Economical Survival Info

bug in defense

2012-03-15T21:25:00.000-07:00

Basic survival Bunker Plans!

2012-03-12T20:26:00.000-07:00

How To Build Basic Underground Shelter In preparing for what comes, we give consideration to a great many different potential problems and disasters: fire flood earthquake volcanoes disease no food no shelter, and the list goes on. In our personal preparations, we are at the point where we have and will have food and water, as much First Aid as possible, and our land is "hopefully" at sufficient elevation to be above any potential flood plain. (4500 feet above sea level) There is no evidence of volcanic activity nearby, but the potential of earthquake exists, as it does for most of us. Our house is of block, and its ability to withstand earthquake isn't too good. It could vibrate apart easier than a wood frame house. So our thoughts turn to shelter, just in case. We have acquired large, heavy duty tarps, parachute cord and if necessary, we can acquire 20 foot lengths of PVC pipe to make a frame for a dome shelter. However, wind begins to become an obvious factor in making a decent shelter, and tarps and plastic pipe just wouldn't work. What to do? Ideally, one or a few of those Sea Box type shipping containers would be great, but at US$4,000+ each, that's not within our grasp at this time. Wood frames can withstand a great amount of wind, but they also have their limits. It came to mind that underground would be a good place, but not a cave or mine, since the possibility of cave-in is pretty good. My grandparents started to build a house in Connecticut back in the late twenties, but as they progressed, money suddenly dried up and all they had was the basement. They took the framing for what would have been the first floor, and made it into a roof. My mom grew up in that "underground" house, and even experienced while there, the worst hurricane that part of the country ever experienced. While all their neighbors' homes were literally destroyed by the high winds, my grandparents and family were safe and dry and warm. What follows are the plans I have made for a simple box, that can be put, or more likely built in a hole. Properly covered, it will withstand a great deal of adverse conditions. Since money is by no means plentiful in our lives, I planned it as simply as possible. Once decent shelter is achieved, comforts can be added as the materials are acquired. I say "acquired" because more than half of the supplies we have been able to get came from means other than purchase. This includes: framing lumber from the dump dried foods that someone no longer wanted cluttering their barn the generator we purchased with the proceeds from a motorcycle we had sitting around collecting dust water storage with old water heaters that I stripped, cleaned and flushed out. So, in the drawing of these plans, I kept in mind that the materials for this box may be acquired piece-meal, and the construction would go accordingly. Here goes. UNDERGROUND, WATERPROOF? WINDPROOF? EARTHQUAKE RESISTANT? SHELTER Most of us are physically able to dig a hole by hand with a shovel, pick and pry bar. The hole has to be about twelve feet wide, by sixteen feet long. Depth is up to you. The deeper, obviously, the better. Save what dirt that comes out of the hole, as it can be used to cover your box. Based upon experience, in packed soil, with six inch rock, a four feet deep hole took me four days of unforgettable hard labor. Many hands make for light work. GET HELP!! The simplest waterproofing would be by using landscape plastic. Six mil would be the best. But if that's not available, the heaviest you can get is better than none. You are going to wrap the entire box in plastic, then fill in the hole around the box and cover it also. This is why deeper is better. Before you begin putting your frame together, line the