Daily Survival Blog - Prepare

Review: Rawles Gets You Ready Preparedness Course

2010-02-08T10:37:00.001-05:00

Before we start, I would like to thank Paul for donating his copy of the "Rawles Gets You Ready Preparedness Course" - now if I could get more readers to donate books and other related preparedness products for review I'd be set.

I admit being a little surprised when I opened the package. I was surprised that the "book" was nothing but 200 plus pages of 20 bound 8.5×11 copy paper printed on one side.

At first I thought Paul had simply sent a copy of the book, which would have been fine with me - but after doing more research, I quickly realized that this is the configuration as shipped from the publisher.

One thing is certain; The Rawles Gets You Ready Preparedness Course, isn't short on wasted space or paper. By printing on both sides of the paper, length could have been cut in half. Font size is also larger than needed as is spacing between lines.

With proper editing and formatting the 200 or so pages, of The Rawles Gets You Ready Preparedness Course could easily be reduced to less than 100. To be honest if I had paid the asking price of $149.95, plus $12 shipping for this "course" I would have felt violated, ripped off and lied to.

As for the quality and usefulness of the information, I didn't see anything dangerous or out of line, but I didn't see anything extraordinary either. Just an overblown shopping list for a trip to Costco with tidbits of information that can easily be found for free on the web.

Don't get me wrong Rawles has some good information on his web site and his other book "How To Survive The End Of The World As We Know It" at $11.47 is much better. My advice is, stay clear of The Rawles Gets You Ready Preparedness Course - if you're a Rawles groupie, I suggest his other book instead.

Have you read The Rawles Gets You Ready Preparedness Course? What did you think? Was it worth the asking price?

Family Preparedness Guide

2010-02-08T10:30:00.032-05:00

It looks like James Talmage Stevens author of the popular preparedness book Making The Best of Basics, has started blogging over at the Family Preparedness Guide go on over and take a look at what they have to offer.

Letter Reply: Communications For The Bug-Out Bag

2010-02-08T10:20:00.003-05:00

Hey, just want to tell you that was a nice, well written article on bug-out radios (which also applies to retreat radios). It wasn't so far in depth as to lose people and wasn't too high level to be useless. Honestly, it was just right.

At my retreat, we chose to use FRS radios. The reasons were:

1) You can get them real cheap right now used on eBay. The price for used FRS is so low, its easy to buy extras to cover possible breakages. We also all got the same model, so we're compatible for parts.

2) Since this retreat is under 100 acres, we didn't need the range of GMRS. FRS covers our entire retreat, plus the neighboring properties we collaborate with on security. Keeping the range down is better for OPSEC and extends battery life.

3) We did pick up a pair of GMRS/FRS base stations to run in our TOC. One is kept on the FRS "channel of the day" we use at the retreat, the other is set to scan GMRS/FRS channels for radio chatter in our area. They can also be used to communicate with neighbors outside the FRS range. We also keep a CB in the TOC for that purpose.

It may sound like we are going to be radio-chatty, but it's far from the truth. We're all ex-military and have OPSEC drilled into our heads. We have a dozen surplus field phones that will actually be our primary comms to our OP/LPs and immediate neighbors (with an old surplus SB22 switchboard in the TOC tying them all together). The radios are only for when a field phone isn't available (such as when patrolling), or if things suddenly "go tactical". And even then the cadre is already well drilled in only broadcasting when necessary and using brevity codes.

The one problem we haven't solve yet is battery recharging. It's simple if you're talking one or two radios, such as in a bug-out situation like your article described (there are good portable solar chargers available). But in the case where you've got a full cadre, with all adults carrying a radio on their belt, with TOC base stations running 24x7, and with other devices also needing batteries (AA's for night vision, D's for field phones, etc.), you can imagine how the small 4-battery solar chargers aren't nearly enough.

What we need is a design for a large-volume battery charger that runs off full-sized solar panels. The design should:

1) Hold 18-24 batteries for simultaneous charging.

