radio
84. Socks, Underwear, T-shirts, etc. (extras)
85. Lumber (all types)
86. Wagons and carts
(for transport to and from open Flea markets)
87. Cots and Inflatable Mattresses (for extra guests)
88. Gloves: Work/warming/gardening, etc.
89. Solar panel kits – small for charging batteries and devices
90. Screen Patches, glue, nails, screws, nuts, and bolts
91. Teas
92. Coffee
93. Cigarettes
94. Wine/Liquors (for bribes, medicinal, etc.)
95. Paraffin wax
96. Glue, nails, nuts, bolts, screws, etc.
97. Chewing gum/candies
98. Air guns and bb’s/pellets/CO2 cartridges
99. Hats and cotton neckerchiefs
100. Goats/chickens
The “NEW” First 100 Things To Disappear After The SHTF1. Generators
Prices can range from a few hundred dollars to thousands. Lots of fuel must be stored(away from home).
2. Water Filters/Purifiers
The Sawyer Mini Water Filter is highly recommended and widely available. For higher usage volume check out the Sawyer Bucket Kit.
3. Zippo Lighters, butane, Bic lighters
4. Seasoned Firewood
(About $100 per cord; wood takes 6 – 12 mos. to become dried, for home uses.)
5. Lamp Oil, Wicks, Lamps
(First choice: Buy CLEAR oil. If scarce, stockpile ANY!)
6. Tents
7. Guns, Ammunition, Pepper Spray, Knives, Clubs, Bats and Slingshots
Any means of defense will be highly sought after.
8. Manual Can Openers
These can be picked up for as little as $1.00 each.
9. Sweeteners such as sugar and honey.
10. Rice – Beans – Wheat
(White rice is now around $20.oo – 50# bag @ Sam’s Club, pack in Mylar with oxygen absorbers)
11. Vegetable oil (for cooking)
(Without it food burns/must be boiled, etc.)
12. Charcoal and Lighter fluid
These will disappear QUICKLY post-event.
13. Water containers
Any container that can hold water. Water will need to be stored AND transported.
14. Propane Heaters
This includes the larger Mr. Heater models and smaller versions.
15. Grain Grinder (Non-electric)
16. Propane Cylinders
17. Silver/Gold
18. Buckets
19. Baby Supplies: Diapers/formula/ointments/aspirin, etc
20. Laundry Supplies for Manual Use
Washboards, plungers, and also compact washer machines
21. Cookstoves
(Propane, Coleman, and Kerosene)
22. Vitamins
Important due to changed diets.
23. Cough drops
24. Feminine Hygiene/Haircare/Skin products
25. Thermal underwear
(Tops and bottoms)
26. Bow saws, axes and hatchets and Wedges (also, honing oil)
27. Aluminum foil Reg. and Heavy. Duty
(Great Cooking and Barter Item – available at Dollar Store)
28. Gasoline containers
(Plastic or Metal)
29. Garbage bags
Emphasize 13 gallon and larger 30+ gallon sizes. Impossible to have too many.
30. Toilet Paper, Kleenex, paper towel
31. Milk – Powdered and Condensed
(Shake liquid every 3 to 4 months.)
32. Garden seeds
Heirloom seeds only. Seed banks can be purchased for under $20.
33. Clothes pins/line/hangers
34. Pet food
35. Clothes – underwear, socks, pants, shirts, jackets, hats
36. Fire extinguishers – such as this one
37. First aid kits
38. Batteries (all sizes…buy furthest-out for Expiration Dates)
Prioritize AA/AAA and CR123 types
39. Garlic, spices and vinegar, baking supplies
40. women’s makeup
41. Flour, yeast, and salt
42. Matches
(“Strike Anywhere” preferred. Boxed, wooden matches will go first.)
43. Writing paper/pads/notebook/pencils/solar calculators
44. Insulated ice chests
(good for keeping items from freezing in Wintertime)
45. Work boots, belts, Levis and durable shirts
46. Flashlights/Light Sticks and torches, “No.76 Dietz” Lanterns
47. Prescription medications/insulin/syringes
48. Plastic Garbage Cans
(great for storage, water, transporting – if with wheels)
49. Shampoo, Toothbrush/toothpaste, Mouthwash/floss, nail clippers, etc
50. Cast iron cookware (sturdy, efficient)
51. Fishing supplies/tools
52. Mosquito repellent
53. Duct tape
54. Tarps/stakes/twine/nails/rope/spikes
55. Candles
56. Laundry detergent (Liquid)
57. Backpacks and Duffle bags
58. Garden tools and supplies – manual
59. Scissors, fabrics and sewing supplies
60. Canned Fruits, Veggies, Soups, stews, etc.
61. Bleach
(plain, NOT scented: 4 to 6% sodium hypochlorite)
62. Canning supplies (Jars/lids/wax)
63. Knives and Sharpening tools: files, stones, steel
64. Bicycles…Tires/tubes/pumps/chains, etc.
65. Sleeping bags and blankets/pillows/mats
66. Saline solution for contacts
67. Board Games Cards, Dice, cards
68. d-Con Rat poison, MOUSE PRUFE II, Roach Killer
69. Mousetraps, Ant traps and cockroach magnets
70. Paper plates/cups/utensils (stock up, folks…)
71. Baby Wipes, oils, waterless and Anti-bacterial soap
(saves a lot of water)
72. Rain gear, rubberized boots, emergency rain poncho’s, etc.
73. Shaving supplies
(razors and creams, talc, after shave)
74. Hand pumps and siphons
(for water and for fuels)
75. Soy sauce, vinegar, bouillons/gravy/soup base
76. Reading glasses
77. Chocolate/Cocoa/Tang/Punch (water enhancers)
78. Rain barrel kits(valve assembly)
79. Woolen clothing, scarves/ear-muffs/mittens
80. US Army Survival Manual FM 21-76
81. Plastic sheeting for insulating windows and shelter creation
82. Food storage products such as freeze dried food/buckets/pouches
83. Walkie-Talkies/ham radios/CB radio
84. Socks, Underwear, T-shirts, etc. (extras)
85. Lumber (all types)
86. Wagons and carts
(for transport to and from open Flea markets)
87. Cots and Inflatable Mattresses (for extra guests)
88. Gloves: Work/warming/gardening, etc.
89. Solar panel kits – small for charging batteries and devices
90. Screen Patches, glue, nails, screws, nuts, and bolts
91. Teas
92. Coffee
93. Cigarettes
94. Wine/Liquors (for bribes, medicinal, etc.)
95. Paraffin wax
96. Glue, nails, nuts, bolts, screws, etc.
97. Chewing gum/candies
98. Air guns and bb’s/pellets/CO2 cartridges
99. Hats and cotton neckerchiefs
100. Goats/chickens
Here's How You'll Die When The SHTF (And How To Prevent Your Untimely Demise)
Fri, 03/01/2019 - 23:45
Authored by Daisy Luther via The Organic Prepper blog,
When it hits the fan…I mean REALLY hits the fan in a permanent kind of way, the most likely outcome is death.
That’s not pretty, and I’m well aware of it. I always try to be positive and optimistic, because for me, preparedness is the ultimate act of optimism, but sometimes we have to look at the numbers and face some things that are pretty terrifying. The first reality check is that some research says that only 3 million Americans are preppers. That means that 315 million Americans are not preppers. Some experts predict that within 30 days of the power going out, 50% of Americans will be dead. Within a year, an astounding 90% of the population will be dead.
Do you want to survive such a scenario? Do you want your children to survive? When you read this information, you have to realize that it’s very unlikely that you and your family would live through a grid failure of a year or more unless you are proactive and develop a preparedness plan that takes all of these causes of death into consideration.
The Top 10 Ways to Die in a Long-term Disaster
So here are the cold hard facts. One of these is the way that you are most likely to die when the SHTF, particularly in the event of a long-term grid failure. The good news is, now that you know this, you can take steps to prevent your untimely demise.
Now that you know how you’ll die, you can take the necessary steps to prevent it. Almost every cause of death mentioned here is entirely preventable.
What will save you when an epic disaster strikes is what you do now to prepare for it. Make education and good health your mission now and you’ll not only survive the SHTF, you’ll thrive against the odds.
Fri, 03/01/2019 - 23:45
Authored by Daisy Luther via The Organic Prepper blog,
When it hits the fan…I mean REALLY hits the fan in a permanent kind of way, the most likely outcome is death.
That’s not pretty, and I’m well aware of it. I always try to be positive and optimistic, because for me, preparedness is the ultimate act of optimism, but sometimes we have to look at the numbers and face some things that are pretty terrifying. The first reality check is that some research says that only 3 million Americans are preppers. That means that 315 million Americans are not preppers. Some experts predict that within 30 days of the power going out, 50% of Americans will be dead. Within a year, an astounding 90% of the population will be dead.
Do you want to survive such a scenario? Do you want your children to survive? When you read this information, you have to realize that it’s very unlikely that you and your family would live through a grid failure of a year or more unless you are proactive and develop a preparedness plan that takes all of these causes of death into consideration.
The Top 10 Ways to Die in a Long-term Disaster
So here are the cold hard facts. One of these is the way that you are most likely to die when the SHTF, particularly in the event of a long-term grid failure. The good news is, now that you know this, you can take steps to prevent your untimely demise.
- You die of thirst or waterborne illness. Most people have a case of water bottles kicking around, and perhaps a 5 gallon jug for the water cooler. What they don’t have is a gallon a day per person for a long-term emergency. Most people also don’t own a gravity fed, no-power necessary water filtration device with spare parts and extra filters. Most people do not have the skills and knowledge necessary to purify their water without these devices either. Waterborne illness is the number one cause of death after a natural disaster. If just one person handles water and waste incorrectly, this can cause an epidemic of such deadly illnesses as Hepatitis A, viral gastroenteritis, cholera, Shigellosis, typhoid, Diphtheria and polio. The other worry is dehydration. It only takes 3 days for a person to die of thirst
- You die from fantasy-world planning. So many preppers have poorly thought out plans for survival. They think they’ll “live off the land” and hunt, forage, and farm their way through the apocalypse, but they’ve never milked a goat or planted the contents of their seed banks. They don’t understand that gardens and crops can fail for innumerable reasons. They think they’re still in the same physical condition that they were 25 years ago and overestimate their ability to perform physical labor, like chopping wood for the fire. There are hundreds of bad strategies that will get preppers killed (in fact, here are 12 of them), and mostly it boils down to one crucial fact: it’s all a fantasy. They’ve never done ANY of the things that they think they will do for survival, or if they have done them, it was decades ago, when they were younger, fitter, and more resilient. I can tell you right now, if we had to live off of the contents of this year’s drought-stricken, deer-and-gopher-raided garden, we’d last about a week, enjoying salsa by the jarful, but little else.
- You freeze to death. Depending on where you live, you may freeze to death when the power goes out. When temperatures plummet, people will become desperate to get warm, and this will lead to other modes of death such as carbon monoxide poison from improperly vented heat sources and house fires when people use fireplaces or wood stoves that have not been maintained for years. Learn about staying warm during a winter power outage HERE and begin to develop a plan that will keep your family cozy during a long-term scenario.
- You starve to death. Most people only have enough food to see them through until the next grocery trip. Most people go to the grocery store more than once per week. In urban centers, it’s customary to buy your food fresh from the market each day. If disaster strikes and you only have a few days’ worth of food, you are going to be one of those people standing in line for hours, begging FEMA for a bottle of water and an MRE to split amongst your family. Even worse, in an extremely widespread disaster, FEMA won’t be coming at all, and you’ll be on your own, left with only what you have in your home…before it spoils and if you can figure out a way to cook it with no power. Food poisoning, starvation, and malnutrition will be common causes of death. Learn about building a pantry on a budget HERE. To start yourself out with a speedy supply, go HERE for a variety of high quality, non-GMO kits.
- You have an accident involving major trauma. This is something that is difficult to prevent – that’s why they call it an accident. To up your chances of survival, always where the proper protective gear, such as safety goggles and gloves. Secondly, spend some time learning to deal with medical situations. Many communities offer free First Aid courses to get you started. Stock up on books that provide information for times when medical care is not available (this one is the very best in my opinion), and have advanced supplies on hand to deal with injuries.
- You get murdered when raiders or looters come to steal your stuff. Remember the 315 million unprepared Americans? They’re going to be hungry. And the hungrier and more desperate people become, the more dangerous the world is going to be. It’s imperative that you be prepared to defend your home and family from them. If you’re one of those people who says, “I don’t want to live in a world where I have to shoot someone because they’re hungry” you just might get your wish. Because they won’t have a problem shooting you. This is one of the major reasons that preppers must be armed. The danger isn’t just from mobs of strangers. If you tend to talk too much, your friends, extended family, and neighbors just might be the ones to kill you for your supplies.
- You get sick. Without our normal standards of cleanliness and the access to medical care, the likelihood of getting sick increases. Without the access to medical care, the likelihood of that sickness spiraling out of control is exponentially greater. Learn how to treat and manage sickness naturally so that you can get a handle on an illness before it kills you. This book is a fantastic reference, written with the prepper in mind.
- You get an infection. A silly little cut or splinter that we take for granted now could be a death sentence after the SHTF. With the possibility that your hygiene standards may drop and that you’ll be getting a lot dirtier doing physical labor, infection is fairly likely. It’s vital to immediately treat even the most trivial-seeming wound. For treating a wound, I can’t recommend this spray enough. I have used it on all sorts of animal infections that I thought would prove fatal, with 100% positive results. Because of this, we use it on our own wounds as soon as possible, too. That may not always be enough to prevent an infection however, so having the right antibiotics on hand could mean the difference between life and death. (Check out this antibiotic primer by Joe Alton of Dr. Bones fame) Many veterinary antibiotics are identical to those made for humans. You can find them on Amazon and add them to your stockpile.
- You die because you are fat and/or out of shape. If the Zombies approached and you found yourself outnumbered, are you fit enough to run away? What if you had to bug out across the mountains? Would your heart hold up to the steep climb? Would your knees hold up to the descent? What if you add a 50 pound backpack? Now is the time to get yourself in shape. Most Americans lead fairly sedentary lives, sitting down to a desk all day for work. It’s not something you can fix overnight, so now is the time to increase your fitness. If you won’t do it for yourself, do it for the family members who will have to wait for you while you huff and puff. They’ll be killed when you slow them down. The road to fitness can start easily. If you can walk, you can improve your fitness level dramatically. This article discusses how to start out slowly and then build up your endurance and this PDF book will help you to reach a healthy body weight.
- You die when you daily medication runs out. This one is tougher to prevent. You can extend life expectancy by stockpiling medication but if the crisis outlasts your supply, there is a limit to what you can do. Who can forget the heartbreaking story of the diabetic girl in the book One Second After? Don’t underestimate the difficulty for some of going without psychiatric drugs. Depending on the drug, withdrawal can be horrific, particularly if they have not been able to slowly wean themselves off. Some conditions,when untreated, can cause the sufferer to lose touch with reality and suffer a psychotic break, making them dangerous to themselves and others. Depending on the medication you require, there are sometimes natural alternatives and dietary tweaks that can help. Some existing conditions can be managed better now through lifestyle changes, which will increase your chances for survival later. For example, if you suffer from Type 2 Diabetes and are significantly overweight, improving your diet and losing weight now can reduce your dependence on daily medication in many cases. Keep in mind that some medications are okay after the expiration dates, while others can be deadly. (Learn more about pharmaceutical expiration dates HERE.) Learn everything you can about your medical condition and figure out a plan ahead of time.
Now that you know how you’ll die, you can take the necessary steps to prevent it. Almost every cause of death mentioned here is entirely preventable.
What will save you when an epic disaster strikes is what you do now to prepare for it. Make education and good health your mission now and you’ll not only survive the SHTF, you’ll thrive against the odds.
Creating A Family Emergency Plan, Step By Step
by Dale Knorsson
If you’ve ever put together an emergency kit, you know that you have a list of essential items that need to be included to help fulfill basic needs. However, you may not think of the items you may need to get back on your feet during/after the disaster. You need your health insurance information, your ID’s, banking info, and more! Having a family emergency binder can help you keep organized and have everything in one place should you need to grab and go.
When you first start preparing, you need a plan. This plan is either for sheltering at home or for “bugging out” and finding shelter elsewhere. For your evacuation plan, you’ll need to know a safe place to go (maybe grandma’s house?) and how to get there from various routes. Add this information to a binder, so it will be ready when you need it.
Evacuation Plan
- Map of home for escape with multiple exits from each room
- What do you need to grab to survive?
- Where are you going?
- Local maps – paper, not digital
Include contact info, including phone numbers and addresses for the following:
- Out-of-State Contacts – It may be easier to call long distance during a disaster.
- Kids schools and day cares
- Work and business numbers
- Family and Friends
- Doctors/Dentists/Hospitals
- Non-Emergency – Fire, Police, Ambulance, City
- Utilities
- Emergency Kits
- Jackets
- Shoes
- Infant/baby food and items
- Food Storage Kit
- Medications
- External hard drive
- 72 Hour Kits
*Note* These items contain sensitive information, so be conscious and safe about where you store your binder. Many people have found that they keep their emergency binder in a fireproof safe that is located by their emergency kits. However, store yours where you feel comfortable.
- Financial Info:
- Copies of Insurance Cards
- Copies of Credit and Bank Cards
- Investment and Savings information
- Vital Documents:
- Copies of Marriage and Birth Certificates
- Copies of Adoption or Foster Records
- Copies of Military Records
- Copies of Social Security Cards
- Copies of Drivers Licenses or State ID’s
- Medical:
- Immunization Records
- Medical History
- Current Prescription List
- Insurance Information
- Any other important medical information
- Legal:
- Deeds and Titles
- Wills
- Death Certificates
- Passports
- Consider also adding:
- Keys to your cars, house, business, storage etc.
- Money – During an emergency, most places may only take cash
- Precious Photos – Print off a couple for the binder, but consider storing the rest on a USB Flash Drive
Meet The New Brexit 'Doomsday Preppers': Housewives Stockpiling Food And Medicine
ZeroHedge.com
After months of fraught negotiations - first with the EU, then with her eurosceptics in Parliament - mere hours remain before Prime Minister Theresa May brings her Brexit withdrawal agreement up for a vote in the House of Commons on Tuesday. And with analysts and MPs alike anticipating an overwhelming defeat - the latest estimates put the margin of defeat at around 225 votes - Theresa May is under pressure to bring all of her "Project Fear" powers to bear to try and coerce MPs to back her deal, though now that MPs have wrested some of the control over the process away from the PM, her threats of "her deal, no deal or no Brexit" have largely been robbed of their bite. '
But that doesn't mean stories and images about the chaotic fallout from a 'no deal' Brexit can't still stoke anxieties among the voting public.
Enter the Guardian, which published on Tuesday a story documenting the phenomenon of the newly minted Brexit doomsday prepper. A reporter for the paper traveled to different parts of the country interviewing members of Facebook groups and other social media cliques dedicated to preparing for the worst case scenario. May's government has offered a nightmarish vision of the fallout, complete with lorries backed up at the border, bare cupboards and supermarket shelves and medicine shortages.
In an interesting twist, the Brexit preppers documented by the Guardian don't fit the stereotype of the rugged libertarian-leaning individualist. instead, they are mostly housewives and working women worried about their children going without essential medications.
Jo Elgarf, a member of the group '48% Preppers' (so named for the percentage of Britons who voted to remain a part of the European Union), told the Guardian that she had agreed to participate in the story because her doctor told her she couldn't stock up on two essential medications that help her child avoid daily seizures.
Because it’s not just about food for Elgarf and her family. One of her four-year-old twins, Nora, who has been sitting happily on her mum’s lap as we talk, has a rare brain condition called polymicrogyria. She has lots of prescriptions, but without two of them – Epilim and Keppra – for her epilepsy, she would have multiple seizures a day. “She can’t do without them,” says Elgarf. Both Epilim and Keppra are imported.
If she could stockpile these medicines, she would. But they are controlled, and she can only get a month’s supply at a time. “It should be all right,” she has been told by doctors and the pharmacists. But when it’s your daughter’s life that’s at stake, “it should be all right” isn’t good enough.
Many of the people who join the Facebook group have concerns about medicines, Elgarf says. There are a lot of diabetics and coeliacs among them. What they need is some reassurance. “We need to know for certain they have got a proper plan in place for anybody who depends on meds.” She has heard rumours that the most critical medicines may have to be collected from central hubs, which would be stocked on the basis of lists provided by GPs.It’s clearly something she has given thought to.
Elgarf is also clear about why she is talking to me. “So come April and there’s no Epilim in the country, I’ll say: ‘Where’s that Guardian man?’ And you guys are going to be interested because this little child you saw in January now has no meds.” Nora has fallen asleep on her mum.
Even if she never uses the supplies, most of which could be donated to a local food bank, Elgarf tried to frame her stockpile of food as a generally prudent decision. After all, in Switzerland, the government cautions residents in the Alps to always have two weeks worth of supplies stockpiled in the event of a snowstorm.
“In Switzerland, they tell people to have, I think, two weeks’ stuff,” she says. People are vulnerable there, not just because they’re more likely to get snowed in, but also because they have a hard border. Elgarf’s degree was in European studies. And she worked in the food industry; she knows how just-in-time it operates. Chris Grayling’s little lorry exercise didn’t reassure her. Nor the chief executive of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry saying that a no-deal Brexit “should be avoided at all costs”.
One woman who stockpiled everything from food, to potable water to makeup said she wasn't only prepping for herself - she was doing it for her dog as well.
Helena is not just prepping for herself. She is doing it for her dog, Charlie, too. And while she has about three months’ worth of supplies for herself, she is looking at more like a year for the dog, as she doesn’t see that pet food will be a priority. "I don’t really trust the government to look after me; I certainly don’t trust them to look after my dog," she says. As well as dog food, there are treats and toys on the spreadsheet. Charlie is going to enjoy a hard Brexit.
Helena sees it as an insurance policy. "Unless there’s enormous panic buying, I don’t think there’s going to be nothing on the shelves at Asda," she says. "But I do think there’s a very good chance that choice is going to be limited."
Another woman interviewed by the Guardian was an accomplished economist who said her knowledge of how supply chains worked inspired her to start stockpiling.
In Cambridge, Diane says she is also stockpiling, though she doesn’t want to go into too much detail. “I’m a bit cautious about being presented as an idiot who has a cupboard full of stuff,” she says. She’s OK about using her surname, though: she is Diane Coyle, OBE, FACSS, the economist, Bennett professor of public policy at the University of Cambridge, former adviser to the Treasury, vice-chair of the BBC Trust, member of the Competition Commission, winner of the Indigo prize...in short, really not an idiot.
"The point about supply chains,” she explains, “is that the things you buy in the supermarket today were on the road last night. Supermarkets now don’t have warehouses full of stuff. If we have a no deal and the delays go up even by 12 hours – although I see there’s a new report saying it is going to be much more – then things will stop being put on the shelves. They will run out. And it’s not just stuff we buy from the EU, and it’s not just fresh produce – it’s quite a lot of things."
Coyle knows that she can’t get by without a cuppa and doesn’t want to run out of teabags or coffee because she didn’t get any in before a no-deal exit. “It’s things that matter to me, that we import, and it’s a bit of insurance.” Some believe that the fallout from a 'no deal' Brexit could linger longer than many expect.
In north Cornwall, Nevine Mann believes we will leave the EU without a deal, and that’s what she is preparing for. "We’re expecting it to be pretty horrendous for at least a couple of months, hopefully settling down and becoming less horrendous over time," says the former midwife. "Long term, we expect what’s available to be more expensive and different."
But while much remains uncertain, UK citizens might enjoy some more clarity after Tuesday's vote...
...or they could find themselves right back at square one if it is defeated by a wider than expected margin.
ZeroHedge.com
After months of fraught negotiations - first with the EU, then with her eurosceptics in Parliament - mere hours remain before Prime Minister Theresa May brings her Brexit withdrawal agreement up for a vote in the House of Commons on Tuesday. And with analysts and MPs alike anticipating an overwhelming defeat - the latest estimates put the margin of defeat at around 225 votes - Theresa May is under pressure to bring all of her "Project Fear" powers to bear to try and coerce MPs to back her deal, though now that MPs have wrested some of the control over the process away from the PM, her threats of "her deal, no deal or no Brexit" have largely been robbed of their bite. '
But that doesn't mean stories and images about the chaotic fallout from a 'no deal' Brexit can't still stoke anxieties among the voting public.
Enter the Guardian, which published on Tuesday a story documenting the phenomenon of the newly minted Brexit doomsday prepper. A reporter for the paper traveled to different parts of the country interviewing members of Facebook groups and other social media cliques dedicated to preparing for the worst case scenario. May's government has offered a nightmarish vision of the fallout, complete with lorries backed up at the border, bare cupboards and supermarket shelves and medicine shortages.
In an interesting twist, the Brexit preppers documented by the Guardian don't fit the stereotype of the rugged libertarian-leaning individualist. instead, they are mostly housewives and working women worried about their children going without essential medications.
Jo Elgarf, a member of the group '48% Preppers' (so named for the percentage of Britons who voted to remain a part of the European Union), told the Guardian that she had agreed to participate in the story because her doctor told her she couldn't stock up on two essential medications that help her child avoid daily seizures.
Because it’s not just about food for Elgarf and her family. One of her four-year-old twins, Nora, who has been sitting happily on her mum’s lap as we talk, has a rare brain condition called polymicrogyria. She has lots of prescriptions, but without two of them – Epilim and Keppra – for her epilepsy, she would have multiple seizures a day. “She can’t do without them,” says Elgarf. Both Epilim and Keppra are imported.
If she could stockpile these medicines, she would. But they are controlled, and she can only get a month’s supply at a time. “It should be all right,” she has been told by doctors and the pharmacists. But when it’s your daughter’s life that’s at stake, “it should be all right” isn’t good enough.
Many of the people who join the Facebook group have concerns about medicines, Elgarf says. There are a lot of diabetics and coeliacs among them. What they need is some reassurance. “We need to know for certain they have got a proper plan in place for anybody who depends on meds.” She has heard rumours that the most critical medicines may have to be collected from central hubs, which would be stocked on the basis of lists provided by GPs.It’s clearly something she has given thought to.
Elgarf is also clear about why she is talking to me. “So come April and there’s no Epilim in the country, I’ll say: ‘Where’s that Guardian man?’ And you guys are going to be interested because this little child you saw in January now has no meds.” Nora has fallen asleep on her mum.
Even if she never uses the supplies, most of which could be donated to a local food bank, Elgarf tried to frame her stockpile of food as a generally prudent decision. After all, in Switzerland, the government cautions residents in the Alps to always have two weeks worth of supplies stockpiled in the event of a snowstorm.
“In Switzerland, they tell people to have, I think, two weeks’ stuff,” she says. People are vulnerable there, not just because they’re more likely to get snowed in, but also because they have a hard border. Elgarf’s degree was in European studies. And she worked in the food industry; she knows how just-in-time it operates. Chris Grayling’s little lorry exercise didn’t reassure her. Nor the chief executive of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry saying that a no-deal Brexit “should be avoided at all costs”.
One woman who stockpiled everything from food, to potable water to makeup said she wasn't only prepping for herself - she was doing it for her dog as well.
Helena is not just prepping for herself. She is doing it for her dog, Charlie, too. And while she has about three months’ worth of supplies for herself, she is looking at more like a year for the dog, as she doesn’t see that pet food will be a priority. "I don’t really trust the government to look after me; I certainly don’t trust them to look after my dog," she says. As well as dog food, there are treats and toys on the spreadsheet. Charlie is going to enjoy a hard Brexit.
Helena sees it as an insurance policy. "Unless there’s enormous panic buying, I don’t think there’s going to be nothing on the shelves at Asda," she says. "But I do think there’s a very good chance that choice is going to be limited."
Another woman interviewed by the Guardian was an accomplished economist who said her knowledge of how supply chains worked inspired her to start stockpiling.
In Cambridge, Diane says she is also stockpiling, though she doesn’t want to go into too much detail. “I’m a bit cautious about being presented as an idiot who has a cupboard full of stuff,” she says. She’s OK about using her surname, though: she is Diane Coyle, OBE, FACSS, the economist, Bennett professor of public policy at the University of Cambridge, former adviser to the Treasury, vice-chair of the BBC Trust, member of the Competition Commission, winner of the Indigo prize...in short, really not an idiot.
"The point about supply chains,” she explains, “is that the things you buy in the supermarket today were on the road last night. Supermarkets now don’t have warehouses full of stuff. If we have a no deal and the delays go up even by 12 hours – although I see there’s a new report saying it is going to be much more – then things will stop being put on the shelves. They will run out. And it’s not just stuff we buy from the EU, and it’s not just fresh produce – it’s quite a lot of things."
Coyle knows that she can’t get by without a cuppa and doesn’t want to run out of teabags or coffee because she didn’t get any in before a no-deal exit. “It’s things that matter to me, that we import, and it’s a bit of insurance.” Some believe that the fallout from a 'no deal' Brexit could linger longer than many expect.
In north Cornwall, Nevine Mann believes we will leave the EU without a deal, and that’s what she is preparing for. "We’re expecting it to be pretty horrendous for at least a couple of months, hopefully settling down and becoming less horrendous over time," says the former midwife. "Long term, we expect what’s available to be more expensive and different."
But while much remains uncertain, UK citizens might enjoy some more clarity after Tuesday's vote...
...or they could find themselves right back at square one if it is defeated by a wider than expected margin.
How likely is an earthquake in the Midwest, South? The Big One could be coming
Thomas Novelly, Louisville Courier Journal Published 7:49 p.m. ET Dec. 12, 2018 | Updated 2:51 p.m. ET Dec. 13, 2018 / USAToday.com
Some East Tennesseans got an early start to their Wednesday when an earthquake centered in Decatur rattled through the area. Angela Gosnell, Knoxville News Sentinel.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The question is not if a massive earthquake will hit more than a half dozen states that border the Mississippi River, but rather when it will happen.
A minor earthquake early Wednesday that centered on Decatur in East Tennessee about 60 miles southwest of Knoxville was felt into Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina and South Carolina.
"A 4.4 magnitude earthquake is a reminder for people to be prepared," said John Bobel, a public information officer for the division of emergency management in Kentucky's Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government. People see indoor objects shake with magnitude 4 to 4.9 quakes, but the quakes generally cause little to minimal damage.
Scientists have seen evidence that the central Mississippi River Valley has seen major earthquakes for more than 4,000 years.
On Dec. 16, 1811, the first of three major earthquakes and numerous aftershocks struck what is now known as the New Madrid Seismic Zone, a series of faults that stretch 150 miles from Cairo, Illinois, to Marked Tree, Arkansas.
► Dec. 12: Magnitude 4.4 earthquake shakes Tennessee, Georgia
► Dec. 6: How did Alaska repair earthquake-damaged roads in just days?
► Dec. 2: Alaska earthquake: When will the aftershocks stop?
Today the zone threatens Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee. That's a different set of faults than Wednesday's quake in the East Tennessee Seismic Zone.
Back in 1811, New Madrid, Missouri, itself had only 400 people, St. Louis to the north had about 1,500 residents and Memphis to the south wasn't even a twinkle in its founders' eyes, according to the Central United States Earthquake Consortium. Damage was reported as far away as Charleston, South Carolina, and the District of Columbia; and the quakes, estimated at 7.5 to 7.7 magnitude, were felt more than 1,000 miles away in Connecticut.
“The big thing we prepare for is with New Madrid. Depending on the significance of an earthquake, Memphis, Tennessee, would be gone; St. Louis would be wrecked.”
John Bobel, Lexington-Fayette (Ky.) Urban County Government
Today, an estimated 11 million people live in the New Madrid Seismic Zone, according to TransRe, a reinsurance company that essentially insures the property insurance companies. "The big thing we prepare for is with New Madrid," Bobel said. "Depending on the significance of an earthquake, Memphis, Tennessee, would be gone; St. Louis would be wrecked." Keep in mind, the New Madrid quakes of 1811 and 1812 were almost 2,000 times bigger than Wednesday's 4.4 trembler and released almost 90,000 times more energy, according to the U.S. Geological Survey's earthquake calculator. The Feb. 7, 1812, quake formed 20-square-mile Reelfoot Lake, now a state park in West Tennessee.
That's not as strong as the largest magnitude earthquake in U.S. history, the 9.2-magnitude Alaska earthquake of March 27, 1964. But the New Madrid quakes affected an area two to three times larger and 10 times larger than the April 18, 1906, San Francisco earthquake, which is now estimated as a 7.9 magnitude.
The New Madrid quakes affected a larger area because of the sedimentary rock in the Mississippi Valley, rock such as limestone, sandstone and shale that is made of compressed sediment. The granite of the West is better able to contain the shaking, according to Pennsylvania State University's Earthquake Seismology Group.
So, what could a big quake look like in the fault zone today? Well, Bobel didn't sugarcoat it. It would be bad.
"Anything west of I-65, infrastructure would be severely damaged," Bobel said of the interstate that bisects Kentucky and Tennessee. "The ground could even liquify and turn to mud," which happened in 1811 and 1812.
► Nov. 30: 7.0 earthquake rocks Anchorage, Alaska; pipeline, flights, roads shut
► Oct. 6: Death toll rises after magnitude 5.9 earthquake rocks Haiti
In a 7.7 magnitude earthquake along the New Madrid Fault, the Mid-America Earthquake Center at the University of Illinois estimated in 2008 that Tennessee would have the worst damage: 250,000 buildings moderately or severely damaged, more than 260,000 people displaced, significantly more than 60,000 injuries and fatalities, total direct economic losses surpassing $56 billion, $64 billion today when adjusted for inflation. Kentucky would have the next most significant damage, totaling $45 billion, $52 billion today.
Depending on the epicenter of such a quake, "areas within the NMSZ would experience widespread and catastrophic physical damage, negative social impacts, and economic losses," the Federal Emergency Management Agency said in 2008. The agency remains concerned that adoption and enforcement of codes that would allow buildings to withstand a strong earthquake are spotty at best and little retrofitting has occurred.
► Oct. 3: Volcano erupts in Indonesia days after devastating earthquake and tsunami
► Sept. 28: Powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake rocks central Sulawesi in Indonesia
How likely is such a disaster?
Seismologists estimate that the New Madrid Seismic Zone has a 25 percent to 40 percent chance of producing a significant quake within the next 50 years, according to Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government. USGS studies have concluded that the zone has generated magnitude 7 to 8 earthquakes about every 500 years for the past 1,200 years.
Remember, most earthquake injuries come from falling objects and debris, not the actual movement of the ground. To prepare your home, here are some tips from the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government:
• Fasten shelves, mirrors, picture frames and similar objects securely to walls – preferably not over beds, sofas, or other places you may sit.
• Secure tall furniture, such as bookcases and filing cabinets, to wall studs or masonry. Use flexible straps that will allow the furniture to sway without toppling. Also, secure expensive electronic devices such as televisions.
• Secure appliances such as your refrigerator and water heater with straps connected to wall studs.
• Store heavy or breakable objects on lower shelves, or in cabinets with latched doors.
• Have a professional assess your home’s structure for quake vulnerabilities, then repair or reinforce any damaged or weak points.
15 Flashpoints That Could Produce A "Perfect Storm" In H2 2018
ZeroHedge.com Mon, 07/16/2018 - 08:17
Authored by Michael Snyder via The American Dream blog,
Events are beginning to greatly accelerate, and many believe that the ingredients for a “perfect storm” are starting to come together as we enter the second half of 2018.
Other than the continual drama surrounding the Trump presidency, things have been quite calm for the past couple of years. We have been enjoying a time of peace, safety and relative economic prosperity that a lot of Americans have begun to take for granted. But great trouble has been brewing under the surface, and many are wondering if we are about to reach a major turning point. Our planet is being shaken physically, emotionally and financially, and it isn’t going to take much to push us over the edge. The following are 15 flashpoints which could create world changing events during the 2nd half of 2018…
#1 War In The Middle East – A state of war already exists in Israel. 200 rockets and mortar shells were fired into Israel on Saturday alone, and it won’t take much to spark a much broader regional war.
#2 Civil Unrest In U.S. Cities – Progressives are promising a “summer of rage”, and they are assuring us that all of the anger that has been building up against President Trump and his administration is about to starting boiling over onto the streets of our major cities all across America.
#3 The Nomination Of Brett Kavanaugh To The Supreme Court – Prominent liberals are stoking fears that the Supreme Court will start taking away “our most cherished liberties” if Brett Kavanaugh is confirmed by the Senate. Expect Washington D.C. to be the focus for a lot of the chaos that will happen later this summer.
#4 Tensions In The Windy City – The City of Chicago is a powder keg that could erupt at any moment. The recent shooting of a young African-American man resulted in a violent night of protests, and we should expect much more chaos in the days ahead.
#5 The 2018 Mid-Term Elections – These are probably the most important mid-term elections in modern American history, and tempers are running high on both sides. At this point the left appears to have more energy than the right, as they have accumulated a voter registration lead of 12 million in states that require party affiliation.
#6 Hillary Clinton – Hillary has been acting very much like a presidential candidate in recent days, and she has been continually fueling hatred for Donald Trump during her public appearances. Many believe that she will launch yet another campaign for the presidency once the 2018 mid-term elections are over.
#7 The U.S. Border With Mexico – President Trump’s immigration policies have absolutely infuriated the left, and Mexico’s new president is a radical socialist that absolutely hates Donald Trump and that has declared that immigration to the United States is a “human right”. It is difficult to see how this crisis is going to end well.
#8 The Trade War Between The United States And China – A full-blown trade war has erupted between the two largest economies on the entire planet. U.S. consumers are going to have to start paying much more for certain goods, and U.S. businesses that are heavily dependent on exports are going to have to start laying off workers.
#9 The Deteriorating Relationship Between The United States And Russia – Russia has become the “boogeyman” that gets blamed for everythingthese days, and relations between our two nations are the worst that they have been since the Cold War. Hopefully Trump and Putin can change that, but it is hard to be optimistic at this point.
#10 Will NATO Survive? – Donald Trump has threatened to pull the United States out of NATO if European leaders do not “immediately” begin increasing defense spending.
#11 The Stock Market – Markets all over the world have already been plummeting, and the smart money in the United States is getting out of the market at a pace that we haven’t seen since 2008. We are way overdue for a major crash, and if one happens during the second half of 2018 it definitely will not be a surprise.
#12 The Price Of Oil – The price of oil has reached levels not seen in many years, and many believe that the price is going to go much higher. This is already putting a tremendous amount of strain on working families all over America.
#13 The Political And Financial Crisis In Italy – The Italian government is going through an enormous amount of turmoil right now, and there are rumblings that the Italians may decide to leave the euro altogether. If that happens, we should expect to see the greatest financial shaking in modern European history.
#14 Earth In Travail – More than 30 volcanoes are erupting all around the world right now, and seismic activity appears to be escalating along the Ring of Fire. It is only a matter of time before we have a major seismic event in the United States, but hopefully that will not happen within the next six months.
#15 Drought In The Southwest – A devastating drought of historic proportions has already caused “Dust Bowl conditions” to return to some areas of the Southwest. If more rain doesn’t start falling, farmers and ranchers in the region are going to be absolutely crippled.
Of course it is inevitable that we will face some moments of crisis during the second half of 2018 that have nothing to do with the items on this list. One thing that is always true about life is that it is unpredictable, and so we should expect the unexpected.
But what virtually everyone should be able to agree upon is the fact that we are witnessing a very strange confluence of events that is unlike anything that we have witnessed in a very, very long time.
Is America about to plunge into a time of unprecedented turmoil? Only time will tell, but all of the ingredients are definitely there, and if a “perfect storm” does emerge during the second half of 2018 there are many of us that won’t be shocked at all.
A Newly Discovered Supervolcano Is Churning Under 3 States
ZeroHedge.com Tue, 06/26/2018 - 23:25
Authored by Mac Slavo via SHTFplan.com,
A blob of molten lava has been detected under three states in the Northeast. The new supervolcano currently brewing under New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Vermont is creeping upwards and surprising geologists.
The region in which the new volcano was discovered is geologically stable with no active volcanoes in the surrounding area. Earthquakes are almost unheard of in the area.That means that the formation of the massive magma buildup in the northeast is a relatively recent event, scientists say. But keep in mind, in the timescale of Earth’s geological processes, this still means tens of millions of years. If these findings hold up though, the northeast could be considered more active geologically than previously thought.
Fox News reported that the unexpected supervolcano has been gradually making itself known to geologists in the United States. A huge mass of molten rock is slowly climbing upwards beneath three of the nation’s northeastern states. The new supervolcano only became evident through a new and large-scale seismic study. “The upwelling we detected is like a hot-air balloon, and we infer that something is rising up through the deeper part of our planet under New England,” says Rutgers University geophysicist Professor Vadim Levin.
“Our study challenges the established notion of how the continents on which we live behave,” Professor Levin says. “It challenges the textbook concepts taught in introductory geology classes.” But there should be no fear of this supervolcano erupting anytime soon either.
“It will likely take millions of years for the upwelling to get where it’s going,” Professor Levin explains. “The next step is to try to understand how exactly it’s happening.”
“It is not Yellowstone-like, but it’s a distant relative,” Professor Levin says. And geologists say that the volcano may never erupt at all. “Maybe it didn’t have time yet, or maybe it is too small and will never make it,” Professor Levin told National Geographic. “Come back in 50 million years, and we’ll see what happens.”
These recent findings, which were published in the journal Geology, suggest that New England may not be so immune to abrupt geological change. “Ten years ago, this would not have been possible,” said Levin. “Now, all of a sudden, we have a much better eye to see inside the Earth.”
ZeroHedge.com Tue, 06/26/2018 - 23:25
Authored by Mac Slavo via SHTFplan.com,
A blob of molten lava has been detected under three states in the Northeast. The new supervolcano currently brewing under New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Vermont is creeping upwards and surprising geologists.
The region in which the new volcano was discovered is geologically stable with no active volcanoes in the surrounding area. Earthquakes are almost unheard of in the area.That means that the formation of the massive magma buildup in the northeast is a relatively recent event, scientists say. But keep in mind, in the timescale of Earth’s geological processes, this still means tens of millions of years. If these findings hold up though, the northeast could be considered more active geologically than previously thought.
Fox News reported that the unexpected supervolcano has been gradually making itself known to geologists in the United States. A huge mass of molten rock is slowly climbing upwards beneath three of the nation’s northeastern states. The new supervolcano only became evident through a new and large-scale seismic study. “The upwelling we detected is like a hot-air balloon, and we infer that something is rising up through the deeper part of our planet under New England,” says Rutgers University geophysicist Professor Vadim Levin.
“Our study challenges the established notion of how the continents on which we live behave,” Professor Levin says. “It challenges the textbook concepts taught in introductory geology classes.” But there should be no fear of this supervolcano erupting anytime soon either.
“It will likely take millions of years for the upwelling to get where it’s going,” Professor Levin explains. “The next step is to try to understand how exactly it’s happening.”
“It is not Yellowstone-like, but it’s a distant relative,” Professor Levin says. And geologists say that the volcano may never erupt at all. “Maybe it didn’t have time yet, or maybe it is too small and will never make it,” Professor Levin told National Geographic. “Come back in 50 million years, and we’ll see what happens.”
These recent findings, which were published in the journal Geology, suggest that New England may not be so immune to abrupt geological change. “Ten years ago, this would not have been possible,” said Levin. “Now, all of a sudden, we have a much better eye to see inside the Earth.”
Retired Green Beret: 7 Ways To Stay Alive In A Post-Collapse Society
Fri, 06/01/2018 - 23:05
Authored by Jeremiah Johnson (Nom de plume of a retired Green Beret of the United States Army Special Forces) via ReadyNutrition.com,
There have always been times where we inadvertently put ourselves in precarious situations. In this case, your best bet is to trust your gut. If you don’t feel the situation is right, find the nearest exit and leave the area. We covered some of these times in our most recent article regarding attackers and how to handle them individually or en-masse. In the article, we covered a lot of ground for scenarios that may occur during these “Good Times” prior to a societal collapse or nuclear war. This article is taking those suggestions and applying them in a collapse environment. Before we begin, you must understand that the biggest difference is that in a post-SHTF scenario there are no rules.
In a SHTF world, it’s a different story.
The sad thing with laws and rules is that they only help protect the citizen from the law-abiding citizen: the system focuses on self-discipline and restraint.
7 Ways To Stay Alive in a Post-Collapse Society
As is extensively detailed in The Prepper’s Blueprint: How To Survive Any Disaster, life will definitely be different when the SHTF. You will not be able to rely on the law to protect you; however, you will also not be prosecuted under the law for some superficial or superfluous reason: your life and your family’s lives take precedence. That being said, what do you do? How do you handle these attackers…people that are intent on taking you down and taking what you have? Let’s outline some basics that you can use post-SHTF.
These Post-Collapse Rules Will Keep You Alive
There are some rules to follow that are hard rules, but will serve you in good stead. They apply in a wartime situation, and they will apply equally in a disaster such as an apocalyptic event with societal collapse.
In the end, taking care of yourself is a stance, and when the “S” hits the fan, the rules will disappear: they are as fragile as society itself, as fragile as cobwebs drenched with dew in the summer sun. A strong wind will blow them away, just as an event will blow down the Hallmark houses made of straw and blow away the thin veneer of civilization masking the underlying, atavistic barbarism along with it. Now is the time to assess yourself, make your plans, and execute those plans to strengthen your body, mind, and spirit to prepare for the times to come. JJ out!
Fri, 06/01/2018 - 23:05
Authored by Jeremiah Johnson (Nom de plume of a retired Green Beret of the United States Army Special Forces) via ReadyNutrition.com,
There have always been times where we inadvertently put ourselves in precarious situations. In this case, your best bet is to trust your gut. If you don’t feel the situation is right, find the nearest exit and leave the area. We covered some of these times in our most recent article regarding attackers and how to handle them individually or en-masse. In the article, we covered a lot of ground for scenarios that may occur during these “Good Times” prior to a societal collapse or nuclear war. This article is taking those suggestions and applying them in a collapse environment. Before we begin, you must understand that the biggest difference is that in a post-SHTF scenario there are no rules.
In a SHTF world, it’s a different story.
The sad thing with laws and rules is that they only help protect the citizen from the law-abiding citizen: the system focuses on self-discipline and restraint.
7 Ways To Stay Alive in a Post-Collapse Society
As is extensively detailed in The Prepper’s Blueprint: How To Survive Any Disaster, life will definitely be different when the SHTF. You will not be able to rely on the law to protect you; however, you will also not be prosecuted under the law for some superficial or superfluous reason: your life and your family’s lives take precedence. That being said, what do you do? How do you handle these attackers…people that are intent on taking you down and taking what you have? Let’s outline some basics that you can use post-SHTF.
- Never travel anywhere alone: always go in pairs with one to guard and watch over the other one.
- Never go anywhere unarmed: preferably with a rifle or shotgun, a main sidearm (pistol), a backup sidearm/piece, plenty of ammo for all of them, a fixed-blade knife, and a folding (lock-blade) knife at a minimum. Read more about SHTF firearms in this article. Yes, that is a lot of stuff. Let’s make some further suggestions on these. Mossberg 500 series 12 gauge shotgun. .45 ACP main pistol. .22 cal lr revolver or pistol…suppressor is optional but highly recommended. Gerber Mark II fixed-blade knife. Spyderco police model folding knife.
- Never travel anywhere without the rest of the family/group knowing where you’re heading: Don’t mess around with this one. If trouble arises, you cannot go off wandering on your own and expect anyone to come to your aid.
- Consider all strangers armed and potentially dangerous: If you wish to be the “Good Samaritan/Mister Rogers,” this is your choice. After the SHTF, however, the rules are off, and it is (paraphrasing Jack London) back to the Law of Club and Fang.
- Keep your distance when talking to strangers: As President Reagan phrased it so eloquently, “Peace through superior firepower.” Watch their eyes, watch their hands, and conclude your discussion in a businesslike manner. Don’t waste time: get to the point and then get going. Along those lines, pay attention to the way you carry yourself in public. Your body language can be very telling. Predators normally watch their victims before they strike and look for key indicators.
- Meeting strangers: You may wish to have a couple extra people roaming around at a distance to watch for the approach of an ambushing force. Many attacks begin by placing people at ease and using a larger force held in reserve to swoop in when the parlay has begun, and everyone’s guard is down.
- Territory: You need to stake it out, post it (warn others), and enforce the fact that it is your territory. Many times, attackers will be “persuaded” to find a softer target: one that is less organized with people not in a readiness stance at all times.
These Post-Collapse Rules Will Keep You Alive
There are some rules to follow that are hard rules, but will serve you in good stead. They apply in a wartime situation, and they will apply equally in a disaster such as an apocalyptic event with societal collapse.
- Everybody Wants Something: they aren’t traveling toward your home turf for nothing. They want something: food, water, clothing, shelter, tools, or interest in the opposite sex. This last we’ll cover as an “individual item.” You need to find out what they want, and if they’re willing to trade something for it or if they’re just out scouting to raid (the more likely of the two choices).
- Discretion is the Better Part of Valor: Keep a cool head, a steady hand, an unflinching eye, and the ability to go into fighting mode in an instant. An aggressor will notice these things. He will want to assess your abilities. This also means keeping your cool. It doesn’t mean shutting up and allowing yourself to be verbally bullied into a corner. The enemy can sense weakness, as well. Mr. and Mrs. Hallmark? You’re going to have to step up and do your own dirty work…your own fighting for once. Better be smart and don’t bite off something that is bigger than you can chew.
- Interest in the Opposite Sex: This is a fact of life. The primary groups will be groups of men that are correlated directly with ancient hunting parties of old. These groups of men will no longer have rules they have to follow and they will want your wife, your daughter, or your sister. They will adhere to no rules or propriety. They will want children as well: girls or young boys. Let me be perfectly clear: you will have to kill them when they come for such.
- Cannibalism: Yes, cannibalism is always something you may have labeled as a “fluke” event, such as “Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors,” but it is not. There was an Army study years back that found that 1 human out of 1,000 will actively hunt other humans for food. I’m here to tell you, that number is grossly underestimated. Cannibalism begins almost immediately, at least within the first 1 to 2 weeks following a disaster. There is plenty of history out there to document it, such as the Donner Party, as well as a presentation done by the Discovery Channel. Be aware of it: they’ll be out there, and you need to be ready for them.
In the end, taking care of yourself is a stance, and when the “S” hits the fan, the rules will disappear: they are as fragile as society itself, as fragile as cobwebs drenched with dew in the summer sun. A strong wind will blow them away, just as an event will blow down the Hallmark houses made of straw and blow away the thin veneer of civilization masking the underlying, atavistic barbarism along with it. Now is the time to assess yourself, make your plans, and execute those plans to strengthen your body, mind, and spirit to prepare for the times to come. JJ out!
EMP Commission Warns Of Year-Long Blackout And A Massive Death Toll
Thu, 05/10/2018 - 21:05
Authored by Mac Slavo via SHTFplan.com,
A federal EMP commission report warns that even the smallest EMP attack on our grid system would down it for about a year, if not longer. A year-long blackout would certainly be coupled with a massive death toll that would devastate entire populations.
The so-called EMP Commission report said that this threat is very real, jeopardizes “modern civilization,” and would set back living conditions to those last seen in the 1800s. As a result of the chaos, millions would likely die, according to the report titled “Assessing the Threat from Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP),” from the recently re-established Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack.
“The United States — and modern civilization more generally — faces a present and continuing existential threat from naturally occurring and man-made electromagnetic pulse assault and related attacks on military and critical national infrastructures. A nationwide blackout of the electric power grid and grid-dependent critical infrastructures — communications, transportation, sanitation, food and water supply — could plausibly last a year or longer. Many of the systems designed to provide renewable, stand-alone power in case of an emergency, such as generators, uninterruptible power supplies, and renewable energy grid components, are also vulnerable to EMP attack,” said the 27-page report.
“A long-term outage owing to EMP could disable most critical supply chains, leaving the U.S. population living in conditions similar to centuries past, prior to the advent of electric power,” said the July 2017 report provided Secrets.
“In the 1800s, the U.S. population was less than 60 million, and those people had many skills and assets necessary for survival without today’s infrastructure. An extended blackout today could result in the death of a large fraction of the American people through the effects of societal collapse, disease, and starvation,” added the executive summary.
Three reports on the issue of an EMP attack have been declassified by the Pentagon and seven more are awaiting clearance. Among those declassified documents, was a report from Peter Vincent Pry, who served on a prior EMP Commission and is executive director of the Task Force on National and Homeland Security, spelling out the human toll of an EMP attack on the electric grid. He also advises the current commission.
In “Life Without Electricity,” he said the results would be horrific for most, as the vast majority of Americans have virtually no survival skills. He believes the whole year would look something like this:
Since it’s hard to take that first step and prepare, especially for a year-long power grid failure, a handy guide we’ve often suggested is called The Prepper’s Blueprint. Written by Tess Pennigton, it’ll walk the reader through a prepping regimen with a guide and easy to follow instructions. It’ll give beginning preppers a foundation to build on.
Thu, 05/10/2018 - 21:05
Authored by Mac Slavo via SHTFplan.com,
A federal EMP commission report warns that even the smallest EMP attack on our grid system would down it for about a year, if not longer. A year-long blackout would certainly be coupled with a massive death toll that would devastate entire populations.
The so-called EMP Commission report said that this threat is very real, jeopardizes “modern civilization,” and would set back living conditions to those last seen in the 1800s. As a result of the chaos, millions would likely die, according to the report titled “Assessing the Threat from Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP),” from the recently re-established Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack.
“The United States — and modern civilization more generally — faces a present and continuing existential threat from naturally occurring and man-made electromagnetic pulse assault and related attacks on military and critical national infrastructures. A nationwide blackout of the electric power grid and grid-dependent critical infrastructures — communications, transportation, sanitation, food and water supply — could plausibly last a year or longer. Many of the systems designed to provide renewable, stand-alone power in case of an emergency, such as generators, uninterruptible power supplies, and renewable energy grid components, are also vulnerable to EMP attack,” said the 27-page report.
“A long-term outage owing to EMP could disable most critical supply chains, leaving the U.S. population living in conditions similar to centuries past, prior to the advent of electric power,” said the July 2017 report provided Secrets.
“In the 1800s, the U.S. population was less than 60 million, and those people had many skills and assets necessary for survival without today’s infrastructure. An extended blackout today could result in the death of a large fraction of the American people through the effects of societal collapse, disease, and starvation,” added the executive summary.
Three reports on the issue of an EMP attack have been declassified by the Pentagon and seven more are awaiting clearance. Among those declassified documents, was a report from Peter Vincent Pry, who served on a prior EMP Commission and is executive director of the Task Force on National and Homeland Security, spelling out the human toll of an EMP attack on the electric grid. He also advises the current commission.
In “Life Without Electricity,” he said the results would be horrific for most, as the vast majority of Americans have virtually no survival skills. He believes the whole year would look something like this:
- Social Disorder: Looting requires a dusk to dawn curfew for those not wanting to risk their lives. People become refugees as they flee powerless homes. The workforce becomes differently employed at scavenging for the basics, including water, food, and shelter.
- Communications: No TV, radio, or phone service.
- Transportation: Gas pumps will be inoperable. Failure of signal lights and street lights would impede traffic and all traffic would cease after dark, but not many would even have a functioning vehicle anyway. No mass transit metro service and all airlines will be stopped.
- Water and Food: There will be no running water. Stoves and refrigerators will be inoperable. People will have to melt snow, boil water, and cook over open fires. Local food supplies will be exhausted. Most stores will close due to the blackout.
- Energy: Oil and natural gas flows will stop.
- Emergency Medical: Hospitals will have to operate in the dark. Patients on dialysis and other life support will be threatened. Medications administered and babies will be born by flashlight.
- Death and Injury: Casualties from exposure, carbon dioxide poisoning, and house fires increase.
Since it’s hard to take that first step and prepare, especially for a year-long power grid failure, a handy guide we’ve often suggested is called The Prepper’s Blueprint. Written by Tess Pennigton, it’ll walk the reader through a prepping regimen with a guide and easy to follow instructions. It’ll give beginning preppers a foundation to build on.
What Is The Government Doing To Protect Us From An EMP?
Fri, 05/04/2018 - 21:05
Via SurvivalSullivan.com,
An EMP attack is the most deadly doomsday proposition we could ever face. Few outside of the prepper community are even pondering such an end of the work event – and far fewer still are preparing to survive such a SHTF and the copious amount of domino mega disaster effects it would create.
An electromagnetic pulse (EMP) is defined as a brief surge of electromagnetic energy and it can be the result of either man-made or natural disturbances. Electronics can be affected and in some cases an EMP can result in physical destruction of things such as structures and vehicles. After a nuclear explosion, the EMP will radiate abruptly, and is likely to cause unspeakable damage to electrical systems as unnaturally high voltage surges through valves and transistors.
Let’s break down that very technical and scientific definition of an EMP into practical terms, shall we? The SHTF will epically hit fan in biblical proportion and could forever change life as we know it on planet Earth.
And….it could happen any minute now.
That, my fellow preppers, is the deep and dirty mega secrete neither the mainstream media nor government officials are paying enough attention to or want us to know.
If you grew up watching the Little House on the Prairie and Grizzly Adams like I did and ever wondered what it would be like to live an 1800s style existance, you just might get your chance to find out.
If (I really should agree with former DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano and say, “when”) an EMP happens, expect a scene like this to begin playing out in your neighborhood.
An electromagnetic pulse, whether it is caused by an Earth-directed X Class solar flare or a more nefarious man-made attack, WILL fry out fragile and antiquated power grid, anything hooked to it during when the EMP occurs, and ALL sensitive electronic equipment,
An EMP is a short, but very strong burst, of electromagnetic energy caused by a rapid and intense increase in charged particles in the ionosphere. The acceleration of particles can occur as the result of a solar storm, a nuclear bomb, dirty bomb or an a small scale, even due to a simple, yet strong, bolt of lightning.
Once the ionosphere experiences a particle surge, a wave of electrical currents emerges and shorts out all, modern equipment which needs electricity to function – including the transformers are necessary to make power grids all around the world, work.
An EMP disturbance has the capability to not only destroy sensitive electronic equipment, but can even burst power lines, down airplanes, and damage brick-and-mortar structures.
EMP Classification
We are all familiar with the government’s hurricane and tornado classification. The same type of scale also exists for electromagnetic pulses.
E1 – This classification of an EMp is the most brief. An E1 typically lasts for hardly even a microsecond, but is still regarded as being substantially powerful and highly destructive. An E1 EMP would occur after the detonation of a nuclear bomb.
E2 – This classification of an electromagnetic pulse lasts at least a little bit longer than an E1 and could be caused by a man-made dirty bomb depending upon its capacity, or a nuclear explosion. During a nuclear blast, what would most likely occur is an E1 level EMP would happen followed by an E2 class event. Our power grid might be capable of withstanding an E2 event if it is really as hardened as the government claims, but there is currently no known way to harden the electrical grid (or anything else, for that matter) against an E1 class EMP event.
E3 – An E3 EMP event is less powerful than either an E1 or an E2. It can last for hours to days, depending upon the originating incident. This is the type of EMP disturbance that commonly occurs due to solar flares during the summer months.
The Carrington Event
When the most recent and only recorded EMP provoking solar flare happened in 1859, it was dubbed the Carrington Event. Richard Carrington, an astronomer, watched the EMP unleash its power through his telescope lens and documented the event.
A monstrous power outage resulted, leaving more than six million people in the dark from Canada through New York to New Jersey. At the time, NASA experts proclaimed the solar flare possessed approximately one-third of the power that the Carrington Event carried.
Telegraph lines, the most sophisticated type of technological equipment of that era, not only snapped and caught fire, even the papers and desks of operators also burst into flames.
Scientists often refer to EMPs as a “transient electromagnetic disturbance.” The incidents can be natural disturbances due to solar flares or a man-made current used as part of a weapons system.
Man-Made EMPs
An EMP strike is actually more likely to occur than a nuclear bomb or a war because of money and power. Why spend billions on war, manufacturing weapons, training and dispatching soldiers, when you can discharge an EMP attack, wait a few months, and then survey the inevitable damage?
By simply launching a few SCUD missiles (a storable-propellant, single-stage ballistic first developed by the Soviets) from a ship anchored off the coast, you could unleash a silent, quick, and clean attack on an enemy, without so much as a single bullet. Human nature and the force of evolution will take care of the rest, as populations become defenseless, weak, and increasingly desperate. North Korea claims to have the ability to launch such an attack right now.The bottom line is that an EMP assault is cheaper and less messy for our enemies than anything else.
Following an EMP attack, financial and communication systems would fail. Transportation systems would derail. The unprepared portion of the population, all 325.7 million of them that are not preppers or already living off grid or on a sustainable homestead, will not be able to cope with the basic needs of daily survival.
Depending upon the origin of the electromagnetic pulse, a man-made disturbance can stem from an electric, radiated, conducted electric current, or magnetic field. A nuclear EMP attack would be even more devastating than a solar EMP – or coronal mass ejection – CME.
An EMP attack results when the enemy launches a nuclear bomb – from land or sea – into the Earth’s atmosphere, rocketing to a height of more than 25 miles. The detonation causes gamma rays to interact with air molecules, producing positive ions while recoiling electrons in Earth’s atmosphere.
The positive ions take over the electrons and a gigantic pulse bursts out towards the Earth below. Simply put, an atomic reaction takes place and the electromagnetic pulse that is created scorches all the electrical devices within a vast radius, including batteries.
Solar Storms
The effects of a solar (geomagnetic) storm are often attributed to that of an electromagnetic pulse. While an intense solar storm could potentially damage huge segments of the country’s power grid, it will impact ground level sensitive electronic equipment that isn’t even plugged in. While the effects of a solar storm do match the scientific definition of an EMP, the response it triggers is much slower than the expected speed of a ‘pulse’.
It is untrue that an EMP has limited range because it follows the inverse square law. This law is, in fact, irrelevant for most nuclear EMP occurrences. This is because, while the detonation of the nuclear weapon may be occur at a great distance, the E1 EMP is produced within the atmosphere, 12 to 24 miles directly above, in the stratosphere region, referred to as the source region by scientists.
A Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) is a huge burst of gas released from the Sun.This is the organic, natural form of an EMP and it brings the might power to fry electronics along with it. It targets the power grid, blasts power plants, and sends surges of electrical current along the lines, damaging household appliances and simple electronics that are plugged in along with all sensitive high-tech devices.
A CME lasts only a few hours, but if the Sun emits many of these in several directions, there’s more chance one could collide with the Earth. A CME will have global consequences, disrupting radio transmissions, blasting satellites, and endangering people travelling in airplanes and spacecraft at high altitudes.
The power grid would only be temporarily disrupted by a solar storm, these types of occurrences happen with fair frequency during the hot months of summer – when you see your television experiencing heavy static and have patchy cell or internet service, a solar storm is likely the root cause. However, geometric currents, triggered by a solar storm, could eradicate much of the biggest transformers worldwide and recovery could stretch over decades.
It’s only a matter of time before nature unleashes a solar storm. And next time, it could be a big one. Solar flares run in cycles with most scientists in agreement that an X Class Earth directed solar flare occurs about every 100 years. It has been longer than a century since the Carrington Event of 1859 – so we are long overdue for what we, as a society, are ill-prepared and ill-equipped, to survive without a traumatic death toll.
What Will Stop Working After An EMP
What Other EMP Effects Can We Expect?
While an EMP doesn’t harm the human body, (with the possible exception of people with pacemakers) one strategic strike launched over Kansas could cripple electrical operations in the United States. Basically, all telecommunications would fail and the country will be plunged into a 19th-century-era darkness with nationwide blackouts, because the power grid will go down immediately after the EMP hits.
The intensity of the high voltage spikes produced by an E1 surge is based on several factors including location relative to the EMP surge, amount of shielding, as well as object size and energy status at the time.
The E2 surge is like lightning, but weaker and relatively harmless. Electronic devices already damaged by an E1 are more vulnerable to an E2. The E3 is similar to a geomagnetic storm, lasting several minutes. Unconnected electronics won’t be damaged. Its primary threat is to the power grid, especially the larger transformers.
Phone, cable TVs and electric lines are the most hazardous when an EMP strikes. External antennas and computer cables are next in line. Smaller electronic devices would be mildly affected and would probably stay intact. A cell phone or wristwatch may be immune to a spike, but only EMP-resistant signal towers will stay online.
Planes will literally be falling from the sky after an EMP. Their highly sensitive computer components will fail and the approximately 7,000 planes flying above our heads across the country at any given moment, will crash and burn – and no one will be there to put out the flames.
The spreading of fires from plane crashes as well as from survivors attempting to stay warm, boil water, and prepare food, will causes an insurmountable amount of damage to homes, businesses, crops, wildlife that will need to be hunted for food, etc.
Shock, disbelief, and then panic will be the first emotions and reactions the general populace (and let’s face it, many areas of our government will be going through the same set of emotions as well) will feel. Once the full impact of the doomsday disaster beings to register, things will get even worse once folks know the lights are not going to come back on for at least months, but more than likely years…if at all.
With no functioning ATMS, cash will go fast and essentially be deemed worthless overnight. A can of peaches or a bottle of water will become far more valuable than a $100 bill to survivors.
When the SHTF, looting will occur quickly and bartering will replace cash transactions. Security systems will fail, leaving you and your home vulnerable to intruders because you cannot call 911 for help. You’ll need alternative methods to prepare and refrigerate or otherwise store food. Start canning, stockpiling, and preserving food before it’s too late.
There are indirect and direct EMP effects. Direct, physical effects include damaged electrical systems. Indirect effects can be more severe and cause widespread chaos. And, the worst part is, it only takes a fraction of a second to fry all electronics.
The indirect effects of a doomsday disaster, like an EMP, are referred to as “domino effects.” With the exception of a full-scale nuclear war, that is no other SHTF scenario that will bring out more devastating domino effects than an EMP.
EMP Domino Effects
The Star Fish Prime test of 1962 involved a 1.4 megaton nuclear warhead being launched over the Pacific Ocean by the United States government. The EMP pulses generated by the testing of the nuclear warhead were significantly more powerful and far reaching than the learned scientists of that era had anticipated.
In Hawaii, more than 1,000 miles away from the test sight, street lights went out. The test results the scientists had hoped to review and learn from were rendered useless because the EMP event was so powerful it exceeded the ability of their equipment to measure.
At the same time as the Star Fish Prime test, Russia was engaging a nearly identical nuclear experiment of their own – Test 184. Although the exacts details about the type of nuclear warhead used and other particulars related to the test are still unknown outside of our Cold War foe, diesel generators were damaged and a a shielded and underground power line 180 miles away from the test area in Kazakhstan.
Are We Prepared?
Some analysts and elected officials prefer to bury their heads in the sand instead of facing reality and hardening our power grid from an EMP attack.If you think the government has a ready stockpile of necessary parts tucked away in Faraday cages “just in case” think again. We do not even make the parts needed to repair our electrical grid in the United States. If the EMP attack is global, as would be the case with an Earth-directed solar flare, getting the parts we need from an overseas manufacturer will not be an option.
How Can I Protect My Stuff ?
During an EMP, electric fields, both non-static and static, are obstructed because electricity is directed around the mesh, producing continuous voltage on all sides but not the space in the middle. Cars and microwaves are NOT Faraday cages. As a rule of thumb, if you can listen to the radio or call your cell phone while inside any of them, they won’t work.
To ensure that your electronics survive an EMP spike, they have to be housed inside a Faraday cage shield, preferably several nested cages. What is a Faraday cage? It is a low-tech cage, box, or can made of metal and lined with cardboard that houses sensitive electronic equipment to harden it against an EMP or CME. The components inside absolutely cannot touch for the cage to function properly.
Michael Faraday, a scientist from England, invented a cage that is capable of shielding its contents from an EMP by rerouting the charge around the surface of the metal, in 1836. The more dense the metal, the better the contents in inside will be protected – that fact is why most preppers use metal trash cans as Faraday cages.
How well a Faraday cage would work under real world conditions remains unknown because they have only been tested in laboratory simulations. But, it still remains the best shot at saving your handheld 2-way radios, batteries, spare vehicle parts, etc.
There Are many opinions on whether or not these cages will work so… better safe than sorry.The mesh layer of conductive material in Faraday bags creates this protective skin.
If you’re worried about EMP obliterating your comms, invest in a Surplus PRC 77 radio and an EMP-resistant vehicle. Short range comms, that utilize VHF/UHF radios, can be up and running less than an hour after an EMP strike, if protected. Long range comms will take several hours to recover.
How well your vehicle will fare against an EMP will depend largely upon its age. There is a lot of debate about how old is old enough, when it comes to the durability of car parts from an EMP survival perspective. Some folks say any vehicle built prior to the early 1970s does not possess components with electronic components sensitive enough to be impacted by an EMP. Still others staunchly maintain a vehicle older than the 1950s or maybe the 1960s, will not still work after an EMP.
You can turn your garage into a Faraday cage in an attempt to harden your vehicle, ATV, and other electronic devices and survival gear. If you own a metal pole barn style garage, simply line the floor with sheet metal and then place several layers of thick cardboard or plywood on top of the metal to insulate the vehicles or equipment from the impact of the EMP.
To protect your electronic devices, you need to defend against the E1 phase, a surge similar to radio waves that penetrates ground-level devices such as power cords, circuit boards and antennas. The E3 phase, which travels through power and phone lines, is also worrisome. E3 energy travels over longer conductors, flooding connected equipment and causing a destructive power overload.
Formulate Plan B for operating your home and business without electronics or the Internet. How will you manage transactions? Inventory stock? Accept payments? To be safe, prepare yourself now to conduct all operations manually and to do cash only transactions.
What About Day-To-Day Power Surges?
For day-to-day protection, invest in quality surge protectors for your electronic devices, an affordable and reliable precaution. You’ll need one that’s UL-listed with a voltage of 330 volts or less, as well as a rapid response time. Buy a computer with an Ethernet slot, or get yourself a dedicated Ethernet surge protector. For optimal protection, add an uninterruptible power supply (UPS), an effective but more expensive option.
The UPS should be a double conversion supply tested to meet UL standards. While 60-90% of today’s vehicles are designed to withstand electromagnetic pulses of up to 25 kV/m, it’s always best to be prepared for the worst case scenario. If you know your way around cars, consider buying back-up modules for your vehicle’s key electronics.
What Is The Government Doing To Protect Us From An EMP?
Not much, is the short answer.
While nuclear weapons are destructive enough to level entire cities, the resultant EMP from one would likely be its most devastating effect. In 2001, in response to concern that crucial infrastructure and even the United States military would not hold up against an EMP strike, the EMP Commission was created by Congress. President Obama disbanded the committee and the potentially society-saving information that would come out of it, not long after taking office.
In 2008, the Commission delivered a report on the possible effects that an EMP strike would have on national infrastructures, recommending ways that the US could prepare, protect, and restore these if this kind of attack were ever to take place. Dr. William Forstchen’s One Second After was heralded on the floor of Congress by those elected officials and commission members who saw the writing on the wall and were urging, if not outright begging, for something to be done to protect the lives of Americans, our economy, and sanctity of this nation, from an EMP attack.
Their pleas largely fell upon deaf ears. Several bills were written to address the power grid’s frailties and to develop a full and actionable plan to prepare for an EMP attack – and to survive afterwards, but they never made it out of committee. Why do perhaps the most important pieces of legislation introduced during our lifetimes keep getting buried? Disbelief such a SHTF event is really going to happen for one – but over money, mostly.
Hardening the power grid and taking other necessary steps to prepare American for either a man-made or natural EMP attack would cost billions of dollars. Why don’t our public servants just stop sending our hard-earned money to countries they readily and loudly proclaim their hate for us and curtail the tens of billions of dollars sent overseas for charitable reasons and spent on studies about that place shrimp on treadmills? That is a good question for which neither I, nor those politicians who continue to ignore this looming and very real SHTF thread, have no reasonable answer.
Final Word
An EMP attack is a strong possibility in today’s economically-strained, weaponized world. It is a swift, deadly, and silent force that relies on the deterioration of civil society into chaos and darkness. While it may appear to be a perfectly normal scientific phenomenon, its effects on humanity will be crippling. How prepared are you for an EMP strike?
