Odds ‘n Sods:

Cockroach bot that can squeeze through the tiniest of gaps. – H.L.

o o o

You’re being secretly tracked with facial recognition, even in church . – B.B.

o o o

Most California farmers ignoring water restrictions. – S.B.

o o o

‘Finish the mission, kill slave masters’. We are in dark times it seems. All this over a nut that cracked and did a horrible thing. No mentions for the most part on the news of the murdered family in Washington D.C. by a really crazy evil person as well. Seems that’s okay. This flag issue is really a slippery slope. ? – D.S.

o o o

From our favorite Vlogger: Refurbishing an old crosscut saw

While you’re at it, you might want to listen to his tribute to his father. It’s only 8 minutes long.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors, is sinful and tyrannical.” – Thomas Jefferson

Notes for Wednesday – June 24, 2015

June 24th is the birthday of rifle-toting, abolitionist pastor Henry Ward Beecher (born 1813, died March 8, 1887). He and his adherents from his church smuggled so many Sharps rifles to Bleeding Kansas that the Sharps rifles picked up the nickname Beecher’s Bibles. Wikipedia states: Several of his brothers and sisters became well-known educators and activists, most notably Harriet Beecher Stowe, who achieved worldwide fame with her abolitionist novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

o o o

Today, we present another entry for Round 59 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  2. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  3. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chromlined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR type rifle to have quick change barrel, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools, and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  4. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul pmags 30rd Magazines (a value of $300) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt. (An equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions.),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  7. A Model 120 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $340 value),
  8. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  9. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  10. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304,
  11. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate, and
  12. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100-foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package–enough for two families of four, seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate– a $325 retail value,
  4. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  5. Twenty Five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  6. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate, and
  7. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  6. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit,
  7. Montie Gear is donating a Precision Rest (a $249 value), and
  8. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).

Round 59 ends on July 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

The ABC’s and 123’s of Survival Preparedness – Part 2, by The Circumspect Survivalist

Now we will move to the physical aspects of preparedness as they relate to survival.

Survival Systems

Physical fitness is a given when talking about preparedness, but a detailed discussion of it is beyond the scope of this article. Suffice it to say that it is of vital importance and if you aren’t in shape right now you’re at an extreme disadvantage. During whatever time we have left, it would be prudent to at least take some positive steps to improve your fitness level if you haven’t already made it a priority in your life. Survival systems, on the other hand, are equipment that anyone with even a minimal budget can acquire. Every good survival system has a specific purpose so that the elements within it work in a harmonious and orderly fashion. The purpose of these systems is to keep you alive. There is a commonly known Rule of Threes that prioritizes the actions for survival. The acronym SURVIVE is used here for its obvious ease of retention. As a note, the latter actions are approximate timelines.

  1. Safe Air and Shelter – You can only expect to survive three minutes without air and three hours without immediate shelter.
  2. Uncontaminated Water – You can only expect to survive three days without water.
  3. Rations – You can only expect to survive about three weeks without food.
  4. Vital Medical Supplies – You might survive three months without companionship.
  5. Impervious Position – You might survive three seasons without strategic defense.
  6. Versatility – You might survive three years without innovation.
  7. Education – You might survive three decades without knowledge.

Essential Kits

These three carry kits are listed in order of their proximity to your person as well as their likelihood of use. The easily remembered numerical labels are unique to this article, though their contents should be familiar to anyone who has already started preparing. It is recommended that you assemble them in the order they are presented. These kits are not all inclusive, neither are they a laundry list of particular products to buy, since everyone’s going to lean towards their favorite brand of gear. An added value of this particular list is that it supports how one can prepare survival kits according to the priority of actions listed in the Rule of Threes.