2) Charge all batteries in under 10 hours, thus completing the charge in one day.

Problem is:

1) What size solar panel?

2) What electronics are needed to first step down the solar panel's power to charge 1.5 volt batteries, and second to control potential over-charging?

With this design, retreats can build one, two, or more of these recharging arrays … depending on the number of 1.5 volt batteries they need recharged in a given day.

It'd be great if you would put this out to your readers as a challenge. There's bound to be a smart electrical engineer out there who can design it for us and let you post the design on your web site. I put this same challenge to "the other survival site" last fall, but never got a response. I think it would help out a lot of folks.

Last thing, it might be good to mention to your readers that the privacy codes available on most FRS radios don't actually hide your chatter. They actually filter out everyone else's chatter on that channel who isn't set to your privacy code, so you don't hear them. It does nothing to "privatize" your own broadcasts. If someone sets their privacy code to "0" (no privacy code), they will hear all chatter on that channel, regardless if the others have a privacy code set.

Well again, good article on Bug Out Radios! Appreciate it if you would put the large-volume solar battery charger challenge out to your readers … let's see what they come up with.

Cheers,

Paul

Your Tax Dollars at Work

2010-02-08T10:00:00.000-05:00

This was sent by a reader, I found it amusing - may be you will too.

New AR-15 assault rifles for the department $1,500.00 each.

Training time $100.00 per officer.

Picture on front page of the local paper with the female officer standing in full view, not using any cover, and with the magazine in backwards......PRICELESS!

What Did You Do To Prep This Week?

2010-02-06T11:40:00.002-05:00

Many of you suggested we bring back the weekly "What Did You Do To Prep This Week" segment of the blog. I think this is a good idea. Seeing what others are doing to further their preparedness can give ideas and encouragement to those still procrastinating. Or set the idea wheels spinning for those of us who have been in this for a while.

We should all strive to do something, even if it is only something small, each week to better our preparedness level. While it may be impossible or at least unrealistic for most of us to put away a case of ammo and 500 pounds of hard red winter wheat each week, it should be our goal to do something, no matter how small, to increase our level of preparedness.

For instance; This week I went through the contents of my bug-out bag (if I'm forced to retreat from my homestead by a superior force) I try to do this at least two times per year adding and replacing contents as needed while at the same time looking for weakness in the system and correcting any potential problems.

This morning while looking around a local thrift store, I spotted four unopened boxes of 12 Ball Quart Wide Mouth Jars with corresponding lids and rings. When I inquired as to price the attendant smiled and said I could have all four boxes plus the lids and rings for $15. I'm sure these will come in handy at harvest time.

Expanding the larder this week I bought 1 gallon of apple cider vinegar, some more spices and several rolls of aluminum foil. I also bought and transferred another 100 pounds of dog food into rodent proof containers - my dogs are very important for security. Failing to provide for their needs would be a huge oversight on my part.

Well that pretty much does it for me this week - but the question remains what did you do to prep this week?

Two-Way Radio Communications For The Bug-Out Bag

2010-02-04T10:56:00.004-05:00

I know what you're thinking - great another article dedicated to the bug-out bag. And I agree, over last couple of weeks I've been preoccupied with this bugging out business. First we talked about children during a bug-out, then guns for the bug-out bag and here we go again with communications for the bug-out bag.

Trust me, I'm not turning the survivalist blog into another head for the hills bug-out site. I've had these ideas for sometime and originally planned to space the articles over several months, but since everyone seems to be interested in this subject, I've decided to go ahead and post my thoughts.

An area I haven't seen discussed in much detail is communications for the bug-out bag. Let me tell you before we start, that I'm not a radio geek and I'm sure some of you know more about radio communications than I do. That is why I've opened this discussion to give my thoughts and give readers a chance to share theirs.