Fri, 05/04/2018 - 21:05
Via SurvivalSullivan.com,
An EMP attack is the most deadly doomsday proposition we could ever face. Few outside of the prepper community are even pondering such an end of the work event – and far fewer still are preparing to survive such a SHTF and the copious amount of domino mega disaster effects it would create.
An electromagnetic pulse (EMP) is defined as a brief surge of electromagnetic energy and it can be the result of either man-made or natural disturbances. Electronics can be affected and in some cases an EMP can result in physical destruction of things such as structures and vehicles. After a nuclear explosion, the EMP will radiate abruptly, and is likely to cause unspeakable damage to electrical systems as unnaturally high voltage surges through valves and transistors.
Let’s break down that very technical and scientific definition of an EMP into practical terms, shall we? The SHTF will epically hit fan in biblical proportion and could forever change life as we know it on planet Earth.
And….it could happen any minute now.
That, my fellow preppers, is the deep and dirty mega secrete neither the mainstream media nor government officials are paying enough attention to or want us to know.
If you grew up watching the Little House on the Prairie and Grizzly Adams like I did and ever wondered what it would be like to live an 1800s style existance, you just might get your chance to find out.
If (I really should agree with former DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano and say, “when”) an EMP happens, expect a scene like this to begin playing out in your neighborhood.
An electromagnetic pulse, whether it is caused by an Earth-directed X Class solar flare or a more nefarious man-made attack, WILL fry out fragile and antiquated power grid, anything hooked to it during when the EMP occurs, and ALL sensitive electronic equipment,
An EMP is a short, but very strong burst, of electromagnetic energy caused by a rapid and intense increase in charged particles in the ionosphere. The acceleration of particles can occur as the result of a solar storm, a nuclear bomb, dirty bomb or an a small scale, even due to a simple, yet strong, bolt of lightning.
Once the ionosphere experiences a particle surge, a wave of electrical currents emerges and shorts out all, modern equipment which needs electricity to function – including the transformers are necessary to make power grids all around the world, work.
An EMP disturbance has the capability to not only destroy sensitive electronic equipment, but can even burst power lines, down airplanes, and damage brick-and-mortar structures.
EMP Classification
We are all familiar with the government’s hurricane and tornado classification. The same type of scale also exists for electromagnetic pulses.
E1 – This classification of an EMp is the most brief. An E1 typically lasts for hardly even a microsecond, but is still regarded as being substantially powerful and highly destructive. An E1 EMP would occur after the detonation of a nuclear bomb.
E2 – This classification of an electromagnetic pulse lasts at least a little bit longer than an E1 and could be caused by a man-made dirty bomb depending upon its capacity, or a nuclear explosion. During a nuclear blast, what would most likely occur is an E1 level EMP would happen followed by an E2 class event. Our power grid might be capable of withstanding an E2 event if it is really as hardened as the government claims, but there is currently no known way to harden the electrical grid (or anything else, for that matter) against an E1 class EMP event.
E3 – An E3 EMP event is less powerful than either an E1 or an E2. It can last for hours to days, depending upon the originating incident. This is the type of EMP disturbance that commonly occurs due to solar flares during the summer months.
The Carrington Event
When the most recent and only recorded EMP provoking solar flare happened in 1859, it was dubbed the Carrington Event. Richard Carrington, an astronomer, watched the EMP unleash its power through his telescope lens and documented the event.
A monstrous power outage resulted, leaving more than six million people in the dark from Canada through New York to New Jersey. At the time, NASA experts proclaimed the solar flare possessed approximately one-third of the power that the Carrington Event carried.
Telegraph lines, the most sophisticated type of technological equipment of that era, not only snapped and caught fire, even the papers and desks of operators also burst into flames.
Scientists often refer to EMPs as a “transient electromagnetic disturbance.” The incidents can be natural disturbances due to solar flares or a man-made current used as part of a weapons system.
Man-Made EMPs
An EMP strike is actually more likely to occur than a nuclear bomb or a war because of money and power. Why spend billions on war, manufacturing weapons, training and dispatching soldiers, when you can discharge an EMP attack, wait a few months, and then survey the inevitable damage?
By simply launching a few SCUD missiles (a storable-propellant, single-stage ballistic first developed by the Soviets) from a ship anchored off the coast, you could unleash a silent, quick, and clean attack on an enemy, without so much as a single bullet. Human nature and the force of evolution will take care of the rest, as populations become defenseless, weak, and increasingly desperate. North Korea claims to have the ability to launch such an attack right now.The bottom line is that an EMP assault is cheaper and less messy for our enemies than anything else.
Following an EMP attack, financial and communication systems would fail. Transportation systems would derail. The unprepared portion of the population, all 325.7 million of them that are not preppers or already living off grid or on a sustainable homestead, will not be able to cope with the basic needs of daily survival.
Depending upon the origin of the electromagnetic pulse, a man-made disturbance can stem from an electric, radiated, conducted electric current, or magnetic field. A nuclear EMP attack would be even more devastating than a solar EMP – or coronal mass ejection – CME.
An EMP attack results when the enemy launches a nuclear bomb – from land or sea – into the Earth’s atmosphere, rocketing to a height of more than 25 miles. The detonation causes gamma rays to interact with air molecules, producing positive ions while recoiling electrons in Earth’s atmosphere.
The positive ions take over the electrons and a gigantic pulse bursts out towards the Earth below. Simply put, an atomic reaction takes place and the electromagnetic pulse that is created scorches all the electrical devices within a vast radius, including batteries.
Solar Storms
The effects of a solar (geomagnetic) storm are often attributed to that of an electromagnetic pulse. While an intense solar storm could potentially damage huge segments of the country’s power grid, it will impact ground level sensitive electronic equipment that isn’t even plugged in. While the effects of a solar storm do match the scientific definition of an EMP, the response it triggers is much slower than the expected speed of a ‘pulse’.
It is untrue that an EMP has limited range because it follows the inverse square law. This law is, in fact, irrelevant for most nuclear EMP occurrences. This is because, while the detonation of the nuclear weapon may be occur at a great distance, the E1 EMP is produced within the atmosphere, 12 to 24 miles directly above, in the stratosphere region, referred to as the source region by scientists.
A Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) is a huge burst of gas released from the Sun.This is the organic, natural form of an EMP and it brings the might power to fry electronics along with it. It targets the power grid, blasts power plants, and sends surges of electrical current along the lines, damaging household appliances and simple electronics that are plugged in along with all sensitive high-tech devices.
A CME lasts only a few hours, but if the Sun emits many of these in several directions, there’s more chance one could collide with the Earth. A CME will have global consequences, disrupting radio transmissions, blasting satellites, and endangering people travelling in airplanes and spacecraft at high altitudes.
The power grid would only be temporarily disrupted by a solar storm, these types of occurrences happen with fair frequency during the hot months of summer – when you see your television experiencing heavy static and have patchy cell or internet service, a solar storm is likely the root cause. However, geometric currents, triggered by a solar storm, could eradicate much of the biggest transformers worldwide and recovery could stretch over decades.
It’s only a matter of time before nature unleashes a solar storm. And next time, it could be a big one. Solar flares run in cycles with most scientists in agreement that an X Class Earth directed solar flare occurs about every 100 years. It has been longer than a century since the Carrington Event of 1859 – so we are long overdue for what we, as a society, are ill-prepared and ill-equipped, to survive without a traumatic death toll.
What Will Stop Working After An EMP
- Lights
- Gas pumps – meaning tractor-trailers carrying food, water, and medicine will not be able to roll. Nor will emergency responders or the military once their generators and stockpiles of fuel run out – no vehicles with sensitive computer components will be able to move even with a full tank of gas because the EMP will fry the circuits
- ATM machines
- Cell phones
- Computers, laptops, tablets
- Televisions
- Radios that have not been stored in Faraday Cages
- Life-saving hospital equipment
- Air conditioners
- Electric furnaces
- Electric stoves
- Microwave ovens
- Power tools – not because of sensitive electronic components but because there is no electricity to provide fuel for their tanks or to recharge their batteries once generator power and stockpiles run out
- Water pumps, well pumps, and municipal water treatment and utility services
- Refrigerators – including the ones needed to keep medicines cool at pharmacies and warehouses and the coolers at grocery stores
- Internet
- and more
What Other EMP Effects Can We Expect?
While an EMP doesn’t harm the human body, (with the possible exception of people with pacemakers) one strategic strike launched over Kansas could cripple electrical operations in the United States. Basically, all telecommunications would fail and the country will be plunged into a 19th-century-era darkness with nationwide blackouts, because the power grid will go down immediately after the EMP hits.
The intensity of the high voltage spikes produced by an E1 surge is based on several factors including location relative to the EMP surge, amount of shielding, as well as object size and energy status at the time.
The E2 surge is like lightning, but weaker and relatively harmless. Electronic devices already damaged by an E1 are more vulnerable to an E2. The E3 is similar to a geomagnetic storm, lasting several minutes. Unconnected electronics won’t be damaged. Its primary threat is to the power grid, especially the larger transformers.
Phone, cable TVs and electric lines are the most hazardous when an EMP strikes. External antennas and computer cables are next in line. Smaller electronic devices would be mildly affected and would probably stay intact. A cell phone or wristwatch may be immune to a spike, but only EMP-resistant signal towers will stay online.
Planes will literally be falling from the sky after an EMP. Their highly sensitive computer components will fail and the approximately 7,000 planes flying above our heads across the country at any given moment, will crash and burn – and no one will be there to put out the flames.
The spreading of fires from plane crashes as well as from survivors attempting to stay warm, boil water, and prepare food, will causes an insurmountable amount of damage to homes, businesses, crops, wildlife that will need to be hunted for food, etc.
Shock, disbelief, and then panic will be the first emotions and reactions the general populace (and let’s face it, many areas of our government will be going through the same set of emotions as well) will feel. Once the full impact of the doomsday disaster beings to register, things will get even worse once folks know the lights are not going to come back on for at least months, but more than likely years…if at all.
With no functioning ATMS, cash will go fast and essentially be deemed worthless overnight. A can of peaches or a bottle of water will become far more valuable than a $100 bill to survivors.
When the SHTF, looting will occur quickly and bartering will replace cash transactions. Security systems will fail, leaving you and your home vulnerable to intruders because you cannot call 911 for help. You’ll need alternative methods to prepare and refrigerate or otherwise store food. Start canning, stockpiling, and preserving food before it’s too late.
There are indirect and direct EMP effects. Direct, physical effects include damaged electrical systems. Indirect effects can be more severe and cause widespread chaos. And, the worst part is, it only takes a fraction of a second to fry all electronics.
The indirect effects of a doomsday disaster, like an EMP, are referred to as “domino effects.” With the exception of a full-scale nuclear war, that is no other SHTF scenario that will bring out more devastating domino effects than an EMP.
EMP Domino Effects
- Economic collapse
- Dehydration
- Starvation
- Fires – raging unchecked because the fire department cannot respond.
- Looting and general lawlessness
- Violent civil unrest
- Homelessness
- Disease – because trash will not be collected and human waste can no longer be flushed, we could have a plague on our hands within weeks. Treatable medical conditions will turn deadly, people with controllable chronic conditions will die due to a lack of medication, and serious medical issues, like heart attacks, will cause even more deaths as hospitals run out of generator power and because doctors will no longer have access to the high-tech tools they have come to rely upon. A pandemic is highly likely during such a long-term disaster.
The Star Fish Prime test of 1962 involved a 1.4 megaton nuclear warhead being launched over the Pacific Ocean by the United States government. The EMP pulses generated by the testing of the nuclear warhead were significantly more powerful and far reaching than the learned scientists of that era had anticipated.
In Hawaii, more than 1,000 miles away from the test sight, street lights went out. The test results the scientists had hoped to review and learn from were rendered useless because the EMP event was so powerful it exceeded the ability of their equipment to measure.
At the same time as the Star Fish Prime test, Russia was engaging a nearly identical nuclear experiment of their own – Test 184. Although the exacts details about the type of nuclear warhead used and other particulars related to the test are still unknown outside of our Cold War foe, diesel generators were damaged and a a shielded and underground power line 180 miles away from the test area in Kazakhstan.
Are We Prepared?
Some analysts and elected officials prefer to bury their heads in the sand instead of facing reality and hardening our power grid from an EMP attack.If you think the government has a ready stockpile of necessary parts tucked away in Faraday cages “just in case” think again. We do not even make the parts needed to repair our electrical grid in the United States. If the EMP attack is global, as would be the case with an Earth-directed solar flare, getting the parts we need from an overseas manufacturer will not be an option.
How Can I Protect My Stuff ?
During an EMP, electric fields, both non-static and static, are obstructed because electricity is directed around the mesh, producing continuous voltage on all sides but not the space in the middle. Cars and microwaves are NOT Faraday cages. As a rule of thumb, if you can listen to the radio or call your cell phone while inside any of them, they won’t work.
To ensure that your electronics survive an EMP spike, they have to be housed inside a Faraday cage shield, preferably several nested cages. What is a Faraday cage? It is a low-tech cage, box, or can made of metal and lined with cardboard that houses sensitive electronic equipment to harden it against an EMP or CME. The components inside absolutely cannot touch for the cage to function properly.
Michael Faraday, a scientist from England, invented a cage that is capable of shielding its contents from an EMP by rerouting the charge around the surface of the metal, in 1836. The more dense the metal, the better the contents in inside will be protected – that fact is why most preppers use metal trash cans as Faraday cages.
How well a Faraday cage would work under real world conditions remains unknown because they have only been tested in laboratory simulations. But, it still remains the best shot at saving your handheld 2-way radios, batteries, spare vehicle parts, etc.
There Are many opinions on whether or not these cages will work so… better safe than sorry.The mesh layer of conductive material in Faraday bags creates this protective skin.
If you’re worried about EMP obliterating your comms, invest in a Surplus PRC 77 radio and an EMP-resistant vehicle. Short range comms, that utilize VHF/UHF radios, can be up and running less than an hour after an EMP strike, if protected. Long range comms will take several hours to recover.
How well your vehicle will fare against an EMP will depend largely upon its age. There is a lot of debate about how old is old enough, when it comes to the durability of car parts from an EMP survival perspective. Some folks say any vehicle built prior to the early 1970s does not possess components with electronic components sensitive enough to be impacted by an EMP. Still others staunchly maintain a vehicle older than the 1950s or maybe the 1960s, will not still work after an EMP.
You can turn your garage into a Faraday cage in an attempt to harden your vehicle, ATV, and other electronic devices and survival gear. If you own a metal pole barn style garage, simply line the floor with sheet metal and then place several layers of thick cardboard or plywood on top of the metal to insulate the vehicles or equipment from the impact of the EMP.
To protect your electronic devices, you need to defend against the E1 phase, a surge similar to radio waves that penetrates ground-level devices such as power cords, circuit boards and antennas. The E3 phase, which travels through power and phone lines, is also worrisome. E3 energy travels over longer conductors, flooding connected equipment and causing a destructive power overload.
Formulate Plan B for operating your home and business without electronics or the Internet. How will you manage transactions? Inventory stock? Accept payments? To be safe, prepare yourself now to conduct all operations manually and to do cash only transactions.
What About Day-To-Day Power Surges?
For day-to-day protection, invest in quality surge protectors for your electronic devices, an affordable and reliable precaution. You’ll need one that’s UL-listed with a voltage of 330 volts or less, as well as a rapid response time. Buy a computer with an Ethernet slot, or get yourself a dedicated Ethernet surge protector. For optimal protection, add an uninterruptible power supply (UPS), an effective but more expensive option.
The UPS should be a double conversion supply tested to meet UL standards. While 60-90% of today’s vehicles are designed to withstand electromagnetic pulses of up to 25 kV/m, it’s always best to be prepared for the worst case scenario. If you know your way around cars, consider buying back-up modules for your vehicle’s key electronics.
What Is The Government Doing To Protect Us From An EMP?
Not much, is the short answer.
While nuclear weapons are destructive enough to level entire cities, the resultant EMP from one would likely be its most devastating effect. In 2001, in response to concern that crucial infrastructure and even the United States military would not hold up against an EMP strike, the EMP Commission was created by Congress. President Obama disbanded the committee and the potentially society-saving information that would come out of it, not long after taking office.
In 2008, the Commission delivered a report on the possible effects that an EMP strike would have on national infrastructures, recommending ways that the US could prepare, protect, and restore these if this kind of attack were ever to take place. Dr. William Forstchen’s One Second After was heralded on the floor of Congress by those elected officials and commission members who saw the writing on the wall and were urging, if not outright begging, for something to be done to protect the lives of Americans, our economy, and sanctity of this nation, from an EMP attack.
Their pleas largely fell upon deaf ears. Several bills were written to address the power grid’s frailties and to develop a full and actionable plan to prepare for an EMP attack – and to survive afterwards, but they never made it out of committee. Why do perhaps the most important pieces of legislation introduced during our lifetimes keep getting buried? Disbelief such a SHTF event is really going to happen for one – but over money, mostly.
Hardening the power grid and taking other necessary steps to prepare American for either a man-made or natural EMP attack would cost billions of dollars. Why don’t our public servants just stop sending our hard-earned money to countries they readily and loudly proclaim their hate for us and curtail the tens of billions of dollars sent overseas for charitable reasons and spent on studies about that place shrimp on treadmills? That is a good question for which neither I, nor those politicians who continue to ignore this looming and very real SHTF thread, have no reasonable answer.
Final Word
An EMP attack is a strong possibility in today’s economically-strained, weaponized world. It is a swift, deadly, and silent force that relies on the deterioration of civil society into chaos and darkness. While it may appear to be a perfectly normal scientific phenomenon, its effects on humanity will be crippling. How prepared are you for an EMP strike?
Preparing Your Home for Flooding
According to the American Red Cross, the number one cause of deaths related to weather events are flash floods. While flooding incidents can happen anywhere, even during regular rain storms, it is possible – and necessary – to be prepared ahead of time. Take heed of the following flood preparedness tips to save yourself and your family from the dangers of floods.
In the event a storm is approaching with potentially heavy rainfall and you live in a flood-prone area, it is important to take preventative action to minimize the damage. Preparing your home for a flood requires quick action, including:
Preparing to Travel During a Flood
According to the American Red Cross, the number one cause of deaths related to weather events are flash floods. While flooding incidents can happen anywhere, even during regular rain storms, it is possible – and necessary – to be prepared ahead of time. Take heed of the following flood preparedness tips to save yourself and your family from the dangers of floods.
In the event a storm is approaching with potentially heavy rainfall and you live in a flood-prone area, it is important to take preventative action to minimize the damage. Preparing your home for a flood requires quick action, including:
- Furniture removal – All furniture and appliances, especially those items in the lowest parts of the home, need to be raised off the ground. Concrete blocks or other sturdy materials can be used to jack up heavy items off the floor. Remove patio furniture and other items from outside. Store moveable items at the highest point of the home for the duration of the storm and until water subsides.
- Build a barrier – Setting up sandbags and other flood deterrents around the perimeter of your home can help prevent water from coming inside. Outside barriers can be expensive but can also help prevent costly damage to your property and belongings.
- Electrical concerns – Water and electricity do not mix. Make sure to unplug all non-essential items before the storm hits. If flooding does occur, turn off the main power source to the home and avoid all electrical equipment. It is also important to turn off or disconnect gas connections to your home to prevent explosions. Have working fire extinguishers in several areas of the home in case of an electrical fire caused by the flood waters.
- Secure personal items -Important documents, heirlooms, photos, and other irreplaceable items should be stored in a water-tight container to prevent damage. Place them in the highest part of the house, such as the attic or a high closet shelf.
- Contact your insurance company – Before a hurricane or heavy storm, contact your insurance company to discuss coverage. Flood insurance is a separate policy from your typical homeowner’s policy. Make sure you understand what is covered in the event of a severe storm. If you don’t live in a typical flood-prone area but are anticipating a severe weather event, make sure you have flood coverage.
- Power failures – If you plan to ride the storm out at home, prepare for the likelihood of power failures. Keep a fresh supply of batteries for flashlights or lanterns. Have a plan to run a generator if you need to run specialized medical equipment, for cooking, and to keep the refrigerator operational.
- Stay up on weather – Without power, it will be impossible to keep up with weather alerts on your cell phone. Keep a battery-powered weather radio on hand for updates during power failures. You will also have access to special area alerts, such as mandatory evacuations.
- Emergency food supply – Even if the storm only lasts for a few hours, the effects of flooding can last for days or weeks. Have food rations for every family member for at least 5 days by stocking up on non-perishable foods like canned foods, MREs (meals ready to eat), dried fruits, granola, freeze-dried meals, and baby formula, if necessary. Consider any special dietary needs of family members. Pack emergency food kits in an easy-to-carry backpack in case of evacuation.
- Practice emergency exit strategies – During a natural disaster, anything can happen. It is important your family knows how to get out of the house safely. Once inside your home, flood waters can rise quickly and every member of the family needs to know what to do. Teach everyone how to break out the windows, where to meet up, and how to handle flood waters. Keep flotation devices accessible for everyone, especially small children and the elderly, and teach everyone how to use them.
- Stay out of the water – Flood waters contain a lot of contamination due to flowing sewage and other pollution so it is important to keep all family members out of the water. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, preparing a disaster preparedness kit can help prevent contagious disease and infection from spreading. Your disaster preparedness kit should contain:
- Hand sanitizer
- Rubbing alcohol
- Toothbrush/toothpaste
- Baby wipes
- Antiseptic/antibiotic creams
- Bandages/gauze
Preparing to Travel During a Flood
- Flood evacuation preparedness – Heavy storm forecasts are often accompanied by flood warnings. Even if you don’t anticipate leaving home during a storm, it is vital to have an evacuation plan at the ready in case the situation leaves you no choice. An emergency evacuation plan during a flood should include:
- Filling your vehicle’s gas tank
- Packing an emergency preparedness kit with flashlights, batteries, food, water, phone charger, and cash
- Packing clothing and toiletries for all members of the family
- List of shelters, hotels, or family members available to take you in during an evacuation
- Plan ahead for pet care. Find shelters or loved ones who will accommodate your pets during evacuation. Do not leave your pets behind to fend for themselves in flood waters.
The Swedish Government Is Warning Citizens: Be Prepared For At Least A Week Without Help
ZeroHedge.com Thu, 01/11/2018 - 03:30
Authored by Daisy Luther via The Organic Prepper blog,
The Swedish government is warning its citizens to be prepared to survive on their own for at least a week, which is unusual advice for Sweden to dispense. Is there trouble on the horizon?
Shortly before Christmas, the Swedish government quietly published a paper called “Resilience.” Initially, the requirement had been for people to be prepared for 3 days without help, but it seems like that was a baby step. The government itself wants to be prepared for a 3-month long civil emergency and they’re urging citizens to take responsibility, too. It really makes you wonder what is looming ahead, doesn’t it?
A publication called SVT reported today:
“Because we have the security policy situation we have today, we say that we will make our planning at government level to face a security crisis for three months,” says Eva-Lena Fjällström, Deputy Director of the County Administrative Board in Västerbotten.
Previously, it has been said that citizens will be able to cope for three days in the event of a crisis. Now it’s extended to one week.
“I think it’s important that you can manage yourself. Society has changed and is vulnerable and complex with many dependencies. It can easily be a disturbance so we have to manage ourselves, “says Eva-Lena Fjällström. (source)
The same publication provided video instructions for putting together a “crisis box.”
The Swedish government is also urging young people to get better prepared.
It’s also interesting to note that back in November, an article introducing the idea of preparedness was published and geared toward 18-year-olds. (One must also wonder if this is a gentle nudge toward a potential draft?) It referenced a study done to measure the preparedness levels of the country’s young people.
“In order to strengthen Swedish emergency preparedness, it is important that as many people as possible be prepared to cope with themselves during a crisis. Therefore, it is gratifying that almost nine out of ten 18-year-olds believe that they should take responsibility for themselves and their relatives in a crisis, “says Nils Svartz, Deputy Director General at MSB.Nevertheless, the survey shows that many young people are not prepared for a crisis. Only one in three has water for three days and even fewer have prepared to communicate and receive important information from the radio if the electricity is lost.
Some Swedes will see this as a different way of life.
The YouTube channel Swedish Homestead (find it here) recently released a video that discussed the national government’s warning for Swedes to be prepared to handle life for at least a week without the help of the government. According to the vlogger, this is not the norm there and the government is “the Big Brother who handles everything.”
There were mentions of “war” and “crisis” but it appears that not many details were given as to the exact nature of the threat.
Many people in Sweden would be incredibly vulnerable in a situation in which they were forced to be independent. Plus, an influx of migrants has to have put a further strain on resources. Nearly 20% of the population has immigrated from another country – 1.7 million people in Sweden are foreign-born in a country with a population of 9.9 million.
Sweden isn’t alone in unpreparedness
But wouldn’t we see the same types of issues described in the video here in America? How many Americans could go for weeks or months with the food they had on hand and the food they could produce? How many Americans make their land work for them? How many Americans have the skills to actually produce food for themselves and procure safe drinking water?
Sadly, not very many.
Just like Sweden, many Americans are locked into a system where we are reliant on imported goods, municipal water, and a reliable transportation system to bring us supplies on a regular basis.
While we may not like to think about it, a vast majority of our own population would not be able to be self-sufficient in an emergency that lasted for more than a few days.
The world seems to be becoming increasingly dangerous every year, with threats of nuclear devastation, petro-wars, economic collapse, and religious differences. Our own country has become rigidly divided in a right vs. left paradigm. While none of us personally can fix those issues, we CAN be prepared to take care of our own families, protect our property, and stay informed.
ZeroHedge.com Thu, 01/11/2018 - 03:30
Authored by Daisy Luther via The Organic Prepper blog,
The Swedish government is warning its citizens to be prepared to survive on their own for at least a week, which is unusual advice for Sweden to dispense. Is there trouble on the horizon?
Shortly before Christmas, the Swedish government quietly published a paper called “Resilience.” Initially, the requirement had been for people to be prepared for 3 days without help, but it seems like that was a baby step. The government itself wants to be prepared for a 3-month long civil emergency and they’re urging citizens to take responsibility, too. It really makes you wonder what is looming ahead, doesn’t it?
A publication called SVT reported today:
“Because we have the security policy situation we have today, we say that we will make our planning at government level to face a security crisis for three months,” says Eva-Lena Fjällström, Deputy Director of the County Administrative Board in Västerbotten.
Previously, it has been said that citizens will be able to cope for three days in the event of a crisis. Now it’s extended to one week.
“I think it’s important that you can manage yourself. Society has changed and is vulnerable and complex with many dependencies. It can easily be a disturbance so we have to manage ourselves, “says Eva-Lena Fjällström. (source)
The same publication provided video instructions for putting together a “crisis box.”
The Swedish government is also urging young people to get better prepared.
It’s also interesting to note that back in November, an article introducing the idea of preparedness was published and geared toward 18-year-olds. (One must also wonder if this is a gentle nudge toward a potential draft?) It referenced a study done to measure the preparedness levels of the country’s young people.
“In order to strengthen Swedish emergency preparedness, it is important that as many people as possible be prepared to cope with themselves during a crisis. Therefore, it is gratifying that almost nine out of ten 18-year-olds believe that they should take responsibility for themselves and their relatives in a crisis, “says Nils Svartz, Deputy Director General at MSB.Nevertheless, the survey shows that many young people are not prepared for a crisis. Only one in three has water for three days and even fewer have prepared to communicate and receive important information from the radio if the electricity is lost.
Some Swedes will see this as a different way of life.
The YouTube channel Swedish Homestead (find it here) recently released a video that discussed the national government’s warning for Swedes to be prepared to handle life for at least a week without the help of the government. According to the vlogger, this is not the norm there and the government is “the Big Brother who handles everything.”
There were mentions of “war” and “crisis” but it appears that not many details were given as to the exact nature of the threat.
Many people in Sweden would be incredibly vulnerable in a situation in which they were forced to be independent. Plus, an influx of migrants has to have put a further strain on resources. Nearly 20% of the population has immigrated from another country – 1.7 million people in Sweden are foreign-born in a country with a population of 9.9 million.
Sweden isn’t alone in unpreparedness
But wouldn’t we see the same types of issues described in the video here in America? How many Americans could go for weeks or months with the food they had on hand and the food they could produce? How many Americans make their land work for them? How many Americans have the skills to actually produce food for themselves and procure safe drinking water?
Sadly, not very many.
Just like Sweden, many Americans are locked into a system where we are reliant on imported goods, municipal water, and a reliable transportation system to bring us supplies on a regular basis.
While we may not like to think about it, a vast majority of our own population would not be able to be self-sufficient in an emergency that lasted for more than a few days.
The world seems to be becoming increasingly dangerous every year, with threats of nuclear devastation, petro-wars, economic collapse, and religious differences. Our own country has become rigidly divided in a right vs. left paradigm. While none of us personally can fix those issues, we CAN be prepared to take care of our own families, protect our property, and stay informed.
8 Pro Tips To Get Maximum Shelf Life From Your Food Storage
Those who are wise enough to prepare for an emergency know that food storage is essential. However, without a little guidance, important steps can often be overlooked. You may have a “well-equipped” pantry full of food, but in a crisis scenario that half-full bag of Doritos is not going to get you and your family very far.
Long-term food storage is actually more complex than most people give it credit for, but knowing the essentials can keep your food edible for years.
How, you may ask? Well… let’s take a look. Here are 8 best food storage practices that every family should know:
1- Don’t Lose Your Cool
Literally… heat is like Disneyland for bacteria. It accelerates activity and enzymatic processes, which is a fancy way of saying that your food will spoil quickly regardless of how carefully you’ve packed and placed your precious morsels. Basements are the obvious choice for storage, but keep in mind that even a water heater can raise the temperature in a room.
2- Lights Out, Ladies and Gentleman
Protein can easily be compromised by light energy. Have you ever tried to un-screw a piping hot light bulb? Of course you have, we all have, and it always ends in burnt finger tips and broken glass. Energy from light can quickly turn up the heat, which goes hand-in-hand with keeping your storage cool. When you avoid heat of any kind, you avoid containers and cans from expanding, broken seals, exploding, and allowing microorganisms to contaminate the food.
3- Keep it Airtight
When food is exposed to oxygen, essential nutrients start to degrade rapidly. When an environment is oxygenated, microorganisms and fungi throw a “let’s multiply” party, and they invite all their friends. Not to worry, food storage has come a long way in the past few years. The technology of Mylar packaging keeps oxygen from contaminating your scrumptious meals.
4- Consider Variety and Taste
You may think that it’s a great idea to keep oversized bags of oats and grains in your storage, but after eating like a horse for so long, you’ll wish you would have considered what you and your family actually enjoy eating. Have a conversation with your loved ones and make a list of meals and ingredients that will turn bland and boring into delicious and yummy.
5- Test Runs and Replacements
Whether you are in a crisis situation or not, you should put your pantry to the test. Have you and your family live for one week strictly on what is available in your cupboards. Take notes on what worked, what went wrong, and what needs to be discarded and replaced in order to accommodate your family’s food storage needs (and taste buds).
6- Budget
Preparing a stock pile of edible goodness can quickly become quite expensive. Buying in bulk can be a great idea, especially when grocery stores have hard to resist sales, but if you plan with friends, family, and neighbors, you can split the cost (and storage space). This will make it more affordable for everyone involved.
7- Keep it Spicy
Staring at a mass amount of bland food can seem more like a disaster than the disaster that actually caused you to be in a crisis situation. This can be remedied quiet easily… dried spices and herbs have a long shelf life and can turn the blah into Yaaassss!
8- H2O
Food and nutrients are a major part of emergency preparedness, but the most important thing to remember is water. Humans can forage and find edible things (insects are packed with nutrients) in many places, but when water is unavailable, a bad situation can quickly become dire. Humans must have water in order to survive and dehydration comes in fast and furious. Keep a stock of clean water in your storage and have a way to boil water in case your stock runs out or clean water becomes unavailable. Boiling water kills all the bad stuff and makes it safe for consumption and use.
9- Have a Backup Plan
You may have followed all the guidelines and have a basement of emergency preparedness that could make a grown man cry, but if Mother Nature decides to come at you and she targets you with her wrath, you could go from stocked and prepared to S.O.L. Have a plan B… Hell, have a plan C. The more you prepare for each scenario, the more likely you are to survive.
If this year has taught us anything, disaster can strike at any moment, and it is rarely kind. Emergency preparedness can be the difference between life and death. Beef up your food storage game (literally, you’d be surprised how savory and delectable Freeze Dried Diced Beef can be), stock up on clean water, have a game plan, and you’ll be right as rain in the face of a crisis.
http://valleyfoodstorage.com
What’s in a Wildfire Preparedness Kit?
December 4, 2017 by Emergency Essentials.
Wildfires are quick-spreading, uncontrollable events. They often occur in the western part of the United States due to frequent drought conditions. In many other cases, wildfires are frequently started accidentally or intentionally by humans.No matter where you live, you should have a wildfire preparedness plan to protect yourself and your property in the event of a wildfire. You should also have an evacuation plan ready to execute in case the fires start creeping too close to home.
As part of your wildfire preparedness plan, you should have a pre-packed wildfire emergency kit to sustain you through the crisis and to assist you in the event of an evacuation. What you put into your wildlife preparedness kit is important, as including the essentials will increase your chances of survival.
20 Things to Have in Your Wildfire Preparedness Kit
To ensure you have everything you need in your wildfire preparedness kit, you need to plan for two possible situations:
You can also pack items in plastic storage bins, which can be easily loaded into your vehicle for an evacuation.
Staying at Home
If conditions are safe enough to remain on your property, your wildfire preparedness kit should contain:
Bottled Water
Have at least one gallon of clean drinking water for each person in your household for at least 5-7 days. Don’t rely on your tap water to be safe during such an emergency, as water sources can be contaminated during a wildfire emergency. Use bottled water for drinking and personal hygiene until you can confirm local water supplies are safe. If the weather is especially hot, more water will be needed for proper hydration. Powdered drink mixes and bottled juices can be added to your supply for drink variations. Make sure all drink bottles are plastic and not glass to prevent breakage.
Food
Have non-perishable food items, including canned foods, MREs, and snacks available for each household member for up to a week. Make sure to consider special dietary needs of household members, including the elderly and infants. Also ensure there is enough food for any household pets and outdoor livestock, who will also add to your water supply needs.
Dining Supplies
You’ll need basic utensils for eating, including paper plates, napkins, a can opener, and a selection of sealable containers. You may also want to have a cooler on hand to protect refrigerated items if the power goes out in your home.
Prescription Medications
Get any prescriptions filled as soon as you are alerted to the potential for a wildfire emergency. You should also keep a supply of over-the-counter medications, first aid supplies, and vitamins in your emergency supplies.
Weather Radio
A weather radio that provides updates on weather and wildfire conditions should be battery-operated and kept with your emergency supplies for easy access. Keep extra batteries updated according to expiration dates.
Flashlights
Keep several flashlights in your kit so every household member has a light source. Keep batteries updated at regular intervals. Having a selection of different flashlight styles can be helpful, such as battery-operated, lantern-style flashlights which easily replace lamps when the power goes out.
Cash
During a widespread emergency, power problems and business closures can make it hard to get what you need. It is important to have cash as part of your emergency preparedness kit so you can complete transactions and get what you need when credit cards aren’t accepted.
Power-Free Entertainment
Have playing cards, board games, and other non-electronic activities to keep busy when the power goes out. During wildfire emergencies, power could be out for several days and staying active can help pass the time.
Fire Extinguishers
While you should have several extinguishers around your home for safety, having one or two extras for help during a wildfire is recommended. Never try to fight a wildfire by yourself but if trees near your property catch fire, you may be able to maintain a perimeter around your home to prevent the fire from getting closer to your house or other structures.
Face Masks
If you are susceptible to allergies or respiratory issues, you may want to include face masks or respirators in your supply kit. If wildfire smoke starts affecting your property, you can use the mask to protect your breathing. 3M N-95 masks are good to have as they help filter out smoke particulates in the air.
Evacuating Your Property
When a fire gets too close to home or it’s expected to travel close to your property, evacuation may be necessary. There may also be a mandatory evacuation order issued by local authorities. If you are going to leave, you’ll need to bring your entire emergency kit and pack a few extra essentials.
Important Documents
For ease of travel, scan all of your important documents and download them to a thumb drive. You can also print paper copies to travel with and protect the original documents in a waterproof container. Important documents include:
Pet Travel Items
If you are evacuating your property, take your pets with you. Never allow pets to fend for themselves during an emergency. Pack a selection of important pet items for travel, including crates, leashes, harnesses, pet bowls, and medications.
Clothing
Pack several changes of clothing based on the weather conditions, including outerwear for cold-weather conditions.
Blankets
Extra blankets will be important, especially if you have to stay in an emergency shelter. Pillows and other comfort items will be appreciated during an evacuation.
Toiletries
Keep updated supplies of toiletries including shampoos, moisturizers, toothbrushes, toothpaste, contact lens supplies, toilet paper, feminine products, deodorant, and other hygiene supplies. Wet wipes are good for cleaning hands and faces or cleaning up messes.
Specialized Medical Equipment
Elderly and infirm people may need additional medical equipment during an evacuation, including oxygen tanks, wheelchairs, and walkers.
Baby Gear
Infants and young toddlers can survive without bouncy chairs and other entertaining gear, but you should bring a portable crib or playpen, stroller, and car seat if you need to stay at a hotel or emergency shelter for several days.
Keys
Pack an extra set of keys for the structures and vehicles left behind on your property and leave a set at home. This ensures you can regain access to your home after the chaos of an evacuation.
Phone Chargers
To keep up effective communication with loved ones, pack an extra cell phone charger in your travel bag. Keep both a wall charger and a car charger in the kit to charge phones. Anker and Goal Zero make ideal solar panel chargers to keep your phones charged.
Camera
Pack an extra camera in your emergency supply kit. In the event of an evacuation, you may need to photograph damage to your property upon your return. Phone cameras are useful but if you aren’t able to charge your cell phone during an evacuation due to power outages, you can still rely on the camera for your photographic evidence.
December 4, 2017 by Emergency Essentials.
Wildfires are quick-spreading, uncontrollable events. They often occur in the western part of the United States due to frequent drought conditions. In many other cases, wildfires are frequently started accidentally or intentionally by humans.No matter where you live, you should have a wildfire preparedness plan to protect yourself and your property in the event of a wildfire. You should also have an evacuation plan ready to execute in case the fires start creeping too close to home.
As part of your wildfire preparedness plan, you should have a pre-packed wildfire emergency kit to sustain you through the crisis and to assist you in the event of an evacuation. What you put into your wildlife preparedness kit is important, as including the essentials will increase your chances of survival.
20 Things to Have in Your Wildfire Preparedness Kit
To ensure you have everything you need in your wildfire preparedness kit, you need to plan for two possible situations:
- Staying in your home when a fire is nearby
- Evacuating your home when a fire is too close to your property
You can also pack items in plastic storage bins, which can be easily loaded into your vehicle for an evacuation.
Staying at Home
If conditions are safe enough to remain on your property, your wildfire preparedness kit should contain:
Bottled Water
Have at least one gallon of clean drinking water for each person in your household for at least 5-7 days. Don’t rely on your tap water to be safe during such an emergency, as water sources can be contaminated during a wildfire emergency. Use bottled water for drinking and personal hygiene until you can confirm local water supplies are safe. If the weather is especially hot, more water will be needed for proper hydration. Powdered drink mixes and bottled juices can be added to your supply for drink variations. Make sure all drink bottles are plastic and not glass to prevent breakage.
Food
Have non-perishable food items, including canned foods, MREs, and snacks available for each household member for up to a week. Make sure to consider special dietary needs of household members, including the elderly and infants. Also ensure there is enough food for any household pets and outdoor livestock, who will also add to your water supply needs.
Dining Supplies
You’ll need basic utensils for eating, including paper plates, napkins, a can opener, and a selection of sealable containers. You may also want to have a cooler on hand to protect refrigerated items if the power goes out in your home.
Prescription Medications
Get any prescriptions filled as soon as you are alerted to the potential for a wildfire emergency. You should also keep a supply of over-the-counter medications, first aid supplies, and vitamins in your emergency supplies.
Weather Radio
A weather radio that provides updates on weather and wildfire conditions should be battery-operated and kept with your emergency supplies for easy access. Keep extra batteries updated according to expiration dates.
Flashlights
Keep several flashlights in your kit so every household member has a light source. Keep batteries updated at regular intervals. Having a selection of different flashlight styles can be helpful, such as battery-operated, lantern-style flashlights which easily replace lamps when the power goes out.
Cash
During a widespread emergency, power problems and business closures can make it hard to get what you need. It is important to have cash as part of your emergency preparedness kit so you can complete transactions and get what you need when credit cards aren’t accepted.
Power-Free Entertainment
Have playing cards, board games, and other non-electronic activities to keep busy when the power goes out. During wildfire emergencies, power could be out for several days and staying active can help pass the time.
Fire Extinguishers
While you should have several extinguishers around your home for safety, having one or two extras for help during a wildfire is recommended. Never try to fight a wildfire by yourself but if trees near your property catch fire, you may be able to maintain a perimeter around your home to prevent the fire from getting closer to your house or other structures.
Face Masks
If you are susceptible to allergies or respiratory issues, you may want to include face masks or respirators in your supply kit. If wildfire smoke starts affecting your property, you can use the mask to protect your breathing. 3M N-95 masks are good to have as they help filter out smoke particulates in the air.
Evacuating Your Property
When a fire gets too close to home or it’s expected to travel close to your property, evacuation may be necessary. There may also be a mandatory evacuation order issued by local authorities. If you are going to leave, you’ll need to bring your entire emergency kit and pack a few extra essentials.
Important Documents
For ease of travel, scan all of your important documents and download them to a thumb drive. You can also print paper copies to travel with and protect the original documents in a waterproof container. Important documents include:
- Insurance policies
- Social security cards
- Mortgage paperwork
- Medical records
- Birth certificates
- Marriage licenses
- Wills and estate paperwork
- Financial information
Pet Travel Items
If you are evacuating your property, take your pets with you. Never allow pets to fend for themselves during an emergency. Pack a selection of important pet items for travel, including crates, leashes, harnesses, pet bowls, and medications.
Clothing
Pack several changes of clothing based on the weather conditions, including outerwear for cold-weather conditions.
Blankets
Extra blankets will be important, especially if you have to stay in an emergency shelter. Pillows and other comfort items will be appreciated during an evacuation.
Toiletries
Keep updated supplies of toiletries including shampoos, moisturizers, toothbrushes, toothpaste, contact lens supplies, toilet paper, feminine products, deodorant, and other hygiene supplies. Wet wipes are good for cleaning hands and faces or cleaning up messes.
Specialized Medical Equipment
Elderly and infirm people may need additional medical equipment during an evacuation, including oxygen tanks, wheelchairs, and walkers.
Baby Gear
Infants and young toddlers can survive without bouncy chairs and other entertaining gear, but you should bring a portable crib or playpen, stroller, and car seat if you need to stay at a hotel or emergency shelter for several days.
Keys
Pack an extra set of keys for the structures and vehicles left behind on your property and leave a set at home. This ensures you can regain access to your home after the chaos of an evacuation.
Phone Chargers
To keep up effective communication with loved ones, pack an extra cell phone charger in your travel bag. Keep both a wall charger and a car charger in the kit to charge phones. Anker and Goal Zero make ideal solar panel chargers to keep your phones charged.
Camera
Pack an extra camera in your emergency supply kit. In the event of an evacuation, you may need to photograph damage to your property upon your return. Phone cameras are useful but if you aren’t able to charge your cell phone during an evacuation due to power outages, you can still rely on the camera for your photographic evidence.
Alaska Prepares For War With North Korea: Missiles Will Take Only 20 Minutes To Reach The State
ZeroHedge.com Nov 16, 2017 10:00 PM
Authored by Mac Slavo via SHTFplan.com,
The state of Alaska is preparing for a potential war with North Korea.
The Alaskans are being urged not to evacuate, though should Kim Jong-Un launch a missile toward Alaska, it would only take 20 minutes to get there.
Emergency planners in Alaska have warned it will not attempt evacuations if a warhead is fired because time would not be on their side. Jeremy Zidek, from the state’s disaster planning team, will urge locals to find shelter rather than risk being caught in the open. He also urged families to have an emergency stash of food and water, flashlights and radios, and medical supplies including the anti-radiation pill Prussian Blue – medication that lessens the radiological impacts on your body. (https://www.drugs.com/mtm/prussian-blue.html )
Tensions have escalated lately on the Korean peninsula after a series of missile tests in the hermit kingdom and propagandized media threats were made sentencing president Donald Trump to death. Tyrant Kim Jong-un has since threatened a “nuclear holocaust” and there are fears the regime will soon have a missile capable of reaching the US mainland.
Zidek admitted that the state’s defensive facilities could be picked for an attack.
Alaska is home to Fort Greely, where the US has interceptor rockets designed to destroy incoming intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). The state also has missile defenses at the Pacific Spaceport Complex as well as radar warning systems at Clear Air Force Station.
“We have the missile defense system here. We have missiles and radars in a number of different locations,” Zidek said.
“Perhaps there would be some type of attack on those military facilities to try to hinder our ability to react to any missile launches.”
But Zidek’s warnings for Alaska get even more terrifying.
He also warned that Alaska no longer has any bomb shelters and there would be no new measures to deal specifically with a North Korean nuclear threat. “There could be evacuation notices put in place but are we going to be able to get that amount of lead time to instruct people to actually evacuate an area?” he said
.
Remember, once a missile is launched toward Alaska, it would take less than 20 minutes to make an impact.
“Really the recommendation for people during a nuclear attack is to shelter in place and find some type of secure location that will protect them from that blast,” said Zidek.
“So with a mass evacuation – if people leave their homes, schools, and businesses to try to get out of the area, we may be putting more people at risk.”
Emergency planners in Hawaii have already confirmed that their state is within 20 minutes of Kim Jong-un’s missiles – and Alaska is even closer. Guam is closer still, and Kim has already threatened that island territory too.
Zidek said Alaska had reviewed its radiological threat plans and prepared social media warnings to be published at short notice. Otherwise, he said Alaska would respond to a nuclear attack using the same plans already devised for disasters like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
“The thing with disasters is – while disasters may vary a great deal – the consequences of the disasters don’t really change very much. With something like a nuclear attack, of course you’re going to have mass casualties, a hazmat event, and you’re gonna have the need to transport a large number of people,” said Zidek.
“When we look at these problems, the consequences of the attack, they may be the same as if we had another large earthquake or we have a massive chemical spill. On a state level, when we look at our all-hazards plan, we say to ourselves ‘we are preparing for the consequences of any type of disaster’. And that’s exactly what we want our residents here in Alaska to do. Prepare for the consequences of any type of disaster.”
ZeroHedge.com Nov 16, 2017 10:00 PM
Authored by Mac Slavo via SHTFplan.com,
The state of Alaska is preparing for a potential war with North Korea.
The Alaskans are being urged not to evacuate, though should Kim Jong-Un launch a missile toward Alaska, it would only take 20 minutes to get there.
Emergency planners in Alaska have warned it will not attempt evacuations if a warhead is fired because time would not be on their side. Jeremy Zidek, from the state’s disaster planning team, will urge locals to find shelter rather than risk being caught in the open. He also urged families to have an emergency stash of food and water, flashlights and radios, and medical supplies including the anti-radiation pill Prussian Blue – medication that lessens the radiological impacts on your body. (https://www.drugs.com/mtm/prussian-blue.html )
Tensions have escalated lately on the Korean peninsula after a series of missile tests in the hermit kingdom and propagandized media threats were made sentencing president Donald Trump to death. Tyrant Kim Jong-un has since threatened a “nuclear holocaust” and there are fears the regime will soon have a missile capable of reaching the US mainland.
Zidek admitted that the state’s defensive facilities could be picked for an attack.
Alaska is home to Fort Greely, where the US has interceptor rockets designed to destroy incoming intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). The state also has missile defenses at the Pacific Spaceport Complex as well as radar warning systems at Clear Air Force Station.
“We have the missile defense system here. We have missiles and radars in a number of different locations,” Zidek said.
“Perhaps there would be some type of attack on those military facilities to try to hinder our ability to react to any missile launches.”
But Zidek’s warnings for Alaska get even more terrifying.
He also warned that Alaska no longer has any bomb shelters and there would be no new measures to deal specifically with a North Korean nuclear threat. “There could be evacuation notices put in place but are we going to be able to get that amount of lead time to instruct people to actually evacuate an area?” he said
.
Remember, once a missile is launched toward Alaska, it would take less than 20 minutes to make an impact.
“Really the recommendation for people during a nuclear attack is to shelter in place and find some type of secure location that will protect them from that blast,” said Zidek.
“So with a mass evacuation – if people leave their homes, schools, and businesses to try to get out of the area, we may be putting more people at risk.”
Emergency planners in Hawaii have already confirmed that their state is within 20 minutes of Kim Jong-un’s missiles – and Alaska is even closer. Guam is closer still, and Kim has already threatened that island territory too.
Zidek said Alaska had reviewed its radiological threat plans and prepared social media warnings to be published at short notice. Otherwise, he said Alaska would respond to a nuclear attack using the same plans already devised for disasters like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
“The thing with disasters is – while disasters may vary a great deal – the consequences of the disasters don’t really change very much. With something like a nuclear attack, of course you’re going to have mass casualties, a hazmat event, and you’re gonna have the need to transport a large number of people,” said Zidek.
“When we look at these problems, the consequences of the attack, they may be the same as if we had another large earthquake or we have a massive chemical spill. On a state level, when we look at our all-hazards plan, we say to ourselves ‘we are preparing for the consequences of any type of disaster’. And that’s exactly what we want our residents here in Alaska to do. Prepare for the consequences of any type of disaster.”
Preparing For Civil Unrest
by Emergency Essentials.
This is a topic that isn’t talked about very often, probably because it’s something we just don’t like thinking about. But it’s just as important to prepare for as natural disasters, and those we do talk about a lot.
Natural disasters are common in pretty much every state – snow storms, earthquakes, tornadoes…. If you don’t to worry about have one, you’ll most certainly have to deal with another. But there’s one crisis that you just don’t hear much about.
Civil unrest.
Unhappy people in large groups can be a volatile bunch, which means civil unrest can erupt without warning. This can be caused by an economic collapse, a protest turned sour, or any other inciting incident that we just can’t predict. Remember what happened in Ferguson, MO? The streets turned to chaos – cars were burned, businesses were looted and torched, and it was definitely not a place you’d want to take an evening stroll. In fact, staying inside was probably the best option for staying safe.
The riots in Ferguson and other areas of the country (for various other reasons) are a glimpse into what could happen if things were to really turn sour. If the economy were to collapse like it did during the Great Depression – and the chances of that happening are not being discounted – the unrest throughout the nation could be devastating. Stores will be quickly emptied of food and supplies, and it will be first come, first served. And if it is an economic crisis, who’s to say when we’ll get out of the slump?
Preparing for such unrest and crises is done much the same way we prepare for snow storms or hurricanes or other natural disasters. We prepare now – today – before the storm hits.
Glenn Beck recently discussed having a preparedness plan on The Glenn Beck Program with Justin Wheeler. Wheeler mentioned how, as he grew in education, “an increased level of preparedness just became a rational response.” He compared being prepared for civil unrest or another crisis to heeding the weatherman’s report of coming rain. If the weather man said that it’s going to rain today, you’ll want to walk out your door with an umbrella, “and no one would think twice about that.”
We’ve been warned time and time again that hard times are coming. We don’t know precisely in what form or when it will happen, but as sure as you’re reading these words, you’re bound to experience turbulent times, if you haven’t already. And even if you have, that doesn’t make you immune for what’s coming (sorry).
When unrest does happen, there will be two main scenarios: bug-in, or bug-out.
It might not be possible to leave your city, due to any number of situations, so staying put in your home might be your best option. If you do stay in, you should have at least a 72-hour supply of food and water. Food and water that will last you and your family a month or more would be even better. If you’ve been prepping for natural disasters, you should already be well on your way to being comfortable during a season of unrest. But just in case, here are a few things you should consider stocking up on:
30-day food and supply
This should include easy-to-make food, such as freeze-dried meals, that don’t require much effort or energy. As for water, having a water filter can keep you supplied with water for months, and it only takes up a little bit of space on your shelf.
Warm clothing/blankets. This includes winter jackets, sleeping bags, gloves, warm hats, and other necessities that you would want if you were forced outside in the winter.
Power sources
Hopefully the power will still be on, but you never know what might happen. Make sure you have some alternate sources of power so you can charge your phone and other devices.
Light
Again, if the power goes out, you’ll need some sort of light. Flashlights are an obvious choice, but consider getting different kinds of stationary lighting that you don’t have to hold on to.
And of course, toilet paper
I think this one is pretty self-explanatory, but let me just say…being stuck inside your home without it could just add to the unpleasantries.
Now, according to some, being in a large city might not be the best thing during a disaster scenario. So if something happens that requires evacuation, you’ll want to be the first out, which means you will want to have your emergency gear easy to pack and haul out to the car without wasting time. In case this option arises, there are some other considerations to keep in mind.
Keep your gas tank full
Or as full as possible. It’s recommended that you keep your gas tank at least half full. That way, if you have to leave, you can at least hit the road and gas up somewhere else, thus avoiding long lines at the pump and the subsequent traffic jams leaving the city.
Car kit
This includes tools as well as emergency supplies. If your car breaks down, make sure you have something to tinker around with. Fixing that loose belt under your hood will be rather difficult with just your bare hands.
Everything you would need if you were bugging-in
If you’re forced to leave your home, for heaven’s sake make sure you take as much of your emergency supplies with you as you can! As mentioned above, make sure your food and water supplies and other emergency gear is easy to pack up so you don’t linger longer than necessary.
I desperately hope that this never has to happen to any of us, but with the way things are, you never can be certain. If you don’t have to ever use these emergency supplies for civil unrest, however, you might still have to use it for natural disasters or even to get you by following a job loss or accident. Being prepared for one emergency will help see you through many others. So while it’s on your mind, go on out and get a case of water during your next shopping trip.
Remember, if the weatherman predicts rain, grab an umbrella.
by Emergency Essentials.
This is a topic that isn’t talked about very often, probably because it’s something we just don’t like thinking about. But it’s just as important to prepare for as natural disasters, and those we do talk about a lot.
Natural disasters are common in pretty much every state – snow storms, earthquakes, tornadoes…. If you don’t to worry about have one, you’ll most certainly have to deal with another. But there’s one crisis that you just don’t hear much about.
Civil unrest.
Unhappy people in large groups can be a volatile bunch, which means civil unrest can erupt without warning. This can be caused by an economic collapse, a protest turned sour, or any other inciting incident that we just can’t predict. Remember what happened in Ferguson, MO? The streets turned to chaos – cars were burned, businesses were looted and torched, and it was definitely not a place you’d want to take an evening stroll. In fact, staying inside was probably the best option for staying safe.
The riots in Ferguson and other areas of the country (for various other reasons) are a glimpse into what could happen if things were to really turn sour. If the economy were to collapse like it did during the Great Depression – and the chances of that happening are not being discounted – the unrest throughout the nation could be devastating. Stores will be quickly emptied of food and supplies, and it will be first come, first served. And if it is an economic crisis, who’s to say when we’ll get out of the slump?
Preparing for such unrest and crises is done much the same way we prepare for snow storms or hurricanes or other natural disasters. We prepare now – today – before the storm hits.
Glenn Beck recently discussed having a preparedness plan on The Glenn Beck Program with Justin Wheeler. Wheeler mentioned how, as he grew in education, “an increased level of preparedness just became a rational response.” He compared being prepared for civil unrest or another crisis to heeding the weatherman’s report of coming rain. If the weather man said that it’s going to rain today, you’ll want to walk out your door with an umbrella, “and no one would think twice about that.”
We’ve been warned time and time again that hard times are coming. We don’t know precisely in what form or when it will happen, but as sure as you’re reading these words, you’re bound to experience turbulent times, if you haven’t already. And even if you have, that doesn’t make you immune for what’s coming (sorry).
When unrest does happen, there will be two main scenarios: bug-in, or bug-out.
It might not be possible to leave your city, due to any number of situations, so staying put in your home might be your best option. If you do stay in, you should have at least a 72-hour supply of food and water. Food and water that will last you and your family a month or more would be even better. If you’ve been prepping for natural disasters, you should already be well on your way to being comfortable during a season of unrest. But just in case, here are a few things you should consider stocking up on:
30-day food and supply
This should include easy-to-make food, such as freeze-dried meals, that don’t require much effort or energy. As for water, having a water filter can keep you supplied with water for months, and it only takes up a little bit of space on your shelf.
Warm clothing/blankets. This includes winter jackets, sleeping bags, gloves, warm hats, and other necessities that you would want if you were forced outside in the winter.
Power sources
Hopefully the power will still be on, but you never know what might happen. Make sure you have some alternate sources of power so you can charge your phone and other devices.
Light
Again, if the power goes out, you’ll need some sort of light. Flashlights are an obvious choice, but consider getting different kinds of stationary lighting that you don’t have to hold on to.
And of course, toilet paper
I think this one is pretty self-explanatory, but let me just say…being stuck inside your home without it could just add to the unpleasantries.
Now, according to some, being in a large city might not be the best thing during a disaster scenario. So if something happens that requires evacuation, you’ll want to be the first out, which means you will want to have your emergency gear easy to pack and haul out to the car without wasting time. In case this option arises, there are some other considerations to keep in mind.
Keep your gas tank full
Or as full as possible. It’s recommended that you keep your gas tank at least half full. That way, if you have to leave, you can at least hit the road and gas up somewhere else, thus avoiding long lines at the pump and the subsequent traffic jams leaving the city.
Car kit
This includes tools as well as emergency supplies. If your car breaks down, make sure you have something to tinker around with. Fixing that loose belt under your hood will be rather difficult with just your bare hands.
Everything you would need if you were bugging-in
If you’re forced to leave your home, for heaven’s sake make sure you take as much of your emergency supplies with you as you can! As mentioned above, make sure your food and water supplies and other emergency gear is easy to pack up so you don’t linger longer than necessary.
I desperately hope that this never has to happen to any of us, but with the way things are, you never can be certain. If you don’t have to ever use these emergency supplies for civil unrest, however, you might still have to use it for natural disasters or even to get you by following a job loss or accident. Being prepared for one emergency will help see you through many others. So while it’s on your mind, go on out and get a case of water during your next shopping trip.
Remember, if the weatherman predicts rain, grab an umbrella.
Financial First Aid Kit: 5 Tips for Financial Preparedness
by Emergency Essentials.
When it comes to preparing for disasters, emergency kits are usually one of the first things people think of. But what about financial preparedness? Sure, being prepared with food, gear, and other necessities is important, but a lot of times, financial preparedness is forgotten. Having a financial first aid kit can bring immediate relief during a financial crisis, much like an emergency kit built for disasters can alleviate issues following natural upheavals.
Why have a financial first aid kit? Well, for starters, emergencies don’t suddenly negate your responsibility to paying bills. How you get that money could very well come from the contents of your financial first aid kid.
Not sure what to put in a financial first aid kit? Check out the official Emergency Financial First Aid Kit checklists and forms from FEMA. For an abbreviated version, keep reading.
Having all your household identification documents in one place can help provide proof of household members, maintain or re-establish contact with family members and employers, and even apply for FEMA disaster assistance.
by Emergency Essentials.
When it comes to preparing for disasters, emergency kits are usually one of the first things people think of. But what about financial preparedness? Sure, being prepared with food, gear, and other necessities is important, but a lot of times, financial preparedness is forgotten. Having a financial first aid kit can bring immediate relief during a financial crisis, much like an emergency kit built for disasters can alleviate issues following natural upheavals.
Why have a financial first aid kit? Well, for starters, emergencies don’t suddenly negate your responsibility to paying bills. How you get that money could very well come from the contents of your financial first aid kid.
Not sure what to put in a financial first aid kit? Check out the official Emergency Financial First Aid Kit checklists and forms from FEMA. For an abbreviated version, keep reading.
- Household Identification
Having all your household identification documents in one place can help provide proof of household members, maintain or re-establish contact with family members and employers, and even apply for FEMA disaster assistance.
- Financial and Legal Documents
- Medical Information
- Household Contacts
- Emergency Money
8 Steps to Prepare for Civil Unrest
by Emergency Essentials.
This is a topic that isn’t talked about very often, probably because it’s something we just don’t like thinking about. But it’s just as important to prepare for as natural disasters, and those we do talk about a lot.
Natural disasters are common in pretty much every state – snow storms, earthquakes, tornadoes…. If you don’t to worry about have one, you’ll most certainly have to deal with another. But there’s one crisis that you just don’t hear much about.
Civil unrest.
Unhappy people in large groups can be a volatile bunch, which means civil unrest can erupt without warning. This can be caused by an economic collapse, a protest turned sour, or any other inciting incident that we just can’t predict. Remember what happened in Ferguson, MO? The streets turned to chaos – cars were burned, businesses were looted and torched, and it was definitely not a place you’d want to take an evening stroll. In fact, staying inside was probably the best option for staying safe. How about Charlottesville, NC? Protestors were bearing bats, metal poles, throwing urine and feces as well as spraying people with Mace.
The riots in Ferguson and other areas of the country (for various other reasons) are a glimpse into what could happen if things were to really turn sour. If the economy were to collapse like it did during the Great Depression – and the chances of that happening are not being discounted – the unrest throughout the nation could be devastating. Stores will be quickly emptied of food and supplies, and it will be first come, first served. And if it is an economic crisis, who’s to say when we’ll get out of the slump?
Preparing for such unrest and crises is done much the same way we prepare for snow storms or hurricanes or other natural disasters. We prepare now – today – before the storm hits.
Glenn Beck recently discussed having a preparedness plan on The Glenn Beck Program with Justin Wheeler. Wheeler mentioned how, as he grew in education, “an increased level of preparedness just became a rational response.” He compared being prepared for civil unrest or another crisis to heeding the weatherman’s report of coming rain. If the weather man said that it’s going to rain today, you’ll want to walk out your door with an umbrella, “and no one would think twice about that.”
We’ve been warned time and time again that hard times are coming. We don’t know precisely in what form or when it will happen, but as sure as you’re reading these words, you’re bound to experience turbulent times, if you haven’t already. And even if you have, that doesn’t make you immune for what’s coming (sorry).
When unrest does happen, there will be two main scenarios: bug-in, or bug-out.
It might not be possible to leave your city, due to any number of situations, so staying put in your home might be your best option. If you do stay in, you should have at least a 72-hour supply of food and water. Food and water that will last you and your family a month or more would be even better. If you’ve been prepping for natural disasters, you should already be well on your way to being comfortable during a season of unrest. But just in case, here are a few things you should consider stocking up on:
Now, according to some, being in a large city might not be the best thing during a disaster scenario. So if something happens that requires evacuation, you’ll want to be the first out, which means you will want to have your emergency gear easy to pack and haul out to the car without wasting time. In case this option arises, there are some other considerations to keep in mind.
I desperately hope that this never has to happen to any of us, but with the way things are, you never can be certain. If you don’t have to ever use these emergency supplies for civil unrest, however, you might still have to use it for natural disasters or even to get you by following a job loss or accident. Being prepared for one emergency will help see you through many others. So while it’s on your mind, go on out and get a case of water during your next shopping trip.
Remember, if the weatherman predicts rain, grab an umbrella.
by Emergency Essentials.
This is a topic that isn’t talked about very often, probably because it’s something we just don’t like thinking about. But it’s just as important to prepare for as natural disasters, and those we do talk about a lot.
Natural disasters are common in pretty much every state – snow storms, earthquakes, tornadoes…. If you don’t to worry about have one, you’ll most certainly have to deal with another. But there’s one crisis that you just don’t hear much about.
Civil unrest.
Unhappy people in large groups can be a volatile bunch, which means civil unrest can erupt without warning. This can be caused by an economic collapse, a protest turned sour, or any other inciting incident that we just can’t predict. Remember what happened in Ferguson, MO? The streets turned to chaos – cars were burned, businesses were looted and torched, and it was definitely not a place you’d want to take an evening stroll. In fact, staying inside was probably the best option for staying safe. How about Charlottesville, NC? Protestors were bearing bats, metal poles, throwing urine and feces as well as spraying people with Mace.
The riots in Ferguson and other areas of the country (for various other reasons) are a glimpse into what could happen if things were to really turn sour. If the economy were to collapse like it did during the Great Depression – and the chances of that happening are not being discounted – the unrest throughout the nation could be devastating. Stores will be quickly emptied of food and supplies, and it will be first come, first served. And if it is an economic crisis, who’s to say when we’ll get out of the slump?
Preparing for such unrest and crises is done much the same way we prepare for snow storms or hurricanes or other natural disasters. We prepare now – today – before the storm hits.
Glenn Beck recently discussed having a preparedness plan on The Glenn Beck Program with Justin Wheeler. Wheeler mentioned how, as he grew in education, “an increased level of preparedness just became a rational response.” He compared being prepared for civil unrest or another crisis to heeding the weatherman’s report of coming rain. If the weather man said that it’s going to rain today, you’ll want to walk out your door with an umbrella, “and no one would think twice about that.”
We’ve been warned time and time again that hard times are coming. We don’t know precisely in what form or when it will happen, but as sure as you’re reading these words, you’re bound to experience turbulent times, if you haven’t already. And even if you have, that doesn’t make you immune for what’s coming (sorry).
When unrest does happen, there will be two main scenarios: bug-in, or bug-out.
It might not be possible to leave your city, due to any number of situations, so staying put in your home might be your best option. If you do stay in, you should have at least a 72-hour supply of food and water. Food and water that will last you and your family a month or more would be even better. If you’ve been prepping for natural disasters, you should already be well on your way to being comfortable during a season of unrest. But just in case, here are a few things you should consider stocking up on:
- 30-day food and supply
- Warm clothing/blankets
- Power sources
- Light
- And of course, toilet paper
Now, according to some, being in a large city might not be the best thing during a disaster scenario. So if something happens that requires evacuation, you’ll want to be the first out, which means you will want to have your emergency gear easy to pack and haul out to the car without wasting time. In case this option arises, there are some other considerations to keep in mind.
- Keep your gas tank full
- Car kit
- Everything you would need if you were bugging-in
I desperately hope that this never has to happen to any of us, but with the way things are, you never can be certain. If you don’t have to ever use these emergency supplies for civil unrest, however, you might still have to use it for natural disasters or even to get you by following a job loss or accident. Being prepared for one emergency will help see you through many others. So while it’s on your mind, go on out and get a case of water during your next shopping trip.
Remember, if the weatherman predicts rain, grab an umbrella.
Massive Government Preparations And Stockpiling Point To One Thing: "An Event Is Going To Happen"
Jun 18, 2017 4:25 PM
Authored by Jeremiah Johnson (Nom de plume of a retired Green Beret of the United States Army Special Forces) via SHTFplan.com,
The question is subtly Malthusian in nature: how to deal with the world’s teeming billions in one fell swoop while maintaining the existing social and political orders in all of the countries?
That order needs only to have one facade now: as Draconian an order that can be accomplished without throwing the world into a revolution against every government in existence.
The Draconian nature is as follows: CCTV cameras monitoring and cross-referencing every purchase, every bank withdrawal or deposit, every movement, and every social engagement. The Draconian nature is one of continuous monitoring, with a rise in prices and a steadily-declining world economy, as natural resources are quietly siphoned off by the politicos and the oligarchs to stockpile for their use when the plug is pulled.
As much Draconian repression and control under a “soft” police state with continuous monitoring…while those in power lay the groundwork to collapse the system and kill off most of the world’s population…while they remain safe, and in power.
The question of the existing social and political order being maintained is being addressed in all of the countries of the world. In the 1990’s the oligarchs rose to power after the Soviet Union’s collapse: since Putin came to power, the oligarchs who delved in politics against the wishes of the Politburo were crushed. Those who knuckled under were given a slice of the pie with impunity and the “sign off” of the politicos, and are “big” today, even with partial or complete nationalization of their private industries.
In the United States, we have seen a great deal of stockpiling by the government agencies and the administration under Obama. Secret warehouses in undisclosed locations have been filled with medical supplies stockpiled across the country in the event of a catastrophe. Cheyenne Mountain as a fallback command and control center has been reopened once again. Extensive networks of tunnels and bunkers have been constructed in, around, and leading to Denver, Colorado with secret deliveries night and day for more than eight years.
Billions of rounds of ammunition have been ordered and purchased by the DHS and all of the other alphabet agencies, including the U.S. Postal Service (which does have a role to play in COG and post-war “reconstruction”). Emergency drills, to include catastrophic plague and nuclear war/terrorism have been gamed extensively over the past several years. All of these things…the stockpiling of food and supplies, and the preparations for some massive event point to one thing: an event is (eventually) going to happen.
We have the “flash points” around the world, in North Korea, in Syria, in Ukraine, and with the second Cold War that is forming between the U.S. and Russia. Those flash points are artificially created. We have some that are artificially created that can be blamed upon nature, such as the Ebola Virus and the looming disaster of Fukushima. War is the easiest way to bring it all about, plain and simple. Vladimir Putin just recently announced that a nuclear war between Russia and the United States would leave the world destroyed with no winners.
Not so: The governments and their elites of politics and business win in the end.
The governments of the world have to keep their citizenry under control until they execute the plan that eliminates the majority of the populations. War is truly the only way to do it in one fell swoop that leaves no one accountable at the end. We’re going to see a “reset” and the most likely thing to accomplish this is war. Historically it is the vehicle for which governments beleaguered by their citizens have been able to bypass controls in the open to subvert democratic processes and inculcate martial law and eventually totalitarian control. We’re halfway through the year, and the situation in the world and domestically has not improved: it has worsened.
Many people have documented and filmed FEMA camps and preparations for martial law, the DUMB (Deep Underground Military Bases) projects and tunnel works filmed and reported on by Jesse Ventura and halted by the government, and the systematic grafting of procedures to be followed after an apocalyptic war or event. Such procedures include garnering of all human and natural resources under executive order (President Trump didn’t repeal that one yet, now, did he?), the pervasive surveillance system, and the negation of Posse Comitatus and the control of the United States domestically in the event of a war or collapse of the government.
All that is lacking is the crisis. No government truly allows a crisis to go to waste, and all of the crises are contrived or crafted beforehand to allow them to occur. War has always accomplished the resets of all countries and empires in ages past, and this era will be no different, no matter who is at the helm of the ship: especially when the course is purposefully charted right for the rocks.
Jun 18, 2017 4:25 PM
Authored by Jeremiah Johnson (Nom de plume of a retired Green Beret of the United States Army Special Forces) via SHTFplan.com,
The question is subtly Malthusian in nature: how to deal with the world’s teeming billions in one fell swoop while maintaining the existing social and political orders in all of the countries?
That order needs only to have one facade now: as Draconian an order that can be accomplished without throwing the world into a revolution against every government in existence.
The Draconian nature is as follows: CCTV cameras monitoring and cross-referencing every purchase, every bank withdrawal or deposit, every movement, and every social engagement. The Draconian nature is one of continuous monitoring, with a rise in prices and a steadily-declining world economy, as natural resources are quietly siphoned off by the politicos and the oligarchs to stockpile for their use when the plug is pulled.
As much Draconian repression and control under a “soft” police state with continuous monitoring…while those in power lay the groundwork to collapse the system and kill off most of the world’s population…while they remain safe, and in power.
The question of the existing social and political order being maintained is being addressed in all of the countries of the world. In the 1990’s the oligarchs rose to power after the Soviet Union’s collapse: since Putin came to power, the oligarchs who delved in politics against the wishes of the Politburo were crushed. Those who knuckled under were given a slice of the pie with impunity and the “sign off” of the politicos, and are “big” today, even with partial or complete nationalization of their private industries.
In the United States, we have seen a great deal of stockpiling by the government agencies and the administration under Obama. Secret warehouses in undisclosed locations have been filled with medical supplies stockpiled across the country in the event of a catastrophe. Cheyenne Mountain as a fallback command and control center has been reopened once again. Extensive networks of tunnels and bunkers have been constructed in, around, and leading to Denver, Colorado with secret deliveries night and day for more than eight years.
