Will Lehr of Perpetual Assets interviews James Wesley Rawles
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A biosand-filter from commonly available materials. – MKP
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You’re 55 Times More Likely to be Killed by a Police Officer than a Terrorist – H.L.
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White US children will be minorities by 2020 after immigrant ‘baby boom’, Census reveals – P.M.
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How to Create a Safe Room in Your House or Apartment. – D.S.
“Better naked and alive than decent and dead, I thought.” ? Zoë Marriott, Shadows on the Moon
Today, we present another entry for Round 57 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:
First Prize:
Second Prize:
Third Prize:
Round 57 ends on March 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 vast majority of the population exists in cities or very near them. We’ve already seen what happens in places like New York and Watts when power was lost for just three days. There are riots, looting, and violence. Imagine a long-term or even permanent loss of power. Imagine that the gasoline supply is what is in your vehicle’s gas tank right now, and that’s it. Food in your pantry is what you have, and that’s it. Water? Fill your bathtub, sinks, or anything else you can find, but that’s it. Toilets? You better dig a hole in the back yard, because disease is not far behind, if you don’t. You could always use your precious gasoline to make a run to the store where everyone is looting, but you’ll find the stores aren’t built with huge store rooms in the back, like there were in the 1970’s. Everything is shipped just-in-time, but of course there won’t be any more trucks to resupply the stores, and there won’t be any more trains or ships. There is no way to get crops out of the fields in bulk; they start to rot in place.
Now, let’s say you did store up a significant supply of food and water, like the Mormons do. You have a whole year’s worth. Did your neighbors do this, too? Did the majority of the now-starving population do this? Do you think they will notice your family seems to be doing pretty well? Did you make the mistake of letting it slip out that you had these supplies? Now, put yourself in their position. They’re looking at their starving kids and hearing their cries at night while their neighbor runs his generator, cooks his good-smelling food, and drinks his clean water. How desperate would you be? Would you let your family perish? What about the police or National Guard? Well, if they hadn’t abandoned their posts to take care of their own families, which is very likely, they would be taking your stores and employing “redistribution” as outlined in the Executive Order, but like I said it’s not likely they would abandon their own families. There would be well-organized groups out there though; the street gangs, who will systematically rape and pillage, will eventually find their way to your house. Will you fight? With what?
Maybe your plan should have been to bug-out of the city and get as far away as you can with as much as you can. That would have been a good idea, if you had left in the first 30 minutes of the power grid loss. Those that wait find themselves stuck on the freeways, jammed up in traffic. Even if you do make it out, where would you go? What would happen when you get there?
Will you grow your own food? Do you know how? So, maybe you prepped a little and bought a bunch of seeds to plant. Were they “heirloom” seeds? All the seeds you buy in the store these days are hybrid seeds, engineered to produce sterile seeds or no seeds at all. This way you have to come back every year to buy more seeds, but there are no more because there are no stores left to sell them. Where do you get heirloom seeds? Do you know how to preserve your crops so you can eat them year-round? Canning is a simple thing to learn, but if you weren’t knowledgeable before the Internet went down you won’t have access to learn. Did you bring canning supplies?
Will you hunt? Like planting and raising crops, it’s a skill or a piece of knowledge you should have learned before the loss of power. Additionally, you need bullets and lots of them, because, again, there are no stores, and on a more ominous note it is very likely you will have to defend yourself and your family against some fairly seasoned thugs. Can you do this? Do you know how? It’s yet another skill you should have acquired before everything crashed.
All right, enough of the torturous questioning. You’re overwhelmed by now and maybe even depressed. I walked you into this subtly, and then I put it on pretty thick. I’m sorry, but I want you to know and to think about it. There is a reality here, and I believe a certainty that drives necessity to prepare.
There is a smart way to prep and at the same time be frugal. Most of us are limited, by budget, in any case. You may be surprised to know that smart and responsible prepping is doable for those that don’t have a lot of money. It may involve building or making your own tools, rather than buying them from a store, or it may mean slowly accumulating canned goods that you normally eat and then rotating them through your pantry. Large bags of grain or rice are very inexpensive and easy to preserve. Also, there are fairly inexpensive ways to purify water. A little bit at a time makes this affordable.
The majority of the part about accumulating knowledge and skills can be inexpensive or even free. Survivalblog.com is a wealth of information from folks that willingly convey their knowledge because they care about you and others like you. From planting and canning to medical, dental, and self-protection, if it’s not on the website, then it points you in the direction of where to find it or how to learn it. Spend a few minutes each day reading and researching. Within a few weeks or months you will be amazed at what you’ve learned. This is where I would start, and it costs you nothing. Why not?
