Preparedness Notes for Sunday — October 11, 2020

3

Today is the 70th birthday of novelist William R. Forstchen. (He was born 1950.) Forstchen is best known for his survivalist novel One Second After.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 91 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical 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,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. 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).
  4. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.
  5. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  4. A transferable $150 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Round 91 ends on November 30th, 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.

 

Hardening Your House, by R.R.

74

Preparedness has gained a lot of attention and a whole new meaning in 2020. First, everyone got hit with the threat of infection. Next, a lot of supplies which some households stock regularly, while others buy as needed, went out of stock in the stores causing further panic. Next came civil unrest because folks could not seem to obey simple instructions and suddenly the bad guys became saints and poor victims, but I digress. Altogether, I have to be honest – I’m waiting now for a threat of a meteorite strike or an alien invasion! It seems that in 2020 anything is possible!

With any and all threats, for years there have been groups of folks who had a plan and those who got caught unprepared. For some folks the plan is to get the heck out of Dodge, while for others it is to shelter in place and build bunkers or bunker-like structures. What is often overlooked by those who are ready to bug out, is that leaving is not always an option as your way out might be blocked by fires, protests, quarantine, or some other factor that is beyond your control. Additionally, if you planned to bug out, but have a family member that is sick and can’t be moved for a time or maybe is making his or her way back home to bug out with the group, you might have to wait things out. What do you do then?

Since March 2020, people including myself have experienced an array of problems starting from toilet paper shortage down to meat shortage. Coming from a formerly communist country, I have to say that I have lived a much worse version of it as a kid and while it was very inconvenient, it was not the end of the world. I recall being 6 years old and standing in line to the butcher shop with my mom, hoping that by the time our turn comes, there will be something left to buy. I remember abandoning all planned activities and getting in line to purchase toilet paper because there was a delivery made. We were hoping that more would be sold over the counter to customers then through the back to the friends and families of the store employees. Seems very similar to what we have experienced in the first half of 2020. So what’s different this time around?

Under the communist rule, the issue was poor planning, poor management of delivery routes and the fact that quality products were sold elsewhere (Soviet Union or the Western Nations) and the citizens were left with poor quality products or with nothing at all. It taught me how to plan for the future. Now I live in the United States and going shopping has not been much of an issue, but I do live in California, the earthquake capitol of the United States. This means that I have to be prepared any day of the year for a breakdown in supply infrastructure. WIth that in mind, I have always made sure that we had at least a month of food supplies and about one week of drinking water supplies with the ability to purify our own water, as needed. Add to that two generators for power, reasonable fuel supply, firewood and charcoal for the grill and the smoker, propane canisters for the portable stoves – I believe that we would do pretty good if push came to shove. If needed, we could make the supplies probably stretch beyond a month.Continue reading“Hardening Your House, by R.R.”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

1

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,

Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.” – Ephesians 1: 3-23 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — October 10, 2020

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We’ve just started our big Pre-Election Sale, at Elk Creek Company.  I’ve reduced the prices on every gun in my inventory. The chances of a contested election are fairly high, so this is your chance to tuck away a few pre-1899 guns, just in case. Imagine if Creepy Joe Biden wins, and we end up with a ban on private party sales, nationwide. (So-called “Universal Background Checks.”)  It is important to have a few guns that are out of Federal jurisdiction–and hence exempt. And heaven help us if we end up with Nancy Pelosi as “Interim President.”  This sale ends on November 2nd, 2020. But order soon, as the ordering will surely be brisk.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 91 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical 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,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. 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).
  4. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.
  5. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  4. A transferable $150 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Round 91 ends on November 30th, 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.

Thoughts on Surviving Civil War, by 3AD Scout

71

Author’s Introductory Note: I am not advocating for armed conflict; I am specifically writing this article to get people prepared for a different type of disaster than we normally have to be prepared for. I suspect that the majority of people just want to live their lives in peace but may be caught up in a civil conflict. This article is to help families be prepared should it occur.

—

Normally I am a very optimistic person, but we are not in normal times now, are we? As “Preppers”, “Survivalist”, “Homesteaders”, and others with a self-sufficient mindset, we strive to be prepared to survive potential calamities. Having been a student of survival since I was a teenager, I have accumulated much skills, knowledge, equipment and supplies over the years. I have felt confident in my level of preparedness, with the exception of the big TEOTWAWKI incidents such as nuclear attack, EMP, CME and, meteor impact. For those events I feel that our preps are ok but could definitely be better.

In early January, when the media started to cover a new mysterious viral outbreak in China, I took note and started to evaluate our readiness for a pandemic. The good news is that I felt very confident in our family’s level of preparedness. Being optimistic is okay but over-confidence can be fatal. Acknowledging the potential for the new virus to become a pandemic, having time and funds, we picked up a few extra boxes of Cold & Flu gel capsules, anti-diarrheal, instant hand sanitizer and oral rehydration solution in mid-January when supplies were plentiful and lengths of checkout lines were normal. Identifying the virus as a threat and acting quickly allowed us to avoid the un-prepared or underprepared people flocked to stores and waited in line with their carts full of instant preparedness in early March. If the pandemic wasn’t bad enough then came social unrest.

