Category: Survival Mindset

Fight or Flight Decision Points, by R.P.

This most basic decision should be reviewed daily “in a crisis” and weekly in preparation for a TSHTF scenario. In order to make the correct call you must understand the situation that you are in. One thing true for all situations: You must be prepared to defend what you have. Why? Because your life may depend on it (you and your loved ones). Whatever you have prepared can be lost in one single event. You may not get a second chance to do better next time. Another thing that is important to consider is “time”. You must understand how much …


Preparing Your Body and Your Mind, by H.F.

So you are a prepper?  You might be just getting started or you might be stockpiled for armageddon.  Regardless of what stage you are at, most preppers compile lists of equipment they foresee needing and as sources such as SurvivalBlog.com point out, prepping is not just about stuff, but rather skills too.  Skills and gear will undoubtedly be vital in any unfortunate circumstances mankind might face.  However, a seriously overlooked aspect of being prepared (and an inexpensive one) is fitness; overall wellness and physical/mental fitness.  If you are not able to use your gear and skills due to being weak …


Residential OPSEC With Utility Workers, by Gonzo in Virginia

I want to warn and educate my fellow SurvivalBlog readers about a growing trend of people impersonating utility workers and other people in authority to gain entry to people’s homes.  My awareness of this was recently heightened when just such an attempt was made on my home against my wife. I was truly surprised, after all the talks we have had about security, just how unprepared she was for this situation. Several days ago a man came to our door saying he needed to look at our gas meter. This man was driving a white pickup, which he had parked …


Non-Fiction About Fiction, by Robert H. in Alabama

Back when I thought the world was perfect and would go on in its present state forever, I was an avid reader of fiction novels. I still am. From reading the Hardy Boys mysteries as a kid to the works of Stephen King and Tom Clancy as an adult, I have always loved to read. In fact, I give credit to this love of reading as the single factor in what will probably save my life one day. If I had not been totally hooked on reading great stories and hadn’t curved my reading interest towards post-apocalyptic types of books …


Letter Re: Discovering What We Needed in an Actual Time of Need

Hi Jim, Two SurvivalBlog posts on Friday (Discovering What We Needed in an Actual Time of Need and Hot Water, Post-SHTF) caught my attention and got me to thinking. They were similiar in the sense of discovering “needs” during a “crisis”.  One (MM) was wanting a generator and other had a generator but still had needs.   But were they really needs?  Or just wants?  Both spoke of “keeping life as normal as possible” and maintaining their current lifestyle.  Both spoke of the psychological aspects (stress, crying and sanity) of dealing with changes to their accustomed routines and environments.  Wow, what are they …


Hot Water, Post-SHTF, by Scott C.

In March of 2012, I was shopping at Sam’s Club doing some food prepping when a tornado struck my rural northern Kentucky community. We were asked to go to the center of the store until further notice because a tornado had been spotted in the area. After 20 minutes of nervous waiting, we were able to continue shopping. On our trip home there were several roads closed due to mobile homes being in the road as well as a tractor trailer turned over on my main route home. Seeing the destruction so close to home I started to get this …


Letter Re: Lessons From The Derecho Storms

Mr. Rawles: Today is Wednesday, July 4, 2012.  I am writing from a small town in central West Virginia and I would like to share some thoughts, observations, and lessons from the recent Derecho windstorm experienced by the mid-west and east of our great country.  As I sit here, we are in day six of total power outage caused by a freak storm that came with little or no warning.  Power may not be on for another four days.   I have been a long time reader of your blog and have lots of lists and plans but sadly my …


Preparedness and Supply Chain Management, by J.C.R.

When we think about preparing ourselves, families, communities, businesses, and country we are really at the core of the issue preparing for any disruptions to our supply chain. When we hear the phrase supply chain management, most of us are thinking about raw goods and materials as they relate to the manufacturing process and how/when those goods are delivered.  But not just delivered from the supplier, but how they make it into the production process and as a result are turned into a usable finished product to be consumed.  On occasion, we’ll relate the supply chain phrase to the grocery …


Letter Re: Lessons From The Colorado Wildfires

Dear Editor: Wanted to share my evacuation experiences and lessons learned while they’re still fresh in my mind.  Although it wasn’t a 5 minute evacuation, it was pretty stress-free.  Fortunately, I started serious preparations early this year, or it would have been a whole lot more work.   My house is (was?) within about five miles of the starting point of the fire.  Not far at all, but fires don’t burn that well downhill, so it was ok.  But the wind picked up big last night and sent the fire into the houses within about three miles of me.    I got my pile of “definitely …


Lessons From Tropical Storm Debby

As Tropical Storm Debby stalled in the Gulf of Mexico off the Coast of Florida it was business as usual in our area. No one was much concerned about the storm as we have become complacent in Storms and Hurricanes in our area of North Florida. I live in a rural farming area 20 miles from Live Oak and 15 miles from the town of Mayo. The following are my observations.   Saturday June 23rd – constant rain all day – all roads passable   Sunday June 24th   – constant rain all day – all roads passable   Monday June …


Offshore Relocation: There Is No Perfect Place

I recently read a captivating Daily Bell interview of investing author Ron Holland, wherein he described his reasons for emigrating to Canada. In the interview, Mr. Holland stated: “I left the United States for an exciting business opportunity based in Canada but the increasing authoritarianism in the United States combined with the TSA assaults at airports do make America a threatening jurisdiction to live in or to conduct business in. Add in the threats of a real or contrived future crisis with exchange controls, a run on the dollar and an out-of-control sovereign debt situation makes me very happy to …


Emergency Response Preparedness Pre- and Post-TEOTWAWKI, by D.C.M. in Colorado

I recently witnessed an accident that gave me great insight into what it means to be prepared for an emergency situation and what it will mean post-TEOTWAWKI, when you cannot dial 9-1-1.  It was important for me to evaluate the situation afterwards and to share the lessons I learned with others.  I have numbered the main lessons that can be learned from my situation and I hope you will find a thing or two that might be helpful to you in the future.   I was driving from Denver to Vail after work on a Friday this past May.  Less …


Making Assumptions, by Mudflap

Prepping is full of assumptions.  We prepare because we assume that something could go wrong in our lives and that it is our own responsibility to take steps to assure that we come out smelling like roses.  Others don’t prepare because they assume that nothing could go wrong in their lives and that someone else will take care of them.  We buy long term storage food because we assume that there will be a food shortage in the future.  Others barely have enough food in the pantry because they assume the pizza place will always be able to deliver and …


TEOTWAWKI is Now — Prepping Drama Queen Style, by Laura H.

As a theater teacher and director I am primed for drama.  I hunger for it.  But what to do while waiting for the aliens to land, the dollar to collapse, the bombs to start flying, or Yellowstone to have its say?  I have always told my actors, don’t rehearse it, do it.  After all, preparation is important, but performing is better.  Act as if you have an audience now and do it the way you will perform it.   I am new to this “prepping” phenomenon.  It can be an overwhelming, and for some of my friends, an inexplicable thing.  So …


Letter Re: Don’t Stockpile, Get Global — Conversations with a Rhodesian Expat and Being Financially Global

Dear Jim, My mantra has always been “In a world of uncertainty….Diversify!”  Sure, it does make sense to stockpile (only to a rational degree) at one’s primary location and at one’s primary retreat.  However, this stockpiling should not be done beyond the optimal level such that it would disallow planning for other contingencies.  You are correct that “other” countries may be worse off than the US in the event of, for example, a financial collapse….but that does not preclude these other countries being a better option in the event of other sorts of problems.  Other more localized issues might include …