Billions of rounds of ammunition have been ordered and purchased by the DHS and all of the other alphabet agencies, including the U.S. Postal Service (which does have a role to play in COG and post-war “reconstruction”). Emergency drills, to include catastrophic plague and nuclear war/terrorism have been gamed extensively over the past several years. All of these things…the stockpiling of food and supplies, and the preparations for some massive event point to one thing: an event is (eventually) going to happen.
We have the “flash points” around the world, in North Korea, in Syria, in Ukraine, and with the second Cold War that is forming between the U.S. and Russia. Those flash points are artificially created. We have some that are artificially created that can be blamed upon nature, such as the Ebola Virus and the looming disaster of Fukushima. War is the easiest way to bring it all about, plain and simple. Vladimir Putin just recently announced that a nuclear war between Russia and the United States would leave the world destroyed with no winners.
Not so: The governments and their elites of politics and business win in the end.
The governments of the world have to keep their citizenry under control until they execute the plan that eliminates the majority of the populations. War is truly the only way to do it in one fell swoop that leaves no one accountable at the end. We’re going to see a “reset” and the most likely thing to accomplish this is war. Historically it is the vehicle for which governments beleaguered by their citizens have been able to bypass controls in the open to subvert democratic processes and inculcate martial law and eventually totalitarian control. We’re halfway through the year, and the situation in the world and domestically has not improved: it has worsened.
Many people have documented and filmed FEMA camps and preparations for martial law, the DUMB (Deep Underground Military Bases) projects and tunnel works filmed and reported on by Jesse Ventura and halted by the government, and the systematic grafting of procedures to be followed after an apocalyptic war or event. Such procedures include garnering of all human and natural resources under executive order (President Trump didn’t repeal that one yet, now, did he?), the pervasive surveillance system, and the negation of Posse Comitatus and the control of the United States domestically in the event of a war or collapse of the government.
All that is lacking is the crisis. No government truly allows a crisis to go to waste, and all of the crises are contrived or crafted beforehand to allow them to occur. War has always accomplished the resets of all countries and empires in ages past, and this era will be no different, no matter who is at the helm of the ship: especially when the course is purposefully charted right for the rocks.
Next Generation Risks, Part 1: "Super EMP" Attack
Jun 10, 2017 9:45 PM
Authored by John Rubino via DollarCollapse.com,
The global financial system’s ever-increasing leverage pretty much guarantees another crisis in coming years - unless it’s pre-empted by new weapons that can, in theory, shut down entire national banking systems, thus screwing up the best-laid plans of today’s savers and investors.
This series will consider some of them, beginning with the electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack. From The Wall Street Journal:
North Korea Dreams of Turning Out the Lights
Pyongyang doesn’t need a perfect missile. Detonating a nuke above Seoul—or L.A.—would sow chaos.
In 2001 Congress established a commission to study the danger of an electromagnetic pulse generated by the detonation of a high-altitude nuclear weapon. It concluded that while there would be no blast effects on the ground, critical electricity-dependent infrastructure could be rendered inoperable. The commission’s chairman, William R. Graham, has noted that several Russian generals told the commissioners in 2004 that the designs for a “super EMP nuclear weapon” had been transferred to North Korea.
Pyongyang, the Russian generals reported, was probably only a few years away from developing super EMP capability. According to Peter Vincent Pry, staff director of the congressional EMP commission, a recent North Korean medium-range missile test that was widely reported to have exploded midflight could in fact have been deliberately detonated at an altitude of 40 miles.
Was it a dry run for an EMP attack? Detonation at that altitude of a nuclear warhead with a yield of 10 to 20 kilotons—similar to those tested by North Korea—would produce major EMP effects and inflict catastrophic damage to unhardened electronics across hundreds of miles of surface territory. It is a myth that large yield nuclear weapons of hundreds of kilotons are required to produce such effects.
Although some analysts have dismissed the possibility of a successful North Korean EMP attack—either on South Korea or the United States--several factors could make it a more appealing first-strike strategy for Kim Jong Un’s nuclear scientists than a direct, missile-delivered nuclear strike. For one thing, accuracy is not a concern; the North Koreans simply need to get near their target to sow chaos. Nor would they need to worry about developing a reliable re-entry vehicle for their ballistic missiles.
Conventional wisdom aside, a North Korean EMP attack on the U.S. may also not be far-fetched. “North Korea could make an EMP attack against the United States by launching a short-range missile off a freighter or submarine or by lofting a warhead to 30 kilometers burst height by balloon,” wrote Mr. Graham earlier this month on the security blog 38 North. “Even a balloon-lofted warhead detonated at 30 kilometers altitude could blackout the Eastern Grid that supports most of the population and generates 75 percent of US electricity. Moreover, an EMP attack could be made by a North Korean satellite.” Two North Korean satellites currently orbit the earth on trajectories that take them over the U.S.
This is not mere theory. In 1962 the United States detonated a 1.4-megaton nuclear warhead over the South Pacific, 900 miles southwest of Hawaii. Designated “Starfish Prime,” the blast destroyed hundreds of street lights in Honolulu, caused electrical surges on airplanes in the area, and damaged at least six satellites. Only Hawaii’s undeveloped electric power-transmission infrastructure prevented a prolonged blackout. It was the era of vacuum-tube electronics. We are living in the digital age.
Some conclusions
Lots of actors in addition to North Korea have this capability. And we can’t stop it. Preventing a nuke-laden plane or balloon from detonating miles above a populated area is hard to the point of impossibility.
Banking and brokerage networks would be shut down – possibly for a long while – by such an attack, which means no access to ATM machines or credit card readers. People without ready cash would be stuck without access to life’s necessities. Meanwhile cars, which have in recent years become rolling computer networks, won’t run, making it hard to get to distant supplies.
The fiat currency of a system shut down in this way might or might not hold its value. This is uncharted financial territory so it’s not certain that cash under the mattress will be of use. And forget about cryptocurrencies in this scenario. Virtual money evaporates when the network on which it circulates goes down.
The solution?
Start upgrading to hardened electronics as part of a basic prepping program. That’s beyond the technical scope of this article, but Google it and you’ll find plenty of resources. And hold precious metals in small enough denominations to use as currency. One of history’s lessons is that gold and silver remain valuable whatever else is going on. If we’re destined to spend a few months back in the Middle Ages, spendable money will make the experience a lot more manageable.
Jun 10, 2017 9:45 PM
Authored by John Rubino via DollarCollapse.com,
The global financial system’s ever-increasing leverage pretty much guarantees another crisis in coming years - unless it’s pre-empted by new weapons that can, in theory, shut down entire national banking systems, thus screwing up the best-laid plans of today’s savers and investors.
This series will consider some of them, beginning with the electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack. From The Wall Street Journal:
North Korea Dreams of Turning Out the Lights
Pyongyang doesn’t need a perfect missile. Detonating a nuke above Seoul—or L.A.—would sow chaos.
In 2001 Congress established a commission to study the danger of an electromagnetic pulse generated by the detonation of a high-altitude nuclear weapon. It concluded that while there would be no blast effects on the ground, critical electricity-dependent infrastructure could be rendered inoperable. The commission’s chairman, William R. Graham, has noted that several Russian generals told the commissioners in 2004 that the designs for a “super EMP nuclear weapon” had been transferred to North Korea.
Pyongyang, the Russian generals reported, was probably only a few years away from developing super EMP capability. According to Peter Vincent Pry, staff director of the congressional EMP commission, a recent North Korean medium-range missile test that was widely reported to have exploded midflight could in fact have been deliberately detonated at an altitude of 40 miles.
Was it a dry run for an EMP attack? Detonation at that altitude of a nuclear warhead with a yield of 10 to 20 kilotons—similar to those tested by North Korea—would produce major EMP effects and inflict catastrophic damage to unhardened electronics across hundreds of miles of surface territory. It is a myth that large yield nuclear weapons of hundreds of kilotons are required to produce such effects.
Although some analysts have dismissed the possibility of a successful North Korean EMP attack—either on South Korea or the United States--several factors could make it a more appealing first-strike strategy for Kim Jong Un’s nuclear scientists than a direct, missile-delivered nuclear strike. For one thing, accuracy is not a concern; the North Koreans simply need to get near their target to sow chaos. Nor would they need to worry about developing a reliable re-entry vehicle for their ballistic missiles.
Conventional wisdom aside, a North Korean EMP attack on the U.S. may also not be far-fetched. “North Korea could make an EMP attack against the United States by launching a short-range missile off a freighter or submarine or by lofting a warhead to 30 kilometers burst height by balloon,” wrote Mr. Graham earlier this month on the security blog 38 North. “Even a balloon-lofted warhead detonated at 30 kilometers altitude could blackout the Eastern Grid that supports most of the population and generates 75 percent of US electricity. Moreover, an EMP attack could be made by a North Korean satellite.” Two North Korean satellites currently orbit the earth on trajectories that take them over the U.S.
This is not mere theory. In 1962 the United States detonated a 1.4-megaton nuclear warhead over the South Pacific, 900 miles southwest of Hawaii. Designated “Starfish Prime,” the blast destroyed hundreds of street lights in Honolulu, caused electrical surges on airplanes in the area, and damaged at least six satellites. Only Hawaii’s undeveloped electric power-transmission infrastructure prevented a prolonged blackout. It was the era of vacuum-tube electronics. We are living in the digital age.
Some conclusions
Lots of actors in addition to North Korea have this capability. And we can’t stop it. Preventing a nuke-laden plane or balloon from detonating miles above a populated area is hard to the point of impossibility.
Banking and brokerage networks would be shut down – possibly for a long while – by such an attack, which means no access to ATM machines or credit card readers. People without ready cash would be stuck without access to life’s necessities. Meanwhile cars, which have in recent years become rolling computer networks, won’t run, making it hard to get to distant supplies.
The fiat currency of a system shut down in this way might or might not hold its value. This is uncharted financial territory so it’s not certain that cash under the mattress will be of use. And forget about cryptocurrencies in this scenario. Virtual money evaporates when the network on which it circulates goes down.
The solution?
Start upgrading to hardened electronics as part of a basic prepping program. That’s beyond the technical scope of this article, but Google it and you’ll find plenty of resources. And hold precious metals in small enough denominations to use as currency. One of history’s lessons is that gold and silver remain valuable whatever else is going on. If we’re destined to spend a few months back in the Middle Ages, spendable money will make the experience a lot more manageable.
It's The BIG ONE We Need To Prepare For
"The big one" looms, whether you live in or travel to California or the Pacific Northwest. (Or, if you live around the New Madrid Seismic Zone in the Midwest. 1811-1812 were not good years. Or in 1884 with the Ramapo Seismic Zone in Brooklyn and the Northeast.) How will many survive?
Some folks try to pretend it won't happen, but not you. You realize chances are good that we'll see the big one soon. Are you prepared? If not, you will find tips below from those that have lived through an earthquake crisis.
It Was "The BIG One"They died years ago, but on this day they were very much alive-- preserved on old film footage. The infamous cable car ride of 1906 in San Francisco-- four days before the big earthquake and fires that killed 3,000 and left 400,000 homeless is eerie and mesmerizing all at once.
One wonders, "What became of that fellow in the buggy or that lady crossing the street or that child running with a newspaper? These folks had no idea what would soon change their lives. Those who did survive faced months of hardship and rebuilding. Approximately 25,000 buildings were destroyed and nearly 80% of the city was leveled. Survivors slept in tents, stood in long lines for any food they could find and cooked on streets to avoid starting new building fires.
Water lines were broken. One earthquake survivor said, "I stood right there at the hydrant when the fireman coupled the hose and immediately he uncoupled it and threw the hose back upon the cart and said there's no water."
America Was Watching a Ballgame
In 1989, millions of us watched live pre-game coverage of the World Series. Suddenly, cameras flipped off. After commentators recovered from the initial shaking, the evening news shifted from the big game to the shocking destruction of the Loma Prieta earthquake in and around San Francisco Bay. People scrambled to take an accounting of damage.
One-by-one, a new generation of preppers was born.
Pastor Bob, a You Tuber, described his wake-up call. "I remember looking at that-- and that was the biggest earthquake to hit San Francisco since 1907...and you know what, if that earthquake would have been any bigger, enough to where maybe an overpass or two
The reality of being trapped in an area with limited supplies suddenly seemed plausible. Pastor Bob thought, "You can be anywhere and something happens and you have to walk home!" Because of the quake, Pastor Bob put together a walkout kit in his truck so that if he were trapped, he'd be able to survive long enough to get home.
SHTF Urban Survival; Caught Away From HomePastor Bob's walkout kit includes items that are small enough to carry:
Jeanne Johnson, a Long Beach Peninsula resident, took prepping into her own hands. She sought out Survival Capsule LLC to construct a tsunami survival pod, which she stores in her garage. She figured she probably wouldn't have time to run for the hills if waves of earthquakes triggered tsunamis.
Johnson acknowledges that with the capsule being stored in her garage, "People tell her, 'Oh great, you're under a debris pile.'" But she insists she'll still be alive. "That's a good problem to have." Hopefully, Johnson makes room for food, supplies, and water purification in her capsule, too.
Tips From One of the Last "Big Ones"We recommend learning from the villagers of Langi, who live off the coast of Sumatra. As soon as the earth shakes for more than a few seconds, children and elderly are gathered and transported to higher ground where evacuation zones exist with food, water and supplies.
Before a disaster occurs, begin stocking your own storage shelter in higher elevations close to home. Store at least one months' worth of supplies including the following items:
Get ready.
Besides having bunkers or storage sheds of supplies at higher elevations, prepare a small, to-go bag of items from the above list-- in case you can't reach your stash of long-term supplies. Keep the essentials in a waterproof go bag that's light and can be strapped to your back. A 72-hour emergency food kit will sustain you, too. If you haven't checked your survival kit in a few years, take a moment this weekend to review what you have and replace old items. If you haven't created one, there's no better day than today.
You never know when the next earthquake can strike, folks. The aftermath will not be pretty. Be prepared
Resources:
https://www.ready.gov/earthquakes?gclid=CMGv06CVz9ICFVGewAodc8wJdw
http://abc7news.com/news/survivors-recall-horror-of-1906-great-quake-in-san-francisco/1297723/
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-fault-capable-of-magnitude-7-4-earthquake-study-says/
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/study-reveals-california-overdue-earthquake-45986446
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-earthquake-san-andreas-grapevine-20170307-story.html
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/PNW-woman-receives-first-tsunami-survival-10884239.php
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/07/20/the-really-big-one
https://www.archives.gov/legislative/features/sf
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-earthquake-swarm-20160930-snap-story.html
http://www.earthquakecountry.org/downloads/LivingonShakyGround_NorthCoast.pdf
http://blog.esurance.com/beyond-san-andreas-5-scariest-fault-lines-in-the-u-s/
"The big one" looms, whether you live in or travel to California or the Pacific Northwest. (Or, if you live around the New Madrid Seismic Zone in the Midwest. 1811-1812 were not good years. Or in 1884 with the Ramapo Seismic Zone in Brooklyn and the Northeast.) How will many survive?
Some folks try to pretend it won't happen, but not you. You realize chances are good that we'll see the big one soon. Are you prepared? If not, you will find tips below from those that have lived through an earthquake crisis.
It Was "The BIG One"They died years ago, but on this day they were very much alive-- preserved on old film footage. The infamous cable car ride of 1906 in San Francisco-- four days before the big earthquake and fires that killed 3,000 and left 400,000 homeless is eerie and mesmerizing all at once.
One wonders, "What became of that fellow in the buggy or that lady crossing the street or that child running with a newspaper? These folks had no idea what would soon change their lives. Those who did survive faced months of hardship and rebuilding. Approximately 25,000 buildings were destroyed and nearly 80% of the city was leveled. Survivors slept in tents, stood in long lines for any food they could find and cooked on streets to avoid starting new building fires.
Water lines were broken. One earthquake survivor said, "I stood right there at the hydrant when the fireman coupled the hose and immediately he uncoupled it and threw the hose back upon the cart and said there's no water."
America Was Watching a Ballgame
In 1989, millions of us watched live pre-game coverage of the World Series. Suddenly, cameras flipped off. After commentators recovered from the initial shaking, the evening news shifted from the big game to the shocking destruction of the Loma Prieta earthquake in and around San Francisco Bay. People scrambled to take an accounting of damage.
One-by-one, a new generation of preppers was born.
Pastor Bob, a You Tuber, described his wake-up call. "I remember looking at that-- and that was the biggest earthquake to hit San Francisco since 1907...and you know what, if that earthquake would have been any bigger, enough to where maybe an overpass or two
The reality of being trapped in an area with limited supplies suddenly seemed plausible. Pastor Bob thought, "You can be anywhere and something happens and you have to walk home!" Because of the quake, Pastor Bob put together a walkout kit in his truck so that if he were trapped, he'd be able to survive long enough to get home.
SHTF Urban Survival; Caught Away From HomePastor Bob's walkout kit includes items that are small enough to carry:
- a few bottles of water (a personal water filter would be better)
- 4-5 portable kits of food
- a good pair of hiking boots
- rain gear
- a roll of painter's plastic for shelter
- a flashlight with extra batteries
- a pump pellet gun to hunt game
- a lighter, fishing line, lures, and hooks
- a multi-purpose tool
- a small sleeping bag
- and a backpack
Jeanne Johnson, a Long Beach Peninsula resident, took prepping into her own hands. She sought out Survival Capsule LLC to construct a tsunami survival pod, which she stores in her garage. She figured she probably wouldn't have time to run for the hills if waves of earthquakes triggered tsunamis.
Johnson acknowledges that with the capsule being stored in her garage, "People tell her, 'Oh great, you're under a debris pile.'" But she insists she'll still be alive. "That's a good problem to have." Hopefully, Johnson makes room for food, supplies, and water purification in her capsule, too.
Tips From One of the Last "Big Ones"We recommend learning from the villagers of Langi, who live off the coast of Sumatra. As soon as the earth shakes for more than a few seconds, children and elderly are gathered and transported to higher ground where evacuation zones exist with food, water and supplies.
Before a disaster occurs, begin stocking your own storage shelter in higher elevations close to home. Store at least one months' worth of supplies including the following items:
- Medications, prescription list, copies of medical cards, doctors' names and contact information
- Medical consent forms for dependents and copies of personal identification
- First aid kit and handbook
- Non-latex gloves, dust masks
- Spare eyeglasses or contact lenses and cleaning solution
- Whistle (to alert rescuers to your location)
- Sturdy shoes, change of clothes, blanket
- Emergency cash (ATMs require power and might not work)
- Local road maps
- List of emergency out-of-area contact phone numbers
- Bottled water or a personal water filter (minimum one gallon a day for each person and pet)
- Dry emergency survival foods
- Flashlight with extra batteries or solar charging
- Toiletries and personal care supplies
- Extra keys for car, home, office, safe deposit box etc.
- Wrenches or other special tools to turn off gas and water supplies
- Work gloves and protective goggles
- Heavy duty plastic bags for waste, and to serve as tarps, rain ponchos, etc.
- Duct tape
- Portable or hand-cranked radio with extra batteries
- Charcoal or propane for outdoor cooking and matches if needed
- Cooking utensils and a manual can opener
- Pet food, pet carrier and restraints
- Comfortable, warm clothing including extra socks
- Detergent and a clothes line
- Blankets and/or sleeping bags, and perhaps a tent
- Copies of vital documents (deeds, insurance, bank accounts etc.)
- Tire repair kit, booster/jumper cables, pump and flares, white distress flag or silver space blanket
- Seasonal supplies: winter (blanket, hat, mittens, shovel, sand, chains, windshield scraper); summer (sunscreen and hat)
Get ready.
Besides having bunkers or storage sheds of supplies at higher elevations, prepare a small, to-go bag of items from the above list-- in case you can't reach your stash of long-term supplies. Keep the essentials in a waterproof go bag that's light and can be strapped to your back. A 72-hour emergency food kit will sustain you, too. If you haven't checked your survival kit in a few years, take a moment this weekend to review what you have and replace old items. If you haven't created one, there's no better day than today.
You never know when the next earthquake can strike, folks. The aftermath will not be pretty. Be prepared
Resources:
https://www.ready.gov/earthquakes?gclid=CMGv06CVz9ICFVGewAodc8wJdw
http://abc7news.com/news/survivors-recall-horror-of-1906-great-quake-in-san-francisco/1297723/
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-fault-capable-of-magnitude-7-4-earthquake-study-says/
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/study-reveals-california-overdue-earthquake-45986446
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-earthquake-san-andreas-grapevine-20170307-story.html
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/PNW-woman-receives-first-tsunami-survival-10884239.php
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/07/20/the-really-big-one
https://www.archives.gov/legislative/features/sf
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-earthquake-swarm-20160930-snap-story.html
http://www.earthquakecountry.org/downloads/LivingonShakyGround_NorthCoast.pdf
http://blog.esurance.com/beyond-san-andreas-5-scariest-fault-lines-in-the-u-s/
Lights Out: Cyber Attack on Our Grid More Than Likely
by Emergency Essentials.
A former secretary of homeland security believes there is an 80-90% chance that a cyber-attack on our grid will happen.
Ted Koppel, renowned broadcast journalist and anchor for Nightline for 25 years, recently published a book about the lack of preparedness in American when it comes to cyber-attacks and our power grid. The book is called “Lights Out: A Cyberattack, A Nation Unprepared, Surviving the Aftermath” and is a culmination of his investigative reporting regarding the safety of our power grid and the possibility of falling victim to cyber attacks. His results were less than comforting.
Yesterday Ted Koppel was interview on KUER, a radio broadcast out of the University of Utah. In that interview, he spoke of how it is hard to convince people about certain things if they believe otherwise, even if their beliefs aren’t true. For many, they don’t believe a major cyber attack on our power grid is likely, so they don’t believe contrary reports, and therefore don’t prepare ahead.
Koppel brought up the recent government hack by China in which 22.1 million government official records were stolen. That’s a big deal, and yet he said “we kind of just shrugged and moved on.” If China can do that, they can certainly remove our power. Now, Koppel doesn’t believe China will go to that extreme, but there are surely other nations and extremist groups out there that would.
If our power grid does get attacked and we are left without power, we might be left to our own devices for weeks or even months. If this is the case – and all evidence suggest that it will be – we will need food, water, medicine, and other necessities to last us as long as we’re left in the dark, if not longer.
As a nation, are we ready? According to Koppel, “we really aren’t prepared in any sense.” He calls us a “reactive society,” meaning we do not tend to be preventive in our actions, but rather decide what to do after an event, not before. When the grid goes down, it will be too late to prepare, no matter how fast we react.
While we like to think the government will step in and lend us aid, that way of thinking could lead to some very uncomfortable months following a disaster of this scale. There won’t be enough supplies stocked up by government agencies to see all of our needs. After all, there are just under 320 million people in the United States. Caring for all of them would be quite an undertaking, and quite frankly, it’s not one the government seems to feel responsible for.
And should they? During an emergency, your best bet is to be personally prepared. Even if the government had help coming, it could still take days or weeks to reach you, despite their preparedness.
Koppel continued this discussion of preparedness by pointing to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). The LDS Church, Ted Koppel found, recommends its members to have at least three to six months’ supply of food and water, and not just for a potential grid failure. This storage is to be proactive for anything that comes along, including job loss, disability, and other natural disasters - which includes a cyber attack on our grid. Koppel praised the LDS Church for their preparedness mindset, and said that they “stand as an example of what can be done.”
The LDS Church isn’t providing these emergency supplies to the members, but each individual family is responsible for their own stewardship. You, too, can take the responsibility on yourself to prepare for your needs and those of your family. It takes some planning and budgeting, but it is very doable.
Ted Koppel concluded his interview by saying there is value in the act of preparation itself. We need to be ready for all kinds of disasters, and each subsequent step we take will only leave us better off when something does come. Finally, he believes it is harmful to not talk about the dangers we may face. Preparing in advance is discussing plans, solutions, and potential issues we may not be able to prepare for once a disaster happens.
by Emergency Essentials.
A former secretary of homeland security believes there is an 80-90% chance that a cyber-attack on our grid will happen.
Ted Koppel, renowned broadcast journalist and anchor for Nightline for 25 years, recently published a book about the lack of preparedness in American when it comes to cyber-attacks and our power grid. The book is called “Lights Out: A Cyberattack, A Nation Unprepared, Surviving the Aftermath” and is a culmination of his investigative reporting regarding the safety of our power grid and the possibility of falling victim to cyber attacks. His results were less than comforting.
Yesterday Ted Koppel was interview on KUER, a radio broadcast out of the University of Utah. In that interview, he spoke of how it is hard to convince people about certain things if they believe otherwise, even if their beliefs aren’t true. For many, they don’t believe a major cyber attack on our power grid is likely, so they don’t believe contrary reports, and therefore don’t prepare ahead.
Koppel brought up the recent government hack by China in which 22.1 million government official records were stolen. That’s a big deal, and yet he said “we kind of just shrugged and moved on.” If China can do that, they can certainly remove our power. Now, Koppel doesn’t believe China will go to that extreme, but there are surely other nations and extremist groups out there that would.
If our power grid does get attacked and we are left without power, we might be left to our own devices for weeks or even months. If this is the case – and all evidence suggest that it will be – we will need food, water, medicine, and other necessities to last us as long as we’re left in the dark, if not longer.
As a nation, are we ready? According to Koppel, “we really aren’t prepared in any sense.” He calls us a “reactive society,” meaning we do not tend to be preventive in our actions, but rather decide what to do after an event, not before. When the grid goes down, it will be too late to prepare, no matter how fast we react.
While we like to think the government will step in and lend us aid, that way of thinking could lead to some very uncomfortable months following a disaster of this scale. There won’t be enough supplies stocked up by government agencies to see all of our needs. After all, there are just under 320 million people in the United States. Caring for all of them would be quite an undertaking, and quite frankly, it’s not one the government seems to feel responsible for.
And should they? During an emergency, your best bet is to be personally prepared. Even if the government had help coming, it could still take days or weeks to reach you, despite their preparedness.
Koppel continued this discussion of preparedness by pointing to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). The LDS Church, Ted Koppel found, recommends its members to have at least three to six months’ supply of food and water, and not just for a potential grid failure. This storage is to be proactive for anything that comes along, including job loss, disability, and other natural disasters - which includes a cyber attack on our grid. Koppel praised the LDS Church for their preparedness mindset, and said that they “stand as an example of what can be done.”
The LDS Church isn’t providing these emergency supplies to the members, but each individual family is responsible for their own stewardship. You, too, can take the responsibility on yourself to prepare for your needs and those of your family. It takes some planning and budgeting, but it is very doable.
Ted Koppel concluded his interview by saying there is value in the act of preparation itself. We need to be ready for all kinds of disasters, and each subsequent step we take will only leave us better off when something does come. Finally, he believes it is harmful to not talk about the dangers we may face. Preparing in advance is discussing plans, solutions, and potential issues we may not be able to prepare for once a disaster happens.
Preparing the Elderly for Emergencies
EmergencyEssentials.com
Hurricane Katrina was devastating to health care providers. Hospitals and clinics flooded or lost power. Almost 100 kidney dialysis clinics in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama closed, some permanently.
A representative from a company that manages dialysis clinics described the result: “More than 7,000 displaced patients packed into our open clinics, which were not immediately staffed to handle them all.”
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than half of older adults have some kind of functional limitation, like chronic health problems, impaired mobility or diminished sensory awareness. This can make them vulnerable in an emergency. Sixty percent of the people in Louisiana who died from Hurricane Katrina were over age 60. So planning for emergencies is especially important for seniors.
One group of older adults from Rochester, New York, described how an ice storm that caused a two-week power outage impacted them.
“If we had only taken a few simple steps to prepare ourselves for such an event, we could have eliminated many of the hardships we had to endure,” they wrote for a Red Cross booklet about senior preparedness.
They recommended three ways to prepare: get a kit, make a plan, and be informed. Unless otherwise specified, the ideas below come from their Red Cross booklet, “Disaster Preparedness for Seniors by Seniors.”
Get a Kit
In addition to a basic emergency kit with food, clothing, and water, seniors should personalize their kits with extra supplies. These can include extra eyeglasses, medication, hearing aids and batteries, oxygen and assistive technology. Label bags and equipment with a name, address and phone number. Keep support equipment in a designated place so it’s easy to find.
Some medication, like insulin, requires refrigeration. The U.S. Food and Drug administration recommends that if power has been off for a while, those drugs should be discarded. However, if they are necessary for life, they may be used until a new supply becomes available. Medication exposed to excessive heat and flood water can also become unsafe. So keep medication in a waterproof container and check it for exposure before use.
Not many people can afford spare hearing aids. In an earthquake-prone area, use Velcro to attach a hearing aid case to a flat surface so it will be readily available and won’t shake off.
Make a Plan
Have a plan for how to evacuate and how to shelter at home. Share it with caregivers, friends, and family members. Be honest about abilities and limitations. Know home caregivers’ emergency plans. Keep phone numbers handy – carry them in a wallet or post them by a telephone.
Keep copies of vital records in a fireproof container or safe-deposit box. Vital records include birth, marriage and social security certificates, insurance information, wills and deeds and records of possessions. Health care records are also important. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has an online tool, called Blue Button, to help people bring together their electronic health records.
After Hurricane Katrina, 85,000 people had trouble getting social security checks through the mail. The AARP Foundation recommends people switch to direct deposit. Go to the U.S. Department of the Treasury web site, godirect.org, or call 1-800-333-1795. The Treasury Department also has a prepaid debit card option for people with no bank account.
Be Informed
Know what types of disasters are more likely, and prepare for those.
“Seniors living in Florida need to know how to prepare for a hurricane, while older adults in the Midwest should stock up for blizzards and floods. In California, people should prepare for earthquakes and wildfires,” the CDC recommended.
Be aware that scammers come out after a disaster. Operation Emergency Prepare recommends six steps to keep from being scammed.
EmergencyEssentials.com
Hurricane Katrina was devastating to health care providers. Hospitals and clinics flooded or lost power. Almost 100 kidney dialysis clinics in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama closed, some permanently.
A representative from a company that manages dialysis clinics described the result: “More than 7,000 displaced patients packed into our open clinics, which were not immediately staffed to handle them all.”
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than half of older adults have some kind of functional limitation, like chronic health problems, impaired mobility or diminished sensory awareness. This can make them vulnerable in an emergency. Sixty percent of the people in Louisiana who died from Hurricane Katrina were over age 60. So planning for emergencies is especially important for seniors.
One group of older adults from Rochester, New York, described how an ice storm that caused a two-week power outage impacted them.
“If we had only taken a few simple steps to prepare ourselves for such an event, we could have eliminated many of the hardships we had to endure,” they wrote for a Red Cross booklet about senior preparedness.
They recommended three ways to prepare: get a kit, make a plan, and be informed. Unless otherwise specified, the ideas below come from their Red Cross booklet, “Disaster Preparedness for Seniors by Seniors.”
Get a Kit
In addition to a basic emergency kit with food, clothing, and water, seniors should personalize their kits with extra supplies. These can include extra eyeglasses, medication, hearing aids and batteries, oxygen and assistive technology. Label bags and equipment with a name, address and phone number. Keep support equipment in a designated place so it’s easy to find.
Some medication, like insulin, requires refrigeration. The U.S. Food and Drug administration recommends that if power has been off for a while, those drugs should be discarded. However, if they are necessary for life, they may be used until a new supply becomes available. Medication exposed to excessive heat and flood water can also become unsafe. So keep medication in a waterproof container and check it for exposure before use.
Not many people can afford spare hearing aids. In an earthquake-prone area, use Velcro to attach a hearing aid case to a flat surface so it will be readily available and won’t shake off.
Make a Plan
Have a plan for how to evacuate and how to shelter at home. Share it with caregivers, friends, and family members. Be honest about abilities and limitations. Know home caregivers’ emergency plans. Keep phone numbers handy – carry them in a wallet or post them by a telephone.
Keep copies of vital records in a fireproof container or safe-deposit box. Vital records include birth, marriage and social security certificates, insurance information, wills and deeds and records of possessions. Health care records are also important. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has an online tool, called Blue Button, to help people bring together their electronic health records.
After Hurricane Katrina, 85,000 people had trouble getting social security checks through the mail. The AARP Foundation recommends people switch to direct deposit. Go to the U.S. Department of the Treasury web site, godirect.org, or call 1-800-333-1795. The Treasury Department also has a prepaid debit card option for people with no bank account.
Be Informed
Know what types of disasters are more likely, and prepare for those.
“Seniors living in Florida need to know how to prepare for a hurricane, while older adults in the Midwest should stock up for blizzards and floods. In California, people should prepare for earthquakes and wildfires,” the CDC recommended.
Be aware that scammers come out after a disaster. Operation Emergency Prepare recommends six steps to keep from being scammed.
- Don’t pay cash to a contractor for home repairs and never give your credit card number unless you are paying the bill with it.
- Be sure you have a signed contract detailing the work you want to have done and don’t make a final payment until the work has been done to your satisfaction.
- Make sure that any contractors, plumbers, electricians, or roofers are bonded, licensed, or registered in your state. You can check their license status with your state or Better Business Bureau.
- Try to get several bids before agreeing to any work; a one-third down payment is considered appropriate.
- Beware of home repair loan brokers who guarantee you a loan if you first pay a fee.
- If you suspect you have been taken advantage of, call your state attorney general’s office.
What's the Worst that Could Happen?
http://mypatriotsupply.com My mind went wild, but that's okay. Brainstorming is good. Writing down the details is even better! As you devise your plan, list the weaknesses and needs of the community and family, in which you live.
My list of concerns was long as I thought about a more widespread terrorist attack:
How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now-and never to be equaled again. Mathew 24:19-21
Invest In Land
If you live in a suburb surrounded by millions like we did, people and traffic always surround you. Can you imagine all of Chicagoland scrounging for food days after the store shelves emptied?
Survival Totes for Your Car
There are simple totes you can buy and store in your car with everything from jumper cables, flares, and fire extinguishers to food and water. I always kept a simple potty and an extra package of diapers for the kids or grandma.
Below is a recommended list of items to pack into a tote that you always keep in your trunk:
To minimize food spoilage issues, consider buying foods made for long-term storage as well as AlexaPure water filtration bottles for drinking out of streams or questionable water sources.
Learn To Survive
If chaos visited your community and you never slept in anything less than a five-star hotel bed, you might have difficulty adjusting to new realities. We spent a few nights in tents with sleeping bags and learned firsthand plenty about surviving only off our property - quickly.
Read all you can today about nature and begin sharing that knowledge with the next generation and those you love. Start tackling this list of ideas to update your survival skill set:
You just never know if and when life changes. Knowing history, it will. If you've slowly been building your repertoire of survival skills, you'll be better prepared to lead family and friends to a safe and prosperous existence during and after the crisis.
http://mypatriotsupply.com My mind went wild, but that's okay. Brainstorming is good. Writing down the details is even better! As you devise your plan, list the weaknesses and needs of the community and family, in which you live.
My list of concerns was long as I thought about a more widespread terrorist attack:
- Would there be lines at grocery stores or gas stations? Or even anything left when I got there?
- Would my car be prepared for sitting in traffic?
- Where would I go with the children if people from the city were running to the suburbs?
- What would the family need to survive in the winter or summer?
- How do I care for a baby, toddler, or elderly person in a car?
- How does a family stay warm over time in a car?
- How do you feed everyone over time in a car if it becomes your home?
- What about going to the bathroom in a car? (Yikes.)
- What if you're stuck in a line of traffic that's not moving for hours? Days?
- How do you alert family members or others for help?
How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now-and never to be equaled again. Mathew 24:19-21
Invest In Land
If you live in a suburb surrounded by millions like we did, people and traffic always surround you. Can you imagine all of Chicagoland scrounging for food days after the store shelves emptied?
Survival Totes for Your Car
There are simple totes you can buy and store in your car with everything from jumper cables, flares, and fire extinguishers to food and water. I always kept a simple potty and an extra package of diapers for the kids or grandma.
Below is a recommended list of items to pack into a tote that you always keep in your trunk:
- two changes of clothes for each family member
- toiletries
- medications
- extra hats, socks and gloves
- umbrella or ponchos
- boots
- diapers, formula, potty pail
- hand sanitizer
- bottled water or water filtration
- snack food including energy bars
- simple games and survival books
- shovel
- no spill gas can with a fuel stabilizer
- antifreeze
- quarts of oil
- road maps and/ or GPS
- flashlight with extra batteries
- battery powered or crank radio
- window breaker
- matches and small candles
- First aid kit with pocket knife
- blankets or sleeping bags
- tow chain or rope
- paper towels and rags
- road salt, sand, or cat litter for traction
- booster cables
- emergency flares, reflectors, glow sticks
- fluorescent distress flag and whistle to attract attention
- magnifying glass
- fire extinguisher
- cell phone adapter to plug into lighter or with a solar charger
To minimize food spoilage issues, consider buying foods made for long-term storage as well as AlexaPure water filtration bottles for drinking out of streams or questionable water sources.
Learn To Survive
If chaos visited your community and you never slept in anything less than a five-star hotel bed, you might have difficulty adjusting to new realities. We spent a few nights in tents with sleeping bags and learned firsthand plenty about surviving only off our property - quickly.
Read all you can today about nature and begin sharing that knowledge with the next generation and those you love. Start tackling this list of ideas to update your survival skill set:
- Join Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts of America or review their textbooks.
- Get a survival book like Survive! by Les Stroud.
- Get your children involved in your local 4-H club.
- Visit a county fair and talk with exhibitors. Learn about animals.
- Join a sewing, knitting, or crocheting guild.
- Recognize animal tracks, plant varieties, and birds.
- Spend time with a professional guide on a camping vacation.
- Learn to boat, fish, and filet fish. (Yikes again.)
- Take a cross bow or shooting class.
- Learn to ski or snow-shoe.
- Practice self-defense.
- Get CPR with AED certified.
- Raise a pig, goat, lamb, or cow.
- Buy a portable chicken coop and learn to raise chickens.
- Read up on crop rotations, growing plants and heirloom seeds.
- Take horseback riding lessons.
- Practice making a primitive shelter.
- Learn to start a fire with shale, rocks, or a magnifying glass.
- Start reading survival stories.
You just never know if and when life changes. Knowing history, it will. If you've slowly been building your repertoire of survival skills, you'll be better prepared to lead family and friends to a safe and prosperous existence during and after the crisis.
Have you ever heard of a Black Swan Event?
Patriotsupply.com A Black Swan Event could freeze commerce nationwide in a matter of a few short hours.
What would you do if you couldn't use your credit cards or access your bank accounts to acquire cash?
What if all ATMs and credit cards stopped working cutting off access to cash?
Imagine that a major financial institution is hacked. With the growing prominence of cyber-attacks, this is not a hard scenario to envision.
If that happened, there are some disturbing events that would likely follow.
A BLACK SWAN EVENT IS LIKELY, BUT NOT WELL-KNOWN
Imagine that you awaken to the news that a major financial institution is hacked, taking the network that supports credit card sales and other transactions offline. These days, most financial transactions involve using computer systems. People have grown used to swiping cards daily to purchase basic necessities. Most pay bills and bank online. Shut down these systems nationwide and you have a Black Swan event.
What would you do if suddenly your credit or debit card was rendered useless and your cash on hand was about $20? How long could you or your family last if you couldn't purchase food or if grocery stores were cleaned out in a panic? It's been said that most people are only four missed meals away from chaos.
A Black Swan event is a large-scale event that has huge impacts, but seems to come out of nowhere. The term was coined in the 2007 book, The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Black Swan events that have had tremendous consequences for our lives include the terrorist attacks on 9/11 or the 2008 financial crisis that led to the recent Great Recession. When Black Swan events happened, our nation was unprepared.
Hackers are stealing information daily
Increasingly, Black Swan events include cyber-attacks.
The recent hack of the Democratic National Convention, which some believe was carried out by Russia, has given rise to larger concerns about the security of networks and information in both the private and public sector. Nations are worried about enemies using hacking for intelligence-gathering or terrorism, hoping to disrupt financial or governmental institutions by interfering with data, servers, or other computer-based operations.
In the private sector, cyber-attacks have resulted in hackers gaining access to consumer data such as credit card numbers and account passwords. Hackers have forced companies offline, causing loss in profits, reputation, and consumer trust.
Target TM was the victim of hackers who accessed credit card information of up to 40 million customers. Similarly, the "Heartbleed" bug that targeted eBayTM was found in software that was used to secure two-thirds of ecommerce sites. These security breaches left consumers worried about their own security. But cyber-attacks can have implications far beyond identity theft or stealing consumer data.
Cyber-attacks may also have impacts on manufacturing, mining, petrochemicals, and utilities--basically any facility using an industrial control system (ICS). Industrial control systems come in many forms, but essentially they gather data and are used to remotely control various local operations from a central location.
For example, an ICS may be used to monitor safety at several manufacturing plants or to open and close valves in a water supply system. According to David White, Chief Knowledge Officer at Axio Global, which serves to help critical infrastructure owners and operators assess cyber-risk, there have been a spree of cyber-incidents targeting industries that use an ICS.
Although the attacks did not do physical damage to the facility, they still raise alarming questions about the gathering of such data, and about the future security of facilities themselves. White told AirMic that these hacks are:
"Surveillance-style attacks, using malicious software are designed to gather information about the ICS. The only reason to gather that information is to give someone a strategic advantage at some point in the future."
If an ICS is used to control the operations at a power plant, for example, in theory a sophisticated cyber-attack could disable the plant remotely.
For organizations and businesses, emphasis is shifting from responding to these breaches of security to trying to pre-empt them. Security experts advise that companies have first response plans to deploy as soon as questionable activity happens on a server. Even still, the number of cyber-attacks happening makes a major black swan cyber event seem inevitable.
Many argue that the very nature of a black swan event means that you cannot truly prepare for them. Even still, a savvy company or individual can observe trends and do their best to prepare for the fallout after a black swan cyber-attack.
That brings us back to you and your family.
While companies have to figure out how to protect their infrastructure and economic plans from black swan cyber-attacks, the fallout to the consumer could be tremendous. What if a cyber-attack took industry offline? Would you be able to buy food? Gas? How would you run your household?
Now, let's go back to that imagined scenario mentioned earlier. What do you do? Imagine you rush to the grocery store, but are faced with enormous lines. Many businesses are prepared to run on a cash-basis in the short-term, but in an economy running on electronic point of sale systems, the effects of doing everything on paper would be frustrating for both employees and customers.
With limited access to cash, store shelves may quickly clear
What if you wait it out and use the food your family has on hand for a day or two, only to find the grocery stores' shelves have been ransacked when you go to resupply. In the meantime, do you have access to your bank accounts if online banking is disabled? Will you be able to pay your food bills? If you have not prepared for the possibility of Black Swan cyber-attack, there might not be much that you can do once it hits. How would you wish that you had prepared?
First, you will want to have some cash ready.
Keeping a supply of cash secured in a lockbox or safe in your home will enable you to buy things that you can't easily store in your home, such as fuel for your car. Emergency cash can also be used to pay for services or to keep up on important bills.
We also recommend that you keep paper copies of financial records and other important documents. Even hospitals operate on largely digital systems these days. Having your family's medical records easily available could save critical time in case of an emergency when a hospital's digital records are down. While your bank or doctor might become prey to a cyber-attack, your paper backup files can't be hacked.
No cash to purchase food or gas
Then, you will need to feed yourself and your family.
If financial systems are disabled for a prolonged period of time, your emergency cash might not last. That is why we also recommend that you keep an emergency food supply on hand, so you can feed your family in times of crisis. A 3-month supply for each adult in the household is a good place to start.
With a supply of emergency food and a backup file of your important records, your family could fare pretty well while chaos ensues at the grocery store or the bank. But what if a Black Swan event hit your local water or electric company?
You'll need power.
Although cyber-attacks on utilities have not yet led to systems failure or physical damage, what if a Black Swan attack took out the electricity? Your family can be prepared for this scenario with a supply of 100-hour candles, flashlights, and backup batteries. An emergency radio is also wise to have available. Eventually, the batteries on your electronic devices will wear out, and an emergency radio can keep you connected to important updates. For longer-term power outages, a solar-powered generator, or other backup generator keeps your family powered-up and more comfortable.
Don't forget the water. To survive, you need food and water. For your water supply, a gravity-fed water purification system is a must-have. On a day-to-day basis, you should already be using a purification system that removes up to 99.9999% of toxins and contaminants from your drinking water source. Perhaps the scariest aspect of a Black Swan event is that it's unpredictable. Taking precautionary measures to make sure you and your family thrive in a crisis means that, even if you can't see the problem coming, you are ready to face it head-on. Create a survival plan with your family, and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with being prepared.
Patriotsupply.com A Black Swan Event could freeze commerce nationwide in a matter of a few short hours.
What would you do if you couldn't use your credit cards or access your bank accounts to acquire cash?
What if all ATMs and credit cards stopped working cutting off access to cash?
Imagine that a major financial institution is hacked. With the growing prominence of cyber-attacks, this is not a hard scenario to envision.
If that happened, there are some disturbing events that would likely follow.
A BLACK SWAN EVENT IS LIKELY, BUT NOT WELL-KNOWN
Imagine that you awaken to the news that a major financial institution is hacked, taking the network that supports credit card sales and other transactions offline. These days, most financial transactions involve using computer systems. People have grown used to swiping cards daily to purchase basic necessities. Most pay bills and bank online. Shut down these systems nationwide and you have a Black Swan event.
What would you do if suddenly your credit or debit card was rendered useless and your cash on hand was about $20? How long could you or your family last if you couldn't purchase food or if grocery stores were cleaned out in a panic? It's been said that most people are only four missed meals away from chaos.
A Black Swan event is a large-scale event that has huge impacts, but seems to come out of nowhere. The term was coined in the 2007 book, The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Black Swan events that have had tremendous consequences for our lives include the terrorist attacks on 9/11 or the 2008 financial crisis that led to the recent Great Recession. When Black Swan events happened, our nation was unprepared.
Hackers are stealing information daily
Increasingly, Black Swan events include cyber-attacks.
The recent hack of the Democratic National Convention, which some believe was carried out by Russia, has given rise to larger concerns about the security of networks and information in both the private and public sector. Nations are worried about enemies using hacking for intelligence-gathering or terrorism, hoping to disrupt financial or governmental institutions by interfering with data, servers, or other computer-based operations.
In the private sector, cyber-attacks have resulted in hackers gaining access to consumer data such as credit card numbers and account passwords. Hackers have forced companies offline, causing loss in profits, reputation, and consumer trust.
Target TM was the victim of hackers who accessed credit card information of up to 40 million customers. Similarly, the "Heartbleed" bug that targeted eBayTM was found in software that was used to secure two-thirds of ecommerce sites. These security breaches left consumers worried about their own security. But cyber-attacks can have implications far beyond identity theft or stealing consumer data.
Cyber-attacks may also have impacts on manufacturing, mining, petrochemicals, and utilities--basically any facility using an industrial control system (ICS). Industrial control systems come in many forms, but essentially they gather data and are used to remotely control various local operations from a central location.
For example, an ICS may be used to monitor safety at several manufacturing plants or to open and close valves in a water supply system. According to David White, Chief Knowledge Officer at Axio Global, which serves to help critical infrastructure owners and operators assess cyber-risk, there have been a spree of cyber-incidents targeting industries that use an ICS.
Although the attacks did not do physical damage to the facility, they still raise alarming questions about the gathering of such data, and about the future security of facilities themselves. White told AirMic that these hacks are:
"Surveillance-style attacks, using malicious software are designed to gather information about the ICS. The only reason to gather that information is to give someone a strategic advantage at some point in the future."
If an ICS is used to control the operations at a power plant, for example, in theory a sophisticated cyber-attack could disable the plant remotely.
For organizations and businesses, emphasis is shifting from responding to these breaches of security to trying to pre-empt them. Security experts advise that companies have first response plans to deploy as soon as questionable activity happens on a server. Even still, the number of cyber-attacks happening makes a major black swan cyber event seem inevitable.
Many argue that the very nature of a black swan event means that you cannot truly prepare for them. Even still, a savvy company or individual can observe trends and do their best to prepare for the fallout after a black swan cyber-attack.
That brings us back to you and your family.
While companies have to figure out how to protect their infrastructure and economic plans from black swan cyber-attacks, the fallout to the consumer could be tremendous. What if a cyber-attack took industry offline? Would you be able to buy food? Gas? How would you run your household?
Now, let's go back to that imagined scenario mentioned earlier. What do you do? Imagine you rush to the grocery store, but are faced with enormous lines. Many businesses are prepared to run on a cash-basis in the short-term, but in an economy running on electronic point of sale systems, the effects of doing everything on paper would be frustrating for both employees and customers.
With limited access to cash, store shelves may quickly clear
What if you wait it out and use the food your family has on hand for a day or two, only to find the grocery stores' shelves have been ransacked when you go to resupply. In the meantime, do you have access to your bank accounts if online banking is disabled? Will you be able to pay your food bills? If you have not prepared for the possibility of Black Swan cyber-attack, there might not be much that you can do once it hits. How would you wish that you had prepared?
First, you will want to have some cash ready.
Keeping a supply of cash secured in a lockbox or safe in your home will enable you to buy things that you can't easily store in your home, such as fuel for your car. Emergency cash can also be used to pay for services or to keep up on important bills.
We also recommend that you keep paper copies of financial records and other important documents. Even hospitals operate on largely digital systems these days. Having your family's medical records easily available could save critical time in case of an emergency when a hospital's digital records are down. While your bank or doctor might become prey to a cyber-attack, your paper backup files can't be hacked.
No cash to purchase food or gas
Then, you will need to feed yourself and your family.
If financial systems are disabled for a prolonged period of time, your emergency cash might not last. That is why we also recommend that you keep an emergency food supply on hand, so you can feed your family in times of crisis. A 3-month supply for each adult in the household is a good place to start.
With a supply of emergency food and a backup file of your important records, your family could fare pretty well while chaos ensues at the grocery store or the bank. But what if a Black Swan event hit your local water or electric company?
You'll need power.
Although cyber-attacks on utilities have not yet led to systems failure or physical damage, what if a Black Swan attack took out the electricity? Your family can be prepared for this scenario with a supply of 100-hour candles, flashlights, and backup batteries. An emergency radio is also wise to have available. Eventually, the batteries on your electronic devices will wear out, and an emergency radio can keep you connected to important updates. For longer-term power outages, a solar-powered generator, or other backup generator keeps your family powered-up and more comfortable.
Don't forget the water. To survive, you need food and water. For your water supply, a gravity-fed water purification system is a must-have. On a day-to-day basis, you should already be using a purification system that removes up to 99.9999% of toxins and contaminants from your drinking water source. Perhaps the scariest aspect of a Black Swan event is that it's unpredictable. Taking precautionary measures to make sure you and your family thrive in a crisis means that, even if you can't see the problem coming, you are ready to face it head-on. Create a survival plan with your family, and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with being prepared.
Food Crisis - The Greatest Threat To Social Stability
ZeroHedge.com Mar 6, 2017 5:21 PM
Via Jeff Thomas of InternationalMan.com,
Recently, I was in a pharmacy and overheard the pharmacist say to someone, “There’s so much unpleasantness on the news these days, I’ve stopped watching.” The pharmacist has my sympathy. I’d love to be able to ignore the deterioration of the First World. It is, at turns, tedious, depressing, disturbing, and infuriating.
Unfortunately, we’re now passing through what, before it’s over, will be the most life-altering period in our lifetimes. As much as we’d like to behave like ostriches right now, we’d better keep our heads out of the sand and be as honest with ourselves as we can if we’re going to lessen the impact that these events will have on us.
I cannot emphasize too strongly the importance of a possible shortage of food. History is filled with examples of cultures that would endure most anything and still behave responsibly… but nothing causes greater, more unpredictable, or more violent behavior in a people than a lack of food.
Interesting to note that whenever I converse with people on the finer points of the Great Unraveling, when I mention the words “famine” or “food riots,” even those who are otherwise quite comfortable discussing the subject tend to want to discount the possibility that these will be aspects of the troubles that are headed our way. For this very reason, I believe that we should shine a light on this eventuality.
The Present State of the Industry
In America, the food industry is not in good shape. Normally, the food industry relies on a low-profit/high-volume basis, leaving little room for error. Add to this fact that many business owners and managers in the food industry have given in to the temptation to build up debt over the years. Following the 2008 crash, many have been struggling to get on top of that debt. Inflation has made that task especially difficult. Some have been keeping their noses above water; others have gone under.
Hyperinflation
In future years, hyperinflation is a very real possibility. Historically, whenever a government creates massive debt and greatly increases the printing of currency, dramatic inflation, if not hyperinflation, results. Those businesses that are already on the ragged edge will find that when they’re paid, they cannot buy the same volume of goods for the same amount of dollars. This will be true throughout the entire food-supply chain. Of course, little inflationary blips are the norm in business, and businesses adjust to them. The problem comes when there are large increases that continue steadily over a period of months. When this occurs, we’ll see a greater frequency of food-supply businesses going belly up.
In a normal business climate, the failure of some businesses would aid the competition, as they would have new markets to take on, but if the remaining businesses are already having trouble, they will not be in a condition to expand. The disappearance of large numbers of providers will result in a failure of delivery to the next business down the chain. Nationwide, distribution will become inadequate. This, of course, will not be uniform. Some areas will suffer worse than others. Those types of areas that are already chronically problematic will be hit hardest.
Those who are the most likely to go down the earliest will be those who have the highest overheads and the lowest volume. Typically, these are the small stores—the ones on street corners in every city.
These stores are critical. If a supermarket in the suburbs experiences a shortage, purchasers may drive across town to another supermarket. Not so in the city. If a corner store has empty shelves, or worse, closes completely, the purchasers in that neighborhood must walk to the next neighborhood to buy, and they might not be welcome there if the people in that neighborhood are already having problems with supply at their local store. Worse, should the second store also close, the number of purchasers is redoubled. When the shoppers from two stores arrive at the third store, physical conflict between shoppers is a near certainty.
Panic Sets In
Food panic doesn’t necessarily occur if a retailer carefully assesses his increased market and rations sales so that everybody gets a slightly lesser share. In fact, I’ve personally seen this work well in the event of a natural disaster in my home country. The panic does occur when the availability suddenly becomes non-existent (even for a brief time) and the shoppers are unsure when it will be resumed. In an inner city, this is exacerbated by three factors:
The man, on his way out, grabs a carton of cigarettes and a couple of six-packs of beer for good measure. The store, now unmanaged, is looted. Those shoppers who are normally peaceful people begin to panic and realize that it’s time to grab what you can. In these situations, the food stores are generally cleaned out quickly. In a very short period of time, a full-scale riot may be in play. In most inner-city riots, the liquor stores are hit early on, then the appliance stores, and so on down the line.
But this is no ordinary riot. Unlike a riot triggered by, say, a TV news clip of some policeman beating a seemingly innocent man, the trigger is ongoing and, more importantly, it is not, at its heart, anger-based—it is fear-based. And it is self-perpetuating. Shipments are not resumed to a store that has no one running it. Worse, additional store owners close for fear that they’re next. The situation escalates very fast.
Enter the Cavalry
While the US and Europe have seen many riot situations and we can therefore study how they play out, a series of self-perpetuating riots has not taken place before. It’s likely that, within weeks, a national emergency would be declared, and rightly so. But how to deal with it?
Certainly, the president and state governors would quickly begin to work with wholesalers to ensure that food got to the cities (and any other locations that are also troubled). Needless to say, suppliers will refuse, stating that, in such a situation, they cannot get paid for any food that they deliver. Truckers will state that they cannot accept the danger that their drivers will be exposed to.
Politicians, feeling the pressure from their constituencies, will want to act decisively, even if their decisions prove ineffectual. In such cases, those politicians who are more conservative may decide to send in truckloads of food to be handed out for free, with the control of the Department of Homeland Security to (hopefully) keep order. Those politicians who are more liberal will believe that the right solution is to nationalize food supply in their states (and possibly nationally)—to take over the control of delivery.
As can be imagined, the results will vary from suburban situations in which the store staff are still in place and the provision of food at the retail level remains orderly, to inner-city situations in which trucks will be routinely ransacked. The evening news will show a clip of a “shopper” running down the street with a case of boxes of cornflakes while heads of lettuce roll on the pavement, some to be picked up, others to be trampled.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the supply chain, the wholesaler is trying to explain to the politicians that if he’s not paid in some way for the food he sends out, he simply cannot continue. Politicians (especially the more liberal ones), not understanding the workings of business, regard the businessman as simply being greedy and fail to understand that, without an orderly flow of money, business stops. The politicians place a temporary ban on all food containers being shipped overseas (even though the overseas customers may be the only truly reliable payers). The politicians advise the wholesalers that they will be paid “eventually.” If the money does not exist in the state’s treasury, some politicians may even promise future tax credits as payment. As a result, the supply of food breaks down on a major scale.
How It All Shakes Out
Historically, there’s nothing so chaotic as famine. As long as people have a crust of bread and as long as it arrives regularly, there’s a chance that events may be controlled. It’s the very unpredictability of supply that causes panic. And the greater the concentration of potential recipients, the greater the panic.
Small wonder that, when I speak to friends and associates about the Great Unraveling, this one facet often makes them recoil in a desire to avoid the subject entirely. Once this particular house of cards begins to fall, it will fall much faster than the economy in general, and the results will unquestionably be extreme. So, if the politicians are unlikely to effect a workable solution (at least in the short term), how does this all play out? After all, no famine lasts forever.
What historically happens during a famine is that chaos ensues for a period of time. Some people are killed in attempting to take food from the authorities who control the distribution. Other people are killed on their way home by others who want the food they are carrying. Others are killed in their homes when raided by those who are hungry. Still others die of starvation. It’s horrific to say, but, after a time, in such situations, famine becomes “the new norm” and, as illogical as it would seem, this is the turning point. Chaos eventually devolves into hopelessness and listlessness, and the panic disappears. Then, at some point, the lines of supply are slowly restructured, generally on a more limited scale than before.
Is there a timeline for the above to occur? This is for the reader to decide. Each of us will have some general picture in our heads regarding the likelihood and timing of a second crash in the stock market, the rapidity and degree of hyperinflation, and the many other aspects that make up the Great Unraveling of the economy.
Therefore, those who accept that harder times are looming but would rather not consider the likelihood of food riots and famine would be advised to read the above article a second time and then begin to plan. Those who do not presently have “backdoor” situations in place may wish to set the wheels in motion and to internationalize themselves. One thing is certain: Once riot situations begin, there will not be enough time to plan.
* * *
You might think these food shortages and riots will only hit the inner cities. Maybe the chaos will simply pass you by… Unfortunately, that’s unlikely. In fact, your nice neighborhood could make you an easy target. The masses—and more critically, the government—may try to grab the money and resources you’ve diligently tucked away. The truth is there’s only one way to opt out of this kind of economic and social breakdown. It’s the absolute best way to protect yourself, your family, and your finances. But chances are you haven’t done it yet. That’s why New York Times best-selling author Doug Casey just released this critical video explaining how to prepare for and profit from the next financial crisis. It’s coming, whether you’re ready or not.
ZeroHedge.com Mar 6, 2017 5:21 PM
Via Jeff Thomas of InternationalMan.com,
Recently, I was in a pharmacy and overheard the pharmacist say to someone, “There’s so much unpleasantness on the news these days, I’ve stopped watching.” The pharmacist has my sympathy. I’d love to be able to ignore the deterioration of the First World. It is, at turns, tedious, depressing, disturbing, and infuriating.
Unfortunately, we’re now passing through what, before it’s over, will be the most life-altering period in our lifetimes. As much as we’d like to behave like ostriches right now, we’d better keep our heads out of the sand and be as honest with ourselves as we can if we’re going to lessen the impact that these events will have on us.
I cannot emphasize too strongly the importance of a possible shortage of food. History is filled with examples of cultures that would endure most anything and still behave responsibly… but nothing causes greater, more unpredictable, or more violent behavior in a people than a lack of food.
Interesting to note that whenever I converse with people on the finer points of the Great Unraveling, when I mention the words “famine” or “food riots,” even those who are otherwise quite comfortable discussing the subject tend to want to discount the possibility that these will be aspects of the troubles that are headed our way. For this very reason, I believe that we should shine a light on this eventuality.
The Present State of the Industry
In America, the food industry is not in good shape. Normally, the food industry relies on a low-profit/high-volume basis, leaving little room for error. Add to this fact that many business owners and managers in the food industry have given in to the temptation to build up debt over the years. Following the 2008 crash, many have been struggling to get on top of that debt. Inflation has made that task especially difficult. Some have been keeping their noses above water; others have gone under.
Hyperinflation
In future years, hyperinflation is a very real possibility. Historically, whenever a government creates massive debt and greatly increases the printing of currency, dramatic inflation, if not hyperinflation, results. Those businesses that are already on the ragged edge will find that when they’re paid, they cannot buy the same volume of goods for the same amount of dollars. This will be true throughout the entire food-supply chain. Of course, little inflationary blips are the norm in business, and businesses adjust to them. The problem comes when there are large increases that continue steadily over a period of months. When this occurs, we’ll see a greater frequency of food-supply businesses going belly up.
In a normal business climate, the failure of some businesses would aid the competition, as they would have new markets to take on, but if the remaining businesses are already having trouble, they will not be in a condition to expand. The disappearance of large numbers of providers will result in a failure of delivery to the next business down the chain. Nationwide, distribution will become inadequate. This, of course, will not be uniform. Some areas will suffer worse than others. Those types of areas that are already chronically problematic will be hit hardest.
Those who are the most likely to go down the earliest will be those who have the highest overheads and the lowest volume. Typically, these are the small stores—the ones on street corners in every city.
These stores are critical. If a supermarket in the suburbs experiences a shortage, purchasers may drive across town to another supermarket. Not so in the city. If a corner store has empty shelves, or worse, closes completely, the purchasers in that neighborhood must walk to the next neighborhood to buy, and they might not be welcome there if the people in that neighborhood are already having problems with supply at their local store. Worse, should the second store also close, the number of purchasers is redoubled. When the shoppers from two stores arrive at the third store, physical conflict between shoppers is a near certainty.
Panic Sets In
Food panic doesn’t necessarily occur if a retailer carefully assesses his increased market and rations sales so that everybody gets a slightly lesser share. In fact, I’ve personally seen this work well in the event of a natural disaster in my home country. The panic does occur when the availability suddenly becomes non-existent (even for a brief time) and the shoppers are unsure when it will be resumed. In an inner city, this is exacerbated by three factors:
- Shipments from suppliers become erratic and insufficient.
- A significant increase in the number of shoppers cleans out the store.
- Individual shoppers become unreasonably demanding.
The man, on his way out, grabs a carton of cigarettes and a couple of six-packs of beer for good measure. The store, now unmanaged, is looted. Those shoppers who are normally peaceful people begin to panic and realize that it’s time to grab what you can. In these situations, the food stores are generally cleaned out quickly. In a very short period of time, a full-scale riot may be in play. In most inner-city riots, the liquor stores are hit early on, then the appliance stores, and so on down the line.
But this is no ordinary riot. Unlike a riot triggered by, say, a TV news clip of some policeman beating a seemingly innocent man, the trigger is ongoing and, more importantly, it is not, at its heart, anger-based—it is fear-based. And it is self-perpetuating. Shipments are not resumed to a store that has no one running it. Worse, additional store owners close for fear that they’re next. The situation escalates very fast.
Enter the Cavalry
While the US and Europe have seen many riot situations and we can therefore study how they play out, a series of self-perpetuating riots has not taken place before. It’s likely that, within weeks, a national emergency would be declared, and rightly so. But how to deal with it?
Certainly, the president and state governors would quickly begin to work with wholesalers to ensure that food got to the cities (and any other locations that are also troubled). Needless to say, suppliers will refuse, stating that, in such a situation, they cannot get paid for any food that they deliver. Truckers will state that they cannot accept the danger that their drivers will be exposed to.
Politicians, feeling the pressure from their constituencies, will want to act decisively, even if their decisions prove ineffectual. In such cases, those politicians who are more conservative may decide to send in truckloads of food to be handed out for free, with the control of the Department of Homeland Security to (hopefully) keep order. Those politicians who are more liberal will believe that the right solution is to nationalize food supply in their states (and possibly nationally)—to take over the control of delivery.
As can be imagined, the results will vary from suburban situations in which the store staff are still in place and the provision of food at the retail level remains orderly, to inner-city situations in which trucks will be routinely ransacked. The evening news will show a clip of a “shopper” running down the street with a case of boxes of cornflakes while heads of lettuce roll on the pavement, some to be picked up, others to be trampled.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the supply chain, the wholesaler is trying to explain to the politicians that if he’s not paid in some way for the food he sends out, he simply cannot continue. Politicians (especially the more liberal ones), not understanding the workings of business, regard the businessman as simply being greedy and fail to understand that, without an orderly flow of money, business stops. The politicians place a temporary ban on all food containers being shipped overseas (even though the overseas customers may be the only truly reliable payers). The politicians advise the wholesalers that they will be paid “eventually.” If the money does not exist in the state’s treasury, some politicians may even promise future tax credits as payment. As a result, the supply of food breaks down on a major scale.
How It All Shakes Out
Historically, there’s nothing so chaotic as famine. As long as people have a crust of bread and as long as it arrives regularly, there’s a chance that events may be controlled. It’s the very unpredictability of supply that causes panic. And the greater the concentration of potential recipients, the greater the panic.
Small wonder that, when I speak to friends and associates about the Great Unraveling, this one facet often makes them recoil in a desire to avoid the subject entirely. Once this particular house of cards begins to fall, it will fall much faster than the economy in general, and the results will unquestionably be extreme. So, if the politicians are unlikely to effect a workable solution (at least in the short term), how does this all play out? After all, no famine lasts forever.
What historically happens during a famine is that chaos ensues for a period of time. Some people are killed in attempting to take food from the authorities who control the distribution. Other people are killed on their way home by others who want the food they are carrying. Others are killed in their homes when raided by those who are hungry. Still others die of starvation. It’s horrific to say, but, after a time, in such situations, famine becomes “the new norm” and, as illogical as it would seem, this is the turning point. Chaos eventually devolves into hopelessness and listlessness, and the panic disappears. Then, at some point, the lines of supply are slowly restructured, generally on a more limited scale than before.
Is there a timeline for the above to occur? This is for the reader to decide. Each of us will have some general picture in our heads regarding the likelihood and timing of a second crash in the stock market, the rapidity and degree of hyperinflation, and the many other aspects that make up the Great Unraveling of the economy.
Therefore, those who accept that harder times are looming but would rather not consider the likelihood of food riots and famine would be advised to read the above article a second time and then begin to plan. Those who do not presently have “backdoor” situations in place may wish to set the wheels in motion and to internationalize themselves. One thing is certain: Once riot situations begin, there will not be enough time to plan.
* * *
You might think these food shortages and riots will only hit the inner cities. Maybe the chaos will simply pass you by… Unfortunately, that’s unlikely. In fact, your nice neighborhood could make you an easy target. The masses—and more critically, the government—may try to grab the money and resources you’ve diligently tucked away. The truth is there’s only one way to opt out of this kind of economic and social breakdown. It’s the absolute best way to protect yourself, your family, and your finances. But chances are you haven’t done it yet. That’s why New York Times best-selling author Doug Casey just released this critical video explaining how to prepare for and profit from the next financial crisis. It’s coming, whether you’re ready or not.
Who Couldn't Use a Faraday Cage? (Plus How to Make One)This entry was posted on by beprepared.com
What It isA Faraday cage, also known as a Faraday shield, Radio Frequency Cage, or EMF (Electromotive Force) Cage, is simply an enclosure built to protect electronic devices from electromagnetic radiation and electrostatic discharges. It can be anything from a small box to a large room, covered with conductive metal or wire mesh, which prevents surges from damaging the equipment inside.
The sources of these surges can be powerful lightning strikes, destructive solar flares (CMEs, or Coronal Mass Ejections) directed toward earth, or the effects of an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) from a nuclear bomb detonation high in the atmosphere.
The device is named for Michael Faraday, who observed in 1836 that the excess charge from a conductor remained on the outside of a container and had no effect on the interior contents. He experimented by building a room coated with metal foil and allowed high-voltage discharges from a generator to strike the outside of it. He used an electroscope to show that there was no electric charge present on the inside of the room’s walls. Though the device bears Faraday’s name, Benjamin Franklin is believed to have been the first to discover the principle.
Faraday cages, or shields, are used all throughout our society. Some are used in the scan-rooms of MRI machines, in which the “cage” effect prevents radio frequency signals from being added to the data from the patient’s image. Some electrical linemen wear “Faraday suits” when working on live, high-voltage power lines to prevent accidental electrocution. Military planners and politicians who have reason to keep their communications private often meet in Faraday-protected rooms that are impervious to electronic “eavesdropping.” In 2013, the Vatican even used the technology to shield the Sistine Chapel from curious listeners during the deliberations to select the new Pope.
Many people buy Faraday bags to protect their cell phones and laptops both from electrical surges and from unwanted surveillance or tracking.
According to the National Weather Service, an automobile is essentially a Faraday cage, and it’s the metal surrounding you, not the rubber tires, that protects you from lightning (as long as you’re not touching metal inside the car).[i] A smaller example is a microwave oven, which is a Faraday cage in reverse, trapping the waves inside the device instead of keeping them out. In fact, an old microwave oven makes a good Faraday cage for small electronics!
Typical items that can be stored in a Faraday cage include
Why You Might Need OneWhy, you may ask, would it do any good for you to have working electronics when everyone else’s would be down or destroyed? First of all, you might still be able to communicate with people outside the affected area (and it may be very difficult at first to determine how large that affected area is).
Second, you won’t be the only “techie” who thought to protect valuable electronics in a Faraday cage. Some preppers do this as a matter of course, and eventually you would probably be able to communicate with them. (Cell towers, however, would likely be “fried” and need to be rebuilt).
Communication at such a time would be extremely valuable. Unless there had been well-publicized warnings of impending CMEs in the days before the event, many people would have no idea what had happened to our world. Ham radio operators, who could communicate with other Hams around the globe, might become the new heroes of the day.
Many AM/FM and shortwave radio stations believe that they’ll still be able to broadcast after an EMP or CME event, and without all the usual “noise” of our plugged-in society, their waves may be able to travel farther than they do now. Hopefully there would be Faraday-protected radios out there to receive their signals! There is, however, a likelihood that the earth’s electromagnetic field would be seriously disrupted by such an event, and it might take quite a while for things to settle down and not cause static on the airwaves.
How to Make a Faraday CageTo be effective, a Faraday cage must:
Faraday Box # 1—The Galvanized Trash Can
You will need
Place your wrapped items in cardboard boxes. Tape shut, then wrap the entire box with 2 layers of foil.
Line the trash can with cardboard, including the bottom, making sure there are no gaps. The foil-wrapped boxes must not touch the metal of the can. Set the can on wood or cardboard, not touching any other metal.
Several experts say that simply putting the lid on the can, even if it fits tightly, is an insufficient seal. They suggest folding a sheet of metal screening around the top of the can and over the top lid and then forcing the lid over that to maintain a constant, tight-fitting metallic connection.
Remember, this is for long-term storage of the appliances inside, not something that you can take your appliances out of to use and then return to the container without a great deal of trouble. A good idea is to look around for good deals on duplicates of things you use every day. Another important thing to remember is that you will need some type of charger—hand-cranked or solar-powered—to power up your devices once a crisis has passed. If you can wrap and store one of these in a protected Faraday container, you’ll be glad to have it.
Faraday Cage # 2—A Metal-Clad Box
Any box made of non-conductive material such as plywood, and then totally covered with metal, metal mesh, or metal screening can serve as a Faraday cage. The metal must touch at all the corners and over and all around any opening for the protection to be complete, as an electrical charge will find its way through any gaps or crevices in the construction. The smaller the holes in the mesh or screen, the better the protection—but either mesh or screen is believed to work better than solid metal. The metal can be attached to the wood with staples or screws, whichever seems to work best for you. You might consider applying the metal mesh so that it folds around the corners. Then let the next piece overlap the edge of the first, securely fastened together and to the wood so that there is no break in the conductive shield.
