Category: Health and Fitness

Preparing Your Mind, Body and Spirit for TEOTWAWKI, by K B.

Preparing Your Mind, Body and Spirit for TEOTWAWKI, by K B. I have met many great survivalists from all over this great country.  I have heard a lot of good advice on food preserving, silver and gold purchasing, ammo stockpiling and medication/first aid preparation.  I have further read numerous books and taken part in numerous survival training programs provided by the United States Army, that have taught me how to protect my family, my community and myself when the Fit Hits the Shan (FHTS).  I have utilized learned skills first hand during my tours with the army in Afghanistan and …


Resolving to Start the New Year Right

Here at the Rawles Ranch, we’ve resolved to get back into doing our daily stretching/calisthenics and thrice-weekly tactical hikes on the National Forest land that compasses our property. (We had let this practice slip away last Fall, as the cold weather set in.) Hence forth, no more lame excuses. We’ve also begun supporting C.R.O.S.S. Ministries with weekly support. With automatic PayPal payments, this won’t be overlooked. They deserve your support, too. Note that these are Christian missionaries who will train South Sudanese villagers with small arms, so that they can defend themselves. This is a Biblical concept! (Luke 22:36) We’ve …


Letter Re: Making Our Bug Out Bags Work: Shaving Weight

CPT Rawles, In reference to the article Making Our Bug Out Bags Work: Shaving Weight, I applaud the efforts of Joshua H. taking the opportunity to hike 22 miles in three days, however, without any other information, his resulting experience is not surprising.  As a fellow Army officer, you can attest that ruck marching is essentially a practiced art.  One builds up to those distances and weights.  Cutting weight is good, but only those items not deemed necessary.  Don’t cut weight because of a lack of practice carrying a weighted down backpack.  Practice carrying that weight, and build up the weight …


High Level Fitness, by Greg K.

There are plenty of times through my day I thank God for allowing me to have a physically capable body.  Appreciation for working out, building strength and mobility to the point I don’t have to think about the movements my body goes through.  For example, carrying a laundry basket up and down stairs is something everyone should be able to do without a concern they will injure themselves. Will I be able to perform the tasks I need to in order to survive? How long will it take me to cover the 12 miles, on foot, that are between my …


Medical Prepping in Three Months — Part 2 of 2, by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD

As of today, many families are still suffering from the effects of Superstorm Sandy.  Are you prepared, should such a disaster strike your area? The following is offered as an outline for medical prepping, should you someday find yourself without access to professional medical care.  (Part 1 of this series covered weeks 1 through 6.) Please note the following abbreviations: ORG = organizational concerns OTC = over-the-counter products Rx = prescription products ED = education and skills The supplies listed under OTC can all be purchased without a prescription, though some are only available online.  For prescription items, assess what …


Letter Re: Guarding Your Mental and Emotional Health

Dear JWR: I want to make just a quick comment on C.T.M.’s recent article titled Guarding Your Mental and Emotional Health.  There is an excellent essay that Dr. Song, Director of the Northeast School of Botanical Medicine in New York has made available. He notes that perhaps 1 in 20 folks have an opposite reaction to Valerian. I know, that is only 5% – but what if you are one of those in that 5%?  My suggestion is to give it a try before you stock up.  Practice now, so you know what works. – Linda Z.


Guarding Your Mental and Emotional Health, by C.T.M.

One aspect of our lives that can take us out and render even the most prepared of preppers useless is our mental health. Very few people have ever experienced a long duration high stress environment to test their mental strength. The incredible men and women of the military may be among the elite few who can attest to how their mental health might survive in a post TEOTWAWKI environment. Police, first responders, EMS personnel, and firefighters may have a glimpse into what it takes to survive mentally in high stress environments; however, those stressful events, even the most complicated are …


Why Firefighters are Some of the Best Preppers, by Shawn

I started prepping a few years back when I was in paramedic school.  I had no educated goal when prepping initially.  Then I met a good friend of mine that changed the way I look at prepping, and helped me make my prepping intentional.  I read Patriots and I started prepping all the more; now with motivation and intelligence.  When my friend reads this he will probably view this is as some form of Narcissism even though he falls into this category.  But I digress. I have been a full time firefighter for 5-1/2 years  I am currently a Paramedic, …


Health and Fitness for Preppers, by Jason M.

