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HomePosts Tagged "how to be a prepper"

I had this thought as I was walking around the other day and wanted to jot down some answers to common questions I see asked and answered out there regarding the Prepper Movement. I do this in an effort to share my understanding of what we are, what we are doing and have some fun at the same time.

What are Preppers?

Preppers are normal everyday people just like you. Well, most of you. They go to work every day, pay the bills, have families and concerns and are somewhat in tune with current events but perhaps more so, historical lessons of the past. Preppers are people who have seen tragedies and may even have been part of some disaster themselves and want to take steps to mitigate the bad effects from any crisis going forward. Preppers come from all social statuses, geographic locations, religions, age ranges and ethnic backgrounds. Prepping is not solely an American concept and we Americans are not the only ones who are concerned enough to take steps to protect ourselves and our families.

To put it as simply as I know how, Preppers are interested in taking steps to protect themselves and their families from harm.

What kind of harm you ask? Oh, well that is where it gets interesting because there are a lot of very valid and some not so valid concerns in my opinion out there, but each person usually has one or two concerns that drive their prepping interests. It could be that you live in LA and are concerned about Earthquakes, or that you live near the eastern US coast and worry about Hurricanes or Tsunamis. People in the plains states have a real threat of Tornadoes and the list goes on and on from Economic concerns to alien invasion. The point is, that there is a reason people are concerned about what might happen to their family and they are taking steps to prevent that from happening, whatever “that” may be.

Why is everyone talking about prepping now?

Prepping has been around a long time and you might say, everyone was more of a prepper as recently as 100 years ago. Having food to last you and growing your own wasn’t trendy in the not too distant past. It was what everyone did simply to live. Without drug stores, power companies, family health clinics, grocery stores, automobiles, etc. life was completely different and so were people. As our society became more modern, we relied less and less on what used to be required skills and started purchasing more of what we need instead of making it or growing it.

Probably the most recent spike in the interest in Prepping was Y2K because the scenario that was presented to us was extremely dire. Everyone was convinced that on January 1st, 2000 all of the computers would freak out, planes would fall from the sky, power plants would stop and we would all be plunged back into the dark ages because computers wouldn’t recognize the new millennium and would shut down. I didn’t get into the prepping lifestyle or the mass panic back then, but we had a little food and water “just in case” the doomsayers were right.

I still remember vividly hanging out in our living room with some friends and their kids on New Years Eve that year and watching the countdown to midnight. As the ball dropped and nothing happened, I was a little surprised, maybe a little disappointed that all of the doom and gloom was for nothing. I don’t remember hearing about anything that stopped working on January 1st 2000, do you?

The reasons change a little with the times, but I think the core motivations are still the same. Prepping is becoming more mainstream now because I believe that people can see and maybe even feel in their gut that something isn’t right and we could be headed for a crash. If not that, there have been too many instances where normal, natural disasters have wiped out entire communities and our media has shown us all to clearly how being unprepared can hurt.

Do I have to fight with my siblings like they do on Doomsday Castle?

No. In fact, most of the self-confessed preppers I speak to are very level headed, rational adults who really do want to do good. Reality TV shows are pretty much designed for shock and awe. If you aren’t shocked, it’s boring so with each new show and each

National Geographic – Reality TV Show Doomsday Castle

new concept, the producers need to ratchet it up a notch. I am convinced that there is no reality in Reality TV anymore and that each participant is playing to the camera for the biggest effect possible.

Prepping does give most people an opportunity to speak to their family about concepts you are concerned with though. I have spoken to everyone in my family to various levels about the need to have basic supplies on hand, adequate water and a means of security. Some things we can agree on and others, we don’t see eye to eye but it is a conversation topic.

There are a million different ways to talk to someone about Prepping and just because your brother isn’t running out to the Gun Show with you to buy a new AR15 for your survival battery, it doesn’t mean you can’t still talk to them. Let your actions and the news of the day speak for you when you don’t have the words. Simply watching how people had to stand in line for hours after Hurricane Sandy because they didn’t have a supply of fuel stored up can start conversations that only a week before would have seemed crazy to some people.

Is owning camouflage or a 4 wheel drive a requirement?

No, but these are perks! You can’t have too much of either in my opinion but sadly, I am still building my supplies up in this regard. Oh, I have enough to get me through hunting season without any issues, but I do know guys that could wear camo every day of the week and not wear the same outfit twice.

A 4-wheel drive vehicle is a strong consideration for a bug out vehicle though so if your prepping takes you to that level, I would highly recommend one. There are a lot of us though, that aren’t planning on bugging out, or hiding camouflaged in the woods and that’s just fine. Prepping is primarily about safety and there are tons of ways you can take steps to protect your family that don’t involve a hummer or looking like the guys from Duck Dynasty.

Do I have to belong to a specific political party?

No. Preppers come from all backgrounds and ideologies. I know preppers that are liberal democrats and right wing republicans, independents, libertarians and political agnostics. I will say that the majority tends to lean toward the right side of this topic though but that doesn’t mean anything. If you have the will and mind to take care of your family, politics do not matter.

Camo isn’t required, it’s a perk!