Updated: Living Off the Grid
For those who don’t rely as heavily on electronic equipment for day-to-day life, the idea of Living Off the Grid is more realistic. Those who live off the grid don’t need to worry quite as much about EMP’s or CME’s causing havoc and chaos to their daily routine because they have already given up a lot of the equipment that would be affected by those electromagnetic pulses.
However, living off the grid doesn't always mean going completely electronics-free. In this case, living off the grid may not protect you from the aftermath of EMP’s or CME’s even if you produce your own electricity from an alternate source. Faraday cages can benefit a variety of lifestyles to protect you and your electronics.
There are many uncertainties about exactly what would happen in the case of an enormous release of electromagnetic energy in our civilized, plugged-in world. We can hope that nothing will happen to damage our electronics, but in case our hopes are vain, we’ll be happy for every measure we've taken to prepare!
What It isA Faraday cage, also known as a Faraday shield, Radio Frequency Cage, or EMF (Electromotive Force) Cage, is simply an enclosure built to protect electronic devices from electromagnetic radiation and electrostatic discharges. It can be anything from a small box to a large room, covered with conductive metal or wire mesh, which prevents surges from damaging the equipment inside.
The sources of these surges can be powerful lightning strikes, destructive solar flares (CMEs, or Coronal Mass Ejections) directed toward earth, or the effects of an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) from a nuclear bomb detonation high in the atmosphere.
The device is named for Michael Faraday, who observed in 1836 that the excess charge from a conductor remained on the outside of a container and had no effect on the interior contents. He experimented by building a room coated with metal foil and allowed high-voltage discharges from a generator to strike the outside of it. He used an electroscope to show that there was no electric charge present on the inside of the room’s walls. Though the device bears Faraday’s name, Benjamin Franklin is believed to have been the first to discover the principle.
Faraday cages, or shields, are used all throughout our society. Some are used in the scan-rooms of MRI machines, in which the “cage” effect prevents radio frequency signals from being added to the data from the patient’s image. Some electrical linemen wear “Faraday suits” when working on live, high-voltage power lines to prevent accidental electrocution. Military planners and politicians who have reason to keep their communications private often meet in Faraday-protected rooms that are impervious to electronic “eavesdropping.” In 2013, the Vatican even used the technology to shield the Sistine Chapel from curious listeners during the deliberations to select the new Pope.
Many people buy Faraday bags to protect their cell phones and laptops both from electrical surges and from unwanted surveillance or tracking.
According to the National Weather Service, an automobile is essentially a Faraday cage, and it’s the metal surrounding you, not the rubber tires, that protects you from lightning (as long as you’re not touching metal inside the car).[i] A smaller example is a microwave oven, which is a Faraday cage in reverse, trapping the waves inside the device instead of keeping them out. In fact, an old microwave oven makes a good Faraday cage for small electronics!
Typical items that can be stored in a Faraday cage include
- Laptop or notebook computers
- Thumb drives or external hard drives
- Cell phones
- Ipads, iPods, and e-readers
- Portable AM/Shortwave radios, ham radio equipment, and walkie-talkies
- DC/AC inverters
- Battery-powered radios
Why You Might Need OneWhy, you may ask, would it do any good for you to have working electronics when everyone else’s would be down or destroyed? First of all, you might still be able to communicate with people outside the affected area (and it may be very difficult at first to determine how large that affected area is).
Second, you won’t be the only “techie” who thought to protect valuable electronics in a Faraday cage. Some preppers do this as a matter of course, and eventually you would probably be able to communicate with them. (Cell towers, however, would likely be “fried” and need to be rebuilt).
Communication at such a time would be extremely valuable. Unless there had been well-publicized warnings of impending CMEs in the days before the event, many people would have no idea what had happened to our world. Ham radio operators, who could communicate with other Hams around the globe, might become the new heroes of the day.
Many AM/FM and shortwave radio stations believe that they’ll still be able to broadcast after an EMP or CME event, and without all the usual “noise” of our plugged-in society, their waves may be able to travel farther than they do now. Hopefully there would be Faraday-protected radios out there to receive their signals! There is, however, a likelihood that the earth’s electromagnetic field would be seriously disrupted by such an event, and it might take quite a while for things to settle down and not cause static on the airwaves.
How to Make a Faraday CageTo be effective, a Faraday cage must:
- Be covered with conductive metal or mesh. Copper is the most conductive metal, followed by aluminum. (Well--gold and silver are better, but we assume you won’t be covering your cage with those!)
- Be properly grounded (according to some experts, to prevent shocks when touched)
- Adequately surround whatever it’s protecting.
Faraday Box # 1—The Galvanized Trash Can
You will need
- A galvanized metal trash can with a tight-fitting lid
- Several boxes of heavy-duty aluminum foil
- Enough metal screening or mesh to wrap around the top of the can and fit over the lip
- Cardboard boxes of assorted sizes that fit inside the can
- Plastic garbage bags or plastic wrap
- Cloth pieces to wrap items
Place your wrapped items in cardboard boxes. Tape shut, then wrap the entire box with 2 layers of foil.
Line the trash can with cardboard, including the bottom, making sure there are no gaps. The foil-wrapped boxes must not touch the metal of the can. Set the can on wood or cardboard, not touching any other metal.
Several experts say that simply putting the lid on the can, even if it fits tightly, is an insufficient seal. They suggest folding a sheet of metal screening around the top of the can and over the top lid and then forcing the lid over that to maintain a constant, tight-fitting metallic connection.
Remember, this is for long-term storage of the appliances inside, not something that you can take your appliances out of to use and then return to the container without a great deal of trouble. A good idea is to look around for good deals on duplicates of things you use every day. Another important thing to remember is that you will need some type of charger—hand-cranked or solar-powered—to power up your devices once a crisis has passed. If you can wrap and store one of these in a protected Faraday container, you’ll be glad to have it.
Faraday Cage # 2—A Metal-Clad Box
Any box made of non-conductive material such as plywood, and then totally covered with metal, metal mesh, or metal screening can serve as a Faraday cage. The metal must touch at all the corners and over and all around any opening for the protection to be complete, as an electrical charge will find its way through any gaps or crevices in the construction. The smaller the holes in the mesh or screen, the better the protection—but either mesh or screen is believed to work better than solid metal. The metal can be attached to the wood with staples or screws, whichever seems to work best for you. You might consider applying the metal mesh so that it folds around the corners. Then let the next piece overlap the edge of the first, securely fastened together and to the wood so that there is no break in the conductive shield.
Updated: Living Off the Grid
For those who don’t rely as heavily on electronic equipment for day-to-day life, the idea of Living Off the Grid is more realistic. Those who live off the grid don’t need to worry quite as much about EMP’s or CME’s causing havoc and chaos to their daily routine because they have already given up a lot of the equipment that would be affected by those electromagnetic pulses.
However, living off the grid doesn't always mean going completely electronics-free. In this case, living off the grid may not protect you from the aftermath of EMP’s or CME’s even if you produce your own electricity from an alternate source. Faraday cages can benefit a variety of lifestyles to protect you and your electronics.
There are many uncertainties about exactly what would happen in the case of an enormous release of electromagnetic energy in our civilized, plugged-in world. We can hope that nothing will happen to damage our electronics, but in case our hopes are vain, we’ll be happy for every measure we've taken to prepare!
Top Post-Collapse Barter Items And Trade Skills
Posted on January 21, 2017 Written by Brandon Smith prepperfortress.com
Post-Collapse Barter Items
The concept of private barter and alternative economies has been so far removed from our daily existence here in America that the very idea of participating in commerce without the use of dollars or without the inclusion of corporate chains seems almost outlandish to many people. However, the fact remains that up until very recently (perhaps the last three to four decades) barter and independent trade was commonplace in this country. Without it, many families could not have survived.
Whether we like it or not, such economic methods will be making a return very soon, especially in the face of a plunging dollar, inflating wholesale prices, erratic investment markets, and unsustainable national debts. It is inevitable; financial collapse of the mainstream system ALWAYS leads to secondary markets and individual barter. We can wait until we are already in the midst of collapse and weighted with desperation before we take action to better our circumstances, or, we can prepare now for what we already know is coming.
In today’s “modern” globalist economy, we have relied upon centralized and highly manipulated trade, forced interdependency, senseless and undisciplined consumption, endless debt creation, welfare addiction, and the erosion of quality, as a means to sustain a system that ultimately is DESIGNED to erode our freedoms not to mention our ability to effectively take care of ourselves. We have been infantized by our financial environment. In the near future, those who wish to live beyond a meager staple of government handouts (if any are even given) will be required to make a 180 degree reversal from their current lifestyle of dependency and immediate gratification towards one of self sufficiency, personal entrepreneurship, quality trade, and a mindset of necessity, rather than unfounded excess.
This means that each and every one of us will not only be driven to form barter networks outside the designated confines of the mainstream, we will have to become active producers within those networks. Each and every one of us will need to discover practical goods and skills that will be in high demand regardless of economic conditions. Being that our society has all but forgotten how this kind of trade works, let’s examine a short list of items as well as proficiencies that are sure to be highly sought after as the collapse progresses…
Top Priority Goods
To be sure, this list is a summary of items that will have high value during and after a breakdown scenario. I welcome readers to post their own ideas for trade goods below this article. The following is merely a framework which you can use to get started, and was compiled using actual accounts of post collapse trade from the Great Depression, to Bosnia, to Argentina, to Greece, etc. These are items and skills that people were literally begging for after financial catastrophe occurred in numerous separate events.
Water Filtration: Stock up on water filters. Learn how water filtration works. Even make your own water filters using cloth, activated charcoal, and colloidal silver. Everyone will want to trade with you if you have extra filtration on hand. During economic breakdowns, especially in countries like Argentina, and Bosnia, which had more modern, city based populations, the first thing to disappear was clean water. Always. In some cases, the tap water still runs, but is filled with impurities, and needs to be boiled. Boiling does not remove bad tastes or smells, however, and clean filtered water will be in demand.
Seeds: Non-GMO seeds are a currency unto themselves. They can last for years if stored properly, and everyone will want them, even if they don’t have land to plant them. Get enough for yourself, and then purchase twice as much for trade.
Fresh Produce: Ever heard of scurvy? Probably. Ever had scurvy? Probably not. Believe me, you don’t want to have it. Your body essentially begins to fall apart slowly, and the result is an ugly boil and sore filled complexion, the loss of teeth and hair, and the eventual failure of internal organs. Don’t think you can live on beef jerky and canned beans for months on end. You need fresh vegetables and fruits, and the vitamins they supply. Anyone with a well managed garden and a few fruit trees is going to do very well in barter. Vitamin supplements would also be a practical investment.
Long Shelf Life Foods: This one should be obvious, but you may be surprised how many preppers, even though aware of the danger in the economy, do not have ample stored foods. The rationalizations abound, but usually, you are dealing with a person who has a heavy hunting background, and believes he will be able to procure whatever food he wants whenever he wants with his trusty bolt action rifle and a few hours in the woods. Don’t fall into this foolish trap. Thousands if not millions of other hungry, destitute people will likely have the same idea, combing the forest for deer, only running into (and perhaps shooting at) each other. In every single account of modern economic collapse I have read, the people involved kick themselves brutally for not stocking more food that didn’t require refrigeration. Even those that were moderately prepared stated that they wished they had stored twice as much as they did.
Sealed food kits would be highly valued trade items, as long as they contained necessities like grains (wheat or rice store well), salt (the human body will not function without salt), honey or maple syrup (the body needs sugars), and powdered milk, peanut butter, or any other foods with fat content (the body needs fats). Prepackaged freeze-dried foods are more expensive to stock, but they are, of course, easy to trade.
Food Producing Animals: Chickens are great for eating, but they also produce eggs. Cows and Goats can be slaughtered, but they also produce milk. Sheep can be easily herded towards your dinner plate, but they also produce wool. Rabbits make a good stew, but they also produce lots of other rabbits. In terms of barter, these animals will be life savers, as well as a solid source of trade income. Dual purpose livestock are really where it’s at for those who have even an acre of land, and many of them (except cattle) tend to feed themselves easily if left to wander your property. You can trade eggs, milk, wool, etc, that they produce. Not to mention, fetch serious value for trading the animal itself.
Solar Power: Solar power is so overlooked by most barter organizations and survivalists in general that it’s astonishing. If every home in America had at least two large solar panels on the roof, I would not be half as worried about collapse as I am today. My suspicion is that many preppers believe that after a breakdown, we will all return to some kind of Agrarian pre-electric age where everything is lit with oil lamps. This is silly. If I have my LED lamp with rechargeable batteries, I’m certainly not going to rely on less effective burning lamps that depend on a finite fuel supply. And, I’m certainly not going to give up the advantages of nightvision, radio communications, or refrigeration if I can help it. The key is to ensure that you have a continuous means of diverting electricity to these goods. This already exists in the form of solar power.
Depending on your budget, you can purchase solar panels that can be folded and carried with you for charging batteries, or, you can purchase entire arrays and battery banks that run your whole house. Those without electricity WILL want electricity, and solar is an excellent barter item. Wind generators, as well as water driven generators (as used often in Bosnia) are also a consideration. People that have the knowledge to set up these systems for others will not have trouble finding trading partners.
Firewood: Even with solar power, home heating will become a major concern for every household during and after a breakdown. If you can avoid running your battery bank out on inefficient space heaters, you will. The best way to do this is with a wood stove, or a fireplace. Those without any electricity will scour their immediate areas for loose wood, then move on to chopping down random trees for fuel. This is one of the few instances, ironically, that those in urban environments would have an advantage, being that dry wood for burning is literally everywhere in the city. During the Great Depression, families would often sneak into abandoned homes and apartment buildings to dismantle sticks of furniture, or even the walls, to use as firewood.
A small, well insulated home can be heated with as little as two cords of wood every winter. Larger drafty homes require as much as twenty cords per winter. A “cord’ of wood is a stack of split timber around four feet wide, four feet high, and eight feet long. This wood is “aged”, or dried for at least a year after being cut, so that it burns cleaner, and creates much more heat than freshly felled timber. When the general public begins to rediscover the need for aged cord wood, those with timberland will have a prized commodity on their hands for barter.
A disciplined cutting routine would be essential. Only cutting enough timber (of the right maturity) to create a decent supply while not erasing the whole forest for a single year of profit. Those traders with the correct knowledge will do very well in a barter economy.
Gasoline And Oil: This is a tough one, because its hard to predict how much petroleum the U.S. will be able to import or produce on its own during a collapse, and its very difficult to store for long periods of time. If you hear news that the wars in the Middle East have expanded even further, or that OPEC is decoupling from the dollar, you might want to run to the nearest station and fill as many storage cans as possible, along with a little bit of added ‘gas saver’ which helps keep it stable longer. Initially, people will be dueling to the death for gas and oil. I have little doubt. After the price hits $15, $30, $60 a gallon due to hyperinflation, and a little time passes, I think people will begin finding ways to live without it, or they will reduce its use to emergency tasks. Desire for gas will always be there, especially in agricultural areas where one tractor could help sow the seeds that feed an entire town. But beyond storage, I would suggest learning ways to distill your own corn ethanol and alcohol based fuels. This is where the real barter potential is.
Silver And Gold: I placed precious metals in the middle of this list for a reason. Concerns in a collapse situation will be varied, and the manner in which a derailment progresses will also determine the order of needs in a barter community. In a Mad Max scenario where there is little to no community, or the construction of any semblance of economy is impossible; sure, gold and silver will not be very high on most people’s lists. Has this ever happened in recorded history? No. Gold and silver have remained common currencies for thousands of years despite any catastrophe. This is why I have to laugh at those people who undercut precious metals or claim that because you “can’t eat them” they will not be important. In Argentina, in the midst of complete meltdown and monetary chaos, when people were shooting each other in the streets for food on a daily basis, gold and silver became king, and still are.
Barter networks that have formed in Argentina love to trade for anything made out of gold or silver, because precious metals are the only tangible form of currency in existence there. Being able to trade goods is fantastic, but sometimes, you may not have what another person wants. Do you go out to find someone who does, trade with them, then, try to find the guy who turned you down? No. If you have any meaningful localized commerce in place, then you should also have a common medium of exchange, and precious metals are the only thing that safely fits the mold, because they cannot be artificially reproduced or fabricated. Their rarity and their longevity make them the perfect method of common trade. Even if the worst of the worst occurs, rebuilding will result in the immediate resurgence of trade, and the immediate need of a new currency. Gold and silver will come back, as it always has, and always will. Every potential barter network should be including gold, silver, and maybe copper, on its list of accepted alternative currencies, and the values of said metals should be weighed by the inherent supply and demand of the community. The “official” market value ( which is very manipulated) should only be used as a loose guide.
Firearms And Ammo: Another obvious one. The problem is, the selection of calibers is so varied within the U.S. that stocking anything that will be needed by everyone is very difficult. The only recourse is to stick with common military calibers, such as 9mm, 40 S&W, 45 ACP, .223, 7.62 by 39, 7.62 by 51 (.308), 12 gauge, .410, and 20 gauge shotgun shells, and the ever pervasive .22. Stocking these calibers will result in a much greater chance of trade.
I can think of no instance of societal disintegration that did not lead to horrible violence. In places where firearms are outlawed, the carnage is always much worse. Criminals easily get their hands on weapons, while law abiding citizens are left defenseless. Governments take liberties with the people, while the populace cowers. Accounts of torture, rape, murder, and genocide, are abundant in the face of hard economic times. EVERYONE should be armed, and as reality sets in, even those who clamored to outlaw guns will be clamoring to get one. Of course, laws today very strictly regulate our ability to barter firearms, but post collapse, no one will care much.
Ammo reloading will be a useful skill in light of the fact that homemade manufacture of ammo is very difficult. The nationwide ammo supply will dwindle very quickly, except for those pockets of people who smartly stockpile for trade.
Body Armor: That’s right. Any kind of body armor is as good as gold in a collapse environment. People in countries across the world wish they had it, and would trade almost anything for it. When you live in a place where a random gun shot (a minute by minute occurrence in many countries), from a criminal’s weapon, or more likely a police or military weapon, could bounce off the curb or through your car windshield, and into your chest, you begin to respect the necessity of Kevlar. The fact that body armor is relatively cheap and is easily obtained in the U.S. should be taken advantage of by barter networks. This advantage may not exist in a couple of years.
Tazers And Pepper Spray: Easy to purchase and stockpile here in America. Better than nothing when facing armed attackers. Disables without death (in most cases), and easier on the conscience. Trades well.
Various Tools: A garden hoe may be a novelty item to most suburbanites and city dwellers now, but soon, it will be a mainstay tool. If you have extra, they will come to you for barter. I’m not going to list every tool in existence here, but I suggest using common sense. What tools do you see being required for daily use? What would YOU need post collapse?
Pesticides: I’m big on organic food and healthy eating, but if my life is on the line, I’m spraying my crops down with whatever poison I can find. Unless you have years of experience with natural pest deterrence methods, then I suggest you do the same, especially in that first year of calamity. A hoard of locusts could annihilate your crop within a day given the chance, and should be dealt with using the most powerful means available.
Cockroach and rat poisons will also be huge sellers, guaranteed. Vermin thrive in unkempt human environments, whether in the country or the city, and with them comes disease. Diseases you thought had disappeared off the face of the Earth, like bubonic plague or small pox, will make a comeback in cities, where streets of death and sewage act like enormous Petri dishes (remember New Orleans after Katrina? Imagine if that had never been cleaned up).
Stock pesticides, even if they offend your environmental sensibilities. You’ll use them, trust me. And, people will trade whatever they can for them.
Warm Clothing: The world is awash in textiles and clothing. Using clothes as your primary means of trade is not necessarily the best plan. However, most of the clothes made around the world are very poor quality, and are not designed for harsh environments. Clothes made specifically for harsh cold or rough wear are harder to some by, and are often very expensive. This is where you would want to focus your investments.
Gortex, for instance, could give you incredible bartering potential. Wool socks are a rarity (how many people do you know with more than two pairs of wool socks?). Water resistant and water proof jackets and overcoats, boots, well made hiking shoes, and waterproofing chemicals and sprays will be needed within trade networks. The ability to make these items, or repair them, will also be valued.
Medicines: This is another difficult item to procure, mainly because doing so often gets you flagged as a possible drug dealer. Certain items aren’t too hard to come by and store, though, and could be life saving barter material in the future. Antibiotics are handed out like candy by doctors today, so storing any extra you have away for trade may be a good strategy. Painkillers are another medical miracle that doctors seem to sprinkle out of helicopters without a second thought. With the risk of injury increasing one hundred fold after a financial tsunami, I suspect even mere aspirin would put a smile on the face of any barter networker.
Eventually, natural medicines and herbs are going to have to move to the forefront, as industry medicines begin to disappear, or become so expensive they are unobtainable. Stocking such herbs and vitamins would be smart, for protecting oneself, not to mention, its savvy business sense.
Toiletries: Yes, yes, we all hear about how great toilet paper will be as a barter item, and how preppers plan to demand cows, trucks, and beach-front property, in return for packages of the silken quilty-soft huggable rolls of goodness. I don’t disagree that it will be highly desired at first. People don’t change their habits that quickly. But let’s face it; toilet paper is a luxury item in a post collapse environment, not a necessity. People are going to eventually go back to older methods of hygiene, like using strips of washable cloth. It might sound gross to us now, but hey, did you think we were going to start using poison ivy and pinecones?
Stock toilet paper, but don’t treat it as a priority. Focus more on cleaning items like soap, toothpaste, and bleach, as well as chemicals that cause human waste to quickly biodegrade. Staying clean is VERY important, because the alternative is catching a nasty bacterial infection that may kill you, when in more peaceful and comfortable times, it may have just given you slightly irritating intestinal distress. The rest of the country will come around to this way of thinking in short order, and many people will come to you for the cleaning goods you stockpiled.
Specialty Items: There are many circumstances that are hard to predict, circumstances that could severely affect barter markets and what items come into demand. For example; a nuclear event, as is in progress in Japan, could just as easily strike the U.S. There are 104 nuclear power plants in the U.S., not to mention the threat of a small nuclear attack (or false flag). The market for goods such as potassium iodide pills and Geiger counters would explode (potassium iodide suppliers were inundated with orders from around the world after Fukushima). How many people do you know with a Geiger counter? I’m one of the few I know with one, and I know preppers across the country! In the wake of a fallout situation, knowing what is contaminated with radiation and what isn’t, knowing if it’s even safe to go outside, is imperative. Having an extra Geiger counter could help you barter your way into any number of goods.
A biological event might bring medical grade particulate masks to the top of people’s lists, as well as disinfectants and even hazmat suits. It’s an ugly thing to imagine, but for those who plan to engage in independent trade, it’s a likelihood that must be considered.
Top Priority Skills
Provided below is a brief list of skills which have served people well in various economic downturns, and will do the same for you in this country. Keep in mind that almost any skill that other people cannot do well has potential for trade, but some skills are more sought after than others. In my research, it is those people who are able to produce their own goods as well as effectively repair existing goods that have the greatest potential for survival in a barter market. Next, are those people who have specific abilities that are difficult to learn and who have the knack for teaching those abilities to others. If you do not have any of these skills, or perhaps only one, then it would be wise to begin learning at least one more now. Keep in mind that competition will very much exist in a barter economy, so knowing as many skills as possible increases your chances of success.
Mechanic, Engine Repair
Welding
Blacksmithing
Firearms Repair, Ammo Reloading
Construction
Architect, Home Reinforcement
Agriculture, Farming Expertise, Seed Saving, Animal Care
Bee Keeping
Doctor, Medical Assistant
Veterinarian
Well Construction, Water Table Expertise
Engineer, Community Planning, Manufacturing, Electrical
Firearms Proficiency, Security, Self Defense Planning
Martial Arts Training
Wild Foods Expert
Hunting
Chemist
Sewing, Textiles
Soap Making, Candle Making, Hygiene Products
Small Appliance Repair
Electronics Repair
HAM Radio Expert
Homeschooling, Tutoring
Again, there are definitely many more trades of value that could be learned. This list is only to help you on your way to self sufficiency and entrepreneurship in an Alternative Market. Unfortunately, too many Americans have absolutely no skills worth bartering in a post collapse world.
Bringing Back The American Tradesman
Barter networking is a powerful tool for countering the affects of depression, hyperinflation, stagflation, globalization, and beyond. But, networks require that participants actually have necessary goods and services to trade. In only half a century or less, American culture has been sterilized of nearly all its private trade skills. We have lost our desire to produce, and have been relegated to the dregs of a retail nightmare society dependent entirely on consumption and debt. This is going to change, one way, or another.
We can change on our own, or we can wait until fear and desperation force us to make hard choices. I would rather forgo the desperation and the painful fall into the gutter. It makes little sense.
The bottom line is, if you wish to survive after the destruction of the mainstream system that has babied us for so long, you must be able to either make a necessary product, repair a necessary product, or teach a necessary skill. A limited few have the capital required to stockpile enough barter goods or gold and silver to live indefinitely. The American Tradesman must return in full force, not only for the sake of self preservation, but also for the sake of our heritage at large. Without strong, independent, and self sufficient people, this country will cease to be.
Posted on January 21, 2017 Written by Brandon Smith prepperfortress.com
Post-Collapse Barter Items
The concept of private barter and alternative economies has been so far removed from our daily existence here in America that the very idea of participating in commerce without the use of dollars or without the inclusion of corporate chains seems almost outlandish to many people. However, the fact remains that up until very recently (perhaps the last three to four decades) barter and independent trade was commonplace in this country. Without it, many families could not have survived.
Whether we like it or not, such economic methods will be making a return very soon, especially in the face of a plunging dollar, inflating wholesale prices, erratic investment markets, and unsustainable national debts. It is inevitable; financial collapse of the mainstream system ALWAYS leads to secondary markets and individual barter. We can wait until we are already in the midst of collapse and weighted with desperation before we take action to better our circumstances, or, we can prepare now for what we already know is coming.
In today’s “modern” globalist economy, we have relied upon centralized and highly manipulated trade, forced interdependency, senseless and undisciplined consumption, endless debt creation, welfare addiction, and the erosion of quality, as a means to sustain a system that ultimately is DESIGNED to erode our freedoms not to mention our ability to effectively take care of ourselves. We have been infantized by our financial environment. In the near future, those who wish to live beyond a meager staple of government handouts (if any are even given) will be required to make a 180 degree reversal from their current lifestyle of dependency and immediate gratification towards one of self sufficiency, personal entrepreneurship, quality trade, and a mindset of necessity, rather than unfounded excess.
This means that each and every one of us will not only be driven to form barter networks outside the designated confines of the mainstream, we will have to become active producers within those networks. Each and every one of us will need to discover practical goods and skills that will be in high demand regardless of economic conditions. Being that our society has all but forgotten how this kind of trade works, let’s examine a short list of items as well as proficiencies that are sure to be highly sought after as the collapse progresses…
Top Priority Goods
To be sure, this list is a summary of items that will have high value during and after a breakdown scenario. I welcome readers to post their own ideas for trade goods below this article. The following is merely a framework which you can use to get started, and was compiled using actual accounts of post collapse trade from the Great Depression, to Bosnia, to Argentina, to Greece, etc. These are items and skills that people were literally begging for after financial catastrophe occurred in numerous separate events.
Water Filtration: Stock up on water filters. Learn how water filtration works. Even make your own water filters using cloth, activated charcoal, and colloidal silver. Everyone will want to trade with you if you have extra filtration on hand. During economic breakdowns, especially in countries like Argentina, and Bosnia, which had more modern, city based populations, the first thing to disappear was clean water. Always. In some cases, the tap water still runs, but is filled with impurities, and needs to be boiled. Boiling does not remove bad tastes or smells, however, and clean filtered water will be in demand.
Seeds: Non-GMO seeds are a currency unto themselves. They can last for years if stored properly, and everyone will want them, even if they don’t have land to plant them. Get enough for yourself, and then purchase twice as much for trade.
Fresh Produce: Ever heard of scurvy? Probably. Ever had scurvy? Probably not. Believe me, you don’t want to have it. Your body essentially begins to fall apart slowly, and the result is an ugly boil and sore filled complexion, the loss of teeth and hair, and the eventual failure of internal organs. Don’t think you can live on beef jerky and canned beans for months on end. You need fresh vegetables and fruits, and the vitamins they supply. Anyone with a well managed garden and a few fruit trees is going to do very well in barter. Vitamin supplements would also be a practical investment.
Long Shelf Life Foods: This one should be obvious, but you may be surprised how many preppers, even though aware of the danger in the economy, do not have ample stored foods. The rationalizations abound, but usually, you are dealing with a person who has a heavy hunting background, and believes he will be able to procure whatever food he wants whenever he wants with his trusty bolt action rifle and a few hours in the woods. Don’t fall into this foolish trap. Thousands if not millions of other hungry, destitute people will likely have the same idea, combing the forest for deer, only running into (and perhaps shooting at) each other. In every single account of modern economic collapse I have read, the people involved kick themselves brutally for not stocking more food that didn’t require refrigeration. Even those that were moderately prepared stated that they wished they had stored twice as much as they did.
Sealed food kits would be highly valued trade items, as long as they contained necessities like grains (wheat or rice store well), salt (the human body will not function without salt), honey or maple syrup (the body needs sugars), and powdered milk, peanut butter, or any other foods with fat content (the body needs fats). Prepackaged freeze-dried foods are more expensive to stock, but they are, of course, easy to trade.
Food Producing Animals: Chickens are great for eating, but they also produce eggs. Cows and Goats can be slaughtered, but they also produce milk. Sheep can be easily herded towards your dinner plate, but they also produce wool. Rabbits make a good stew, but they also produce lots of other rabbits. In terms of barter, these animals will be life savers, as well as a solid source of trade income. Dual purpose livestock are really where it’s at for those who have even an acre of land, and many of them (except cattle) tend to feed themselves easily if left to wander your property. You can trade eggs, milk, wool, etc, that they produce. Not to mention, fetch serious value for trading the animal itself.
Solar Power: Solar power is so overlooked by most barter organizations and survivalists in general that it’s astonishing. If every home in America had at least two large solar panels on the roof, I would not be half as worried about collapse as I am today. My suspicion is that many preppers believe that after a breakdown, we will all return to some kind of Agrarian pre-electric age where everything is lit with oil lamps. This is silly. If I have my LED lamp with rechargeable batteries, I’m certainly not going to rely on less effective burning lamps that depend on a finite fuel supply. And, I’m certainly not going to give up the advantages of nightvision, radio communications, or refrigeration if I can help it. The key is to ensure that you have a continuous means of diverting electricity to these goods. This already exists in the form of solar power.
Depending on your budget, you can purchase solar panels that can be folded and carried with you for charging batteries, or, you can purchase entire arrays and battery banks that run your whole house. Those without electricity WILL want electricity, and solar is an excellent barter item. Wind generators, as well as water driven generators (as used often in Bosnia) are also a consideration. People that have the knowledge to set up these systems for others will not have trouble finding trading partners.
Firewood: Even with solar power, home heating will become a major concern for every household during and after a breakdown. If you can avoid running your battery bank out on inefficient space heaters, you will. The best way to do this is with a wood stove, or a fireplace. Those without any electricity will scour their immediate areas for loose wood, then move on to chopping down random trees for fuel. This is one of the few instances, ironically, that those in urban environments would have an advantage, being that dry wood for burning is literally everywhere in the city. During the Great Depression, families would often sneak into abandoned homes and apartment buildings to dismantle sticks of furniture, or even the walls, to use as firewood.
A small, well insulated home can be heated with as little as two cords of wood every winter. Larger drafty homes require as much as twenty cords per winter. A “cord’ of wood is a stack of split timber around four feet wide, four feet high, and eight feet long. This wood is “aged”, or dried for at least a year after being cut, so that it burns cleaner, and creates much more heat than freshly felled timber. When the general public begins to rediscover the need for aged cord wood, those with timberland will have a prized commodity on their hands for barter.
A disciplined cutting routine would be essential. Only cutting enough timber (of the right maturity) to create a decent supply while not erasing the whole forest for a single year of profit. Those traders with the correct knowledge will do very well in a barter economy.
Gasoline And Oil: This is a tough one, because its hard to predict how much petroleum the U.S. will be able to import or produce on its own during a collapse, and its very difficult to store for long periods of time. If you hear news that the wars in the Middle East have expanded even further, or that OPEC is decoupling from the dollar, you might want to run to the nearest station and fill as many storage cans as possible, along with a little bit of added ‘gas saver’ which helps keep it stable longer. Initially, people will be dueling to the death for gas and oil. I have little doubt. After the price hits $15, $30, $60 a gallon due to hyperinflation, and a little time passes, I think people will begin finding ways to live without it, or they will reduce its use to emergency tasks. Desire for gas will always be there, especially in agricultural areas where one tractor could help sow the seeds that feed an entire town. But beyond storage, I would suggest learning ways to distill your own corn ethanol and alcohol based fuels. This is where the real barter potential is.
Silver And Gold: I placed precious metals in the middle of this list for a reason. Concerns in a collapse situation will be varied, and the manner in which a derailment progresses will also determine the order of needs in a barter community. In a Mad Max scenario where there is little to no community, or the construction of any semblance of economy is impossible; sure, gold and silver will not be very high on most people’s lists. Has this ever happened in recorded history? No. Gold and silver have remained common currencies for thousands of years despite any catastrophe. This is why I have to laugh at those people who undercut precious metals or claim that because you “can’t eat them” they will not be important. In Argentina, in the midst of complete meltdown and monetary chaos, when people were shooting each other in the streets for food on a daily basis, gold and silver became king, and still are.
Barter networks that have formed in Argentina love to trade for anything made out of gold or silver, because precious metals are the only tangible form of currency in existence there. Being able to trade goods is fantastic, but sometimes, you may not have what another person wants. Do you go out to find someone who does, trade with them, then, try to find the guy who turned you down? No. If you have any meaningful localized commerce in place, then you should also have a common medium of exchange, and precious metals are the only thing that safely fits the mold, because they cannot be artificially reproduced or fabricated. Their rarity and their longevity make them the perfect method of common trade. Even if the worst of the worst occurs, rebuilding will result in the immediate resurgence of trade, and the immediate need of a new currency. Gold and silver will come back, as it always has, and always will. Every potential barter network should be including gold, silver, and maybe copper, on its list of accepted alternative currencies, and the values of said metals should be weighed by the inherent supply and demand of the community. The “official” market value ( which is very manipulated) should only be used as a loose guide.
Firearms And Ammo: Another obvious one. The problem is, the selection of calibers is so varied within the U.S. that stocking anything that will be needed by everyone is very difficult. The only recourse is to stick with common military calibers, such as 9mm, 40 S&W, 45 ACP, .223, 7.62 by 39, 7.62 by 51 (.308), 12 gauge, .410, and 20 gauge shotgun shells, and the ever pervasive .22. Stocking these calibers will result in a much greater chance of trade.
I can think of no instance of societal disintegration that did not lead to horrible violence. In places where firearms are outlawed, the carnage is always much worse. Criminals easily get their hands on weapons, while law abiding citizens are left defenseless. Governments take liberties with the people, while the populace cowers. Accounts of torture, rape, murder, and genocide, are abundant in the face of hard economic times. EVERYONE should be armed, and as reality sets in, even those who clamored to outlaw guns will be clamoring to get one. Of course, laws today very strictly regulate our ability to barter firearms, but post collapse, no one will care much.
Ammo reloading will be a useful skill in light of the fact that homemade manufacture of ammo is very difficult. The nationwide ammo supply will dwindle very quickly, except for those pockets of people who smartly stockpile for trade.
Body Armor: That’s right. Any kind of body armor is as good as gold in a collapse environment. People in countries across the world wish they had it, and would trade almost anything for it. When you live in a place where a random gun shot (a minute by minute occurrence in many countries), from a criminal’s weapon, or more likely a police or military weapon, could bounce off the curb or through your car windshield, and into your chest, you begin to respect the necessity of Kevlar. The fact that body armor is relatively cheap and is easily obtained in the U.S. should be taken advantage of by barter networks. This advantage may not exist in a couple of years.
Tazers And Pepper Spray: Easy to purchase and stockpile here in America. Better than nothing when facing armed attackers. Disables without death (in most cases), and easier on the conscience. Trades well.
Various Tools: A garden hoe may be a novelty item to most suburbanites and city dwellers now, but soon, it will be a mainstay tool. If you have extra, they will come to you for barter. I’m not going to list every tool in existence here, but I suggest using common sense. What tools do you see being required for daily use? What would YOU need post collapse?
Pesticides: I’m big on organic food and healthy eating, but if my life is on the line, I’m spraying my crops down with whatever poison I can find. Unless you have years of experience with natural pest deterrence methods, then I suggest you do the same, especially in that first year of calamity. A hoard of locusts could annihilate your crop within a day given the chance, and should be dealt with using the most powerful means available.
Cockroach and rat poisons will also be huge sellers, guaranteed. Vermin thrive in unkempt human environments, whether in the country or the city, and with them comes disease. Diseases you thought had disappeared off the face of the Earth, like bubonic plague or small pox, will make a comeback in cities, where streets of death and sewage act like enormous Petri dishes (remember New Orleans after Katrina? Imagine if that had never been cleaned up).
Stock pesticides, even if they offend your environmental sensibilities. You’ll use them, trust me. And, people will trade whatever they can for them.
Warm Clothing: The world is awash in textiles and clothing. Using clothes as your primary means of trade is not necessarily the best plan. However, most of the clothes made around the world are very poor quality, and are not designed for harsh environments. Clothes made specifically for harsh cold or rough wear are harder to some by, and are often very expensive. This is where you would want to focus your investments.
Gortex, for instance, could give you incredible bartering potential. Wool socks are a rarity (how many people do you know with more than two pairs of wool socks?). Water resistant and water proof jackets and overcoats, boots, well made hiking shoes, and waterproofing chemicals and sprays will be needed within trade networks. The ability to make these items, or repair them, will also be valued.
Medicines: This is another difficult item to procure, mainly because doing so often gets you flagged as a possible drug dealer. Certain items aren’t too hard to come by and store, though, and could be life saving barter material in the future. Antibiotics are handed out like candy by doctors today, so storing any extra you have away for trade may be a good strategy. Painkillers are another medical miracle that doctors seem to sprinkle out of helicopters without a second thought. With the risk of injury increasing one hundred fold after a financial tsunami, I suspect even mere aspirin would put a smile on the face of any barter networker.
Eventually, natural medicines and herbs are going to have to move to the forefront, as industry medicines begin to disappear, or become so expensive they are unobtainable. Stocking such herbs and vitamins would be smart, for protecting oneself, not to mention, its savvy business sense.
Toiletries: Yes, yes, we all hear about how great toilet paper will be as a barter item, and how preppers plan to demand cows, trucks, and beach-front property, in return for packages of the silken quilty-soft huggable rolls of goodness. I don’t disagree that it will be highly desired at first. People don’t change their habits that quickly. But let’s face it; toilet paper is a luxury item in a post collapse environment, not a necessity. People are going to eventually go back to older methods of hygiene, like using strips of washable cloth. It might sound gross to us now, but hey, did you think we were going to start using poison ivy and pinecones?
Stock toilet paper, but don’t treat it as a priority. Focus more on cleaning items like soap, toothpaste, and bleach, as well as chemicals that cause human waste to quickly biodegrade. Staying clean is VERY important, because the alternative is catching a nasty bacterial infection that may kill you, when in more peaceful and comfortable times, it may have just given you slightly irritating intestinal distress. The rest of the country will come around to this way of thinking in short order, and many people will come to you for the cleaning goods you stockpiled.
Specialty Items: There are many circumstances that are hard to predict, circumstances that could severely affect barter markets and what items come into demand. For example; a nuclear event, as is in progress in Japan, could just as easily strike the U.S. There are 104 nuclear power plants in the U.S., not to mention the threat of a small nuclear attack (or false flag). The market for goods such as potassium iodide pills and Geiger counters would explode (potassium iodide suppliers were inundated with orders from around the world after Fukushima). How many people do you know with a Geiger counter? I’m one of the few I know with one, and I know preppers across the country! In the wake of a fallout situation, knowing what is contaminated with radiation and what isn’t, knowing if it’s even safe to go outside, is imperative. Having an extra Geiger counter could help you barter your way into any number of goods.
A biological event might bring medical grade particulate masks to the top of people’s lists, as well as disinfectants and even hazmat suits. It’s an ugly thing to imagine, but for those who plan to engage in independent trade, it’s a likelihood that must be considered.
Top Priority Skills
Provided below is a brief list of skills which have served people well in various economic downturns, and will do the same for you in this country. Keep in mind that almost any skill that other people cannot do well has potential for trade, but some skills are more sought after than others. In my research, it is those people who are able to produce their own goods as well as effectively repair existing goods that have the greatest potential for survival in a barter market. Next, are those people who have specific abilities that are difficult to learn and who have the knack for teaching those abilities to others. If you do not have any of these skills, or perhaps only one, then it would be wise to begin learning at least one more now. Keep in mind that competition will very much exist in a barter economy, so knowing as many skills as possible increases your chances of success.
Mechanic, Engine Repair
Welding
Blacksmithing
Firearms Repair, Ammo Reloading
Construction
Architect, Home Reinforcement
Agriculture, Farming Expertise, Seed Saving, Animal Care
Bee Keeping
Doctor, Medical Assistant
Veterinarian
Well Construction, Water Table Expertise
Engineer, Community Planning, Manufacturing, Electrical
Firearms Proficiency, Security, Self Defense Planning
Martial Arts Training
Wild Foods Expert
Hunting
Chemist
Sewing, Textiles
Soap Making, Candle Making, Hygiene Products
Small Appliance Repair
Electronics Repair
HAM Radio Expert
Homeschooling, Tutoring
Again, there are definitely many more trades of value that could be learned. This list is only to help you on your way to self sufficiency and entrepreneurship in an Alternative Market. Unfortunately, too many Americans have absolutely no skills worth bartering in a post collapse world.
Bringing Back The American Tradesman
Barter networking is a powerful tool for countering the affects of depression, hyperinflation, stagflation, globalization, and beyond. But, networks require that participants actually have necessary goods and services to trade. In only half a century or less, American culture has been sterilized of nearly all its private trade skills. We have lost our desire to produce, and have been relegated to the dregs of a retail nightmare society dependent entirely on consumption and debt. This is going to change, one way, or another.
We can change on our own, or we can wait until fear and desperation force us to make hard choices. I would rather forgo the desperation and the painful fall into the gutter. It makes little sense.
The bottom line is, if you wish to survive after the destruction of the mainstream system that has babied us for so long, you must be able to either make a necessary product, repair a necessary product, or teach a necessary skill. A limited few have the capital required to stockpile enough barter goods or gold and silver to live indefinitely. The American Tradesman must return in full force, not only for the sake of self preservation, but also for the sake of our heritage at large. Without strong, independent, and self sufficient people, this country will cease to be.
The Seven Major Mistakes in Food Storage
by beprepared.
Mistake #1: Having no variety in your food storage will lead to menu fatigue
A month or two ago I met a cute little gal who was talking to me about her newly begun food storage. "You know," she began, "I've dreaded doing my storage for years, it seems so blah, but the way national events are going my husband and I decided we couldn't put it off anymore. And do you know, it really hasn't been so hard. We just bought 20 bags of wheat, my husband found a place to get 60 pound cans of honey, and now all we have to do is get a couple of cases of powdered milk. Could you tell me where to get the milk?"
After I suggested several distributors, I asked, "Do you know how to cook with your wheat?"
"Oh," she laughed, "If we ever need it I'll learn how. My kids only like white bread and I don't have a wheat grinder."
She had just made every major mistake in storing food (other than not storing anything at all). But she's not alone, through 14 years of helping people prepare, I found most people's storage starts looking just like hers. So what's wrong with this storage plan? There are seven serious problems that may occur trying to live on these basics:
1-Variety - Most people don't have enough variety in their storage. Ninety five percent of the people I've worked with have only stored the four basic items we mentioned earlier: wheat, milk, honey, and salt. Statistics show most of us won't survive on such a diet for several reasons.
a. Many people are allergic to wheat and may not be aware of it until they are eating it meal after meal.
b. Wheat is too harsh for young children. They can tolerate it in small amounts but not as their main staple.
c. We get tired of eating the same foods over and over and many times prefer to not eat, than to sample that particular food again. This is called appetite fatigue. Young children and older people are particularly susceptible to it. Store less wheat than is generally suggested and put the difference into a variety of other grains, particular ones your family likes to eat. Also store a variety of beans. This will add variety of color, texture and flavor. Variety is the key to a successful storage program. It is essential that you store flavorings such as tomato, bouillon, cheese, and onion.
Also, include a good supply of the spices you like to cook with. These flavorings and spices allow you to do many creative things with your grains and beans. Without them you are severely limited. One of the best suggestions I can give you is buy a good food storage cookbook, go through it, and see what your family would really eat. Notice the ingredients as you do it. This will help you more than anything else to know what items to store.
2-Extended Staples - Few people get beyond storing the four basic items but it's extremely important that you do so. Never put "all your eggs in one basket." Store dehydrated and/or freeze dried foods as well as home canned and "store bought" canned goods. Make sure you add cooking oil, shortening, baking powder, baking soda, yeast and powdered eggs. You can't cook even the most basic recipes without these items. Because of limited space I won't list all the items that should be included in a well-balanced storage program. They are included in the The Cookin With Home Storage cookbook, as well as information on how much to store, and where to purchase it.
3-Vitamins - Vitamins are important, especially if you have children, since children do not store body reserves of nutrients as adults do. A good quality multi-vitamin and vitamin C are the most vital. Others might be added as your budget permits.
4-Quick and Easy and "Psychological Foods" - Quick and easy foods help you through times when you are psychologically or physically unable to prepare your basic storage items. "No cook" foods such as freeze-dried are wonderful since they require little preparation, MRE's (Meal Ready to Eat), such as many preparedness outlets carry, canned goods, etc. are also very good. "Psychological Foods" are the `goodies' - Jello, pudding, candy, etc. - you should add to your storage.
These may sound frivolous, but through the years I've talked with many people who have lived entirely on their storage for extended periods of time. Nearly all of them say these were the most helpful items in their storage to "normalize" their situations and make it more bearable. These are especially important if you have children.
5-Balance - Time and time again I've seen families buy all of their wheat, then buy all of another item and so on. Don't do that. It's important to keep well-balanced as you build your storage. Buy several items, rather than a large quantity of one item. If something happens and your have to live on your present storage, you'll fare much better having one month supply of a variety of items than a year's supply of two or three items.
6-Containers - Always store your bulk foods in food storage containers. I have seen literally tons and tons of food thrown away because they were left in sacks, where they became highly susceptible to moisture, insects, and rodents. If you are using plastic buckets make sure they are lined with a food grade plastic liner available from companies that carry packaging supplies. Never use trash can liners as these are treated with pesticides. Don't stack them too high. In an earthquake they may topple, the lids pop open, or they may crack. A better container is the #10 tin can which most preparedness companies use when they package their foods.
7-Use Your Storage - In all the years I've worked with preparedness, one of the biggest problems I've seen is people storing food and not knowing what to do with it. It's vital that you and your family become familiar with the things you are storing. You need to know how to prepare these foods. This is not something you want to have to learn under stress. Your family needs to be accustomed to eating these foods.
A stressful period is not a good time to totally change your diet. Get a good food storage cookbook and learn to use these foods!
It's easy to solve the food storage problems once you know what they are. The lady I talked about at the beginning of the article left realizing what she had stored was a good beginning but not enough as she said, "It's better to find out the mistakes I've made now while there's still time to make corrections. This makes a lot more sense."
If you're one who needs to make some adjustments, that is OK. Look at these suggestions and add the things you're needing. It's easy to take a basic storage and add the essential items to make it livable, but it needs to be done. As I did the research for my cookbook, I wanted to include recipes that gave help to families no matter what they stored. As I put the material together it was fascinating for me to learn what the pioneers ate are the type of things we store. If you have stored only the basics, there's very, very little you can do with it. By adding even just a few things it greatly increases your options, and the prospect of your family surviving on it. As I studied how the pioneers lived and ate, my whole feeling for food storage changed. I realized our "storage" is what most of the world has always lived on. If it's put together the right way we will be returning to good basic foods with a few goodies thrown in.
by beprepared.
Mistake #1: Having no variety in your food storage will lead to menu fatigue
A month or two ago I met a cute little gal who was talking to me about her newly begun food storage. "You know," she began, "I've dreaded doing my storage for years, it seems so blah, but the way national events are going my husband and I decided we couldn't put it off anymore. And do you know, it really hasn't been so hard. We just bought 20 bags of wheat, my husband found a place to get 60 pound cans of honey, and now all we have to do is get a couple of cases of powdered milk. Could you tell me where to get the milk?"
After I suggested several distributors, I asked, "Do you know how to cook with your wheat?"
"Oh," she laughed, "If we ever need it I'll learn how. My kids only like white bread and I don't have a wheat grinder."
She had just made every major mistake in storing food (other than not storing anything at all). But she's not alone, through 14 years of helping people prepare, I found most people's storage starts looking just like hers. So what's wrong with this storage plan? There are seven serious problems that may occur trying to live on these basics:
1-Variety - Most people don't have enough variety in their storage. Ninety five percent of the people I've worked with have only stored the four basic items we mentioned earlier: wheat, milk, honey, and salt. Statistics show most of us won't survive on such a diet for several reasons.
a. Many people are allergic to wheat and may not be aware of it until they are eating it meal after meal.
b. Wheat is too harsh for young children. They can tolerate it in small amounts but not as their main staple.
c. We get tired of eating the same foods over and over and many times prefer to not eat, than to sample that particular food again. This is called appetite fatigue. Young children and older people are particularly susceptible to it. Store less wheat than is generally suggested and put the difference into a variety of other grains, particular ones your family likes to eat. Also store a variety of beans. This will add variety of color, texture and flavor. Variety is the key to a successful storage program. It is essential that you store flavorings such as tomato, bouillon, cheese, and onion.
Also, include a good supply of the spices you like to cook with. These flavorings and spices allow you to do many creative things with your grains and beans. Without them you are severely limited. One of the best suggestions I can give you is buy a good food storage cookbook, go through it, and see what your family would really eat. Notice the ingredients as you do it. This will help you more than anything else to know what items to store.
2-Extended Staples - Few people get beyond storing the four basic items but it's extremely important that you do so. Never put "all your eggs in one basket." Store dehydrated and/or freeze dried foods as well as home canned and "store bought" canned goods. Make sure you add cooking oil, shortening, baking powder, baking soda, yeast and powdered eggs. You can't cook even the most basic recipes without these items. Because of limited space I won't list all the items that should be included in a well-balanced storage program. They are included in the The Cookin With Home Storage cookbook, as well as information on how much to store, and where to purchase it.
3-Vitamins - Vitamins are important, especially if you have children, since children do not store body reserves of nutrients as adults do. A good quality multi-vitamin and vitamin C are the most vital. Others might be added as your budget permits.
4-Quick and Easy and "Psychological Foods" - Quick and easy foods help you through times when you are psychologically or physically unable to prepare your basic storage items. "No cook" foods such as freeze-dried are wonderful since they require little preparation, MRE's (Meal Ready to Eat), such as many preparedness outlets carry, canned goods, etc. are also very good. "Psychological Foods" are the `goodies' - Jello, pudding, candy, etc. - you should add to your storage.
These may sound frivolous, but through the years I've talked with many people who have lived entirely on their storage for extended periods of time. Nearly all of them say these were the most helpful items in their storage to "normalize" their situations and make it more bearable. These are especially important if you have children.
5-Balance - Time and time again I've seen families buy all of their wheat, then buy all of another item and so on. Don't do that. It's important to keep well-balanced as you build your storage. Buy several items, rather than a large quantity of one item. If something happens and your have to live on your present storage, you'll fare much better having one month supply of a variety of items than a year's supply of two or three items.
6-Containers - Always store your bulk foods in food storage containers. I have seen literally tons and tons of food thrown away because they were left in sacks, where they became highly susceptible to moisture, insects, and rodents. If you are using plastic buckets make sure they are lined with a food grade plastic liner available from companies that carry packaging supplies. Never use trash can liners as these are treated with pesticides. Don't stack them too high. In an earthquake they may topple, the lids pop open, or they may crack. A better container is the #10 tin can which most preparedness companies use when they package their foods.
7-Use Your Storage - In all the years I've worked with preparedness, one of the biggest problems I've seen is people storing food and not knowing what to do with it. It's vital that you and your family become familiar with the things you are storing. You need to know how to prepare these foods. This is not something you want to have to learn under stress. Your family needs to be accustomed to eating these foods.
A stressful period is not a good time to totally change your diet. Get a good food storage cookbook and learn to use these foods!
It's easy to solve the food storage problems once you know what they are. The lady I talked about at the beginning of the article left realizing what she had stored was a good beginning but not enough as she said, "It's better to find out the mistakes I've made now while there's still time to make corrections. This makes a lot more sense."
If you're one who needs to make some adjustments, that is OK. Look at these suggestions and add the things you're needing. It's easy to take a basic storage and add the essential items to make it livable, but it needs to be done. As I did the research for my cookbook, I wanted to include recipes that gave help to families no matter what they stored. As I put the material together it was fascinating for me to learn what the pioneers ate are the type of things we store. If you have stored only the basics, there's very, very little you can do with it. By adding even just a few things it greatly increases your options, and the prospect of your family surviving on it. As I studied how the pioneers lived and ate, my whole feeling for food storage changed. I realized our "storage" is what most of the world has always lived on. If it's put together the right way we will be returning to good basic foods with a few goodies thrown in.
8 Steps to Prepare for Civil Unrest
by Emergency Essentials.
This is a topic that isn’t talked about very often, probably because it’s something we just don’t like thinking about. But it’s just as important to prepare for as natural disasters, and those we do talk about a lot.
Natural disasters are common in pretty much every state – snow storms, earthquakes, tornadoes…. If you don’t to worry about have one, you’ll most certainly have to deal with another. But there’s one crisis that you just don’t hear much about.
Civil unrest.
Unhappy people in large groups can be a volatile bunch, which means civil unrest can erupt without warning. This can be caused by an economic collapse, a protest turned sour, or any other inciting incident that we just can’t predict. Remember what happened in Ferguson, MO? The streets turned to chaos – cars were burned, businesses were looted and torched, and it was definitely not a place you’d want to take an evening stroll. In fact, staying inside was probably the best option for staying safe.
The riots in Ferguson and other areas of the country (for various other reasons) are a glimpse into what could happen if things were to really turn sour. If the economy were to collapse like it did during the Great Depression – and the chances of that happening are not being discounted – the unrest throughout the nation could be devastating. Stores will be quickly emptied of food and supplies, and it will be first come, first served. And if it is an economic crisis, who’s to say when we’ll get out of the slump?
Preparing for such unrest and crises is done much the same way we prepare for snow storms or hurricanes or other natural disasters. We prepare now – today – before the storm hits.
We’ve been warned time and time again that hard times are coming. We don’t know precisely in what form or when it will happen, but as sure as you’re reading these words, you’re bound to experience turbulent times, if you haven’t already. And even if you have, that doesn’t make you immune for what’s coming (sorry).
When unrest does happen, there will be two main scenarios: bug-in, or bug-out.
It might not be possible to leave your city, due to any number of situations, so staying put in your home might be your best option. If you do stay in, you should have at least a 72-hour supply of food and water. Food and water that will last you and your family a month or more would be even better. If you’ve been prepping for natural disasters, you should already be well on your way to being comfortable during a season of unrest. But just in case, here are a few things you should consider stocking up on:
2. Warm clothing/blankets
This includes winter jackets, sleeping bags, gloves, warm hats, and other necessities that you would want if you were forced outside in the winter.
3. Power sources
Hopefully the power will still be on, but you never know what might happen. Make sure you have some alternate sources of power so you can charge your phone and other devices.
4. Light
Again, if the power goes out, you’ll need some sort of light. Flashlights are an obvious choice, but consider getting different kinds of stationary lighting that you don’t have to hold on to.
5. And of course, toilet paper
I think this one is pretty self-explanatory, but let me just say…being stuck inside your home without it could just add to the unpleasantries.
Now, according to some, being in a large city might not be the best thing during a disaster scenario. So if something happens that requires evacuation, you’ll want to be the first out, which means you will want to have your emergency gear easy to pack and haul out to the car without wasting time. In case this option arises, there are some other considerations to keep in mind.
6. Keep your gas tank full
Or as full as possible. It’s recommended that you keep your gas tank at least half full. That way, if you have to leave, you can at least hit the road and gas up somewhere else, thus avoiding long lines at the pump and the subsequent traffic jams leaving the city.
7. Car kit
This includes tools as well as emergency supplies. If your car breaks down, make sure you have something to tinker around with. Fixing that loose belt under your hood will be rather difficult with just your bare hands.
8. Everything you would need if you were bugging-in
If you’re forced to leave your home, for heaven’s sake make sure you take as much of your emergency supplies with you as you can! As mentioned above, make sure your food and water supplies and other emergency gear is easy to pack up so you don’t linger longer than necessary.
I desperately hope that this never has to happen to any of us, but with the way things are, you never can be certain. If you don’t have to ever use these emergency supplies for civil unrest, however, you might still have to use it for natural disasters or even to get you by following a job loss or accident. Being prepared for one emergency will help see you through many others. So while it’s on your mind, go on out and get a case of water during your next shopping trip.
Remember, if the weatherman predicts rain, grab an umbrella.
by Emergency Essentials.
This is a topic that isn’t talked about very often, probably because it’s something we just don’t like thinking about. But it’s just as important to prepare for as natural disasters, and those we do talk about a lot.
Natural disasters are common in pretty much every state – snow storms, earthquakes, tornadoes…. If you don’t to worry about have one, you’ll most certainly have to deal with another. But there’s one crisis that you just don’t hear much about.
Civil unrest.
Unhappy people in large groups can be a volatile bunch, which means civil unrest can erupt without warning. This can be caused by an economic collapse, a protest turned sour, or any other inciting incident that we just can’t predict. Remember what happened in Ferguson, MO? The streets turned to chaos – cars were burned, businesses were looted and torched, and it was definitely not a place you’d want to take an evening stroll. In fact, staying inside was probably the best option for staying safe.
The riots in Ferguson and other areas of the country (for various other reasons) are a glimpse into what could happen if things were to really turn sour. If the economy were to collapse like it did during the Great Depression – and the chances of that happening are not being discounted – the unrest throughout the nation could be devastating. Stores will be quickly emptied of food and supplies, and it will be first come, first served. And if it is an economic crisis, who’s to say when we’ll get out of the slump?
Preparing for such unrest and crises is done much the same way we prepare for snow storms or hurricanes or other natural disasters. We prepare now – today – before the storm hits.
We’ve been warned time and time again that hard times are coming. We don’t know precisely in what form or when it will happen, but as sure as you’re reading these words, you’re bound to experience turbulent times, if you haven’t already. And even if you have, that doesn’t make you immune for what’s coming (sorry).
When unrest does happen, there will be two main scenarios: bug-in, or bug-out.
It might not be possible to leave your city, due to any number of situations, so staying put in your home might be your best option. If you do stay in, you should have at least a 72-hour supply of food and water. Food and water that will last you and your family a month or more would be even better. If you’ve been prepping for natural disasters, you should already be well on your way to being comfortable during a season of unrest. But just in case, here are a few things you should consider stocking up on:
- 30-day food and supply
2. Warm clothing/blankets
This includes winter jackets, sleeping bags, gloves, warm hats, and other necessities that you would want if you were forced outside in the winter.
3. Power sources
Hopefully the power will still be on, but you never know what might happen. Make sure you have some alternate sources of power so you can charge your phone and other devices.
4. Light
Again, if the power goes out, you’ll need some sort of light. Flashlights are an obvious choice, but consider getting different kinds of stationary lighting that you don’t have to hold on to.
5. And of course, toilet paper
I think this one is pretty self-explanatory, but let me just say…being stuck inside your home without it could just add to the unpleasantries.
Now, according to some, being in a large city might not be the best thing during a disaster scenario. So if something happens that requires evacuation, you’ll want to be the first out, which means you will want to have your emergency gear easy to pack and haul out to the car without wasting time. In case this option arises, there are some other considerations to keep in mind.
6. Keep your gas tank full
Or as full as possible. It’s recommended that you keep your gas tank at least half full. That way, if you have to leave, you can at least hit the road and gas up somewhere else, thus avoiding long lines at the pump and the subsequent traffic jams leaving the city.
7. Car kit
This includes tools as well as emergency supplies. If your car breaks down, make sure you have something to tinker around with. Fixing that loose belt under your hood will be rather difficult with just your bare hands.
8. Everything you would need if you were bugging-in
If you’re forced to leave your home, for heaven’s sake make sure you take as much of your emergency supplies with you as you can! As mentioned above, make sure your food and water supplies and other emergency gear is easy to pack up so you don’t linger longer than necessary.
I desperately hope that this never has to happen to any of us, but with the way things are, you never can be certain. If you don’t have to ever use these emergency supplies for civil unrest, however, you might still have to use it for natural disasters or even to get you by following a job loss or accident. Being prepared for one emergency will help see you through many others. So while it’s on your mind, go on out and get a case of water during your next shopping trip.
Remember, if the weatherman predicts rain, grab an umbrella.
A Storm is Coming: Preppers Must Stay Vigilant in 2017
Superstation95.com - Dec 30, 2016
One can almost sense that unforeseen events could bring chaos to America, warns SHTFPlan.com's Mac Slavo...
Debts and economic catastrophes could play out, terrorism could strike, wars could spark to life, disaster may hit, and much more. While many have been optimistic about the promises of a new president, and a brighter spot for the free market, global affairs are complicated, and often bite from both ends. With Trump, no one really knows what to expect, and regardless, one man cannot steer all world events in his direction.
There are indeed rocky times ahead, and 2017 could be the year that goes dark. Prepare during this calm before the storm.
Authored by Jeremiah Johnson (nom de plume of a retired Green Beret of the United States Army Special Forces (Airborne)) via ReadyNutrition.com,
While many believe the shift in government leaders in 2017 will bring us back to better times, one can never be too sure. As my father always said, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” These are still uncertain times, and as Jeremiah Johnson emphasizes in this article – with that uncertainty, we must continue to be ever vigilant in our preparedness endeavors.
ReadyNutrition Fans, this piece is an important exhortation to you – a sort of plea, if you will – to not lose your focus in preparations and your readiness-stance during these times. With the Dow-Jones Industrial skyrocketing, the Christmas Holidays in full gear, Donald J. Trump about to be inaugurated, and the glow of a new patriotic dawn, everything seems OK, right? Wrong. This is not alarmist, but pragmatic. We cannot allow a burst of patriotic positive fervor to dull the perception of the last 8 years.
Losing our focus is what allowed those 8 years in the first place.
The Unemployment Rate
The welcoming of a new President brings renewed hope in our government system; however, there is a lot of road to travel before the country is fixed. While many preppers feel relieved and are slowing their preparedness endeavors down, many preparedness experts are stressing the importance of not giving up. As preppers, we must keep an eye on indicators like the economy and unemployment. Bear in mind that unemployment is deliberately under-reported. The economy is in bad shape. Everyone is focusing on the happy times of Christmas cheer and family festivities. I adjure to your intellects: do not relent in your focus or your activities to prepare for what is still around the corner.
They’re not celebrating festive, happy shopper days in Venezuela, where women are cutting off their own hair and selling it just to buy loaves of bread, or where a whole shopping bag full of Venezuelan Bolivars will not even buy a few days’ worth of essential supplies.
The Economy
The economy of the United States will take quite some time to recover. You can continue in the true economy that you have started: the acquisition of supplies, materials, and resources that always hold their worth and have an intrinsic value. Gold, silver, and precious metals…in physical form…these have worth and lasting, intrinsic value. For an excellent analysis of just where the United States is economically, I highly recommend an article written by Shaun Bradley on December 8, 2016 entitled “Cash is No Longer King: The Phasing Out of Physical Money Has Begun,” and downloadable for your files. Another article worth mentioning was written by Susan Duclos of All News Pipeline, entitled “We are Facing the Most Important Battle of All at the Most Dangerous Moment in History,” released on December 10, 2016. Here is an excerpt from that article:
“We at ANP are noting a lot of optimism from investors with stocks soaring, to economic confidence reaching new highs, to small business owners, to household spending and even prepping has hit a “multi-year low,” all the articles I am reading are crediting the election of Donald Trump as reason for all this optimism, but as much as I hate to rain on everyone’s parade… now is the most dangerous time in history, not a time to assume just because one man was elected, all the wrongs will be made right, the failing economy will automatically just magically fix itself.”
These timely and sagacious words show that the battle is not over yet. In this vein, do not lose focus! Don’t allow the holiday cheer and festive atmosphere to leave you blindsided and thinking that the battle is over! Other blogsites have reported that sales of emergency equipment and supplies have been drastically on the decline since the election was finished. Remember: North Korea, Russia, and China still pose a viable threat in several areas of the world, the world economy is quite bad, and the U.S. has by no means recovered from the nightmare of two consecutive Obama terms.
Stay the Course for 2017!
Stay focused. Gear your shopping and holiday activities to always take a back seat to awareness of the overall situation. Stock up on your precious metals and long-term food supplies and water procurement capabilities. Continue to locate and obtain the tools, medicines, and equipment you and your family will need. Just because the “Captains” are about to change does not mean that the ship will change its course…the one taking it toward a wreck on the reefs. Don’t let that reef loom up and blindside you to take you unawares. Enjoy your holidays, but do so with one eye on the festivities and another one on the horizon…aware of what is going on around you.
Superstation95.com - Dec 30, 2016
One can almost sense that unforeseen events could bring chaos to America, warns SHTFPlan.com's Mac Slavo...
Debts and economic catastrophes could play out, terrorism could strike, wars could spark to life, disaster may hit, and much more. While many have been optimistic about the promises of a new president, and a brighter spot for the free market, global affairs are complicated, and often bite from both ends. With Trump, no one really knows what to expect, and regardless, one man cannot steer all world events in his direction.
There are indeed rocky times ahead, and 2017 could be the year that goes dark. Prepare during this calm before the storm.
Authored by Jeremiah Johnson (nom de plume of a retired Green Beret of the United States Army Special Forces (Airborne)) via ReadyNutrition.com,
While many believe the shift in government leaders in 2017 will bring us back to better times, one can never be too sure. As my father always said, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” These are still uncertain times, and as Jeremiah Johnson emphasizes in this article – with that uncertainty, we must continue to be ever vigilant in our preparedness endeavors.
ReadyNutrition Fans, this piece is an important exhortation to you – a sort of plea, if you will – to not lose your focus in preparations and your readiness-stance during these times. With the Dow-Jones Industrial skyrocketing, the Christmas Holidays in full gear, Donald J. Trump about to be inaugurated, and the glow of a new patriotic dawn, everything seems OK, right? Wrong. This is not alarmist, but pragmatic. We cannot allow a burst of patriotic positive fervor to dull the perception of the last 8 years.
Losing our focus is what allowed those 8 years in the first place.
The Unemployment Rate
The welcoming of a new President brings renewed hope in our government system; however, there is a lot of road to travel before the country is fixed. While many preppers feel relieved and are slowing their preparedness endeavors down, many preparedness experts are stressing the importance of not giving up. As preppers, we must keep an eye on indicators like the economy and unemployment. Bear in mind that unemployment is deliberately under-reported. The economy is in bad shape. Everyone is focusing on the happy times of Christmas cheer and family festivities. I adjure to your intellects: do not relent in your focus or your activities to prepare for what is still around the corner.
They’re not celebrating festive, happy shopper days in Venezuela, where women are cutting off their own hair and selling it just to buy loaves of bread, or where a whole shopping bag full of Venezuelan Bolivars will not even buy a few days’ worth of essential supplies.
The Economy
The economy of the United States will take quite some time to recover. You can continue in the true economy that you have started: the acquisition of supplies, materials, and resources that always hold their worth and have an intrinsic value. Gold, silver, and precious metals…in physical form…these have worth and lasting, intrinsic value. For an excellent analysis of just where the United States is economically, I highly recommend an article written by Shaun Bradley on December 8, 2016 entitled “Cash is No Longer King: The Phasing Out of Physical Money Has Begun,” and downloadable for your files. Another article worth mentioning was written by Susan Duclos of All News Pipeline, entitled “We are Facing the Most Important Battle of All at the Most Dangerous Moment in History,” released on December 10, 2016. Here is an excerpt from that article:
“We at ANP are noting a lot of optimism from investors with stocks soaring, to economic confidence reaching new highs, to small business owners, to household spending and even prepping has hit a “multi-year low,” all the articles I am reading are crediting the election of Donald Trump as reason for all this optimism, but as much as I hate to rain on everyone’s parade… now is the most dangerous time in history, not a time to assume just because one man was elected, all the wrongs will be made right, the failing economy will automatically just magically fix itself.”
These timely and sagacious words show that the battle is not over yet. In this vein, do not lose focus! Don’t allow the holiday cheer and festive atmosphere to leave you blindsided and thinking that the battle is over! Other blogsites have reported that sales of emergency equipment and supplies have been drastically on the decline since the election was finished. Remember: North Korea, Russia, and China still pose a viable threat in several areas of the world, the world economy is quite bad, and the U.S. has by no means recovered from the nightmare of two consecutive Obama terms.
Stay the Course for 2017!
Stay focused. Gear your shopping and holiday activities to always take a back seat to awareness of the overall situation. Stock up on your precious metals and long-term food supplies and water procurement capabilities. Continue to locate and obtain the tools, medicines, and equipment you and your family will need. Just because the “Captains” are about to change does not mean that the ship will change its course…the one taking it toward a wreck on the reefs. Don’t let that reef loom up and blindside you to take you unawares. Enjoy your holidays, but do so with one eye on the festivities and another one on the horizon…aware of what is going on around you.
Here's Where You Absolutely Don't Want To Be "When It All Turns Ugly"
ZeroHedge.com Dec 25, 2016 12:45 PM
Submitted by Mac Slavo via SHTFPlan.com,
Map Shows Us Where We Don’t Want To Be When It All Turns Ugly h/t All News Pipeline
OK, this is actually pretty obvious – but it is worth pointing out that the “archipelago” of islands across the vast expanse of the United States that carried the vote for Hillary Clinton during the election – also happens to be a ring of the liberal cities that:
a) have exploded with crime, riots and unrest
b) have provided sanctuary for millions of illegal immigrants that have destabilized the country
c) are going bankrupt and will be unable to fulfill pension obligations, or pay their share of social security, welfare, etc.
d) have been foremost in advocating gun control, and ensuring that only criminals and police have guns, while 2nd Amendment arm-bearing citizen have flocked to the rural areas where their rights are not generally restricted
e) will be the first places to be become unstable during any major crisis – as soon as grocery store shelves go empty. Martial law will be the only way to maintain stability, and that will come at a further price to liberty.
f) will be the first place to line up for FEMA camps and beg for food, shelter and rations, again, at a further price to liberty
Of course, there are many more items that could be added to the list, but it gets tedious, and I think everyone gets the point.
Liberal havens have become largely clueless about the real world about them, and have turned a blind eye to the destabilizing forces that are compounding upon them.
IF/WHEN the SHTF, these will be the absolute last places you’d want to be caught dead.
IF you were clueless enough to believe Hillary’s lies and endorse the collapsing establishment line, then there’s a very good chance that you’ll have no idea what to do when the system breaks down. You will either help fuel or be caught up in chaos, violence and desperation – don’t let that be you.
As All News Pipeline reported:
Getting as far away from the large population hubs in America as possible should be looked at as ‘survival rule #1’ as ‘population density’ is one of the most important survival criteria. And with America’s large cities overwhelmingly voting for Hillary Clinton and ‘snowflake’ after ‘cupcake’ having nervous breakdowns recently, finding a place out in the mountains or the country should be a priority for anyone still stuck in the cities or large suburbs. Should chaos strike, would you rather ‘already be where you’re going’ or stuck with 100,000 or more ‘cupcakes’ trying to ‘get away’ from the madness?
