Category: Survival Mindset

My Path to Preparedness, by C. in The Ozarks

I am almost 60 years old.  I have a neurological disease which has forced my early retirement.  I am single, never been married, and have no children.  My parents are both deceased and my sister is deceased.  My brother is retired and lives in Florida.  [Some deleted, for brevity.] I also do not have any friends.  My best friend decided that since she couldn’t see the effects of my neurological disease then I must be faking it and being lazy to retire early.  She doesn’t see me writhing in pain most evenings even though I take a lot of pain …


Letter Re: The Value and Practice of Journaling

Dear Editor: That was an excellent article of journaling, but I would like to emphasize the importance of using a notebook made with quality paper. After my father passed away last year at the age of 95, we found his journal that he kept during World War II. He wrote down his thoughts as the plans for the invasion of Japan drew near, as they entered Tokyo Harbor for the surrender, his visits to his Japanese counterparts and their families, the worry about whether they would be attacked as they went ashore, and countless other glimpses into that time. Much …


The Value and Practice of Journaling, by M.E.R.

One little-known technique which can be used to survive tough times, even TEOTWAWKI, is not necessarily an all-important or crucial one; but the optional activity might nevertheless prove to be invaluable to both ourselves and others.   It is also a great distraction from our problems of the day, helps combat boredom, and can serve as a stress management tool.   The technique?  Journaling!   Journaling is simply the act of writing personal thoughts in a diary.  Although seemingly simplistic, keeping a personal journal is often encouraged by spiritual mentors, health care professionals, and even some employers (truck drivers keep logs of …


Being Prepared – How Hurricane Andrew Saved My Life, by Richard in Miami, Florida

I am by nature a positive person. On the other hand, I fully recognize that we live in a very dangerous world. Ignoring the reality will not make you safe – that would only be an illusion of safety. I sincerely believe that far too many of us live in a fantasy world shaped by what we see on television, and reinforced by our very limited exposure to the world outside our immediate communities. Also, many of us are so caught up in the daily rat race that we don’t stop to think about much else. To me, being prepared …


Lessons for the Christian Prepper, by Dallas in Iraq

Seven hundred years before the birth of the Christ, a man named Hezekiah ascended to the throne in Jerusalem. Looking around, Hezekiah saw a nation divided and in spiritual decay. Bold action was needed to set the nation back on track. Though we may not be kings with the power to lead our country off of a path of destruction, I believe that there are several valuable lessons that can be taken from the experiences of Hezekiah and applied to the life of a Christian prepper. When we look around, we see a nation on the brink of disaster, just …


Prepping: It is Dental and it is Mental, by Wade H., DDS

Let’s presume that our worst imaginations of the future economic/political/societal collapse come true.  We are in our “undisclosed bunker location” surviving day by day without all of the creature comforts that we are used to.  A random thought or fear pops into our head…Our local dentist might as well be on the other side of the moon. What is going to happen to our teeth? What are we going to do if we have a tooth ache? What if we get an abscess? What if Suzie did not get her wisdom teeth removed like the dentist wanted? The subject of …


Survival and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, by J.S.I.

Back in the 1940s, Abraham Maslow, a psychologist, asked himself the question “Just what is it that people really need…….?”  After considerable research he came up with an analysis called Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.  It is usually graphically represented as a triangle consisting of five layers, each corresponding to a category of needs, the lowest layer being the most basic and the topmost – the apex – being the most rarified. The layers, in order from bottom to top are as follows: Physiological (breathing, food, water, sleep, sex, homeostasis, excretion) Safety (security of body, of employment, of resources, of morality, …


Letter Re: A Lifetime of Prepping Without Knowing It

Mr Rawles, I recently read “Patriots” and wanted to let you know how this book got me to thinking about how to be prepared for a potential social collapse. I thought through all of the steps that needed to be taken and realized that I’ve been prepping since I was born. I was born and raised in the suburbs of Kansas City, but my family history was one of extreme self sufficiency. My mom who lived through the last great depression taught me how to can, garden, make things stretch as far as possible and be able to survive without …


A Rude Awakening, by Ruth E. in Hawaii

Power outages are quite common here in Hawaii. It seems like a couple of times a month, the lights flicker, get dim, and then go out. Sometimes they stay out for an hour or longer. We recently had a blackout on one whole side of our island, which truly woke me up to the possibilities of an endless blackout (worse-case scenario). Usually I come out of an anxiety session unscathed, but since I currently belong to an emergency preparedness group, I have been reading tons about the many scenarios that could happen to our island home including tsunamis, earthquakes, flooding, …


Decision Science for TEOTWAWKI, by Dr. P.F.

This article describes how to figure the Who, What, Where, When, Why, How Long, and How Deep of preparedness. Preparing for TEOTWAWKI is a lot like buying insurance. You hope you never have to use it, but the consequences of being uninsured or under insured are severe enough to warrant the investment. Determining how much, and what type, of insurance to get can be a daunting task. The purpose of this article is to provide starting points for discussions on how best to allocate your resources in preparing for catastrophic events. It considers only those calamities, natural or man-made, at …


Welcome to the Promised Land, by Rod E.

Over the years, many people have told us that WTSHTF, they are coming to our place in the country. When people say things like this, we hear, “…so that you can take care of me.” This document is presented as a source of information for those who might need a realignment of their expectations, a clarification of ours or both. It should serve as a harsh wake up call for anyone who plans to flee to someone else’s survival retreat should the need arise. If you have neglected, failed or refused to complete your plans for survival, here are things …


Tactical Training for the Modern Family, by Jeff F.

In discussions with other members of the preparedness world one thing becomes abundantly clear. Training is secondary to supplies and generally is handled exclusively by the head of the household. I have found that being a former Marine, and a gun enthusiast, as well as the director of my family’s survival plan that many conversations with others all end up at the same spot on the map. The question I pose to the other males leading the charge is, “what happens when the SHTF and you go down early by brick/bullet or from a tap on the shoulder from Murphy?” …


How We are Making Changes, and Our Lessons Learned, by K-Dog

After college (in the early 1990s), I was educating myself about finance even though I was not employed in that industry, I felt that if I was going to be responsible for my own financial well being during life I better start my education. I learned quite a bit, but failed to act on any of the information.  I was constantly seeking more and more info, then I had a series of jobs changes and got married, our first house and hence missed the “dot com” stock rally on all levels. Looking back I associate this with information paralysis. Lesson:  …


Tell No One, by Mary F.

I left the city earlier this year, and have settled in on property that my grandmother bought 70 years ago. I work from home, in the arts, doing publicity, proofreading, and copy-editing. I have a very quiet life, very private, a few good friends, a deep knowledge of the region. I rarely go more than five miles from home. The world frightens me much more than it did when I was younger and stronger and living in the big scary city. Havoc, it seems, has already been cried, and it’s not out of the question that the dogs of war …


Letter Re: No Law Enforcement in TEOTWAWKI

Mr Rawles, I’d like to take a few minutes to comment about Ron W.’s article, No Law Enforcement in TEOTWAWKI. He brings up a good point at how truly unprepared most elected officials and government agencies for any kind of real catastrophe. Three summers ago in the jurisdiction where I am an officer we were hit by the severe winds that came from a Gulf of Mexico hurricane. These winds took out the power to more than 80% of the city and township where I patrol. This included the maintenance and service buildings for the city as well as the …