Prepare!

Fifteen Years Afterward

2012-12-06T12:48:00.000-08:00

Fifteen Years Afterward

Day One
The earth is pelted with a massive, once in a million years, solar magnetic storm which overloads and knocks out all electronic systems globally. All financial transactions and records disappear. Trains, cars, trucks and most ground transport comes to a permanent stop. While some planes manage to land safely, others hurdle to the ground. The power grid shuts down across all countries. Billions are plunged into darkness, trapped in elevators, underground in subways or at the tops of high rises.

Day Two
The governments of the world are powerless, blind and deaf. They cannot communicate or organize relief efforts. Some parts of the military are still functioning, but they have lost satellite and electronic communication and navigation. In short, they are flying and sailing blind. There is no coordination except at the lowest level and in the most limited geographic area. Stores are watching their stocks deplete as the enormity of the situation weighs on the population. Money is non-existent and rapidly losing its value.

Day Three
Many in hospitals and nursing homes, the most vulnerable, are dead or dying. Fires are starting to spread unchecked in some areas. No longer able to get water pumped to their homes, people begin the trek to find clean water for drinking, cleaning and cooking. More are made sick by poor water and sanitation.

Day Seven
The first victims due to lack of medication and prescriptions begin to succumb to their illnesses. Persons with depression, bi-polar or other mental conditions begin to lapse into their conditions. The migration from burning, crowded, dirty cities begins. Most people begin to run out of stored food at this point and join others looting stores, restaurants, warehouses and sometimes, other people's homes for anything to eat. Law and order meted out by police on foot, begin to retreat to their homes and enclaves.

Week Two
Many of the cities on earth have become home to rats, gangs and starvation. Those who were fortunate to leave now wander the highways, banding together in camps, eating anything they can find and avoiding road gangs who prey on the helpless. Hospitals, those still open, are wards to the dead and dying, understaffed and out of nearly any kind of useful drug. The government has ceased to function and only operates in limited areas with the aid of large groups of armed soldiers and police.

Month Two
The starvation around the world is underway. With half the world in winter, cold takes many. In the other parts of the world, the effort to grow and harvest as much food as possible and avoid theft is a race against time. Communes and fortified villages are the norm as groups try to hold together and survive.

Month Six
The cycle of starvation and death from the elements will be remembered by survivors as the Year of Death. Starvation, injuries, infection, murder and disease run rampant. In many places, pre-Storm supplies have dwindled to nothing including batteries, fuel, ammunition, canned and package food. Only locations with large numbers of defenders and producers of food are sustaining themselves. But it comes at a price. The elderly, young, sickly and weak have no place among their numbers.

Year Two
The cycle of death has stabilized. Whole geographic areas world wide have been abandoned as they could not support any sort of population. Areas with good soil, abundant water, fuel and native foods are desired and fought over. No one is sure, but the majority (more than half) of the world's population has perished. Any remaining government bunkers, hideouts or retreats at this time have also been abandoned, overtaken, destroyed from within or are being used as bases of operations by the former residents or newcomers to assert control over the local area.

Year Five
The world has been completely depopulated. Groups live in fortified villages and towns surrounded by precious agricultural fields and livestock. The militias and guards that protect these towns are given preferential treatment for food and supplies. Everyone lives a subsistence lifestyle and contact with outsiders is rare. By this time, nearly all pre-Storm supplies have been exhausted. In many cases, even firearms are used sparingly and replaced with bows, spears and other primitive weapons. All medical treatment is done with herbal medicine and primitive surgery.

Year Ten
Contact between some areas springs up as the need for supplies and variety become paramount. Salt from the ocean is traded for rice in the coastal plains which is traded for wheat from the north or cloth made from animals or flax. Trade groups are large and well armed. The roads between civilized areas are dangerous and unknown. Warlords and strong men begin to assert dominion over groups of villages and populated areas.

Year Fifteen
Those who survive in the new world were post-puberty to the age of forty when the storm hit. They also have the highest life expectancy as they benefited from pre-Storm living and medical conditions. Those older are dead. The youngest, bereft of vaccines, simple medications and modern medicine have the highest mortality rate until the age of five or older. The first mini-nations and states begin to slowly return during this time period.

Prepare: SHTF Fiction Update

2012-03-03T07:50:00.002-08:00

I have been writing SHTF stories for some time and after publishing some of them here, finally started up a second site specifically for the genre.

SHTF Fiction has a number of my stories as they evolve in my head. I think there are four or so in progress and they are like my kids. I try to spend time with each and it is fun to watch them grow.

I really have to do some housekeeping on the site as it is a bit disorganized. Also, blogging platforms put the newest post first so first time readers will find the latest chapter when they land on the page rather than the first chapter. Hopefully this weekend I can reorganize things and make it more logical.

So what stories are going on at SHTF Fiction?

America 2.0 - The economic fall and rebirth of the United States as seen through the eyes of a suburban teenage girl.

Fragile - The prelude to Will which describes a virus which kills most of the world's population and leaves humanity in small enclaves.

Will - Follows the story of a young man from childhood to early adulthood as he, his family and friends deal with a world emptied of people and their struggle to survive.

Change of Major - Three college friends survive a nuclear war, but now have to deal with the outcome in their local area.

I try to take the survival genre and add situations and characters not generally found in other stories. If you have the chance, please visit and let me know if you like any of the stories.

Prepare: SHTF Fiction Update

2012-03-03T07:50:00.000-08:00

SHTF Fiction Update

I have been writing SHTF stories for some time and after publishing some of them here, finally started up a second site specifically for the genre.

SHTF Fiction has a number of my stories as they evolve in my head. I think there are four or so in progress and they are like my kids. I try to spend time with each and it is fun to watch them grow.

I really have to do some housekeeping on the site as it is a bit disorganized. Also, blogging platforms put the newest post first so first time readers will find the latest chapter when they land on the page rather than the first chapter. Hopefully this weekend I can reorganize things and make it more logical.

So what stories are going on at SHTF Fiction?

America 2.0 - The economic fall and rebirth of the United States as seen through the eyes of a suburban teenage girl.

Fragile - The prelude to Will which describes a virus which kills most of the world's population and leaves humanity in small enclaves.

Will - Follows the story of a young man from childhood to early adulthood as he, his family and friends deal with a world emptied of people and their struggle to survive.

Change of Major - Three college friends survive a nuclear war, but now have to deal with the outcome in their local area.

I try to take the survival genre and add situations and characters not generally found in other stories. If you have the chance, please visit and let me know if you like any of the stories.

Prepare: Wyoming Apocalypse Bill

2012-02-29T10:01:00.000-08:00

Wyoming Apocalypse Bill

A lawmaker in Wyoming introduced a bill this week which would have allocated $16,000.00 in state funds to study and plan for the collapse of the U.S. federal government and the dollar.

The plan would have funded studies for a state-run alternative currency, emergency food production and military preparations.

The bill was ridiculed (another lawmaker appended a requirement that the state get its own aircraft carrier) and failed when it came up for vote.