And as SHTF noted last week:
Places like Baltimore, Detroit, Washington D.C., New York, Philadelphia and other cities across the map are still deeply divided often police and race issues. Many have seen serious riots, looting and unrest. These social wedge issues are still being pushed from moneyed political interests, while political divide after the direction of the country has become sharp.
Dallas, Texas just suspended pension payments for some of its civil servants, a sign that financial insolvency could create an epidemic during the next crisis. Several states, like California, have over promised benefits to state employees in the pension programs, without ever planning to pay for them. If people lose it, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and the whole of the surrounding areas could simply erupt. Similar problems have left Detroit, Michigan and Puerto Rico, the commonwealth island, extremely vulnerable to bankruptcy and economic apocalypse that could contaminate the nation and global within hours.
If a natural disaster, such as a hurricane, hits the East or Gulf Coast, tens of millions of people could be caught up in traffic, locked in cities without food, and desperate to cling to order and survive. Likewise, if a major earthquake hit the West Coast, millions could be displaced and left without many options. That’s when things turn ugly.
When these cities break down, you’re going to want to be far away from them, and far from the path of millions exiting them and looking for food, resources… and anything they can take.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays… and stay out of harm’s way, whether it be in these disaster zone cities, or any other known risk potential.
Stay prepped, and stay focused on what may prove to be a difficult time ahead.
ZeroHedge.com Dec 25, 2016 12:45 PM
Submitted by Mac Slavo via SHTFPlan.com,
Map Shows Us Where We Don’t Want To Be When It All Turns Ugly h/t All News Pipeline
OK, this is actually pretty obvious – but it is worth pointing out that the “archipelago” of islands across the vast expanse of the United States that carried the vote for Hillary Clinton during the election – also happens to be a ring of the liberal cities that:
a) have exploded with crime, riots and unrest
b) have provided sanctuary for millions of illegal immigrants that have destabilized the country
c) are going bankrupt and will be unable to fulfill pension obligations, or pay their share of social security, welfare, etc.
d) have been foremost in advocating gun control, and ensuring that only criminals and police have guns, while 2nd Amendment arm-bearing citizen have flocked to the rural areas where their rights are not generally restricted
e) will be the first places to be become unstable during any major crisis – as soon as grocery store shelves go empty. Martial law will be the only way to maintain stability, and that will come at a further price to liberty.
f) will be the first place to line up for FEMA camps and beg for food, shelter and rations, again, at a further price to liberty
Of course, there are many more items that could be added to the list, but it gets tedious, and I think everyone gets the point.
Liberal havens have become largely clueless about the real world about them, and have turned a blind eye to the destabilizing forces that are compounding upon them.
IF/WHEN the SHTF, these will be the absolute last places you’d want to be caught dead.
IF you were clueless enough to believe Hillary’s lies and endorse the collapsing establishment line, then there’s a very good chance that you’ll have no idea what to do when the system breaks down. You will either help fuel or be caught up in chaos, violence and desperation – don’t let that be you.
As All News Pipeline reported:
Getting as far away from the large population hubs in America as possible should be looked at as ‘survival rule #1’ as ‘population density’ is one of the most important survival criteria. And with America’s large cities overwhelmingly voting for Hillary Clinton and ‘snowflake’ after ‘cupcake’ having nervous breakdowns recently, finding a place out in the mountains or the country should be a priority for anyone still stuck in the cities or large suburbs. Should chaos strike, would you rather ‘already be where you’re going’ or stuck with 100,000 or more ‘cupcakes’ trying to ‘get away’ from the madness?
And as SHTF noted last week:
Places like Baltimore, Detroit, Washington D.C., New York, Philadelphia and other cities across the map are still deeply divided often police and race issues. Many have seen serious riots, looting and unrest. These social wedge issues are still being pushed from moneyed political interests, while political divide after the direction of the country has become sharp.
Dallas, Texas just suspended pension payments for some of its civil servants, a sign that financial insolvency could create an epidemic during the next crisis. Several states, like California, have over promised benefits to state employees in the pension programs, without ever planning to pay for them. If people lose it, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and the whole of the surrounding areas could simply erupt. Similar problems have left Detroit, Michigan and Puerto Rico, the commonwealth island, extremely vulnerable to bankruptcy and economic apocalypse that could contaminate the nation and global within hours.
If a natural disaster, such as a hurricane, hits the East or Gulf Coast, tens of millions of people could be caught up in traffic, locked in cities without food, and desperate to cling to order and survive. Likewise, if a major earthquake hit the West Coast, millions could be displaced and left without many options. That’s when things turn ugly.
When these cities break down, you’re going to want to be far away from them, and far from the path of millions exiting them and looking for food, resources… and anything they can take.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays… and stay out of harm’s way, whether it be in these disaster zone cities, or any other known risk potential.
Stay prepped, and stay focused on what may prove to be a difficult time ahead.
How Long Does Dehydrated or Freeze-dried Food Last After Opening?
by beprepared.
As you incorporate your food storage items into your day-to-day menu, you may wonder how long those items will store once they're opened.There are a few factors that influence shelf life of opened foods (and you may know what they are if you've read our Shelf Life article):
The quality of the food at the time it is opened
The older food storage gets and the more it is subjected to fluctuating temperatures (meaning below freezing and above 80 degrees), the more deterioration has probably occurred to the food inside the container.
The degree to which food is exposed to oxygen and moisture
The moment the container is opened, the food is exposed to air. Air contains both oxygen and moisture. Many organisms require oxygen to survive. The higher the humidity (moisture content) of the air, the faster the product quality (nutrition and taste) deteriorates.
The degree to which food is exposed to heat and light
Temperature greatly affects the speed at which food deteriorates. The higher the temperature is, the faster the quality (nutrition and taste) deteriorates and the shorter the time that food stays edible and safe. Since many organisms require light to grow, exposure to light also causes deterioration.
As a general rule, food stored in a #10 can or a bucket (depending on the above factors) could stay good up to one year after opening
Recommendations:
How to Keep Your Family Safe If You are Temporarily Displaced by Emergency Essentials May 24, 2016
Safety should never be viewed as a stationary concept. It should be mobile, shifting, and changing to adapt to whatever situation you throw at it, all the while, continuing to keep you and your loved ones as safe as possible. However, safety does not just appear readily prepared on a silver platter. It involves meticulous planning and forethought in order to ensure that every base is covered and no stone is left unturned. When it comes to your safety, it is always best to plan far in advance, and to plan for the possibility that the worst possible outcome can occur (Murphy’s law if you will). This gives you the opportunity to always be prepared and it decreases the chances of a situation getting the better of you and your loved ones.
In the world we live in today, events of catastrophic proportions are not necessarily uncommon. There is nothing crazy about being prepared. On the contrary, it is the best thing for you. Often times, after a life-changing disaster occurs, some families are rendered temporarily displaced. For instance, there are many families that are displaced in Southern California due to the methane leakages, and even more that were displaced up north due to wildfires. There are many people who plan for disasters, but there are not many people that have plans that keep their families adequately safe while they are temporarily displaced. The fight to continue to keep your family safe does not end once you come out unscathed. The playing field merely changes.
Temporary displacement can pose huge challenges to families even if they plan ahead for it. There are many people who wonder what exactly you need to do in order to plan for temporary displacement, and how you can stay safe during this period. Well, take your time to read through this and we will walk you through all the steps that will help you keep your family safe in the event that you are temporarily displaced from your home.
Crafting a Safety Plan
The first, and most important, part of ensuring that your family remains safe while they are temporarily displaced begins with crafting a safety plan. Having a well-crafted and well thought out safety plan can go a long way to determine just how safe your family remains while you’re on the go.
The ideal safety plan for your home should cover every facet of danger that your family could face. This ranges from fire damage, water damage, earthquakes, and a host of other possible outcomes. It is imperative that your safety plan outlines how you should evacuate your home and how to remain safe while doing so. There are a few key things that need to be taken into account while you are constructing this safety plan.
First, you want to make sure that every room in the house has at least two viable exits since this drastically increases the chances of someone getting out alive. Also, it is important to make sure that you and your family picks a central location that is in close proximity to your home to serve as a rendezvous point. In doing so, you gain the ability to make sure that everyone is accounted for.
In addition to the steps listed above, it is imperative that you and your family members are in constant communication about the safety plans you have in place. This is especially important for children, as there are many ways kids may undermine your security. It is also a good idea to make sure that you make emergency kits, and place them where they can be easily accessed. The emergency pack should have copies of all-important documents (health information, banking info, driver’s license etc.) so that you still have access to a semblance of your life even when you are on the go. The emergency kits that you make should be stored in a safe, dry and easily reachable location, preferably not in your home so that it is still accessible if your home is compromised. It is crucial for you to only put basic necessities in your emergency kit. These necessities should include food and water supplies as well as extra cash, medication, radio (burner phones if you can afford a few), first aid kit, and other supplies that might be more specific to your family.
Crafting a well laid out safety plan is the first step to making sure that your family remains safe at all times while they are displaced
Stick Together
It is easy for people to get lost and torn apart when disaster strikes and everything around you is moving at such a fast pace. This causes short-sightedness and forgetfulness, and it is easy to leave things behind and to inadvertently split up with people. In order to keep your family safe while you are temporarily displaced, it is important that you all stick together while you navigate your next move. However, life does not always hand us an ideal situation, so it is best to be prepared for the possibility that you might lose track of someone. In order to deal with this, make sure that each member of your family has some means of communicating with each other. Also, set up several rendezvous points that are all in close proximity to your home. This will allow your family members to meet at designated locations if you are ever split up or if there is a break in communication for a little while, which is highly possible.
Find Shelter
Once you have your family together, the next step of making sure that you all remain secure involves finding an adequate shelter that will house you for a while. The type of shelter that you are privy to is sometimes dependent on the nature of the disaster you are faced with, and how far reaching it might be. In some cases there is no form of alternative shelter close by. This can sometimes be camping out in a hotel room for a few days, or it can be living in a tent provided by the Red Cross. Regardless of what it is, make sure that you continue to keep your family safe. Safety will involve constant communication as well as being wary of strangers. It is important to keep your valuable items and your emergency resources well secured (this can be done by adding cable ties, padlocks, etc. to your emergency supplies) while you are away from your home, and most likely among other people who you do not really know.
Emergency Kits and Survival Skills
It is extremely important for every member of your family to be adequately equipped with an emergency kit and an emergency pack of their own. In the event that you are split up for a little while this will make sure that everyone has enough resources to survive independently. It is important to keep your loved ones safe when they are right by you, but it is even more important to keep them safe when they are not around you. This means that you have to equip them with the necessary tools for them to do so. Each emergency kit should have the necessary items that will help your family member last on their own for at least 3 days. The most important part of this kit should be water, food, and first aid supplies.
In addition to this, it is best to train your family members in basic survival skills before a disaster hits so that they are not left wanting. These survival skills should include everything it will take for them to survive on their own and the means by which they can accomplish this. These include, but are not limited to:
Family means a lot to people, so it comes as no surprise that wanting to keep them safe is a major priority. Hopefully, you are never faced with the grim situation of being temporarily displaced. In the event that you are, the basic steps listed above should be an amazing starting point that will help you keep your family safe while you are in this transition stage.
by beprepared.
As you incorporate your food storage items into your day-to-day menu, you may wonder how long those items will store once they're opened.There are a few factors that influence shelf life of opened foods (and you may know what they are if you've read our Shelf Life article):
The quality of the food at the time it is opened
The older food storage gets and the more it is subjected to fluctuating temperatures (meaning below freezing and above 80 degrees), the more deterioration has probably occurred to the food inside the container.
The degree to which food is exposed to oxygen and moisture
The moment the container is opened, the food is exposed to air. Air contains both oxygen and moisture. Many organisms require oxygen to survive. The higher the humidity (moisture content) of the air, the faster the product quality (nutrition and taste) deteriorates.
The degree to which food is exposed to heat and light
Temperature greatly affects the speed at which food deteriorates. The higher the temperature is, the faster the quality (nutrition and taste) deteriorates and the shorter the time that food stays edible and safe. Since many organisms require light to grow, exposure to light also causes deterioration.
As a general rule, food stored in a #10 can or a bucket (depending on the above factors) could stay good up to one year after opening
Recommendations:
- Once you have opened your food storage, you can prolong its shelf life by eliminating the adverse effects listed above. Store your food in the coolest, darkest, and most airtight environment possible.
- Consider the following options to extend the life of food, once the container has been opened.
- Pour what has not been used into a zip-top freezer bag, and seal the bag. Place the bagged food back into the can and replace the lid (to eliminate light).
- Pour the remaining food into Snapware® containers (shown above), which offer an airtight seal.
- Commercially available sealers can create an airtight environment. Put the food back into the can with the plastic lid secured.
- Generally speaking, refrigeration or frozen storage can extend the life of food. If you do not have much refrigeration or frozen storage space, use a pantry, cupboard, etc.
How to Keep Your Family Safe If You are Temporarily Displaced by Emergency Essentials May 24, 2016
Safety should never be viewed as a stationary concept. It should be mobile, shifting, and changing to adapt to whatever situation you throw at it, all the while, continuing to keep you and your loved ones as safe as possible. However, safety does not just appear readily prepared on a silver platter. It involves meticulous planning and forethought in order to ensure that every base is covered and no stone is left unturned. When it comes to your safety, it is always best to plan far in advance, and to plan for the possibility that the worst possible outcome can occur (Murphy’s law if you will). This gives you the opportunity to always be prepared and it decreases the chances of a situation getting the better of you and your loved ones.
In the world we live in today, events of catastrophic proportions are not necessarily uncommon. There is nothing crazy about being prepared. On the contrary, it is the best thing for you. Often times, after a life-changing disaster occurs, some families are rendered temporarily displaced. For instance, there are many families that are displaced in Southern California due to the methane leakages, and even more that were displaced up north due to wildfires. There are many people who plan for disasters, but there are not many people that have plans that keep their families adequately safe while they are temporarily displaced. The fight to continue to keep your family safe does not end once you come out unscathed. The playing field merely changes.
Temporary displacement can pose huge challenges to families even if they plan ahead for it. There are many people who wonder what exactly you need to do in order to plan for temporary displacement, and how you can stay safe during this period. Well, take your time to read through this and we will walk you through all the steps that will help you keep your family safe in the event that you are temporarily displaced from your home.
Crafting a Safety Plan
The first, and most important, part of ensuring that your family remains safe while they are temporarily displaced begins with crafting a safety plan. Having a well-crafted and well thought out safety plan can go a long way to determine just how safe your family remains while you’re on the go.
The ideal safety plan for your home should cover every facet of danger that your family could face. This ranges from fire damage, water damage, earthquakes, and a host of other possible outcomes. It is imperative that your safety plan outlines how you should evacuate your home and how to remain safe while doing so. There are a few key things that need to be taken into account while you are constructing this safety plan.
First, you want to make sure that every room in the house has at least two viable exits since this drastically increases the chances of someone getting out alive. Also, it is important to make sure that you and your family picks a central location that is in close proximity to your home to serve as a rendezvous point. In doing so, you gain the ability to make sure that everyone is accounted for.
In addition to the steps listed above, it is imperative that you and your family members are in constant communication about the safety plans you have in place. This is especially important for children, as there are many ways kids may undermine your security. It is also a good idea to make sure that you make emergency kits, and place them where they can be easily accessed. The emergency pack should have copies of all-important documents (health information, banking info, driver’s license etc.) so that you still have access to a semblance of your life even when you are on the go. The emergency kits that you make should be stored in a safe, dry and easily reachable location, preferably not in your home so that it is still accessible if your home is compromised. It is crucial for you to only put basic necessities in your emergency kit. These necessities should include food and water supplies as well as extra cash, medication, radio (burner phones if you can afford a few), first aid kit, and other supplies that might be more specific to your family.
Crafting a well laid out safety plan is the first step to making sure that your family remains safe at all times while they are displaced
Stick Together
It is easy for people to get lost and torn apart when disaster strikes and everything around you is moving at such a fast pace. This causes short-sightedness and forgetfulness, and it is easy to leave things behind and to inadvertently split up with people. In order to keep your family safe while you are temporarily displaced, it is important that you all stick together while you navigate your next move. However, life does not always hand us an ideal situation, so it is best to be prepared for the possibility that you might lose track of someone. In order to deal with this, make sure that each member of your family has some means of communicating with each other. Also, set up several rendezvous points that are all in close proximity to your home. This will allow your family members to meet at designated locations if you are ever split up or if there is a break in communication for a little while, which is highly possible.
Find Shelter
Once you have your family together, the next step of making sure that you all remain secure involves finding an adequate shelter that will house you for a while. The type of shelter that you are privy to is sometimes dependent on the nature of the disaster you are faced with, and how far reaching it might be. In some cases there is no form of alternative shelter close by. This can sometimes be camping out in a hotel room for a few days, or it can be living in a tent provided by the Red Cross. Regardless of what it is, make sure that you continue to keep your family safe. Safety will involve constant communication as well as being wary of strangers. It is important to keep your valuable items and your emergency resources well secured (this can be done by adding cable ties, padlocks, etc. to your emergency supplies) while you are away from your home, and most likely among other people who you do not really know.
Emergency Kits and Survival Skills
It is extremely important for every member of your family to be adequately equipped with an emergency kit and an emergency pack of their own. In the event that you are split up for a little while this will make sure that everyone has enough resources to survive independently. It is important to keep your loved ones safe when they are right by you, but it is even more important to keep them safe when they are not around you. This means that you have to equip them with the necessary tools for them to do so. Each emergency kit should have the necessary items that will help your family member last on their own for at least 3 days. The most important part of this kit should be water, food, and first aid supplies.
In addition to this, it is best to train your family members in basic survival skills before a disaster hits so that they are not left wanting. These survival skills should include everything it will take for them to survive on their own and the means by which they can accomplish this. These include, but are not limited to:
- Having an attitude that will help them calmly assess and evaluate situations
- Learning how to manage water supplies and how to obtain clean, drinkable water
- Learning how to build a fire
- Practicing life saving skills like Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
Family means a lot to people, so it comes as no surprise that wanting to keep them safe is a major priority. Hopefully, you are never faced with the grim situation of being temporarily displaced. In the event that you are, the basic steps listed above should be an amazing starting point that will help you keep your family safe while you are in this transition stage.
5 Tips to Stay Safe During Civil Unrest
Posted on September 14, 2016 by Emergency Essentials
Germany, Lithuania and other European countries is encouraging her citizens to get their emergency prep together, just in case of more civil unrest and other catastrophes. They are recommending at least a minimum of 10 days of food, water, fuel and medicine in case of an event. Venezuela is running out of food, and residents are taking to the streets. We’ve even seen riots in our own streets here in the United States. Political demonstrations have a more threatening feeling than they have in the past. These are just a few examples of the unrest happening throughout the world, and if things continue how they’ve been going, things might get even worse.
When your streets turn ugly, there are certain steps to take that can help you stay safe. Hopefully you will never be in such a dangerous situation, but since things like demonstrations, riots, and civil unrest can happen abruptly, knowing what to do before it happens is crucial. These 5 steps can help you stay safe during civil unrest.
Literally. Information will be your best friend before and during a crisis situation such as civil unrest. Stay aware of any local situations that could escalate into riots. Know where the danger zones are and steer clear of them before unrest even hits its peak. The Survival Mom even suggests following rabble-rousers on Facebook or Twitter so when they publicize their events, you’ll know exactly where not to go. While a crisis is ongoing, keep your television and/or radio tuned to your local news station. Should the power be out, make sure you have an emergency radio (battery operated of hand-crank) so you will still have a way of gathering information.
Just like any natural disaster or emergency, having the resources already on hand will be a tremendous help during times of civil unrest. Since there’s a good chance you will be confined to your home during these times, you will want to make sure you have enough food to get you through.
Civil unrest is often associated with looting and riots. As such, grocery stores may be emptied or, if they’re not, they may be difficult to get to due to blocked streets and dangerous situations. Having an emergency food storage will allow you to stay inside until things blow over.
Aside from food, collect alternate power and light sources, along with things to keep you warm, including sleeping bags and portable heaters. Power might get shut off due to demonstrations or riots, leaving you in the dark. Depending on the time of year, things could get uncomfortably cold. If you own a firearm, having sufficient ammunition to defend your home might also be in order. Be prepared for any situation.
One of the most important strategies in staying safe during civil unrest is to stay home. Home is generally the safest place to be during civil unrest. If you’re inside when riots or other unrest begins, don’t go out to get a better look. The last thing you want is to be involved in the chaos. However, should you find yourself outside of your house when unrest breaks out, stay away from the active areas and make your way back home as quickly as possible.
Safe rooms are an important thing to have in your home, especially if you live in a high tornado or hurricane area. These disaster specific safe rooms can also be used to help protect you from not just natural disasters, but fire and looters as well. FEMA’s guidelines for safe rooms are mainly for natural disasters, but they can easily be upgraded for fireproofing and bulletproofing.
Being aware of your surroundings is important on a day to day level, but crucial during times of unrest. Keep your wits about you and your eyes and ears open. This means stay focused on getting out of a potentially bad situation. Keep your phone in your pocket (unless absolutely necessary), as focusing on a text or call can distract you from what’s really going on. Keep your focus on the present, at what is happening around you. This way, you can spot trouble before it escalates to an obvious level.
Situational Awareness
- Stay Tuned ( Have a crank radio and plenty of batteries )
- Collect Resources ( Food and water for 10 days minimum plus heat, sleeping bags, alternative light sources, etc. )
- Stay Home ( Lock doors and windows - stay inside. )
- Have a Safe Room ( Be able to defend your property )
- Venezuela Food Crisis: A Warning to the WorldPosted on September 7, 2016
Empty shelves in Venezuela - via ABC NewsVenezuela is on the brink of collapse. With food prices skyrocketing, people are struggling to feed their families. Crime is on the rise. Long lines of people wind endlessly around the supermarket in the hopes of securing just the bare necessities. Oftentimes they go home empty handed.
Citizens are now revolting against the leaders that brought them into this mess.
This report by the Washington Post shows just how delicate the situation is in Venezuela. Led by President Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s socialist-inspired revolution used to provide plenty of government funding to “create a more equal society.”
Looking at what’s happening in Venezuela now, that didn’t work so well.
For a while, things were fine. People thrived, and much of that success was due to their strong oil economy. During the Chávez era, governments helped subsidize mothers in extreme poverty, helped people finish construction on their houses, and even help youth receive scholarships – all great things.
Then the money dried up.
With high prices, food is hard to come by - via Washington PostOil prices tanked, and the government-run supermarkets that provided the basics at subsidized prices are practically empty, and due to 700% inflation, even these subsidized supermarkets are forced to sell their goods at exorbitant prices. Food is scarce, many children don’t have the energy to even attend school. One Venezuelan journalist eats only one meal a day which consists of one egg. With empty supermarkets and no hope on the horizon, things are certainly not what the people of Venezuela had expected from their government.
“We’re tired,” said one woman as reported by NBC News, “tired of hunger and humiliation.”
Thousands of people from all across the country gathered in Caracas to protests against the worsening economic crisis. A coup was even attempted, but failed. People want change, because with change comes more access to food. PBS reported that Venezuelans are “losing hope that their government-controlled system will supply key items.”
The situation in Venezuela is a warning to the United States – and every other developed nation. While the U.S. may not be in the same dire straits as they are, a look back can show just how gradual it was. Venezuela prospered for many years. Then, slowly, things worsened, until the food crisis arrived in full swing, increasing its intensity until food was nowhere to be found.
How does one prepare for such a crisis? It can be difficult to predict something like this happening, especially during the good times. But it’s during the good times that we as a people must prepare for the difficult times.
Food prices have soared in Venezuela. A dozen eggs now costs $150 on the black market, not much more than the official government pricing. This is where emergency food storage comes into play. No matter what the prices jump to in the future, your food storage maintains its value. In fact, it’s like an investment in that when food prices rise, you’re already prepared so you don’t have to spend $150 on twelve eggs.
Likewise, only eating a few eggs a day will get old fast. By stocking up with food, you can ensure you have the food you actually want to eat, rather than rely on the supermarket to provide you with the very basics, assuming the shelves haven’t been stripped bare by the time you arrive.
Food prices spiking and many different stages of civil unrest can make acquiring food not just difficult, but nearly impossible. Take the time now – before a crisis – to prepare for any emergency scenario.
This entry was posted in Civil Unrest and tagged food crisis, Venezuela, civil unrest on September 7, 2016 by Emergency Essentials.
Shelter in Place: Not Just for Natural Disasters - Posted on March 29, 2016
On March 28, 2016, the entire Capitol Complex and White House in Washington were put on lock down after there were shots fired by a gunman. According to reports, nobody was killed and the gunman was taken into custody.
Those already inside buildings were told to shelter in place – nobody was to enter or exit buildings. Those outside were directed to find cover.
We sometimes think we’ll only need enough water, food, and gear to shelter in place during freak snow storms, hurricanes, or other natural disasters. This scenario shows that people can be a cause for us to hunker down inside as well. While perhaps not as probably to happen as a natural disaster forcing you inside, it’s still something to think about.
Civil unrest can explode into riots in no time. Most recently we’ve seen unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, and Baltimore, Maryland, which led to rioting, looting, and violence. During times like these, the last place you want to be is out on the streets.
Generally speaking, the need to shelter in place is generally for taking immediate refuge in a building or room because of hazardous materials in the atmosphere, severe weather, or anything else that would cause danger if you were to wander outside, including riots and civil unrest.
Preparing to shelter in place is largely related to preparing for anything else. For example, if you have a two-week supply of drinking water just in case a hurricane roars through and contaminates your municipal supply of water, then you’re also ready with two-weeks of water if you should be trapped in your home for that long.
Of course, two weeks is a long time to be trapped inside for any reason, and chances are it won’t be nearly that long at all. But the fact remains, it you’re prepared for disaster, you’re prepared to shelter in place.
However, there are some extra precautions to take when sheltering in place. According to the CDC, it could also mean to seal the room, or prevent air from coming in. If you’re sheltering at home, make sure you choose a room in advance in which to take shelter. The CDC recommends a large room with as few windows and doors as possible. A room connected to a water supply is preferable, such as the master bedroom. This, of course, is if there are harmful contaminants in the air.
Sheltering in place during civil unrest is different. These events can last for many days. For example, the unrest in Ferguson, Missouri went on for over two weeks. While you may not be trapped inside for the entire duration, there’s always the possibility that you could be.
So, as was mentioned earlier, the preparations you make prior to these types of events will come in very handy should the need to shelter in place arise. Food, water, a 72-hour kit, alternate power sources, and any other gear you have can only help you if you’re stuck inside.
And if you can’t leave, then you may also want to have some entertainment on hand, such as books and board games. Your television will probably work, but there’s no telling if your power could get cut during riots or snowstorms or whatever it may be.
Prepare now for the unexpected, because it’s usually the things we’re not looking for that can cause the biggest distress in our lives.
This entry was posted in Disaster Scenarios and tagged Ferguson, riot, civil unrest, shelter in place on March 29, 2016 by Emergency Essentials.
10 Basic Rules of Self Defenseby beprepared.
When the phrase “emergency preparedness” comes to mind, we often think of natural disasters or food shortages. But there are also everyday situations like walking home or getting stuck on the side of the road that could turn into larger emergencies if we aren’t careful.
Many of us don’t think through or prepare for a physical attack on our person, even if we’re aware they happen to people in the world every day. And while there’s no way to predict the way a predatory attack could go, there are several ways to avoid dangerous situations.
Here are 10 basic self-defense rules to keep you safe and to deter potential attackers:1) Know your path. Be familiar with the routes and paths you take home or to your bug-out location. Knowing your path means knowing the places people could hide and giving those areas a wide berth when passing. It also means avoiding poorly lit or unfamiliar shortcuts that might get you lost or cornered.
2) Make sure someone knows where you are and when to expect you. This is true of many situations you may find yourself in, like hiking, traveling to or from work, or evacuating during an emergency. Keeping a close friend or emergency contact up-to-date on your location is as simple as a quick phone call or text message.
3) Walk confidently. Many predators are looking for someone they think they can overpower, much like a predator in the wild. Walk with purpose and direction, paying attention as you go so you avoid surprises.
4) Trust your instincts. If you think someone might be following you or are unnerved by someone in close proximity, it’s better to get to a busy area and contact someone you trust to pick you up.
5) Avoid routines that could easily be followed. If possible, avoid doing certain activities, like withdrawing money or taking the same routes home, at the same time each day.
6) Carry objects capable of making noise: cell phones, whistles, horns, etc., anything that can alert people to your situation. The sound from an emergency whistle can travel farther and is louder than simply yelling for help. Self-defense organizations such as Safety and Self Defense Solutions also encourage possible victims of attacks to yell ‘fire’ to draw attention and scare off an attacker. People are more likely to respond to someone yelling ‘fire’ than to someone yelling ‘help.’
7) Always know what tools you have to defend yourself and make them reachable before they are needed. For example, keeping your keys in your hand while walking to your car and letting the point jut between your knuckles can be used as a surprise weapon; or a monkey fist made from paracord can be used as an effective tool to stun an attacker.
8) Know the sensitive areas of your attacker and the way these areas can be exploited. The eyes, ears, throat, groin, knees and shins are all areas that hurt when hit. For example an ear slap or groin attack can give you the upper hand.
Check out the videos below to learn how to do an ear slap and a groin attack effectively.
View How to Do an Ear Clap in Self-Defense on Howcast
View How to Attack an Assailant's Groin in Self-Defense on Howcast9) Do not linger to fight: the bash and dash is the most effective approach. Once the attacker is hurt and his attention is diverted, go as quickly as you can to a busy area and call someone you trust. If your attacker gets a hold of you, do everything you can to keep them from taking you to a second location.
10) Take a self-defense class at your local YMCA or Rape, Aggression, Defense (R.A.D.) chapter to give you practical experience and to increase your preparedness.
Education, attention, and assertion will be your best assets in warding off possible attacks.
When the phrase “emergency preparedness” comes to mind, we often think of natural disasters or food shortages. But there are also everyday situations like walking home or getting stuck on the side of the road that could turn into larger emergencies if we aren’t careful.
Many of us don’t think through or prepare for a physical attack on our person, even if we’re aware they happen to people in the world every day. And while there’s no way to predict the way a predatory attack could go, there are several ways to avoid dangerous situations.
Here are 10 basic self-defense rules to keep you safe and to deter potential attackers:1) Know your path. Be familiar with the routes and paths you take home or to your bug-out location. Knowing your path means knowing the places people could hide and giving those areas a wide berth when passing. It also means avoiding poorly lit or unfamiliar shortcuts that might get you lost or cornered.
2) Make sure someone knows where you are and when to expect you. This is true of many situations you may find yourself in, like hiking, traveling to or from work, or evacuating during an emergency. Keeping a close friend or emergency contact up-to-date on your location is as simple as a quick phone call or text message.
3) Walk confidently. Many predators are looking for someone they think they can overpower, much like a predator in the wild. Walk with purpose and direction, paying attention as you go so you avoid surprises.
4) Trust your instincts. If you think someone might be following you or are unnerved by someone in close proximity, it’s better to get to a busy area and contact someone you trust to pick you up.
5) Avoid routines that could easily be followed. If possible, avoid doing certain activities, like withdrawing money or taking the same routes home, at the same time each day.
6) Carry objects capable of making noise: cell phones, whistles, horns, etc., anything that can alert people to your situation. The sound from an emergency whistle can travel farther and is louder than simply yelling for help. Self-defense organizations such as Safety and Self Defense Solutions also encourage possible victims of attacks to yell ‘fire’ to draw attention and scare off an attacker. People are more likely to respond to someone yelling ‘fire’ than to someone yelling ‘help.’
7) Always know what tools you have to defend yourself and make them reachable before they are needed. For example, keeping your keys in your hand while walking to your car and letting the point jut between your knuckles can be used as a surprise weapon; or a monkey fist made from paracord can be used as an effective tool to stun an attacker.
8) Know the sensitive areas of your attacker and the way these areas can be exploited. The eyes, ears, throat, groin, knees and shins are all areas that hurt when hit. For example an ear slap or groin attack can give you the upper hand.
Check out the videos below to learn how to do an ear slap and a groin attack effectively.
View How to Do an Ear Clap in Self-Defense on Howcast
View How to Attack an Assailant's Groin in Self-Defense on Howcast9) Do not linger to fight: the bash and dash is the most effective approach. Once the attacker is hurt and his attention is diverted, go as quickly as you can to a busy area and call someone you trust. If your attacker gets a hold of you, do everything you can to keep them from taking you to a second location.
10) Take a self-defense class at your local YMCA or Rape, Aggression, Defense (R.A.D.) chapter to give you practical experience and to increase your preparedness.
Education, attention, and assertion will be your best assets in warding off possible attacks.
Survival 101: Foraging for Edible Plants
by beprepared.com
Learning to forage for edible plants is just as important to your survival as knowing how to build a snare or trap. If you're lost in the wild without an emergency food supply, foraging can act as a temporary solution to give you the energy and strength you need to survive as you wait for rescuers.
Why foraging? We obviously think food storage is important, and you can really get a balanced, nutritious, and awesome menu just from food storage. But hey, if you're up for the adventure and you're careful to look for the right foods, you can use foraging to bring some new, different flavors to the table—not to mention some lettuce, which simply doesn't do well as a food storage item (spinach and cabbage being the obvious—and delicious—exceptions).
Foraging RulesIf you’re new to foraging, you’ll want to establish some rules before you start looking for edible plants. For example, most people know that some mushrooms can be poisonous, so one of your rules might be to stay away from all mushrooms if you don’t know what’s poisonous and what’s not.
Foraging rules will keep you healthy and safe if you have to find wild plants to eat. Here are a couple of rules to get you started. Once you start foraging, you can add more of your own.
Areas to Look for Edible Plants
Since many edible plants are classified as weeds you can start looking for plants in your lawn or other areas that are regularly cleared like parks and fields. Also, depending on the region of the United States you live in, edible plants will grow in different areas of the landscape.
Generally, in humid regions, most of your edible plants will be found in a sunny area or clearing. In drier climates, your wild plants will be found near water sources.
Also, if you're out in the woods or an unknown place, look for plants that are growing in abundance. Stay away from plants that you may only see one or two of in the area. If a plant is growing in large abundance, it is more likely to be non-toxic and edible. However, before eating that plant, always perform the universal edibility test (a test to determine if a plant will make you sick or not) on any plants you are not 100% sure of.
For a more detailed guide of where to find plants, you can purchase a plant guide specific to your state. Also, The Sense of Survival gives great tips about finding and preparing edible plants.
How to Avoid Deadly Plants
The Art of Manliness gives eight features of poisonous plants to watch out for:
If you find a plant you think is edible but aren’t sure, you can test whether it’s poisonous or not by performing the Universal Edibility Test.
5 Edible Plants to Know
Dandelion: Flower, leaves, stem, and root are all edible. Flowers taste best as a bud or at a barely-open stage in salads or sautéed in butter. The leaves (best young, in early spring) are highly nutritious, good in salads or stir-fry. The root (best in winter) needs to be parboiled (partially cooked in boiling water), then drained and boiled again until tender.
Grasses: all grasses are edible, but it’s best to chew the leaves, swallow the juice, and spit out the tough fibers. Where the base of the leaves meets the root, there’s a small, white part called the corm, which can be roasted and eaten like potatoes.
Cattails: the roots, shoots, and pollen heads are edible. For tips on eating cattail pollen, check out these great tips from the "Hunger and Thirst" Blog.
GooseFoot: belongs to the same family as spinach, chard, and beets. The leaves of such varieties as “Lamb’s Quarters” are gathered and cooked as a vegetable. The seeds are called “quinoa,” a gluten-free grain-alternative quickly increasing in popularity as a cereal, side dish, or bread ingredient.
Prickly Pear: this cactus-like plant grows from one to eight feet in height, and needs warm, dry, rocky soil. The pads resemble thick leaves and bear tufts of tiny, barbed bristles that are hard to see and harder to remove from the skin, so approach this plant with gloves and tongs! Using tongs, swish the fruit in water to remove the spines, and then carefully remove any remaining ones with a knife or peeler. The pads can be sliced and cooked for a vegetable (Nopalitos). The nutritious fruit can be used to make nectar, juice, jelly, candy, or pie. The branches can be roasted and peeled to get to edible pulp inside, and the seeds, parched and pulverized, are a good thickening agent.
These are just five edible plants you can find in the wild to get you started. Happy foraging!
What are some other edible plants you’ve found? Any other safety tips you'd like to share?
Sources
Universal Edibility test: http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/universal-edibility-test.htm
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2010/10/06/surviving-in-the-wild-19-common-edible-plants/
http://news.discovery.com/adventure/survival/guide-to-common-edible-wild-plants.htm
http://www.wikihow.com/Find-Wild-Edible-Plants
www.preparednessadvice.com
www.backwoodshome.com/articles
by beprepared.com
Learning to forage for edible plants is just as important to your survival as knowing how to build a snare or trap. If you're lost in the wild without an emergency food supply, foraging can act as a temporary solution to give you the energy and strength you need to survive as you wait for rescuers.
Why foraging? We obviously think food storage is important, and you can really get a balanced, nutritious, and awesome menu just from food storage. But hey, if you're up for the adventure and you're careful to look for the right foods, you can use foraging to bring some new, different flavors to the table—not to mention some lettuce, which simply doesn't do well as a food storage item (spinach and cabbage being the obvious—and delicious—exceptions).
Foraging RulesIf you’re new to foraging, you’ll want to establish some rules before you start looking for edible plants. For example, most people know that some mushrooms can be poisonous, so one of your rules might be to stay away from all mushrooms if you don’t know what’s poisonous and what’s not.
Foraging rules will keep you healthy and safe if you have to find wild plants to eat. Here are a couple of rules to get you started. Once you start foraging, you can add more of your own.
- Never eat anything if you’re not 100% sure of what it is.
- Be careful of where you forage (make sure you know the landscape, holes, threats, rivers, etc.).
- Stick with a few items you’re familiar with rather than spending hours searching for new plant species that might be dangerous.
- Memorize a few different types of edible plants common to your area (grasses are common enough plants to most areas, so if you get lost in the woods out of your home state, you know that grass is one plant you can count on.)
- Consult a field guide for preparation and cooking instructions for the plants (what if there’s a part of the plant that is inedible? You’ll want to know what to cut off and what to keep).
- Watch out for animals.
- Let someone know where you’re going before you go out foraging.
Areas to Look for Edible Plants
Since many edible plants are classified as weeds you can start looking for plants in your lawn or other areas that are regularly cleared like parks and fields. Also, depending on the region of the United States you live in, edible plants will grow in different areas of the landscape.
Generally, in humid regions, most of your edible plants will be found in a sunny area or clearing. In drier climates, your wild plants will be found near water sources.
Also, if you're out in the woods or an unknown place, look for plants that are growing in abundance. Stay away from plants that you may only see one or two of in the area. If a plant is growing in large abundance, it is more likely to be non-toxic and edible. However, before eating that plant, always perform the universal edibility test (a test to determine if a plant will make you sick or not) on any plants you are not 100% sure of.
For a more detailed guide of where to find plants, you can purchase a plant guide specific to your state. Also, The Sense of Survival gives great tips about finding and preparing edible plants.
How to Avoid Deadly Plants
The Art of Manliness gives eight features of poisonous plants to watch out for:
- Milky or discolored sap
- Spines, fine hairs, or thorns
- Beans, bulbs, or seeds inside pods
- Bitter or soapy taste
- Dill, carrot, parsnip, or parsley-like foliage
- “Almond” scent in the woody parts and leaves
- Grain heads with pink, purplish, or black spurs
- Three-leaved growth pattern
If you find a plant you think is edible but aren’t sure, you can test whether it’s poisonous or not by performing the Universal Edibility Test.
5 Edible Plants to Know
Dandelion: Flower, leaves, stem, and root are all edible. Flowers taste best as a bud or at a barely-open stage in salads or sautéed in butter. The leaves (best young, in early spring) are highly nutritious, good in salads or stir-fry. The root (best in winter) needs to be parboiled (partially cooked in boiling water), then drained and boiled again until tender.
Grasses: all grasses are edible, but it’s best to chew the leaves, swallow the juice, and spit out the tough fibers. Where the base of the leaves meets the root, there’s a small, white part called the corm, which can be roasted and eaten like potatoes.
Cattails: the roots, shoots, and pollen heads are edible. For tips on eating cattail pollen, check out these great tips from the "Hunger and Thirst" Blog.
GooseFoot: belongs to the same family as spinach, chard, and beets. The leaves of such varieties as “Lamb’s Quarters” are gathered and cooked as a vegetable. The seeds are called “quinoa,” a gluten-free grain-alternative quickly increasing in popularity as a cereal, side dish, or bread ingredient.
Prickly Pear: this cactus-like plant grows from one to eight feet in height, and needs warm, dry, rocky soil. The pads resemble thick leaves and bear tufts of tiny, barbed bristles that are hard to see and harder to remove from the skin, so approach this plant with gloves and tongs! Using tongs, swish the fruit in water to remove the spines, and then carefully remove any remaining ones with a knife or peeler. The pads can be sliced and cooked for a vegetable (Nopalitos). The nutritious fruit can be used to make nectar, juice, jelly, candy, or pie. The branches can be roasted and peeled to get to edible pulp inside, and the seeds, parched and pulverized, are a good thickening agent.
These are just five edible plants you can find in the wild to get you started. Happy foraging!
What are some other edible plants you’ve found? Any other safety tips you'd like to share?
Sources
Universal Edibility test: http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/universal-edibility-test.htm
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2010/10/06/surviving-in-the-wild-19-common-edible-plants/
http://news.discovery.com/adventure/survival/guide-to-common-edible-wild-plants.htm
http://www.wikihow.com/Find-Wild-Edible-Plants
www.preparednessadvice.com
www.backwoodshome.com/articles
Emergency ... Prepare Now!
Monday, October 17, 2016 13:52
(Before It's News)
10-17-16
The hour is late and the very real threat of a nuclear or EMP attack is in our faces and can happen at any moment. If you have not been prepping, the stuff that will make this transition into prehistoric days easier has passed! But it’s not too late for the bare, vital essentials. You must do the following steps NOW! There is NO TIME LEFT when WAR has been declared either by act from our enemies or word from Big Brother. And don’t depend much on the latter.
These are not detailed, and the minimal explanations on why to do this or that will be just that. Minimal. It’s time to get down to the nitty gritty, no-time-to-study, no time to build a safe room, etc. We are talking ESSENTALS, no frills, no luxury items. At the very least read the following, have the basic information in your head to work from. If you wait, and all utilities, which incldes the internet, are lost you lose out too. This post will be in la-la land somewhere in the destroyed universe. The internet will NOT always be there for us.
THINK: People are stampeding one another, assaulting one another over a damn TOASTER during Black Friday. What do you think it will be like during SHTF with LIMITED supplies in the stores? Shop NOW! Listen, if NOTHING HAPPENS, FABULOUS! But to have these tools on hand and the informations shared? Well, THAT is priceless. We live in very uncertain times. We need to ALWAYS be diligent & prepared. Lets hope & pray that things cool down very, very swiftly.
Lets jump right in: (These are NOT in priority order)
SHELTER The first few hours are the most dangerous! Take cover as deep as you can go, layering anything you get your hands on, placed above you. A basement is ideal but not always accessible. What if you’re at the grocery store when an attack hits? Most likely your vehicle will not work when you venture out to head home (But only after the first few hours should you leave). Have sturdy, sensible shoes in your vehicle because you will most likely be walking a long, long way home. Also keep a backpack with essentials such as water, extra jacket, lemon drops (you’ll be walking quite a distance, not enough water to keep you hydrated) etc. in your vehicle as well as a luggage cart with wheels. (these things also handy for earthquake prep to keep in your car) Don’t go hiking home in camo clothing, you do NOT want to stand out. RETHINK what you carry in your vehicle EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU LEAVE HOME DURING THIS CRITICAL TIME. Can’t make it home & the air raid sirens are blasting? Get under a huge semi truck, under anything! A swift make-shift lean-to with pallets, just do NOT be out in the open for the wave to hit you. You’re home? Still, get UNDER as much stuff as you can. Later: No heat in the house? Set up your camping tent indoors, sleep in it, play in it, read in it, live in it to conserve body heat. NEVER set up the family BBQ indoors, you will all die. That is NOT an exaggeration. Do NOT use the gas oven to heat the house, with the door left open the thermostat cannot regulate and a lovely life-threatening fire will ensue. Have floor or ceiling heating vents? Get those covered up! you can use aluminum foil, wrap it aropund the vent from the underside. Then thick plastic over the top. Get a few rolls of heavy plastic to cover all windows, doors, a/c units ANY opening from inside your home/shelter. (don’t do this covering yet)
WASTE Plan on not being able to go outside for a few weeks. If you have pets you need to prepare for the disposal of their waste as well as your own. Walmart carrys chemicals in their boating section for human waste and they have buckets in the paint dept. Take it from there. Kitty litter also good to deter odors. And Walmart has mint-scented trash bags that also repells insects and rodents. You may need puppy training pads to re-educate your pets on where to potty indoors. Baby wipes or even large pieces of fabric to use as a re-useable toilet paper. Different color or print for each member of the household. Each cleans their own pad/fabric piece and keeps it clean. Hygene never was more important than in this situation. (MORE: http://tacticalintelligence.net/blog/survival-sanitation-how-to-deal-with-human-waste.htm)
WATER Begin storing water NOW. It is bulky to store, the only thing that can’t be dehydrated, but it’s imperative that you stock up! Fill every conceivable container. Walmart sells 7 gallon aqua-tainers and they will be out of stock real soon. Get bleach that has no additives (scent, etc) use ONLY pure bleach. Add 1.5 teaspoons of pure bleach to every 7 gallons of water. Fill your washing machine, yout tub, water, water, water! If nothing happens, use the tub water to bathe in, clean the tub and refill it. This way you’re not wasting water. Same with your clothes washer. You might collect water from irrigation ditches or ponds for your animals BEFORE any attack, absolutely NOT AFTER, stored in a clearly marked separate container. Irrigation water is NOT fit for human consumption. If you have bottled water that has expired, use it for the animals, they won’t mind or use it for cooking. Do NOT throw any saved water out! And do NOT use water from any of your faucets after an attack! It will be seriously contaminated, as-in you will glow in the dark contaminated! We’re not playing here.
FAMILY Condition your emotions. For those who have adult children living in another state than you, or who are hundreds of miles away, you need to come to terms that you may not ever get together. Especially with an EMT: no phones, no vehicles, no email/text, no nada. Total rustic barbaric conditions. You will not be able to contact your loved ones. Plan for that, get your head wrapped around that. This will be extremely difficult! Provisions for a crowd, but figure you will go through this alone. Those with children, plenty of indoor activities: crayons, nerf balls, board games, cards.
411 Have a am/fm radio with batteries for updates. But please take any broadcasted update with a grain of salt. A tiny bit of paranoia and a large dose of wisdom during this time would be a very good thing.
PROTECTION Baseball bat, prayer, weapons, lumber, your pet. Open your door to NO ONE automatically, no matter how frantic the person may sound! Be sure who is at your door always first. Always, no matter how competent your guard dog is. People are attacking others over a toaster on Black Fridays, it will be even worse during WROL/SHTF! Open your door and you are dead. In more than one way. Preparation NOW: Go and dig a hole the size of your ice chest plus about a foot or more, deeper than the container. Save the fill dirt AWAY from your hole. This is a stealth burial so to speak. Cover the hole with wood and plants. If, during martial law, you hear of gun/weapon confiscation, go put your weapons & ammo in the ice chest and bury them! I would also add a few heavy duty trash bags (the ice chest within the bag as added protection against the elements) You will NOT have time to do this AFTER hearing about gun grabs, the hole must be prepared ahead of time, and in an inconspicuous area. Plus, you never know what you may encounter, such as the dirt is too solid to dig through, soak it overnight and continue digging again next day. Will they use metal detectors? A bigger hole. I hear some people boast that ‘no military is taking their weapons from them’. Well that sounds nice and tough, maybe silly masochism, but only to yourself. We all know what will happen if you try to out-gun or resist. Instant death. Problem is, those with you will be killed as well. Think. Also, Load up NOW on batteries and extra bulbs for your flashlights.
PETS If your pet cannot viciously and completely protect you, give it away NOW. To simply let the animal(s) loose once SHTF is cruel and they will die a horrific death. If you keep the animal(s) and provisions will not last, (people come first) put the animal down, it's the most humane (& difficult) thing to do. Ladies: time to cowgirl up, drop the sentimentality, they will be your undoing.
FOOD Fallout can and will land on your food stuffs, cans, packages, whatever. Wipe them down with a damp cloth before opening. Never toss the canning liquid, you will need the water. Drink it or give it to your pet. Save cooking water as well, use it to rehydrate a survival meal next time or give to the pets. If the cooking water is really, horribly fouled, and been reused over & over, it can be used in the bathroom for rinsing/wiping. You are not throwing out ANY water. You MUST be a total scrooge with your water! Gather Large garden containers & appropriate soil NOW to grow your food indoors. Quit using your freezer to store food, start using up your frozen foods now. There will be no way to keep the refrig running and you’ll have other perishables to consume once the power is off such as milk & such. Stick with canning or dehydrated, not freezing.
MEDICATION Renew your prescriptions in a 3-month supply NOW. Keep plenty of burn treatment and bandaging, anticeptics on hand. (Radiation burns) Start your homemade antibiotic tinctures NOW, it lasts for years but take 3 weeks to ‘ripen’. (http://deeprootsathome.com/garlic-tincture-diy-home-remedy/)
MISC All items you purchase, get them INSIDE your home, away from potential fallout and thieves. Don’t forget several rolls of heavy duty duct tape & candles, lots of matches. Be mindful of barter items for once the dust settles. If SHTF These 17 Items Will Be Worth Their Weight In Gold Keep checking Steve Quayle’s page. If it’s RED, then war is IMMINENT! http://www.stevequayle.com/
I will be updating, adding to, & editing this post throughout the coming days and weeks so please keep checking back. Be careful, folks. If you have other last-minute survival tips, please use the comment section and thanks in advance for your helpful comment contributions, lets help each other out the best we can.
For more details go to https://revivehope.wordpress.com/category/safety-2 OR https://revivehope.wordpress.com/category/prepare-2/basic-disaster-supply-kit/AND http://tacticalintelligence.net/blog/survival-sanitation-how-to-deal-with-human-waste.htmOR http://www.family-survival-planning.com/nuclear-attack.html
Monday, October 17, 2016 13:52
(Before It's News)
10-17-16
The hour is late and the very real threat of a nuclear or EMP attack is in our faces and can happen at any moment. If you have not been prepping, the stuff that will make this transition into prehistoric days easier has passed! But it’s not too late for the bare, vital essentials. You must do the following steps NOW! There is NO TIME LEFT when WAR has been declared either by act from our enemies or word from Big Brother. And don’t depend much on the latter.
These are not detailed, and the minimal explanations on why to do this or that will be just that. Minimal. It’s time to get down to the nitty gritty, no-time-to-study, no time to build a safe room, etc. We are talking ESSENTALS, no frills, no luxury items. At the very least read the following, have the basic information in your head to work from. If you wait, and all utilities, which incldes the internet, are lost you lose out too. This post will be in la-la land somewhere in the destroyed universe. The internet will NOT always be there for us.
THINK: People are stampeding one another, assaulting one another over a damn TOASTER during Black Friday. What do you think it will be like during SHTF with LIMITED supplies in the stores? Shop NOW! Listen, if NOTHING HAPPENS, FABULOUS! But to have these tools on hand and the informations shared? Well, THAT is priceless. We live in very uncertain times. We need to ALWAYS be diligent & prepared. Lets hope & pray that things cool down very, very swiftly.
Lets jump right in: (These are NOT in priority order)
SHELTER The first few hours are the most dangerous! Take cover as deep as you can go, layering anything you get your hands on, placed above you. A basement is ideal but not always accessible. What if you’re at the grocery store when an attack hits? Most likely your vehicle will not work when you venture out to head home (But only after the first few hours should you leave). Have sturdy, sensible shoes in your vehicle because you will most likely be walking a long, long way home. Also keep a backpack with essentials such as water, extra jacket, lemon drops (you’ll be walking quite a distance, not enough water to keep you hydrated) etc. in your vehicle as well as a luggage cart with wheels. (these things also handy for earthquake prep to keep in your car) Don’t go hiking home in camo clothing, you do NOT want to stand out. RETHINK what you carry in your vehicle EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU LEAVE HOME DURING THIS CRITICAL TIME. Can’t make it home & the air raid sirens are blasting? Get under a huge semi truck, under anything! A swift make-shift lean-to with pallets, just do NOT be out in the open for the wave to hit you. You’re home? Still, get UNDER as much stuff as you can. Later: No heat in the house? Set up your camping tent indoors, sleep in it, play in it, read in it, live in it to conserve body heat. NEVER set up the family BBQ indoors, you will all die. That is NOT an exaggeration. Do NOT use the gas oven to heat the house, with the door left open the thermostat cannot regulate and a lovely life-threatening fire will ensue. Have floor or ceiling heating vents? Get those covered up! you can use aluminum foil, wrap it aropund the vent from the underside. Then thick plastic over the top. Get a few rolls of heavy plastic to cover all windows, doors, a/c units ANY opening from inside your home/shelter. (don’t do this covering yet)
WASTE Plan on not being able to go outside for a few weeks. If you have pets you need to prepare for the disposal of their waste as well as your own. Walmart carrys chemicals in their boating section for human waste and they have buckets in the paint dept. Take it from there. Kitty litter also good to deter odors. And Walmart has mint-scented trash bags that also repells insects and rodents. You may need puppy training pads to re-educate your pets on where to potty indoors. Baby wipes or even large pieces of fabric to use as a re-useable toilet paper. Different color or print for each member of the household. Each cleans their own pad/fabric piece and keeps it clean. Hygene never was more important than in this situation. (MORE: http://tacticalintelligence.net/blog/survival-sanitation-how-to-deal-with-human-waste.htm)
WATER Begin storing water NOW. It is bulky to store, the only thing that can’t be dehydrated, but it’s imperative that you stock up! Fill every conceivable container. Walmart sells 7 gallon aqua-tainers and they will be out of stock real soon. Get bleach that has no additives (scent, etc) use ONLY pure bleach. Add 1.5 teaspoons of pure bleach to every 7 gallons of water. Fill your washing machine, yout tub, water, water, water! If nothing happens, use the tub water to bathe in, clean the tub and refill it. This way you’re not wasting water. Same with your clothes washer. You might collect water from irrigation ditches or ponds for your animals BEFORE any attack, absolutely NOT AFTER, stored in a clearly marked separate container. Irrigation water is NOT fit for human consumption. If you have bottled water that has expired, use it for the animals, they won’t mind or use it for cooking. Do NOT throw any saved water out! And do NOT use water from any of your faucets after an attack! It will be seriously contaminated, as-in you will glow in the dark contaminated! We’re not playing here.
FAMILY Condition your emotions. For those who have adult children living in another state than you, or who are hundreds of miles away, you need to come to terms that you may not ever get together. Especially with an EMT: no phones, no vehicles, no email/text, no nada. Total rustic barbaric conditions. You will not be able to contact your loved ones. Plan for that, get your head wrapped around that. This will be extremely difficult! Provisions for a crowd, but figure you will go through this alone. Those with children, plenty of indoor activities: crayons, nerf balls, board games, cards.
411 Have a am/fm radio with batteries for updates. But please take any broadcasted update with a grain of salt. A tiny bit of paranoia and a large dose of wisdom during this time would be a very good thing.
PROTECTION Baseball bat, prayer, weapons, lumber, your pet. Open your door to NO ONE automatically, no matter how frantic the person may sound! Be sure who is at your door always first. Always, no matter how competent your guard dog is. People are attacking others over a toaster on Black Fridays, it will be even worse during WROL/SHTF! Open your door and you are dead. In more than one way. Preparation NOW: Go and dig a hole the size of your ice chest plus about a foot or more, deeper than the container. Save the fill dirt AWAY from your hole. This is a stealth burial so to speak. Cover the hole with wood and plants. If, during martial law, you hear of gun/weapon confiscation, go put your weapons & ammo in the ice chest and bury them! I would also add a few heavy duty trash bags (the ice chest within the bag as added protection against the elements) You will NOT have time to do this AFTER hearing about gun grabs, the hole must be prepared ahead of time, and in an inconspicuous area. Plus, you never know what you may encounter, such as the dirt is too solid to dig through, soak it overnight and continue digging again next day. Will they use metal detectors? A bigger hole. I hear some people boast that ‘no military is taking their weapons from them’. Well that sounds nice and tough, maybe silly masochism, but only to yourself. We all know what will happen if you try to out-gun or resist. Instant death. Problem is, those with you will be killed as well. Think. Also, Load up NOW on batteries and extra bulbs for your flashlights.
PETS If your pet cannot viciously and completely protect you, give it away NOW. To simply let the animal(s) loose once SHTF is cruel and they will die a horrific death. If you keep the animal(s) and provisions will not last, (people come first) put the animal down, it's the most humane (& difficult) thing to do. Ladies: time to cowgirl up, drop the sentimentality, they will be your undoing.
FOOD Fallout can and will land on your food stuffs, cans, packages, whatever. Wipe them down with a damp cloth before opening. Never toss the canning liquid, you will need the water. Drink it or give it to your pet. Save cooking water as well, use it to rehydrate a survival meal next time or give to the pets. If the cooking water is really, horribly fouled, and been reused over & over, it can be used in the bathroom for rinsing/wiping. You are not throwing out ANY water. You MUST be a total scrooge with your water! Gather Large garden containers & appropriate soil NOW to grow your food indoors. Quit using your freezer to store food, start using up your frozen foods now. There will be no way to keep the refrig running and you’ll have other perishables to consume once the power is off such as milk & such. Stick with canning or dehydrated, not freezing.
MEDICATION Renew your prescriptions in a 3-month supply NOW. Keep plenty of burn treatment and bandaging, anticeptics on hand. (Radiation burns) Start your homemade antibiotic tinctures NOW, it lasts for years but take 3 weeks to ‘ripen’. (http://deeprootsathome.com/garlic-tincture-diy-home-remedy/)
MISC All items you purchase, get them INSIDE your home, away from potential fallout and thieves. Don’t forget several rolls of heavy duty duct tape & candles, lots of matches. Be mindful of barter items for once the dust settles. If SHTF These 17 Items Will Be Worth Their Weight In Gold Keep checking Steve Quayle’s page. If it’s RED, then war is IMMINENT! http://www.stevequayle.com/
I will be updating, adding to, & editing this post throughout the coming days and weeks so please keep checking back. Be careful, folks. If you have other last-minute survival tips, please use the comment section and thanks in advance for your helpful comment contributions, lets help each other out the best we can.
For more details go to https://revivehope.wordpress.com/category/safety-2 OR https://revivehope.wordpress.com/category/prepare-2/basic-disaster-supply-kit/AND http://tacticalintelligence.net/blog/survival-sanitation-how-to-deal-with-human-waste.htmOR http://www.family-survival-planning.com/nuclear-attack.html
Baby Steps: Have to Evacuate? Take Your Info Along
by beprepared.com
Imagine this: A chemical spill and potential fire forces a sudden evacuation order in your area. You have ten minutes max to grab your kids, pets, keys, wallet, and emergency supplies and be on your way. What’s likely to get left behind?
One item often forgotten in the rush of any crisis is information. You may need such info as immunization records (Bill cut his foot: when was his last tetanus shot?), homeowners’ insurance policy and contact numbers, or health insurance cards.
Keeping copies of important documents and info in a form that’s handy to grab along with your emergency kit is a smart step in your preparation efforts. During any emergency, you won’t have the time or presence of mind to rush around gathering up birth certificates, documents, and important phone numbers. Why not prepare copies ahead of time and tuck them into a pocket of your kit?
Follow these simple steps to add to your peace of mind and readiness:
by beprepared.com
Imagine this: A chemical spill and potential fire forces a sudden evacuation order in your area. You have ten minutes max to grab your kids, pets, keys, wallet, and emergency supplies and be on your way. What’s likely to get left behind?
One item often forgotten in the rush of any crisis is information. You may need such info as immunization records (Bill cut his foot: when was his last tetanus shot?), homeowners’ insurance policy and contact numbers, or health insurance cards.
Keeping copies of important documents and info in a form that’s handy to grab along with your emergency kit is a smart step in your preparation efforts. During any emergency, you won’t have the time or presence of mind to rush around gathering up birth certificates, documents, and important phone numbers. Why not prepare copies ahead of time and tuck them into a pocket of your kit?
Follow these simple steps to add to your peace of mind and readiness:
- Make a list of documents, certificates, and papers you wouldn’t want to lose in any emergency situation. Consider the following:
- Birth certificates
- Marriage certificate
- Social Security cards
- Driver licenses
- Life insurance policy numbers and phone information
- Homeowners insurance policy numbers and contact information
- Health insurance cards
- Auto insurance cards
- Passports
- Up-to-date immunization records
- Account information for all your credit cards and bills
- Copies of prescriptions
- Pet documentation (license and medical records)
- Precious photographs, including a recent one of your whole family for ID purposes. Perhaps a picture with your pet(s) as well, for ID and proof of ownership.
- Flash drives containing any computerized material you want to save—family history, creative works, correspondence, financial records, work files, etc.
- Make a list of phone numbers and email addresses you’d want to have with you. Don’t depend upon numbers that are programmed into your cell phone, as phones can be lost or destroyed. Don’t forget to include employers, employees, relatives, close friends, out-of-state contacts, doctors, poison control center, clergymen, and business contacts.
- Make a list of all your accounts, with numbers and phone information.
- Gather up those documents from step 1 and make copies of them. Except for your driver license, put the originals in a safe, lockbox, or safety-deposit box at your bank. Consider making two or three copies instead of just one. You might want to leave one packet of copies with a trusted relative to keep for you. Think how grateful you’d be if (perish the thought!) your home had burned to have Grandma hand you a packet of all your most important documents and photos! Some people also tuck a packet into their car emergency kit or somewhere else in the car in case it’s needed when they don’t have their emergency kit on hand.
Seal your packet in a plastic bag to protect it from moisture and soil, and have only blank paper showing through the plastic to avoid advertising contents to would-be ID thieves. If you’re concerned about wrinkling or tearing, enclose a piece of stiff cardboard. Some people prefer to enclose each document in a plastic sheet protector and put them all into a binder, but while this would be perfect to hand to Grandma for safekeeping, it makes a more cumbersome package to tuck into your supplies. Your choice.
- Put your packets together and place them where they need to be. Take a deep breath and put your feet up. You’ve done well!
Electricity Fails in ALL of South Australia!
Post by Newsroom Superstation95.com
- Sep 28, 2016
All of South Australia is presently without electrical power and could remain without power until the early hours of tomorrow morning, after a network failure. Cell phone towers in the state only have a maximum of FOUR hours back-up power and will begin failing soon.
An Emergency Management Council involving the State Government has begun in Adelaide, as Premier Jay Weatherill urged people not to travel on the roads "unless absolutely necessary"."[People] should continue to listen to Radio on a battery-powered radio, or use social media to keep up to date as they possibly can," he told SuperStation95. "It could be some hours before this is restored, and that's presently what we're working through." He said emergency services and hospitals were operating under their own generation.
Mr Weatherill said it appeared weather had damaged power equipment at Port Augusta and the essential service could be out for hours.
He said there was an incident about 3:48pm today "which has caused the failure of the entire South Australian electricity network".
"At this stage we're still gathering information about the cause, but it appears that there was a weather event which has damaged infrastructure in the Port Augusta region."
"Our energy generation assets remain intact, and there does not appear at this stage to be any damage to the interconnector with Victoria.
"What's happened is the national Energy Market Operator assumes control of the situation in these circumstances and system restoration has commenced, but it could take a number of hours before that is completed and power restored. " Federal Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg said the Australian Energy Market Operator, which was responsible for the management of the National Electricity Market, was working closely with the relevant transmission network service provider, ElectraNet, to identify and understand the severity of the fault.
Power could be out until tomorrow
A former South Australia (SA) Power Networks engineer has told SuperStation95 that mobile phone towers only have about four hours of back-up power, which would mean mobile phone coverage could be lost by about 8:00pm. South Australian Senator Nick Xenophon said that he understands power will not be restored to South Australia until 4:15am tomorrow.
"This is how not to do [transition to renewables]. I can't fatham ... I can't believe my state is in darkness at the moment. If heads have to roll, so be it," he said.
"We're looking at another 11 hours of darkness, and the consequences of that are just horrendous.
"Mobile phone towers may be out within 11 or 12 hours because of how they operate as well. So you might find people's mobile phones stop operating, depending on networks."
SA Police said just after 4:00pm most intersections in Adelaide were without traffic lights.
Adelaide Metro said trains along the Seaford and Tonsley lines and the Glenelg tramline are currently not operating, due to the power outage.
Jenny Scott from the State Library in Adelaide said the building had been evacuated due to the blackout.
"It was just a total power failure across the whole building so of course for safety reasons we had to evacuate.
"It gets quite dark and we worry about customers and staff tripping over things of course and damaging themselves."
Storms and strong winds have lashed South Australia throughout the day with the Bureau of Meteorology issuing severe thunderstorm warning for destructive wind gusts and rain.
EDITORIAL NOTE:
Do you have enough batteries or ways of generating power if the grid goes down? Do you have oil lamps for emergency lighting? Something to think about!
Post by Newsroom Superstation95.com
- Sep 28, 2016
All of South Australia is presently without electrical power and could remain without power until the early hours of tomorrow morning, after a network failure. Cell phone towers in the state only have a maximum of FOUR hours back-up power and will begin failing soon.
An Emergency Management Council involving the State Government has begun in Adelaide, as Premier Jay Weatherill urged people not to travel on the roads "unless absolutely necessary"."[People] should continue to listen to Radio on a battery-powered radio, or use social media to keep up to date as they possibly can," he told SuperStation95. "It could be some hours before this is restored, and that's presently what we're working through." He said emergency services and hospitals were operating under their own generation.
Mr Weatherill said it appeared weather had damaged power equipment at Port Augusta and the essential service could be out for hours.
He said there was an incident about 3:48pm today "which has caused the failure of the entire South Australian electricity network".
"At this stage we're still gathering information about the cause, but it appears that there was a weather event which has damaged infrastructure in the Port Augusta region."
"Our energy generation assets remain intact, and there does not appear at this stage to be any damage to the interconnector with Victoria.
"What's happened is the national Energy Market Operator assumes control of the situation in these circumstances and system restoration has commenced, but it could take a number of hours before that is completed and power restored. " Federal Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg said the Australian Energy Market Operator, which was responsible for the management of the National Electricity Market, was working closely with the relevant transmission network service provider, ElectraNet, to identify and understand the severity of the fault.
Power could be out until tomorrow
A former South Australia (SA) Power Networks engineer has told SuperStation95 that mobile phone towers only have about four hours of back-up power, which would mean mobile phone coverage could be lost by about 8:00pm. South Australian Senator Nick Xenophon said that he understands power will not be restored to South Australia until 4:15am tomorrow.
"This is how not to do [transition to renewables]. I can't fatham ... I can't believe my state is in darkness at the moment. If heads have to roll, so be it," he said.
"We're looking at another 11 hours of darkness, and the consequences of that are just horrendous.
"Mobile phone towers may be out within 11 or 12 hours because of how they operate as well. So you might find people's mobile phones stop operating, depending on networks."
SA Police said just after 4:00pm most intersections in Adelaide were without traffic lights.
Adelaide Metro said trains along the Seaford and Tonsley lines and the Glenelg tramline are currently not operating, due to the power outage.
Jenny Scott from the State Library in Adelaide said the building had been evacuated due to the blackout.
"It was just a total power failure across the whole building so of course for safety reasons we had to evacuate.
"It gets quite dark and we worry about customers and staff tripping over things of course and damaging themselves."
Storms and strong winds have lashed South Australia throughout the day with the Bureau of Meteorology issuing severe thunderstorm warning for destructive wind gusts and rain.
EDITORIAL NOTE:
Do you have enough batteries or ways of generating power if the grid goes down? Do you have oil lamps for emergency lighting? Something to think about!
10 Lessons From Venezuela’s Economic Collapse
By Carmela Tyrell 5 Comments http://urbansurvivalsite.com
Do you remember the days when a vacation to Venezuela was one of the best prizes you could win on The Price Is Right? If so, you may be surprised that such a thriving nation could be brought to its knees almost overnight. Sadly, if the wrong combination of events line up, even the greatest nation on Earth can be brought down, leading to utter chaos for its citizens.
By looking at the unraveling of Venezuela’s economy and government, we can see which events contributed to the collapse and heed the warnings they offer for our own nation. As preppers, this information can make it easier to clarify goals and make it easier to gauge how much time is left before a similar disaster occurs in the United States.
1. Economic Failure Can Be Hidden by Media Spin and Statistics
When it comes to profitable, tangible assets at the national level, few things can rival oil. Even though the price of oil has gone down, it remains the lifeblood of industry and consumer-based activities. Despite Venezuela having the largest oil reserve on Earth, Venezuela’s looming collapse was well hidden by media spin and statistics. Here are just a few things that contributed to the collapse (but were presented as economic benefits):
The best thing you can do is go by your own cost of living and income levels. If you are not better off now than you were 7 years ago, and your neighbors and family are not better off, then you know the media and statistics aren’t quite right. That’s why you should take steps now to reduce your reliance on any basic items or services that can be rationed, controlled, or denied to you.
2. Global Factors can Cause Internal Economic Collapse
It is fair to say that if global oil prices had remained high, the yoke of pure socialism would not have triggered an economic collapse as quickly as it did. The collapse in oil prices revolved around events happening outside of Venezuela, which is why you should try to keep track of what is going on in the world. Watch the FOREX trades, commodities trades, and trends in global unrest. Since Africa and South America are both coming up quickly on the terrorism map, any number of things related to these third world countries could trigger a major collapse or hostile takeover right here in the United States.
3. Inflation is a Defacto Currency Devaluation
Do you remember the 1980’s, when you could buy a pound of ground beef for about $1.39 a pound? Despite all kinds of “increases” in food production, the average cost of cheap meat these days is around $4.25 per pound. Even though we haven’t had a bank holiday in the last 40 years, every dollar in your pocket is only worth one quarter of what it was before. In Venezuela, the currency value has dropped over 700%.
If your money is buying less, don’t fall for the media hype that you need a higher wage (of which approximately one third will go to taxes) when it is the currency weakness that is causing your money problems. Do what you can to store away important resources, and focus on prepper items that will enable you to meet you food, water, shelter, and medical needs first. Remember that de facto and actual currency devaluations can be caused by both internal and external factors of which there are many that could trigger a collapse at any moment.
4. Money Can’t Buy What Isn’t Available
It is no surprise to preppers that in Venezuela, basic necessities like food, water, medicine, electricity, and other basic needs are being rationed. Venezuela serves as grim validation for what all preppers know the government will do with available resources, and why it is so important to develop and maintain a self-sufficient lifestyle.
5. Governments Don’t Go Away Overnight
More than a few people watching the steady decline of our nation seem to believe that our leaders will head for the nearest bunker and leave the people to kill each other off. Clearly, Venezuela proves that government agencies will be around and will attempt to control the situation even as it spirals out of control. As the government gets more desperate, you will see the following tactics (which will only make things worse):
6. Riots and Protests Will Continue Until Balance is Achieved
During a major societal collapse, not everything the government does will be bad, even though in general it seeks to impose limitations. Here, as in Venezuela, our society and way of life cannot continue when our law enforcement officers are shot dead just for doing their jobs. There comes a point when protests and peaceful revolutions are no longer healthy and become just as dangerous as anything we might fear from a dictatorship. We have seen this in Syria, and a similar pattern is being repeated in Venezuela.