Is there any test I need to pass?

There is no prepping test you can take on paper. Prepping is about dealing with what life throws at you so the test you take will be how you deal with life when it throws you a big curve ball. This may be something as drastic as a natural disaster or it could be as common as the loss of a job. Preppers spend a considerable amount of time and resources planning for things to go bad so the only time you really get to be tested is when they do. Unfortunately, even practicing for disaster and chaos can only prepare you a little. It is going through the fire that you see how well you will do.

What should I do to start?

I would start with analyzing your priorities. We have a series of posts called Prepping 101 on just this topic that walk you through the major fundamentals with links to other information sprinkled throughout. I like to think Final Prepper is a good resource for information that can help you be more prepared.

Knowing that you want to be more prepared is a great first step. Prepping doesn’t need a huge time or cost commitment, but having a plan will help you identify what you need to do to make sure your family is safe. That plan is your starting point and what you need to do will dictate where you go next.

When can I say that I am finally Prepared?

Nobody is ever prepared to the point of being able to sit down and say “I’m done”. Prepping is an act, it’s a lifestyle not a check box. Even if you had an unlimited amount of money and could buy your dream retreat in the mountains of Wyoming, fortified with a nuclear bomb proof bunker and food to last 20 years, you would still not ever be prepared for everything. Would you have an awesome head start on the rest of the world? Absolutely, but prepping isn’t only about buying things.

Prepping is also a process of learning and changing your life to become less dependent on other sources for a lot of what you need today. For me, this is a journey I started over 5 years ago and I hope to be prepping for the rest of my (hopefully) long life. Don’t look at this as a goal you can achieve and be finished.

What Next?

You need to get as many people as possible prepared now. If you have some level of preparation, share the message. Make sure that you inform others in whatever way you can so that we as a society are all less dependent on others for food, security, power and our wealth. It is a lofty goal, but one that is worth shooting for. If the world is prepared for what life can throw at us, nothing can defeat you.

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I had this thought as I was walking around the other day and wanted to jot down some answers to common questions I see asked and answered out there regarding

Preppers stockpile water, food, security, and health care items for TEOTWAKI or even a lesser SHTF event. This is wise, but it does nothing to address the angst in the hearts of those seeking meaning in their lives. The argument could be made the meaning preppers are searching for is the ability to satisfactorily provide for their families, to which I say is only one side of the coin for people such as myself. What’s missing is a sense of genuine accomplishment in day-to-day living – a sense what I do matters in the grand scheme of things. This is not ego in a grandiose way such as building the pyramids or being wealthy or famous; rather I have been a productive human being, have not squandered my time here, and have improved the lives of those around me. I seek to feel and to be useful and to be in charge of my own life by living deliberately.

(Originally in this part of the article I wrote about 800 words detailing my disdain for the rat race aspect of my job, my frustration with the economy, and my revulsion towards the decay of American society and government overreach [reasons to wish for societal reset] but no matter how I edited it I sounded like a whiny Communist angry at “the man”. My thoughts are much more complex, but suffice to say, I hate the way our country has made it quite difficult for a person to be his own master. I have thus omitted it in order to better focus on the benefits of homesteading.)

Above I cited the Wikipedia reference for Walden by Henry David Thoreau which also succinctly summarizes the chapter “Baker Farm” thusly:

While on an afternoon ramble in the woods, Thoreau gets caught in a rainstorm and takes shelter in the dirty, dismal hut of John Field, a penniless but hard-working Irish farmhand, and his wife and children. Thoreau urges Field to live a simple but independent and fulfilling life in the woods, thereby freeing himself of employers and creditors. But the Irishman won’t give up his aspirations of luxury and the quest for the American dream.

I agree with Thoreau and see most of us as John Field caught in the rat race because we’ve been promised that piece of cheese. I would choose to do with less if I could start over; yes, I would choose to work smarter, not harder. As I have entered my thirties I have realized what key element is missing from my life: the lack of real, tangible freedom to be my own master. You see, the regular work-a-day world is like slot cars. You keep going, don’t rock the boat, and eventually you’ll reach the end. SOSDD as we used to say in the military. We’re pretty much expected to toil away to make other people rich (help them fulfill their dreams) while they toss us paltry wages to keep us appeased. If you can save enough from the tax man to eke out a little fun here and there, the tax man will be sure to reap the remainder from your heirs when you die.

I don’t believe this is the way we’re supposed to live for several reasons. First and foremost as a Christian, I believe the Bible shows us God’s intended plan: “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return” Gen. 3:19. I believe this means we’re supposed to physically toil for our daily bread. Does your job require toiling? If it doesn’t, I bet you have a desk job like mine – one which is entirely unhealthy and killing us as we spend 1/3 of each day doing it. We abuse caffeine, get bathed in electromagnetic fields, sit, snack mindlessly, stare at computer screens (I have five), take work home / don’t leave work at work, use mobile devices, and wear ear buds (a double whammy). I don’t believe God intends for us to get cancer from the work which He commanded us to do, yet I can sure believe it’s a consequence for us deciding yet again to do things our own (“easier”) way.