#1 (ONE) Kit – On-person Necessary Effects

This kit is an everyday carry, more commonly termed EDC, but I want to add the emphasis that this kit should be on your body at all times. It might be in a pouch on your waist or in a pocket. However, it would not be considered a ONE kit if it is in a bag that is either carried or shouldered strapped, as that would require you to wear or carry the larger bag at all times, and this is neither practical nor realistic. The ONE bag’s major contents would include but are not limited to:

  1. A lightweight emergency blanket,
  2. A medical mask,
  3. A lighter,
  4. Water purification tablets,
  5. An energy bar or some equally dense caloric food,
  6. A small first aid kit,
  7. Quality 3” folding knife,
  8. LED flashlight*,
  9. A small multi-tool,
  10. A flash drive of manuals and literature of personal significance, and a
  11. Concealed carry firearm, if it’s legal.

#2 (TWO) Kit – Tactical Wayfaring Ordnance

This TWO kit would be placed in your vehicle in the event of an emergency that results in your having to abandon modern modes of transportation and end up on foot. Its primary purpose is to provide you with what you might need not only to get home but also to protect yourself from the elements and other obstacles that might hinder you from doing so. Its major contents would include but are not limited to:

  1. A warm jacket, hat, gloves, goggles, spare clothes, and a gas mask,
  2. A Life Straw or similar compact water filtration system,
  3. A 72-hour supply of food,
  4. A medium size medical kit,
  5. A quality 6” fixed blade knife, folding trench shovel, compass, and crank radio*,
  6. A tool roll (Carhartt makes a good one) with basic tools,
  7. Survival manuals and literature,
  8. Items of personal significance, and
  9. A compact semiautomatic rifle, if it’s legal (think Kel-Tec Sub-2000).

#3 (THREE) Kit – Total Hit-the-fan Resources for Escape and Evasion

This THREE kit would be more along the lines of an INCH (I’m Never Coming Home) bag. (Some also refer to this as a bug out bag.) It would be used if you ended up having no other option but to abandon your dwelling with no guarantee that you could return to it in the future. Its contents would include but are not limited to:

  1. A sleeping bag and/or hammock and portable (one that can be put on your back if need be) tent,
  2. A Hazmat suit,
  3. Portable water filtration system,
  4. Seven days of food and heirloom garden seeds,
  5. A full medical field kit,
  6. A machete/kukri, axe/tomahawk, bow (disassembled), field radio*
  7. Bolt cutters, carpenter’s square, bubble level,
  8. Self-reliance manuals and literature,
  9. Items of personal significance, and
  10. *Semiautomatic rifle, if it’s legal.

Beginning of a New Line

To those of us who are committed to loving our neighbor, making it to the back end of this perilous period of our nation’s and world’s history will require faith, resilience, and perhaps most importantly compassion. We are all connected to one another as human beings, and those who cherish goodness and truth only want the highest good for others. These survival Samaritans embrace the divine connection that binds all of us together. This bond parallels the commitment that mountain climbers have when they rope up with one another before they attempt a climb. There is an unspoken pact between them that if perchance one of them slips, the others are there to either take their weight and prevent them from falling or go down with them. It is this type of stalwart commitment that we must have for our families, communities, nation, and ultimately the entire world. We have almost reached the end of the line as far as our present destructive, bellicose, and spendthrift way of living goes, but that doesn’t mean that we can not nor should not “rope up” and start a new line for the arduous climb to redemption that awaits us. It is not what will occur in the future that is most important but how we respond that will dictate where we end up at the completion of this redemptive race.

