The new site should be up next week along with fresh content.

All is well. Things are just taking longer than expected. Thank you for all the kind words for the baby. Arabella is doing great. She turned 10 weeks old today and is in perfect health.

See you next week!

Josh

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In this episode, we discuss some lessons learned from the Martinez-Zimmerman incident:

Treyvon Martin and George Zimmerman

• No one appoints you
• Danger doesn’t have a look
• Situations don’t end when you think they do
• Everything is recorded and will be used against you
• Things can change in an instant
• Action is key but jumping to conclusions is dangerous

photo from NYDailyNews.com

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Everything is transitioning over there.

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The auction is for 1 of these flashlights. Auction ends 2/1/12 at noon.

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Check out Survival Training Online!

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Merry Christmas!

As I sit and write this, the predawn glow is just starting. I have no idea why I’m up this early. I hate mornings. But the peace and quiet lets me think.

It’s been a rough, expensive couple of months. But everyone is healthy. My wife was involved in a few of those “rough, expensive” spots, but she’s perfectly fine. She’s healthy. Baby is healthy.

Isn’t that what really matters?

Think about what it would be like if your family wasn’t there. Think about what it would be like if the stuff wasn’t there. I’m sure the thought of the first one stings more than the second one.

Appreciate your family while you have them. They grow up, they move away, they die. And it happens in an instant.

You don’t know what next Christmas will be like. You don’t now who will be there. You don’t know who won’t.

Give everyone an extra hug this year.

Merry Christmas!

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Have  merry and safe Christmas!

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The Harvest shelving system from Shelf Reliance

Today’s topics:

Get food

• Store what you eat and eat what you store
• Do you really need long term food storage
• But what about MREs?
• Build a deep bench: copy can your way to a full pantry

Store food

• “Automated” systems
• FIFO – back to front
• FIFO – shelf to shelf

Other food storage tips

• Label everything
• Track everything
• Beat the hell out of sales
• Have a way to cook your food
• Have another way to cook your food! PACE

Other food storage articles

When food storage goes bad

Crisis Preparedness Handbook – a great food storage primer (affiliate link)

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Do you have a SHTF METL? A SETL?

A METL is a Mission Essential Task List. A SETL is a Survival Essential Task List, and yes, I just made that up.

I know an organization whose bread and butter is training. They believe that training is what they do, not something they do. One of the keys to proper training is training the proper thing. To do that, you have to plan and track your training.

Image: Rawich / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Today’s topics:

• Who are the PROs when it comes to training?
• What is a METL?
• What is your mission?
• Planning methodology / the training cycle
• Complex tasks vs simple tasks
• What’s on your SETL?

Resources:

• Joint Mission Essential Task List (JMETL) development
• Combat Lifesaver Manual PDF
• http://www.2ndbn5thmar.com/TrainM/howtometl.pdf
• http://armyrotc.msu.edu/resources/FM7-1BattleFocusedTraining.pdf

Image: Rawich / FreeDigitalPhotos.net 

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Propaganda! There is a lot of hype and spin out there. You might not even realize it! But you need to start looking for it. People are using it against you. They are using it to create fear and using that fear to make you do things for them. It’s sad but the “news” sites we go to for prepper info are some of the worst culprits.

Image: seaskylab / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Today’s topics:

• Know your source
• Expecting hype
• Risk aversion is in your nature
• “Pentagon to Detail Troops to Bolster Domestic Security“
• “Pentagon Deploying 20,000 Troops Within The United States To Prepare For Civil Unrest In Event Of Economic Collapse“
• 20,000 new troops vs the 2.9 million we already have
• Oath Keepers got punked

The moral of the story: read a little deeper, investigate on your own, and come to your own conclusions

Image: seaskylab / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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In this episode, we discuss the role of weapons in a bug out. This is an entry level episode. You may have a different solution. You may have a different outlook. That’s great! Remember that this is for people just getting started.

Image: Surachai / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Today’s topics:

• The role of a firearm in an emergency
• Firearm selection for emergencies
• What would you should with your emergency firearm?
• How much ammo should you pack?
• Should you bring extra magazine?
• What else should I put in my bug out bag?

Related posts:

1. GP!P 66 – Water filtration in your bug out bag? I’ve seen a lot of videos with people not carrying...
2. GP!P 49 – Bugging Out Part 2 Now we’re going to talk about the WHEN portion of...
3. GP!P 51 – Bugging Out Part 3 The WHY of Bugging Out. Here in Part 3, we...

No video? Click here.

Yesterday, @SelfReliantInfo asked me about  maintaining self-discipline on #preppertalk. I did my best to explain my approach in a couple 140 character messages. But it simply didn’t get the job done. I figured it deserved a whole show.