Secondly, even if there is no God or no mandate to till the earth, our western way of life is not sustainable. Most preppers acknowledge this and see a complete collapse as a real possibility because of it. Going back to the articles which inspired me to write this one the discussion of “bug-in vs. bug-out” was breached and I’m throwing my hat into the ring on behalf of team homesteading. It’s sort of the best of both worlds in that: a) it’s your home so you don’t have to go anywhere unless under direct threat because; b) you’re probably somewhat removed from urban centers right from the get-go.

My third consideration is both providing for my family and for my own personal fulfillment as a human being – not ego, mind you, but the peace one finds in doing what he knows is right and good in life. Living the homestead life is work. Not work like you go to work, living is your work. You work all day from sun up to sun down so that you can eat for that day or the next. I’m not talking about hand-to-mouth, per se, but there’s not much room for error unless you’ve got a good root cellar full of wonderful meat and vegetables you’ve canned after you hunted, fished, or farmed. One might ask what’s so fulfilling about that, to which I say if I am going to work all day it might as well be for my family’s direct benefit, rather than to help someone else attain their dream in exchange for after-tax fiat currency.

It is for these reasons that I see homesteading as a viable method to rediscover purpose without a massive die-off related to a reset event. I’m also not talking about going back to the middle ages (though I do have a great desire to do so myself and would in a heartbeat via living history museum if I could). I’m not above using a gas chainsaw over an axe. Modern amenities can make life easier and even speed your progress towards your prepping goals. Three years ago I caught a stomach bug and was out of commission for three days. After unrelenting bouts of nausea, vomiting, dizziness, sweating, fever, and all the other pleasantries I wanted to do nothing else but die. I had the conveniences of modern hydration, medicine, a warm and safe place to sleep, television and a loving wife who nursed me with all the kindness of an annoyed porcupine, but I was ready to end it all to escape the misery. I don’t want to be without modern medicine and have to cauterize a wound with a red hot knife, a biting stick, and some whiskey. But what I wouldn’t mind is knowing how to sew up a small wound and have the peace of mind that I could do those things if I really had to – whether to save my own life or that of someone in my family.

Many TV shows show us (often contrived) homesteading scenarios. One of the better ones, in my opinion, is Alaska: The Last Frontier. It follows the 2nd – 4th generations of the Kilcher family on their land in Alaska. What I like about this show is the constant work the families are shown doing from mucking chicken coops, to thawing frozen tundra to dig a new outhouse hole in the middle of winter because they slacked in the summer, to smoking fish, to making soap. Yes, it’s TV and designed to entertain, but there is truth shown here ready to be gleaned by the keen observer. I don’t think I’m ready to jump on the rewilding bandwagon just yet, but even they can teach us something.

What are your thoughts on homesteading? Is it realistic? More hype than substance? Are you too late in the game to attempt it?

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Preppers stockpile water, food, security, and health care items for TEOTWAKI or even a lesser SHTF event. This is wise, but it does nothing to address the angst in the

Introduction

If you happen to have worked on a military base in the past, I’m sure you’ve encountered guards standing at the guardhouse routinely waving traffic through the gate – maybe stopping the occasional vehicle to ask a question or two before waving them through. Such a relaxed approach may be adequate during peacetime, however post-disaster these procedures will be wholly inadequate. This article will describe how small communities can establish and manage effective post-disaster roadblocks.

With the recent unrest in Ferguson, MO we’ve actually had a rather ugly preview of coming attractions regarding the need to control and monitor the movement of people. The image of a large gang of criminals, intent on looting, migrating to a neighboring community and shooting their way into a locked store, is an image that should be forever branded into the consciousness of every prepper. This is precisely the reason that the movement of people will need to be controlled, and it’s going to require more than a smiling face and a wave of the hand.

In the wake of a major disaster, those living in small to mid-sized communities will be faced with the challenge of quickly reorganizing to cope with new and immediate concerns. One critical need will be to “control the perimeter”, which will involve establishing security checkpoints to control and monitor comings and goings. Without such controls the risk of disease and lawlessness could threaten the community’s very existence.

While, at first blush, it may seem trivial to set up a roadblock (“Hey, you two guys go down the road and check anybody passing through town!”), during times of disaster an effective roadblock requires more serious consideration.

Selecting Locations for Roadblocks

As with many aspects of life, when establishing a roadblock “location is everything”, and factors that should help to identify the best location for a roadblock include distance from population centers, availability of sufficient space to meet the roadblock’s missions, ability to be defended and potential for line-of-sight communications.

Ideally a roadblock should be a minimum of 0.75 miles (1.2 kilometers) from any dense population centers. This distance corresponds roughly to the range of a high-powered rifle. In other words, a defensive perimeter is much less useful to a community if an adversary can effectively shoot at members of the community from outside the defended perimeter (a roadblock should, if possible, be that distance from any location where a member of the community lives or works).

Military snipers have been known to, on rare occasions, hit targets at distances approaching 1.5 miles. Obviously a bit larger safe zone should be considered if one anticipates adversaries having military sniper training.