In closing, I would like to recall a true story that is mentioned in a highly recommended book entitled Deep Survival by Laurence Gonzales. This tale is especially pertinent to those who might be feeling self-satisfied after reading this article because you already know most if not all of the information contained herein. The story is about a highly trained military man who was engaged in recreational rafting when he fell out of the boat he was in. The guide of the rafting party frantically attempted to reach out and pull him up from the water, since he knew the dangers that lay ahead. The seasoned combat veteran felt quite comfortable in his surroundings since his mental model of himself was of a soldier who had endured hell and back in a multitude of other seemingly more deadly situations. In his estimation, floating down the rapids on a beautiful leisurely day was a cakewalk, so he refused the guide’s help and calmly let his body be taken with the current. Given his training and fitness level he felt he had no reason to believe that he was in any kind of danger and was more than confident that he’d just float to a convenient spot downstream and wade to shore safely. The man died that day. As they approached a dangerous current beneath the water, a treacherous section that the guide was aware of, the exceptionally trained soldier got sucked underwater and his leg ended up getting wedged between two rocks. He drowned a few feet from the surface of the river. Now that man was probably a better survivalist than most of us will ever be, but he is no longer alive because he became overconfident in his skillset and did not respect his surroundings just one time. This story illustrates in a dramatic fashion how easy it is to underestimate our present situation even with superior training and fitness. It also reminds us that we should never be too proud or self-confident to receive help or advice from others. We are all in this together, and as experienced hikers know, you are only as fast as the slowest member of your party. Let us be generous with our knowledge, patient with those lagging behind in preparedness, and humble enough to learn something new about a subject, even if we think we know all there is to know about it already. Louis Pasteur is quoted as saying, “Chance favors the prepared mind.” I would like to add to the sentiment of that statement by asserting that the basics of survival favor preparedness.

May the challenges that are sure to come find you prepared.

Letter: How People Behave with Galactic Stupidity

Dear Hugh,

A local supermarket announced that it was having a re-furbishment, and to clear the shelves it would open at 6:30am on a Sunday morning and all goods will be at 50% marked price.

Now, think what you would buy. Make a list and read on. One of my tenants told me this, and so my wife and I checked out the store and confirmed the situation was just as reported. We came home and rearranged the freezers to see how much space we had available; one of our neighbors was let into the situation and she had space in her freezer if we needed it.

Now, both my tenant and our neighbor knew the store would open the next morning.

I was outside the store at 5:30am.There were five people there already. I joined the line, and in the next hour about 130-ish people turned up (It was difficult to tell how many there were, as the queue went round the corner.) Two spaces ahead of me was a guy who looked as if he could be trouble. I checked out everyone around me, and apart from some being criminally ugly there were no likely threats that I could make out.

The doors opened, and the queue shuffled in all very orderly. Inside, the store had re-arranged the aisles into a square, and so everything was in a different place, and we were told to go clockwise around–one way. This was a great idea, and there was no trouble. Behind me a guy was constantly whining about his two sons that had made him get up so early as they wanted to buy half-price sweets (candy to you). I filled my trolly, paid, and left,no worries. All was stored safely. So what am I going on about, I hear you cry.

It’s this: People can be so dumb!

  1. My tenant did not show up.They are not rich.
  2. My neighbor did not show up. She is strapped to the wall, and I offered to lend her some money so she did not miss out.
  3. The two boys had more sense than their father, who didn’t buy anything!
  4. The woman in fourth place filled her cart with…toilet paper!
  5. Another woman had her cart 3/4 full of cakes with icing on them.The expression “Putting the Fat into Bastard “sprang to mind.
  6. Another bought 30 two-liter bottles of Pepsi (full fat, as she was).
  7. Someone filled up on pizzas.
  8. Another filled up on ice cream.
  9. I had no trouble or competition, helping myself to the frozen legs of lamb, the tuna steaks, the ducks, bacon, pork, or the tins of stewing steak, salmon, and sardines as much as I thought we could store. Trolly filled to capacity.

My point is that instead of buying the expensive, good, and wholesome food, “The Great Unwashed” do not think, in a time when they really should; and they continue to act in a way that is normal and routine for them in unusual circumstances. It just goes to show that in a SHTF situation they will not think or act any differently than normal to start with. Time will tell how they act later. So the good news for preppers is move fast while the herd sleeps. – G.W.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Supreme Court says government seizure of raisins is unconstitutional. Wait… was that actual logic that came out of the SCOTUS? – MtH

o o o

Spy Agency’s Secret Plans to Foster Online “Conformity” and “Obedience” Exposed. – H.L.

o o o

Seven Deadly Sins Map – Where Does Your State Fall?. – G.P.