Unfortunately, the problem was not the messenger, but the message. The lawmaker was correct; Wyoming, and other states, need to make emergency plans in the event the federal government can no longer finance its activities and thus, can no longer continue operations. The fact of the matter is, the U.S. federal government borrows over forty cents for each dollar it spends - that's unsustanainable.

Critics of the bill argued that emergency planning was already funded by the state through existing agencies. Fair enough. But most state planning consists of dealing with weather emergenicies like snowstorms or natural disasters such as wild fires.

Once upon a time ago, progressive cities and towns used to make plans for a nuclear strike during the Cold War. It was not the Fed's role to ensure continuity of government, it was theirs or so the conventional wisdom of the day went.

Today however, If they were faced with multiple widespread terrorist attacks, a nuclear or biological weapon, or worse, an EMP event, most local planning involves calling FEMA for instructions. That's not a plan, that's a wish.

All states, and cities and counties for that matter, should consider the question, "What would we do if we were cut off from the outside world and had to go it alone for an extended period of time?". Afterall, this happened in New Orleans after Katrina when it took over a week for help to arrive in large enough force to actually make a difference.

Which would then lead to:

How long would the food in the grocery stores last?
Where could we get more food locally?
What about fuel supplies? How long would they last?
Do we have the authority to commandeer supplies owned by local businesses and individuals?
Should we be stockpiling supplies normally used by local government so we can continue to function?
Will our law enforcement resources be enough? What about other emergency services such as medical facilities?

Governments of all sizes are doing a disservice to their citizens when they don't make plans for things so terrible, the average person does not want to think about them. While it may not be prudent to spend $16,000.00 to study scenarios, it does make sense to figure out how your people will be fed and stay warm in an extended emergency.

Prepare: Storm drains, sewers, underground tunnels

2012-02-28T06:44:00.000-08:00

When I was a kid, a new shopping mall was built near my home and like any one my age, I found the construction site fascinating. I was particularly drawn to the massive drain system they put in place underground before they built the actual mall. The tunnels were big enough to traverse from one side of the site to the other and spread out to other drains in the area. I crawled around in those tunnels for a few weeks before the site was fenced off and my access ended.

Our urban and suburban landscape is littered with manhole covers and storm drain openings on every street. I read once in an online forum where a poster questioned whether or not these underground chambers should be considered for ad hoc shelters in an emergency like a nuclear event. First, we all need to identify the difference in underground infrastructure and then discuss why employing them in an emergency is not a good idea.

Storm and sanitary drains have been under humanity's feet for thousands of years. The underground drains and sewers of Rome and Paris are legendary for instance and most were built upon older structures dating back hundreds or even thousands of years ago. However, these drains and sewers served a very specific purpose: to transport excess water and waste AWAY from people and urban centers. They were not designed to be shelters of refuge although they have been used as such by different individuals and groups.

Storm drains - storm drains are designed by city engineers to carry large amounts of water underneath a city during rainy periods. While they are mostly dry and empty during dry times, they quickly fill with water to the point they are able to carry a fully grown person away through their twisting labyrinths. Storm drains comprise of street side openings as well as manhole access points on the streets. They then open underground into larger and larger drains which eventually empty into natural rivers or manmade ones like the urban canyons made famous in Los Angeles.

Sanitary sewers - these openings are seen on most streets and are the foulest of all. Sanitary sewers carry human waste from our toilets to waste centers where the waste is separated and the water cleaned for reuse in the water system. If you have ever seen one of these things backup, you know what comes out of them and its pretty gross. I would never go near one of these places.

Utility tunnels - these vary in size. Where I live, the phone company has several large openings to the underground where phone lines are run between buildings. While the manhole covers are large, what is below is cramped (room for one technician to work at a time) and not very safe as they run both electrical and phone lines through the same tunnels. There are often batteries and leaking chemicals in utility tunnels which make them more dangerous.

There are other utility tunnels in some older parts of the country which were used for transporting coal or fuel oil beneath the cities. And finally, there are utility tunnels which were used to connect subway tunnels for workers; these are completely different and might be useful.

The problem with storm drains and sewers is while they may protect people for a short amount of time, eventually, they will become inhabitable because of their intended purpose. Water and human waste will back up and flood these chambers driving residents out into the open. Even the famous storm drains beneath arid Las Vegas are emptied a few times a year because of rain and the homeless population below is sent packing to high ground.

If there is a nuclear event, like a dirty bomb, it is better to head for a real basement or parking garage for cover. The water and utility tunnels underground are not intended for shelter and could end up being a tomb rather than a haven.

Time To Start Spring Planting

2012-02-27T10:02:00.002-08:00

The weather across the United States during the 2011-12 winter has been much warmer than the previous year. This has also been a wetter winter for much of the country as well. I checked the online almanacs and it appears, (cross your fingers) that we may have much of the worse behind us.

That means... drum roll please.. It's time to get ready for spring and with that, spring planting.

With gasoline prices expected to soar both in the U.S. and E.U. this spring and summer, now is the time to get a green thumb and start growing some of what you eat. Gas prices mean the cost of food will go up (delivery trucks, farm equipment and farm laborers driving to work all run on gas and diesel) and the best way to offset that expense is producing your own food.

I know some who grow big crops (wheat, corn) and small crops (garden vegetables) who produce most of what they eat. However, if you do not have a green thumb or have a history of killing grass, feel free to take small steps. But hurry up and learn to walk because your life and your families may depend upon what you pull out of the soil.

To start, growing food requires soil, seeds, water and sunlight. By soil, we mean healthy soil. Most of the soil we see everyday is good for growing grass or weeds. To properly grow tomatoes or peppers, soil needs to be amended with living material, most notably, compost. However, good compost takes time to develop, so get a jump start and purchase some high quality soil from the garden store and amend it with some compost purchased at the same place.

If money is an issue (when is it not?), search out a local source such as a friend who might have some good soil available for hauling. Local farms are good for obtaining manure and other natural soil foods and with some labor and gasoline, you can develop your own healthy soil for planting. In the meantime, start a compost heap - add old soil, some yard debris like grass clippings and leaves and plenty of kitchen waste i.e. vegetable and fruit peels, egg shells and coffee grounds. That way you will have your own healthy compost to feed your next garden.

If you have the space, build a raised bed for optimum production. If that is not an option due to health, space or time, get some large planting pots or if push comes to shove, some empty five gallon buckets with a few holes drilled in the base for drainage. I grow plants in almost anything which can hold soil and which can be drained naturally of excess water.

Seeds - Seeds cost one to two dollars a packet. Yes, this is for hybrid seeds and not heirloom. The difference? Hybrid seeds generally will not germinate after they are collected from the plant thus, they cannot be reused next year. Some hybrid seeds will regrow, but won't produce fruit, so they are worthless next year. This is a big deal, unless you have never successfully grown anything and my advice is get some hybrid seeds from your local mass merchandiser and try them.

After your soil is ready and the seeds have been planted, water the plants regularly and make sure they get plenty of sunlight. That's it. Sure, there's more to it that what I have written here, but this is ninety percent of growing food.