Image: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Today’s topics:

• Self-discipline: what is it?
• Carrot or stick? Or both?
• Big carrots or little carrots?
• You are a reflection of your group
• Build the habit
• Be accountable to yourself
• Accept failure

Image: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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MREs

Today, we are going to talk about why MREs are the perfect food for your basic BOB (bug out bag). Are there better options out there? There no such thing as the perfect answer. So only you can answer whether or not there there is a better option for you.

MREs have 3 big benefits: they complete, compact, and crappy.

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3. GP!P 68 – How to pick your bug out gear How to pick out your bug out gear In the...

Warning: spoilers galore!

Video link

In this episode we’ll discuss the mid-season finale of the Walking Dead. Not a bad episode, but it didn’t live up to the build up. After two slow episodes, I had hoped for more. It was the best recent episode. I want the writers from season 1!

Today’s topics:

• What is compromise worth?
• Can a group have two alphas?
• What is the value of another man’s property?
• Does “but I need it” hold any weight?
• Why do the weak follow knuckleheads?
• What do you do with a rabid dog when the dog was your best friend?
• Is Shane’s position any different from the Occupy movement?

Related posts:

1. GP!P 73 – Extra Thoughts: Episode 202 of the Walking Dead I just wanted to do a quick add on to...
2. GP!P81 – Thanksgiving, emergency ethics, and Walking Dead 206 (Click here if there is no podcast player.) Happy Thanksgiving!...
3. GP!P 75 – Walking Dead 203 and the question of the week Shane: hero, psycho, or psycho hero? Warning: spoilers spoilers spoilers...

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you are having a great holiday and are surviving Black Friday!

What can I say about the last episode of the Walking Dead?

The show sucked!

Video link

This is why we watch the show! Not the drama!

It shouldn’t have been called “The Walking Dead”. I have a list of more accurate names:

• As the Zombie Lurches
• Guiding Zombies
• 1 Unlife to Unlive
• The Dead and the Zombified

I’m un-apologizing to the writers. I understand that there are soap opera writers out of work, but that doesn’t justify what they are doing to the show. It’s as bad as the latest Bond movies… friggan chick flicks!

I don’t even want to talk about this episode!

But I will weave some threads together connecting The Walking Dead, TEOTWAWKI, and Thanksgiving. Then I’m going to take that tapestry, flip it over, and show you a picture of emergency ethics.

Topics covered:

• What are ethics?
• Where do ethics come from?
• How do ethics evolve?
• Do ethics have to DEVOLVE during an emergency?
• How does Batman do it?

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3. GP!P 75 – Walking Dead 203 and the question of the week Shane: hero, psycho, or psycho hero? Warning: spoilers spoilers spoilers...

Who is FerFal?

The Modern Survivalist

Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is 31 years old and lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with his wife and two children. He started writing about urban survivalism after experiencing first hand the socioeconomic collapse of his country in 2001. The everyday experience of living in Argentina after the collapse provides Fernando a wealth of experience that he shares with his readers through his blog and book.

from The Modern Survivalist

Who is Selco?

SHTF School

My name is Selco and I am from the Balkan region, and as some of you may know it was hell here from 92-95, anyway, for 1 whole year i lived and survived in a city WITHOUT: electricity, fuel,running water,real food distribution, or distribution of any goods, or any kind of organized law or government.

The city was surrounded for 1 year and in that city actually it was SHTF situation. We were all thrown into this and our allies were our enemies from one day to the next. Today I’m prepared but I learned a lot going through this hard time.

from SHTF School

 Topics

• The value of money after a collapse
• The value of precious metal after a collapse
• Urban vs Rural vs Semi-rural locations
• Effects of economic collapse vs governmental collapse
• Conceal your location or secure your location
• What happens when there are no police

Social

Contact Us
Got Prep! on Twitter
Got Prep! on iTunes

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Image: taoty / FreeDigitalPhotos.ne

Is joining the military a shortcut to better preparedness?

It is not uncommon for someone to ask me if I think they should join the military. I can’t answer that question. That’s a personal decision.

I can tell you whether or not you can join. The military is strict. They aren’t taking the dregs of society any more.

Joining the military

Let’s do the math. You get 4 – 8 months of training (generally speaking). They pay you the whole time. You get full medical coverage. Then, for the rest of your 4-6 year enlistment, you get sent all over the world and maybe shot at.

Is the risk worth it? You have to be there for more than the training.

Staying a civilian

You can live your life.

You can find someone to give you training.

You can find someone to buy training from.

We’ll discuss this and more in today’s episode.