A lot of what is posted at the SurvivalBlog site talks about what you should do after a The End Of The World As We Know It (TEOTWAWKI) situation happens. We are constantly forgetting the here and now. I believe that there is an awful lot that can be done today to help maximize your ability to survive if a TEOTWAWKI situation actually goes occur. If the end never does happen, then my suggestions don’t cost you a dime and still improve you and your family’s quality of life.  We all know what fire can do for morale, boiling water …


Letter Re: Fasting and Starvation

Dear Editor: I am a practitioner of fasting. Having learned how it feels to go without food I feel it necessary to let others know. Hunger is a good thing, but letting hunger go too long is very bad. Let me explain how this works. Hunger and starvation are totally different. Hunger is the state that tells you that your body is not receiving food. Starvation is when your body is destroying itself to stay alive. As a geologist in the jungles of South America I had the not so pleasant experience of typhoid. Most of my time there (15 …


Getting On The Bandwagon — 30 Steps For Mainstream Preppers, by Boreal C.

People who are interested in preparedness seem to love lists.   So, I have compiled a list of 30 steps that may be useful for average families who don’t necessarily have a hideout in the mountains (yet).  This list is by no means all-inclusive and it presumes a basic background in preparedness.  In other words, I hope you have been reading this blog for a long time already!  I am a proud military wife and mother of two grade school students.  I have a master’s degree in chemistry.  We are just an average family trying to get by in uncertain times. …


The Mind of the Survivor, by William C. Prentice

Introduction Taking stock recently, I realized that I am probably not as well prepared as most of the followers of James’ SurvivalBlog.Com, certainly not in terms of infrastructure and stockpiles of materials and equipment.  I don’t have a long-term supply of food, nor do I have a survival retreat prepared for when the big one hits.  My bullion holdings are embarrassingly low.  On the other hand, I am probably better prepared than most for any criminal or paramilitary attack on my person, my family, or my home, so I am not totally hopeless by the standards of most survivalists. The …


Letter Re: Maintain The Tool: Weight Control and Preparedness

James Wesley: The article by N.H. about weight loss was pretty accurate. The only problem is the recommendations. That is, following the US dietary guidelines. I don;t recommend that. To make a long story short, study up on the “paleo” way of eating and exercise. Six years ago I cured my growing blood sugar problem and lost 30 lbs in 4 months. I’ve maintained that ever since then. I fear that a lot of “preppers” are fat and out of shape because they eat what they store, that is, they consume lots of wheat and vegetable oils because they store …


Maintain The Tool: Weight Control and Preparedness, by N.H.

I’m an average, middle-aged guy: happily married, devoted father; active member of my community and church; and am blessed to have a good job that I enjoy.  I’ve been prepping for about 15 years and, despite a tendency to tinker with our plans, am well-prepped.  But, I’m now worrying about our plans.  I didn’t worry about them before but, late last October, I started to worry.  A lot.  This is why: Our Survival Group tries to get together regularly to practice and train, but, we hadn’t done a Group Practice (GP) for a couple of years.  This past October we …


A Different Kind of Silencer, by K. in Illinois

The topic of obstructive sleep apnea and CPAP machines has been mentioned regularly in SurvivalBlog. These references were mostly related to how an alternate power supply could be used to keep CPAP machines functioning. In a TEOTWAWKI situation or lengthy grid down scenario persons suffering from sleep apnea, especially severe sleep apnea would worsen and probably die without an alternative power source or alternative type of treatment. As a dentist who is a member of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine and treating snoring and sleep apnea for almost 15 years I thought I would give the members some …