Roadblocks are staffed by people, and in the long term people require supporting infrastructure. Such infrastructure potentially includes provisions for the sanitary elimination of human waste, protection from the weather, storage of supplies and space to be used to detain travelers without blocking traffic. Any location considered for a permanent or long-term roadblock should address these real-world needs.

The security of those staffing a roadblock should be a primary concern when selecting its location. It is inevitable that there will eventually be security incidents at any roadblock, and the personnel there should be able to ward off any anticipated attack until reinforcements can arrive. The availability of hard and soft cover should be considered, as well as local geography (with regard to both offense and defense). In some situations it may be important to have a concealed shooting position located nearby to provide supporting fire in the event of the most serious situations.

Yet another important factor to consider when selecting the location of a roadblock is the availability of line-of-sight communication to the community. This can be important in case other more conventional means of communication become unavailable. For example, flags might be flown to request reinforcements or to visually indicate other abnormal situations. In some cases it may be necessary for a central headquarters within the community to have a line-of-sight to the roadblock, while in other cases it may be sufficient for the roadblock to be within sight of any population center (from which communication might be relayed to the central headquarters).

In addition to the factors already mentioned, a roadblock should be established at a location that is a natural traffic bottleneck. Otherwise it is possible that intruders could simply bypass the roadblock.

Sandbags are an often over-looked prepper supply that can make very effective cover for fighting positions. Just add hard work.

Facility and Equipment

Without certain basic features necessary to meet the needs of those who will be staffing it, the ability of a permanent or long-term roadblock to accomplish its mission will be significantly degraded. The roadblock station should feature:

  • A latrine or other means of eliminating human waste in a sanitary fashion
  • A source of clean water
  • A structure that provides protection from the weather
  • A flagpole (and various colored flags) for backup visual communication
  • A siren or other device for producing a loud and distinctive audible alert
  • A lockable storage bin that is protected from the weather
  • Sandbags or some other form of hard cover
  • Nearby access to places of concealment
  • A movable barrier to control the flow of traffic
  • A radio or other device for security-related communications
  • Chairs
  • A temporary parking area where one or more vehicles may be detained without blocking other traffic
  • Signs posted at appropriate locations to provide instructions and cautions to approaching travelers

Flags of various colors should be available to, at a minimum, signify abnormal security conditions (perhaps yellow and red), requests for unscheduled personnel rotation and requests for medical assistance.

In addition to the equipment listed above, those who staff the roadblock (and anyone providing them covering fire) should carry weapons that are appropriate to their role. Holstered handguns, along with spare magazines and a good supply of ammunition, are probably a best fit for those staffing the roadblock; with a rifle close at hand in the guard shack. The advantage of holstered handguns is that they leave hands free for signaling and conducting searches.

Communications

Good communications, both among the personnel staffing a roadblock and between the roadblock and other security personnel within the community, is vitally important. Efficient non-verbal communications between the personnel staffing the roadblock can be quite useful. For example, hand signals might be used to guide traffic or to quickly and silently communicate ‘caution’ or ‘danger’ to other personnel staffing the roadblock. They might also be useful in communicating with any concealed locations that are tasked with providing covering fire during times of heightened security.

Radio or other forms of electronic communication between the roadblock, a central headquarters and/or other roadblocks or other security personnel can obviously also fill a vital role. If non-secure radio communications are utilized then standard code words (similar to the ’10 codes’ used today by law enforcement personnel) should be employed to augment communications security (‘COMSEC’).

TA-312 field phones can still be purchased in surplus stores.

An alternative to radio communications is the use of military grade ‘field telephones’. Such phones provide the advantage of increased COMSEC. Military-model phones worth consideration are the TA-1, the EE-8 and the TA-312 field telephones, which have been used by the US military throughout the twentieth century. The TA-1 offers a range of up to four miles and requires no power source (it is voice-powered). The EE-8 offers a range of up to 17 miles, but requires batteries. The TA-312 has a range of up to twenty-two miles under dry conditions, and features a built-in hand generator so that batteries are not necessary for operation.

Small military switchboard devices can be installed at the central headquarters to enable point-to-point telephone communications between multiple locations. There would also be a need to obtain sufficient lengths of telephone wire to interconnect the desired stations.

As has already been mentioned, flags and sirens can fill an important role by providing a means of communicating certainly critical conditions to the entire community.

Staffing

It is typical to have a roadblock staffed by a minimum of three individuals; two members of the team typically process foot traffic and vehicles through the roadblock in accordance with standing orders, while the third oversees the operation from the guard shack and is ready to react appropriately if an incident develops. Occasionally the duties associated with manning the roadblock can be physically demanding (for example, if the station comes under attack), so it is important that all team members be physically fit.

Under normal circumstances teams should work in shifts and rotate on and off the roadblock in accordance with a pre-established schedule. As already suggested, in times of heightened alert it may also be prudent to employ a concealed sniper to provide support on an as-needed basis.