hole with the plastic. You will be assembling the frame over the plastic, so be careful not to puncture it. The box, as shown in Figure 1, is made up of five ribs, and two ends. The box will be seven feet, ten and one half inches wide, eight feet tall, and eleven feet, ten and one half inches long. The shaft for the entryway is two feet wide by four feet long by two feet high. MATERIALS 40 -- 2 x 6 - 8' 17 -- 4' x 8' x ?" Wafer Board (this is like particle board, but with larger chunks of wood. It's cheap!!) Here, in the extreme southeastern corner of Arizona, where building materials are a little more expensive than the bigger cities, the above materials priced out at $460.00. This does not include the hardware to fasten this thing together. A roll of black, 6 mil plastic, 20 feet wide by one hundred feet long is $50.00. If plastic is not available, no reason why a lot of paint and caulk won't work just as good. Worse case scenario, and if nothing is available, don't cover it. As far as fastening this thing together, if I have power available, I plan to use 3" deck screws to fasten the 2x6's together and 2" deck screws to attach the wafer board to the frame. If there is no power, then a good old hammer and nails will have to do. 10d cement coat box nails if possible, for everything. The problem with hammer and nails is that things tend to vibrate and loosen with such a frame. Have a good heavy brace on the other side of what you're nailing, like an eight pound sledge hammer. The horizontal members of the ribs and end pieces should be cut to seven feet, ten and one half inches long. All vertical members are to be eight feet. This allows for the overlap of the top panels over the side panels. See Figure 2 below. Construct the ribs and ends, and using the horizontal rails, fasten the frame together. Everything must work in two feet increments, so the panels will match the frame. Be as meticulous as you can in making the frame square. Everything will fit better, if you do. Remember that your panels are four feet wide, and must butt together in the center of the rib. Once the frame is complete, your panels can be fastened to the frame. Do one end first, then the sides, working from one end to the other. Before you do the remaining end and the top, cut your floor panels to six feet, ten inches long, place them inside, and fasten them down. Finish the remaining end. You can now put the two whole top panels in place, then cut the last panel to fit around the entryway. The last panel you have will be used to cover the access way chimney. I did this to help keep debris from falling inside. Make the hatch cover three inches bigger than the outside of the chimney, and frame it with the last 2x6. It will cover the hatch, and fastened down with hook and eyes, will provide some security. I deliberately left out any dimensions for the chimney. Measure and cut to fit. When you have reached this point, and have a ladder inside for access, finish wrapping the plastic around everything. Back fill your dirt around the box and cover it about a foot and a half on top. Pack it down as best you can so it won't blow away. The inside can be finished with wood frame bunks for sleeping and storage. The exposed interior studs are easy to work with. Whatever frame work you may add inside, fasten it as much as possible, to the sides, top and/or bottom. This will serve to reinforce the entire structure. Since the entire box is covered in plastic, it won't breath very well. A lot of bodies generate moisture. With no where to evaporate, this will eventually become a problem in moister climates. The hatch ventilation may or may not be sufficient. I have built a few structures similar to this in the past, and as far as strength is concerned, it is a good plan. If you have questions, feel free to email me at maxine@c2i2.com. Good Luck! Doug Smith HOME