A means of communication between members of your bug-out group could prove important or even be the difference between life and death. Members of your group could become separated or wounded while away from base camp or you may need a means of communication when coordinating offensive and defensive maneuvers.

The first consideration should be range and type of radio. Keep in mind that advertised ranges of 10 to 30 miles for the General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) band radios are under ideal conditions, conditions that seldom exist in the real world. Actual range is often much less.

The average output for the hand-held GMRS band radios is around 1-2 watts. I'm not sure if this can be adjusted or if it is a fixed wattage set by the manufacturer? If anyone knows for sure we would like to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

Legally to operate a radio using GMRS channels 1-7 and 15-22, you'll need to get a license issued by the FCC, although you do not need a license before purchasing a GMRS-capable two-way radios.

Family Radio Service (FRS) models are lower power units that operate with a half watt of power. They can transmit on 7 FRS channels and 7 shared FRS/GMRS channels (channels 1-7) for a total of 14 channels. No license is required to operate this type radio - the downside is limited range when compared with GMSR.

Variable power would be a good option. If you are talking a few yards you don't want to waste your batteries by broadcasting at full power 100% of the time.(Note) any radio—even if it has 2 watts of power—automatically switches down to a half-watt when operating on the 7 FRS-specific channels.

A variable power option will allow you to adjust output depending on the situation, saving power and lowering the possibility of your communications being monitored by a third and possible hostile party.

During an extended emergency having charged batteries will become a concern (also an excellent barter item). Most two-way radios run on standard AA or AAA batteries, these are small, light and cheap - perfect for building the cache.

When stocking up on batteries it's best to keep the one-size-fits-all concept in mind if possible. In other words try to standardize your lights, AM/FM/ shortwave, two-way radios and other devices so they use only one battery size - preferably AA.

Rechargeable's and compatible solar chargershould be considered. I would stay away from the Wal-Mart Rayovac green rechargeable's, I've had much better luck and extended usage from the Duracell Nickel Metal Hydride rechargeable's they have lasted nearly twice as long.

I've purposely avoided suggesting makes and models of two-way radios for the bug-out bag, because there are so many choices with new models coming out nearly every day, my suggestions would quickly become dated and I only have experience with a limited number of models.

Feel free to add your thoughts and recommendations in the comments below.

Emergency Seed Bank Sale

2010-02-04T10:30:00.000-05:00

I just got word that Emergency Seed bank is having a 2 for 1 seed bank sale. What was normally $119 for a seed bank is now $119 for 2. I've dealt with this company before and totally recommend their product (I have 5 of their seed vaults).

Survival Questions Answered

2010-02-02T09:54:00.001-05:00

Today we are going to do something different, some of you suggested we have a question and answerer day - where you pose a question related to survival and I or other readers answerer in the comments below.

Depending on how it goes, we could make this a weekly feature here on The Survivalist Blog.

Remember your questions need to be survival / preparedness related - food storage, gear, firearms, homesteading, foraging anything really as long as it will help you and others become better prepared.

Enough of the preliminaries - lets get started. Ask your nagging survival queries in the comments below.

The Tactical Advantage Set - Gabriel Suarez

2010-02-01T08:47:00.004-05:00

I'd like to thank the folks at Paladin Press for donating this book and video set for review. Paladin offers a huge selection of books and videos not found anywhere else - I suggest you check them out to see what they have to offer. And don't forget to mention the survivalist blog when you place an order.

Since several readers stated they would like to see more book and product reviews here on the survivalist blog, I've decided to make Monday review day. Each Monday I will post reviews of a survival related products. I hope this will help you make better decisions with your purchases, saving you both time and money.

If any advertisers have products they would like to have reviewed feel free to contact me. However be forewarned, I only give honest reviews - if your product is low quality or not of practical use to my readers, I will state the fact in my review. Don't expect a favorable review just because you donated a product - do expect an honest review.