Using Roadblocks to Gather Intelligence

Roadblocks can be excellent (and cost-effective) sources of critical intelligence information about potential future security threats to the community. Question and answer sessions conducted with passers-by can provide a wealth of information which can often be corroborated by multiple independent observers. When collecting information from travelers about potential adversaries they may have observed, the following ‘SALUTE’ questions should be remembered:

  • S)ize of potential adversaries
  • A)ctivity a potential adversary was observed being engaged in
  • L)ocation of potantial adversaries
  • U)nit Types Capabilities of potential adversaries
  • T)ime the potential adversary was observed
  • E)quipment possessed by a potential adversary

Policies and Procedures Governing Roadblocks

The individuals manning a community roadblock should be governed by policies and procedures in addition to and standing orders. Policies governing a roadblock should include:

  • If possible the personnel staffing the roadblock should wear common uniforms or otherwise present themselves to travelers as members of a disciplined and professional unit.
  • To the greatest extent possible, roadblock personnel should maintain detailed notes of all incoming and outgoing traffic, including answers to the ‘SALUTE’ questions described above as appropriate.
  • The maximum number of consecutive hours that individuals should attend a roadblock without being relieved.
  • Identification of different classes of travelers (e.g. community members, vs. known locals vs. unknown personnel)
  • Standard operating procedures for handling each class of traveler.
  • Policies regarding personnel taking necessary breaks during their work shift.
  • Regularly-scheduled check-ins with the central headquarters.
  • The use of special signs or signals for identification purposes.
  • The procedure for evacuating the roadblock in the event that it is overrun (including the destruction of sensitive materials and equipment)
  • Criteria for pursuing vehicles that attempt to flee the roadblock

Conclusion

The use of roadblocks to control and monitor the flow of inbound and outbound traffic (foot traffic and otherwise) is important to the community from many perspectives. In addition to strengthening the defense of the community, it can be a valuable source of strategic intelligence. The presence of roadblocks also increases the community’s sense of security and well-being, which can itself translate into increased productivity and economic activity.

To paraphrase the great poet Robert Frost who once proclaimed that “Good Fences Make Good Neighbors” it can be said that “Good Roadblocks Make For Secure Survival Communities”.

Somehow my version just doesn’t seem as poetic!

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Introduction If you happen to have worked on a military base in the past, I’m sure you’ve encountered guards standing at the guardhouse routinely waving traffic through the gate – maybe

Though we all want to live, most of us do not have the skills to conquer a world where the adage “Survival of the Fittest” is a daily task. We have been too complacent with the idea of comfort that a slight inconvenience is enough to make us jump, be depressed, or worse, find ourselves in a life-threatening encounter. A single power outage or a couple of days of being submerged in murky flood water is enough to send us into a sphere where we fear for our own lives. How will we react and retaliate should we find ourselves in the wild with nothing but our guts and our survival know-how’s?

As uncertainties that are man-made and natural come more and more often, even newbies in the game of prepping can take considerable strides in building their survival strategies. In the wild, a small misstep or miscalculation is enough to cause you to lose your life in a matter of seconds. More importantly, studies have shown that more than incurring accidents, deaths in the wild are often caused by lack of information, preparedness, and proper execution. Even the U.S. Military adheres to the notion that surviving the wild is a decision; meaning it is bound by consistent sets of going with the best survivalist options.

Camp out and swim about

Begin befriending the wild by setting up a camp trip or a hike with your family, friends, or even a group of people you barely know. This way, you get a firsthand experience about going beyond the comforts of your home. Do your research about this trip, and plan your essentials with the least possible items so that you will be able to move more easily and faster, too. Aim to house all the things you need in a carry-all, waterproof backpack. While you may not realize it, being outdoors is way better than reading mountains of books and sources in the survivalist game. Before setting out, get to take a number of laps in your pool or a nearby body of water. The ability to swim is a newbie survivalist’s skill that can spell doom or boom in this game.

Pack wax for building a fire fast

Fire is scientifically proven to give off a sense of security and safety, so you would have to master the manner by which you can build it fast. Waterproof matches are widely available, however, you still need something else to build fire to keep you warm, and to be able to cook food and boil water. An easy way to make this feat possible is by toting cotton pads dipped in wax or filling Altoid tins with cardboard and wax. Apart from being an emergency light source, it could also ward off animals in the wild that may lurk in your territory.

The ability to make fire cannot be overemphasized.

Hold that high-proof alcoholic drink

More than an enjoyable drink should disaster strike, an alcoholic drink above 90-proof is highly flammable and a favorable ally in sterilizing cuts or wounds. It may even be used as a bug repellant, an anesthetic to toothache, a facial astringent, and relieves sting from poison ivy. To ensure that your alcohol supply will serve its purpose, store them in a cool, dark place. Make sure that you don’t open them as it will lose its strength after six to eight months.

Counter hypothermia with bubble wrap blanket

Instead of lugging three cotton blankets for insulation, score a bubble wrap with the size of a blanket. The air bubbles that makes up this household packing material has been proven to insulate a person better by up to 70% more than thick blankets. Hypothermia is very likely to happen when you’re in the middle of a cold, usually open area. Not being able to address this readily and properly will result in loss of consciousness, and may even lead to death, before you know it.

Power up an AA battery compartment with AAA batteries

Disasters usually bring power outage, and you would have to rely on battery-powered radios and emergency lamps. Should you run out of AA batteries, you can simply stick aluminum foil that is rolled into balls to fill the gaps left by AAA batteries.