So what is easy to grow? Tomatoes, peppers, melons, almost all herbs and cucumbers. I have found grapes and berries, particularly raspberries, are easy to grow. What's neat is much of what you can grow is expensive in the stores. A pint of cherry tomatoes can be priced as much as $3.99 each; a cherry tomato plant can produce dozens of pints in a single season. This isn't hard, it's just basic math.

What is hard to grow? Corn and potatoes. Both require lots of room. I have grown both and the potatoes were cheaper in the store when compared to the total amount of work and space I devoted to my potato crop. But there's a warning with this: Food prices are rising and if you have the space, it might be wise to try your hand at both. And there is nothing better than an ear of sweet corn right off the stalk. Yummo.

In some parts of the country, there are still sub-freezing temperatures at night. No worries, just start your seed trays in March so you will be ready for warmer weather in April. You can also cover your tender young plants with plastic sheeting during the night to lock in warmer air.

OK, so I did not cover simple greenhouses or what to do with too much home grown produce, but you get the idea. It's time to plan and start that spring garden before gas prices hit five dollars and the grocery stores are selling wax fruit.

Happy gardening!

Prepare: Long Lines

2012-02-26T10:56:00.000-08:00

Every heard of Long Lines? This was an ATT/DoD project from the 1950's and 60's which built thousands of microwave communications facilities across the United States. Why? In the event of a nuclear war, the Pentagon wanted to ensure that dial tone phone service was still available.

Long Lines consisted of dozens of interconnected facilities with line of site microwave communications between each other. The first facilities were constructed in the high population areas of the Northeast in proximity to Washington DC, but eventually, they were found throughout the US.

Long lines facilities were and still are easy to spot. They have these trademark microwave antennas on top which were sometimes called "sugar scoop" antennas. You have probably seen one of these facilities when travelling or maybe one is near where you live.

What happened to Long Lines service? First, it was limited to government use only. In fact, may service members used Long Lines to make calls home from remote locations. However, after the introduction of fiber optics and other high speed communications mediums, Long Lines was eventually decommissioned.

Most of the facilities were sold in the early 1990's to American Tower, a cell phone tower company who in turn, sold many of the facilities to the general public.

Why does this matter?

Long Lines facilities were hardened facilities built to withstand a nuclear war. While most are above ground., many featured large underground areas with sleeping quarters and bathroom facilities for crews who were expected to continue working on site after "The Big One" dropped.

While some Long Lines facilities are still in use, many still come up for sale at times and while they may need work, most are found in remote or rural areas which makes them an interesting possibility for a bug out location.

Don't pull out the checkbook yet. Early on, some of these locations were priced as low as $25,000.00, the larger sites with underground facilities were much more expensive and many have already been reclaimed as data centers and records storage sites.

I checked out a couple of sites including the great Long Lines site which features the whole interesting history of the project and the great people who worked there and found they have many of the locations identified as well. It's worth research and learning more about our Cold War past and what we were willing to do to keep the phone lines open during a crisis.

Stockpiling and Coupons

2012-01-23T19:48:00.000-08:00

There has been a lot of buzz on cable television about coupons and the extremes people go to using and redeeming them. Putting the hype aside, coupons are a great way to build up your stocks of supplies in the event of a long or short term emergency.

I have clipped coupons on and off again for a few years. The problem was the cost of obtaining coupons was never greater than the savings. That was because I was not using them correctly i later found out. So after reading and researching (there are plenty of good websites out there with coupon information), I jumped back in with both feet and have seen some real coupon success. As of right now, because of judicious coupon usage, I have managed to stockpile a year or better of toothpaste, clothes detergent, deodorant, dish soap, and other household items.

Here's how I did it.

First, watch the sales at your local market. I generally shop at Kroger as it is close enough to walk to (you have to take into account distance, time and gasoline for total savings) and has good prices compared to the Albertsons in my neighborhood. The sale flyer comes out at the beginning of the week and outlines what products are one sale and specials being run. Reading the flyer only helps if you understand the pricing before hand. For instance, in this week's flyer, Kroger claimed that Chef-Boy-R-Dee canned goods were on sale at $1 each. I know from experience, that is the same price they sell it for most weeks so there was no real savings.

Hamburger Helper (good grocery item to stockpile) was on sale for $1 though. Now with that information, I check my coupons and found that I had a coupon for .40 off each box of HH if I purchased four or more. My Kroger also doubles coupons up to .50, so my total spend on a box, which normally retails for $1.59 per box was .20 per box. Not bad. So I was able to buy ten boxes and store them away in the pantry.

Next up, deodorant. Normally 2.99 each, marked down during a Proctor and Gamble promotion to .99 if you bought four. I had a coupon for $1 off if purchasing two which the store doubled an additional .50 so the 2.99 product which ended up only costing me a little more than .60 each.

Toothpaste is one of the most coupon friendly purchases available. Watch the toothpaste aisle for special price reductions (the store does this frequently) and save your toothpaste coupons. I normally never pay more than .39 - .59 for a large container of toothpaste and sometimes get name brands, like Colgate and Crest, free or nearly so.

Kroger, and other stores, also do a thing called "e-coupons" which can be downloaded to your frequent shopper card and can add up to savings as well. Normally, the coupons are only .40 or .50 each and by policy, cannot be doubled. But do add up quickly for products sale priced at $1 or less.

Some people sign up for manufacturers coupons online, but I find that most of these are duplicates of my store's specials or already found in the news paper. Between my own copy of the paper and two of my neighbors (who don't do coupons), I have plenty for each shopping trip I make.

Frequent shopper cards are a must for using coupons as they allow shoppers to get extra savings not normally available. The complaint from some people is that these cards track your purchases thereby allowing some insidious future force the ability to know what you bought, how much and when. The secret to dealing with this is to simply not put your accurate home address on your frequent shopper card. They don't check and the only problem is you may miss out on some mail outs with special deals.

My only complaint about couponing is I have not figured out a way to save on things like fresh produce or meat as my store never has coupons for these things. If anyone has the secret there, I love to hear it.

I spend no more than one hour a week going through coupons, visiting the store website, and making my grocery list for the week. This is a small time commitment for the amount of money I save grocery shopping. I am going to shop, so I might as well save some money doing it and build up my supplies at the same time.

SHTF Fiction: New Fiction Stories You Have To Start Reading

2011-12-29T11:13:00.000-08:00

As you know, I watch many of the survival themed forums, particularly the fiction sections as they are one of my favorite genres.

There are some new stories I recently started reading which I have to share with as many others as I think they will find them as exciting as I do.

The first one is on the Survivalist Boards under Books, Movies and Stories and is titled Going Home. This story follows a normal businessman from Florida caught 200 miles from home after an EMP burst takes out all modern electronics including cars. Our hero, though more prepared than most as he has a good Get Home Bag and some supplies, still has to deal with death at each turn as society comes unraveled. The author not only writes well, he posts regularly, as in an updated chapter once or twice a day! As one reader remarked, you will probably want to keep the story open on your browser and reload Going Home frequently throughout the day.