Now that we have that out of the way, let's get on with the business at hand. As many of you know I'm a fan of Gabriel Suarez his Kalashnikov Rifle Gunfighting video was excellent and I highly recommend it for owners of this extraordinary rifle. His books and videos are easy to understand, of high quality and he actually knows what he is talking about.

The Tactical Advantage Book/video Set can be purchased separately but since Paladin sent the book and video as a set, that's the way I'll review them here.

Don't buy this set expecting to learn the fundamentals of handgun and use. This isn't basic instruction, if you don't have a strong foundation and understanding of the basics such as safety, shooting positions, site picture, trigger control and other fundamentals in-place, my advice is skip this set and concentrate on the basics before moving to more advanced techniques.

The goal is to teach you to move safely through, and clear a building. Suarez shows you how to navigate corners, clear T-intersections and doorways, traverse stairwells, clear rooms and a host of other skills needed to clear a structure under hostile conditions .

This is a great set and should be required viewing for any one interested in personal defense, from the homeowner investigating a suspicious sound in the night, to the police officer or military operative searching for a bad between the walls.

No matter how skilled or tactical you are - moving through a structure searching for an armed opponent is extremely dangerous and there are no guarantees that you will make it out alive or unscathed.

In most instances when a homeowner hears a suspicious sound or expects an intruder it is best to stay put. Find cover and, or concealment, facing the door with your weapon at the ready and if possible call the police. Just be sure of your target when you pull the trigger.

I think this set would benefit the homeowner or survivalist most is during an escape. Sometimes you may need to get out of the dwelling and away from danger. The techniques and strategies presented will work just as effectively while escaping from a structure as during a search.

Rawles Gets You Ready Preparedness Course

2010-02-01T08:04:00.001-05:00

I would like to thank Paul for donating his copy of the "Rawles Gets You Ready Preparedness Course" - look for a review here next Monday.

We Have a Winner!

2010-02-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

It was incredibly difficult, but I've managed to select a winner for the review for link back contest: The prize goes to Pay With Ammo for his straight forward and honest review of my free ebook. Your free copy of When Technology Fails by Matthew Stein will be mailed today. Thank you.

Selecting Guns For the Bug-Out Bag

2010-01-30T16:06:00.003-05:00

Many of you know but I'm not a big fan of the bug-out survival strategy. In a nutshell you're voluntarily becoming, a refugee, but looking at the recent disasters in New Orleans and Haiti it is obvious that some sort of bug-out bag and strategy is not only feasible but required for anyone who is prepared.

A few days ago we talked about bugging out with children and several months ago I went into detail about my bug-out strategy and contents of my bug-out bag.

When reading such lists it is important to keep in mind that any list is only a suggestion. Everyone should look at their skills, situation and location and plan accordingly.

No two bug-out strategies will be the same nor will the content of the bug-out bag.

Today we will take a quick look at choosing firearms for the bug-out bag. Anytime, I mention firearms or survival guns I get flooded with comments from readers giving their suggestions and advise.

I hope this post will elicit such a response. If you have suggestions or questions, by all means feel free to post them in the comments below.

Please keep in mind that we are only discussing the head for the hills concept here and not the other possibilities available to the survivor.

Most survivors will suggest a .22 caliber rifle and often this is a prudent choice. A .22 caliber rifle can take small game as well as larger game such as deer with proper shot placement.

For foraging purposes, firearms such as the Remington International 410 Ga/22 LR Over & Under are difficult to beat. With the addition of the 410 Ga shotgun being a significant advantage over having just to 22 LR.

22 LR ammunition is cheap and lightweight when compared to other rounds and packing several thousand rounds in a bug-out bag isn't out of the question.

Another advantage is relatively low report especially when using CB caps and the ability to be effectively silenced with a homemade sound suppressor.

Just remembered that such a device is illegal without proper government approval and will land you behind bars if caught, and is suggested here for a worst case scenario only.

The downside of the .22 Long rifle round is limited range, penetration and stopping power when used in a self-defense mode.