63 one-gallon bottles of water can save a group weighing 500 pounds

While you still have time, perfect your skill in building a raft out of empty water bottles. Make sure that the bottles have the same size so that they fit well together. It is important that you determine the number of people who are going to be on the raft for this to be successful. The rule of thumb is that you would need a single bottle that houses one gallon for every 8 pounds.  For a group of individuals with a collective weight of 500 pounds, for instance, you would need to get hold of about 63 one-gallon bottles with lids tightly placed.

Plan how you will use the bottles by keeping in mind that you need to have 3 or four layers to build a raft. The base should be widest and must be secured with waterproof tape horizontally and vertically. The other layers should be slightly smaller so that the raft will stay afloat. Once done, try it out on a pool or a body of water.

Defend yourself with your house keys

While it is highly advisable that you formally learn self-defense through martial arts or even holding a gun, a lot of people either have no time or find it unnecessary to learn these survival drills. Adults, children and even elderly family members can put house keys in their fists as they get ready for a possible attack once disaster and unrest kicks in. Other household self-defense items are scissors and pepper sprays from your trusted alarm system store. Arming yourself without arousing suspicion is a must in surviving the wild. You surely don’t want uncalled for attention as you plan your evacuation, or head out to your secret destination, right?

Watch out for dogs gone wild more than venomous snakes and other animal attacks

Having to figure out a way to escape a snake is one stereotypical scene in the survival game. Snake bites from venom comprise of 7,000 to 8,000 medical incidences yearly. A sting from a box jellyfish on the other hand, can cause fatal cardiac arrest when left untreated. If you think slathering insect repellant is a task you can do away with, think again. Bug lotion actually decreases your chances of being one of the 200+ million malaria victims, annually. The most surprising numbers though in animal attack department comes from the staggering 4.5 million cases that account for dog bites in the U.S. on yearly basis.

You don’t only have to worry about two-legged predators.

Bleach and condoms can secure your water supply

78% of the human body is composed of water; hence you must prioritize this in your ride with the wild side. Should you be in the middle of nowhere and happen to fish a condom out of your bag or pocket, consider yourself lucky. A single condom can hold one-day supply of water. Seek water from springs and even collecting morning dew found in grass. Following grazing animals near dusk and dawn are also ways to get to a place where you can get decent water.

If you are still packing your bug-out pack, bring household bleach with you. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you can purify water with using a couple of drops of bleach. Before re-hydration, let the water sit for about 30 minutes to ensure that the bleach has dispersed well.

Want more protein? Try insects

Crazy as it may sound, edible insects are packed with 65-80% protein – a far cry from the 20% protein requirement that beef can give. Not bad for 4 species for every 1 human being, right? If you can go past your food preferences, you’d have more than your fill since insects are easier to hunt and locate. For those who are convinced, a good way to jump-start this emergency food plan is to get your palette acquainted with exotic food finds that have bugs in them. Critters, scorpions and even ants are some of the popular tummy-friendly food choices you can befriend and hopefully, love.

Go for to-go food to set your “Survive and Conquer” mood

Truth be told, food is one thing that even seasoned preppers worry about and seriously work for. While the protein-content of insects sounds inviting, we cannot seem to find the strength and motivation to dig into them. For newbie (and even seasoned) preppers, compact backpacks packed with an ample, generously portioned food kits is a practical, and highly manageable way to be able to survive and conquer the wild. Food not only replenishes the energy we need to run around and stay on top of the game. A totable food storage guarantees a newbie survivalist that while s/he may have to go unimaginable lengths to make it to another day, s/he can find a little time for comfort, and a tiny window to let the stress subside. By seeking the aid of survival food kits, novice preppers would be able to focus more on getting their safety gears in place rather than having to be overwhelmed, and left hanging with the long list of a survivalist’s concerns.

Live the ‘Survive and Conquer’ lifestyle, one day at a time

Being a prepper is no longer confined to people who are building larger than life underground shelters, or those who seriously secure their food storage that will last for more than two decades. Even newbies are now getting the hang of being a prepper as it is transforming into a lifestyle and a necessity; rather than an idea that is far-flung and overrated. These really easy and handy tips that novice preppers can look into and learn from in order to increase their chances of making it through the world of the wild. As newbies, it is best to start with the most basic and most familiar prepping lessons that will make your survival story a more attainable reality.

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Though we all want to live, most of us do not have the skills to conquer a world where the adage “Survival of the Fittest” is a daily task. We

Many preppers have formed a mental picture of the ideal bug out destination being a cabin located in some remote wilderness, well away from any population center. Others imagine an underground bunker where a mutual assistance group (“MAG”) can hunker down and ride things out for as long as is necessary. While these images have their appeal, they also present serious challenges of their own.

In the process of authoring “When There is No FEMA” I had the opportunity to give quite a bit of consideration to the ideal bug out destination, and one question persistently nagged at me – if a survival group is defending a small property in a remote location, then what is to stop a concealed enemy with a high-powered rifle from picking off members of the community one-by-one?   For me this highlights a fatal flaw in the “remote cabin” scenario, and underscores an important principle that should apply to any bug out location … any survival group should control a sufficiently large area that their base of operations is outside of rifle range of the perimeter they control.