Another is the Union Creek Journal. This story is done as a series of blog postings as told by a survivor in the year 2015 after the American economy has collapsed. Our main character has gathered his family together at a farm in the middle of Nebraska and has managed to produce enough food and fuel to get by. However, as the cities empty, gangs and outlaws start to work their way out to the hinterlands in search of supplies. Unlike similarly themed stories, Union Creek Journal is well written, researched and realistic. This story is not a never ending laundry list of tools and equipment to buy and the characters, even the bad guys, are fleshed out and seemingly as normal as you and me. Please be sure to start at the bottom of the page as the chapters are in blog format and published as newest chapter on top.

I found another neat story on the WhenSHTF forum under Scenarios and Stories and entitled Boy - Story. This follows a young man making his way home, like Going Home, after an EMP burst. Unfortunately, the author has take a hiatus for the past month and no new chapters have been published. Still, the first part is very good and has some good lessons on what to do when you are faced with an emergency far from home and have no supplies to get started with.

Prepare: One of the oldest prepper stories

2011-11-25T11:50:00.000-08:00

They loaded up into two vehicles for their bugout location. The situation had deteriorated and they had no choice but to pool all of their resources and make a deal with some of the most unsavory characters they could find for passage across a wasteland to their final destination.

Men, women and children were the core of their community. Yes, there were a few with skills which would be useful in their new home, but most had little to offer other than their faith. They were leaving behind what had once been a civilized and safe place, but now offered no refuge for them.

Shortly into the journey, one of their vehicles developed trouble. Supplies and people were hurriedly moved to the remaining vehicle, yet some things had to be left behind. The remaining trip was not uneventful. Several died en route. Sickness and poor food dogged the survivors. Then, after nearly three months, they arrived at their new home.

Their bug out location was selected based upon what the group could afford. There was clean water, good soil and plenty of timber for shelter and fuel. But the group had little experience with the elements and soon there were fewer workers than those to be take care of. And then came the locals.

Suspicion led to shooting, yet the newcomers were untrained in the proper use of the firearms they brought along in spite of the presence of at least one of their numbers who had extensive military experience. This, along with their lack of experience and inability to complete the work necessary, led to more of their number dying the following winter.

Then, when all seemed lost, they were able to work with the locals in the area and were finally able to turn a decent harvest of both grown food and game. The survivors celebrated, and enjoyed what we know call the first Thanksgiving in the United States in 1621.

The Pilgrims, for whatever history says, were nothing more than a group fleeing to their bug out location in the country. They were ill-equipped for what they had to deal with and paid for their ignorance with their lives. Without the assistance of some kind locals, they would have perished of starvation and sickness in their second year.

If planning on "bugging out", remember..

- know what to do with what you have when you get there.
- know the locals and the local terrain.
- be ready that some of your numbers won't make it in spite of all your preparations.

Happy, belated, Thanksgiving.

SHTF: The problem with neighbors

2011-11-22T09:47:00.000-08:00

Something has been stuck in my craw lately which comes up frequently and bugs me to know end. Read this:

"I am not to worried about my neighbors. This is a semi-rural area and most of the folks around here are good people. Lot of blue collar types, gun owners, a fair number of vets. We have never talked about it, but I am sure most have the same mindset we got if the SHTF..."

Heard that before online, maybe in the forums you frequent or even in some bit of prepper-inspired fiction?

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Never make assumptions about the people you don't know well and have never had "The Talk" with. That same good natured neighbor next store might be the same one who steals gas from your car or borrows something from your shed in the middle of the night.

Or might be the one who calls the feds and tells them about the nut next door with all the guns and buckets of rice.

Or might be the jerk who decides "those that have (you) need to share with those that don't (him)" and brings the rest of the neighborhood to inventory and redistribute your supplies.

Here's the way it works:

If you want your neighbor to back you up, find out now. If you need an excuse, use the next storm or power outage to feel them out. Do they stock food and supplies? Are they security minded? Do they have a plan if the power is out for an extended time or if the grocery trucks stop running?

In my opinion, there are more FEMA/Big Brother/handout fans out there than not. Do the math.

Nope, don't assume that anyone around you has the same plan you do. Find out or keep a very low profile.

Again, never make assumptions about the people you don't know well.

Prepare: Why Do People Like Zombie Stories/Movies?

2011-11-10T11:18:00.000-08:00

World War Z is a new zombie movie coming out with Brad Pitt. This comes on the heels of several other zombie movies the past few years like Sean of the Dead, 28 Days, and so on.

Check out the book store and it's clear that zombies are about to replace vampires as the mythical creature du jour in Hollywood and in the publishing halls of New York City.

Why zombies? We are talking about reanimated rotting dead people who wander around hungry for human flesh and blood. How is that appealing to well, anyone? I have a few theories...

Survivalism on steroids - Survivalists love a good story. The problem with the genre is it involves something really bad happening (like a nuclear war, plague, societal breakdown) which makes day to day living difficult. It's hard to wander around examining the effects of a nuclear war, let's say, if there is fallout about making life difficult.

Zombie stories are great because survivalists in the stories are only concerned with a) staying away from zombies and becoming one and b) acquiring nasty ways to get rid of zombies who come their way. The rest of life is not so bad - no laws, stuff laying around for the taking, plenty of normal food that zombies don't want and so on.

Killing is bad, unless they are already dead - I think this is a big appeal with zombie fans. You get to shoot something without the moral implications of killing another living creature. Zombies are dead, no morals or ethics to get in the way!

Everyone's a zombie, including people I know and hate - This is another appeal that zombie fans have. Here's the boss or their worse enemy, or the girl who dumped you in high school wandering around undead, looking nasty and craving a nice arm or leg to gnaw on. What fun!

Personally, zombie stories get old for me. There are plenty of places around where there are no people (thus no zombies) and even if there were, your garden variety zombie is plenty slow enough to whack over the head with a bat or zap with a high powered rifle from a distance. But zombie stores seem to go on and on as the characters make one stupid mistake after another and slowly get picked off one by one.

Zombie stories are fun sometimes, it's just interesting to me why some people like to read them. Your mileage may vary.

Prepare: What If You Had To Walk Home?

2011-11-08T11:48:00.000-08:00

I work about 20 minutes from home. That's 20 minutes, by car, without traffic or roughly 15 miles.

While stuck in traffic this morning, it occurred to me: "What if I had to walk home?". Let's say there was an EMP burst, solar flare or other event which rendered most modern transport useless? What if the roads were closed by the authorities (like how 9/11 grounded all flights) and people were told to stay put or walk at their own risk?

Fortunately for me, it's a straight shot from my office, to the main road, to my home and the weather mostly cooperates. However, what if I had to walk?

First, I try to wear well broken in shoes to work and I always keep a pair of athletic shoes in my car. So my personal transportation mode is covered.

Next, I generally dress for the season and keep some backup clothing in the car for "just in case".

So my first concern would be about what to bring with me and how to carry it. I carry my work stuff (laptop, etc) in a backpack. The first thing I would do is dump all the heavy electronic junk and leave it at work. Laptop, power cable, extra chargers, etc would all go in my desk. Next I would comb through my bag and remove any extra unneeded weight. Papers, notes, pads, envelopes, etc. would all go into the desk as well.