As individuals, one of the best things we can do is gain control of personal stress levels so that it will be easier to achieve other goals. When it comes to riots and protests, our goals aren’t so much about physical survival needs as they are about meeting communication and team-formation goals. It is our job to open and maintain a dialogue with others in our own community who disagree on vital issues such as gun rights. We are the ones that must come to an understanding among ourselves in a civilized way so that opportunistic terrorist and criminal elements cannot use our division to destroy us. I am not saying this is an easy task, but it must be done.
7. Many People Will Sacrifice Honor and Ethics
The darknet and the black market reveal a subset of our population that already has no honor or ethics. But what about when your own child is starving and someone else has food to eat? While every item has a price, so does just about every person. This has been proven in Venezuela where desperation has led people to do horrible things they would not normally do. In these situations, where starving neighbors are banging on your door, all you have is self-defense via whatever means are available, because a government that can’t bail itself out can’t help you either.
The pre-crisis world is not the time or place for citizens to disarm, or for leaders to make laws that prevent people from defending themselves with guns. These politicians should never be voted in, and as soon as any leader moves to impose more gun control, people should immediately attempt to recall them from office and repeal all unnecessary existing gun control or confiscation laws.
8. Dictators Arise Because Government and Laws Move Too Slowly
As a nation begins to unravel, people will instinctively move to align with strong, dominant voices. When you are tired of waiting for months to obtain sub-par medical care at a high cost, when it takes months to resolve credit report issues, and when everything seems gummed up by red tape, a “take charge” dictator who cuts through all of that will seem like a relief. It is the slowness of laws and governing agencies that lead to the rise of dictators. When people feel desperate and trapped, as they do in Venezuela, the fast answers tend to look like the best ones, even though the end result of a runaway dictator will bring even worse problems later on.
9. Innovation Occurs Along with Destruction
Did you know that almost all of Venezuela’s power comes from one hydroelectric dam and that most people do not grow their own food? While the government and economy are in their death throes, there are no doubt people that are innovating and looking for ways to take care of themselves and open up a whole new economy. Here are some things that are likely to come out of the collapse of Venezuela, but will get very little media attention:
While everyone else is watching the currency collapse and the machinations of political leaders, something far more chilling is going on in Venezuela. This “situation” may not only make Venezuela a seedbed for radical Islamic terrorism in a nation not far from our borders, it may open up all of South America to this very same kind of terrorism. The event that I speak of is an “angry and embittered” former detainee from Guantanamo Bay leaving Uruguay (his nation of asylum after Obama released him in 2014) to go to Venezuela. We do not know, and cannot prove what this man did or did not do during his weeks away from direct supervision. Perhaps we will not believe the worst until rioters turn to terrorists in Venezuela and claim allegiance to Al Qaeda or ISIS.
One thing is for certain: if there is a place on Earth where terrorism can take root among rioters, Venezuela is ripe for the picking. And unlike Syria, Venezuela is much closer to us and surrounded by other poverty stricken nations that may fall even faster than the Middle Eastern Nations.
The Final Word
There are bound to be people who say that an economic collapse like the one in Venezuela will never happen in the United States. Nevertheless, our economy and the patterns occurring in the legislative process all point to something very similar. As preppers, we should watch what is going on in Venezuela, compare it to trends in our own nation, and use that as a guide for setting survival skill and stockpiling priorities.
25 Things That You Should Do to Get Prepared for the Coming Economic Collapse
Sunday, September 4, 2016 4:56 (Before It's News)
25 Things That You Should Do To Get Prepared For The Coming Economic CollapseDo you think that you know how to prepare for the collapse of the economy? If so, are you putting that knowledge into action? In America today, people are more concerned about the possibility of an economic collapse than ever before. It has been estimated that there are now three million preppers in the United States. But the truth that nobody really knows the actual number, because a lot of preppers keep their “prepping” to themselves.
So what are all of those people preparing for exactly? Well, survey after survey has shown that “economic collapse” is the number one potential disaster that preppers are most concerned about. Of course that shouldn’t be surprising because we truly are facing economic problems that are absolutely unprecedented. We are living in the greatest debt bubble in the history of the world, the global banking system has been transformed into a high-risk pyramid scheme of debt, risk and leverage that could collapse at any time, and wealthy countries such as the United States have been living way above their means for decades.
Meanwhile, the United States is being deindustrialized at a blinding pace and poverty in this country is absolutely exploding. Anyone that is not concerned about the economy should have their head examined. Fortunately, I have found that an increasing number of Americans are becoming convinced that we are heading for a horrific economic crisis. Once they come to that realization, they want to know what they should do.
And the reality is that “getting prepared” is going to look different for each family based on their own unique circumstances. Some people have a lot of resources, while others have very little. Some people are very independent of the system and can move wherever they want, while others are totally dependent on their jobs and must stay near the cities at least for now.
When civilization collapses, he predicts, the world will go back to barter.
Urges everyone to have a disaster-preparedness kit containing enough food, water and other supplies to last 72 hours. This is sensible advice, and preppers have a point when they mock those who ignore it.
In addition, it is important to distinguish between the “short-term” and the “long-term” when talking about economic collapse. As I have written about previously, our economic collapse is not going to happen all at once. It is going to unfold over time. In the “short-term”, many are moving money around and are building up “emergency funds” to prepare for the next recession. For the “long-term”, many are storing up food and huge stockpiles of survival supplies in order to be prepared for the total collapse of society. Both approaches are wise, but it is important to keep in mind that different approaches will be needed at different times.
READ MORE : The Horrific New World Order Master Plan that has full UN approval
The strategies posted below are a mix of both short-term and long-term strategies. Some will be important for our immediate future, while others may not be needed for a number of years. But in the end, you will be very thankful for the time and the effort that you spent getting prepared while you still could.
The following are 25 things that you should do to get prepared for the coming economic collapse…
#1 An Emergency Fund
Do you remember what happened when the financial system almost collapsed back in 2008? Millions of Americans suddenly lost their jobs, and because many of them were living paycheck to paycheck, many of them also got behind on their mortgages and lost their homes. You don’t want to lose everything that you have worked for during this next major economic downturn. It is imperative that you have an emergency fund. It should be enough to cover all of your expenses for at least six months, but I would encourage you to have an emergency fund that is even larger than that.
#2 Don’t Put All Of Your Eggs Into One Basket
If the wealth confiscation in Cyprus has taught us anything, it is that we should not put all of our eggs in one basket. If all of your money is in one single bank account, it would be easy to wipe out. But if you have your money scattered around a number of different places it will give you a little bit more security.
#3 Keep Some Cash At Home
This goes along with the previous point. While it is not wise to keep all of your money at home, you do want to keep some cash on hand. If there is an extended bank holiday or if a giant burst from the sun causes the ATM machines to go down, you want to be able to have enough cash to buy the things that your family needs. Just ask the people of Cyprus how crippling a bank holiday can be. One way to keep your cash secure at home is by storing it in a concealed safe.
#4 Get Out Of Debt
A lot of people seem to assume that an economic collapse would wipe out all debts, but that will probably not be the case. In fact, if you are in a tremendous amount of debt you will be very vulnerable if the economy collapses and you are not able to find a job. Just ask the people who were overextended and lost their jobs during the last recession. So please get out of debt. Many debt collectors are becoming increasingly ruthless. In many areas of the country they are now routinely putting debtors into prison. You do not want to be a slave to debt when the next wave of the economic collapse strikes.
WARNING: WHAT IS COMING WILL BE A SCARY TIME FOR EVERYONE. I AM DOING THIS TO HELP PEOPLE PREPARE THEMSELVES TO SURVIVE, EVEN THRIVE THROUGH THE COMING COLLAPSE.
#5 Gold And Silver
In the long-term, the U.S. dollar is going to lose a tremendous amount of value and inflation is going to absolutely skyrocket. That is one reason why so many people are investing very heavily in gold, silver and other precious metals. All over the globe, the central banks of the world are recklessly printing money. Everyone knows that this is going to end very badly. In fact, there is already a push in more than a dozen U.S. states to allow gold and silver coins to be used as legal tender. Someday you will be glad that you invested in gold and silver now while their prices were still low.
#6 Reduce Your Expenses
A lot of people claim that they can’t put any money toward prepping, but the truth is that we all have room to reduce our expenses. We all spend money on things that we do not really need. Those that are “lean and mean” will tend to do much better during the times that are coming.
#7 Start A Side Business
If you do not have much money, a great way to increase your income is by starting a side business. And it does not take a lot of money – there are many side businesses that you can start for next to nothing. And starting a side business will allow you to become less dependent on your job. In this economic environment, a job could disappear at literally any time.
#8 Move Away From The Big Cities If Possible
For many people, this is simply not possible. Many Americans are still completely and totally dependent on their jobs. But if you are able, now is a good time to move away from the big cities. When the next major economic downturn strikes, there will be rioting and a dramatic rise in crime in the major cities. If you are able to move to a more rural area you will probably be in much better shape.
#9 Store Food
Global food reserves have reached their lowest level in nearly 40 years. As the economy gets even worse and global weather patterns become even more unstable, the price of food will go much higher and global food supplies will become much tighter. In the long run, you will be glad for the money that you put into long-term food storage now.
#10 Learn To Grow Your Own Food
This is a skill that most Americans possessed in the past, but that most Americans today have forgotten. Growing your own food is a way to become more independent of the system, and it is a way to get prepared for what is ahead.
#11 Nobody Can Survive Without Water
Without water, you would not even make it a few days in an emergency situation. It is imperative that you have a plan to provide clean drinking water for your family when disaster strikes.
#12 Have A Plan For When The Grid Goes Down
What would you do if the grid went down and you suddenly did not have power for an extended period of time? Anyone that has spent more than a few hours without power knows how frustrating this can be. You need to have a plan for how you are going to provide power to your home that is independent of the power company.
#13 Have Blankets And Warm Clothing On Hand
This is more for emergency situations or for a complete meltdown of society. During any major crisis, blankets and warm clothing are in great demand. They also could potentially make great barter items.
#14 Store Personal Hygiene Supplies
A lot of preppers store up huge amounts of food, but they forget all about personal hygiene supplies. During a long crisis, these are items that you would greatly miss if you do not have them stored up. These types of supplies would also be great for barter.
#15 Store Medicine And Medical Supplies
You will also want to store up medical supplies and any medicine that you may need. In an emergency situation, you definitely would not want to be without bandages and a first-aid kit. Over the course of a long crisis, you do not want to run out of any medicines that are critical for your health.
#16 Stock Up On Vitamins
A lot of preppers do not think about this either, but it is very important. These days, it is becoming increasingly difficult to get adequate nutrition from the foods that we eat. That is why it is very important to have an adequate store of vitamins and other supplements.
Best Post Collapse First Aid Survival Guide Ever
#17 Make A List Of Other Supplies That You Will Need
During any crisis, there will be a lot of other things that you will need in addition to food and water. The following are just a few basic things that it would be wise to have on hand…
– an axe
– a can opener
– flashlights
– battery-powered radio
– extra batteries
– lighters or matches
– fire extinguisher
– sewing kit
– tools
This list could be much, much longer, but hopefully this will get you started.
#18 Don’t Forget The Special Needs Of Your Babies And Your Pets
Young children and pets have special needs. As you store supplies, don’t forget about the things that they will need as well.
#19 Entertainment
This may sound trivial, but the truth is that our entertainment-addicted society would become very bored and very frustrated if the grid suddenly went down for an extended period of time. Card games and other basic forms of entertainment can make enduring a crisis much easier.
#20 Self-Defense
In the years ahead, being able to defend your home and your family is going to become increasingly important. When the economy crashes, people are going to start to become very desperate. And desperate people do desperate things.
#21 Get Your Ammunition While You Still Can
Your firearms will not do you much good if you do not have ammunition for them. Already there are widespread reports of huge ammunition shortages. The following is from a recent CNS News article…
“The run on ammunition has manufacturers scrambling to accommodate demand and reassure customers, as many new and seasoned gun owners stock up over fears of new firearms regulations at both the state and federal levels.”
Don’t just assume that you will always be able to purchase large amounts of ammunition whenever you want. Get it now while you still can.
Best Self Defense Strategies For You And Your Family
#22 If You Have To Go…
Have a plan for what you and your family will do if you are forced to leave your home. If you do have to go, the following are some items that you will want to have on hand…
– a map of the area
– a compass
– backpacks for every member of the family
– sleeping bags
– warm clothing
– comfortable shoes or hiking boots
#23 Community
One of the most important assets in any crisis situation is community. If you have friends or neighbors that you can depend upon, that is invaluable. The time spent building those bonds now will pay off greatly during a major crisis.
#24 Have A Back-Up Plan And Be Flexible
Mike Tyson once said the following…
“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”
No plan ever unfolds perfectly. When your plan is disrupted, what will you do?
It will be imperative for all of us to have a back-up plan and to be flexible during the years ahead.
READ MORE : Russian Troops In America CONFIRMED – FEMA/DHS & Russian Troops Are Preparing U.S. For Martial Law
#25 Keep Your Prepping To Yourself
Do not go around and tell everyone in the area where you live about your prepping. If you do, then you may find yourself overwhelmed with “visitors” when everything falls apart.
And please do not go on television and brag about your prepping to a national audience.
Prepping is something that you want to keep to yourself, unless you want hordes of desperate people banging on your door in the future.
Sadly, most Americans still have blind faith that our “leaders” actually know what they are doing and will be able to fix things.
Most Americans still are convinced that everything is going to be just fine.
But if you are reading this article that means that you are probably much more awake than the average American is.
Please get prepared while you still can.
A great storm is coming, and time is quickly running out.
Are you worried about your future? Are you worried by the many disasters that you face in your everyday life? Worry no more. The Lost Ways comes in to solve your woes. This program was created by Davis Claude and its major role is to prepare and teach you how to handle worst-case scenarios using the least independence. This program will therefore motivate you to protect your family and friends during the worst period without the help of the modern technology.
Remember, calamities are everywhere: at work, home, school and many other places. These calamities cause tension and leads to a decrease in productivity. This may finally lead to a reduction in life. Fortunately, the lost ways review will provide solutions to these situations. It will give you the tips for preparing yourself when nothing seems to go as expected.
Generally, most people are optimistic. This makes them unprepared for failure. However, the best thing is to prepare for worst times. It is important to tell your kids about earthquakes, fire outbreaks, extreme weather conditions and other calamities. Tell them how to deal with these calamities in case they occur.
By Carmela Tyrell 5 Comments http://urbansurvivalsite.com
Do you remember the days when a vacation to Venezuela was one of the best prizes you could win on The Price Is Right? If so, you may be surprised that such a thriving nation could be brought to its knees almost overnight. Sadly, if the wrong combination of events line up, even the greatest nation on Earth can be brought down, leading to utter chaos for its citizens.
By looking at the unraveling of Venezuela’s economy and government, we can see which events contributed to the collapse and heed the warnings they offer for our own nation. As preppers, this information can make it easier to clarify goals and make it easier to gauge how much time is left before a similar disaster occurs in the United States.
1. Economic Failure Can Be Hidden by Media Spin and Statistics
When it comes to profitable, tangible assets at the national level, few things can rival oil. Even though the price of oil has gone down, it remains the lifeblood of industry and consumer-based activities. Despite Venezuela having the largest oil reserve on Earth, Venezuela’s looming collapse was well hidden by media spin and statistics. Here are just a few things that contributed to the collapse (but were presented as economic benefits):
- When Hugo Chavez rose to power in Venezuela, he promised his policies would lift people out of poverty, spur consumer spending, and lead to greater and better-distributed wealth for everyone. As went the USSR and many other collapsed nations who took their socialist policies too far, so now goes Venezuela.
- It is not necessarily fair to say that money spent on the betterment of others is a bad thing. However, when that money is spent at the cost of building up vital infrastructure assets, it can spell disaster. In the case of Venezuela, oil refining and blending plants were sacrificed for the sake of socialist ideals.
The best thing you can do is go by your own cost of living and income levels. If you are not better off now than you were 7 years ago, and your neighbors and family are not better off, then you know the media and statistics aren’t quite right. That’s why you should take steps now to reduce your reliance on any basic items or services that can be rationed, controlled, or denied to you.
2. Global Factors can Cause Internal Economic Collapse
It is fair to say that if global oil prices had remained high, the yoke of pure socialism would not have triggered an economic collapse as quickly as it did. The collapse in oil prices revolved around events happening outside of Venezuela, which is why you should try to keep track of what is going on in the world. Watch the FOREX trades, commodities trades, and trends in global unrest. Since Africa and South America are both coming up quickly on the terrorism map, any number of things related to these third world countries could trigger a major collapse or hostile takeover right here in the United States.
3. Inflation is a Defacto Currency Devaluation
Do you remember the 1980’s, when you could buy a pound of ground beef for about $1.39 a pound? Despite all kinds of “increases” in food production, the average cost of cheap meat these days is around $4.25 per pound. Even though we haven’t had a bank holiday in the last 40 years, every dollar in your pocket is only worth one quarter of what it was before. In Venezuela, the currency value has dropped over 700%.
If your money is buying less, don’t fall for the media hype that you need a higher wage (of which approximately one third will go to taxes) when it is the currency weakness that is causing your money problems. Do what you can to store away important resources, and focus on prepper items that will enable you to meet you food, water, shelter, and medical needs first. Remember that de facto and actual currency devaluations can be caused by both internal and external factors of which there are many that could trigger a collapse at any moment.
4. Money Can’t Buy What Isn’t Available
It is no surprise to preppers that in Venezuela, basic necessities like food, water, medicine, electricity, and other basic needs are being rationed. Venezuela serves as grim validation for what all preppers know the government will do with available resources, and why it is so important to develop and maintain a self-sufficient lifestyle.
5. Governments Don’t Go Away Overnight
More than a few people watching the steady decline of our nation seem to believe that our leaders will head for the nearest bunker and leave the people to kill each other off. Clearly, Venezuela proves that government agencies will be around and will attempt to control the situation even as it spirals out of control. As the government gets more desperate, you will see the following tactics (which will only make things worse):
- Increased reliance on laws and punishment. “Do not rely on the government for anything, especially your survival.” (Fr. Frog) As important as this may be, governments will seek to impose increased limitations on free speech, gun rights, other weapons, and self-sufficiency.
- Attempts to control or stop the flow of money.
- Increased election fraud. Most people will recognize that the candidates have no tangible answers and are likely to be unsuccessful at anything remotely useful.
- Increased killing of the civilian population by government agencies.
- Politicians will isolate themselves more and more from the people as they fight among themselves and get caught up in their own desperate attempts to gain control.
6. Riots and Protests Will Continue Until Balance is Achieved
During a major societal collapse, not everything the government does will be bad, even though in general it seeks to impose limitations. Here, as in Venezuela, our society and way of life cannot continue when our law enforcement officers are shot dead just for doing their jobs. There comes a point when protests and peaceful revolutions are no longer healthy and become just as dangerous as anything we might fear from a dictatorship. We have seen this in Syria, and a similar pattern is being repeated in Venezuela.
As individuals, one of the best things we can do is gain control of personal stress levels so that it will be easier to achieve other goals. When it comes to riots and protests, our goals aren’t so much about physical survival needs as they are about meeting communication and team-formation goals. It is our job to open and maintain a dialogue with others in our own community who disagree on vital issues such as gun rights. We are the ones that must come to an understanding among ourselves in a civilized way so that opportunistic terrorist and criminal elements cannot use our division to destroy us. I am not saying this is an easy task, but it must be done.
7. Many People Will Sacrifice Honor and Ethics
The darknet and the black market reveal a subset of our population that already has no honor or ethics. But what about when your own child is starving and someone else has food to eat? While every item has a price, so does just about every person. This has been proven in Venezuela where desperation has led people to do horrible things they would not normally do. In these situations, where starving neighbors are banging on your door, all you have is self-defense via whatever means are available, because a government that can’t bail itself out can’t help you either.
The pre-crisis world is not the time or place for citizens to disarm, or for leaders to make laws that prevent people from defending themselves with guns. These politicians should never be voted in, and as soon as any leader moves to impose more gun control, people should immediately attempt to recall them from office and repeal all unnecessary existing gun control or confiscation laws.
8. Dictators Arise Because Government and Laws Move Too Slowly
As a nation begins to unravel, people will instinctively move to align with strong, dominant voices. When you are tired of waiting for months to obtain sub-par medical care at a high cost, when it takes months to resolve credit report issues, and when everything seems gummed up by red tape, a “take charge” dictator who cuts through all of that will seem like a relief. It is the slowness of laws and governing agencies that lead to the rise of dictators. When people feel desperate and trapped, as they do in Venezuela, the fast answers tend to look like the best ones, even though the end result of a runaway dictator will bring even worse problems later on.
9. Innovation Occurs Along with Destruction
Did you know that almost all of Venezuela’s power comes from one hydroelectric dam and that most people do not grow their own food? While the government and economy are in their death throes, there are no doubt people that are innovating and looking for ways to take care of themselves and open up a whole new economy. Here are some things that are likely to come out of the collapse of Venezuela, but will get very little media attention:
- People will either cut back on electric usage or develop their own power generation systems. Electric stoves will be exchanged for solar cookers, and other methods will be developed in such a way that this nation will never again be held in the grip of a commercial power source.
- People will go back to growing and harvesting their own food. You will more than likely see an increased reliance on wild edible foods that will be cultivated for indoor or small area growing. In our nation, there is still time to stockpile sprout seeds, herb seeds, and edible insect eggs.
While everyone else is watching the currency collapse and the machinations of political leaders, something far more chilling is going on in Venezuela. This “situation” may not only make Venezuela a seedbed for radical Islamic terrorism in a nation not far from our borders, it may open up all of South America to this very same kind of terrorism. The event that I speak of is an “angry and embittered” former detainee from Guantanamo Bay leaving Uruguay (his nation of asylum after Obama released him in 2014) to go to Venezuela. We do not know, and cannot prove what this man did or did not do during his weeks away from direct supervision. Perhaps we will not believe the worst until rioters turn to terrorists in Venezuela and claim allegiance to Al Qaeda or ISIS.
One thing is for certain: if there is a place on Earth where terrorism can take root among rioters, Venezuela is ripe for the picking. And unlike Syria, Venezuela is much closer to us and surrounded by other poverty stricken nations that may fall even faster than the Middle Eastern Nations.
The Final Word
There are bound to be people who say that an economic collapse like the one in Venezuela will never happen in the United States. Nevertheless, our economy and the patterns occurring in the legislative process all point to something very similar. As preppers, we should watch what is going on in Venezuela, compare it to trends in our own nation, and use that as a guide for setting survival skill and stockpiling priorities.
25 Things That You Should Do to Get Prepared for the Coming Economic Collapse
Sunday, September 4, 2016 4:56 (Before It's News)
25 Things That You Should Do To Get Prepared For The Coming Economic CollapseDo you think that you know how to prepare for the collapse of the economy? If so, are you putting that knowledge into action? In America today, people are more concerned about the possibility of an economic collapse than ever before. It has been estimated that there are now three million preppers in the United States. But the truth that nobody really knows the actual number, because a lot of preppers keep their “prepping” to themselves.
So what are all of those people preparing for exactly? Well, survey after survey has shown that “economic collapse” is the number one potential disaster that preppers are most concerned about. Of course that shouldn’t be surprising because we truly are facing economic problems that are absolutely unprecedented. We are living in the greatest debt bubble in the history of the world, the global banking system has been transformed into a high-risk pyramid scheme of debt, risk and leverage that could collapse at any time, and wealthy countries such as the United States have been living way above their means for decades.
Meanwhile, the United States is being deindustrialized at a blinding pace and poverty in this country is absolutely exploding. Anyone that is not concerned about the economy should have their head examined. Fortunately, I have found that an increasing number of Americans are becoming convinced that we are heading for a horrific economic crisis. Once they come to that realization, they want to know what they should do.
And the reality is that “getting prepared” is going to look different for each family based on their own unique circumstances. Some people have a lot of resources, while others have very little. Some people are very independent of the system and can move wherever they want, while others are totally dependent on their jobs and must stay near the cities at least for now.
When civilization collapses, he predicts, the world will go back to barter.
Urges everyone to have a disaster-preparedness kit containing enough food, water and other supplies to last 72 hours. This is sensible advice, and preppers have a point when they mock those who ignore it.
In addition, it is important to distinguish between the “short-term” and the “long-term” when talking about economic collapse. As I have written about previously, our economic collapse is not going to happen all at once. It is going to unfold over time. In the “short-term”, many are moving money around and are building up “emergency funds” to prepare for the next recession. For the “long-term”, many are storing up food and huge stockpiles of survival supplies in order to be prepared for the total collapse of society. Both approaches are wise, but it is important to keep in mind that different approaches will be needed at different times.
READ MORE : The Horrific New World Order Master Plan that has full UN approval
The strategies posted below are a mix of both short-term and long-term strategies. Some will be important for our immediate future, while others may not be needed for a number of years. But in the end, you will be very thankful for the time and the effort that you spent getting prepared while you still could.
The following are 25 things that you should do to get prepared for the coming economic collapse…
#1 An Emergency Fund
Do you remember what happened when the financial system almost collapsed back in 2008? Millions of Americans suddenly lost their jobs, and because many of them were living paycheck to paycheck, many of them also got behind on their mortgages and lost their homes. You don’t want to lose everything that you have worked for during this next major economic downturn. It is imperative that you have an emergency fund. It should be enough to cover all of your expenses for at least six months, but I would encourage you to have an emergency fund that is even larger than that.
#2 Don’t Put All Of Your Eggs Into One Basket
If the wealth confiscation in Cyprus has taught us anything, it is that we should not put all of our eggs in one basket. If all of your money is in one single bank account, it would be easy to wipe out. But if you have your money scattered around a number of different places it will give you a little bit more security.
#3 Keep Some Cash At Home
This goes along with the previous point. While it is not wise to keep all of your money at home, you do want to keep some cash on hand. If there is an extended bank holiday or if a giant burst from the sun causes the ATM machines to go down, you want to be able to have enough cash to buy the things that your family needs. Just ask the people of Cyprus how crippling a bank holiday can be. One way to keep your cash secure at home is by storing it in a concealed safe.
#4 Get Out Of Debt
A lot of people seem to assume that an economic collapse would wipe out all debts, but that will probably not be the case. In fact, if you are in a tremendous amount of debt you will be very vulnerable if the economy collapses and you are not able to find a job. Just ask the people who were overextended and lost their jobs during the last recession. So please get out of debt. Many debt collectors are becoming increasingly ruthless. In many areas of the country they are now routinely putting debtors into prison. You do not want to be a slave to debt when the next wave of the economic collapse strikes.
WARNING: WHAT IS COMING WILL BE A SCARY TIME FOR EVERYONE. I AM DOING THIS TO HELP PEOPLE PREPARE THEMSELVES TO SURVIVE, EVEN THRIVE THROUGH THE COMING COLLAPSE.
#5 Gold And Silver
In the long-term, the U.S. dollar is going to lose a tremendous amount of value and inflation is going to absolutely skyrocket. That is one reason why so many people are investing very heavily in gold, silver and other precious metals. All over the globe, the central banks of the world are recklessly printing money. Everyone knows that this is going to end very badly. In fact, there is already a push in more than a dozen U.S. states to allow gold and silver coins to be used as legal tender. Someday you will be glad that you invested in gold and silver now while their prices were still low.
#6 Reduce Your Expenses
A lot of people claim that they can’t put any money toward prepping, but the truth is that we all have room to reduce our expenses. We all spend money on things that we do not really need. Those that are “lean and mean” will tend to do much better during the times that are coming.
#7 Start A Side Business
If you do not have much money, a great way to increase your income is by starting a side business. And it does not take a lot of money – there are many side businesses that you can start for next to nothing. And starting a side business will allow you to become less dependent on your job. In this economic environment, a job could disappear at literally any time.
#8 Move Away From The Big Cities If Possible
For many people, this is simply not possible. Many Americans are still completely and totally dependent on their jobs. But if you are able, now is a good time to move away from the big cities. When the next major economic downturn strikes, there will be rioting and a dramatic rise in crime in the major cities. If you are able to move to a more rural area you will probably be in much better shape.
#9 Store Food
Global food reserves have reached their lowest level in nearly 40 years. As the economy gets even worse and global weather patterns become even more unstable, the price of food will go much higher and global food supplies will become much tighter. In the long run, you will be glad for the money that you put into long-term food storage now.
#10 Learn To Grow Your Own Food
This is a skill that most Americans possessed in the past, but that most Americans today have forgotten. Growing your own food is a way to become more independent of the system, and it is a way to get prepared for what is ahead.
#11 Nobody Can Survive Without Water
Without water, you would not even make it a few days in an emergency situation. It is imperative that you have a plan to provide clean drinking water for your family when disaster strikes.
#12 Have A Plan For When The Grid Goes Down
What would you do if the grid went down and you suddenly did not have power for an extended period of time? Anyone that has spent more than a few hours without power knows how frustrating this can be. You need to have a plan for how you are going to provide power to your home that is independent of the power company.
#13 Have Blankets And Warm Clothing On Hand
This is more for emergency situations or for a complete meltdown of society. During any major crisis, blankets and warm clothing are in great demand. They also could potentially make great barter items.
#14 Store Personal Hygiene Supplies
A lot of preppers store up huge amounts of food, but they forget all about personal hygiene supplies. During a long crisis, these are items that you would greatly miss if you do not have them stored up. These types of supplies would also be great for barter.
#15 Store Medicine And Medical Supplies
You will also want to store up medical supplies and any medicine that you may need. In an emergency situation, you definitely would not want to be without bandages and a first-aid kit. Over the course of a long crisis, you do not want to run out of any medicines that are critical for your health.
#16 Stock Up On Vitamins
A lot of preppers do not think about this either, but it is very important. These days, it is becoming increasingly difficult to get adequate nutrition from the foods that we eat. That is why it is very important to have an adequate store of vitamins and other supplements.
Best Post Collapse First Aid Survival Guide Ever
#17 Make A List Of Other Supplies That You Will Need
During any crisis, there will be a lot of other things that you will need in addition to food and water. The following are just a few basic things that it would be wise to have on hand…
– an axe
– a can opener
– flashlights
– battery-powered radio
– extra batteries
– lighters or matches
– fire extinguisher
– sewing kit
– tools
This list could be much, much longer, but hopefully this will get you started.
#18 Don’t Forget The Special Needs Of Your Babies And Your Pets
Young children and pets have special needs. As you store supplies, don’t forget about the things that they will need as well.
#19 Entertainment
This may sound trivial, but the truth is that our entertainment-addicted society would become very bored and very frustrated if the grid suddenly went down for an extended period of time. Card games and other basic forms of entertainment can make enduring a crisis much easier.
#20 Self-Defense
In the years ahead, being able to defend your home and your family is going to become increasingly important. When the economy crashes, people are going to start to become very desperate. And desperate people do desperate things.
#21 Get Your Ammunition While You Still Can
Your firearms will not do you much good if you do not have ammunition for them. Already there are widespread reports of huge ammunition shortages. The following is from a recent CNS News article…
“The run on ammunition has manufacturers scrambling to accommodate demand and reassure customers, as many new and seasoned gun owners stock up over fears of new firearms regulations at both the state and federal levels.”
Don’t just assume that you will always be able to purchase large amounts of ammunition whenever you want. Get it now while you still can.
Best Self Defense Strategies For You And Your Family
#22 If You Have To Go…
Have a plan for what you and your family will do if you are forced to leave your home. If you do have to go, the following are some items that you will want to have on hand…
– a map of the area
– a compass
– backpacks for every member of the family
– sleeping bags
– warm clothing
– comfortable shoes or hiking boots
#23 Community
One of the most important assets in any crisis situation is community. If you have friends or neighbors that you can depend upon, that is invaluable. The time spent building those bonds now will pay off greatly during a major crisis.
#24 Have A Back-Up Plan And Be Flexible
Mike Tyson once said the following…
“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”
No plan ever unfolds perfectly. When your plan is disrupted, what will you do?
It will be imperative for all of us to have a back-up plan and to be flexible during the years ahead.
READ MORE : Russian Troops In America CONFIRMED – FEMA/DHS & Russian Troops Are Preparing U.S. For Martial Law
#25 Keep Your Prepping To Yourself
Do not go around and tell everyone in the area where you live about your prepping. If you do, then you may find yourself overwhelmed with “visitors” when everything falls apart.
And please do not go on television and brag about your prepping to a national audience.
Prepping is something that you want to keep to yourself, unless you want hordes of desperate people banging on your door in the future.
Sadly, most Americans still have blind faith that our “leaders” actually know what they are doing and will be able to fix things.
Most Americans still are convinced that everything is going to be just fine.
But if you are reading this article that means that you are probably much more awake than the average American is.
Please get prepared while you still can.
A great storm is coming, and time is quickly running out.
Are you worried about your future? Are you worried by the many disasters that you face in your everyday life? Worry no more. The Lost Ways comes in to solve your woes. This program was created by Davis Claude and its major role is to prepare and teach you how to handle worst-case scenarios using the least independence. This program will therefore motivate you to protect your family and friends during the worst period without the help of the modern technology.
Remember, calamities are everywhere: at work, home, school and many other places. These calamities cause tension and leads to a decrease in productivity. This may finally lead to a reduction in life. Fortunately, the lost ways review will provide solutions to these situations. It will give you the tips for preparing yourself when nothing seems to go as expected.
Generally, most people are optimistic. This makes them unprepared for failure. However, the best thing is to prepare for worst times. It is important to tell your kids about earthquakes, fire outbreaks, extreme weather conditions and other calamities. Tell them how to deal with these calamities in case they occur.
The Day The Lights Go Out And The Trucks Stop Running
ZeroHedge.com Aug 31, 2016 2:00 AM
Submitted by Michael Snyder via The Economic Collapse blog,
What would happen if some sort of major national emergency caused a massive transportation disruption that stopped trucks from running? The next time you talk to a trucker, please thank them for their service, because without their hard work none of our lives would be possible. In America today, very few of us live a truly independent lifestyle, and that means that we rely on the system to provide what we need. Most of us take for granted that there will always be plenty of goods at Wal-Mart and at the grocery store whenever we need more “stuff”, and most of us never give a second thought to how all of that “stuff” gets there. Well, the truth is that most of it is brought in by trucks, and if the trucks stopped running for some reason the entire country would devolve into chaos very rapidly.
Earlier today, I came across a quote from Alice Friedemann that detailed what we would be facing during a major national transportation disruption very nicely…
Within a week, in roughly this order, grocery stores would be out of dairy and other items that are delivered many times a day. And by the week, the shelves would be empty.
Hospitals, pharmacies, factories, and many other businesses also get several deliveries a day, and they’d be running out of stuff the first day.
And the second day, there’s be panic and hoarding. And restaurants, pharmacies would close. ATM’s would be out of money. Construction would stop. There’d be increasing layoffs. Increasing enormous amounts of trash not getting picked up, 685,000 tons a day. Service stations would be closed. Very few people would be working. And the livestock would start to be hungry from lack of feed deliveries.
Then within two weeks, clean water supplies would run out. Within four weeks to eight weeks, there wouldn’t be coal delivered to power plants and electricity would start shutting down. And when that happened, about a quarter of our pipelines use electricity, and so natural gas plants wouldn’t be fed natural gas and they’d start shutting down.
There is so much infrastructure that we take for granted that would suddenly become very vulnerable in this type of scenario. There are countless numbers of workers out there that never get any glory that do the hard work of maintaining our nuclear power plants, our natural gas pipelines, our electrical grid, etc. If they suddenly were not able to do their jobs, the consequences would be absolutely catastrophic. The following comes from Tess Pennington…
They rarely mention the dozens of nuclear power plants that litter the United States. If no one is there to operate them, how long before they melt down and bury millions of survivors under a radioactive cloud?
Then there are the 12,000 facilities around the country that store large quantities of toxic or flammable chemicals, and reside close to residential areas. 2,500 of these sites contain chemicals in quantities that, if a catastrophic accident were to occur, could affect 10,000 to 1 million people each. And let’s not forget the 2.5 million miles of oil and gas pipelines that can be found in every state. They suffer hundreds of leaks and ruptures every year, and are much more likely to explode when they aren’t maintained. That detail seems to be conveniently forgotten by post-apocalyptic films.
And finally, most post-apocalyptic movies will forget to mention what happens when there aren’t any functional fire departments. Aside from the obvious consequences, like whole neighborhoods routinely burning to the ground, who’s going to put out landfill fires that are occasionally radioactive?
For most Americans, a major national emergency of this magnitude may seem unimaginable right now. But the truth is that it isn’t difficult to see how this kind of scenario could happen. The Yellowstone supervolcano is becoming increasingly active, a single large asteroid could change all of our lives in a single moment, a crippling pandemic could bring normal life in America to a complete standstill, a terror attack involving weapons of mass destruction would spread panic and fear like wildfire, and a historic earthquake along the New Madrid fault, the Cascadia Subduction zone or any of the major faults in California could literally change the geography of our entire continent.
In addition, a massive EMP burst from a nuclear weapon or from the sun could fry our power grid and send us back into the stone age in a single moment. This is something that I have written about extensively, and those that want to minimize this threat simply don’t know what they are talking about. And an electromagnetic pulse is not even required to cause very serious problems with our electrical grid. For instance, just consider what happened in Ukraine toward the end of last year…
On December 23rd, 2015, the Prykarpattyaoblenergo power distribution station in Ukraine was hit by a carefully coordinated cyber-attack that was months in the making. The technicians lost control of their cursors as they watched hackers open breakers and take circuit after circuit offline, plunging 230,000 residents into darkness.
The hackers took backup power of the stations offline, plunging the electrical workers into darkness too, and worse yet, they even rewrote the low-level firmware that controls the electrical transformers. The attack had come after months of careful infiltration and planning by a dedicated team of elite cyber-warfare specialists and the result was devastating.
Even months later, technicians struggled to regain full capacity in the electrical grid due to the overwriting of firmware. With Ukrainian moves to nationalize power companies, it is possible that the powerful and Putin-connected Russian oligarchs who own large parts of Ukraine’s infrastructure were sending a message: we can shut down the system anytime we want.
The truth is that we are far more vulnerable than most of us would like to admit.
So what would you do if “normal life” suddenly came to an end and you no longer had access to food, water or power?
How would you and your family respond?
Hopefully you would continue to act in a civilized manner, but history has shown that many people would not.
Desperate people do desperate things, and it would only take a matter of days for some people to become violent…
Before long, getting mugged or being a victim of some type of crime is as unpredictable and as common as a car accident. You’ll realize everyone in the neighborhood has now beefed up security on their homes. All your family, friends, and coworkers have experienced a mugging, carjacking, or worse.
You’ll have no choice but to accept this new way of life and count on basic safety measures (a form of passive denial) or further learn to defend yourself and remain in a constant state of alert (a very stressful state over time). It’s difficult emotionally, mentally, and physically to remain on high alert 24/7 for any length of time. Most people will revert to a form of passive denial until the next incident happens to them or a family member.
And even though things may seem relatively stable for the moment, concern about what is coming is one of the factors that has led an increasing number of Americans to arm themselves. According to a brand new study from the Pew Research Center, 44 percent of all American homes now have a gun. Just two years ago, a different study found that number was sitting at just 31 percent.
The way that we are living our lives right now will not last indefinitely.
At some point a major national emergency will strike, and when that day arrives we could suddenly be facing major power grid and transportation disruptions.
Are you prepared for that?
What Preppers haven't Prepped for - the big gaping hole
by globalintelhub
Aug 28, 2016 9:25 PM
Reading stories about Preppers is often more inspiring than reading about startups. Preppers dedicate their entire life to their new way of life, as it were. Take for example this recent article in the Washington Post about the American Redoubt:
Those migrating to the Redoubt are some of the most motivated members of what is known as the prepper movement, which advocates readiness and self-reliance in man-made or natural disasters that could create instability for years. It’s scenario-planning that is gaining adherents and becoming mainstream in what Redoubt preppers described as an era of fear and uncertainty. They are anxious about recent terrorist attacks from Paris to San Bernardino, Calif., to Orlando; pandemics such as Ebola in West Africa; potential nuclear attacks from increasingly provocative countries such as North Korea or Iran; and the growing political, economic and racial polarization in the United States that has deepened during the 2016 presidential election.
Although the reasons for prepping are extremely varied, most dedicated preppers share several axioms of their prepping philosophy, such as:
The big gaping hole: FINANCIAL PREPPING
Preface this by saying that - of course - like with anything - it's not 100%. But generally speaking, preppers have prepared for everything except for their finances.
Preppers are NOT financially prepared!
Keeping physical gold and silver is a good idea - but it isn't a panacea. Also there are many risks associated with spending Gold and Silver such as theft, loss, and acceptance. Maybe in certain scenarios - no one would want silver, but they may want a beer?
Yes, that's right. If you want a real currency to use in an end times scenario, stock up on cheap whiskey and gin. Growing Marijuana will be easy in such times (the reason it has the nickname 'weed' is because it grows like a weed), but making a still requires knowledge, time, a place which is safe and suitable, dedication, and materials. That's just one example. You can elaborate on this scenario with this lateral thinking.
Other items of value in end times include tools of all kinds, and specifically tools that don't run with electricity, but those too. Dynamos, solar powered battery chargers, things like this - may be more valuable than gold or silver.
And as gun lovers like to say:
The only real currency if society breaks down is accelerated lead.
Preppers should beef up their knowledge and understanding of the financial system. If the system collapses, the new society will need bankers too. An economic system must evolve, eventually. Even if humans are living as savages, at some point as we rebuild, preppers and survivors will need bankers too.
Disaster Survival Foods
Primalsurvivor.net
These are the most common types of disasters that we come up against. They include situations like blizzards where you are trapped in your home and unable to go grocery shopping. They also include short-term power outages. You won’t need a lot of survival food for these situations, especially because you will be able to eat through your regular food supply (and will especially have to hurry to consume those frozen foods if the grid goes down!). But there are some items which are absolutely necessary:
Don’t waste your precious fuel and water! Stick to canned food instead! For your carbs, choose instant mashed potatoes (which can be made with cold water in a pinch) and crackers. I did include cous cous on the list because it cooks in just 2 minutes. Also, lentils are on the list because they too cook really quickly with presoaking. There are a bunch of different types of lentils. Red lentils cook the fastest.
Long-Term Disaster Survival FoodThese are the situations which hopefully will never occur, but will want to be prepared for in case they do. For example, if there is an EMP attack or nuclear disaster, we might be forced to hunker down in our homes (bug in) for over a month.
In these situations, our survival food requirements will drastically change. You need foods which provide you with optimal nutrition. They must be able to be cooked/prepared with very little fuel and water. They also must be compact so you can store them all. They must have minimal packaging so your location doesn’t get littered with trash. And, hopefully, they don’t all taste the same so you come down with food fatigue.
by globalintelhub
Aug 28, 2016 9:25 PM
Reading stories about Preppers is often more inspiring than reading about startups. Preppers dedicate their entire life to their new way of life, as it were. Take for example this recent article in the Washington Post about the American Redoubt:
Those migrating to the Redoubt are some of the most motivated members of what is known as the prepper movement, which advocates readiness and self-reliance in man-made or natural disasters that could create instability for years. It’s scenario-planning that is gaining adherents and becoming mainstream in what Redoubt preppers described as an era of fear and uncertainty. They are anxious about recent terrorist attacks from Paris to San Bernardino, Calif., to Orlando; pandemics such as Ebola in West Africa; potential nuclear attacks from increasingly provocative countries such as North Korea or Iran; and the growing political, economic and racial polarization in the United States that has deepened during the 2016 presidential election.
Although the reasons for prepping are extremely varied, most dedicated preppers share several axioms of their prepping philosophy, such as:
- Being 'off the grid' or self-reliant, for food, power, medical needs, and any needs or wants
- Living in a secure, remote area
- DIY mentality (Do It Yourself)
- 6 month - 2 year supply of food and other supplies
- Gold & Silver for if/when the financial system collapses
The big gaping hole: FINANCIAL PREPPING
Preface this by saying that - of course - like with anything - it's not 100%. But generally speaking, preppers have prepared for everything except for their finances.
Preppers are NOT financially prepared!
Keeping physical gold and silver is a good idea - but it isn't a panacea. Also there are many risks associated with spending Gold and Silver such as theft, loss, and acceptance. Maybe in certain scenarios - no one would want silver, but they may want a beer?
Yes, that's right. If you want a real currency to use in an end times scenario, stock up on cheap whiskey and gin. Growing Marijuana will be easy in such times (the reason it has the nickname 'weed' is because it grows like a weed), but making a still requires knowledge, time, a place which is safe and suitable, dedication, and materials. That's just one example. You can elaborate on this scenario with this lateral thinking.
Other items of value in end times include tools of all kinds, and specifically tools that don't run with electricity, but those too. Dynamos, solar powered battery chargers, things like this - may be more valuable than gold or silver.
And as gun lovers like to say:
The only real currency if society breaks down is accelerated lead.
Preppers should beef up their knowledge and understanding of the financial system. If the system collapses, the new society will need bankers too. An economic system must evolve, eventually. Even if humans are living as savages, at some point as we rebuild, preppers and survivors will need bankers too.
Disaster Survival Foods
Primalsurvivor.net
These are the most common types of disasters that we come up against. They include situations like blizzards where you are trapped in your home and unable to go grocery shopping. They also include short-term power outages. You won’t need a lot of survival food for these situations, especially because you will be able to eat through your regular food supply (and will especially have to hurry to consume those frozen foods if the grid goes down!). But there are some items which are absolutely necessary:
- WATER: During blizzards, hurricanes, and other disaster situations, it is common for the water to go off. Have at least 1-2 gallons per person, per day. This includes water for drinking, cooking, and hygiene.
- Canned food: Including meat, fish, fruit, vegetables
- Crackers
- Oatmeal
- Cereal
- Powdered milk
- Peanut butter
- Jams and jellies
- Crackers
- Instant mashed potatoes
- Granola bars
- Lentils
- Cous cous
- Dried fruits/fruit leather
Don’t waste your precious fuel and water! Stick to canned food instead! For your carbs, choose instant mashed potatoes (which can be made with cold water in a pinch) and crackers. I did include cous cous on the list because it cooks in just 2 minutes. Also, lentils are on the list because they too cook really quickly with presoaking. There are a bunch of different types of lentils. Red lentils cook the fastest.
Long-Term Disaster Survival FoodThese are the situations which hopefully will never occur, but will want to be prepared for in case they do. For example, if there is an EMP attack or nuclear disaster, we might be forced to hunker down in our homes (bug in) for over a month.
In these situations, our survival food requirements will drastically change. You need foods which provide you with optimal nutrition. They must be able to be cooked/prepared with very little fuel and water. They also must be compact so you can store them all. They must have minimal packaging so your location doesn’t get littered with trash. And, hopefully, they don’t all taste the same so you come down with food fatigue.
- WATER: Again, water is your most important survival item! You should also learn how to harvest rainwater.
- Freeze Dried Fruit: Freeze drying is one of the best ways to preserve fruit for the long term, and without taking up much space. Invest in freeze dried fruits as you will really need the antioxidants in fruit to keep you healthy… Not to mention the fiber you will need to keep your bowels moving!
- Freeze Dried Veggies: Freeze dried veggies taste a lot better than canned veggies, and they take up a lot less space. Just add water to rehydrate them, or snack of them. You will need them for the minerals and vitamins that they provide.
- Seaweed: Seaweed isn’t exactly the tastiest food, but it is one of the most nutritious foods you will find and is very compact when dried. It is also naturally salty so you can use it to flavor foods. Here is a decent guide to edible seaweed.
- Olive Oil, Vegetable Oil and Lard: Oils and fat are the most caloric-dense foods you will find. They will provide you with energy, flavor food, and also prevent food from sticking to your cooking pots and pans.
- Honey: Honey can last virtually forever, is a great natural immunity booster, and has anti-bacterial properties. For long-term survival, it beats sugar for flavoring food.
- Powdered Milk: Look for powdered milk in cans as it will last longer without having to vacuum seal.
- Instant Meals: Don’t bother with the instant meals you find in supermarkets. They usually take up too much space with empty packaging, and are nutritionally incomplete. This is your survival we are talking about, so spend a bit more for survival or camping MREs. Or you can make your own MREs.
- Freeze Dried Meat: This takes up much less space than canned meat.
- Dried Meat: When stored properly, dried meat can last for over a year.
- Canned tuna in oil: This is a great source of protein and Omega 3. Plus, you can turn a tuna can into a survival candle or stove!
- Ramen Noodles: You will want some carbs, and these are great because they cook quickly.
- Instant Mashed Potatoes: Also because you will want some carbs and no cooking is required.
- Protein bars and granola bars
- Pickles/Preserves: Learn how to make your own lacto-fermented pickles here.
The World Is Nine Meals From Starvation
Friday, August 26, 2016 18:19
(Before It's News)
The Dave Hodges Show
The World Bank is boldly proclaiming that extreme food shortages and subsequent food riots will take place in the near future largely due to the rapid increase in food prices.
In their recent report, only released a few days ago, the World Bank cites the disturbing fact that there have been 51 food riots in 37 countries in recent memory, all due to high food prices, and the further escalation of food prices has no end in sight. The World Bank further speculates that the present state of food prices could lead to political instability and this is the kind of stuff that wars are made of. And what is the number one cause of rising food prices according to the World Bank? It is the increasing demand (see attached PDF) for food from a growing population inside of China. The future military implications should be self-evident.
The staple crop of wheat has risen 18% in the past year.
Are Food Prices Being Artificially Being Manipulated for Purposes of Political Control?Before answering this question, it might be more prudent to ask if the food distribution system can survive the economic catastrophe’s which are poised to ravage the world’s economies and subsequent money supplies. If the dollar ever collapses, the rest of the world currencies will fall like a row of dominoes. If the multinational corporations are broke, how will food be shipped? Remember, the United States has a $17 trillion dollar deficit, a $240 trillion unfunded set of liabilities and the derivative debt is placed at about $1.5 quadrillion dollars! Setting aside your cognitive dissonance for a moment, what does your common sense tell you about the long-term viability of the dollar?
There are even more dire factors to consider.The elite are busy buying up the world’s water supply as evidenced by T. Boone Pickens and his continuing acquisition of the Ogallala underground water aquifer which dominates water supplies from Texas to South Dakota. The Bush family has purchased water rights of a similar proportion in Paraguay and the globalist beat goes on. The bottom line is that there are too few people controlling a disproportionate amount of the world’s water supplies. And without the proper distribution of water, there is no food cultivation. Add to this concern the fact that GMO’s are highly vulnerable to devastation because it is a genetic mono-crop.
Some have speculated that food prices are being artificially manipulated upward, through hording, in order to create a food shortage issue which could result in desired political instability and could result in a large scale war. This may or may not be true. However, what is undeniable is that the world is poised to experience a monumental food crisis that could kill off a significant number of the world’s population.
The Historical Precedent of Using Food As a WeaponThe two most notable examples of dictators using food as a weapon in order to destroy the free will of their people, comes from the regimes of Stalin and Hitler.
Josef Stalin engaged in his own Soviet-style Holocaust when, in 1932 and 1933, an estimated six to 20 million people in the Ukraine died from starvation when Stalin implemented his prescription of “hope and change” policies in order to eliminate the Ukrainian’s desire for becoming their own nation-state.
Upon assuming power, the Stalinist Communist regime rapidly nationalized the food industry and forced all of the region’s farms into collectives. This is exactly what is happening under the Obama administration and the dramatic rise of corporately owned farms.
Stalin’s version of the Holocaust came to fruition in what history has dubbed, the “Holodomor,” in which millions perished in only a two year period when the Soviet government began to exterminate the Ukrainian population by taking control of food and food production. And why would Stalin do such a thing to his own people? The Ukrainians were discussing and publicizing some very dangerous ideas about freedom, liberty and the ability to act on their desire for political autonomy. Americans would be wise to heed this warning as despots hate freedom. The parallel between Stalin and collectivist farms and American corporately owned farms is very disturbing.
Hitler proclaimed that food could be used as a tool “…to discipline the masses” and he did not hesitate to use the control of food as a type of carrot and stick in which he would reward accomplishment and punish failure as well as to ferment preferential class distinctions in which his armed forces received the largest food ration cards. Skilled workers who were engaged in industries critical to the building of the German war machine, received food ration cards which were slightly less in value. And, finally, the prisoners and the Jews received the lowest valued Nazi food ration cards. Food ration cards were also utilized as incentives to increase industrial production and were also increased in value when productive Nazi workers would be promoted. Food ration cards were diminished in value for the failure to meet Nazi production goals. Hitler’s use of what psychologists refer to as classical conditioning techniques reduced the will of the German population to a pack of Pavlovian dogs who were conditioned to be totally dependent upon the government for their survival. The presence of 50 million Americans on food stamps would certainly make an applicable parallel to Hitler’s practices and the potential for Obama, or another future president, to follow in Hitler’s footsteps with regard to food management.
When will it be our turn?
What Items Will Disappear First During A Major National Emergency?
Post by Newsroom Superstation95.com
- Aug 18, 2016
One day in the not too distant future, a major emergency will strike this nation, and that will set off a round of hoarding unlike anything we have ever seen before. Just think about what happens when a big winter storm or a hurricane is about to hit one of our major cities – inevitably store shelves are stripped bare of bread, milk, snow shovels, etc. Even though winter storms and hurricanes are just temporary hurdles to overcome, they still cause many people to go into panic mode. So what is going to happen when we have a real crisis on our hands?
We can get some clues about which items will disappear first during a major national emergency by taking a look at where such a scenario is already playing out. One recent survey found that over 80 percent of all basic foodstuffs are currently unavailable in Venezuela, and about half the country can no longer provide three meals a day for their families. Thankfully, some stores still have a few things that they are able to offer, but other key items are completely gone. The following comes from USA Today…
Oh, there are some things to buy. Besides salt, there are fresh vegetables and fruits, dairy products but no milk, some cereal, lots of snacks and a few canned goods.
The only meat is sausages; there are three kinds of cheese. The only problem: A kilogram of each costs more than a fourth of our monthly minimum wage of 15,050 bolivars.
But basic foodstuffs – the things most Venezuelans want to eat such as corn meal, wheat flour, pasta, rice, milk, eggs, sugar, coffee, chicken, mayonnaise, margarine, cooking oil and beef – are conspicuous by their absence. And there is no toilet paper, no sanitary napkins, no disposable baby diapers, no shampoo, no toothpaste, no hand soap and no deodorant.
Do you have plenty of the items in bold above stored up?
If not, you may want to stock up while you still can.
Venezuela was once the wealthiest nation in all of South America, but now lines for food often begin as early as three in the morning. Some people have become so desperate that they are actually hunting cats, dogs and pigeons for food, and there are even a few very sick people that have been killing and eating zoo animals.
Someday similar things will happen in the United States and Europe too.
When that day arrives, will you be prepared?
One of the things that got my attention from the article quote above was the lack of milk. My wife is always telling me that we should store up more dried milk, and I believe that she is right.
Just imagine not having any milk and not being able to get any more.
What would you do?
Another thing that really stood out to me in the article was the fact that there is a severe shortage of personal hygiene items. Most people don’t really think of those as “prepper goods”, but the truth is that life will become very uncomfortable without them very rapidly.
What would you do if there was no more toilet paper?
And if you have a little one, how are you going to manage without any diapers?
In general, it is wise to always have an extra supply of just about everything that you use on a daily basis stored away somewhere in your home. The generation that went through the Great Depression of the 1930s understood this concept very well, but most of us that are younger have had it so good for so long that we don’t even really grasp what a real crisis looks like.
Another thing that we are seeing happen right now in Venezuela is the rise of a barter economy…
Many of my urban friends are now planting vegetables in their outdoor spaces – if they have any – or in pots. Another friend, who is a hairdresser, is charging clients food to do their hair. For a shampoo and dry, she charges a kilo of corn meal, saying that she doesn’t have time to stand in line like some of her clients.
As you prepare for what is ahead, you may want to consider stocking up on some items that would specifically be used for bartering in a crisis situation. For example, you may not drink coffee, but there are millions upon millions of people that do. In a crisis situation, there will be many that will be extremely desperate to get their hands on some coffee, and so any coffee that you store away now may become a very valuable asset.
We live in a world where one out of every eight people already goes to bed hungry each night, and where one out of every three children is underweight. As global weather patterns become more extreme, as natural disasters continue to become more frequent and more intense, and as terror and war continue to spread, it is inevitable that the stress on the global food system is going to continue to grow.
Today you can waltz into Wal-Mart and buy giant cartloads of very inexpensive food, but it will not always be that way.
Unfortunately, more than half the country is currently living paycheck to paycheck, and most Americans do not have any emergency food stored up at all.
In addition to food and personal hygiene supplies, here are some other items that are likely to disappear very rapidly during a major national emergency…
-Flashlights
-Batteries
-Generators
-Propane
-Can Openers
-Water Filters
-Water Containers
-Anything Related To Self-Defense
-Axes
-Knives
-Sleeping Bags
-Tents
-First Aid Kits
-Matches
-Candles
-Firewood
-Shovels
-Bottled Water
-Warm Clothing
-Lanterns
-Portable Radios
So in addition to food and personal hygiene items, you may want to do an inventory of the items that I have listed above and see where you may have some holes in your preparation plans.
I understand that there will be some people that will read this article and think that all of us “preppers” are being just a tad ridiculous.
But when a major emergency strikes this nation and you haven’t done anything to prepare, you will dearly wish that you had bothered to take action while there was still time remaining to do so.
Preparing Pets for Emergencies by Emergency Essentials.
In May 2011, storms and spring runoff combined to produce some of the worst flooding in a century in Memphis, Tennessee. The local government ordered more than 1,300 homes evacuated.
Some people had to evacuate so fast they left their pets behind. Others took pets but found housing them in hotels was costly – if allowed at all. The American Humane Association, which sponsors an animal rescue group that travels to emergencies, reported it took in 187 animals. It pulled 50 of them from the flooding, including a cat that bore four kittens after its rescue.
When preparing your family for emergencies, don’t forget pets. Preparing pets is just as important.
ID your pet
Your pets should have current ID tags in case you get separated from them. The Humane Society of the United States suggests putting an out-of-state contact on the back of the tag, since an evacuation might force you out of your home. Pets with microchips in them have been found halfway across the country, so if possible, get your pet microchipped and enroll it in a recovery database, said the Humane Society.
“If your pet gets lost, his tag is his ticket home,” said ready.gov.
Once you’ve tagged your pet, make sure you keep its records handy in a waterproof container.
Your pet’s records should include a veterinary history and name of your veterinarian, feeding schedules, medical conditions and behavior issues, in case you have to board your pets apart from you.
You need a current photo of you with your pet along with its description. That can help others find your pet and prove it’s yours if you get separated.
Make a pet disaster kit
“Keep in mind that what's best for you is typically what's best for your animals,” said ready.gov.
Pets need disaster kits just like people do.
The Humane Society of the United States has a great checklist for a pet disaster kit.
It suggests packing food and water for five days (check out our freeze-dried pet food, great for long-term storage). Remember a can opener. Though your pet doesn’t need a gallon of water per day, the checklist recommends keeping an extra gallon of water on hand to clean your pet if it gets exposed to chemicals or flood water. You also need equipment to collect pet waste: a cat litter box with litter and a scoop and garbage bags.
You should have first aid supplies for your pets as well as for your family, including medicines and a pet first aid book.
“There are many minor injuries you can deal with at home before going to a vet, especially in an emergency or when you can't get in to see a doctor quickly,” wrote Deann Shepherd, director of communications for the Humane Society of Utah in an email.
A pet could end up staying in a carrier for hours or longer. The Humane Society of the United States recommends a carrier large enough to allow a pet to stand comfortably, turn around and lie down. Small pets should have a secure cage with blankets or towels for warmth and any species-specific needs. Also bring leashes or harnesses. If possible, a pet’s bed and toys from home are useful to reduce its stress.
Other useful items include paper towels, trash bags, grooming items, and bleach.
Pet Disaster-Preparedness KitMake sure your family (including pets) is ready for disaster by putting together a disaster-preparedness kit
The Humane Society of the United States
Visit humanesociety.org/disaster or our Disaster Preparation board on Pinterest for more resources on staying safe during times of disaster. And remember—if it's not safe for you, it's not safe for your pets. Download and print a PDF version of this checklist .
Most shelters won’t take pets. See if you can arrange for friends or relatives outside your immediate area to shelter you and your pets, the Humane Society said. If you have more than one pet, you may need to house them in separate places. A kennel or vet’s office might board your pets. Or, though this will be more costly, you can track down a pet-friendly hotel.
In May 2011, storms and spring runoff combined to produce some of the worst flooding in a century in Memphis, Tennessee. The local government ordered more than 1,300 homes evacuated.
Some people had to evacuate so fast they left their pets behind. Others took pets but found housing them in hotels was costly – if allowed at all. The American Humane Association, which sponsors an animal rescue group that travels to emergencies, reported it took in 187 animals. It pulled 50 of them from the flooding, including a cat that bore four kittens after its rescue.
When preparing your family for emergencies, don’t forget pets. Preparing pets is just as important.
ID your pet
Your pets should have current ID tags in case you get separated from them. The Humane Society of the United States suggests putting an out-of-state contact on the back of the tag, since an evacuation might force you out of your home. Pets with microchips in them have been found halfway across the country, so if possible, get your pet microchipped and enroll it in a recovery database, said the Humane Society.
“If your pet gets lost, his tag is his ticket home,” said ready.gov.
Once you’ve tagged your pet, make sure you keep its records handy in a waterproof container.
Your pet’s records should include a veterinary history and name of your veterinarian, feeding schedules, medical conditions and behavior issues, in case you have to board your pets apart from you.
You need a current photo of you with your pet along with its description. That can help others find your pet and prove it’s yours if you get separated.
Make a pet disaster kit
“Keep in mind that what's best for you is typically what's best for your animals,” said ready.gov.
Pets need disaster kits just like people do.
The Humane Society of the United States has a great checklist for a pet disaster kit.
It suggests packing food and water for five days (check out our freeze-dried pet food, great for long-term storage). Remember a can opener. Though your pet doesn’t need a gallon of water per day, the checklist recommends keeping an extra gallon of water on hand to clean your pet if it gets exposed to chemicals or flood water. You also need equipment to collect pet waste: a cat litter box with litter and a scoop and garbage bags.
You should have first aid supplies for your pets as well as for your family, including medicines and a pet first aid book.
“There are many minor injuries you can deal with at home before going to a vet, especially in an emergency or when you can't get in to see a doctor quickly,” wrote Deann Shepherd, director of communications for the Humane Society of Utah in an email.
A pet could end up staying in a carrier for hours or longer. The Humane Society of the United States recommends a carrier large enough to allow a pet to stand comfortably, turn around and lie down. Small pets should have a secure cage with blankets or towels for warmth and any species-specific needs. Also bring leashes or harnesses. If possible, a pet’s bed and toys from home are useful to reduce its stress.
Other useful items include paper towels, trash bags, grooming items, and bleach.
Pet Disaster-Preparedness KitMake sure your family (including pets) is ready for disaster by putting together a disaster-preparedness kit
The Humane Society of the United States
Visit humanesociety.org/disaster or our Disaster Preparation board on Pinterest for more resources on staying safe during times of disaster. And remember—if it's not safe for you, it's not safe for your pets. Download and print a PDF version of this checklist .
- Food and water for at least five days for each pet, bowls and a manual can opener if you are packing canned pet food. People need at least one gallon of water per person per day. While your pet may not need that much, keep an extra gallon on hand to use if your pet has been exposed to chemicals or flood waters and needs to be rinsed.
- Medications and medical records stored in a waterproof container and a first-aid kit. A pet first-aid book is also a good idea.
- Cat litter box, litter, litter scoop and garbage bags to collect all your pets' waste.
- Sturdy leashes, harnesses and carriers to transport pets safely and to ensure that your pets can't escape. Make sure that your cat or dog is wearing a collar and identification that is up to date and visible at all times. Carriers should be large enough to allow your pet to stand comfortably, turn around and lie down. (Your pet may have to stay in the carrier for hours at a time.) Be sure to have a secure cage with no loose objects inside it to accommodate smaller pets—who may also need blankets or towels for bedding and warmth as well as special items, depending on their species.
- Current photos of you with your pets and descriptions of your pets to help others identify them in case you and your pets become separated—and to prove that they are yours once you're reunited.
- Written information about your pets' feeding schedules, medical conditions and behavior issues along with the name and number of your veterinarian in case you have to board your pets or place them in foster care.
Most shelters won’t take pets. See if you can arrange for friends or relatives outside your immediate area to shelter you and your pets, the Humane Society said. If you have more than one pet, you may need to house them in separate places. A kennel or vet’s office might board your pets. Or, though this will be more costly, you can track down a pet-friendly hotel.
Your Outdoor Gear Is Your Survival Gear
This entry was posted on May 29, 2015 by Emergency Essentials.
If you’ve ever been camping, you know what it’s like to survive away from the comforts of home. And, believe it or not, every time you're sleeping out in the woods, you are also preparing for a disaster. Think about it… your outdoor gear will be your survival gear following and during an emergency. The differences between camping and plain old surviving are few.
I briefly mentioned in another blog post how you can take your family out camping in your backyard to practice using your camping and outdoor gear. This is actually a very good way to learn what more you need for your camping/survival gear. Then, head into the wilds and take it out for a field test. Go camping and see how prepared you really are! If you had to camp out for three days, a week, a month…would you be ready? If you plan ahead, you will be.
The following is some outdoor gear and resources that you generally use while camping, and will be glad you have during an emergency.
Shelter
What’s the first thing you do when you get to your camp site? Why, set up your tent, of course! If you’re really roughing it, you might be making a lean-to from some pine boughs lashed together with nothing but your shoelaces and dental floss. If you’re like me, however, you’ll probably have some sort of really cool tent. My dream tent is the Barebones Safari Outfitter Tent, but since that isn’t in the budget just yet (“yet” being the key word here…), I’ll be content with a regular ol’ tow-man, pop-up backpacking tent.
While shelters and tents make camping a much more enjoyable experience, shelter for disaster situations is important for many more reasons. While camping, you might be able to tough it out for a night or two, but while surviving after a disaster, your camping tent will be where you live. It’s where you and your kids will sleep, where you’ll hunker down during rain, snow, and storms, and where you will have your privacy from everyone else surviving around you. Yes, your camping tent is more than just a temporary shelter during an emergency. It’s your home.
Food and Water
I’ll combine food and water into one category for brevity’s sake. That being said, bringing food and water for your family isn’t always convenient while out camping. That’s why we always fill up our canteens, coolers, and whatever else we carry water in before we leave. We fill up some water containers from our home faucet and put them in the car. And, before we head out to wherever-it-is-we’re-going, chances are we’ll hit up the store in search of the perfect food to cook up over the camp fire. Hot dogs and marshmallows are always a popular choice; easy to cook and the kids love them. But there’s also the thing about keeping the meat cold while you travel so it doesn’t go bad. While camping, that’s not too hard. After an unexpected disaster? That’s where it gets a little bit more difficult.
Survival food can just as easily be the same stuff you bring camping. Tips-for-Camping.com recommends freeze dried food, because a) it’s delicious (it is!) and b) it lasts for a long time (our freeze-dried food lasts for 25 years!). All you need to do is add water to reconstitute the food, wait a few minutes, and you’ve got yourself a tasty home cooked meal! And in a disaster, isn’t that what you want…Some of the comforts of home?
Water can be gathered just as easily during a disaster. Besides having water storage in your home (which we definitely recommend), having a water filter can supply you with good, clean water wherever you are.
These are two things that can be a great addition to your camping gear that can be instantly used for your own survival. We’ll always need food and water, and if you already have that on hand, then you’re two steps ahead of the game!
Cooking Gear
Speaking of food and water, there are plenty of times when you’ll want to boil water or cook food that isn’t freeze dried. Enter the campfire. Cooking over a fire while camping is half the reason we go, is it not? Nothing says camping like a nice fire going, the smell of smoke in the air, while your camp stew cooks over the fire. Mmm, delicious! What are you cooking that stew in? Some sort of pot, I’d wager. Possibly even on a camp stove. Those are always fun, especially when your firewood is all soaked because it rained the night before. Thanks to your little stove, you still have a way to be the camp chef.
After a disaster, you may not have access to a fire pit to cook with. You may not have a stove or oven, either. That’s where your little cooking stove comes in handy. Even if you’re stuck inside without power, you’ll still have a way to cook your food and prepare dinner for your hungry family. And, since you’ve taken it camping with you so many times, you’re now pretty savvy with it and can use it just like your kitchen stove.
First Aid
Because accidents always seem to happen when you’re far away from help (it’s like they plan it that way), first aid kits are a must while you’re camping. And, since disasters tend to cause accidents, you’re going to want a first aid kit around for one of those – just in case. One of the benefits of being prepared is that you can take care of yourself immediately without waiting for emergency teams to come find you. That could take a while, because disasters tend to affect a lot of people at once. And if a lot of people are looking for medical attention, they’re going to take the most serious cases first.
But if you are fine, you can take that kit with you and help others who need assistance. A Boy Scout is always supposed to be prepared and help others. Even if you’re not a boy or a scout, you can still take that way of life to heart and be prepared with gear so that when others do need help, you’ll be ready. And who knows, it could be your own family you’re helping.
Your camping gear really is your survival gear. And, the more you go camping and use your gear, not only will you have a lot more fun doing it, the more savvy you’ll be, making it all the easier to adapt to an emergency situation. In fact, the people at Homestead Dreamer suggest that those who are frequent campers and outdoorsy people have an easier time adjusting their mental state around a disaster when it comes. This is because they’ve already been doing the surviving gig for a long time – and they do it for fun! They also mention a wide range of skills that are developed while camping. From building shelters to starting fires, these are skills that might just save your life.
As fun and enjoyable as camping is, it’s also a great way to prepare for survival. Practice makes perfect, and in a survival situation, you’re going to be glad you’ve already been doing a lot of practicing in the form of camping.
What other camping gear, skills, and other things will help you survive a disaster?
This entry was posted on May 29, 2015 by Emergency Essentials.
If you’ve ever been camping, you know what it’s like to survive away from the comforts of home. And, believe it or not, every time you're sleeping out in the woods, you are also preparing for a disaster. Think about it… your outdoor gear will be your survival gear following and during an emergency. The differences between camping and plain old surviving are few.
I briefly mentioned in another blog post how you can take your family out camping in your backyard to practice using your camping and outdoor gear. This is actually a very good way to learn what more you need for your camping/survival gear. Then, head into the wilds and take it out for a field test. Go camping and see how prepared you really are! If you had to camp out for three days, a week, a month…would you be ready? If you plan ahead, you will be.
The following is some outdoor gear and resources that you generally use while camping, and will be glad you have during an emergency.
Shelter
What’s the first thing you do when you get to your camp site? Why, set up your tent, of course! If you’re really roughing it, you might be making a lean-to from some pine boughs lashed together with nothing but your shoelaces and dental floss. If you’re like me, however, you’ll probably have some sort of really cool tent. My dream tent is the Barebones Safari Outfitter Tent, but since that isn’t in the budget just yet (“yet” being the key word here…), I’ll be content with a regular ol’ tow-man, pop-up backpacking tent.
While shelters and tents make camping a much more enjoyable experience, shelter for disaster situations is important for many more reasons. While camping, you might be able to tough it out for a night or two, but while surviving after a disaster, your camping tent will be where you live. It’s where you and your kids will sleep, where you’ll hunker down during rain, snow, and storms, and where you will have your privacy from everyone else surviving around you. Yes, your camping tent is more than just a temporary shelter during an emergency. It’s your home.
Food and Water
I’ll combine food and water into one category for brevity’s sake. That being said, bringing food and water for your family isn’t always convenient while out camping. That’s why we always fill up our canteens, coolers, and whatever else we carry water in before we leave. We fill up some water containers from our home faucet and put them in the car. And, before we head out to wherever-it-is-we’re-going, chances are we’ll hit up the store in search of the perfect food to cook up over the camp fire. Hot dogs and marshmallows are always a popular choice; easy to cook and the kids love them. But there’s also the thing about keeping the meat cold while you travel so it doesn’t go bad. While camping, that’s not too hard. After an unexpected disaster? That’s where it gets a little bit more difficult.
