Category: Emerging Threats

Letter Re: Why are Preppers So Hatefully Persecuted?

Hello, I am writing about a topic that has bothered me for some time: Why are preppers so hatefully persecuted? We know from the Bible that this is not a new phenomenon, as Noah was severely persecuted for the preparations God ordered him to make. Could you please put it out to your readers? Thank you very much for your time, – Drew in Idaho JWR Replies: Envy is a sin that is all too common. That is just part of living in a sinful, fallen world. Those who are unprepared often feel both envy and guilt for not providing …


TEOTWAWKI Mental Health Issues, by Dr. Bob

There are many things about our “on-the-grid lives” that really are not all that fun.  We get depressed about stuff and certainly have anxiety over lots of things that will simply disappear WTSHTF.  My personal philosophy, along with many of our readers and patients, is that without a grid, life will be a little more simple.  With preparation, things don’t have to be that gloomy.  It will sure be a bummer for lots of other people, but for us and ours, it means a return to the basics.  The reality is:  none of us knows how we will cope with …


Letter Re: Urban Evacuation–When The Plan is No Plan At All

Good Morning, I was reading the post regarding Baltimore evac signs which kicked off a thought. The author states that the signs end at the city limits and the goal is to just get people out of the city. It appears to me that there are all sorts or articles as of late regarding zombies, even television shows about viral masses of folks wandering around the country. Is the presence of these articles and shows part of a larger PSYOP program? A television show recently aired showing the bombing of an American city,with the goal of kill off the infected. …


Letter Re: Urban Evacuation–When The Plan is No Plan At All

Hi, Jim, I had a very interesting conversation earlier this week in which I learned that Arizona emergency planners are no longer planning any type of evacuation for the city of Phoenix.  It is simply an impossible task.  Where on earth do you put some four million people (greater Phoenix area population) and how do you get them there?  I wonder what other cities/municipalities have officials who have made the same decision?  It would behoove all survival minded people to take a very hard and honest look at their own cities and towns and put themselves in the place of …


Letter Re: A Surgeon’s Observations on Survivalism

I read with interest the data on food inflation recently on your blog. This confirms my own recent observations about food and hardware store items. Additionally, I have observed a drastic shift in the behavior of the people around me. When you think of survivalists you don’t generally picture of a bunch of guys and gals in surgeons scrubs discussing weapons. But they do, now. I have been a surgeon for over twenty years, and in the last two years much has changed. Conversations that used to begin with, “Have you ever seen a case of…?” now begin with, “Gold …


Letter Re: The Occupy Protests as an Illustration of Refugee Camp Living

Mr. Rawles, I wanted to stress for G.R. in Texas that refugee camp living is far worse than anything experienced at Occupy Wall Street. Those were comparatively small encampments of comparatively wealthy people (in a global perspective, I work with populations who make less than $1 a day), with largely similar ideological frameworks, in cities that provided a fair number of basic services. I’ve visited several refugee camps supported by tens of millions of dollars in foreign aid and I can say that when you have more than 10,000 people together aid money is barely enough to get basic supplies …


Letter Re: The Occupy Protests as an Illustration of Refugee Camp Living

JWR,   I found this article interesting: Protesters Coming Down With the “Zuccotti Lung”. Park conditions put demonstrators at risk for variety of sicknesses, officials say. The weather and conditions at the “Occupy” protests are likely a microcosm of a post-Crunch refugee camp, along with the attendant diseases and problems associated with lots of people living close together in raw weather.   I think this should give pause to those who believe they can simply pack up and head out into the local woodlot and survive a Crunch-type event. You may leave home healthy, but inevitable contact with other folks will …


Letter Re: Motor Vehicles and the EMP Threat

Hi Jim, I continue to be amused by prepper concerns for the vulnerability of their vehicles to an EMP event.  I have followed the EMP issue closely ever since becoming a NBC qualified officer in the service, many years ago.  In 1984, by accident and through a military book-of-the-month club I received a copy of Warday and the Journey Onwards, by Whitley Strieber. Reading the book was another wake up call for me, another step towards becoming a full-fledged prepper.  A few years later, through my wife, I met a friend who was a top expert on EMP.  He explained about …