Then I would prioritize what I am carrying. Does every object provide for either food, water, navigation, heat, light, clothing or personal aid? If not, it stays.

Then I would take what I needed from work to augment my personal supplies, both in my bag and in my soon to be abandoned car.

There are always sodas and bottled water in the break room. Based upon my walk, I would take a minimum of six bottles of water and fill up any other containers I have in my car which can carry about a quart of water. Any more than that would weigh too much.

Next would be lightweight snacks. I carry some with me, but there's more in the break room as well. That means crackers, candy bars, etc which I can carry in my bag for the walk home.

Finally, I would want a hat, an umbrella or something else to keep the elements off me such as excess sunshine or rain if it happens.

Weapons? It depends upon the situation. Most of my route home is not through bad neighborhoods and I am a big believer in the first 24-48 hours of an emergency most are too shocked or stunned to do much of anything but wait for "SOMEONE" to come along and tell them what to do. Regardless, we all have tricks up our sleeve.

In the end, the answer is to be ready for the long walk, get prepared and start walking as soon as ready.

One more note: If at an office or school, buddy up with other walkers and go together if possible in the same direction as long as possible. It's common sense.

SHTF Fiction: Alas Babylon

2011-11-06T18:36:00.000-08:00

Alas Babylon by Pat Frank was written in the late 1950's and describes the effects of a massive nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War. Specifically, it details the life in small town, Fort Repose, Florida during the first year after the war.

Lauded as one of the best SHTF books written, Alas Babylon follows the life of Randy Bragg, a single lawyer and Army Reserve officer as he pulls together his disparate community following the events of "The Day". Bragg organizes his neighbors on River Road including a retired company president, two spinsters and the ever more useful clan of African-American neighbors, who in a time of segregation and organized prejudice, are more prepared than most of the other townspeople.

Frank accurately describes the possible scenario which leads up to the nuclear war in Alas Babylon. The Soviet Union, using the pretext and cover story of an in accidental attack on a Syrian port by the US Sixth Fleet leads them to launch a pre-emptive strike on the United States with ICBM and sub-based missiles. The US military, at the time of the book's writing, was dependent primarily upon land based bombers carrying nuclear weapons as part of their defensive strategy. The result being World War III lasts several months rather than the few minutes described in most stories.

But readers of Alas Babylon only hear snippets of the big war outside the borders of Fort Repose. The real war for residents is starvation and depredations by raiders and disease. Only a couple of characters fall victim to radiation poisoning while far more are done in by simple violence or abandonment.

Frank covers the immediate effects of a nuclear war on small town America; an out of town visitor upon learning of the destruction of New York City keels over of a heart attack, the bank president whose bank is cleaned out of cash by panic stricken residents commits suicide, vandals from the city attack the towns only medical clinic for morphine, and nearly every business in town, grocery, gas station and hardware store, are emptied of supplies in one day.

The story's hero, Bragg, is given one day's advance notice (actually about twelve hours) of the impending
attack by his brother who is a high ranking officer in the Air Force. Told to expect his sister-in-law and her children, Bragg is given a check for five thousand dollars and told to obtain supplies for the duration. In one of the most frustrating scenes in the book, Bragg manages to make only one trip to the grocery store (to pick up about three hundred dollars in food), fills up his car with gas and picks up a case and a half of liquor. All the rest of that cash becomes nothing more than toilet paper. Readers like me were screaming at Bragg wanting to know why he did not hit every store between Orlando and Fort Repose.

Further, it is not until after the day after The Day that Bragg realizes he better get some more ammunition for his guns, that he did not obtain salt, paper products, more canned meat, toothpaste and so forth. All that cash his brother gave him went to waste.

To their credit, the characters do get inventive when it comes to making do. They find a salt lick several miles upstream of their home. They make and trade moonshine from their excess corn production. They get rid of their gas guzzling 50's cars in favor of the petrol sipping Model T hidden in a barn. They make medical instruments out of steak knives and fishing line.

By the time the US government arrives, in the form of a single helicopter one year after The Day, Fort Repose is limping along but better off than most of the rest of the country. They have food, trade, law and order and some sembelence of normalcy.

Read this book if you have not yet. Before all the other SHTF fiction came along, Alas Babylon was first. It's a great and compelling read.

You can get Alas Babylon on Amazon of course. It is also available in abridged format online on some websites.

Prepare: SHTF Fiction - Surrounded by Idiots Epilogue

2011-07-03T13:20:00.000-07:00

Rex woke up slowly, his head, no, his whole body aching like it had been run over with a steamroller. He sat up gingerly and allowed his brain to slide with a crash back into place and carefully opened his eyes.

He was on a cot. In a cell. A jail cell. A holding tank or something, probably a FEMA camp, the little voice in his head said.

"Wake up morning glory" said a voice to his left. It belonged to a uniformed guard standing outside the bars. "Well, good to have you up. Time to read you your rights and get you processed".

The guard starting reading the standard Miranda warning while everything sank into Rex's mind. He needed to get out of here. He needed to call Darla. Get her down here. Identify him, pay bail. Get him home. Home, wonderful beautiful home.

"I need to make a phone call. I get one of those don't I?" shouted Rex.

"Sure, you get one. Get up" replied the guard as he opened the cell door.

Rex looked down and noticed that his clothes were missing and he was now wearing an orange jump suit and some sort of cardboard slippers.

"You made a mess of your old stuff. After we searched you and collected all those guns, we cleaned you up at the hospital and put you in that outfit. How do you like it?" the guard smirked.

As the guard led Rex down the hallway, there were other jail cells, all full of leering and taunting voices. Rex stared at the floor and tried to block out the horrible and disgusting things the other inmates were saying to him,

The phone was in the next hallway and the guard lifted the receiver and handed it to him. "One call, three minutes max, no redo's for wrong numbers. Got it?"

Rex nodded and slowly punched his home phone number. On the fourth ring, Darla answered.

"Darla? It's me Rex. I need you to listen to me. I need you to get downtown and arrange bail for me. I am being held downtown. I don't know why. All those other people were rioting and looting. I was only trying to help. Now I know you have questions, but you listen to me. Get down here. Bring your purse 'cause it's going to cost a few bucks to get me out. You hear me?"

There was a pause and then Darla slowly spoke.

"Rex. I am leaving right now for my mothers. I have taken half of the money from the bank account and am only taking my things with me. I will leave the keys to the front door on the kitchen counter. I am taking my car, the one you allowed me to drive. but will leave it for you to come get when I am done with it. Don't call me. I don't want to speak to you again. I hope things work out for you. Good bye".

The line went dead.

"All done cowboy?" said the guard, "Let's get you back to your cell, then"

"Wait. What happened. The riots. The announcement on TV. The looting. Gas lines. What happened?" pleaded Rex.

"Huh?" grunted the guard. "Oh downtown. They cancelled the ball game and some people started some trouble at the arena. Yeah, there was some looting and crime, but it's all under control now. Don't worry about that. You have plenty of other things to worry about. Lesse, attempted murder, discharging a weapon in public, disobeying an officer, resisting arrest, attempted armed robbery. Yep, you got a full dance card tonight cowboy".