I suggest a backup handgun chambered for a cartridge suitable for self-defense . I would not go below a 9 mm or 38 special here. Anything less powerful isn't sufficient.

Even with a 9 mm and 38 special, I would seriously consider using only the + P rounds such as the 115 or 124 grain JHP +P in the 9 mm or 158-grain lead semi-wadcutter hollowpoint .38 Special +P for defensive purposes .

Your location would also determine weapons selection. For example those bugging-out in grizzly country should definitely consider something more powerful than the aforementioned 9 mm or 38 special.

My first choice for protection against such large game would be a centerfire rifle chambered for 30.06 or larger. My second choice would be a magnum revolver with a 5.5" to 7.5" barrel chambered for .44 Magnum or larger.

I think it is wise to avoid any armed confrontation if possible. Trust me you are not a coward if you avoid the possibility of being shot in the head.

You are not expendable - neither are the lives of your family or those in your bug-out group. Those with the macho kill 'em all attitude will not last very long.

With that being said, a semi-auto military type rifle could be considered especially if you are trying to get from an urban area to the country, where facing organized gangs or other threats attempting to block your exit could be a possibility.

An AR-15 with collapsible buttstock or folding stocked AK could help get you out of a dangerous situation.

If you enjoyed this post please consider signing up to receive free updates by RSS or email.

What are your thoughts or choices for bug-out firearms? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below...

Reader Feedback

2010-01-28T20:35:00.001-05:00

It’s time for a reader question - How can I make The Survivalist Blog more useful for you?

I plan to ask readers this question every six months to a year in an effort to keep improving the blog and making it more effective in helping to improve your survival preps.

Everyone has an idea of what they feel is most important, strong points and those that need improvement. That is what todays post is about, what do you like about this site and how would you improve it? So here are some areas you might like to comment on:

Topics - are there topics (specific or general) you’d like covered in the coming months?

Types of Posts - reader questions, tutorials, short tips, guest posts, book reviews, news links…. what do you want to see most/least?

Posting Frequency - too many posts, not enough, just right?

Design - do you like the layout of the blog? Is it easy to navigate? Easy to Read?

Community - do you feel you connect well with other readers?

Other Ideas and Feedback - anything goes, big or small.

The ‘Rules’ - Any feedback or suggestions that you have are welcome. I can’t promise to respond to each comment or put every suggestion into place I make a commitment to you to read anything you have to say.

Please refrain from the you stink and the you are great type comments, I want to know why you think the blog is great or stinks...

So it’s over to you. Feel free to either leave your feedback in comments below or to share them privately with me via email.

Bugging Out With Children

2010-01-28T09:30:00.008-05:00

M.D. - I have been asked this question and I wonder if we could get your feed back?

A family with children, say 6 to 10 years old, male and female parent. If they have to leave for 2 days or a little more before they can come back, what should they have in each bag to get through?

Thought I would ask, I have my thoughts but input would be good.

Thank you, OLD SCHOOL

That depends on the bug-out location, weather, overall health of the group and other factors. Realistically a group of healthy individuals could make it just fine with nothing but the clothes on their back (2-3 days) weather permitting.

However it wouldn't be much fun, at least not for you, when the spouse and kids are screaming at you, because of their discomfort and your lack of preparation.

The first consideration should be climate. If cold pack your bug-out bag accordingly - thermal underwear, coats, gloves, headgear, insulated boots, sleeping bags etc. Warm weather - sunscreen, shorts, tee-shirts, extra water, snake bite kit etc.

Your second consideration should be the health of your group. If everyone is healthy great, if not you will need to figure out how to provide for their needs.

For some, this could be as simple as packing enough blood pressure medication to make it through. Others may require full time medical assistance and, or medications and related equipment.

Under stressful situations it is important for you to appear relaxed, confident and in control of the situation - even if you are a shaking bag of nerves on the inside. The last thing children need is extra stress brought about by a tense and out of control parent.