I remember being in high school civics class in the 1980s and our teacher explaining one of the reasons that America was so great, that be our ordering transfer of government after elections. I think based on what we are seeing, those days of a peaceful and orderly transfer of government may be over. I now find myself unbelievably evaluating our preparedness for civil war.Continue reading“Thoughts on Surviving Civil War, by 3AD Scout”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

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To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year. Note that as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in the Comments. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

Since my return from out-of-state travel, I’ve been quite busy.  In the past week, I’ve caught up on mail and packages, visited a local gunsmith, added several antique guns to the Elk Creek Company e-store pages, boxed and mailed out several orders, picked up an ATV from the local repair shop, dropped off a rototiller at a different repair shop, assisted a relative with transport to a medical appointment, had a dental appointment of my own, made a rubbish run to the county dumpsters, assisted Avalanche Lily with some house reorganization, hauled some topsoil, and prepped a couple of slash piles. I hope to touch off those piles next week, if we get the predicted rains. This year, just one of those piles contains a stump, so I’m hoping to be done with that project after only a couple of days of fire-tending.

Yesterday afternoon, I kicked off the Pre-Election Sale at Elk Creek Company. I expect more than half of my inventory (56 guns, at last count) to sell before the election, so order soon, while there is still a good selection available!

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

1

“Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed.

And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh.

And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.

But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt.

And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.” – Ezekiel 47: 8-12 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — October 9, 2020

5

On this day in 1995, saboteurs tinkered with a stretch of railroad track in Arizona. An Amtrak train derailed killing one and injuring a hundred.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 91 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A gift certificate from Quantum Harvest LLC (up to a $2,200 value) good for 12% off the purchase of any of their sun-tracking models, and 10% off the purchase price of any of their other models.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical 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,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  4. 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).
  5. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Round 91 ends on November 30th, 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.

Physical Resilience for an Uncertain Future – Part 3, by A.D.

4

(Continued from Part 2. This concludes the article.)

Putting it all together

In this section I’d like to distill all the preceding information into what it might look like in terms of an actual week of fitness. I will also show what a couple weeks in succession could look like, to give you an idea of proper progression.

I mentioned in the anaerobic section the analogy of your fitness attributes like the many sliding dials on a DJ’s sound mixing table. For the purposes of this example, let’s say this person is just starting out and has decided to prioritize their aerobic development, while trying to just maintain strength and higher intensity conditioning.

Example Avatar: 45 y/o male with some athletic history, and no current injuries. Played high school sports and pickup games of basketball in his 20s, but has not engaged in structured routine for the past 7 years. Current activities include some manual labor at home, occasional walking, and a hike every month. He is seeking to get in better shape to get off blood pressure meds and help set the example for his family.Continue reading“Physical Resilience for an Uncertain Future – Part 3, by A.D.”

Economics & Investing For Preppers

16

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. Most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at how the anticipation of inflation breeds inflation. (See the Forex & Cryptos section.)

Precious Metals:

We’ll start today’s column with this piece posted in late August by Arkadiusz Sieron: Will U.S. Elections Impact The Gold Rally?

o  o  o

Gold price action ‘agnostic’ to who wins the election: TD Securities

Economy & Finance:

Powered by Stimulus & Rent/Mortgage Payments “Not Made,” US Trade Deficit Hits Record Worst Terrible Level Ever

o  o  o

UK recession expected to continue until spring amid Covid-19 surge

o  o  o

What’s Behind the Fed’s Project to Send Free Money to People Directly? A pericope:

“There is a lot of discussion suddenly about a Federal Reserve project to make direct payments to households during an economic crisis. In March, legislation was proposed in the House and in the Senate to authorize the Fed to do this.

At the beginning of August, two former Fed officials floated a trial balloon of this type of operation with some specifics as to how it would work and how it would be accounted for on the Fed’s balance sheet.”

o  o  o

Another at Wolf Street: Commercial Real Estate Office Sector Crushed by Work-from-Home, Tsunami of Supply in Q3: Manhattan, San Francisco, Houston, Chicago, Los AngelesContinue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — October 8, 2020

2

On October 8, 1957 Jerry Lee Lewis recorded “Great Balls Of Fire” in Memphis, Tennessee.

October 8th is also the birthday of economist and libertarian commentator J. Orlin Grabbe. (Born, 1947, died March 15, 2008.)

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 91 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A gift certificate from Quantum Harvest LLC (up to a $2,200 value) good for 12% off the purchase of any of their sun-tracking models, and 10% off the purchase price of any of their other models.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical 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,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  4. 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).
  5. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Round 91 ends on November 30th, 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.

A Rawles Book Pre-Release Announcement

3

I’m pleased to make this book pre-release announcement:

Survival Retreats and Relocation is now available for pre-order. This illustrated book is a greatly expanded and completely updated edition of my 2006 book, “Rawles on Retreats and Relocation.” The book’s primary author is my son Jonathan Rawles. Since 2009, Jonathan has operated SurvivalRealty.com.