The guard opened the cell door and guided Rex inside.

Turning away, the guard muttered under his breath, "What a world. Surrounded by idiots".

The End (What no comments yet? Tough audience!)

First Chapter

Prepare: SHTF Fiction - Surrounded by Idiots PT5

2011-07-03T12:57:00.000-07:00

Moments later, Rex's truck came to a stop in front of Masterson's Gun and Sporting World. Masterson's was on the edge of downtown in a semi industrial area featuring contractor supply stores, pawn shops, and a few "buy here, pay here" car dealerships.

Rex did not frequent Masterson's as the prices were too high for his blood, but he assumed that the owners had probably abandoned the place knowing the rioters and mobs would be descending shortly. Rex grabbed his Mossberg from behind the truck seat and did not give the AR a second look. He had a feeling that he would not be touching that particular rifle for some time.

Rex went to the front door and expected it to be open, but was surprised to find it locked. He pulled on the door a few times before putting his face upon the barred glass door and cupping his hands over his eyes looked inside. He found himself starting, through the glass, at the barrel of a very large shotgun.

"Place is closed! Get back in your truck and go! Got nothing to sell today!" shouted the voice behind the shotgun.

"Are you the owner? Are you clearing the place out? Got anything you can't take away?" shouted back Rex. Suddenly he felt stupid. This wasn't like it was Christmas and he was trying to buy the last Nintendo thingie for his brat kids at the last minute. It was the freaking end of the world and this old toad looking man was pointing a shotgun at Rex!

Rex stepped back and racked a shell into the Mossberg and leveled it at the store window. "Stand back old man, I'm coming in!" Rex yelled.

Click. Nothing happened. Rex looked down and saw he had the safety on. By the time that dawned on him, the window of the shop blew outwards towards Rex.

Rex instinctively shielded his face with his left hand and in doing so lowered the Mossberg when a second shot came out the now missing window. It went wide, fortunately for Rex who was standing directly in front of the store, and instead took out Rex's truck windshield.

Shaking from his stupor, Rex dropped the Mossie and stumbled backwards towards his truck and promptly tripped over a low concrete parking barrier. He wasted no time and rolled over to his right and then crawled/crab walked to the drivers door as another shotgun blast struck the hood of his truck.

Climbing into the front seat, Rex struggled to get his keys out of his front pocket as tears of frustration and pain poured out. "Please don't shoot me!" he could hear his voice pleading as he pulled the keys out and fumbled with them while lying across the front seat, his fat butt hanging out the front door.

Getting the keys free, he shoved them in the ignition and turned the motor over. Pulling down the shift he managed to pull his body into the truck, get his foot on the accelerator and jerk the vehicle back into the street. Dropping into drive. Rex floored the truck as a final shot took out his rear window.

Bawling like a baby, Rex barrelled back down the street towards the interstate. It dawned on him then he had left his Mossberg in the parking lot in front of the gun store. Oh carp! They will trace it back to him and put him in jail. They are going to come for him and stick him in a cell with a bunch of murdering rapists who would do awful things to him. "I gotta get out of here!" Rex screamed out loud.

Rex pulled onto the interstate and slammed on the breaks. Two police cars were blocking the entrance from traffic and there were at least four officers standing behind the roadblock. One put a megaphone to his mouth and shouted, "You! In the truck! Shut down the engine and step out of the vehicle with your hands in the air. This area is under lockdown! Step out of the vehice!"

Rex slammed the truck in reverse and floored it back down the entrance ramp. He was lucky as there was not another car behind him, but in his haste hit the guard rail and bent the bed at a terrible angle and flattened the rear passenger tire.

Two of the officers had drawn their guns and were coming around the roadblock towards the truck. Rex opened the drivers door, hopped out and ran for his life down the ramp back towards the street.

As one of the officers shouted, Rex stumbled onto the main street just as a large group came down the street carrying something long between them. It was a door, with something red on it. A man. A man wearing red lying on the door. It was the people from the electronic store! One looked up, pointed and shouted something unintelligible at Rex.

Rex screamed and ran the other way straight past the two officers who had been behind him on the entrance ramp. For a moment the two entities converged before a handful of police officers appeared from somewhere, but Rex was already fifty yards away running the fastest he had in his life.

"Home! I gotta get home! Darla will hid me! She'll have too!" Rex wheezed. "Gotta get out of here! Where am I?"

Too late. An older model sedan blocked the road in front of him and an older man wearing spectacles stepped out of the passenger side. "Hold it right there buddy!" he said as he pointed a shotgun directly at Rex. It was the old toad from the gun store! Rex looked back and saw the police, with the mob coming behind him. The old man in front with the shotgun.

Rex wheezing from lack of breath, released his bowels in a single dump into his pants and fainted to the ground.

Final Chapter

Prepare: SHTF Fiction - Surrounded by Idiots PT4

2011-07-03T12:29:00.000-07:00

Rex exited the interstate into downtown off the ramp which led to the retail part of town. He knew there were some high dollar jewelry and electronics stores down there which would attract the kind of people he had a high desire to put down before they made their way, as they eventually would, to where his house was.

Rex was stunned when he saw the phalanx of several dozen uniformed and armed police officers forming a skirmish line off the main avenue. "Why aren't they abandoning their posts and heading home to protect their families?" Rex wondered aloud. Something wasn't right so Rex continued driving further down the boulevard.

Persistance paid off when he spied a line of "disadvantaged youth" walking out of the broken glass doors of a big box electronic store carrying televisions and game consoles. "What a bunch of idiots." thought Rex. "All those electronics are going to be worthless in a few hours. Time to relieve the gene pool" he figured.

Rolling to a stop a few hundred yards away, Rex lifted his AR from the passenger seat and checked the magazine in the rifle. He opened the truck door and stepped out onto the pavement. His heart was beating a hundred miles an hour, his mouth was dry but his palms were sweating profusely. Rex shook his head and lifted the AR to his shoulder.

Allowing his eyes to focus on the steady line of young people streaming out of the store, Rex sighted in one particullarly large man wearing a bright red tank top. He appeared to be directing the others and encouraging them on in their looting.

Rex drew a bead on Red Shirt and squeezed the trigger. Everything happened fast after that. Red Shirt fell back onto the pavement and everyone else froze holding their boxes and loot in the middle of the street. Then one cried out and the whole mob began to flee in every direction including towards Rex.

Rex tried to draw a target but looking through the scope at so many moving people up close was too difficult, so he just pulled the trigger in their general direction. That only made things more chaotic as people ran in circles with many getting closer to him.

Panicking, Rex jumped back in his truck but momentarily forgot how to start or drive the thing. Something primordial clicked in the back of his head and he managed to turn the key and kick the engine to life just as the vanguard of the mob reached his truck. Dropping the truck in reverse, he screamed when a huge woman landed on his hood and started shouting the foulest curse words through the windshield.

Another man grabbed the drivers door and actually got it opened as Rex floored the vehicle backwards down the street. For a moment, the man got his hand on the barrel of Rex's beloved AR, but the increased speed of the truck caused him to lose his step and fall to the street and roll against the curt.