Are you a Christian? If you are, then at some point you might struggle with the idea that God will provide. He does, and He will. So, now you feel that prepping is sinful, because you should be trusting in Him, right? I know; I struggled with that too. It was mostly because well-meaning teachers/pastors have used things out of context. While it’s true the “lilies of the field do not toil”, the context of the verses are addressing worry rather than work. Read the entire message, not just a single verse or handful of verses. In Genesis, Egypt accumulated seven years’ worth of food because God told them to do it, knowing there would be a shortage. (Gen: 41) Proverbs tells us that being lazy and not preparing is actually wickedness. (Prov 6:6-15) Paul tells us in Timothy that if we do not provide for our families, then we have denied the faith and we are worse than the infidel. (1 Tim 5:8)
These are just a few, and if you go to survivalblog.com and search under “Prayer Page” https://survivalblog.com/prayer/. You will find this subject addressed much better than I can here, as are the subjects of preparing, storing, self-defense, and even charity. Of course, after you read/research things, get on your knees and pray about it yourself. Ask God to show you His will for you in this circumstance. Regardless of what I say here, He is the only authority for your life. Some won’t, because they are afraid or don’t want to know the answer. We as Christians do that from time to time.
I’m reminded of a story where a man was in the ocean and his boat sunk. Several other boats came by the man who was swimming in the water, but each time they asked if he needed help he turned them down, stating that he believed God would save him. Eventually, he drowns and finds himself in Heaven. He took the first opportunity to question God as to why He didn’t save him. God’s response was, “I sent several people to help you, but you didn’t accept their help.”
…and with that, you’re off the hook.
Okay, you read it. I hope and pray it made an impression to at least look into preparation a little deeper. My father was a young man, during the Great Depression, living in Montana. If he remembered anything in his old age, it was the details of what life was like during that time. They had a 120-acre ranch and hunted, raised beef stock, pigs, and chickens, grew hay and grains as well as had a large garden. They canned everything they could, smoked their meat, stored things in a “root cellar” and so forth. It was nearly a self-sustaining lifestyle, though from time to time they sold excess or worked jobs outside the ranch to buy things they couldn’t make themselves. In modern times, this is what we would call a redoubt—a self-sustaining retreat designed for our survival in the event of a catastrophic collapse. The interesting thing is how the Depression left lasting impressions on my father. To hear his stories of that time conveyed one overarching fact—life was hard. To consider engaging in that lifestyle to survive, after living in the world we now have, is overwhelming. Without the knowledge of how to do it, it would be impossible. Will we need to do it? I pray to God, no. However, if your plan for retirement includes social security, an IRA, or pension, you have only to look at the headlines concerning U.S. and world economic instability to realize you might want to have a backup plan.
So you see, it doesn’t hurt to acquire knowledge, some materials, and have a plan. Having a bag or pack with just 72 hours of sustaining items would put you in a better position than 98+% of the population. We call that a Bug-Out-Bag, or BOB. What do you put in it? Search survivalblog.com. It’s free to find out.
Hi HJL,
I wanted to add something to the letter from the recent college graduate. I am a current college student with no debt.
Here are some of the things I do:
Good Luck – S.
Language Warning: This guy pretty well sums it up. A Word or Two to Rioting Moronic Muslims – RBS
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Ukrainian Food Riots . – H.L.
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Person in custody in Maryland shootings; 1 damaged NSA – G.P.
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AVG’s Invisibility Glasses Will Protect You against Facial Recognition Tech. – H.L.
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SurvivalBlog reader J.M. wrote in to tell us that Gander Mountain in Charlottesville, VA had M855 in 320rnd cans for $199.
Creedmoor Sports also stated they had 600rnd cans for $360.
“The eye is always half-full.” ? Arthur Slade, Jolted: Newton Starker’s Rules for Survival
The shooting sports industry lost a dearly loved member when Marval Hornady, Co-Founder Of Hornady Ammunition Passes at 102 Years of Age.