Another consideration is familiarity. During a bug-out situation you will be away from home this can be extremely stressful especially for children. It is important to eliminate as much of the stress of unfamiliarity as possible.

If they have a favorite blanket, pillow, stuffed toy or whatever gives them comfort and protection be sure to pack it before heading out the door. This is very important.

Children tend to bore easily, so adding things to extinguish their boredom is a good idea. You may want to put together a pack just for them, consisting of toys, books and games. Don't forget extra batteries.

You will of course want to pack the basics - food, water, first-aid, extra socks and underwear, toothpaste and brush, toilet paper, baby wipes, hand sanitizer etc...

If you have other bug-out advice for Old School please share with us in the comments below.

Related Post:
The Grab And Go Survival Pack

Review For Linkback

2010-01-28T09:29:00.005-05:00

Here’s another batch of reviews for the review my ebook contest. A big thank you to everyone who submitted a review - every review gets a linkback from The Survivalist Blog (if you follow the rules).

I hope you enjoy reading the reviews as much as I did. Comments are welcome. If you haven’t entered the contest, there’s still time. Go here for the details.

Full Feed RSS Enabled! Subscribe Now!

2010-01-28T09:29:00.004-05:00

This is my second blatant attempt to get more people to subscribe to my RRS feed (now at 2,008 readers). The RSS feed is now a full feed. That means you can read my blog directly from RSS without having to come here. The RSS feed has no advertising.

Collapse - It's coming are you ready?

2010-01-28T09:28:00.002-05:00

Huge Tax Hikes Coming
U.S. Households Struggle to Afford Food: Survey

Massive Depression In America: Poverty Levels Near 30%
Job Cuts Get Brutal: Sprint, Pfizer, Home Depot, Caterpillar
Chinese Takeover Of America
10,000 Laid Off Now At Sams Club

I'll Be Back

2010-01-27T13:02:00.000-05:00

Look for my regular posting later this afternoon - I've got to go two counties to the north to help out a friend. It seems a tree fell across the top of his house, doing some major damage in the process. Fortunately no one was hurt, he just needs help repairing the damage.

Thanks to The Survivalist Blog Sponsors!

2010-01-26T14:35:00.000-05:00

Just a quick note to say thanks to the sponsors who allow us to strive for bigger and better things for you, The Survivalist Blog audience. Pay them a visit to see what they have to offer, won’t you?

Paladin Press

Ready Made Resources

The Ready Store

Emergency Essentials

Security Pro U.S.A.

Red Barn Workshop

Precision Brass

Lucky Survival

The Emergency Seed Bank

Emergency Medical Corps

Safecastle LLC

St. Paul Mercantile

Lucky Gunner Ammo

Camping and Survival

Directive21

Prepared Planet

Best Prices Storable Foods

We’re currently all filled up for sponsorships at this point, but if you would like to get on the waiting list, go to the advertising page for contact information.

Thanks again!

Do You Have a Post-TEOTWAWKI Trade?

2010-01-25T13:22:00.010-05:00

Mr. Creekmore,

I am a regular reader of your Survival Blog and appreciate your insights, advice and hard work.

As you too are a recent reader of Mr. Rawle's How to survive teotwawki, I was wondering what your opinion is of his admonition that everyone should have an "iron age occupation" to fall back on?

For my part, I am a novice beekeeper and intend to sell/trade honey (and its attendant by-products: wax candles, mead, etc.). I am also learning about brewing beer, and I am trying to gain knowledge and experience in making traditional Cherokee-style moccasins. I share 5 acres of my land with a truck farmer and there will be an increased need for food in the upcoming years even if there is no quick-slide SHTF situation, and I will use food production to the economic advantage of me and mine as well.

Just out of curiosity, I was wondering what your fallback iron age occupation is?

Thanks, and I look forward to your response.