Rex turned the steering whell to the right and managed to toss the big woman off his truck hood where she too landed and rolled across the empty street. The rest of the mob by this time was picking up anything they could get their hands on and started throwing things at Rex's rapidly retreating truck. Bottles, cans and a few pieces of asphault bounced off the roof and bed of the truck as Rex peeled down the side street.

Rex looked back in the rear view mirror as the mob fell behind him, his hands shaking and barely able to keep the truck steady on the road. Rex turned back onto the main boulevard and he sped down the opposite direction from the interstate entrance which led home.

Rex felt his breakfast coming up and he did not even make it to a full stop before a half digested mess of instant coffee, Pop Tarts and scrambled eggs launched itself all over the console, his lap and the floor of the truck cab.

Rex just kept his head down as the contents of his stomach emptied into the truck and did not cease until it was done.

"Oh lord," muttered Rex, "I gotta get out of here" as he wiped his chin with the back of his hand. Rex looked down at the AR which was partially covered in vomit on the receiver and stock and pushed it with disgust to the passenger floor.

Rex looked around to make sure he was alone and then took his foot off the break and drove on. He was going to hit a gunstore and then get home. This was not the way it was supposed to go.

Next Chapter

Prepare: SHTF Fiction - Surrounded by Idiots PT3

2011-07-03T08:34:00.000-07:00

Rex had wanted to join the military as a boy. But as high school ended and manhood approached, he had second thoughts and instead took a job at a local factory working the floor. In his mind, he rationalized that he could always join some branch of the service at a future date, and for the time being, he could earn money which would allow him to get out of the house and away from his doting, but simple minded mother. (In reality and subconsciously, the thought of basic training and undressing in front of other men mortified Rex).

As for now, Rex was barreling through his neighborhood in the direction of downtown. The Big Plan, as he called it, was downloading its way through his buzzing brain. There were looters to deal with, resources to be located and missing pieces in his master prep list to be filled. Rex was sure this would be the best day in his life.

Approaching the big intersection closest to his neighborhood, Rex was pleasantly surprised to see the long line at the gas station and the burst of activity in front of the super market. People were grabbing grabbing carts and actually yelling at each other in the parking lot. At the gasoline station, two men were fighting over the pump while a woman tried to separate them from a full blown fist fight.

Rex was giddy with excitement as the world crumbled around him. The sheeple would be strayed and lost and men like him would step up to the plate ready to take charge. Finally things would be made right and he could feel the back slaps and see the welcoming grins as men who heretofore had more possessions and stature than he had would now be forced to see him in a new adoring light. It would be magnificent.

The only drag was Darla and her worthlessness. More than once in the past hour Rex had considered inviting her along under the pretense she could load magazines or hand him weapons as he needed them. Secretly, however, he hoped that a stray bullet would take her out in all the action finally allowing him the freedom he needed to find the Perfect Mate for the strange new world coming. His fevered imagination created a woman who looked like Pamela Anderson but spoke as much as Clint Eastwood and could shoot like him too.

Putting his fantasies out his mind, Rex got on the interstate and headed towards downtown. The first order of business was some target practice on the looters running rampant. Then a side trip to a couple of gun stores to "relieve" their overstock and then a quick run through Walmart to stock up on some essentials. All told, Rex figured he had a couple of hours to kill, then would head home to get his house in order. He cursed himself for not telling Darla to fill the bathtubs as they would need the water. She was so dumb, she was probably eating bon-bons and trying to get the TV to work.

Downtown was approaching and Rex' excitement built. He would finally get to see his AR in action. For real.

Next Chapter

Prepare: SHTF Fiction - Surrounded by Idiots PT2

2011-07-03T08:16:00.000-07:00

Rex was sitting on the foot of his bed, (well actually Darla's bed as Rex had a habit of sleeping on the couch or a fold out cot in his workshop), loading magazines for his AR15. It had been a tough decision, but he decided to go with the AR after carefully considering a number of factors.

Rex also had out his Para-Ordinance .45, his Mossberg 12 gauge and his Kel-Tec .380 for a backup piece. He was going through The Big Plan in his head, but Darla kept buzzing into the room like an annoying horsefly sharing news from the radio.

"gas lines are forming.. government says to stock up on bottled water... the ball game was cancelled tonight.. looting reported downtown.."

Looting. That word stood out to Rex like a neon sign in the desert. Looting meant looters to be dealt with and that was OK with Rex. Looting also meant "strategic reallocation" which literally made Rex's mouth water. He could not wait to get downtown.

But for now, there magazines to be loaded. Rex had six down and fourteen more to do before he could even consider heading out the door.

"Rex, I really think I need to go by the market and pick up a few things. I know you are busy and all, but if you could drive me in the truck, I could be in and out in just a few minutes..." Darla said quietly.

"First, it is not THE truck, it is MY truck. Second, your inability to plan for an emergency does not make it a priority in my schedule. YOU should have listened when I told you to purchase extra food and stuff. But NO, you dilly dallyed around the house doing NOTHING while I planned, I prepared, and I did the heavy lifting. You can thank me later for having the foresight to purchase long term storage food some time ago. We will be able to eat well, but its NO THANKS to you, you ... dimwit." Rex growled.

"What long term storage food?" asked Darla. "What are you talking about...?"

Rex sighed. "The food I purchased online. Buckets of food. Freeze dried, dehydrated, MRE's. Real food we can eat when the poop hits the ocillator and our neighbors are eating their beloved cats and dogs. You are as dense as Jupiter, woman."

"How much did you spend, Rex? Where did you get the money from?" asked Darla, her eyebrows drawing together.

"Woman, MY finances are none of your business. Now you listen to me and listen good. The thin veneer of civilization is coming off the world right now. We can sit here and have a nice little conversation or you can get out of my hair and let me get to work!" Rex roared.

Darla stood for one moment staring at Rex and then turned and left the bedroom shutting the door behind her.

Rex continued loading magazines for the next 45 minutes before carefully putting all of them in the load bearing gear he had purchased at a surplus store. Then he changed into the outfit he had laid out on the bed. A pair of 5 in 1 khakis with matching shirt, a pair of suspenders, steel toed boots and a black authentic SEAL stocking cap. He imagined he looked like an intrepid explorer or post-apocalyptic action hero, when in actuality, he looked more like an overweight janitor with a head cold.

Picking up the two long guns, Rex opened the bedroom door and went with purpose to the garage where his truck waited. He said nothing to Darla, got in the truck, punched the garage door opener and drove out in what he imagined would be the urban wastelands of America. The adventure begins!

Next Chapter

Prepare: SHTF Fiction - Surrounded by Idiots

2011-07-03T07:27:00.000-07:00

Rex was in his workshop working on his new tool organization system when his stupid wife knocked quietly on the door.

"Dear? The president is on TV. He about to make an announcement about something.."

Rex let out his extra loud trademark sigh to indicate his lack of patience with the bag of hammers he shared marital bliss with.

"Busy. Leave me alone".

Rex went back to his project, (he was rearranging his sockets by inches rather than the New World Order metric system), but before he did, he reached over a switched on his multi band AM/FM/Shortwave/Scanner set on the shelf above.