Letter Re: A Mutated Viral Threat of the Computer Variety

James, I recommend reading this article: ‘Son of Stuxnet’ virus could be used to attack critical computers worldwide. It talks about a recently discovered variant of Stuxnet (possibly) that poses significant risk to infrastructure. Whereas Stuxnet specifically targeted Iranian nuclear processing capabilities, Duqu (the name of this variant) is much more general but does appear to be targeting infrastructure, or as the article says, “industrial command and control systems.” Zero Day, a recent novel by Mark Russinovich, a technical fellow at Microsoft and one of the authors of the excellent Winternals utility suite, deals with the potential harm such an …


A Grandmother’s Practical Preparedness Plans, by Mrs. M.B.

Those of us who are from the 1930-1940s generation may have a lot of childhood memories from our parents and grandparents that will serve us well as we approach TEOTWAWKI.  As I meditate back on the sketchy memories of childhood, I can recall a number of things that today would be called “survival living” but for us at that time was simply “living.” In survival times, let us not forget our kids emotional well-being.  In addition to needing extra love and assurance from parents and grandparents, there are many simple ways to help them entertain themselves and break free of …


Letter Re: Long term Survival Electronics Storage, Tin Whiskering and RoHS Compliance

James, Your readers that store modern electronics long term should be aware of this. There is a problem with all modern electronics that are RoHS compliant. RoHS stands for Reduction of Hazardous Substances. One of its requirements mandates the use of lead free solder in all consumer electronics. This started in Europe and subsequently adopted here in order for the US to sell products outside this country. There is a physical process know as tin whiskering, where by tin will grow microscopic metallic whiskers. See NASA’s web site for extensive research and information. Please do your research on this and …


Letter Re: A Shopping Trip Glimpse of Human Nature

Did I witness a normal day in Texas or a warning of panic without access to food? I was at my local grocery store the other day to pick up a few things on my way home from work.  It was about 3 p,m. and I was ready to checkout in the 10 items or less lane.  As the cashier scanned my last item and I was ready to swipe my card the power went out.  At first everyone in the store was fine and nobody panicked.  About 10 seconds later some of the lights flickered on again from a …


Letter Re: The Google Earth Threat to Retreats

Dear SurvivalBloggers: So you think that your residence, bug out location, or retreat are going to be easy to hide? See this news article: Police: Burglar used Google Maps to case upscale suburban homes Think operational security (OPSEC)! I’ve noticed in my neighborhood who had “photo roofs”, who ran a generator during the recent Hurricane Irene, and who has “interesting” bulk food boxes put out for recycling.  Now I’m not going to be part of the Golden Horde. I’ll be dead of a stroke if TEOTWAWKI happens. (Never been right before in my predictions.) But if I see this stuff, …


TB Review for TEOTW, by Dr. Bob

OB?  Not bad if you need one.  CB?  Good times on the road.  PB?  Quite tasty–with or without J.  BB?  Good training gun for kids to start with.  TB?  No thanks.  Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis.  The disease is poorly understood in the US due to rare infections until the last 20 years or so, TB went nuts here and peaked in 1992.  New York City was in some areas more than three times the national average for infections per 100,000 population.  There were many reasons listed for this spike, but the two biggest were immigration and AIDS. …


Lessons in OPSEC: Hurricane Irene Versus Hurricane Isabel, by Gonzo

In 2003 I lived in what can only be described as “The Hood” when Hurricane Isabel arrived. Today I find myself in a middle class neighborhood for Irene. The difference between the two and how my neighbors are handling these semi-SHTF scenarios gives a very instructive view of operational security (OPSEC) and its effects.  These two hurricanes came ashore about the same place and the same strength, but its two different worlds I have seen the aftermaths effects on. During Isabel I lived in one of the worst sections of Virginia Beach, the sort of place that other people who …