Situational Awareness: How Everyday Citizens Can Help Make a Nation Safe

2011-08-11T15:35:00.000-07:00

Situational Awareness: How Everyday Citizens Can Help Make a Nation Safe

Magpul Dynamics - Creating a Slug from Buckshot

2011-07-28T16:19:00.000-07:00

"One Second After", A Great Read!!

2011-06-27T21:52:00.000-07:00

I just got done reading "One Second After", which if you don't know, is about an EMP scenario. If anyone is interested, I have this in PDF and would be happy to share this with anyone that is interested. I can't put this in my library as it is copy written, so you will have to let me know if you want me to email this to you. Thanks and let me know.

Good Survival community basic ideas.

2011-06-12T18:38:00.000-07:00

Another great survival giveaway

2011-06-09T12:06:00.000-07:00

On top of our Survival Gear Giveaway, check out http://patriotsagainstthenwo.blogspot.com/2011/05/giveaway-great-book.html
or click on the heading link above. I always find lots of great information on this blog, they are great!

They are also doing a giveaway for a really great item.

American Preppers Network: Helping out a fellow Prepper

2011-06-09T11:49:00.000-07:00

American Preppers Network: Helping out a fellow Prepper

Next Free Survival Gear Giveaway Item!

2011-05-29T20:57:00.000-07:00

Ok, here it is! My next Free Survival Gear giveaway Item. It's a brand spankin new Camel-bak. I think this one is the Afgan camo pattern, but it's new with plastic still on the mouth piece and it includes the new bladder. Nice pack to keep your usable water handy. Now all you have to do to get in on this free giveaway is to be a follower of this blog (super easy, click on the follow button on the top right) and for this giveaway lets hear your top five survival/emergency items to have on hand, whether in your "Bug Out Bag" or just in whatever kit you have for emergencies. So, to start it off I will post mine. You can check my full survival/emergency bag contents in my flicker pics at

1- Would be a good knife.
2- A good flashlight, I have a cool key chain, led, solar powered flashlight.
I have another battery powered NEBO, but this one is very compact and solar,
$3 at Wal-Mart.
3- Water purification tablets or a good, high volume water filter. I have a good
supply of tablets myself ( I have a family of 4), but will add a filter soon.
4- Some sort of shelter materials. I keep a poncho, liner and 550 cord. If you
count that as 3, I'll just take the poncho.
5- Lastly, I would take as many Vitamins as I could. Some may not, but I think
will be very important for physical health if you have periods of time with no
food.
Now lets hear some different ideas! The giveaway will run for two week, to give every one a chance to get in on this. So I'll announce the winner on Saturday June 12th, and hears the prize!

Next Free Survival Gear Giveaway!

2011-05-07T23:43:00.000-07:00

I'm going to do the next Free Survival Gear giveaway in about a week, so make sure you stop by and check things out and see what great piece of equipment is up for grabs! Also look for "Survival in Paradise", which will have some info on what the Survival mentality is like living in Hawaii. It should be interesting.

Wow, SEAL Team takes out Bin Laden!

2011-05-02T15:03:00.000-07:00

So, Our friends in SEAL Team 6 take out Public enemy #1. In a 40 minute operation the SEAL Team gets in and takes out all his guys and takes out Bin Laden and extracts his body. Apparently he has been living in this "Mansion" in Pakistan, and they Pakistani Gov. didn't know anything about this? I can't remember the last time an operation like this was heard about! I am proud of those guys, tactical experts in a class by themselves. I don't think this will make much of a difference in terrorists hate for the United States of America, but it is good to know we don't have him to think about any more. On to the next one!

http://www.theblaze.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/pentagon-slides-3-300x300.jpg

How important is your survival community?

2011-04-17T09:49:00.000-07:00

There are many different opinions on what size group is best in a SHTF scenario. Some think individual survival is the way to go and others are prepping with their friends and family in mind, as a group, for survival. Personally, I prepare to take care of my immediate family and have a good group of survival/prepping friends who are all involved in our survival community, which has an emergency plan for different situations, in order to gain communication with each other, meeting places, bug in locations, bug-out-locations and plan to set up our area for safety and security as a group. Once an initial emergency situation has happened and the 2nd phase of your survival plan takes place, I believe it will be very beneficial to have a good group of trusted, prepared and close survival friends in your survival community. Here is a video that drives home the importance of having a group for support and security in the event you have to rely on your self and there is nobody to come to your aide. Check out this video and let me know your ideas for your survival in a SHTF event.

Crazy leftist Socialist video, calling for violence.

2011-04-08T17:45:00.000-07:00

Yes, violence is one way to solve a problem, and to most normal citizens it is the last resort. Most of the locations he mentioned were being oppressed with violence, thus they needed to use violence to fight back. Obviously it wasn’t their first choice either. It may come to it sooner than later, I know that there are many freedom loving good heart-ed Americans that will be standing next to me and most of you ready to take on this insanity. Frankly I am getting pretty tired of all of the Blatant lies and deception that are coming from all these leftist, socialist, communist folks (and where the heck did they all pop out from all of the sudden anyway?). If violence comes, like this guy wants, I am sure he will be one of the first ones to get bumped in the nose and run away. He looks like a real tuff guy calling for violence. Freedom has beaten socialism/communism before and there is a reason for that, Freedom works! I think we all know who will win this one!