Survival food can just as easily be the same stuff you bring camping. Tips-for-Camping.com recommends freeze dried food, because a) it’s delicious (it is!) and b) it lasts for a long time (our freeze-dried food lasts for 25 years!). All you need to do is add water to reconstitute the food, wait a few minutes, and you’ve got yourself a tasty home cooked meal! And in a disaster, isn’t that what you want…Some of the comforts of home?
Water can be gathered just as easily during a disaster. Besides having water storage in your home (which we definitely recommend), having a water filter can supply you with good, clean water wherever you are.
These are two things that can be a great addition to your camping gear that can be instantly used for your own survival. We’ll always need food and water, and if you already have that on hand, then you’re two steps ahead of the game!
Cooking Gear
Speaking of food and water, there are plenty of times when you’ll want to boil water or cook food that isn’t freeze dried. Enter the campfire. Cooking over a fire while camping is half the reason we go, is it not? Nothing says camping like a nice fire going, the smell of smoke in the air, while your camp stew cooks over the fire. Mmm, delicious! What are you cooking that stew in? Some sort of pot, I’d wager. Possibly even on a camp stove. Those are always fun, especially when your firewood is all soaked because it rained the night before. Thanks to your little stove, you still have a way to be the camp chef.
After a disaster, you may not have access to a fire pit to cook with. You may not have a stove or oven, either. That’s where your little cooking stove comes in handy. Even if you’re stuck inside without power, you’ll still have a way to cook your food and prepare dinner for your hungry family. And, since you’ve taken it camping with you so many times, you’re now pretty savvy with it and can use it just like your kitchen stove.
First Aid
Because accidents always seem to happen when you’re far away from help (it’s like they plan it that way), first aid kits are a must while you’re camping. And, since disasters tend to cause accidents, you’re going to want a first aid kit around for one of those – just in case. One of the benefits of being prepared is that you can take care of yourself immediately without waiting for emergency teams to come find you. That could take a while, because disasters tend to affect a lot of people at once. And if a lot of people are looking for medical attention, they’re going to take the most serious cases first.
But if you are fine, you can take that kit with you and help others who need assistance. A Boy Scout is always supposed to be prepared and help others. Even if you’re not a boy or a scout, you can still take that way of life to heart and be prepared with gear so that when others do need help, you’ll be ready. And who knows, it could be your own family you’re helping.
Your camping gear really is your survival gear. And, the more you go camping and use your gear, not only will you have a lot more fun doing it, the more savvy you’ll be, making it all the easier to adapt to an emergency situation. In fact, the people at Homestead Dreamer suggest that those who are frequent campers and outdoorsy people have an easier time adjusting their mental state around a disaster when it comes. This is because they’ve already been doing the surviving gig for a long time – and they do it for fun! They also mention a wide range of skills that are developed while camping. From building shelters to starting fires, these are skills that might just save your life.
As fun and enjoyable as camping is, it’s also a great way to prepare for survival. Practice makes perfect, and in a survival situation, you’re going to be glad you’ve already been doing a lot of practicing in the form of camping.
What other camping gear, skills, and other things will help you survive a disaster?
Special
Heat Related Stress: Treatment and Prevention by beprepared.
The dangerous effects of unusually high temperatures on the human body fall into three basic types: Heat Cramps, Heat Exhaustion, and Heat Stroke. The heat may come from the sun or in industrial settings such as open-hearth furnaces in steel mills, multiple ovens in bakeries, boiler rooms, mines, and some factories, or it may result from house fires or wildfires which affect firefighters and residents alike. Construction and road crews, farmers, ranchers, and other outdoor workers are at risk from the sun’s heat, as well as runners, bikers, hikers, and other outdoor sports enthusiasts.
Heat Cramps are muscle spasms caused by the loss of salt and potassium through heavy perspiration. Often the lost water will have been replaced, but the necessary minerals—potassium and sodium—have not. These cramps may affect the legs, arms, or stomach. They may occur while the person is still engaged in the strenuous activity that produces the sweating—such as athletes who collapse with cramps on the football field or basketball floor—or they may suddenly occur later during the night or when he or she is relaxing at home. Although these cramps can be quite painful and temporarily debilitating, they do not usually result in permanent damage. Treat with a gentle massage of the affected muscle, manipulating the limb (bending or rotating it), and trying to stand on cramping legs. To prevent cramps, drink electrolyte solutions (sports drinks) during the day—along with plain water—and eat more potassium-rich foods such as bananas, orange juice, avocado, nuts and seeds, dried apricots, prunes, dates and raisins, baked potatoes, and dark chocolate.
Heat Exhaustion is more serious than cramping—the body’s internal cooling system becomes overworked, but hasn’t completely shut down. Heat exhaustion occurs when you don’t drink enough fluids to replace that which is lost. This is especially easy to do in hot, dry conditions. Dry heat can cause the sweat to evaporate from your skin’s surface quickly, so you may not be aware of how much you’re perspiring. The surface blood vessels and capillaries, which normally enlarge to cool the blood, collapse from loss of fluids and necessary minerals. Symptoms of heat exhaustion include:
- Headache
- increased perspiration
- intense thirst
- dizziness, fatigue
- loss of coordination
- nausea
- impaired judgment
- loss of appetite
- hyperventilation
- tingling in the hands and feet
- anxiety
- weak and rapid pulse (120-200 beats per minute)
- cool, moist skin, and
- below-normal blood pressure
Treatment of heat exhaustion includes moving the affected person to a cooler place—shade or an air-conditioned building—and having them lie down with the feet slightly elevated. Loosen the clothing, apply cool, wet cloths, and fan them. Have them drink sports drinks or water. Do all you can to cool them down and have them checked by medical personnel. They should avoid strenuous activity for at least a day and consume plenty of liquids.
Heat Stroke is a life-threatening condition with a high death-rate. It occurs when the body has completely depleted its supply of water and salt, causing the core temperature to rise to deadly levels. The victim may progress to this dangerous condition through the stages of heat cramps and heat exhaustion, but not always. Sometimes the onset appears suddenly, especially if the heat is extreme. Often heat stroke is mistaken for heart attack, especially in the workplace. It’s important to know the symptoms of heat stroke and check for them anytime a person collapses in a hot environment. Those symptoms include:
- a high body temperature (103° F or higher);
- the absence of perspiration;
- hot, red, and dry skin
- a rapid pulse
- difficulty breathing
- constricted pupils
as well as the signs of extreme heat exhaustion:
- dizziness
- nausea
- confusion
- slurred speech
- bizarre behavior
- collapse
- loss of consciousness
- hallucinations
- high blood pressure
- ultimately a spike in temperature to 108° F, seizure or convulsions, and death
Seconds count in saving the person’s life. Call 911, pour water on the victim, loosen or saturate his clothing, fan him, get him to a cooler place, and apply cold packs.
Preventing heat stroke is a matter of several factors. If you know you are going to be working or playing in extremely hot temperatures, condition yourself ahead of time by starting slowly and building up to more strenuous levels of activity. Allow a few days for your body to adjust. (If you’re starting a new job in outdoor summer conditions, hopefully your boss will understand this principle!) Drink a little more than you think you need; do not wait until you feel thirsty. Use water and electrolyte preparations, consuming about one cup of liquid every 15-20 minutes in very hot conditions.
Avoid alcohol or caffeinated beverages such as coffee, tea, or soda pop—they do not hydrate your body well. In fact, caffeine increases your heart rate and cardiac output, sending more blood to the kidneys and increasing urination, which contributes to dehydration. Therefore, do not depend on the water in caffeinated beverages to be sufficient to hydrate your body. If you use them, drink additional water to replace what they cause you to lose. It’s probably better to use soda pop as an occasional treat rather than a daily staple. Alcohol is a diuretic as well and the symptoms of a hangover are those of dehydration. (Note: Do not consume excessive amounts of water –or any liquid—all at once in an effort to re-hydrate your body. Drink slowly.)
If you begin to feel faint or develop a headache, take a break and cool off before getting back to your activity. Wear light-weight, light-colored clothing, take advantage of fans and air-conditioners, and get plenty of sleep at night. Try to perform your most strenuous and difficult tasks during the coolest part of the day
People who are the most vulnerable to heat-stress conditions include those who fall in the following categories, though no one is immune:
- over 65 and overweight
- high blood pressure or heart disease
- taking diuretics or medications that may be affected by extreme heat
Pregnant women, especially during the first trimester, should not have a core temperature higher than 102.2° F for extended periods, as that can cause a risk of abnormal fetal development. A perpetual core temperature above 100.4° F in both males and females is associated with temporary infertility.
In addition to the main three heat-induced conditions mentioned above, there are additional conditions you should be aware of.
Heat Syncope is fainting or extreme lightheadedness that usually occurs with prolonged standing or suddenly rising from a sitting or lying position in hot conditions. Blood pools in the extremities rather than returning to the heart to be pumped to the brain. Contributing factors include dehydration and lack of acclimation to the conditions. Treatment is to sit or lie down, then slowly drink water, clear juice, or a sports beverage. After recovery, moving around will help to prevent a recurrence.
Heat Rash, also known as prickly heat, is a skin irritation characterized by clusters of red pimples or small blisters occurring on the neck, upper chest, in the groin area, under the breasts, and in elbow or knee creases. Gently cleanse the affected area, pat dry, and allow to “air out.” Use dusting powder to increase comfort. If possible, try to work in a cooler, drier area.
Knowing a few basics about the prevention and treatment of heat-stress conditions and following them can prevent much misery and even save lives. Stay cool!
Forces Insider Warns Of Serious Civil Unrest This Summer: "Everything Is Right For Things To Go Very Wrong"
ZeroHedge.com
Submitted by Mac Slavo via SHTFPlan.com,
In the lead up to the Presidential election we’ve seen pockets of riotous behavior across America. Whether supporting Trump, Sanders, Hillary or Cruz, average Americans appear to be ready to go to war with their government or with each other. This sentiment, coupled with continued economic degradation and a general feeling of a populace that has for decades been marginalized by the political machine in the United States, is showing all the signs of serious civil unrest on the horizon.
In the following interview with Infowars.com special forces commando Tim Kennedy weighs in, describing the current situation as a trench having been dug and filled with accelerants just waiting to be ignited.
Kennedy is a continuity of government expert, which means he’s well versed in not only how the powder keg of civil unrest could potentially explode, but what The-Powers-That-Be will do once it does.
For civil unrest to happen you have to have a bunch of little things that set up for the perfect situation. You have to have a reason.
People are so emotionally involved in this Presidential election right now… and finally for the first time realizing there is something wrong with our country… the eyes are open… we know that something’s not right.
Even though we have a President saying ‘I’m trying to break down borders‘ we’ve never had so much hate between different racial segments… what’s even more scary is that we know all of these things individually are setting up the perfect opportunity for serious civil unrest…
Now that we’re moving into summer… we’re moving into the Presidential election… we’re sending troops into Iraq… we’re looking at groups and segments of people who are supporting specific Presidential nominees…
We have a perfect conducive environment for some serious problems… you think riots in Missouri were bad? Just wait until July… wait until August.
The trench has been dug and it is full of accelerants… everything is right for things to go very wrong.
Kennedy warns that once civil unrest happens on a nationwide scale, you’d better have taken steps to prepare, because just as we saw in Venezuela, Argentina and elsewhere during such tense periods, essential goods disappear from the shelves almost overnight.
And while such events are often dismissed by Americans as improbable, your concerns over the possibility are not without merit.
As an individual you have to get ready.
Don’t care if people think that you’re crazy… don’t think that you’re being a fanatic… that you’re being a prepper.
I’m only responsible for my family… My family is going to have food… My family is going to have water… We are going to be safe.
And if you think I’m crazy because I want to make sure my family is protected, fine, that’s the way it is.
But as an individual you need to look and research about ways to prepare in whatever city you live in.
In short, should widespread civil unrest, whether this summer or at any point in the future, spread across America and be followed by military and law enforcement intervention, you absolutely cannot depend on the government to be there to provide any meaningful assistance.
That means you need to take steps to prepare your own personal continuity plan.
In her best-selling book The Prepper’s Blueprint, Tess Pennington succinctly summarizes the reality of the situation:
Disasters do not discriminate. In the aftermath of the event, you will be on your own, left to provide for your family with the supplies and knowledge you have accrued. If you are prepared with the mental and spiritual foundation to overcome disaster, then you will transition into survival mode more quickly.
…When you plan for extended disasters you must take into account that you could be on you own for up to a month or longer. To carry you through this unpredictable time, you must add additional layers to your preparedness foundation so that it incorporates essential knowledge and additional supplies.
Excerpted from The Prepper’s Blueprint: The Step-By-Step Guide To Survive Any Disaster
By preparing for the possibility of a widespread civil unrest scenario you’d also be readying yourself for other potentially deadly events, thus focusing on core supplies and knowledge is key.
Whether it’s civil unrest this summer or as the result of an economic collapse in the future, or any number of other disaster scenarios, having at least a 30 day supply of essential necessities will mean the difference between life and death. At the very least, they will help make a very uncomfortable situation a bit more bearable.
As Tim Kennedy has highlighted, the trenches have been dug and the accelerant has been poured.
All we’re waiting for now is the spark.
Heat Related Stress: Treatment and Prevention by beprepared.
The dangerous effects of unusually high temperatures on the human body fall into three basic types: Heat Cramps, Heat Exhaustion, and Heat Stroke. The heat may come from the sun or in industrial settings such as open-hearth furnaces in steel mills, multiple ovens in bakeries, boiler rooms, mines, and some factories, or it may result from house fires or wildfires which affect firefighters and residents alike. Construction and road crews, farmers, ranchers, and other outdoor workers are at risk from the sun’s heat, as well as runners, bikers, hikers, and other outdoor sports enthusiasts.
Heat Cramps are muscle spasms caused by the loss of salt and potassium through heavy perspiration. Often the lost water will have been replaced, but the necessary minerals—potassium and sodium—have not. These cramps may affect the legs, arms, or stomach. They may occur while the person is still engaged in the strenuous activity that produces the sweating—such as athletes who collapse with cramps on the football field or basketball floor—or they may suddenly occur later during the night or when he or she is relaxing at home. Although these cramps can be quite painful and temporarily debilitating, they do not usually result in permanent damage. Treat with a gentle massage of the affected muscle, manipulating the limb (bending or rotating it), and trying to stand on cramping legs. To prevent cramps, drink electrolyte solutions (sports drinks) during the day—along with plain water—and eat more potassium-rich foods such as bananas, orange juice, avocado, nuts and seeds, dried apricots, prunes, dates and raisins, baked potatoes, and dark chocolate.
Heat Exhaustion is more serious than cramping—the body’s internal cooling system becomes overworked, but hasn’t completely shut down. Heat exhaustion occurs when you don’t drink enough fluids to replace that which is lost. This is especially easy to do in hot, dry conditions. Dry heat can cause the sweat to evaporate from your skin’s surface quickly, so you may not be aware of how much you’re perspiring. The surface blood vessels and capillaries, which normally enlarge to cool the blood, collapse from loss of fluids and necessary minerals. Symptoms of heat exhaustion include:
- Headache
- increased perspiration
- intense thirst
- dizziness, fatigue
- loss of coordination
- nausea
- impaired judgment
- loss of appetite
- hyperventilation
- tingling in the hands and feet
- anxiety
- weak and rapid pulse (120-200 beats per minute)
- cool, moist skin, and
- below-normal blood pressure
Treatment of heat exhaustion includes moving the affected person to a cooler place—shade or an air-conditioned building—and having them lie down with the feet slightly elevated. Loosen the clothing, apply cool, wet cloths, and fan them. Have them drink sports drinks or water. Do all you can to cool them down and have them checked by medical personnel. They should avoid strenuous activity for at least a day and consume plenty of liquids.
Heat Stroke is a life-threatening condition with a high death-rate. It occurs when the body has completely depleted its supply of water and salt, causing the core temperature to rise to deadly levels. The victim may progress to this dangerous condition through the stages of heat cramps and heat exhaustion, but not always. Sometimes the onset appears suddenly, especially if the heat is extreme. Often heat stroke is mistaken for heart attack, especially in the workplace. It’s important to know the symptoms of heat stroke and check for them anytime a person collapses in a hot environment. Those symptoms include:
- a high body temperature (103° F or higher);
- the absence of perspiration;
- hot, red, and dry skin
- a rapid pulse
- difficulty breathing
- constricted pupils
as well as the signs of extreme heat exhaustion:
- dizziness
- nausea
- confusion
- slurred speech
- bizarre behavior
- collapse
- loss of consciousness
- hallucinations
- high blood pressure
- ultimately a spike in temperature to 108° F, seizure or convulsions, and death
Seconds count in saving the person’s life. Call 911, pour water on the victim, loosen or saturate his clothing, fan him, get him to a cooler place, and apply cold packs.
Preventing heat stroke is a matter of several factors. If you know you are going to be working or playing in extremely hot temperatures, condition yourself ahead of time by starting slowly and building up to more strenuous levels of activity. Allow a few days for your body to adjust. (If you’re starting a new job in outdoor summer conditions, hopefully your boss will understand this principle!) Drink a little more than you think you need; do not wait until you feel thirsty. Use water and electrolyte preparations, consuming about one cup of liquid every 15-20 minutes in very hot conditions.
Avoid alcohol or caffeinated beverages such as coffee, tea, or soda pop—they do not hydrate your body well. In fact, caffeine increases your heart rate and cardiac output, sending more blood to the kidneys and increasing urination, which contributes to dehydration. Therefore, do not depend on the water in caffeinated beverages to be sufficient to hydrate your body. If you use them, drink additional water to replace what they cause you to lose. It’s probably better to use soda pop as an occasional treat rather than a daily staple. Alcohol is a diuretic as well and the symptoms of a hangover are those of dehydration. (Note: Do not consume excessive amounts of water –or any liquid—all at once in an effort to re-hydrate your body. Drink slowly.)
If you begin to feel faint or develop a headache, take a break and cool off before getting back to your activity. Wear light-weight, light-colored clothing, take advantage of fans and air-conditioners, and get plenty of sleep at night. Try to perform your most strenuous and difficult tasks during the coolest part of the day
People who are the most vulnerable to heat-stress conditions include those who fall in the following categories, though no one is immune:
- over 65 and overweight
- high blood pressure or heart disease
- taking diuretics or medications that may be affected by extreme heat
Pregnant women, especially during the first trimester, should not have a core temperature higher than 102.2° F for extended periods, as that can cause a risk of abnormal fetal development. A perpetual core temperature above 100.4° F in both males and females is associated with temporary infertility.
In addition to the main three heat-induced conditions mentioned above, there are additional conditions you should be aware of.
Heat Syncope is fainting or extreme lightheadedness that usually occurs with prolonged standing or suddenly rising from a sitting or lying position in hot conditions. Blood pools in the extremities rather than returning to the heart to be pumped to the brain. Contributing factors include dehydration and lack of acclimation to the conditions. Treatment is to sit or lie down, then slowly drink water, clear juice, or a sports beverage. After recovery, moving around will help to prevent a recurrence.
Heat Rash, also known as prickly heat, is a skin irritation characterized by clusters of red pimples or small blisters occurring on the neck, upper chest, in the groin area, under the breasts, and in elbow or knee creases. Gently cleanse the affected area, pat dry, and allow to “air out.” Use dusting powder to increase comfort. If possible, try to work in a cooler, drier area.
Knowing a few basics about the prevention and treatment of heat-stress conditions and following them can prevent much misery and even save lives. Stay cool!
Forces Insider Warns Of Serious Civil Unrest This Summer: "Everything Is Right For Things To Go Very Wrong"
ZeroHedge.com
Submitted by Mac Slavo via SHTFPlan.com,
In the lead up to the Presidential election we’ve seen pockets of riotous behavior across America. Whether supporting Trump, Sanders, Hillary or Cruz, average Americans appear to be ready to go to war with their government or with each other. This sentiment, coupled with continued economic degradation and a general feeling of a populace that has for decades been marginalized by the political machine in the United States, is showing all the signs of serious civil unrest on the horizon.
In the following interview with Infowars.com special forces commando Tim Kennedy weighs in, describing the current situation as a trench having been dug and filled with accelerants just waiting to be ignited.
Kennedy is a continuity of government expert, which means he’s well versed in not only how the powder keg of civil unrest could potentially explode, but what The-Powers-That-Be will do once it does.
For civil unrest to happen you have to have a bunch of little things that set up for the perfect situation. You have to have a reason.
People are so emotionally involved in this Presidential election right now… and finally for the first time realizing there is something wrong with our country… the eyes are open… we know that something’s not right.
Even though we have a President saying ‘I’m trying to break down borders‘ we’ve never had so much hate between different racial segments… what’s even more scary is that we know all of these things individually are setting up the perfect opportunity for serious civil unrest…
Now that we’re moving into summer… we’re moving into the Presidential election… we’re sending troops into Iraq… we’re looking at groups and segments of people who are supporting specific Presidential nominees…
We have a perfect conducive environment for some serious problems… you think riots in Missouri were bad? Just wait until July… wait until August.
The trench has been dug and it is full of accelerants… everything is right for things to go very wrong.
Kennedy warns that once civil unrest happens on a nationwide scale, you’d better have taken steps to prepare, because just as we saw in Venezuela, Argentina and elsewhere during such tense periods, essential goods disappear from the shelves almost overnight.
And while such events are often dismissed by Americans as improbable, your concerns over the possibility are not without merit.
As an individual you have to get ready.
Don’t care if people think that you’re crazy… don’t think that you’re being a fanatic… that you’re being a prepper.
I’m only responsible for my family… My family is going to have food… My family is going to have water… We are going to be safe.
And if you think I’m crazy because I want to make sure my family is protected, fine, that’s the way it is.
But as an individual you need to look and research about ways to prepare in whatever city you live in.
In short, should widespread civil unrest, whether this summer or at any point in the future, spread across America and be followed by military and law enforcement intervention, you absolutely cannot depend on the government to be there to provide any meaningful assistance.
That means you need to take steps to prepare your own personal continuity plan.
In her best-selling book The Prepper’s Blueprint, Tess Pennington succinctly summarizes the reality of the situation:
Disasters do not discriminate. In the aftermath of the event, you will be on your own, left to provide for your family with the supplies and knowledge you have accrued. If you are prepared with the mental and spiritual foundation to overcome disaster, then you will transition into survival mode more quickly.
…When you plan for extended disasters you must take into account that you could be on you own for up to a month or longer. To carry you through this unpredictable time, you must add additional layers to your preparedness foundation so that it incorporates essential knowledge and additional supplies.
Excerpted from The Prepper’s Blueprint: The Step-By-Step Guide To Survive Any Disaster
By preparing for the possibility of a widespread civil unrest scenario you’d also be readying yourself for other potentially deadly events, thus focusing on core supplies and knowledge is key.
- Emergency Food Supplies will be absolutely critical. Even during a snowstorm or hurricane that are often forecast well in advance we see panic in grocery stores in the lead up, often leaving store shelves razed and completely empty. Stockpiling easy-to-cook, highly nutritious meals will be critical. Such supplies can be acquired in grab-and-go buckets or family packages for multi-day or multi-week emergency scenarios.
- Portable food supplies may come in handy should you be caught in the middle of civil unrest and riots. These come in the form of high-calorie-food bars that can be hidden in a backpack, your car, or supplement existing food storage supplies. At a whopping 3600 calories per bar, five of these are enough for a week’s worth of emergency survival nutrition.
- Emergency Water will be essential in a scenario where city governments are overwhelmed with rioting or looting. A number of disaster scenarios could lead to water in an entire city being either too dangerous to drink or simply turned off at the source. Having a gravity water filter at home will allow you to stay hydrated during times of crisis. If you’re caught out in the open, keeping a portable water filtertration system like the Katadyn Hiker Microfilter or Micropur Water Treatment Tablets in your back pack could be a life saver.
- Nuclear, Biological, Chemical (NBC) Protective Equipment is an additional safety measure, especially in riot scenarios where poisonous gases could be used by both law enforcement or rioters. Moreover, such gear is the last line of defense in the event of a serious NBC disaster that could include the release of poison gases in crowded, tightly confided spaces like subways, or in a worst case scenario, an attack on a domestic nuclear power plant.
- Firearms, Ammunition and Body Armor will be essential. People will panic. People will become violent. And people are going to get hurt. Be armed with enough ammunition to keep your family safe and secure, and know how to use your equipment. But remember, if you have to shoot at a threat, there is a strong possibility they will be shooting back. As such, consider body armor as a means of protection in extremely volatile and potentially violent situations.
- First Aid and Trauma Supplies will be essential to your safety. In a serious emergency there will be no hospitals and you will need to become the doctor. Collapse doctor Joe Alton has written The Survival Medicine Handbook for just this reason. You’ll want to have a first aid kit, but we also strong encourage you to consider trauma kits for serious injuries. And it’s always a good idea to have antibiotics to prevent infection in the event you can’t get to an emergency room.
- Barter and Trade could come into play as well, especially when store shelves are empty. And while the above supply list could be used for barter, so too can silver bullion like coins and bars. Hard currency has been used in Zimbabwe, Argentina and Greece when either currencies collapsed or banks were closed down due to emergencies.
Whether it’s civil unrest this summer or as the result of an economic collapse in the future, or any number of other disaster scenarios, having at least a 30 day supply of essential necessities will mean the difference between life and death. At the very least, they will help make a very uncomfortable situation a bit more bearable.
As Tim Kennedy has highlighted, the trenches have been dug and the accelerant has been poured.
All we’re waiting for now is the spark.
7 Actions to Take Immediately Following an EMP Strike
Tuesday, April 19, 2016 9:12(Before It's News)
1 – At a community level because we haven’t experienced one yet and we don’t really know how bad it can get. Frank Gaffney – president of the Center for Security Policy predicted that:
“Within a year of an EMP attack, nine out of 10 Americans would be dead, because we can’t support a population of the present size in urban centers and the like without electricity. And that is exactly what I believe the Iranians are working towards.”
Experts also agree that the next nuclear war will start with at least an EMP. If one of the nuclear powers blasts a nuclear weapon 275 miles above the US it will produce an EMP that will basically send us, the Canadian and the Mexicans back to the Dark Ages. Can we fight back (after an EMP) or we will be nothing more than sitting ducks for Russian’ nukes?
2 – At an individual scale because you don’t really know where you’ll be when it happens. There won’t be any kind of transportation or telecommunication. You’ll have to walk your way home. If you work 40 miles away from home, you better have a plan. If your car gets stuck with your family on the highway on a cold winter – you got to have a back-up plan. If your child is at school you got to get him… and so on.
Of course it’s imperative to have (at the back of your mind) a list of things to do immediately after an EMP. But just like in an economic collapse, you won’t be able to do a lot of things after the crisis begins. The information you’ll find bellow it’s good to know and should be considered as a plan. But it’s not 100% prepping. If you want to prepare for an EMP you need to have some things ready in advance.
by P.J.
So what actions should you take immediately following an EMP strike? Remember that time will be critical, the first few hours (days at most) will enable you to get a jump on everyone else and set the stage for your success. You will immediately know that an EMP, be it from a nuclear weapon or massive solar flare, will have struck your area. Your car will no longer work, your cell phone won’t work, the power will be out everywhere, planes will have fallen from the sky. You will know it was an EMP but the vast majority of the public will not, they will be quite literally sitting around waiting for someone to tell them what to do. You won’t know how large the scope of the strike is but you will have to assume the worst, which would be a nationwide outage.
First things first, if you are at work, get home. Your boss no longer has authority over you, your co-workers no longer are a priority. They will be trying to restart a computer that will never again work, trying to restart their smartphone, sitting in the break room trying to call 911 and saying things like: “This is ridiculous, I’m going to miss my 3pm sales call!” You on the other hand will go to you car and change into the extra set of clothes and shoes you keep in the trunk. You will don your “get home bag” and start walking, hopefully your walk will not take more than a day.
Once home it is time to start implementing your plan. Remember time is absolutely critical and you only have a small window of it in order to set yourself up for success. During these initial hours and days people will still have faith that some sort of government agency will come in to make everything better. They will expect to see the power come back on any minute because someone will surely do something. They will tell each other to sit tight, just hold on for a day or so because eventually the HMMWV’s will roll in loaded with supplies and some military officer or government official will explain that this is merely a temporary problem, nothing to worry about, sorry for the inconvenience. You know better because you realize just how devastating an EMP strike is and the reality is that it could be months before systems start to come back online. It will only take a week or two (at most) before things start getting really ugly because people start going hungry. With all of that that in mind you take these 7 actions because you were prepared for this to happen.
1 – Use your cash. In the first few days after an EMP strike cash will still have value. Take all of your cash and that radio flyer wagon your kids have and walk down to the corner store. Avoid the big retail stores, I suggest finding the corner gas station or local drug store. The owner of the store will no doubt be there, concerned that the items in the store are unprotected during a power outage. Explain to the owner that you are in need of some supplies, can pay cash and do not require change. Tell him/her that you will give them an extra $100 to allow you to “shop” for a few minutes. Load up your wagon with anything you can find to include medication, candy bars, water bottles, pop tarts, lighters, hand sanitizer etc etc. Of course you should be well stocked at home but you might as well get rid of your worthless paper money in exchange for any amount of extra supplies you can get your hands on. In a week (maybe less) most stores will be completely looted so you need to take advantage of this moment.
2 – Fill up the tub(s) with water. Hopefully you have a water bob for each bath tub in your home in addition to several other water storage devices and water purification/filtration devices. Remember a down grid means that fresh water will stop flowing to your home very quickly. Fill up your tub as soon as you can, that extra hundred or so gallons could prove invaluable. If you are concerned about the quality of the water remember you can add 8 drops of regular Clorox bleach per gallon to help purify what you have in the tub.
3 – Talk to your neighbors. This step is absolutely critical, you have to get out and talk to your close neighbors and explain to them what is going on. They will be in denial for the most part, hopefully you have copies of the EMP report printed off which you can distribute as you go door to door. Explain to them what is going on and that time is critical, let them know a worst case scenario means that there will be no help coming for quite a long time. Additionally mention the following to them.
a. Discuss a neighborhood watch. Tell them that in a few days or weeks things will get dangerous with hungry people roaming the streets. It is essential that you define your neighborhood’s boundaries and set up a neighborhood watch of sorts, assigning people to different shifts.
b. Offer to hold a meeting. Set a time that you will have a meeting at your home, say every day after sunrise in your garage. Tell them they are invited and that every day you will be there passing out information. At first you might not have anyone attend these meetings, in a few days there will be a handful and in a week you might have 50 or more hungry, scared, tired people demanding answers. If you are going to assume the role of a leader, be prepared to do just that.
c. Tell them to use their cash. Much like you should have already done, tell them that their cash will soon be worthless and that they need to get down to the market to spend it. Most people have no cash on hand, so this probably won’t be a real issue.
d. Tell them to inventory their supplies. Most people have 3 to 5 days food on hand in their home. You should mention that they need to start rationing what they have, and taking inventory of everything else.
e. Start identifying those with skills. I wrote about how to organize a survival community as well as what skills will be valuable after T-SHTF in a few recent articles. While making the rounds in your neighborhood you should start identifying who has special skills and make note of it. Cops or military personnel could help with security, doctors have obvious value, and so on and so forth.
4 – Start rationing food. Hopefully you have at least a 1 year supply of food for your family, if not more. Start rationing immediately because more than likely you will have to share some of your food with your neighbors. It will be unavoidable, you will need their help to survive as a community and there is absolutely no way that they will starve while watching you and your family live high on the hog. This doesn’t mean that you cannot oversee how some rations are distributed, or seek out other sources of food, but just remember nobody gets through SHTF alone.
5 – Hygiene preparations. Consider where you are going to dispose of your human waste, it might be a good time to start digging that pit. Also consider where you will dispose of your trash and if you will bury it or burn it. Remember the trash man won’t be around next Sunday and your toilets will stop flushing very quickly.
6 – Listen to your weather radio. Prior to the EMP strike you had a small solar/hand crank weather radio secured in an old microwave in the basement, it still works. You should monitor NOAA Weather Radio frequencies throughout the day in case there is information being published which you can use to stay informed. Maybe the strike only covered 500 square miles and help will be on the way in a week, or maybe there is nothing but static…not a good sign.
7 – Consider your own security plan. Despite all of the actions you are taking, trying to help those within your community by reaching out to organize them, realize that not everything goes to plan. There could be dissenters within your neighborhood or those outside of your community who might choose to take advantage of the situation. Looting will become prevalent very quickly and no neighborhood will be immune. Consider your security plan, this is no time to rely on the charity and goodness of mankind. Remain suspicious of all activity and never walk around unarmed. Never allow your family members to venture out alone and remember to stay in after dark. All of that said I would caution against using deadly force unless absolutely necessary. Protect yourself and your family but remember that there will come a time when the power does come back on and people will be held accountable for their actions.
An EMP strike on our nation will be an absolutely catastrophic event and while I’m sure all of us hope that something like this never happens, hope is never a course of action. Despite our best efforts to prepare for such an event there is a good chance that many will not survive. Some have predicted that within a year of a strike, 9 out of 10 Americans would be dead. In sports success or failure on the field of play is determined months before the actual game by how much dedication the athletes displayed during practice. In much the same way success or failure following an EMP strike will have been determined by how seriously we took our prep strategy in the months or years prior, as well as actions which we take immediately after. Life isn’t fair, plan accordingly.
Tuesday, April 19, 2016 9:12(Before It's News)
1 – At a community level because we haven’t experienced one yet and we don’t really know how bad it can get. Frank Gaffney – president of the Center for Security Policy predicted that:
“Within a year of an EMP attack, nine out of 10 Americans would be dead, because we can’t support a population of the present size in urban centers and the like without electricity. And that is exactly what I believe the Iranians are working towards.”
Experts also agree that the next nuclear war will start with at least an EMP. If one of the nuclear powers blasts a nuclear weapon 275 miles above the US it will produce an EMP that will basically send us, the Canadian and the Mexicans back to the Dark Ages. Can we fight back (after an EMP) or we will be nothing more than sitting ducks for Russian’ nukes?
2 – At an individual scale because you don’t really know where you’ll be when it happens. There won’t be any kind of transportation or telecommunication. You’ll have to walk your way home. If you work 40 miles away from home, you better have a plan. If your car gets stuck with your family on the highway on a cold winter – you got to have a back-up plan. If your child is at school you got to get him… and so on.
Of course it’s imperative to have (at the back of your mind) a list of things to do immediately after an EMP. But just like in an economic collapse, you won’t be able to do a lot of things after the crisis begins. The information you’ll find bellow it’s good to know and should be considered as a plan. But it’s not 100% prepping. If you want to prepare for an EMP you need to have some things ready in advance.
by P.J.
So what actions should you take immediately following an EMP strike? Remember that time will be critical, the first few hours (days at most) will enable you to get a jump on everyone else and set the stage for your success. You will immediately know that an EMP, be it from a nuclear weapon or massive solar flare, will have struck your area. Your car will no longer work, your cell phone won’t work, the power will be out everywhere, planes will have fallen from the sky. You will know it was an EMP but the vast majority of the public will not, they will be quite literally sitting around waiting for someone to tell them what to do. You won’t know how large the scope of the strike is but you will have to assume the worst, which would be a nationwide outage.
First things first, if you are at work, get home. Your boss no longer has authority over you, your co-workers no longer are a priority. They will be trying to restart a computer that will never again work, trying to restart their smartphone, sitting in the break room trying to call 911 and saying things like: “This is ridiculous, I’m going to miss my 3pm sales call!” You on the other hand will go to you car and change into the extra set of clothes and shoes you keep in the trunk. You will don your “get home bag” and start walking, hopefully your walk will not take more than a day.
Once home it is time to start implementing your plan. Remember time is absolutely critical and you only have a small window of it in order to set yourself up for success. During these initial hours and days people will still have faith that some sort of government agency will come in to make everything better. They will expect to see the power come back on any minute because someone will surely do something. They will tell each other to sit tight, just hold on for a day or so because eventually the HMMWV’s will roll in loaded with supplies and some military officer or government official will explain that this is merely a temporary problem, nothing to worry about, sorry for the inconvenience. You know better because you realize just how devastating an EMP strike is and the reality is that it could be months before systems start to come back online. It will only take a week or two (at most) before things start getting really ugly because people start going hungry. With all of that that in mind you take these 7 actions because you were prepared for this to happen.
1 – Use your cash. In the first few days after an EMP strike cash will still have value. Take all of your cash and that radio flyer wagon your kids have and walk down to the corner store. Avoid the big retail stores, I suggest finding the corner gas station or local drug store. The owner of the store will no doubt be there, concerned that the items in the store are unprotected during a power outage. Explain to the owner that you are in need of some supplies, can pay cash and do not require change. Tell him/her that you will give them an extra $100 to allow you to “shop” for a few minutes. Load up your wagon with anything you can find to include medication, candy bars, water bottles, pop tarts, lighters, hand sanitizer etc etc. Of course you should be well stocked at home but you might as well get rid of your worthless paper money in exchange for any amount of extra supplies you can get your hands on. In a week (maybe less) most stores will be completely looted so you need to take advantage of this moment.
2 – Fill up the tub(s) with water. Hopefully you have a water bob for each bath tub in your home in addition to several other water storage devices and water purification/filtration devices. Remember a down grid means that fresh water will stop flowing to your home very quickly. Fill up your tub as soon as you can, that extra hundred or so gallons could prove invaluable. If you are concerned about the quality of the water remember you can add 8 drops of regular Clorox bleach per gallon to help purify what you have in the tub.
3 – Talk to your neighbors. This step is absolutely critical, you have to get out and talk to your close neighbors and explain to them what is going on. They will be in denial for the most part, hopefully you have copies of the EMP report printed off which you can distribute as you go door to door. Explain to them what is going on and that time is critical, let them know a worst case scenario means that there will be no help coming for quite a long time. Additionally mention the following to them.
a. Discuss a neighborhood watch. Tell them that in a few days or weeks things will get dangerous with hungry people roaming the streets. It is essential that you define your neighborhood’s boundaries and set up a neighborhood watch of sorts, assigning people to different shifts.
b. Offer to hold a meeting. Set a time that you will have a meeting at your home, say every day after sunrise in your garage. Tell them they are invited and that every day you will be there passing out information. At first you might not have anyone attend these meetings, in a few days there will be a handful and in a week you might have 50 or more hungry, scared, tired people demanding answers. If you are going to assume the role of a leader, be prepared to do just that.
c. Tell them to use their cash. Much like you should have already done, tell them that their cash will soon be worthless and that they need to get down to the market to spend it. Most people have no cash on hand, so this probably won’t be a real issue.
d. Tell them to inventory their supplies. Most people have 3 to 5 days food on hand in their home. You should mention that they need to start rationing what they have, and taking inventory of everything else.
e. Start identifying those with skills. I wrote about how to organize a survival community as well as what skills will be valuable after T-SHTF in a few recent articles. While making the rounds in your neighborhood you should start identifying who has special skills and make note of it. Cops or military personnel could help with security, doctors have obvious value, and so on and so forth.
4 – Start rationing food. Hopefully you have at least a 1 year supply of food for your family, if not more. Start rationing immediately because more than likely you will have to share some of your food with your neighbors. It will be unavoidable, you will need their help to survive as a community and there is absolutely no way that they will starve while watching you and your family live high on the hog. This doesn’t mean that you cannot oversee how some rations are distributed, or seek out other sources of food, but just remember nobody gets through SHTF alone.
5 – Hygiene preparations. Consider where you are going to dispose of your human waste, it might be a good time to start digging that pit. Also consider where you will dispose of your trash and if you will bury it or burn it. Remember the trash man won’t be around next Sunday and your toilets will stop flushing very quickly.
6 – Listen to your weather radio. Prior to the EMP strike you had a small solar/hand crank weather radio secured in an old microwave in the basement, it still works. You should monitor NOAA Weather Radio frequencies throughout the day in case there is information being published which you can use to stay informed. Maybe the strike only covered 500 square miles and help will be on the way in a week, or maybe there is nothing but static…not a good sign.
7 – Consider your own security plan. Despite all of the actions you are taking, trying to help those within your community by reaching out to organize them, realize that not everything goes to plan. There could be dissenters within your neighborhood or those outside of your community who might choose to take advantage of the situation. Looting will become prevalent very quickly and no neighborhood will be immune. Consider your security plan, this is no time to rely on the charity and goodness of mankind. Remain suspicious of all activity and never walk around unarmed. Never allow your family members to venture out alone and remember to stay in after dark. All of that said I would caution against using deadly force unless absolutely necessary. Protect yourself and your family but remember that there will come a time when the power does come back on and people will be held accountable for their actions.
An EMP strike on our nation will be an absolutely catastrophic event and while I’m sure all of us hope that something like this never happens, hope is never a course of action. Despite our best efforts to prepare for such an event there is a good chance that many will not survive. Some have predicted that within a year of a strike, 9 out of 10 Americans would be dead. In sports success or failure on the field of play is determined months before the actual game by how much dedication the athletes displayed during practice. In much the same way success or failure following an EMP strike will have been determined by how seriously we took our prep strategy in the months or years prior, as well as actions which we take immediately after. Life isn’t fair, plan accordingly.
4 Reasons Why You Need an Emergency Shelter by Emergency Essentials.
Kathmandu has now taken an unenviable place in modern history, a place now known for grief and sorrow. Such distinction is shared by San Francisco-USA, Messina-Italy, Port au Prince-Haiti, Kanto-Japan, Ancash Region-Peru, Haiyuan, Tangshan and Sichuan Province-China, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, the eastern Coasts of the Indian Ocean, and many other diverse places. All are modern scenes of great death and destruction brought about by earthquake. The images from all are iconic, and are continual reminders that serenity is a delicate state, that where lies peace and tranquility may become calamity and devastation in mere seconds. Nepal becomes another example what we can expect when the unexpected happens. More importantly, we are reminded of how important it is to prepare for the real and lasting effects that follow these disasters.
Associated PressA few days after the devastating Nepal earthquake happened, I wrote about how the postcard-beauty of Kathmandu had become a pile of rubble surrounded by a tent city. Of all the images from this devastation, it was the vast hillsides of tarps and blankets that most poignantly struck me. From the immediate outset, emergency shelter was a major concern for those effected by the earthquake.
After the earthquake, half a million tents were needed to provide shelter for the masses left without a roof over their head. And, to make matters worse, this may only be the preface to the Nepalese crisis; monsoon season is mere weeks away. Soon may follow downpours of rain, followed by extreme heat. Definitely not a time to be left without shelter.
As happy and comfortable people, we tend to think about emergency preparedness as a short-term solution. We live and breathe our “72-hour kit plan” but don’t expect to be inconvenienced any longer than that. Don’t get me wrong, 72-hour kits and emergency kits are vital. And, for many situations, a 72-hour kit will be all you need. However, there are instances – such as the Nepal earthquakes – where a 72 hour kit will be your bread and butter for the first three days, but after that, you’re going to need something a little more…permanent.
That’s where emergency shelter comes into play.
It’s been almost three weeks since the 7.8 earthquake in Nepal struck. Since then, many countries have donated shelters to the shelterless people of Kathmandu and other regions; Britain has donated more than 65,000 shelters, with more on the way. So why is shelter so important? Let’s use Kathmandu to explain why.
1 The Elements
This is probably the most obvious reason. Rain can really put a damper on things if you’re stuck out in it. With monsoon season on its way, there has already fallen quite a bit of rain on the affected areas in Nepal – and therefore the people. And then there’s the wind. Unless their tarps and blankets are anchored by rocks, the wind will make short the benefits of their makeshift shelters.
Staying warm and dry is essential to physical health and general sanity (imagine all those afternoons watching your kids on a windy, rainy soccer field…now imagine you can’t go home…sick, tired and crazy!). Then, there is the sun factor, and the burn that cannot be blocked (remember the soccer field, again). In Nepal, shelter from rain, wind, and sun are only the beginning of why shelter is essential if they are to prevent illness, sleep at night, and survive. Reason enough to have a shelter plan?
2 Hot and Cold
The rain and altitude of Nepal make the night air drop to temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. I don’t know about you, but sleeping out in the cold, particularly when you’re also wet, makes for a very uncomfortable, sleepless night. And then, during the days, the heat can rise close to 90 degrees. Both extremes are compounded by the humidity. Shelter will hold the heat at night, provide much-needed shade in the day, as well as temper the extreme temperatures.
3 Sanitation
No matter where we are…we will all have sanitary issues. Improper disposal of human waste can shortly lead to widespread disease. Now, shelters might not necessarily cure the spread of diseases, but they can sure help. By having some sort of privacy shelter with a portable toilet, doing your business is much easier, more localized, and can be controlled, keeping waste contained, thus keeping disease and sickness to a minimum. Privacy shelters can also help keep you healthy by keeping you out of the rain, cold, and other conditions that breed illness.
4 Insects
Insects, man…tell you what! Those little bugs just, well, bug me while I’m camping. Shelters, fortunately, can protect us from those nasty critters. This is especially important where there are mosquitoes. If their buzzing doesn’t drive you nuts, their bites will, not to mention the fact that they can carry all sorts of diseases. So, keeping them out of your space is another benefit of being ready with shelter in a catastrophe.
Besides all these shelter-from-the-elements reasons, the sense of home, family and belonging that a shelter provides is a benefit that cannot be overstated, particularly in a world torn apart, as in Kathmandu. So you see, there are many reasons to think beyond your 72-hour kit and consider why an emergency shelter plan is essential following a disaster.
Kathmandu has now taken an unenviable place in modern history, a place now known for grief and sorrow. Such distinction is shared by San Francisco-USA, Messina-Italy, Port au Prince-Haiti, Kanto-Japan, Ancash Region-Peru, Haiyuan, Tangshan and Sichuan Province-China, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, the eastern Coasts of the Indian Ocean, and many other diverse places. All are modern scenes of great death and destruction brought about by earthquake. The images from all are iconic, and are continual reminders that serenity is a delicate state, that where lies peace and tranquility may become calamity and devastation in mere seconds. Nepal becomes another example what we can expect when the unexpected happens. More importantly, we are reminded of how important it is to prepare for the real and lasting effects that follow these disasters.
Associated PressA few days after the devastating Nepal earthquake happened, I wrote about how the postcard-beauty of Kathmandu had become a pile of rubble surrounded by a tent city. Of all the images from this devastation, it was the vast hillsides of tarps and blankets that most poignantly struck me. From the immediate outset, emergency shelter was a major concern for those effected by the earthquake.
After the earthquake, half a million tents were needed to provide shelter for the masses left without a roof over their head. And, to make matters worse, this may only be the preface to the Nepalese crisis; monsoon season is mere weeks away. Soon may follow downpours of rain, followed by extreme heat. Definitely not a time to be left without shelter.
As happy and comfortable people, we tend to think about emergency preparedness as a short-term solution. We live and breathe our “72-hour kit plan” but don’t expect to be inconvenienced any longer than that. Don’t get me wrong, 72-hour kits and emergency kits are vital. And, for many situations, a 72-hour kit will be all you need. However, there are instances – such as the Nepal earthquakes – where a 72 hour kit will be your bread and butter for the first three days, but after that, you’re going to need something a little more…permanent.
That’s where emergency shelter comes into play.
It’s been almost three weeks since the 7.8 earthquake in Nepal struck. Since then, many countries have donated shelters to the shelterless people of Kathmandu and other regions; Britain has donated more than 65,000 shelters, with more on the way. So why is shelter so important? Let’s use Kathmandu to explain why.
1 The Elements
This is probably the most obvious reason. Rain can really put a damper on things if you’re stuck out in it. With monsoon season on its way, there has already fallen quite a bit of rain on the affected areas in Nepal – and therefore the people. And then there’s the wind. Unless their tarps and blankets are anchored by rocks, the wind will make short the benefits of their makeshift shelters.
Staying warm and dry is essential to physical health and general sanity (imagine all those afternoons watching your kids on a windy, rainy soccer field…now imagine you can’t go home…sick, tired and crazy!). Then, there is the sun factor, and the burn that cannot be blocked (remember the soccer field, again). In Nepal, shelter from rain, wind, and sun are only the beginning of why shelter is essential if they are to prevent illness, sleep at night, and survive. Reason enough to have a shelter plan?
2 Hot and Cold
The rain and altitude of Nepal make the night air drop to temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. I don’t know about you, but sleeping out in the cold, particularly when you’re also wet, makes for a very uncomfortable, sleepless night. And then, during the days, the heat can rise close to 90 degrees. Both extremes are compounded by the humidity. Shelter will hold the heat at night, provide much-needed shade in the day, as well as temper the extreme temperatures.
3 Sanitation
No matter where we are…we will all have sanitary issues. Improper disposal of human waste can shortly lead to widespread disease. Now, shelters might not necessarily cure the spread of diseases, but they can sure help. By having some sort of privacy shelter with a portable toilet, doing your business is much easier, more localized, and can be controlled, keeping waste contained, thus keeping disease and sickness to a minimum. Privacy shelters can also help keep you healthy by keeping you out of the rain, cold, and other conditions that breed illness.
4 Insects
Insects, man…tell you what! Those little bugs just, well, bug me while I’m camping. Shelters, fortunately, can protect us from those nasty critters. This is especially important where there are mosquitoes. If their buzzing doesn’t drive you nuts, their bites will, not to mention the fact that they can carry all sorts of diseases. So, keeping them out of your space is another benefit of being ready with shelter in a catastrophe.
Besides all these shelter-from-the-elements reasons, the sense of home, family and belonging that a shelter provides is a benefit that cannot be overstated, particularly in a world torn apart, as in Kathmandu. So you see, there are many reasons to think beyond your 72-hour kit and consider why an emergency shelter plan is essential following a disaster.
10 Reasons You Should Learn How to Pressure Can Food
By Guest Blogger http://urbansurvivalsite.com
With freeze-dried foods and survival seeds vying for your dollar–not to mention emergency gardens full of fresh foods–pressure canning just doesn’t feel necessary to many people in the preparedness world. If that sounds like you, your feelings are wrong.
Having come to preparedness late in the game, I empathize with the overwhelming urge to learn everything at once, and the need to then prioritize everything. At Pantry Paratus, we spend a lot of time helping people do just that, and I frequently recommend that new preppers start by dehydrating food. The initial cost is low, it has practical daily uses (especially if you get a box-style dehydrator that allows for dough rising and yogurt making), and the margin for error is low. But that doesn’t mean you should scratch canning off the list. Here are my top 10 reasons why every prepper should learn how to pressure can food:
1. Not everything dehydrates or ferments well. And even things that do, like the tasty treat of dehydrated peach slices for instance, get old after awhile. When it comes down to it, water shortages could limit your ability to rehydrate food. But with canned food, you can enjoy it fresh and juicy as God intended.
2. Canned foods can be eaten straight out of the jar. They’re perfect for camping trips or situations where there will be no means of cooking, or time for rehydrating (have you ever clocked the time it takes to sufficiently rehydrate carrots?).
3. It tastes better. Canned foods are delicious straight out of the jar, and if your only memory of canned food is something metal from the grocery store, then you’ll just have to take my word for it.
4. It’s healthier. Nothing compares to the freshness of home-canned food without all of the preservatives, added colorings, or BPA from the metal can. You thought the BPA thing was settled already? Actually, no Campbell’s soup, among others, are still working towards their long-term plan to remove it (but haven’t yet). And on that note, have you ever read the salt content of canned soups? Yuck!
5. Creative license. I love canning my homemade soups; I love preserving my favorite recipes and creating new twists on old favorites, too. It’s always fun to try something new!
6. Speedy meals. Nothing is faster than opening and heating a jar of food. There isn’t always time to do anything else. Having home cooked meals on the shelf will help you eliminate your dependence on other temptations like freezer foods or fast foods. Daily choices are the first step towards true independence from our modern food system.
7. Harvest surplus. If you truly must grow or barter your own food for survival, then you’ve got to have ways to stretch that surplus long past growing season. Fermenting is a fantastic way, but losses can be great—especially if you don’t have a climate-controlled cellar to keep the jars cool. Dehydrating is also good, but it isn’t always delicious or even practical with every fruit or vegetable.
8. Meat. How much jerky do you plan on eating, anyway? Learn to pressure can meat so you can eat stews, tacos, casseroles, and not another jaw-breaking piece of salty bear-jerky. Oh, and by the way, pressure canning meat is the best way to tenderize it! That old goose will never win culinary awards, but you will find it greatly improved by the tenderizing effects of pressure canning. The chicken and beef just melt in your mouth! Plus, they’re already cooked and make extremely fast meals.
9. It’s good for bartering. Pressure canning is a lost art. When everyone else is on day 274 of freeze-dried food and water rations, they’ll give just about anything for a jar of spiced pears or homemade applesauce.
10. It’s a useful survival skill. Congratulations, you can add it to your growing list of skills that you learn in order to protect and provide for your family. And you can actually see the jars lined up on the counter! Beyond bartering jars of delicious food, you can barter or share the knowledge with others so they can further secure their pantries, too.
By Guest Blogger http://urbansurvivalsite.com
With freeze-dried foods and survival seeds vying for your dollar–not to mention emergency gardens full of fresh foods–pressure canning just doesn’t feel necessary to many people in the preparedness world. If that sounds like you, your feelings are wrong.
Having come to preparedness late in the game, I empathize with the overwhelming urge to learn everything at once, and the need to then prioritize everything. At Pantry Paratus, we spend a lot of time helping people do just that, and I frequently recommend that new preppers start by dehydrating food. The initial cost is low, it has practical daily uses (especially if you get a box-style dehydrator that allows for dough rising and yogurt making), and the margin for error is low. But that doesn’t mean you should scratch canning off the list. Here are my top 10 reasons why every prepper should learn how to pressure can food:
1. Not everything dehydrates or ferments well. And even things that do, like the tasty treat of dehydrated peach slices for instance, get old after awhile. When it comes down to it, water shortages could limit your ability to rehydrate food. But with canned food, you can enjoy it fresh and juicy as God intended.
2. Canned foods can be eaten straight out of the jar. They’re perfect for camping trips or situations where there will be no means of cooking, or time for rehydrating (have you ever clocked the time it takes to sufficiently rehydrate carrots?).
3. It tastes better. Canned foods are delicious straight out of the jar, and if your only memory of canned food is something metal from the grocery store, then you’ll just have to take my word for it.
4. It’s healthier. Nothing compares to the freshness of home-canned food without all of the preservatives, added colorings, or BPA from the metal can. You thought the BPA thing was settled already? Actually, no Campbell’s soup, among others, are still working towards their long-term plan to remove it (but haven’t yet). And on that note, have you ever read the salt content of canned soups? Yuck!
5. Creative license. I love canning my homemade soups; I love preserving my favorite recipes and creating new twists on old favorites, too. It’s always fun to try something new!
6. Speedy meals. Nothing is faster than opening and heating a jar of food. There isn’t always time to do anything else. Having home cooked meals on the shelf will help you eliminate your dependence on other temptations like freezer foods or fast foods. Daily choices are the first step towards true independence from our modern food system.
7. Harvest surplus. If you truly must grow or barter your own food for survival, then you’ve got to have ways to stretch that surplus long past growing season. Fermenting is a fantastic way, but losses can be great—especially if you don’t have a climate-controlled cellar to keep the jars cool. Dehydrating is also good, but it isn’t always delicious or even practical with every fruit or vegetable.
8. Meat. How much jerky do you plan on eating, anyway? Learn to pressure can meat so you can eat stews, tacos, casseroles, and not another jaw-breaking piece of salty bear-jerky. Oh, and by the way, pressure canning meat is the best way to tenderize it! That old goose will never win culinary awards, but you will find it greatly improved by the tenderizing effects of pressure canning. The chicken and beef just melt in your mouth! Plus, they’re already cooked and make extremely fast meals.
9. It’s good for bartering. Pressure canning is a lost art. When everyone else is on day 274 of freeze-dried food and water rations, they’ll give just about anything for a jar of spiced pears or homemade applesauce.
10. It’s a useful survival skill. Congratulations, you can add it to your growing list of skills that you learn in order to protect and provide for your family. And you can actually see the jars lined up on the counter! Beyond bartering jars of delicious food, you can barter or share the knowledge with others so they can further secure their pantries, too.
Baby Steps: Make Room for Your Food and Supply Storage by beprepared.com
Have you ever felt like no matter what size home you live in—big or small—that there is never enough space to store your personal belongings, let alone your food storage and other emergency supplies?
If you have limited space to store your emergency items, all is not lost! This just means that you may have to get a little more creative with the places that you store your food and other supplies. Use your spring cleaning as an opportunity to clean out spaces in your home for your food and supply storage. (Spring cleaning is also a great time to rotate your food storage if it's not a part of your regular food rotation.) When looking for unique places around your home, remember that you want to store food items in cool, dry places. Here are some tips and tricks to find space for your storage supplies.
Organize that Closet
- Create an inventory of all of your storage items and attach it to the door or wall inside your storage closet.
- Label and organize your items in groups so you can grab what you need quickly.
- Store and stack up items on the floor and sides of your closet walls.
- Use the top shelves in the closets in your guest room, bedroom, or hallway closet to store items.
Put it Behind the Couch
- Pull your couch out from the wall and store several #10 cans in the space between the wall and your couch (only if the space will remain cool enough).
- Store items underneath or behind any furniture that you already have in your home that has enough space to fit items.
Use a Book Shelf or Cabinet
Afraid that bookshelves lined with cans will throw off the decorative theme of your home? Revamp your shelves to match the theme of your room.
- Add decorative fabric on the back panel of each shelf to create a decorative backdrop for your cans. Check out how to do this DIY project at redouxinteriors.com. (We originally found this idea on Pinterest; click here to follow our boards).
- create a curtain to go over your book shelf to hide your cans.
- In addition to book shelves, you can also store your cans in cabinets, armoires, cube storage units, or dresser drawers.
Take the extra few minutes to mount these cabinets or book shelves to the wall so they don’t fall over in an earthquake.
Make an End Table
- Stack up boxes filled with emergency supplies, or stack up cans to create a foundation for an end table. Place a wood board or circle on top to create a table top and add a table cloth to cover the base.
Hide it under the bed
- Keeping food storage under the bed will provide a cool, dry area to keep your food storage.
Store it in the Car
- Storing items in your car can help you and your family in both large and small emergency situations. Check out our tips for creating a car emergency kit for ideas on what items to include.
Stock Up Your Medicine Cabinet
- Check the expiration dates on the medicine in your cabinet. Replace items and consider stocking your cabinet with any over-the-counter medications that may be helpful in an emergency. Replace items in your first-aid kit as well.
Stash it in the “Usual Places”
- Basements are great storage areas because they are usually cool and dry if sealed properly or fitted with a dehumidifier. If your basement floods or has a tendency to be damp, you probably don’t want to store your supplies there.
- Attics and Sheds are also good storage areas, but make sure that they are insulated well. These might be best for stashing non-food items like tents, sleeping bags, cooking equipment, tools, and the like.
- Trunks/Chests are good places to store both non-food item storage needs as well as food storage.
- Beneath the Sink is a great area to store cleaning supplies.
- Kitchen Cabinets clean out one or more of your kitchen cabinets and designate it as the “emergency supply cabinet.” Store only food storage essentials or other emergency supplies in it. Make sure to rotate these items regularly.
If you live in an urban area, and you're dealing with extra-tight quarters, there are more tips for urban prepping here.
Grasshopper Nation: Planning For Those Who Aren't Prepared
Submitted by Adam Taggart via PeakProsperity.com,
Take a moment to reflect on all the people you care about who aren't reading this article. Or sites like this, which wrestle with the implications of limits to growth and the concerning unsustainability of the economic and natural systems our society depends upon.
How many of your family members, good friends, and neighbors simply choose to ignore the messages from those of us alarmists on the "doomer" side, and live life trusting that tomorrow will always look and feel pretty much like today? Most of them? All of them?
Look, it's understandable. Humans aren't wired well to respond to future risk that isn't visible as an immediate threat. And temperamentally, we prefer good news over bad, so we seek to overweight the former and discount the latter. Who wants to stress out about what "might" happen tomorrow, anyways -- can't we just enjoy life today?
The rift between the preparedness-minded and those not is age-old, as fables like Aesop's The Ant & The Grasshopper date at least as far back as the 5th century BCE.
We spend our focus on this website engaging the "ants", the empirically-minded folks who look at the data and concur that there is sufficient possibility of one or several crises (economic, energy-related, environmental -- or a combination of such) occurring in the next several years. And that taking advance action is prudent.
But the ants are the minority.
Forget about planning for the more esoteric risks posed by faulty monetary policy or energy economics -- 72% of Americans don't even have a basic emergency response kit in place should an ordinary kind of disaster strike (power outage, hurricane, tornado, earthquake, etc).
The simple reality is that, if you're investing your energies towards building resilience against potential hardship, most of those around you likely aren't.
In the midst of your efforts, are you planning for their lack of preparedness?
Grasshopper Nation
The data shows us that the vast majority of Americans are not ready to deal with even minor setbacks.
In January of this year, Bankrate.com released survey findings that revealed that only 37% of Americans would be able to cover an unexpected expense (e.g., auto repair, medical bill) of $1,000 with savings. The remaining 67% would have to borrow from friends and family, cut spending elsewhere, or use credit cards to come up with the funds.
In March, the Economic Policy Institute published an excellent chartbook titled The State Of American Retirement (for those inclined to review the full set of charts on their website, it's well worth the time). The EPI's main conclusion from their analysis is that the switchover of the US workforce from defined-benefit pension plans to self-directed retirement savings vehicles like 401Ks and IRAs has resulted in a sizeable drop in retirement preparedness. Retirement wealth has not grown fast enough to keep pace with our aging population.
The stats illustrated by the EPI's charts are frightening on a mean, or average, level. For instance, for all workers 32-61, the average amount saved for retirement is less than $100,000. That's not much to live on in the last decades of your twilight years. And that average savings is actually lower than it was back in 2007, showing that households have still yet to fully recover the wealth lost during the Great Recession.
But mean numbers are skewed by the outliers. In this case, the multi-$million households are bringing up the average pretty dramatically, making things look better than they really are. It's when we look at the median figures that things get truly scary:
Nearly half of families have no retirement account savings at all. That makes median (50th percentile) values low for all age groups, ranging from $480 for families in their mid-30s to $17,000 for families approaching retirement in 2013. For most age groups, median account balances in 2013 were less than half their pre-recession peak and lower than at the start of the new millennium.
The 50th percentile household aged 56-61 has only $17,000 to retire on. That's dangerously close to the Federal poverty level income for a family of two for just a single year.
Another survey breaking out retirement savings by generation shows that as unprepared as many Boomers are, their savings rates dwarf those of Gen X and Millennials. True, Boomers have had more decades to accrue money, but challenges to capital formation are also responsible in large part -- e.g. lower real household wages, higher cost of homes and other living expenses, and early-career portfolio losses from the 2008-2009 market crash:
The result? 56% of all adult Americans have less than $10,000 saved for retirement.
When it comes to saving for the future, we are a nation of grasshoppers
But Wait, It Gets Worse
The statistics cited so far are depressing on their own. But what if American workers' ability to save gets further compromised from here?
There's a litany of reasons it very likely will. Here are just a few:
Declining Civilian Labor Force Participation Rate
Despite the manic (and wholly unbelievable) headline unemployment rate number released by the government, the real underlying story of US employment is one of a shrinking potential workforce.
We were treated to a most-egregious dose of BS from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) just this morning in the Non-Farm Payroll Report, which showed the unemployment rate falling to a shockingly fantastic 4.7%. Amazing, right? What a recovery our central planners have pulled off!
But when you look at the underlying data, it's not a growing amount of jobs that's the main driver of this low rate. Rather, it's the decline in the pool of bodies deemed as 'eligibile workers'. You see, after folks have been out of work for a certain length of time, the government gives up on them, and re-classifies them as permanently unemployable. Some of this is understandable: the boomers (who can) are beginning to retire. But as friend-of-the-site Dan Amerman has calculated, 74% of the jobless who have been removed from unemployment calculations are in the 16-54 age bracket. So, we are looking at a situation in which the government is subjectively choosing whom to count and whom to not count.
The percentage of the US adult population counted as potentially employable has been declining since the start of the new millennia, and gathered steam after 2008. How many people is the US government now counting as "not employable"? 95 million -- an all-time record:
Think about that for a moment. Our government is telling us that 95 million adults -- nearly 1/3 of all the people living in the United States -- are such hopeless prospects that we should simply forget about them ever working again.
Of course, removing these people from the official record allows administrations to trumpet rosy statistics like the 4.7% unemployment rate we saw this morning. So if they can get away with it, you can bet they will.
Until we start pushing back on such devious manipulation of the facts, we're just fooling ourselves as a society. Any cheerleading of the current chicanery just takes our eye off of the really important, and massive, structural problem: we have a ridiculously high number of our adult citizens who can't find gainful employment.
Layoffs & Automation
I've written at length recently about two other factors that will make it hard for today's workers to build retirement capital: layoffs and automation.
So far 2016 is setting a 7-year high in terms of reported layoffs. My earlier article Mass Layoffs To Return With A Vengeance explains how that trend is likely to accelerate from here, and why having a Plan B in place before receiving a pink slip is a particularly sound strategy right now.
My more recent report Automating Ourselves To Unemployment examines the powerful incentives businesses both large and small have right now to replace human capital with technology. Yes, this has happened throughout history -- but never at such scale and such speed. And it's important to remember that once industry invests in automation technology, the jobs displaced never come back. Displacing a large percentage of human labor without a plan in place to put that displaced labor to productive use is a sure-fire recipe for long-term crisis. Our current trajectory has us hollowing out our workforce at an alarming rate. Unskilled labor needs a place of entry in order to build skills and work experience. Yet we are closing that door.
Disruptions In Financial & Energy Markets
Websites like this one publish numerous articles each week detailing the extensive reasons why a 2008-style correction (or worse) in the financial markets is likely overdue. A world economy awash in too much debt. Asset prices bubbles blown by excessive central bank liquidity. A weakening global economy. Stumbling corporate earnings.
This week? We learned that the CAPE Ratio is back at its 2007 overvalued heights. So many bubbles. So many pins...
The EPI chart above showed us that US retirement savings have yet to recover from the losses experienced during the Great Recession. How long will it take them to recover from the next major market correction? An additional 'lost decade'? Longer?
And on the energy side, the US economy is still reeling from the collapse of the shale 'miracle'. Times get tough when prices collapse: companies bleed red, and layoffs ripple through the oil & gas industry and the many other industries that service it.
But times may well get even tougher in the next chapter of this story. Right now, infrastructure is being shut down and sold off (the US oil rig count dropped from 1,600 to 400 over 2015 according to Baker Hughes). But total world oil consumption is still growing. When the current excess of oil stores is used up, we are very likely to experience a petroleum shortage before incremental supply can be brought back online. Remember those days of $100+ per barrel oil? We may be back to them sooner than you think. And with that, all of the associated price inflation in the cost of living that a higher oil price brings with it.
How Will The Unprepared React?
So -- lots of reasons to expect the vast majority of the population to be vulnerable to coming crises both large and small. When the next calamity strikes, how will these people likely react?
History gives us plenty of examples to answer this with confidence: Not well.
When resources per capita drop below a certain level on Maslow's Hierarchy Of Needs, civility is thrown aside. Desperate people act desperately.
We've heard examples of this from past podcast guests like Fernando "FerFAL" Aguille, who lived through several economic collapses in South America.
Closer to home, it took less than 24 hours for stores shelves to be emptied and fights to break out over water after a water main broke in Weston, MA, a suburb of Boston, in 2010.
But perhaps this classic episode from the Twilight Zone best captures the jettisoning of social mores in the face of unexpected crisis.
Filmed during the Cold War, this short episode captivatingly dramatizes how quickly our social fabric can rip apart when unexpected threats arise. Specifically, it shows how the unprepared are likely to turn to -- and then, on -- those who did take precautions:
It's worth taking the time to watch this episode. It really hits home the importance of having extra supplies on hand for the inevitable 'unprepareds' banging on your door should a disaster arrive.
And it raises the critical questions:
Our resources are finite. Most of us don't feel we have all that we require to meet our own needs and goals. And the best-laid preparations of the most planfull of us can suddenly become woefully insufficient if too many unexpected family, friends and neighbors show up demanding our charity.
How do we prepare for the unprepared?
The short answer is we can't; not fully. But we can plan for how much to place in reserve for them.
Here at PeakProsperity.com, we firmly believe in helping others; even those who scoff today at our "doomer" approach of preparing for the worst. But we realize that the demand from the unprepared masses during a crisis will most likely always dwarf your resources. So you'll have to make tough calls. Our advice is to make them now. Whom will you help? What are you willing to provide them with?
Making those choices is heartbreaking. But making them now allows you -- as well as your loved ones -- to better prepare today by setting expectations and creating specific goals.
Here's our advice for those of you wrestling with this thorny task:
Have you ever felt like no matter what size home you live in—big or small—that there is never enough space to store your personal belongings, let alone your food storage and other emergency supplies?
If you have limited space to store your emergency items, all is not lost! This just means that you may have to get a little more creative with the places that you store your food and other supplies. Use your spring cleaning as an opportunity to clean out spaces in your home for your food and supply storage. (Spring cleaning is also a great time to rotate your food storage if it's not a part of your regular food rotation.) When looking for unique places around your home, remember that you want to store food items in cool, dry places. Here are some tips and tricks to find space for your storage supplies.
Organize that Closet
- Create an inventory of all of your storage items and attach it to the door or wall inside your storage closet.
- Label and organize your items in groups so you can grab what you need quickly.
- Store and stack up items on the floor and sides of your closet walls.
- Use the top shelves in the closets in your guest room, bedroom, or hallway closet to store items.
Put it Behind the Couch
- Pull your couch out from the wall and store several #10 cans in the space between the wall and your couch (only if the space will remain cool enough).
- Store items underneath or behind any furniture that you already have in your home that has enough space to fit items.
Use a Book Shelf or Cabinet
Afraid that bookshelves lined with cans will throw off the decorative theme of your home? Revamp your shelves to match the theme of your room.
- Add decorative fabric on the back panel of each shelf to create a decorative backdrop for your cans. Check out how to do this DIY project at redouxinteriors.com. (We originally found this idea on Pinterest; click here to follow our boards).
- create a curtain to go over your book shelf to hide your cans.
- In addition to book shelves, you can also store your cans in cabinets, armoires, cube storage units, or dresser drawers.
Take the extra few minutes to mount these cabinets or book shelves to the wall so they don’t fall over in an earthquake.
Make an End Table
- Stack up boxes filled with emergency supplies, or stack up cans to create a foundation for an end table. Place a wood board or circle on top to create a table top and add a table cloth to cover the base.
Hide it under the bed
- Keeping food storage under the bed will provide a cool, dry area to keep your food storage.
Store it in the Car
- Storing items in your car can help you and your family in both large and small emergency situations. Check out our tips for creating a car emergency kit for ideas on what items to include.
Stock Up Your Medicine Cabinet
- Check the expiration dates on the medicine in your cabinet. Replace items and consider stocking your cabinet with any over-the-counter medications that may be helpful in an emergency. Replace items in your first-aid kit as well.
Stash it in the “Usual Places”
- Basements are great storage areas because they are usually cool and dry if sealed properly or fitted with a dehumidifier. If your basement floods or has a tendency to be damp, you probably don’t want to store your supplies there.
- Attics and Sheds are also good storage areas, but make sure that they are insulated well. These might be best for stashing non-food items like tents, sleeping bags, cooking equipment, tools, and the like.
- Trunks/Chests are good places to store both non-food item storage needs as well as food storage.
- Beneath the Sink is a great area to store cleaning supplies.
- Kitchen Cabinets clean out one or more of your kitchen cabinets and designate it as the “emergency supply cabinet.” Store only food storage essentials or other emergency supplies in it. Make sure to rotate these items regularly.
If you live in an urban area, and you're dealing with extra-tight quarters, there are more tips for urban prepping here.
Grasshopper Nation: Planning For Those Who Aren't Prepared
Submitted by Adam Taggart via PeakProsperity.com,
Take a moment to reflect on all the people you care about who aren't reading this article. Or sites like this, which wrestle with the implications of limits to growth and the concerning unsustainability of the economic and natural systems our society depends upon.