This principle suggests that a small group is not necessarily the best group for a survival scenario. A small town, by comparison, has the physical size and raw manpower necessary to control a larger geographic area on a 24×7 basis. Additionally, a small town often has infrastructure such as machine shops, heavy equipment and agricultural land that can allow a local economy to be rebuilt.

Of course no scenario is perfect, and the small-town-as-bugout-destination scenario presents its own set of challenges, perhaps the largest of which is that only a small percentage of the population will be even remotely prepared in advance. While my book has the pages to go into great detail on how to quickly adapt a small community in the wake of social collapse, this article can at least provide an overview of the important topic.

Because great majority of an area’s inhabitants are going to be unprepared every second that passes will be critical. In the immediate aftermath there will be a lot of nervous energy, and this will be the absolute worst time for the clear thinking needed to define a viable survival community. However, that nervous energy could be constructively channeled into executing a plan that has already been developed. This article will cover the basics of such a plan (with this stipulation that there are always 1000 ways to skin the proverbial cat).

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Physical security should be one of the first priorities.

All small communities are not created equal. While an urban neighborhood or small suburb may provide the manpower and geographic size to meet post-disaster survival needs, unlike small towns they often do not have the agricultural or industrial base needed to support an independent economy. Additionally, inhabitants in these more urban locations are much less likely to possess the survival skills their rural counterparts take for granted.

There are some critical prerequisites to successfully adapting a small, unprepared community to survive a major disaster. They include:

  • Mitigation of all immediate threats to life and property
  • Producing a community charter that will govern the community.

Mitigation of immediate threats includes such basic activities as putting out fires, tending to the injured and placing sandbags to prevent property from flooding.

The community charter is a document that identifies elected offices and the terms of such offices, sets forth the procedures for electing officers, and defines their responsibilities. It should also specify those within the community who are eligible to vote and the procedures for carrying out elections (in recognition of the crucial factor of time the charter might describe the use of a fair coin toss to decide the outcome of tied elections, rather than requiring time-sensitive runoff elections). The charter should also specify if capital and corporal punishments are to be considered for some offenses and have provisions for such things as amending the charter and the recall of elected leaders.

NOTE: Chapter 14 of “When There is No FEMA” provides a complete, detailed community charter.

The charter should also cover:

  • Printing and minting of new coins and currency for the community
  • Identifying the initial elected and appointed leadership positions within the community and specifying their wages (in the community’s currency)
  • Processes for bringing outsiders into the community
  • Ownership of property
  • Crime and punishment – specifically identifying those crimes for which capital punishment, corporal punishment, or banishment from the community may apply
  • A minimum wage for those working within the community (this critical factor will be discussed in more detail below)
  • Defining guidelines for assessing the value of all physical property within the community
  • Specifying the oaths of office to be taken by all elected and appointed leaders

If the community votes in favor of capital punishment for select crimes It is a good idea to consider counterfeiting as one of the crimes that are candidates for that ultimate punishment.   The corrupting of the community’s monetary system is a direct threat to the lives of all members of the community; thus counterfeiting can reasonably be equated to attempted murder.

Those leaders who are best-suited to lead during non-disaster times are not necessarily the best post-disaster leaders. As a result it would be optimal for new elections to be held to allow those leaders to be installed who are best suited to the new circumstances (NOTE: While new members of the community may move into leadership positions, for obvious reasons those who have best knowledge of critical infrastructure such as water and sewage systems should almost certainly be retained in those typically appointed positions.) In my book I describe the election of a Council consisting of an odd number of members of the community. The odd number is to avoid the possibility of tie votes. Once elected, those council members might vote for who among them will be the council leader. In addition to normal council responsibilities, the Council leader is responsible for scheduling and organizing Council meetings and setting meeting agendas.

Once elected, the council members should appoint various others to leadership positions specified in the charter, and assign those appointees the tasks of developing plans for organizing those areas of the community that are within the scope of their responsibilities (any such tasks must have aggressive deadlines assigned).  Appointed positions might include a head of defense, a chief of police, a director of public works, the community banker, a property assessor and directors of health, education, agriculture and finance.

Jump-Starting the Local Economy

As the post-disaster clock ticks, growing seasons for crops come and go, and the members within the community grow more hungry and desperate. Hence it is vital that the local economy be restarted immediately. In the aftermath of a major disaster anyone who does not make this their primary focus is courting misery and death. One of the most important roles in restoring the economy is that of the newly appointed community banker, and the banker’s first job should be to identify a means for the printing of money and the minting of coins.

NOTE: Depending on the nature of the disaster, the role of banker may be one that is not particularly popular.   However, the post-disaster community banker is an entirely different beast than any international bankers who may be considered to have brought about a financial collapse. The role of community banker is critical to the survival of the community in the aftermath of a major disaster.

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A currency replacement will need to be created.