Gallowglass

Gallowglass, one area where James Rawle's and I disagree is what will happen after economic collapse. From what I've gathered reading his writings - he believes the government at all levels will simply go away or cease to exist, after such an economic event.

If we look at history we see that this isn't realistic. As I've said before governments do not relinquish power easily and economic collapse will not guarantee an end to government. I know this is a survivalist wet-dream but in reality it's not very realistic.

For example let's look at The Great Depression of the 1930s , Russian collapse of 1998 , Argentine economic crisis (1999–2002), Zimbabwe etc., as bad things were, each had one thing in common - government did not go away and often became more oppressive and controlling.

Besides more oppressive governmental control, massive unemployment and a decrease of GDP after economic collapse, we will likely see a redistribution of resources (they take what you have and distribute it among themselves or others) an increase of violent crime and home invasion, more drug abuse, prostitution and vice, starvation among the poor and a lower standard of living for all but the wealthy.

Another area where I tend to disagree with many survival planners is that after an economic collapse, we will suddenly revert to early 19th century technology and way of life. This idea has long been popular with Kurt Saxon and others but again it's not very realistic when we look at recent history for example.

Economic collapse is not a time machine that will send us back to the past. So don't expect to get rich pounding on a blacksmith anvil, sewing coats from raw hide, fur trapping, crafting wooden barrels or wagon-wheels etc. These skills are good to learn on a personal level just don't expect the world to beat a path to your door...

So what trades, skill and jobs do I think will be viable after economic collapse?

Anything to do with food production, private security, medicine, alternative power, day labor / odd jobs (a lot of competition for available work), transportation (charge a fee to take several of people from point A to point B), repair, prostitution and drug dealing and manufacturing (not recommended for obvious reasons) etc.

While I can't list every conceivable opportunity here - I don't know your situation or skill set, it is a simple matter to research and brainstorm ideas. You may need to combine two or more trades in order meet your needs. For instance; you could sell/trade honey, work part time as a private security guard or perform day labor as opportunity becomes available.

Remember the more self-reliant you are the less dependent you will be on outside sources for income to supply your needs. If you can produce your own food, liquor do your own repairs etc., there will be less need to barter for outside sources for these items. Self-reliance is key.

My fallback occupation(S) plan isn't much different from what I do now. Reloading, gunsmith services, odd jobs, repair work, selling / bartering extra garden produce and egg production.

Keep in mind that we've been talking about economic collapse here, life after say a worldwide plague, cosmic impact, supervolcano, nuclear exchange or similar event will be different and could in fact send us back to the stone-age or similar. Plan accordingly.

Do you have a Post-TEOTWAWKI trade? What is it?

Survival and Emergency Preparedness Information

2010-01-23T21:53:00.000-05:00

1,737,898 bytes of free survival and emergency preparedness information - everything from first-aid, food and shelter. Break out the printer.

Reader Feedback

2010-01-23T19:30:00.000-05:00

Mr. Creekmore: I don't have a blog or any kind of url to link back to, I just wanted to let you know my opinion of your book, "It's the end of the world as we know it-and I feel fine ."

I have been growing increasingly concerned over the past couple years about the changing state of our world. I'm not a hippie trying to save the - what ever it is this week, nor am I right wing, maintain the status quo kind of person. I'm just a mom in a rural town. As I look around, I worry about what's going on in our world.

I started looking around on the internet for basics on food storage. Boy, I was overwhelmed and put off quite quickly. Over the next couple months I started to look a little deeper, read a ton more and still I felt quite confused with how on earth I could ever get prepared.

Just recently I discovered your blog, and subsequently your e-book. I would like to tell anyone and everyone out there starting out that it has helped me tremendously.

Instead of continuing to feel like preparedness was a giant money pit, I started to see that if I took small chunks of your book and tried to apply them to my life, I could make it work.