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The supply of green tip SS109 (M855) 5.56mm ammo has dried up almost completely in the United States in the past two weeks. I’ve heard from two different friends and a consulting client that vendors at gun shows on both coasts last weekend were demanding and getting $1.50 to $1.60 per round for this scarce ammo. However, I also heard that www.WhatACountry.com has some available for just 69 cents per round. Theirs is Australian military SS109 equivalent, in 900 round cans. Stock up folks, before the market price jumps to $2 per round! (I have good reason to believe that it will, in the next few weeks.) – JWR
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SurvivalBlog readers usually already know this, but for those who have just started following us, we don’t allow open comments on articles because the threads generally degenerate into flame wars, and the effort required to keep it clean would require the addition of several editors. However, if you have something you want to say about an article, send it to the editor. If it’s post-worthy, we will post it in the “Letter Re” column. Keep it clean and friendly, as this is a family blog. – HJL
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Today, we present another entry for Round 57 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:
First Prize:
Second Prize:
Third Prize:
Round 57 ends on March 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.
If you are reading this and you have a high interest in prepping but maybe someone you know or someone close to you does not, read on. You’ve tried to reason with them, but the result is the same. Whether it’s your passion or persistence, they get overwhelmed and simply glaze over. Or, maybe they become unsettled or scared. Either way you lose them, and that frustrates you because you feel time is running out. If they would just read Patriots or survivalblog.com! Right? Well, print this out and give it to them.
Now, if you’re reading this because you’re the one that won’t read Patriots or survivalblog.com but you promised someone that you would at least read this article, please read on. This person cares about you. They might be overzealous or overbearing, but they really believe it’s in your best interest.
In the grand scheme of things, prepping has become increasingly more popular. It has heightened the awareness of millions of people. However, with viral popularity comes an onslaught of commercialism and exploitation. From con artists to stand-up comedians and from vendors to television shows, everybody wants to get in on it. While all of this has heightened awareness and even increased knowledge, the result (as with any booming popularity) eventually seems to drift toward negative connotation. The fashionable becomes unfashionable. In short, to some prepping has started to become more of a joke than a positive trend, and so finding legitimacy may be difficult.
If you were one of those that took interest early on but then fell away, it’s likely you did so after exposure to these negative influences. They twist reality and embed doubt. Ultimately, the popular becomes unpopular. Like disco music and bell bottom pants, no one wants to be affiliated with something they can be criticized for or be the brunt of a joke. We all danced to it, and we all owned the pants. You may be too young or too old to have been part of the disco era, but you understand the concept. Think for a few moments and you will relate to something similar; instead, do you relate to low-hanging pants?
The thing is, unlike trendy fashions or passing fads, prepping is a very serious endeavor. First, if you prep for something that never happens, you’ve wasted time and money. I get that. Who has extra of either? However, if you don’t prep and something really happens, you and your family will likely perish. Please understand my intention is not to scare you. There are a number of studies conducted as a result of isolated or regional incidences that have prompted emergency services and National Guard units to create “canned plans” in order to respond effectively. Riots, blackouts, and natural disasters, are some of the motivators. Of course, these are isolated to a particular area or region, but recently FEMA joined with Homeland Security to create facilities located across the United States that are designed to support responses to these types of events as well as those much larger in scope. Some citizens are very upset by this, as “FEMA Camps” have been equated to internment facilities similar to those used for Japanese citizens during WWII. I don’t know if these facilities are meant to go to that extreme, but I will admit concern over FEMA/Homeland’s purchase of billions of rounds of ammunition, , as well as a presidential executive order to establish “martial law” under his signature alone to include forcing citizens into uncompensated labor, redistribution of food from all sources, and quelling civil unrest. http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/03/16/executive-order-national-defense-resources-preparedness
We’re talking about American citizens inside the United States. What kind of natural disaster or riotous event requires control of the entire nation of citizens and for what purpose? I don’t know exactly, but the point I’d like to make here is that if the U.S. government is preparing for an event of that magnitude, what should we as individuals be doing?
So let’s start small. Those of us who live in areas that are affected by hurricanes or snow storms already prep in some fashion, usually in the form of keeping a full pantry, bottled water, extra gasoline, propane, firewood, and so forth. We know that loss of electrical power is a real possibility because we’ve already experienced it. The level of preparation in these circumstances starts with basic survival needs and extends out to being very comfortable. It depends on the individual really and can include everything from flashlights to generators and ice chests to window air conditioners. What do you consider essential? Is toilet paper essential? It’s definitely on my list!
Certainly your location and circumstances merit consideration of customizing your own preparations, but having a plan may also be required. For instance, living in a coastal city in Florida doesn’t just require preparations and supplies; it also requires an evacuation or “bug-out” plan. You only needed to watch the news during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to know it wasn’t a good idea to stay in New Orleans and weather out the storm. Consideration as to where you will go, how you will get there, what you’ll take with you, and how you contact relatives are all important. Why and when will you decide to leave are critical, too. Maybe you don’t live in a hurricane zone. Maybe you live with tornadoes or blizzards or near a potentially flooding river. The lesson is the same—don’t be caught wanting or needing, and you definitely need to have a plan.