HJL adds: Once again, the American Redoubt region ranks favorably. The methodology used to calculate the results is as interesting as it is humorous.

o o o

They Won the Vote, But Lost the ‘Trust of the American People’. – P.M.

o o o

Don’t forget that this coming weekend, June 27-28, is Ham Radio Field Day. If you are feeling insecure about getting into Ham Radio (Amateur Radio), this is your opportunity to find a local person or club to help you. You can find out more about it and locations that are near you at the ARRL Field Day website.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“Contrary to popular opinion, the Constitution was not – and is not – a grant of rights to the citizenry. Instead, the Constitution is a `barbed-wire entanglement’ designed to interfere with, restrict, and impede government officials in the exercise of political power.” – Jacob Hornberger

Notes for Tuesday – June 23, 2015

I just noticed that for the first time, our Survival Realty spinoff site now has more than 200 property listings. Many of these are unique retreat properties. Check them out! – JWR

o o o

Today, we present another entry for Round 59 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  2. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  3. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chromlined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR type rifle to have quick change barrel, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools, and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  4. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul pmags 30rd Magazines (a value of $300) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt. (An equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions.),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  7. A Model 120 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $340 value),
  8. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  9. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  10. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304,
  11. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate, and
  12. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100-foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. Acorn Supplies is donating a Deluxe Food Storage Survival Kit with a retail value of $350,
  4. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package–enough for two families of four, seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate– a $325 retail value,
  5. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  6. Twenty Five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  7. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate, and
  8. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  6. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit,
  7. Montie Gear is donating a Precision Rest (a $249 value), and
  8. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).

Round 59 ends on July 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

The ABC’s and 123’s of Survival Preparedness – Part 1, by The Circumspect Survivalist

End of the Line

For those who are already deeply entrenched in the fortified bunker of their survival awareness, it is universally understood that we as a nation and a world are about to transit through a very dangerous and challenging period in our history. Whatever your personal beliefs, there is no question that either because of an economic collapse, social and or political breakdown, another world war, or one or more environmental catastrophes, our present way of life is about to change forever. The days are drawing near, if not already upon us, when the luxuries and services that we have enjoyed are all about to come to an end. The time to prepare was yesterday, and for those fortunate enough to have the discernment to see the signs of the times, this downward spiral towards a total social and ecological breakdown has by no means been a surprise. These pragmatic pilgrims have been packing, stacking, and racking for the coming “end of the world as we know it” while at the same time offering no apologies for it. In the light of current events those who have prepared in recent years could now be seen as prepping prophets. Like many of the prophets of the past, these survivalists have been for the most part lonely voices crying in the wilderness with few heeding their warnings about the ominous events coming upon us all. However, as we have gotten closer to a reset of our society, these dire messages have found an increasingly attentive audience. As a simple illustration of this latter day psychological paradigm shift, just consider the condition of the preparedness movement in this country during the Y2K scare as opposed to now. The number of people that are prepping for the uncertainties of the future is dramatically larger than ever before, and the amount of information on the Internet about survival is something only dreamed about fifteen years ago.