The following is excerpted from the book ordering web page :

Why You Need This Book

Families and individuals across the country are seeking refuge from the Covid panic and social disintegration. The remote work revolution coupled with the massive economic flux has driven thousands to finally to pull up roots and look for a more secure and sustainable location.

In this environment, we want to equip you to make the best decision and an effective plan for your family’s long-term flourishing. This is your guidebook to relocating and building a resilient homestead and lifestyle anywhere in the US.

Contents:

Part 1: Principles

1. Retreat Theories
2. Threat Mitigation
3. Survivability Factors
4. Isolation and Self-Sufficiency

Part 2: Retreat Locales

5. Regional Analysis
6. States
7. Retreats Areas

Part 3: Relocation

8. Property Search and Purchase
9. The Land
10. The Home and Improvements

Part 4: The Retreat

11. Setting Up the Retreat
12. Stocking Up
13. Next Steps

Appendices

Rawlesian Precepts of Survival
The American Redoubt
Nuclear Targets
International Options
Retreat Owner Profiles

If you visit the book ordering page, you can get Chapter 4 delivered right to your inbox, free of charge. That will give you a taste of what the book is like.

How This Book Will Help You

In these challenging times it is imperative to select an area that will provide liberty, security, natural resources, favorable climate, food production, productivity, and a resilient community. Co-authored by survivalist author and lecturer James Wesley, Rawles, Survival Retreats and Relocation is your guidebook to relocating for your family’s future wellbeing.

The end goal is to establish a secure and productive homestead wherever you are located. The book is packed with tips and strategies for finding, selecting, and purchasing rural property. Additional insight is provided on improving and developing a property, whether turn-key, fixer-upper, or bare land.

Pre-Order Your Copy Today

Paperback

Survival Retreats and Relocation
$19 PRE-ORDER SALE PRICE

Large format (8.5″ x 11″) paperback
Illustrated with maps and charts
200+ B&W pages

Pre-order your copy of Survival Retreats and Relocation now!
Ships on or before November 23rd.  An e-book edition will also be available.

Whether moving across the country, or just looking for a more secure option locally, this book offers the resources to make a well-informed decision and effective plan.

Physical Resilience for an Uncertain Future – Part 2, by A.D.

2

(Continued from Part 1.)

Anaerobic (non-oxidative) Conditioning

In the last 20 years with the popularity of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), CrossFit™, Bootcamps, and similar approaches, the anaerobic system has prominently been featured center stage in the world of exercise. While certainly meriting training and attention, this trend has in my opinion pushed the needle a little too far that direction. The Anaerobic system (comprised of many subsystems likely beyond the scope of the current audience’s interest, but if not resources will be listed!) is responsible for rapidly creating cellular energy to fuel high octane tasks. Throwing a baseball, lifting a heavy weight, sprinting 50-to-400 meters, are all tasks that primarily lie within the anaerobic domain.

When training in the anaerobic domain, the key is to find methods with which one can exert maximal and near maximum effort safely. Overly complex and technical movements are not your best bet here, because the skill to perform sed task will likely succumb to fatigue before we get to an optimum systemic stimulus.

My favorite methods include:

  • Hill Sprints (possibly the all-time number 1)
  • Sled Drags and pushes. (Limitless options for very inexpensive homemade variations!)
  • Burpee Intervals
  • Air Bike/Rower Sprints/Intervals
  • Sprints (Be mindful of First completing a thorough warm-up)

There are countless methods and tools available, and many when used properly can create an absolute specimen of a human. The question in my mind is the learning curve and potential for maximal output. The above methods are simple, effective, and relatively safe. If I was working with someone who just wanted to be competent across the fitness domains and didn’t need excessive novelty in training, this is where I’d invest my time.

When it comes to the dose of anaerobic training again we have a massive window of variability depending on individual needs.

Some considerations would be:

  • Aerobic fitness: If this is low, build it first, maybe adding in a single session of higher intensity work every other week
  • Age: Anaerobic work is brutally taxing to recover from, the more an athlete ages the less I need them pushing into the red.
  • Goals, at the time: Think of fitness like a DJ’s sound mixing table. The adjustment knobs can never ALL be at maximal, nor should all be at the bottom. We never want a knob (a specific fitness attribute) to be at zero, but there will be an ebb and flow depending on what is a current focal point, if an area is deemed higher priority (for example a lifelong runner may want to prioritize strength training in order to achieve a more balanced overall fitness profile). More on this in the “Putting it all together section.”

 

Again as a flexible rule 1-2 sessions per week ONCE you have established a minimum of 2-3 months of aerobic build up would more than cover your bases in this regard. Even for a high level performer, I’d rarely advise more than 3 sessions per week of maximal anaerobic work, unless they were peaking for some kind of event.Continue reading“Physical Resilience for an Uncertain Future – Part 2, by A.D.”