I'm just starting out really. I'm thinking about starting a blog, more as a journal just for me to help me see my progress over time. I'm not ready to buy gold or stock an arsenal just yet, but with the help of your book, I now feel confident that I can get there.

Unlike many other web/blog sites, reading your information I feel hopeful, not underwater. I thank you for your book and your blog as a Mom trying to prepare for the sake of my kids.

I hope this message finds you, and finds you well.

In faith and hope, Mary

Unemployment Funds Running Out

2010-01-23T19:18:00.000-05:00

The record 20 million Americans who collected unemployment insurance benefits last year landed on a safety net that was already deeply frayed.

New Interactive: ProPublica Predicts if Your State's Unemployment Insurance Fund Is About to Hit the Skids

A historical compromise has left responsibility for unemployment benefits largely in the hands of states, and they have fulfilled this charge with varying degrees of effectiveness.

In a series last summer with public radio’s Marketplace, we reported that only a handful of states had built up reserves sufficient to weather the Great Recession – and forecast a spate of borrowing by states where reserves ran out.

Half a year later, the direst predictions seem to be coming true: So far 25 states have borrowed more than $25 billion to keep benefits flowing after their trust funds ran dry. In many other states the situation is deteriorating fast.More Here...

An Economic Emergency

2010-01-23T19:11:00.000-05:00

How loud do the alarms have to get? There is an economic emergency in the country with millions upon millions of Americans riddled with fear and anxiety as they struggle with long-term joblessness, home foreclosures, personal bankruptcies and dwindling opportunities for themselves and their children.

The door is being slammed on the American dream and the politicians, including the president and his Democratic allies on Capitol Hill, seem not just helpless to deal with the crisis, but completely out of touch with the hardships that have fallen on so many.

While the nation was suffering through the worst economy since the Depression, the Democrats wasted a year squabbling like unruly toddlers over health insurance legislation. No one in his or her right mind could have believed that a workable, efficient, cost-effective system could come out of the monstrously ugly plan that finally emerged from the Senate after long months of shady alliances, disgraceful back-room deals, outlandish payoffs and abject capitulation to the insurance companies and giant pharmaceutical outfits.

The public interest? Forget about it.

With the power elite consumed with its incessant, discordant fiddling over health care, the economic plight of ordinary Americans, from the middle class to the very poor, got pathetically short shrift. And there is no evidence, even now, that leaders of either party fully grasp the depth of the crisis, which began long before the official start of the Great Recession in December 2007. - more here.

Are you a Survivalist or Prepper?

2010-01-22T12:37:00.003-05:00

From The Urban Dictionary - 1. Prepper: Someone who focuses on preparedness, generally for various worst-case scenarios like peak oil or Armageddon. Sometimes used to avoid the more loaded term survivalist.

By all indications political correctness has found its way into the ranks of the preparedness movement. In the late 1980s those preparing for an uncertain future embraced the term survivalist - a term Kurt Saxon claims to have coined.

Whether he did or not is beside the point as it appears that most survival planner's are now embracing the more politically correct term "prepper."

It appears that the term survivalist has been effectively demonized by the mainstream media and the liberal left. With survivalists themselves falling victim to this latest ideology toward political correctness.

It has always peeved me off when the mainstream news media lump together the terms white supremacist, militia and survivalist as if one and the same. When in fact they are very different.

According to the news media if you are a survivalist you are also a white supremacist, a militia member and may be even a skinhead or Klan member.

It is an effective tactic that has swayed the opinion of the public, as well as that of survival planers who are now trying to distance themselves from the politically incorrect term survivalist and the stereotype attached to it.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against the terms prepper or prepping - I've use them here on the survivalist blog in the past and will continue to do so. Not for purposes of being politically correct, but in an attempt to rank for those terms when people enter them in google search.

Who knows perhaps these new, less offensive labels will attract more people to the preparedness movement. At-least until the media starts a new smear campaign...

What do you consider yourself - a survivalist, prepper or both? Why?