How many of your family members, good friends, and neighbors simply choose to ignore the messages from those of us alarmists on the "doomer" side, and live life trusting that tomorrow will always look and feel pretty much like today? Most of them? All of them?
Look, it's understandable. Humans aren't wired well to respond to future risk that isn't visible as an immediate threat. And temperamentally, we prefer good news over bad, so we seek to overweight the former and discount the latter. Who wants to stress out about what "might" happen tomorrow, anyways -- can't we just enjoy life today?
The rift between the preparedness-minded and those not is age-old, as fables like Aesop's The Ant & The Grasshopper date at least as far back as the 5th century BCE.
We spend our focus on this website engaging the "ants", the empirically-minded folks who look at the data and concur that there is sufficient possibility of one or several crises (economic, energy-related, environmental -- or a combination of such) occurring in the next several years. And that taking advance action is prudent.
But the ants are the minority.
Forget about planning for the more esoteric risks posed by faulty monetary policy or energy economics -- 72% of Americans don't even have a basic emergency response kit in place should an ordinary kind of disaster strike (power outage, hurricane, tornado, earthquake, etc).
The simple reality is that, if you're investing your energies towards building resilience against potential hardship, most of those around you likely aren't.
In the midst of your efforts, are you planning for their lack of preparedness?
Grasshopper Nation
The data shows us that the vast majority of Americans are not ready to deal with even minor setbacks.
In January of this year, Bankrate.com released survey findings that revealed that only 37% of Americans would be able to cover an unexpected expense (e.g., auto repair, medical bill) of $1,000 with savings. The remaining 67% would have to borrow from friends and family, cut spending elsewhere, or use credit cards to come up with the funds.
In March, the Economic Policy Institute published an excellent chartbook titled The State Of American Retirement (for those inclined to review the full set of charts on their website, it's well worth the time). The EPI's main conclusion from their analysis is that the switchover of the US workforce from defined-benefit pension plans to self-directed retirement savings vehicles like 401Ks and IRAs has resulted in a sizeable drop in retirement preparedness. Retirement wealth has not grown fast enough to keep pace with our aging population.
The stats illustrated by the EPI's charts are frightening on a mean, or average, level. For instance, for all workers 32-61, the average amount saved for retirement is less than $100,000. That's not much to live on in the last decades of your twilight years. And that average savings is actually lower than it was back in 2007, showing that households have still yet to fully recover the wealth lost during the Great Recession.
But mean numbers are skewed by the outliers. In this case, the multi-$million households are bringing up the average pretty dramatically, making things look better than they really are. It's when we look at the median figures that things get truly scary:
Nearly half of families have no retirement account savings at all. That makes median (50th percentile) values low for all age groups, ranging from $480 for families in their mid-30s to $17,000 for families approaching retirement in 2013. For most age groups, median account balances in 2013 were less than half their pre-recession peak and lower than at the start of the new millennium.
The 50th percentile household aged 56-61 has only $17,000 to retire on. That's dangerously close to the Federal poverty level income for a family of two for just a single year.
Another survey breaking out retirement savings by generation shows that as unprepared as many Boomers are, their savings rates dwarf those of Gen X and Millennials. True, Boomers have had more decades to accrue money, but challenges to capital formation are also responsible in large part -- e.g. lower real household wages, higher cost of homes and other living expenses, and early-career portfolio losses from the 2008-2009 market crash:
The result? 56% of all adult Americans have less than $10,000 saved for retirement.
When it comes to saving for the future, we are a nation of grasshoppers
But Wait, It Gets Worse
The statistics cited so far are depressing on their own. But what if American workers' ability to save gets further compromised from here?
There's a litany of reasons it very likely will. Here are just a few:
Declining Civilian Labor Force Participation Rate
Despite the manic (and wholly unbelievable) headline unemployment rate number released by the government, the real underlying story of US employment is one of a shrinking potential workforce.
We were treated to a most-egregious dose of BS from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) just this morning in the Non-Farm Payroll Report, which showed the unemployment rate falling to a shockingly fantastic 4.7%. Amazing, right? What a recovery our central planners have pulled off!
But when you look at the underlying data, it's not a growing amount of jobs that's the main driver of this low rate. Rather, it's the decline in the pool of bodies deemed as 'eligibile workers'. You see, after folks have been out of work for a certain length of time, the government gives up on them, and re-classifies them as permanently unemployable. Some of this is understandable: the boomers (who can) are beginning to retire. But as friend-of-the-site Dan Amerman has calculated, 74% of the jobless who have been removed from unemployment calculations are in the 16-54 age bracket. So, we are looking at a situation in which the government is subjectively choosing whom to count and whom to not count.
The percentage of the US adult population counted as potentially employable has been declining since the start of the new millennia, and gathered steam after 2008. How many people is the US government now counting as "not employable"? 95 million -- an all-time record:
Think about that for a moment. Our government is telling us that 95 million adults -- nearly 1/3 of all the people living in the United States -- are such hopeless prospects that we should simply forget about them ever working again.
Of course, removing these people from the official record allows administrations to trumpet rosy statistics like the 4.7% unemployment rate we saw this morning. So if they can get away with it, you can bet they will.
Until we start pushing back on such devious manipulation of the facts, we're just fooling ourselves as a society. Any cheerleading of the current chicanery just takes our eye off of the really important, and massive, structural problem: we have a ridiculously high number of our adult citizens who can't find gainful employment.
Layoffs & Automation
I've written at length recently about two other factors that will make it hard for today's workers to build retirement capital: layoffs and automation.
So far 2016 is setting a 7-year high in terms of reported layoffs. My earlier article Mass Layoffs To Return With A Vengeance explains how that trend is likely to accelerate from here, and why having a Plan B in place before receiving a pink slip is a particularly sound strategy right now.
My more recent report Automating Ourselves To Unemployment examines the powerful incentives businesses both large and small have right now to replace human capital with technology. Yes, this has happened throughout history -- but never at such scale and such speed. And it's important to remember that once industry invests in automation technology, the jobs displaced never come back. Displacing a large percentage of human labor without a plan in place to put that displaced labor to productive use is a sure-fire recipe for long-term crisis. Our current trajectory has us hollowing out our workforce at an alarming rate. Unskilled labor needs a place of entry in order to build skills and work experience. Yet we are closing that door.
Disruptions In Financial & Energy Markets
Websites like this one publish numerous articles each week detailing the extensive reasons why a 2008-style correction (or worse) in the financial markets is likely overdue. A world economy awash in too much debt. Asset prices bubbles blown by excessive central bank liquidity. A weakening global economy. Stumbling corporate earnings.
This week? We learned that the CAPE Ratio is back at its 2007 overvalued heights. So many bubbles. So many pins...
The EPI chart above showed us that US retirement savings have yet to recover from the losses experienced during the Great Recession. How long will it take them to recover from the next major market correction? An additional 'lost decade'? Longer?
And on the energy side, the US economy is still reeling from the collapse of the shale 'miracle'. Times get tough when prices collapse: companies bleed red, and layoffs ripple through the oil & gas industry and the many other industries that service it.
But times may well get even tougher in the next chapter of this story. Right now, infrastructure is being shut down and sold off (the US oil rig count dropped from 1,600 to 400 over 2015 according to Baker Hughes). But total world oil consumption is still growing. When the current excess of oil stores is used up, we are very likely to experience a petroleum shortage before incremental supply can be brought back online. Remember those days of $100+ per barrel oil? We may be back to them sooner than you think. And with that, all of the associated price inflation in the cost of living that a higher oil price brings with it.
How Will The Unprepared React?
So -- lots of reasons to expect the vast majority of the population to be vulnerable to coming crises both large and small. When the next calamity strikes, how will these people likely react?
History gives us plenty of examples to answer this with confidence: Not well.
When resources per capita drop below a certain level on Maslow's Hierarchy Of Needs, civility is thrown aside. Desperate people act desperately.
We've heard examples of this from past podcast guests like Fernando "FerFAL" Aguille, who lived through several economic collapses in South America.
Closer to home, it took less than 24 hours for stores shelves to be emptied and fights to break out over water after a water main broke in Weston, MA, a suburb of Boston, in 2010.
But perhaps this classic episode from the Twilight Zone best captures the jettisoning of social mores in the face of unexpected crisis.
Filmed during the Cold War, this short episode captivatingly dramatizes how quickly our social fabric can rip apart when unexpected threats arise. Specifically, it shows how the unprepared are likely to turn to -- and then, on -- those who did take precautions:
It's worth taking the time to watch this episode. It really hits home the importance of having extra supplies on hand for the inevitable 'unprepareds' banging on your door should a disaster arrive.
And it raises the critical questions:
- Of the people in your life, which ones will you put aside reserve resources for?
- How much are you willing to put aside for them?
- And, what are your limits? At what point will you say "no"?
Our resources are finite. Most of us don't feel we have all that we require to meet our own needs and goals. And the best-laid preparations of the most planfull of us can suddenly become woefully insufficient if too many unexpected family, friends and neighbors show up demanding our charity.
How do we prepare for the unprepared?
The short answer is we can't; not fully. But we can plan for how much to place in reserve for them.
Here at PeakProsperity.com, we firmly believe in helping others; even those who scoff today at our "doomer" approach of preparing for the worst. But we realize that the demand from the unprepared masses during a crisis will most likely always dwarf your resources. So you'll have to make tough calls. Our advice is to make them now. Whom will you help? What are you willing to provide them with?
Making those choices is heartbreaking. But making them now allows you -- as well as your loved ones -- to better prepare today by setting expectations and creating specific goals.
Here's our advice for those of you wrestling with this thorny task:
- Put your oxygen mask on first -- You can only be a help to others if you're first in a position to do so. It all starts with building resilience; reducing your vulnerability to the highest likelihood threats able to impact your lifestyle the most (job loss, market crash, sustained power outage, natural disaster, health issue, etc). Our book Prosper!: How to Prepare for the Future and Create a World Worth Inhering was created as a manual for doing exactly this. And its companion What Should I Do? Guide provides step-by-step guidance for a making your preparatons (be sure to start with Step 0)
- Serve as a model -- Let your actions be visible as an inspiration to others. Allow them to see that preparing for the unexpected isn't just for the "tin foil hat" crowd. Emergency preparedness investments like stored food and water don't need to break the bank, can be made over time, and can involve the entire community in activity that brings it closer together. Building Social Capital, improving your health and fitness, learning new skills, becoming more energy efficient, learning to strengthen your emotional health and those you care about -- all of these are life-enhancing pursuits.
- Keep your reserve assets confidential -- Don't make ALL of your preparations known. As the above section shows, desperate people take desperate action. The best way to guard against folks coming to take your most precious assets is for no one to know they exist. Beyond that, it often helps to have protective measures in place. Our Personal Safety & Home Defense Guide is full of advice on how to reduce your exposure to the most prevalent forms of invasion and attack.
- Build awareness among friends/family of the risks in play -- Forewarned is forearmed. Our video series The Crash Course was created to build awareness of the macro risks we face today, and to explain them in an intuitive, approachable way to people of all backgrounds. Sharing that series (or the more condensed 1-hour Accelerated Crash Course) is an excellent way to open eyes and minds to the need for prudent action today. Again, use our What Should I Do? Guide as a catalyst for helping those who 'get it' take their first steps.
- Get folks engaged in the right actions for the wrong reasons -- So your buddy next door doesn't want to hear about your "doomer" predictions? Try a different tact. Maybe he likes the idea of a neighborhood fall cider pressing party, and joins you in planting a few apple trees in each of your backyards. Our Community Building guide is full of ideas for engaging your neighbors in action in ways that make your community more resilient, even if they don't realize it through the fun they're having.
- Define your line -- Let those whose welfare you're taking into consideration know of your intentions. Don't make it a guarantee; just let them know their security is important to you. But let them know now what the limits of your support will be -- or even better, give them a more restricted version (which will leave you some buffer in case of the unexpected). Setting these expectations in advance is valuable, even if the folks you're talking to aren't really listening. At the very least, you can proceed knowing you've done your utmost to be up front about what they can and can't count on you for. Review our guide on Emotional Resilience; you will very well need it to prepare your heart in case you ever do have to put these tough calls into action.
- Empower the latecomers -- Invest in assets and agreements that enable late-arrivals to help themselves (tools, information/education, small jobs, etc). Helping people skill-up and provide for themselves both increases their ability to prosper and reduces the likelihood they drain your finite stores. And you'll be perceived as a benefactor within your community, which will be motivated to provide for and protect you (rather than abandon you) during times of adversity.
Things You Can Cut Back on When Prepping by Karen http://modernsurvivalonline.com
We all know prepping isn’t easy. Heck, with increasing grocery prices and uncertainty in the economy, is extremely difficult for most of us to afford to live in the here and now. Trying to purchase extra food, water, and supplies can stretch some people’s budgets so thin it can be difficult to manage. If you think there is just no way you can adequately prep, take some time to consider ways in which you can cut back on the things on which you currently spend your hard-earned money.
I can guarantee that most of you have areas in your life in which you can cut back enough to lower your expenses. However, in order to do this, you need to take a long, hard look at your lifestyle, you need to be ready to redefine what you consider necessities, and you need to be ready to give some things up (or at least cut back on them) to free up some cash flow. Chances are, if you’re a prepper, you have already taken at least a cursory look at how you live, but this might require you to go deeper and make a commitment to change.
What You Really NeedAs a prepper, you have already determined what you really need to survive. That’s the whole point of being a prepper, to stock up on the absolute necessities of life so that when times get bad you can still survive. Preppers are stocking up on the basics for survival, not the latest fashions in clothes, a year’s worth of lattes, or the nicest sports car out there. So, when it comes to what you really need in everyday life, take a page out of your prepper book. Am I saying give up everything? Of course not. We do still have to live a little, but we also have to put things into perspective. Here is what we actually need for physical survival in our current world:
- Food
- Water
- Shelter
- Clothing
- Items for personal hygiene
- Anything that is required to earn an income (such as internet and a laptop, if you work from home as a freelancer)
- A vehicle if you live in rural area (although I have known people who didn’t have one and still managed just fine)
Suggestions for Ways to Cut BackHomeThere are so many ways you can save money just by changing the way you do things at home. We spend a lot of money on living a lifestyle that few of us can truly afford and none of us really need. From the size of your home to what you do in it you can cut back in so many ways.
- Move into a smaller home: Many people live in homes that are far bigger (and more expensive) than they need
- Get rid of cable or satellite TV: If you need to have something to watch, streaming sites like Netflix are much cheaper
- Cut back your phone and internet services to basic (unless you need them for business)
- Don’t carry both a landline and a cell phone
- Don’t get data on your cell phone, instead stick with talk and text
- Wash in cold water and line-dry your clothing
- Be aware of hidden costs in everything you pay, including credit and bills, and negotiate lower fees where possible
- Pay off your debts (that interest is killing you!)
- Make sure your house is well-insulated and energy efficient
- Cook from scratch (it’s far less expensive than prepackaged food)
- Cook large quantities of food at a time and freeze or can the extra
- Grow a garden
- Learn how to hunt and forage for food
- Buy in bulk or when things are on sale
- Don’t buy prepared food, such as pre-cut fruit and vegetables
- Buy whole chickens and cut them up, it’s cheaper than buying chicken parts
- Buy less expensive brands when you can do so without compromising on quality
- Cut out or back on junk food, you don’t need it and it’s sucking up your money
- Stop buying bottled water and get a water filtration system (it might seem costly up front, but it will save you loads of money in the long-run)
- Set up a system to collect and purify rainwater
- Instead of wasting food that will soon go bad, make a meal out of food that needs to be used up each week
- Shop from the bottom shelves because grocery store makes sure the pricier products are at eye-level
- Use coupons!
- Get rid of your gym membership and start working out in ways that are free: Running, walking, biking, hiking, and resistance exercises can all be done for free at home or out in nature
- Cut back on Starbucks (or your money hole of choice): Yes, Starbucks is wonderful (I’ve bought my weight in chai lattes I’m sure), but you can get their products in grocery stores for a fraction of the cost; you don’t have to cut it out, but cut it back
- Use your car less often and walk, bike, or use public transportation
- Set a limit on how much you are allowed to spend each day
- Do more things together as a family at home, such as playing board games, learning a hobby together, or watching a movie
- If you see something you want, walk away, and if you still want it two days or a week later, then go back and get it; chances are the desire you felt for it will have passed by then
- Stay home on your vacation or do something local, such as camping or visiting local attractions
- Set a monthly entertainment/shopping budget and stick to it: This might be $50 or $100 a month and you’ll need to choose whether you’ll spend that on a movie, going out to dinner with friends, or a new pair of shoes
- We need clothing and shoes, but buying them on sale or at thrift shops saves lots of money
- Don’t pay for a brand name just for the sake of the name when you can just as good quality for less when you buy non-brand name items (this goes for anything you buy)
- One man’s garbage is another man’s treasure: If you see something someone is throwing out that you can use, take it and use it
- Get used furniture and fix it up
- Keep your vehicle tuned up and your filters changed regularly, which will increase your gas mileage
- Make use of craigslist when you need items you can buy used
- Don’t use your credit cards, if you have them; instead save up for what you want or need
- When it comes to gift-giving, think carefully about whether you need to buy something and about the possibility of giving something hand-made, used, or consumable
If you aren’t sure where you are overspending or where you can cut back, print out your bank account statements from the past two or three months and go through them. You can see where you money is going and can have a clearer picture of where you think too much is being spent on certain items or on certain categories of expenses, such as food or clothes. You can list out the following categories and track your expenses for each, averaging them on a per-month basis:
- Mortgage or Rent
- Utilities
- Groceries
- Clothing
- Car payments
- Telephone/Cell phone
- Cable/Satellite
- Internet
- School expenses
- Vehicle operation and maintenance (fuel, repairs)
- Insurance
- Credit card and other debt payments
- Extracurricular activities for all members of the family
- Recreational spending (includes eating out and entertainment activities)
- Gifts
- Miscellaneous (everything else!)
"My Diabetes Emergency Plan" Posted by beprepared.com
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) estimated that 22.3 million people were living with type 1 or type 2 Diabetes in the United States. In fact, Dr. John Anderson of the ADA states, “I know of no other disease that is increasing at (about) 8% per year.” The growing rate of Diabetes among Americans is an important issue for emergency preparedness gurus to consider when addressing preparedness needs.
So, what can we do to adequately prepare for our families’ various health needs in an emergency?
The American College of Endocrinology (ACE) and Lilly Diabetes outlined the importance of emergency planning for people with Diabetes and other health needs at ACE’s annual meeting (on May 1st). These two programs began collaborating after Hurricane Katrina and led to the creation of the EmPower “My Diabetes Emergency Plan.”
The Emergency Plan
“My Diabetes Emergency Plan” is a comprehensive checklist (available in both English and Spanish) that helps those with diabetes prepare in advance for big and small emergency situations. In addition to blood glucose testing supplies, insulin, and medical records, some other suggested items to include in your emergency kit are:
Guidelines and Precautions for Insulin Users
According to the FDA, insulin can be stored in a refrigerated area at approximately 36 to 46 degrees F until the expiration date on the package. If there is no access to refrigeration, “all of the available insulin can be left unrefrigerated (between 59 and 86 degrees F) for up to 28 days and still maintain potency.” The ADA also suggests that if your glucose levels go too low that you do not want to inject insulin, but you can stock up on glucose pills and candies to help raise these levels. For more information on how to use insulin during an emergency situation, check out the websites listed at the end of this post.
Sometimes in emergency situations hospitals provide insulin to patients who have their prescriptions and medical records with them. The FDA suggests that it is ok to use a different brand of insulin if your doctor has discussed and prescribed alternatives to you. This is why it is important to include up to date medical records in your emergency kit and to talk to your physician about these alternatives as the Empower “My Diabetes Emergency Plan” suggests.
Dr. Lawrence Blonde, endocrinologist, member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) and fellow of ACE, states, "Our goal is to encourage people with diabetes to take steps in advance of an emergency to protect their health. It only takes a few minutes to prepare an emergency kit, and now with the added download availability of our checklist in Spanish, even more people can be ready." In addition to this comprehensive plan and checklist, there is also a step-by-step video about how to build your emergency kit that you can watch on the Empower website.
Learn more about this exciting press release and the ongoing conversation about Prepping for the various health needs of your family at the Eli Lilly and Company website
Click here to see the “My Diabetes Emergency Plan” checklist
Click here to see information on insulin use during an emergency situation:
http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/EmergencyPreparedness/ucm085213.htm
http://www.diabetes.org/assets/pdfs/ada-emergency-medical-advice.pdf
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) estimated that 22.3 million people were living with type 1 or type 2 Diabetes in the United States. In fact, Dr. John Anderson of the ADA states, “I know of no other disease that is increasing at (about) 8% per year.” The growing rate of Diabetes among Americans is an important issue for emergency preparedness gurus to consider when addressing preparedness needs.
So, what can we do to adequately prepare for our families’ various health needs in an emergency?
The American College of Endocrinology (ACE) and Lilly Diabetes outlined the importance of emergency planning for people with Diabetes and other health needs at ACE’s annual meeting (on May 1st). These two programs began collaborating after Hurricane Katrina and led to the creation of the EmPower “My Diabetes Emergency Plan.”
The Emergency Plan
“My Diabetes Emergency Plan” is a comprehensive checklist (available in both English and Spanish) that helps those with diabetes prepare in advance for big and small emergency situations. In addition to blood glucose testing supplies, insulin, and medical records, some other suggested items to include in your emergency kit are:
- Empty plastic bottles for syringes
- A 2-day supply of non-perishable foods (peanut butter, cheese crackers, meal replacement bars and shakes)
- Soda, honey, and hard candies for possible hypoglycemic reactions.
- Cooler or insulated fanny pack to store insulin
Guidelines and Precautions for Insulin Users
According to the FDA, insulin can be stored in a refrigerated area at approximately 36 to 46 degrees F until the expiration date on the package. If there is no access to refrigeration, “all of the available insulin can be left unrefrigerated (between 59 and 86 degrees F) for up to 28 days and still maintain potency.” The ADA also suggests that if your glucose levels go too low that you do not want to inject insulin, but you can stock up on glucose pills and candies to help raise these levels. For more information on how to use insulin during an emergency situation, check out the websites listed at the end of this post.
Sometimes in emergency situations hospitals provide insulin to patients who have their prescriptions and medical records with them. The FDA suggests that it is ok to use a different brand of insulin if your doctor has discussed and prescribed alternatives to you. This is why it is important to include up to date medical records in your emergency kit and to talk to your physician about these alternatives as the Empower “My Diabetes Emergency Plan” suggests.
Dr. Lawrence Blonde, endocrinologist, member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) and fellow of ACE, states, "Our goal is to encourage people with diabetes to take steps in advance of an emergency to protect their health. It only takes a few minutes to prepare an emergency kit, and now with the added download availability of our checklist in Spanish, even more people can be ready." In addition to this comprehensive plan and checklist, there is also a step-by-step video about how to build your emergency kit that you can watch on the Empower website.
Learn more about this exciting press release and the ongoing conversation about Prepping for the various health needs of your family at the Eli Lilly and Company website
Click here to see the “My Diabetes Emergency Plan” checklist
Click here to see information on insulin use during an emergency situation:
http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/EmergencyPreparedness/ucm085213.htm
http://www.diabetes.org/assets/pdfs/ada-emergency-medical-advice.pdf
How To Be Self-Reliant
- Learn to cook from scratch (this will save you lots of money).
- Take a class and learn to make bread or crackers (they fill the belly).
- Make a budget and stick to it.
- Grow a garden (you may have to live off your land, grow boxes or pots).
- Live on less than you make (trust me, if you knew what my budget is….there is very little wiggle room, you can live on less).
- Save one dollar a week minimum in a jar. Trust me, you will need it someday. Do it this week, not next week.
- Store water today, don’t wait for the grocery stores to be empty and you have zero water. You need at least four gallons of water per day per person. The government may take days, weeks or months to deliver water to those who did not prepare properly for their families.
- Store the food you will eat for at least seven days minimum. I really want to say three months or more. You must be able to feed your family after a disaster. The government may take days, weeks or months to deliver food to those who did not prepare properly for their families. Grocery stores will be empty in three days. Yes, you heard me right, three days. Please look around your home and see what you have to feed your family if the grocery stores were empty today. Don’t wait for another tomorrow, do it now.
- Make a PLAN with your family. Please put your electronics down for a few hours and make a plan with your family for evacuation issues, food, water and transportation if the roads are shut down.
- Gather your important documents and be ready to leave your home with your 72-hour bags, some water, and emergency documents.
- Trust me, taking responsibility for yourself is not fun, it’s actually quite boring and can be a lot of work if you’re not used to doing it. But here’s the deal, it’s so satisfying to know you can take care of yourself. You don’t need mom and dad to bail you out every month once you move out on your own. You don’t need the government to take care of you. It’s a learning process. We all have to learn to budget and live on less than we make. Start thinking of your future and what you need to do to be self-reliant.
- I think some parents are too quick to jump in and help their kids that have moved out. Is it okay for parents to pay their kid’s rent, month after month? Is it okay to continually buy clothes? What about groceries time and time again? Does helping encourage independence or greater dependence?
- Knowledge is king. We need to learn things by reading the newspaper or books at the library. We never stop learning no matter how old we are. Learn some skills you have never tried in the past so you are better prepared for tomorrow.
- Set goals you want to achieve in one year, five years, ten years, twenty years, etc. Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t totally make the goal. Put your chin up and keep going. We will all make mistakes or set unrealistic goals, but we learn from those mistakes as well.
- I have a neighbor who stops by to ask for food storage ideas every once in awhile. She typically complains about her daughter who is married and is approximately 50+ years old. The daughter is asking her 80-year-old mother for money every month because she can’t live on her income. This may sound mean, but this is what I told her “turn off the ATM, girlfriend”! I realize I am pretty blunt, but if she died next week, they would soon figure out how to budget because there would be no other option
33 Essential Foods to Stock Pile Pat Bellew http://www.askaprepper.com
There are many schools of thought on what should be stock piled in the event of a disaster or prolonged period of social disruption or societal collapse. It is hard to say with complete authority what “The best” foods are. This will depend on a number of factors, such as storage space, number of people to be fed, availability of water for preparation, availability of a means to cook foods or heat water, and the list goes on. There are however some standards that can guide pretty much anyone in the right direction. Just be certain that whatever you store, it provides enough calories, a dietary proper balance, vitamins, minerals, and fats. Remember, a crisis has a way of creating situations that will increase your caloric requirements, and that will tax your immune system and electrolyte balance.
When I am going through a grocery store gathering survival food, I get some strange looks from people close enough to hear me muttering under my breath as I discount items. Phrases like “not enough calories”, “needs more fat”, not enough carbs”, and the like roll off my tongue frequently. The truth of the matter is that what we consider to be a healthy diet in normal times is probably inadequate in a high stress, very active, crisis situation. There is a reason we like carbs, and fats, and sugars, and that reason is our body needs these things. The human palate developed in times when being physically active and dealing with life threatening events was the norm, and when a steady supply of food was not a guarantee. Hence the urge to get all we can when we can, which leads to rampant obesity in modern sedentary times but is adaptive to survival in harder times.
So, here is my list of indispensable foods to store in quantity for hard times. I have tried to take into account caloric as well as nutritional content, ease of storage, shelf life, and the intangible of enjoyable to eat. Let’s face it, it doesn’t have to taste good to keep you alive, but it does to keep you happy! Never underestimate the power of a good tasty meal to make things seem better, and never underestimate the power of a positive outlook to help survive in hard conditions!
1. Bulk Dry Goods
Bulk dry goods are a great way to put in a large supply of staples. They should be stored in oxygen purged, food grade buckets with a Mylar bucket liner and O2 absorber for best storage life.
Be aware that some of these, like whole grains, require some processing in order to make the best use of them. So, if you are going to stock things that require processing, be certain to have the tools and equipment required to do the work!
Oatmeal is great stuff! Filling and nutritious, and economical! It is also pretty darn tasty, and if you have some add ons it is easy to dress up for variety.
I like to purchase it in sealed 5 gallon buckets, which yield about 22 servings per bucket. Even with 6 of us in the house each bucket provides a month’s worth of breakfasts. These buckets can be found on EBay, or you can repackage yourself.
Rice. This is an old standby. It can form the base of many tasty and nutritious meals. Be aware that although it requires no processing, it does require quite a bit of water to cook. It is most economical to buy rice in 40 lb bags and repackage it into buckets yourself, a 5 gallon bucket will hold a 40lb bag. For a bit more you can find rice sold pre-sealed in buckets from a number of sources.
Beans. Another good staple, and when combined with your rice, some seasoning, and canned meats it makes a great meal! And don’t forget about a big pot of chili when you have meat from wild game or a butchered animal.
Beans can be bought in pre-sealed 5 gallon buckets as well, but it is more economical to buy in large bags and repackage it in buckets yourself. Get a variety of beans, Red, Black, pinto, kidney, according to your taste.
Related: 50 Days of ‘Survival’ Calories with Rice and Beans
Pastas. Good source of carbs, and a firm foundation for a variety of meals. Even more so than with rice though, be aware of the water required to cook pastas.
They can be stored in buckets, or sealed in vacuum seal food saver bags with an O2 absorber.
Grains. Grains are good for making flour or meal. Wheat and corn are the most common. Bear in mind that you will need a grain mill to process these, and I recommend a good hand mill in case power is an issue. By storing whole grains instead of flour or meal you drastically increase storage life. Again you can buy these in ore-sealed buckets, or repackage bulk purchases yourself to save money. If you want to increase the shelf life even more, you can turn them into flour and then into Hardtacks.
Related: Turning Flour into Hardtack Biscuits With Over 100 Year Shelf Life
Dried fruits. These are a great addition to your oatmeal or other dishes or just for snacking on.
They can be purchased by the bucket, or in number 10 cans form a variety of online sources. At Costco they have the #10 cans of fruit like pears or apple slices and each of these has 25 servings. 5 of these will cost about $25 and give your family their daily dose of fruit.
Related: How to Make Your Own Apple Sugar
Sugar. An infinite variety of uses, a good source of carbs and very cheap. Stock lots stored in 5 gallon buckets.
No matter if white, brown or powdered, sugar it won’t spoil (sugar inhibits microbial growth) as long as it’s stored in an airtight recipient, away from humidity and sunlight.
Honey. Honey is a great natural sweetener. If you store local honey it is also good to help combat allergies and boost the immune system. It also has first aid uses, it is a natural antibiotic salve.
Honey is one food that never spoils! Although the look of your product will change somewhat over time, it will never actually spoil. It will begin to look yellow and cloudy instead of golden and clear and will get thicker and grainy over time, eventually looking white and hard. But, it is still good. In this form, the honey may have started the process of crystallizing.
To decrystallize honey, place the sealed jar in a warm, non-boiling pot of water and heat the honey. The crystals will dissolve as the honey heats. Do not add water to the honey. This will raise the moisture content and the honey will ferment.
You can also find it in 5 gallon buckets on Amazon for $189, but my guess is that you’ll never need
2. Canned Foods
Canned foods are quick and handy. They also have a fairly substantial storage life. Do keep an eye on expiration dates, and rotate your stock.
Canned Ham. I like the ones by DAK the best, but there are other options. DAK brand makes a very good quality canned ham with a shelf life of more than 5 years (most of these canned hams have a “stated” shelf life of greater than 3 years).
Great chopped up in your beans and rice, fried with scrambled eggs, or cooked on a grill as a main course.
Canned chicken. Add variety to your protein sources. Canned chicken is great in rice dishes. In the picture you can see the Sweet Sue Canned Whole Chicken. Looks a little strange but the flavor is okay.
Related: Raise Chickens For Meat And Eggs
Canned tuna. Fish is an excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for many functions of your body. Oil packed tuna is also a good source of other fats and oils, which your body needs to function properly. My favorite brand is “Whatever is on sale!
Keystone canned meats. Pick your meat, they have it.
Beef, turkey, pork.
These are great tasting meats with a good storage like, they add to any meal and are an important source of protein.
Related: How To Preserve Beef in Glass Jars
Vienna Sausages. A great quick high protein snack! Also great in pasta dishes like Mac and Cheese.
These have a pull ring pop top. The ones I bought have a 3 year expiration date. I have eaten lots of things that were expired. These will still be good years after that. The Wal-Mart Great Value brand costs a little less but the Libby’s tastes better. I eat these right out of the can. I have also added them to soup and pasta. Cost: $0.50. (11 cents per oz). 40 cans for 20 dollars
Related: WalMart Prepper Food Run
Canned fruits. Tasty and full of needed vitamins. Stock a variety, your kids will thank you. Go with syrup packed products to maximize calories and carbs.
Canned vegetables. Again, a vital source of vitamins.
Unfortunately, green beans do not pack many calories. If you’re looking for the ideal veggies to stash, then think about canned root vegetables, like sweet potatoes and yams. Sweet potatoes are high in Vitamin A, plus they’re filling.
Stock a wide variety to add diversity of flavor and nutritional content. Excellent source of vitamins. Again, I prefer the “On sale” brand!
Dinty Moore canned stew. Very good stuff and a quick meal that every one is sure to enjoy.
There will be times when the rigors of the day don’t allow time for preparing a scratch meal, and the freezer and microwave won’t be options!
Related: 10 Things to Have Ready before the Huge EMP !!!
Other “Meals in a can”. Spaghetti Os. Ravioli, canned tamales, and the like are all good choices.
This has to easily be one of my favorite junk foods. It requires a can opener (non- electric for blackouts).
Stock a variety of these that appeal to your family’s tastes.
Shelf-life: 1-3 years
Related: Survival Lessons from the Old Army C-Rations
Canned Soups. Good for winter day warm ups, also good in rice and pasta dishes. Shelf-life: up to 4 years.
You’ll enjoy a bowl of Campbell’s tomato soup with lots of black pepper, accompanied by a grilled cheese sandwich.
Peanut Butter. This is a staple in my house at all times! Peanut butter is a great source of protein, and a very compact source of calories. It also provides essential fat and oil content.
It’s packed with protein and essential fatty acids, as well as contains many essential vitamins and minerals (such as copper and iron). Just a couple tablespoons a day of peanut butter can help a person survive a period of limited food intake.
3. Beverages
While drinking plain water all the time won’t harm you in the least (Its actually good for you!), variety is good for morale! There are other benefits to some beverages as well.
Sports Drink Mixes. These mixes turn ordinary water into a rapid recharge system for electrolyes lost through perspiration. Gatorade mix is great for this, and it tastes great too. Remember, in a crisis you will probably be working up a good sweat a lot more often than you do now.
Cool Aide Mix. Kids love Cool Aide! OK, who doesn’t? I like the pre-sweetened packets that make a quart each. You can store these packets in Vacuum sealed food saver bags virtually forever. A cold glass of Cool Aide in your favorite flavor provides a smile and a quick burst of sugar energy.
Coffee and Tea. I am a dedicated coffee drinker and hate the thought of a coffeeless existence! One pound vacuum sealed bricks are the most convenient way to store coffee, they stack well or can be kept in plastic totes efficiently. Tea is another good source of caffeine, and I love a cold glass of iced tea on a hot day. Remember that in a true crisis, you may have to maintain 24 hour watch, and caffeine is a big help in this.
Hot Coco Mix. A great treat for adults and kids alike, and a great way to warm up on a cold evening. Also a good sugar boost for some extra energy. Pick your favorite brand, they all have a very long storage life if you leave the packaging sealed so don’t skimp! This is another one where your kids will thank you!
Dry Milk. A good supply of powdered milk is great for cooking and baking needs, as well as for drinking.
You are going to want to have plenty on hand if you have kids. And, to go with this, have some chocolate milk mix stored up because chocolate milk is really good (you can even share it with the kids if you are a generous soul!
4. Freeze Dried Foods
Freeze dried foods can be cost prohibitive, but their long shelf life is very beneficial. I would not try to build a survival larder based solely on freeze dried foods simply due to the expense, but they do have a place.
Thrive Life Foods. This is my favorite of the freeze dried foods for one simple reason- They sell ingredients, not dishes. With this brand, you can stock up on nimber ten cans of ingredients that you use in favorite dishes. You are not constrained and can prepare the meals that your family is used too eating, cooked from your standard recipes. Unopened cans have at least a 25 year shelf life, and some items are available in 5 gallon buckets. Thrive Life foods can be found online.
5. Spices, herbs and salt
These are going to go a long way to adding a variety of flavor to your storage food meals. They have other benefits as well. There are many medicinal herbs, and they can provide an additional source of Vitamins in the diet.
6. Cooking Oil
It is important to maintain fats and oils in the diet for proper function of all body systems. This is one area where freeze dried foods fall short, so if the bulk of your food storage is mountain house or one of the other brands be sure to supplement with oils.
Coconut Oil. This is great stuff. It provides essential fat content without many of the long term health risks of other oils. Over 90% of the fatty acids in coconut oil are saturated, which makes it your best choice.
It has a long storage life, and can be purchased in sealed 5 gallon buckets. There are many non-food uses of coconut oil as well, such as lip balm, and as an ingredient in sun screen.
Related: 9 Reasons to Use Coconut Oil Daily
Deep Fryer Oil. In 5 gallon jugs, available in many formulations. You will need this for your outdoor propane fryer, for fish fries, chicken fries and the like.
Animal fats are also excellent choices for deep frying. This includes fats like lard, tallow, ghee and fat drippings. Only animal fats from naturally fed animals should be considered good choices.
7. Shelf Stable Prepared Meals
There are a wide range of these available. This is essentially the MRE category. I like the first strike Meals, these are a full day of rations in a single package, the non essentials have been stripped away and they are a pretty compact package for the content. There are a lot of options available, however, so you can pick what works for you. I don’t recommend MREs as a staple of your food storage program. Shelf life is marginal and fluctuates with temperature, they are bulky on a per calorie basis, and they are cost prohibitive. However, they are very convenient and have a place as a supplemental portion of your food storage program.
8. Seeds
If a crisis persists for a long enough period of time, it is very difficult to have an extended comprehensive food stock pile. Having the ability to grow vegetables is a great supplement to your stored foods. Be sure to have varieties that do well in your area, in your soil, and that you know how to grow. Have seeds for medicinal herbs and flavorful spices as well.
Related: The 5 Seeds That You Need to Stockpile in Your Pantry
Edible Landscaping
Edible landscaping provides another potentially important supplement to your storage foods. Instead of planting ornamental trees, plant fruit trees. Instead of ordinary shrubs, plant blueberry bushes. Fruiting vines, blackberries, and things of this nature are great to have around in the best of times, they can be life savers in the worst of times.
This is by no means an exhaustive or comprehensive list of the items available for your long term food storage program. You can tailor your program to your tastes and your budget. Remember the key elements are calories (LOTS), nutritional value (Vitamins and Minerals), storage life, storage space, and flavor. By consulting this list however, you can get a pretty good idea of how to get going on your program
4 Things Everyone Should Do to Prepare for an Economic Recession
This entry was posted on March 14, 2016 by Emergency Essentials.
Some economists are suggesting an economic slowdown is imminent. Others say the next one is probably a while away. Either way, it’s wise to prepare financially now for what’s to come.
“The key to keep in mind is that anything can happen. Therefore, always prepare for any possible emergency,” said Kaylee Chen, a peer mentor at the University of Utah Personal Money Management Center, in an e-mail.
Chen recommended four steps to prepare for an economic downturn: Have a savings, have necessities like food storage, learn a new skill and mentally prepare.
Start saving now for the next recession.
First, have or start a savings.
Peter Dunn, a financial columnist for USA Today, suggested that more people have been saving since the 2008-2009 recession because they’re thinking about it. Chen said she hadn’t necessarily been seeing that.
“People are definitely more aware of the idea of saving. However, following through and acting on it is a different situation,” she said. “I find a lot of people are still spending.”
She suggested budgeting based on the 50/30/20 rule. Fifty percent of income should go to fixed expenses. These are expenses like a house payment and utility bills that must be paid.
Thirty percent of income should go to discretionary expenses. These are more flexible expenses like groceries, gas, and entertainment that can be adjusted.
Twenty percent of income should go toward investing or financial goals and saving for emergencies. Chen recommended women put 12 percent of their salary in long-term investments and men 10 percent.
“The reality is that women live longer and make less income than men,” she said.
She recommended people talk with a financial planner yearly.
“They will work with you to plan for children’s college, travel, or retirement,” she said.
The important thing is to start saving.
“Even as small as setting five dollars aside, it’s still a start,” she said.
Food might be hard to come by during a recession. Prepare while you can by obtaining an emergency food supply.
Second, keep some necessities like food storage.
In any emergency, whether it be short-term or long-term, it’s important to recognize nobody can do everything by themselves. Therefore, one of the necessities to build is a list of resources. These can include a church or non-profit organization. It’s also useful to network to develop a list of where to go for extra help in case of job loss or other emergency.
A column making the rounds online that was said to have been written by a man who survived Hurricane Sandy pointed out that networking is useful for many aspects of emergency preparation.
“Quote, ‘A man with a chainsaw and knows how to use it is a thing of beauty.’”
Third, Learn new skills. Like chainsaw wielding.
These can translate into side jobs for additional income. Chen used the example of a piano teacher. Secondary skills can be useful when a person is younger because it helps them faster achieve their financial goals. When a person is older and around retirement, a side job can help them with retirement savings.
Finally, mentally prepare for bad things to happen.
One key to mental preparedness is to get out of debt. Chen encouraged a budget or lifestyle change. Dunn suggested decreasing spending by 10 to 15 percent over time.
“You’ll tighten the budget before you are forced to tighten the budget,” he said.
Another is to practice caution in an investment portfolio.
“When the market goes down, many people get scared of the market and take out their money. You do not want to buy high and sell low,” Chen said.
Kiplinger, a finance education web site, pointed out that markets quickly recover. Since 1945, the site said, markets that have lost 10 to 20 percent have rebounded in just four months on average. Bear markets, with losses of 20 percent or more, have had an average recovery time of just 25 months.
“If you’re in middle age, consider making a portfolio less aggressive,” a Kiplinger column said. “No single sector should claim more than 5% to 10% of your holdings.”
Very few people can affect global markets. But they can take care of themselves and their families.
“Understand that you have no control over the economic downturn,” Chen said. “Honestly, all one can do is to wait.”
And, she added, a person can start taking these steps even during an economic downturn.
“It’s never too late,” she said.
There are many schools of thought on what should be stock piled in the event of a disaster or prolonged period of social disruption or societal collapse. It is hard to say with complete authority what “The best” foods are. This will depend on a number of factors, such as storage space, number of people to be fed, availability of water for preparation, availability of a means to cook foods or heat water, and the list goes on. There are however some standards that can guide pretty much anyone in the right direction. Just be certain that whatever you store, it provides enough calories, a dietary proper balance, vitamins, minerals, and fats. Remember, a crisis has a way of creating situations that will increase your caloric requirements, and that will tax your immune system and electrolyte balance.
When I am going through a grocery store gathering survival food, I get some strange looks from people close enough to hear me muttering under my breath as I discount items. Phrases like “not enough calories”, “needs more fat”, not enough carbs”, and the like roll off my tongue frequently. The truth of the matter is that what we consider to be a healthy diet in normal times is probably inadequate in a high stress, very active, crisis situation. There is a reason we like carbs, and fats, and sugars, and that reason is our body needs these things. The human palate developed in times when being physically active and dealing with life threatening events was the norm, and when a steady supply of food was not a guarantee. Hence the urge to get all we can when we can, which leads to rampant obesity in modern sedentary times but is adaptive to survival in harder times.
So, here is my list of indispensable foods to store in quantity for hard times. I have tried to take into account caloric as well as nutritional content, ease of storage, shelf life, and the intangible of enjoyable to eat. Let’s face it, it doesn’t have to taste good to keep you alive, but it does to keep you happy! Never underestimate the power of a good tasty meal to make things seem better, and never underestimate the power of a positive outlook to help survive in hard conditions!
1. Bulk Dry Goods
Bulk dry goods are a great way to put in a large supply of staples. They should be stored in oxygen purged, food grade buckets with a Mylar bucket liner and O2 absorber for best storage life.
Be aware that some of these, like whole grains, require some processing in order to make the best use of them. So, if you are going to stock things that require processing, be certain to have the tools and equipment required to do the work!
Oatmeal is great stuff! Filling and nutritious, and economical! It is also pretty darn tasty, and if you have some add ons it is easy to dress up for variety.
I like to purchase it in sealed 5 gallon buckets, which yield about 22 servings per bucket. Even with 6 of us in the house each bucket provides a month’s worth of breakfasts. These buckets can be found on EBay, or you can repackage yourself.
Rice. This is an old standby. It can form the base of many tasty and nutritious meals. Be aware that although it requires no processing, it does require quite a bit of water to cook. It is most economical to buy rice in 40 lb bags and repackage it into buckets yourself, a 5 gallon bucket will hold a 40lb bag. For a bit more you can find rice sold pre-sealed in buckets from a number of sources.
Beans. Another good staple, and when combined with your rice, some seasoning, and canned meats it makes a great meal! And don’t forget about a big pot of chili when you have meat from wild game or a butchered animal.
Beans can be bought in pre-sealed 5 gallon buckets as well, but it is more economical to buy in large bags and repackage it in buckets yourself. Get a variety of beans, Red, Black, pinto, kidney, according to your taste.
Related: 50 Days of ‘Survival’ Calories with Rice and Beans
Pastas. Good source of carbs, and a firm foundation for a variety of meals. Even more so than with rice though, be aware of the water required to cook pastas.
They can be stored in buckets, or sealed in vacuum seal food saver bags with an O2 absorber.
Grains. Grains are good for making flour or meal. Wheat and corn are the most common. Bear in mind that you will need a grain mill to process these, and I recommend a good hand mill in case power is an issue. By storing whole grains instead of flour or meal you drastically increase storage life. Again you can buy these in ore-sealed buckets, or repackage bulk purchases yourself to save money. If you want to increase the shelf life even more, you can turn them into flour and then into Hardtacks.
Related: Turning Flour into Hardtack Biscuits With Over 100 Year Shelf Life
Dried fruits. These are a great addition to your oatmeal or other dishes or just for snacking on.
They can be purchased by the bucket, or in number 10 cans form a variety of online sources. At Costco they have the #10 cans of fruit like pears or apple slices and each of these has 25 servings. 5 of these will cost about $25 and give your family their daily dose of fruit.
Related: How to Make Your Own Apple Sugar
Sugar. An infinite variety of uses, a good source of carbs and very cheap. Stock lots stored in 5 gallon buckets.
No matter if white, brown or powdered, sugar it won’t spoil (sugar inhibits microbial growth) as long as it’s stored in an airtight recipient, away from humidity and sunlight.
Honey. Honey is a great natural sweetener. If you store local honey it is also good to help combat allergies and boost the immune system. It also has first aid uses, it is a natural antibiotic salve.
Honey is one food that never spoils! Although the look of your product will change somewhat over time, it will never actually spoil. It will begin to look yellow and cloudy instead of golden and clear and will get thicker and grainy over time, eventually looking white and hard. But, it is still good. In this form, the honey may have started the process of crystallizing.
To decrystallize honey, place the sealed jar in a warm, non-boiling pot of water and heat the honey. The crystals will dissolve as the honey heats. Do not add water to the honey. This will raise the moisture content and the honey will ferment.
You can also find it in 5 gallon buckets on Amazon for $189, but my guess is that you’ll never need
2. Canned Foods
Canned foods are quick and handy. They also have a fairly substantial storage life. Do keep an eye on expiration dates, and rotate your stock.
Canned Ham. I like the ones by DAK the best, but there are other options. DAK brand makes a very good quality canned ham with a shelf life of more than 5 years (most of these canned hams have a “stated” shelf life of greater than 3 years).
Great chopped up in your beans and rice, fried with scrambled eggs, or cooked on a grill as a main course.
Canned chicken. Add variety to your protein sources. Canned chicken is great in rice dishes. In the picture you can see the Sweet Sue Canned Whole Chicken. Looks a little strange but the flavor is okay.
Related: Raise Chickens For Meat And Eggs
Canned tuna. Fish is an excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for many functions of your body. Oil packed tuna is also a good source of other fats and oils, which your body needs to function properly. My favorite brand is “Whatever is on sale!
Keystone canned meats. Pick your meat, they have it.
Beef, turkey, pork.
These are great tasting meats with a good storage like, they add to any meal and are an important source of protein.
Related: How To Preserve Beef in Glass Jars
Vienna Sausages. A great quick high protein snack! Also great in pasta dishes like Mac and Cheese.
These have a pull ring pop top. The ones I bought have a 3 year expiration date. I have eaten lots of things that were expired. These will still be good years after that. The Wal-Mart Great Value brand costs a little less but the Libby’s tastes better. I eat these right out of the can. I have also added them to soup and pasta. Cost: $0.50. (11 cents per oz). 40 cans for 20 dollars
Related: WalMart Prepper Food Run
Canned fruits. Tasty and full of needed vitamins. Stock a variety, your kids will thank you. Go with syrup packed products to maximize calories and carbs.
Canned vegetables. Again, a vital source of vitamins.
Unfortunately, green beans do not pack many calories. If you’re looking for the ideal veggies to stash, then think about canned root vegetables, like sweet potatoes and yams. Sweet potatoes are high in Vitamin A, plus they’re filling.
Stock a wide variety to add diversity of flavor and nutritional content. Excellent source of vitamins. Again, I prefer the “On sale” brand!
Dinty Moore canned stew. Very good stuff and a quick meal that every one is sure to enjoy.
There will be times when the rigors of the day don’t allow time for preparing a scratch meal, and the freezer and microwave won’t be options!
Related: 10 Things to Have Ready before the Huge EMP !!!
Other “Meals in a can”. Spaghetti Os. Ravioli, canned tamales, and the like are all good choices.
This has to easily be one of my favorite junk foods. It requires a can opener (non- electric for blackouts).
Stock a variety of these that appeal to your family’s tastes.
Shelf-life: 1-3 years
Related: Survival Lessons from the Old Army C-Rations
Canned Soups. Good for winter day warm ups, also good in rice and pasta dishes. Shelf-life: up to 4 years.
You’ll enjoy a bowl of Campbell’s tomato soup with lots of black pepper, accompanied by a grilled cheese sandwich.
Peanut Butter. This is a staple in my house at all times! Peanut butter is a great source of protein, and a very compact source of calories. It also provides essential fat and oil content.
It’s packed with protein and essential fatty acids, as well as contains many essential vitamins and minerals (such as copper and iron). Just a couple tablespoons a day of peanut butter can help a person survive a period of limited food intake.
3. Beverages
While drinking plain water all the time won’t harm you in the least (Its actually good for you!), variety is good for morale! There are other benefits to some beverages as well.
Sports Drink Mixes. These mixes turn ordinary water into a rapid recharge system for electrolyes lost through perspiration. Gatorade mix is great for this, and it tastes great too. Remember, in a crisis you will probably be working up a good sweat a lot more often than you do now.
Cool Aide Mix. Kids love Cool Aide! OK, who doesn’t? I like the pre-sweetened packets that make a quart each. You can store these packets in Vacuum sealed food saver bags virtually forever. A cold glass of Cool Aide in your favorite flavor provides a smile and a quick burst of sugar energy.
Coffee and Tea. I am a dedicated coffee drinker and hate the thought of a coffeeless existence! One pound vacuum sealed bricks are the most convenient way to store coffee, they stack well or can be kept in plastic totes efficiently. Tea is another good source of caffeine, and I love a cold glass of iced tea on a hot day. Remember that in a true crisis, you may have to maintain 24 hour watch, and caffeine is a big help in this.
Hot Coco Mix. A great treat for adults and kids alike, and a great way to warm up on a cold evening. Also a good sugar boost for some extra energy. Pick your favorite brand, they all have a very long storage life if you leave the packaging sealed so don’t skimp! This is another one where your kids will thank you!
Dry Milk. A good supply of powdered milk is great for cooking and baking needs, as well as for drinking.
You are going to want to have plenty on hand if you have kids. And, to go with this, have some chocolate milk mix stored up because chocolate milk is really good (you can even share it with the kids if you are a generous soul!
4. Freeze Dried Foods
Freeze dried foods can be cost prohibitive, but their long shelf life is very beneficial. I would not try to build a survival larder based solely on freeze dried foods simply due to the expense, but they do have a place.
Thrive Life Foods. This is my favorite of the freeze dried foods for one simple reason- They sell ingredients, not dishes. With this brand, you can stock up on nimber ten cans of ingredients that you use in favorite dishes. You are not constrained and can prepare the meals that your family is used too eating, cooked from your standard recipes. Unopened cans have at least a 25 year shelf life, and some items are available in 5 gallon buckets. Thrive Life foods can be found online.
5. Spices, herbs and salt
These are going to go a long way to adding a variety of flavor to your storage food meals. They have other benefits as well. There are many medicinal herbs, and they can provide an additional source of Vitamins in the diet.
- Of all the things you should stock, salt should be high on the list and stored in large quantity. In addition to its flavor enhancing properties, salt is useful in preserving meats and fishes, for home canning, to attract wild game, for the health of livestock, and more. Salt is incredibly inexpensive, and has a shelf life of “Forever”.
- Oil of oregano. This is my favorite pick for a medicinal herb. This stuff has amazing immune system benefits and antibiotic properties. We use it constantly in my house to wipe out colds and flues, it does the job every time! Capsules are the most convenient form, although you can purchase the oil and add it to beverages (Don’t expect it to taste good!)
- Stock a wide variety of spices to add flavor. Here again, I watch for sales. We like cinnamon for our oatmeal, especially in apple season. Get a lot of everything you like to use in cooking, spices have a very long shelf life if properly sealed.
6. Cooking Oil
It is important to maintain fats and oils in the diet for proper function of all body systems. This is one area where freeze dried foods fall short, so if the bulk of your food storage is mountain house or one of the other brands be sure to supplement with oils.
Coconut Oil. This is great stuff. It provides essential fat content without many of the long term health risks of other oils. Over 90% of the fatty acids in coconut oil are saturated, which makes it your best choice.
It has a long storage life, and can be purchased in sealed 5 gallon buckets. There are many non-food uses of coconut oil as well, such as lip balm, and as an ingredient in sun screen.
Related: 9 Reasons to Use Coconut Oil Daily
Deep Fryer Oil. In 5 gallon jugs, available in many formulations. You will need this for your outdoor propane fryer, for fish fries, chicken fries and the like.
Animal fats are also excellent choices for deep frying. This includes fats like lard, tallow, ghee and fat drippings. Only animal fats from naturally fed animals should be considered good choices.
7. Shelf Stable Prepared Meals
There are a wide range of these available. This is essentially the MRE category. I like the first strike Meals, these are a full day of rations in a single package, the non essentials have been stripped away and they are a pretty compact package for the content. There are a lot of options available, however, so you can pick what works for you. I don’t recommend MREs as a staple of your food storage program. Shelf life is marginal and fluctuates with temperature, they are bulky on a per calorie basis, and they are cost prohibitive. However, they are very convenient and have a place as a supplemental portion of your food storage program.
8. Seeds
If a crisis persists for a long enough period of time, it is very difficult to have an extended comprehensive food stock pile. Having the ability to grow vegetables is a great supplement to your stored foods. Be sure to have varieties that do well in your area, in your soil, and that you know how to grow. Have seeds for medicinal herbs and flavorful spices as well.
Related: The 5 Seeds That You Need to Stockpile in Your Pantry
Edible Landscaping
Edible landscaping provides another potentially important supplement to your storage foods. Instead of planting ornamental trees, plant fruit trees. Instead of ordinary shrubs, plant blueberry bushes. Fruiting vines, blackberries, and things of this nature are great to have around in the best of times, they can be life savers in the worst of times.
This is by no means an exhaustive or comprehensive list of the items available for your long term food storage program. You can tailor your program to your tastes and your budget. Remember the key elements are calories (LOTS), nutritional value (Vitamins and Minerals), storage life, storage space, and flavor. By consulting this list however, you can get a pretty good idea of how to get going on your program
4 Things Everyone Should Do to Prepare for an Economic Recession
This entry was posted on March 14, 2016 by Emergency Essentials.
Some economists are suggesting an economic slowdown is imminent. Others say the next one is probably a while away. Either way, it’s wise to prepare financially now for what’s to come.
“The key to keep in mind is that anything can happen. Therefore, always prepare for any possible emergency,” said Kaylee Chen, a peer mentor at the University of Utah Personal Money Management Center, in an e-mail.
Chen recommended four steps to prepare for an economic downturn: Have a savings, have necessities like food storage, learn a new skill and mentally prepare.
Start saving now for the next recession.
First, have or start a savings.
Peter Dunn, a financial columnist for USA Today, suggested that more people have been saving since the 2008-2009 recession because they’re thinking about it. Chen said she hadn’t necessarily been seeing that.
“People are definitely more aware of the idea of saving. However, following through and acting on it is a different situation,” she said. “I find a lot of people are still spending.”
She suggested budgeting based on the 50/30/20 rule. Fifty percent of income should go to fixed expenses. These are expenses like a house payment and utility bills that must be paid.
Thirty percent of income should go to discretionary expenses. These are more flexible expenses like groceries, gas, and entertainment that can be adjusted.
Twenty percent of income should go toward investing or financial goals and saving for emergencies. Chen recommended women put 12 percent of their salary in long-term investments and men 10 percent.
“The reality is that women live longer and make less income than men,” she said.
She recommended people talk with a financial planner yearly.
“They will work with you to plan for children’s college, travel, or retirement,” she said.
The important thing is to start saving.
“Even as small as setting five dollars aside, it’s still a start,” she said.
Food might be hard to come by during a recession. Prepare while you can by obtaining an emergency food supply.
Second, keep some necessities like food storage.
In any emergency, whether it be short-term or long-term, it’s important to recognize nobody can do everything by themselves. Therefore, one of the necessities to build is a list of resources. These can include a church or non-profit organization. It’s also useful to network to develop a list of where to go for extra help in case of job loss or other emergency.
A column making the rounds online that was said to have been written by a man who survived Hurricane Sandy pointed out that networking is useful for many aspects of emergency preparation.
“Quote, ‘A man with a chainsaw and knows how to use it is a thing of beauty.’”
Third, Learn new skills. Like chainsaw wielding.
These can translate into side jobs for additional income. Chen used the example of a piano teacher. Secondary skills can be useful when a person is younger because it helps them faster achieve their financial goals. When a person is older and around retirement, a side job can help them with retirement savings.
Finally, mentally prepare for bad things to happen.
One key to mental preparedness is to get out of debt. Chen encouraged a budget or lifestyle change. Dunn suggested decreasing spending by 10 to 15 percent over time.
“You’ll tighten the budget before you are forced to tighten the budget,” he said.
Another is to practice caution in an investment portfolio.
“When the market goes down, many people get scared of the market and take out their money. You do not want to buy high and sell low,” Chen said.
Kiplinger, a finance education web site, pointed out that markets quickly recover. Since 1945, the site said, markets that have lost 10 to 20 percent have rebounded in just four months on average. Bear markets, with losses of 20 percent or more, have had an average recovery time of just 25 months.
“If you’re in middle age, consider making a portfolio less aggressive,” a Kiplinger column said. “No single sector should claim more than 5% to 10% of your holdings.”
Very few people can affect global markets. But they can take care of themselves and their families.
“Understand that you have no control over the economic downturn,” Chen said. “Honestly, all one can do is to wait.”
And, she added, a person can start taking these steps even during an economic downturn.
“It’s never too late,” she said.
Last Shopping Trip To Prep Before SHTF: What To Buy With Only One Chance Left?
Wednesday, April 13, 2016 9:44
(Before It's News)
The news that the president, vice-president and Janet Yellen, Fed chairwoman from earlier this week may just be enough to scare you into preparing and picking up those survival items you’ve been putting off buying for months or years.
News like this makes me start to mentally go over my prepping and I start analyzing what I still haven’t done, or need to check on again.
This happens almost every time there is a news story like this and it is with the full knowledge and belief that I am squared away at a level that I believe will keep my family fed and secure for a good bit of time. Could we last if everything descended into chaos tomorrow and there was wide-spread panic, looting, violence and wars?
That, I don’t know. However, we have made a lot of preparations for our family so I don’t feel helpless if we are visited by a future doomsday scenario like that any time soon. I certainly don’t welcome it, but I don’t feel like we’ll be caught completely off guard either.
I mentioned in another post how from time to time, thinking about what I would do with some small amount of advanced warning causes me to reevaluate my preps.
I do think that it is wise to constantly be aware of your surroundings (as well as what’s going on in the world) and to take advantage of circumstances if you can, to give your family a leg up.
One of the recurring comments from that post was that I didn’t offer solutions. I will admit that the title of the post could have easily been misunderstood and that is my fault. The post was titled “You have 36 hours to keep your family safe: what do you do?” and you could logically assume from that title that I was going to tell you what to do.
That I would be giving you six steps you can take to prepare your family for survival or something along those lines. What I was doing, was telling you the question I had in my mind and how I thought about the various things any parent would think if faced with that situation.
It wasn’t my intention to confuse people, but I understand people are looking for actions they can take so in this post I hope to give some ideas about what you can do if you only have a very small amount of time and you need to get some last minute items for your family.
I will take the same scenario but shorten the time a little and let’s say you have 12 hours advance knowledge of some event. Let’s say the stock market started tanking mid-day and the punditry and your own sixth sense was telling you that something serious was happening.
By the close of business the market is down 30% and trading has been halted. Maybe the government declares a bank holiday, credit cards aren’t accepted and you only have the cash in your wallet or what you have hidden for a rainy day. You know you have to run to the store to get supplies before the rest of the world beats you to it and we will say that you have a limited budget of $200. What would you do? Where would you go and in what order would things need to be done?
Before I continue, I must say that this scenario, if it really was as dire as I am painting would be deadly for a lot of people. I don’t know that what you could grab from the store in 2 hours would keep you alive for years, but it could keep you alive for a week.
Something as complex as financial Armageddon can’t be survived with a few cans of tuna fish and some pop tarts but you have to live to fight another day, right? It’s a start, but in a perfect world you would have begun your journey to being prepared a long time ago. We will assume this trip is just going to be adding to what you already have. You could just as easily apply most of the same concepts to a hurricane or flood. That said, let’s go!
What would you do?
Quickly define prepping priorities
One of the first things that any prepper should do is take an inventory of what they need to have in order to survive any given period of time. In our scenario above we are talking about an economic collapse. Regardless of the disaster, the most basic list of priorities would be water, food, shelter and security.
Ideally you would have prepared long ago for these basics, but in our scenario you haven’t or something happened and you need to resupply. I think it is safe to say that in terms of priority, if you don’t have all of the above already, security is going to be out so for now we will focus on food and water first and pray that you don’t need security.
It is right now that you need to quickly conduct a mental and physical inventory what you have and what you need. I say physical because I have been surprised in the past when a supply I thought I had plenty of was gone. (What do you mean all of the batteries I had ended up in the Wii remotes?)
This is another reason to make sure you are constantly rotating your supplies and refilling when they are used. The time of year must be considered as well. Is it the middle of summer or the dead of winter? This is going to drive the priority of what you are looking for. In a time like this, if you don’t make it to the store quickly, there may not be anything left when you do. Provided you are paying attention and can act though you may beat the crowd before anyone even knows what is going on. Some quick examples are:
Do you have a gallon of water for everyone in the house for at least one week? Add more if the weather is hot and you may run into quantity limits if the news is out already. For a family of 4 you would need to have 28 gallons (4 X 7 = 28). Do you have a way to capture and treat water after that?
Do you have enough food to feed everyone for 7 days that doesn’t require cooking?
Are there hygiene items you need or will need in the upcoming weeks?
Do you have basic first aid?
Make a Disaster Plan
Divide responsibilities if you have more than one person who can run to the store. Once you know what you need to get you can send one person to one store or even split up once you are in the store to grab the items you need quickly. One person can go to Sporting goods and the other person can run to the food aisles. Water is usually located in a couple of places, but they store a lot more of it back in the food section. 2 ½ gallon jugs are easier to carry.
Maintain communication – This is when those great two way radios come in handy. If you can radio the other person shopping, you will both be more efficient and can work better as a team. You can also find your way out of the store together if panic sets in.
Where would you go?
There are a lot of options from the corner grocery store to a convenience store to the big box retailers. I think that if you have access to them all, I would hit a Wal-Mart, or Target first over the other choices. The reasons are price and selection. You have to admit there isn’t much you can’t buy at Wal-Mart and if your time is limited it makes sense to go there instead of somewhere else. Now, can you get better food at Whole Foods or Fresh Market? Yes, but they will have less on hand, the stores are smaller so they will be more crowded and the cost will be higher.
Even the parking lots are smaller so you might find yourself unable to park, or worse, unable to get out. We are trying for survival here. If Wal-Mart isn’t available you will have to do your best, but that would be my preference. Why Wal-Mart and not a grocery store? Again, Wal-Mart or Kmart or Target each have more items than just food. They all have camping sections and in some cases Sporting goods and you won’t likely be able to pick up a box of 9mm rounds at the Piggly Wiggly.
If all you have is the local grocery store or even the CVS then by all means go there. In fact, the local drug stores have become more diversified in what they carry, but again they suffer from cost and variety. You may have to resort to shopping there, but it isn’t ideal. You will get less for your money and could end up with nothing.
What order would things need to be done?
Again, this depends on what you need the most. If you have a hundred gallons of water stored at home you would skip that possibly. Go for what you need the most of realizing that you can live without food longer than you can live without water.
Water first – Grab as much as you can… READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE: http://www.jbbardot.com/last-shopping-trip-for-prepping-what-to-get-if-you-only-have-one-chance-left/
Source: The Prepper Journal – http://www.theprepperjournal.com/2013/08/24/last-shopping-trip-ever-what-to-get-if-you-only-have-one-chance-left/ — Written by P. Henry
Wednesday, April 13, 2016 9:44
(Before It's News)
The news that the president, vice-president and Janet Yellen, Fed chairwoman from earlier this week may just be enough to scare you into preparing and picking up those survival items you’ve been putting off buying for months or years.
News like this makes me start to mentally go over my prepping and I start analyzing what I still haven’t done, or need to check on again.
This happens almost every time there is a news story like this and it is with the full knowledge and belief that I am squared away at a level that I believe will keep my family fed and secure for a good bit of time. Could we last if everything descended into chaos tomorrow and there was wide-spread panic, looting, violence and wars?
That, I don’t know. However, we have made a lot of preparations for our family so I don’t feel helpless if we are visited by a future doomsday scenario like that any time soon. I certainly don’t welcome it, but I don’t feel like we’ll be caught completely off guard either.
I mentioned in another post how from time to time, thinking about what I would do with some small amount of advanced warning causes me to reevaluate my preps.
I do think that it is wise to constantly be aware of your surroundings (as well as what’s going on in the world) and to take advantage of circumstances if you can, to give your family a leg up.
One of the recurring comments from that post was that I didn’t offer solutions. I will admit that the title of the post could have easily been misunderstood and that is my fault. The post was titled “You have 36 hours to keep your family safe: what do you do?” and you could logically assume from that title that I was going to tell you what to do.
That I would be giving you six steps you can take to prepare your family for survival or something along those lines. What I was doing, was telling you the question I had in my mind and how I thought about the various things any parent would think if faced with that situation.
It wasn’t my intention to confuse people, but I understand people are looking for actions they can take so in this post I hope to give some ideas about what you can do if you only have a very small amount of time and you need to get some last minute items for your family.
I will take the same scenario but shorten the time a little and let’s say you have 12 hours advance knowledge of some event. Let’s say the stock market started tanking mid-day and the punditry and your own sixth sense was telling you that something serious was happening.
By the close of business the market is down 30% and trading has been halted. Maybe the government declares a bank holiday, credit cards aren’t accepted and you only have the cash in your wallet or what you have hidden for a rainy day. You know you have to run to the store to get supplies before the rest of the world beats you to it and we will say that you have a limited budget of $200. What would you do? Where would you go and in what order would things need to be done?
Before I continue, I must say that this scenario, if it really was as dire as I am painting would be deadly for a lot of people. I don’t know that what you could grab from the store in 2 hours would keep you alive for years, but it could keep you alive for a week.
Something as complex as financial Armageddon can’t be survived with a few cans of tuna fish and some pop tarts but you have to live to fight another day, right? It’s a start, but in a perfect world you would have begun your journey to being prepared a long time ago. We will assume this trip is just going to be adding to what you already have. You could just as easily apply most of the same concepts to a hurricane or flood. That said, let’s go!
What would you do?
Quickly define prepping priorities
One of the first things that any prepper should do is take an inventory of what they need to have in order to survive any given period of time. In our scenario above we are talking about an economic collapse. Regardless of the disaster, the most basic list of priorities would be water, food, shelter and security.
Ideally you would have prepared long ago for these basics, but in our scenario you haven’t or something happened and you need to resupply. I think it is safe to say that in terms of priority, if you don’t have all of the above already, security is going to be out so for now we will focus on food and water first and pray that you don’t need security.
It is right now that you need to quickly conduct a mental and physical inventory what you have and what you need. I say physical because I have been surprised in the past when a supply I thought I had plenty of was gone. (What do you mean all of the batteries I had ended up in the Wii remotes?)
This is another reason to make sure you are constantly rotating your supplies and refilling when they are used. The time of year must be considered as well. Is it the middle of summer or the dead of winter? This is going to drive the priority of what you are looking for. In a time like this, if you don’t make it to the store quickly, there may not be anything left when you do. Provided you are paying attention and can act though you may beat the crowd before anyone even knows what is going on. Some quick examples are:
Do you have a gallon of water for everyone in the house for at least one week? Add more if the weather is hot and you may run into quantity limits if the news is out already. For a family of 4 you would need to have 28 gallons (4 X 7 = 28). Do you have a way to capture and treat water after that?
Do you have enough food to feed everyone for 7 days that doesn’t require cooking?
Are there hygiene items you need or will need in the upcoming weeks?
Do you have basic first aid?
Make a Disaster Plan
Divide responsibilities if you have more than one person who can run to the store. Once you know what you need to get you can send one person to one store or even split up once you are in the store to grab the items you need quickly. One person can go to Sporting goods and the other person can run to the food aisles. Water is usually located in a couple of places, but they store a lot more of it back in the food section. 2 ½ gallon jugs are easier to carry.
Maintain communication – This is when those great two way radios come in handy. If you can radio the other person shopping, you will both be more efficient and can work better as a team. You can also find your way out of the store together if panic sets in.
Where would you go?
There are a lot of options from the corner grocery store to a convenience store to the big box retailers. I think that if you have access to them all, I would hit a Wal-Mart, or Target first over the other choices. The reasons are price and selection. You have to admit there isn’t much you can’t buy at Wal-Mart and if your time is limited it makes sense to go there instead of somewhere else. Now, can you get better food at Whole Foods or Fresh Market? Yes, but they will have less on hand, the stores are smaller so they will be more crowded and the cost will be higher.
Even the parking lots are smaller so you might find yourself unable to park, or worse, unable to get out. We are trying for survival here. If Wal-Mart isn’t available you will have to do your best, but that would be my preference. Why Wal-Mart and not a grocery store? Again, Wal-Mart or Kmart or Target each have more items than just food. They all have camping sections and in some cases Sporting goods and you won’t likely be able to pick up a box of 9mm rounds at the Piggly Wiggly.
If all you have is the local grocery store or even the CVS then by all means go there. In fact, the local drug stores have become more diversified in what they carry, but again they suffer from cost and variety. You may have to resort to shopping there, but it isn’t ideal. You will get less for your money and could end up with nothing.
What order would things need to be done?
Again, this depends on what you need the most. If you have a hundred gallons of water stored at home you would skip that possibly. Go for what you need the most of realizing that you can live without food longer than you can live without water.
Water first – Grab as much as you can… READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE: http://www.jbbardot.com/last-shopping-trip-for-prepping-what-to-get-if-you-only-have-one-chance-left/
Source: The Prepper Journal – http://www.theprepperjournal.com/2013/08/24/last-shopping-trip-ever-what-to-get-if-you-only-have-one-chance-left/ — Written by P. Henry