Winner of our first gear giveaway

2011-03-26T23:41:00.000-07:00

I know it's Saturday but, better late than never. Had to work long yesterday. Anyway thanks everyone for getting in on the giveaway! And the winner is? MMPAINTS! Congratulations! I will get your bag sent out as soon as I get your shipping info. Just shoot me an email at kottonm@freesurvivalinfo.com with the address you want it shipped to. Thanks again for those who entered and stop by often to get into our next giveaway. I'm not sure what the item will be but it will be good! Maybe a military Camelbak? We'll have to wait and see. Coming soon.

Off Grid Food Shock "FREE EBOOK"

2011-03-20T09:58:00.000-07:00

I just received this "Food Shock Report" from Off Grid, if their is still anyone out there who thinks there isn't a food crisis on our door step, reading this report will wake them up! Please check it out in my free library at also check out off grid, they publish a monthly report with great resource info, Prepare To Survive!

Free NBC Info

2011-03-19T13:02:00.000-07:00

Here are a few Books with some great information on how to handle an NBC situation. Please check them out and comment on what you find. They are all free and down loadable. Also check out the rest of my free survival library.

1st free survival giveaway

2011-03-14T12:53:00.000-07:00

I just came up on a large lot of goodies and thought I would share the wealth. I am going to give out a free item to one of my followers. The first raffle item will be this new Marines Duffel Bag. If this works out I will be doing more. Just make sure you are following this blog and make sure to send me an email at kottonm@gmail.com with "eco survival raffle" in the subject line. I will draw for the winner on Friday March 25th and post the lucky winner by the end of the day. Thanks for supporting Survival!

8.9 earthquake in Japan! Tsunami!

2011-03-11T10:42:00.000-08:00

Wow, 2 a.m., west coast time, While I wake up to the news I see there has been an 8.9 earthquake near Japan. Which has caused a Tsunami that hit Japan and was pushing toward Japan and possibly the west coast of the U.S.. Now a possible radiation leak at one of their nuclear plants. Well if this doesn't wake people up about the possibility of a disaster nothing will. Prayers to those in Japan, and now we can add another serious situation to the pile of countries in revolution, economics troubles, rising gas and food prices. Everyone should step up their efforts to prep. things are getting crazy!

The Islamic Demolition if the Statue of Liberty?

2011-03-04T12:32:00.000-08:00

I found this article on one of my favorite blogs that I check daily, Survival-Training, here Please check them out!

When I read this it blew me away, then when I saw the link to the original site I couldn't believe it was for real. The pics are obviously photo shopped, but they give you an idea of what they would like to see happen. Please show this to everyone you can. Thanks. here is the link to the original article site

One of the founding principles of the Islamic constitution is to ensure that all sovereignty and supremacy belongs solely to God; the Shari’ah is a practical manifestation of this sovereignty and supremacy because it seeks to establish His command in society.

The status of a nation subsequently does not depend on its number, strength or technological advancement, but rather how much it submits to the commands of God. When a nation seeks to be free from such commands, then ultimately it will meet its destruction.

The Statue of Liberty, designed by Frederic Bartholdi, stands on Liberty Island in New York Harbor; representing Libertas, the Roman (false) goddess of Freedom, it is symbolic of the rebellious nature of the US constitution that elevates the command of man over the command of God.

In Islam, the public veneration of idols and statues is strictly prohibited. This has forced sincere Muslims to develop realistic plans that will aid in the removal of the Statue of Liberty.

Due to the scale of the task at hand, it is highly likely that rigorous safety checks will need to be employed before the demolition of the Statue of Liberty can commence; thus as a temporary measure, it is proposed that a large burkha is used to cover the statue, thereby shielding this horrendous eye sore from public view as well as sending a strong message to its French creators.

Post demolition, it is recommended that a minaret be built as a fitting replacement, allowing the glorification of God to be proclaimed daily as well as act as a powerful reminder of the superiority of Islam over all other ways of life.