Have you ever taken a CPR or First Responder course? This is a different category of prepping—the accumulation of knowledge. Serious preppers know this is arguably more than 50% of the entire effort, but it’s also the most neglected. Desperately needing to know something that requires a time machine is not a good place to be. A choking child or an electrical shock victim needs immediate attention from someone who already knows how to respond. Google isn’t going to cut it, and a 911 call is too slow when immediate attention is required.
So, you can see that you already prepare for life’s curve balls. Prepping is not foreign to you. Yet, you may take exception with foolish preparation or hoarding—those things that clearly demonstrate obsession or craziness. So do I. However, then you need to ask yourself, what is enough? Where do you start? What should you prep for?
You may want to look to the government for that answer; do you remember the FEMA camps or the Presidential Executive Order, dated March 16th 2012, that I mentioned before? These were created in anticipation of an event or events on a national or even global level. While we all agree the government doesn’t always spend our money well, they believe it to be serious enough to spend billions of dollars. They have conducted studies and practiced responses; they have observed microcosms, like natural disasters and riots, and have employed many government agencies or entities in these studies to include the Department of Defense, Center for Disease Control, the Department of Transportation, the Federal Reserve, as well as National Guard and police departments, just to name a few. Each of them have contributed by providing expertise, that when compiled, creates a scenario that is realistic, probable, and I believe inevitable. I can’t go into the detail here for reasons of brevity, but you can certainly find much more information at survivalblog.com. I will, however, give a brief synopsis of a scenario from the point where, regardless of root cause, all preparation should stem—that being the loss of the power grid.
Regardless of the cause—solar flare, Electro-Magnetic Pulse (EMP), terrorist attack on the nine critical substations, disease pandemic, or economic collapse—the result is the same; it’s a loss of the power grid. That’s where we are the most vulnerable, by nature of our technologically-advanced dependencies. Here are some examples:
There’s much more I could list, but the results are the same—there is no juice, and these situations have already been observed on a municipal or regional level. That’s when it gets a lot worse, and that’s what our government is planning for on a national level. This is what you should plan for too, so let’s look at why.
Hugh,
I reuse polyethelene 2.5 gallon theatrical fog fluid tanks for water storage. The fog fluid is a glycol, and the tank will smell for awhile. I first rinse the tanks to get all the gross product residues out. I then begin a leaching process by filling the tank with very hot water and let it sit until cool. I then repeat the process multiple times, until there is no smell. I do two more leachings after that. Another point that I thought was missed is biofilms. These, like slimes, adhere to the walls and are almost impossible to get rid of. E. coli is one of these film producers, and it’s on your teeth. This is why I hate trying to reuse milk jugs. You can never get these biofilms out of them completely. I like peach tea, and within a couple of days, you will notice stains on the walls of the reused milk jug from incomplete removal of the biofilm. Only use jugs that came from the factory with water in them. I can use a water jug for months before any films begin to form. – Capt Nemo
Target To Cut Thousands Of Jobs, Eyes $2 Billion In Cost Cuts – T.P.
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US running out of room to store oil; price collapse next?. – G.P.
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Items from Mr. Econocobas:
Video: Peter Schiff – Shocking Admission & Denial from Alan Greenspan
Where There Is No Vetby Bill Forse (Amazon is currently out, but the book can be ordered from talcuk.org)
Preparedness Now!: An Emergency Survival Guide (Expanded and Revised Edition) by Aton
Resistance: Untold Stories of Jewish Partisans (PBS Documentary)
How important is clean drinking water in an emergency? Safecastle has Katadyn filters up to 35% off right now.
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Mike Williamson, SurvivalBlog’s Editor At Large, recommended this link, if you are planning to live off of small animals (like squirrels) when the SHTF: Squirrels for SHTF?
He also notes that there were no screams when this article was published in 1956: Portraits of Schoolkids Learning Firearm Safety in Rural Indiana, 1956. My, how times have changed.
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SurvivalBlog Reader R.G. suggested this podcast on Islam: Exposing Islam Part 3
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Americans to Receive Full Biometric Treatment for all Forms of European Travel. – H.L.
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State Department Tweets Speech by Cleric Who Blames Unrest on Global Zionist Conspiracy. – P.M.
“It’s all in the reflexes.” ? “Jack Burton” (Kurt Russell), movie Big Trouble in Little China