It is a testimony to this movement that visitors to the website for which this article is written have grown exponentially in recent years. Speaking of which, Survivalblog.com has always held a prominent position at the vanguard of survival preparedness, and this writer owes a debt of gratitude for all of the invaluable information that has been gleaned from it. Be that as it may, it is with great humility that an attempt will now be made to offer something of immediate value to this already extensive treasure trove of material. As it stands, there are many bush craft skills, self-sufficiency procedures, and defensive tactics explained online and in the numerous survival manuals that have become ubiquitous in bookstores. Acquiring them, if you can afford to do so, will more than likely prove beneficial in the future, if you do indeed survive the initial stages of whatever apocalypse scenario plays out. I say future because to fully implement many of these survival steps requires a sizeable investment in time, not to mention money. Unfortunately, as we are on the cusp of a total socio-economic meltdown, it’s the very lack of time that poses the greatest threat to you if you happen to be just coming into awareness. It is for this very person to whom this article is written, the person I call the fledgling survivalist. Considering the current state of the United States economy and instability of international relations, what a fledgling survivalist needs right now are some seeds of practical information that they can instantly plant in their lives. Being exposed to the vast field of information that the mainstream media has exploitatively dubbed “doomsday prepping”, a newcomer to the subject can be overwhelmed with the multitude of sheaths and miss the kernels of truth that they contain. If you are a veteran of the bullets and Band-Aid brigade that led the charge towards self-sufficiency in this country, you can empathize with the dread that accompanied the initial realization you yourself at one point in time were way behind the power curve. We’ve all been there, so don’t feel like you’re inadequate if you can’t start a fire with a bow drill at the moment. If you’re new to all of this, take a deep breath, and center yourself. Help is on the way. Though this article does not promise that you will become a super soldier overnight or get any closer to being a bush craft specialist, it does promise that after reading it you will have saved the large portion of time that would be required to cull this critical information on your own. As stated earlier, time is one of the precious commodities we have little of now, and it’s quickly running out. It is this writer’s sincere hope that you find reading the rest of this article time well spent.

Defining Terms

We will begin by defining our terms.

Survival: 1. To remain alive. 2. Endure.

Preparation: 1. The act or process of preparing. 2. Readiness.

Surviving is about living and enduring, and preparation is about actively preparing while being in a state of readiness. Therefore, we can define survival preparedness as follows.

Survival Preparedness: 1. An act and/or state of readiness that involves keeping oneself alive and enduring.

This definition makes no mention of overcoming or conquering. People who have a close connection to the systems in nature know how foolish it is to hold onto the attitude that you are going to “conquer the wild” or “overcome an environment”. Being prepared to survive means that you have a willingness to anticipate and adapt to whatever emergency or disaster arises, with the sole intention of staying alive and enduring the ordeal. There is no room for machismo or hubris. Of course, if your life or the life of a loved one is threatened, then it is your right as a human being to defend yourself, and that will require a “do or die” attitude. This life or death situation is described by Sun Tzu in The Art of War as “fatal ground”, but it is only a last resort if all other options have been exhausted. The true survivalist has too much respect for the power of elemental forces and the potential dangers of crazed mobs amidst civil unrest to be looking for danger, trouble, or both. The first step in preparation is to make some instantaneous changes in your day-to-day life so that when the challenging situation does arise you will be prepared to live through it as best as possible. A sudden crisis or emergency has a very good chance of occurring when you are engaged in every day activities or while you are home. Keeping this in mind we will now turn to the two pillars of preparedness– the psychology and systems of survival.

Basic Survival

Survival is largely dependent on your mental and physical preparation as well as your ability to execute affectively in both areas, if and when the time arises. Though the numerous branches of the survival movement seem complicated, survival itself is basic. Please take note that I did not use the word simple but basic, because it means that it is a foremost priority in all matters resulting in a solid foundation for your life. Survival does not have just one element; it is indeed complicated and is not easy in any way, but there is a functional approach to address its challenges. There are two practical ways in which you can increase your chances of survival when confronted with a major calamity; one is psychological, and the other is physical. To be psychologically prepared, one must have a warrior mindset. To be physically prepared, one must be in relatively good shape and have a series of survival systems that accompany you at all times as well as prepositioned in the most likely places you will find yourself. We will begin with having the right mindset.