The polish and appearance of the community’s new currency is not particularly important because it can be upgraded at any time (all the banker has to do is to announce that the old currency will become worthless at some specified date, and invite community members to trade that soon-to-be-worthless currency for any superior version of the currency that is developed). The total amount of currency produced should be a fixed value, with all future printed currency either being produced in accordance with a pre-existing plan or as part of a program to replace and retire old, worn currency.

As new currency is produced a quantity of the newly-minted money should be distributed to each member of the community based on their age (and possibly other criteria). This will allow members of the community to immediately begin to make purchases, thereby restarting the economy. A substantial amount of the printed money should also be retained by the new government for purposes of paying wages, purchasing services from other members of the community, or to stimulate certain strategic sectors of the economy. Needless to say, the amount of money printed and minted for the community will be substantial – probably the equivalent of many tens of millions of pre-disaster US dollars in the case of a small town. At the same time, 80%-90% of that money should be held in reserve and dispersed into the community over a period of 5-10 years. It is not even necessary for that reserve money to be printed or minted until there is a need to disperse it; it can simply be kept “on the books”.

A minimum wage is yet another of those factors that are fundamental and critical to the community’s survival. While most communities are not sitting atop piles of precious metals that can be used as the basis of assigning value to its money, the setting of a minimum wage has precisely that effect. Rather than setting a single minimum wage, however, tiers of minimum wage might be set based on the age of the worker. This has the effect of helping younger workers to gravitate into the economy (by creating demand for their less-skilled labor) while at the same time providing a healthy incentive for older workers to nurture their own careers before they can be displaced by younger, lower cost workers.

Another important appointed position within the community is that of the property assessor, who is tasked with the responsibility of assigning value to all physical property within the community. Depending on the size and composition of the community, the assessor may have a need for a staff to work under his or her direction to meet the needs of this position. Using guidelines provided by the charter, the assessor should be able to appraise the value of virtually any physical property for purposes of taxation and/or purchase.

Property Ownership

Ownership of property is another critical linchpin to the stability of the post-disaster community. If property rights are not clearly defined then members of the community will have no faith in the system and will have far less motivation to work. The community charter should take into account the cases of those who owned property within the community pre-disaster, those who have been renting property from current community members, those who have been renting property from outsiders and property within the community that is owned by outsiders. It may be desirable for the community itself to assume ownership of all property owned by outsiders that lies within its physical boundaries.   It would be better for such assets to be contributing to the local economy than for them to deteriorate while waiting for an owner who never appears (and if they do eventually appear then accommodations might be negotiated at that time).

Initial Task Assignments

During each public council meeting new tasks should be assigned to elected and appointed officials and the results of already-completed tasks should be discussed. Initially these tasks may take the form of assignments to develop plans. For example, the head of defense may be tasked with developing a plan for the defense of the community. The director of agriculture may be assigned a task to develop plans for foraging and growing the next season’s crops. These plans can then be reviewed, revised and approved, and would result in work assignments for members of the community (or for companies that exist within the community).

Crime and Punishment

In a post-disaster scenario perspectives on capital and corporal punishment may very well change. For example, given the expected scarcity of the basics for human life, the crime of looting might be equated with attempted murder, which the community may decide warrants capital punishment. Also, because the community may not be able to afford to incarcerate a convicted criminal who could otherwise be working constructively, it may be necessary to carry out corporal punishment for certain offenses (in reality corporal punishment may be more humane than incarceration – would you rather suffer through several lashes from a whip or to be separated from your loved ones for months or years?) Additionally, some crimes may simply merit banishment from the community and forfeiture of assets.

Integrating Newcomers into the Community

It is inevitable that outsiders will eventually wish to become part of a successful community. Any such petition should be considered from multiple perspectives. Does the newcomer have a special skill or knowledge that could benefit the community? Is the community in need of physical labor which the newcomer is capable of performing? Is some member of the community willing to speak in favor of the newcomer or to otherwise sponsor the newcomer into the community? Ultimately the decision to accept the newcomer into the community should rest with the Council or those it appoints for this purpose.

Merging with Other Communities

Historically the merging of small communities under difficult circumstances has been a very bloody affair. Often the reluctance of two communities to merge simply reflects the resistance of the community’s leadership to loss of authority. The community charter should outline a means through which two communities could merge while avoiding wasteful conflict. One approach might be to make all decisions regarding potential community mergers through majority vote. Another approach might be to provide a “golden parachute” (e.g. highly desirable employment) to any displaced elected community members in the event that their position is eliminated due to such a merger.

Conclusion

I will paraphrase the American inventor Thomas Edison and say that, while it is essential for a community to adapt itself in the wake of a major disaster, and that adaptation does require establishing leadership and developing plans, the ultimate survival of that community will consist of one percent inspiration (electing officials and planning) and ninety-nine percent perspiration (carrying out those plans). Deadlines assigned for planning should be aggressive, and work under those plans should commence immediately and have its own tight deadlines.

As most members of the community have not prepared themselves prior to the disaster they should work as though their lives hang in the balance – because that is exactly the case!

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Many preppers have formed a mental picture of the ideal bug out destination being a cabin located in some remote wilderness, well away from any population center. Others imagine an