Category: Survival Mindset

Letter Re: Voting With Our Feet

Captain Rawles, In response to your mention of people voting with their feet – I believe this is much more prevalent today than people realize.  According to the best data I can find, there are currently more than a million Americans leaving the United States each year.  And while the vast majority will choose to retain their US citizenship, and their reasons for leaving are varied, the net effect on the American economy will be great.  Here’s why:  The people who are leaving are, almost to a family, high income earners.  Many of those replacing them in the US are …


The Calling of the Christian Prepper: Faith and Survival, by Axgrinder

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This article will have little effect on the scoffer, whether a survivalist or not, but is directed toward the Christian who is also conscious of the value of preparation and the duty to provide for family in survival circumstances. It may also be effective for the mind a person who knows little of God but is open to investigate His existence. It is what God has laid on my heart as I read through the great articles and letters here in this forum. Keep up the good work. What I sense though, myself included, is that we, as humans, sometimes …


Occam’s Razor, by K.Z.

Occam’s Razor is a notion that among opposing hypotheses, the one that makes the fewest assumptions should be selected as most likely. For example, if you come home and find that next to an open window your floor is wet, it is a better assumption that it rained while you were away then the conclusion your neighbor came over flung a bucket of water in your house. This same concept applies not only to beliefs, but also our actions, and should be considered pre- and post-TEOTWAWKI. Bear with me for a moment as I set a baseline. If I had …


Letter Re: I Thought I Was Prepared

Hi Mr. Rawles, It is a bit embarrassing to share this account with you, but maybe, just maybe someone will learn from my errors. I guess we’ve always been ‘preppers’’ of some sort.  We’ve always had a fruit-cellar and extra personal hygiene items along with bandages etc. on the shelf.  When I found this site about 4 years ago, my husband and I took a long, hard look at where we were and where we needed to be.  The two of us are not just looking at helping ourselves, but my sister and her family.  So we dug in and …


How to Talk to Your Spouse About Prepping: The Sliding Scale of Possibilities, by Mr. Reasonable Ohio

I’d like to thank JWR and all of you for providing such a mountain of good information!  I am in my 30’s and have a family with several small children in the suburbs, and just started prepping about 18 months ago.  I don’t remember the details of why I got started exactly.  It just came up in conversation with a couple of friends of mine and we got serious about it. I do remember, however, some of the events and conversations that took place to get my wife involved (I mean…at least get her permission!) and so I thought I …


Is the Average US Soldier Prepared for TEOTWAWKI? by S.A.

They are not personally prepared at all. The average soldier is no more prepared than the average civilian. If this is a concern (you live by a military installation), a curiosity (you have a relative that serves), or if you just want a glimpse of military life, let me tell you why the average soldier is not personally prepared.  I must first establish my credibility.    I have a BA degree from a major university, and various civilian job experiences under my belt, mostly in food service and then social services.  I am an older soldier, low ranking on the …


Letter Re: Origin of the “13% of People are Leaders in a Crisis” Statistic?

Captain Rawles, I have seen this statistic of “13% of people are leaders, 74% are followers, and 13% shut down during a crisis”. I have seen this stat mentioned on Dr. Koelker’s blog, on your blog, and it was even mentioned on a NBC Dateline program covering the Costa Concordia cruise ship accident. Despite seeing this stat mentioned in a variety of places I have yet to see who created the stat. I have never once seen where it was cited from and I can not seem to find any citation of it on the internet. Have you ever come …


A Widow’s View of Preparedness, by Catherine T.

I am a widow of over three years whose youngest son was serving our country in the Middle East when my husband’s death happened.  My husband lost his job and was forced into early retirement before his death.  I will not go into the details of all the turmoil then and of having a child home with injuries of war.  In a SHTF situation there will be many people with war injuries in our own neighborhoods.  My other children and I are so glad he is still alive.  My income dropped further not long after this.   It was the end …


Security Issues for Preppers, by R.H.

I have nearly thirty years of law enforcement experience. That experience was gained as a local police officer, a deputy Sheriff and finally as a state trooper.  The last decade or so of my trooper career was spent as a crime scene investigator for a state police agency.  I only tell you this for you, the reader to weigh the opinions and statements that will follow.  This experience serves as my only true “skill” as I’m a terrible carpenter, plumber, cook, welder, gardener or nurse!  What follows is my small contribution to the “how to” lessons for a prepper that …


Letter Re: Self-Defense and Stress: You are Your Own Last Line of Defense, by Jessica B.

James: Jessica B wrote a good article entitled “Self Defense and Stress” and to add to what she wrote about the lack of articles on “…that moment that you find yourself in a stressful, self-defense situation and how to overcome it,” Col. Cooper’s “Four Conditions” immediately came to mind. That great man not only gave use the “Four Rules” for firearms, but the “Four Conditions” for mental preparedness for self-defense, both of which are as perfect as simplifying the complex can be. I assume they have been discussed before, but are worth repeating. From Father Frog’s web site, a good …


Self-Defense and Stress: You are Your Own Last Line of Defense, by Jessica B.

I have seen many articles on Self-Defense. What I have not seen is topics regarding that moment that you find yourself in a stressful, self-defense situation and how to overcome it. I have taught my children from age 4 that you are your own last line of defense. This realization in itself can be pretty stressful. What most people don’t realize is that when attacked you only have ½ a second to react. This may not seem like a lot of time, but I assure you, your life can be ended by what happens in that initial ½ second. People …


Caring for the Chronically Ill Family Member in a Disaster, by Rebecca H.

Caring for a chronically ill family member takes an emotional and physical toll on the caregiver. Compound this in a time of disaster, civil unrest, social and economic collapse and you might feel there is no chance for survival. I cannot say that. There might be insurmountable odds against a seriously ill family member living in harsh conditions for very long, but it is my goal as a caregiver to ensure I have the tools and knowledge to keep that family member as comfortable; physically, emotionally and spiritually as I can. As the wife of a recent kidney transplant recipient, …


Shopping in the Dark, by A.D.G.

[Editor’s Introductory Note: I didn’t write the following article. It was written by reader A.D.G. Normally I wouldn’t run an article that discusses loathsome behavior. Stealing from your employer or from your fellow employees isn’t conscionable. But I decided to post it because it underscores the importance of keeping a well-stocked Get Home Bag (GHB) ready whenever you are away from home. Do not put yourself in a position where you must loot to survive. – J.W.R.] I found myself at the office during a power failure and I started thinking about what to do in an emergency situation if …


Preparedness for College Students, by An Oregonian

I was raised in a family with a survivalist mentality. We were the family prepared for Y2K. I learned to shoot at age six. We lived on a farm and had the knowledge and ability to grow all our own food. I was taught self-reliance and how to think as a "prepper". Basically, my parents did the best they could to impress on me that the stability and safety we experience in the United States is precious and very possibly temporary. But even with all this training, my first year living away from my family I was caught unprepared. In …


Letter Re: SurvivalBlog and Building a Preparedness Mindset

Mr. Rawles, I’ve been reading your blog for a couple of years now and I really wanted to tell you how informative and practical I found the article written by Eli in the Southwest about hiding and finding things. Sometimes living in a bigger city can feel so overwhelming, especially when all you want to do is get out! His article made me feel like there was something I could do in my house today that would improve the security of my preps. It’s not our forever home but it’s where we have to be for now and reading that …