Warrior Mindset

Without the proper mental and emotional frame of mind, most physical preparation goes out the window. One must have awareness of both what is going on inside and outside oneself. Most of the general public are in a perpetual “vacation state of mind”. This fatally flawed way of meandering through life is demonstrated by people who refuse to believe that today will be any different from yesterday, since yesterday was the same as the day before. Their attitude is that since their life has been free of major disasters, they persist in not paying attention to potential hazards. Unfortunately, nine out of ten individuals don’t respond in an effective manner when faced with an emergency, and it is largely due to the fact that they have never planned for such an event to occur in their lives. At this late date in the calendar of the coming crisis, it takes an incredible amount of denial to stay in this delusional state of false security. A warrior mindset also means that a person has the fortitude to do whatever it takes to endure. One does not have to be former or current military to have this warrior mindset. Take for example those obstacle challenges like The Spartan Death Race that have gained a loyal following in recent years. This extreme test challenges people over many days of grueling trials. The contestants are physically and mentally taxed to their limit while having no idea how long the actual race will go on before being completed. It’s been documented that, during certain races, former military and Special Forces operatives have dropped out and quit while housewives have gone on to complete their race. No one should underestimate their own potential to stay the course, and the warrior is an archetype that everyone should cultivate, if only for the fact that societies that did not have a noble warrior class to protect them ended up more often than not as other people’s slaves. We should endeavor to be our brother’s keeper not captive. This crucial mindset can be remembered by the acronym WARRIOR. The posture principles listed in this newly coined acronym are similar to how Navy Seals are trained, so we are on safe ground by assimilating them into our life.

  • Working Situational Awareness – Always be aware of your surroundings.
  • Assess Situation – Make an assessment of the current situation.
  • Run Self-assessment – Keep composure and maintain combat breathing.
  • Rule of Three – Select only three options for an appropriate response.
  • Initiate Action – Commit fully to one action.
  • Observe Results – Monitor progress.
  • Repeat if Necessary – Reassess and change course as situation dictates.

Just having this frame of mind will put a person in a superior position, if and when they are confronted with adversity. An easier way of remembering these basic principles is to think of them as the ABC’s of the psychological mindset of survival.

  • Always be ready.
  • Break analysis paralysis and choose a potential course of action.
  • Commit to an action and go for it.

Letter Re: Personal Notes of Application From SurvivalBlog’s “The Frog in A Slowly Heating Pot”

Dear SurvivalBlog Editor,

Regarding the letter, Personal Notes of Application From SurvivalBlog’s “The Frog in A Slowly Heating Pot”- Part 1, by C.F., Saturday June 13, 2015, I always recommend to folks wanting to setup a sentry organization that they review the United States Armed Forces’ General Orders for Sentries. This gives the organization an excellent starting point for how to organize an effective watch program and insures that all participating are using the same vocabulary.

Since the prosecution of George Zimmerman in FL in 2012, many folks would like for their sentries to be unarmed, but I encourage all that conduct sentry duty to be armed to the highest legal level.

The 2015 Atlantic Basin Hurricane Season is upon us and I remember from years past, exhausted sentries with shotguns, sitting in lawn chairs, trying to keep the looters at bay…

News From The American Redoubt:

Patriots!

Shahram Hadian will be in Bonners Ferry on June 27th for two presentations! First is the introduction to the historical Assemblies and Committees of Correspondence, which are forming in Idaho and Washington right now. Second is the POWERFUL and eye-opening presentation, “Unveiling the True Face of Islam”.

Be there! God bless you, and may America bless God once again.

In Christ,

-John Jacob

2:00pm presentation, “Restoring our Republic & Historic Assemblies/Committees:”Assembly meeting on website. Assembly meeting on Facebook.

6:30pm presentation, “Unveiling the True Face of Islam:” On our website and Facebook (for people to share and invite others).

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Drone wedding video– ( humor ) 14 seconds. Wait for it… – T.P.

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Saudis tried to shield students from scandal at Montana Tech

Economics and Investing:

Seneca’s Cliff: Greece, Debt and Paper Silver

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These 15 states still haven’t recovered jobs lost in recession . – H.L.

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Items from Mr. Econocobas:

Existing Home Sales Spike To Highest Since Nov 2009 As Prices Soar For Expensive Homes

Greek Banks “Unofficially” Limit Walk-In Withdrawals To €3,000, FT Reports

ECB’s Nowotny – Greek banks have funding extension for today (Monday)

“It’s Time To Hold Physical Cash”, Fidelity Manager Warns Ahead Of “Systemic Event”