Image: taoty / FreeDigitalPhotos.ne

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TECH ISSUE WITH PODCAST. IT WILL BE FIXED BY THIS EVENING. THANKS FOR GIVING ME A HEADS UP, @MXXINGU!

THE PODCAST IS FIXED! DON’T DO TECH STUFF WHEN YOU’RE HALF ASLEEP!

Is there a good way to apologize for shooting someone in the head?

Link to video

They aren't trying out for Thriller

Walking Dead episode 205

Well, there went the whole Swiss Family Robinson thing! The group cohesion from the last episode has been crushed. Things are getting tense between the original members and between the two groups.

There wasn’t a lot of action in this episode of The Walking Dead. (At least we know where the zombies are!) It felt like another episode that’s building up to a bigger event. C’mon! Get to the event. Do something!

Seriously, here’s what they accomplished. Everyone has managed to piss off at least one other person. They damn near killed Daryl. And what do that have to show for it? They found a doll.

Like I said: not much really happened. Is this Glengarry Glen Ross? Quit talking and shoot something in the head… and make it a zombie instead of Daryl.

I took the bait

I guess I should lighten up on the writers. Merle didn’t return. I really thought they were bringing him back. But it was all just a dream.

The writing is getting better or at least more interesting. The whole Merle thing could have been a lazy shocker but they made it interesting. And how about the barn? I don’t care how cute that little farm girl is… I’d be getting the hell out of there!

Cracks showing in our little group of survivors

1 team, 1 leader

The writers really rubbed our face in this one. Some people respect Rick as their unofficial leader. Some lie to his face. And another disobeys a direct order and nearly kills a team mate.

Rick tried to get Shane to open by talking about the glory days. It worked and it showed us one of the real issues. Shane used to be the big man. Now he is playing second fiddle to Rick.

For a group to function, it needs a leader who leads and followers who follow. I think that is one of the biggest benefits of teaming up with military folks. They get it.

Our group doesn’t get it. In emergencies, doing your own thing can get people killed. Waiting for group consensus because you don’t have a leader can get people killed.

2 groups means 2 sets of rules and 2 sets of values (or more)

Not only is the group coming apart at the seams, it looks like Rick’s group and Hershel’s group are going to do more than butt heads. There will always be some friction when two groups come together. There are different rules, manners, traditions, etc. But this goes way beyond that.

Where do I even start?!

I could start by talking about how someone is sleeping with the farmer’s daughter. Let me tell you: farmers don’t like that. I could talk about Daryl borrowing Hershel’s horse without asking. But I’m going to start with the locked barn.

What could be worse than taking the farmer’s daughter for a roll in the hay? Using your hay barn for zombie storage! This may be an interesting plot development. But it is certainly going to be a big issue between the groups.

Let’s pretend that there’s a logical reason to fill a barn with “live” zombies. Should Hershel even have to explain himself? Why is it anyone else’s business?

How many beliefs do you have that another group would find crazy? How do you justify a set of rules to someone with very different beliefs? Do you resort to using the almighty “or else”? Are you willing to actually follow through?

What are you going to do about the zombies in your barn? I’m going to keep my zombies secret because they’re none of your damn business. I’m not going to let you get that close.

Group vs network

I’ve said this before. I’ll say it again and again and again. Build a small group and a huge network. That would have been the perfect solution for our survivors.

Rick’s group is mostly functional now that they’ve lost some dissenters. Hershel’s group seemed to get along great. Rick wants to join up and form a bigger group. Hershel wants to send them away and stay isolated. The middle ground is where they need to be.

Hershel could have kept his group separate and helped Rick set up his group some where relatively nearby. They don’t have to live by the same rules. They don’t have to like each other. Every interaction from then on out could have been 100% business. But they would have had that network there.

Everyone could have pulled resources to try to find the missing girl, but no one would have been poking around (that is a pun) and finding things that were supposed to be hidden.

No man is an island and no survival group is an archipelago. I can network and build bridges and still be the king of my castle.

A question for you

Why don’t you network more? Are you afraid? I thought preparedness was about defeating your fears.

Related posts:

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Image: Damian Brandon / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

In today’s episode, we will cover  some of the perceived differences between military and civilian survival mindsets. This is a response/review of Bob Mayne’s episode and FerFal’s article on the topic. I think they’re right if they replace “military” with “internet commando”. Bob Mayne does this some but then goes back to comparing civilians and the military.

Selco’s SHTF School

Topics:

• 7.62 vs 5.56
• who has a more relaxed Rules of Engagement?
• who has a better 72 hour kit?
• survival weapons and the main battle rifle
• the 600 meter shot
• training your family
• avoid confrontation

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