Up comming "Bug Out" Trial Run

2011-03-03T10:33:00.000-08:00

Stay tuned, My plan is to do a trial run for a Bug-Out scenario, with myself and one of my close Survival friends. We will be "Bugging Out" at a random time within a preset 24 hr period. We will have a third party determine the time at random. When we receive the call, we will have approximately 30 min to gather our Bug Out Gear and then get into contact with each other as per our (SHTF scenario) plan. This will start with getting communication with each other via two way UHF radios then meeting at one of several predetermined locations. We will then bug out to one of our 1st stage Bug Out locations where we will set up our camp, run our scenario overnight and into the next days afternoon. Will will be giving this trial run at 100% from start to finish. We will be keeping a video log and this should be a great opportunity to gauge our plan, gear and locations to see what we should eliminate, add, change ect. Stay tuned to see how it goes. I will be posting some pics of my Bug Out Bag and its contents to get any suggestions and comments.

World Wide Chaos!

2011-02-18T08:17:00.000-08:00

Wow, how quickly the world has shifted into another gear. Not only has the Middle East gone into full on Revolution, but now the chaotic vibe has popped up in the U.S. right in Wisconsin with the teachers union protesting and conducting s sick call out because they don't want to pay a percentage on their retirement and insurance. Ah, the smell of Revolt in the morning. Along with this, all of the Democratic officials in the state have left the state covertly, in order to avoid voting on this measure, Wow!
On top of this I just saw footage of the largest solar flare that we have had in over four years, that could possibly destroy satellites all over. Well, if the shit isn't about to hit the fan I guess it never will, or is it hitting the fan already? Get Prepared!!

Get ready

2011-02-04T10:25:00.000-08:00

WOW! Look at what's going on in the world today, lets forget about North Korea, China, The US economy going to shit. Just Egypt, Tunisia, Jordan, and a few other middle east countries on the brink or actually in a full on REVOLUTION! Please get your stores of supplies to keep your family safe because at the very least we are going to be face to face with some hard times coming very soon.

Al-Qaeda Could Unleash ‘Nuclear 9/11′ |: wikileaks

2011-02-02T09:56:00.000-08:00

According to reports from the UK’s Daily Telegraph and Vancouver Sun, a number of leaked diplomatic cables warn that the terrorist group Al-Qaeda may be on the verge of producing nuclear weapons after securing radioactive materials and rogue scientists to help carry out their deadly mission.

From documents released by WikiLeaks, a “leading atomic regulator” has warned that “the world stands on the brink of a ‘nuclear 9/11,’” the Sun reports.

Security briefings suggest that jihadi groups are also close to producing “workable and efficient” biological and chemical weapons that could kill thousands if unleashed in attacks on the West. Thousands of classified American cables obtained by the WikiLeaks website and passed to The Daily Telegraph detail the international struggle to stop the spread of weapons-grade nuclear, chemical and biological material around the globe.

At a Nato meeting in January 2009, security chiefs briefed member states that al-Qaida was plotting a program of “dirty radioactive IEDs”, makeshift nuclear roadside bombs that could be used against British troops in Afghanistan. As well as causing a large explosion, a “dirty bomb” attack would contaminate the area for many years.

The briefings also state that al-Qaida documents found in Afghanistan in 2007 revealed that “greater advances” had been made in bioterrorism than was previously realized. An Indian national security adviser told American security personnel in June 2008 that terrorists had made a “manifest attempt to get fissile material” and “have the technical competence to manufacture an explosive device beyond a mere dirty bomb”.

Read the rest of the story at The Blaze here:
WikiLeaks: Al-Qaeda Could Unleash ‘Nuclear 9/11′ | The Blaze

Free Survival Book, for your Library, Must Have

2011-01-31T20:33:00.000-08:00

I found this information from one of the most informative guys on Youtube "southernprepper1" everyone should check out his channel. This is a must have for anyone who's priority is to be prepared for any type of emergency. I have it in my library here economical survival info free library
This is on an LDS (later day saints church), so it has a few thing you can edit out yourself if you don't want it. Two hundred and some odd pages of great info. A must have!

Ballistic Reality test

2011-01-21T18:19:00.000-08:00