"...clearly, this has profound implications on the security of the United States and the rest of the democratic and free world. Therefore, I have decided to impose unilateral sanctions on the Peoples Islamic Caliphate until they have demonstrated the desire and conviction to return to the civilized way of life share by the majority of peoples on this planet. Make no mistake, the United States has nothing but the up most respect for the Muslim faith and for the people of the historic and traditional region of the middle east, but their leaders have led them astray and for this, I must take action...."

Rex sighed again, muttered "twit" under his breath and switched off the radio.

A few moments later, the Box Of Rocks knocked on the door again,

"Rex, honey? The television just went out. Could you take a look at it when you are not too busy, please?"

"Leave a man alone, woman." Rex replied without turning from his work bench.

Rex did reach over to the keyboard on his PC which was also on the workbench handy in the event he had to look something important up. He opened a browser and went to the only site with real news and information, "Detonator2012" The browser timed out after 30 seconds of trying and ended up on "404 Page Not Found".

"Swell. What did that dummy do to the Internet?" thought Rex.

Hauling his butt off his Craftsman stool, Rex went to the shop door, unlocked the three locks, swept the door open, his rage growing by the moment.

"Woman! What did you do to the internet? I got work to do out here!" Rex growled as he strode from the shop into the kitchen.

Darla looked up from the cinnamon rolls she was rolling out on the kitchen counter and then quickly looked down at the floor.

"I didn't touch the internet connection, dear. I was waiting for you to come and check the TV set. I mean, when you weren't busy, darling" she quickly added.

Rex let out an extra louder than normal sigh, "Surrounded by idiots." he muttered and stomped into the family room to check the internet connection.

Family room was a misnomer as he and Darla had no children to speak of. Darla, that quack of a doctor said, was healthy as a horse and as fertile as a Kansas wheat field. It was Rex, he claimed, that had some "reproductive issues". BS thought Rex, and he refused to see another so called doctor again after that day seven years ago.

"I want a son" he demanded of his wife. "Why can't you get that through your fat head?"
Clearly it was her fault that Rex was heirless and was forced to fish and hunt alone each weekend.

Rex went to the corner next to the television and saw that the power light on the cable/internet box was lit, but everything else was dark. "What the...?" he thought.

Rex than tore back the curtains on the window and for the first time in as long as anyone could remember, was speechless.

A pall of black smoke was hanging over the area in the direction of downtown. It was then Rex noticed the sound of sirens warbling in the air. His repose was interrupted when the emergency weather siren down the street sprang to life and let out its loud deep moan.

"The Schumer has hit the fan!" Rex yelled. Excitement built in Rex's stomach much in the way a younger man would feel when he saw the woman he was going to marry for the first time or scratched off the winning number on a Lotto card.

Rex bolted for his gun safe which was in the back of the walkin closet in the bedroom "What will I take? The AR? The SKS? The WASR? What about the Mossie? Got to have some firepower, but the need for multiple man stopping rounds is too important to neglect" he mumbled to himself.

In the background, Darla was babbling something about the sirens and smoke, but Rex tuned her out as he was so adept at after many years of practice. Rex ripped open the closet door and went for the safe. His fingers were fumbling with the combination lock and he had to stop for a moment, take a deep breath before starting again.

"This was going to be great" beamed Rex inside.

Next Chapter

Prepare: Friday Parable

2011-07-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, there was a handsome and prosperous village where all who lived within worked hard and enjoyed the fruits of their land. As time came to pass, they were fortunate enough to have a fair size herd of beautiful and healthy dairy cattle.

The cattle produced milk which was used for cheese, yogurt, curds and whey. The people marveled at the production of their cattle and the dairy products were enjoyed by all.

Over time, the people became lazy and decided that hard work was beneath them. Rather, they chose to sit about in their villiage, which was naturally falling into disrepair as they were too lazy to fix things, all while eating of the bounty of the dairy cattle, which came dutifully into town each morning with their calves for milking.

One day, the people looked into the fields and gazed upon the fat dairy cattle and their calves.

"Look at them," they said. "All they do is eat grass and sleep. Meanwhile, they give us but a portion of milk, cheese and yogurt. We deserve more and something better to eat!"

One of their number stood and proclaimed, "If you elect me your leader, I will do something about this situation. I will force the dairy cattle to share more!".

"How?" said the people.

"I am a butcher, and if you elect me, I will take some of the dairy calves and slaughter them for food. The cattle have plenty and they should be made to share. After all, we deserve it" he said.

However, the man was lying. He knew nothing about cows or being a butcher, rather, he simply wanted to be in charge and have sway over the people and their village.

The people thought this was a good thing and so they elected him their Leader and Butcher.

The next morning, when the dairy cattle came to be milked, the Butcher took one of the calves, ( naturally over the protest of his mother), killed it and slaughtered if for meat. Because he knew nothing of butchering meat, the Butcher wasted much of it. Further, he held back one third of the meat for himself. "I am performing a service for the public and I deserve to be compensated for my sacrifice", the Butcher rationalized.

Afterward, the people ate of the meat he brought forward and found it new and delicious. The taste was made better in that the people did or gave nothing for this wonderful meal.

"You can remain our Leader and Butcher if you give us a calve each day to eat" said the people.

"Of course," said the Butcher, "The cattle have many calves and they should be made to share".

And so it went, day in and out. The Butcher slaughtered the meat, wasting more each day in his haste and greedily keeping a third for himself and feeding the people only what was left.

Eventually, there were no more calves to be slaughtered. The people gathered around the Butcher,

"Where is our meat?" they demanded.

"All of the calves have been slaughtered, there is none left."

"Well, where's our milk, cheese or yogurt? We are hungry and need food!" the cried.

"Without calves, the cattle have no reason to produce more milk" said the Butcher. "I cannot make them give us any if there is none to give".

"We made you our Leader. Give us food!" shouted the people.

Fearing for his life, and afraid of losing the power he enjoyed over the people, the Butcher made a hasty decision and declared,

"Let us go and slaughter one of the dairy cattle. She is fat and will feed many of us. Besides, there are many of them and they are not giving their fair share!".

The people agreed with this and the Butcher went into the fields and killed one of the dairy cattle.

The people ate the cattle and were satisfied for the time being. The next day, another was killed and then another until all the cattle were no more.

"We are hungry," said the people, "Where is our food? Where are our cattle? Where is the meat? Where is the milk and cheese? We need food!"

The Butcher replied, "You have eaten all the cattle, there is no more."

"Then why are you still our Leader? You promised us food! We should be rid of you!" the people said.

The Butcher thought quickly and then said,

"Who among you ate more than the others? Those that did should be made to share! And what about the elderly? They are old and do not need to eat but they did. They too should be made to share! And what about the children? They are small and do nothing so why should we feed them? Again, they should be made to share!"

The people turned on each other and began to tear each othet apart. Soon, none were left in the village including the Butcher who was one of the last to be killed.

In the end, there was no more food, no more cattle and no more village. Those envious people who do nothing yet want more of what is produced by others eventually and inevitably destroy all which was productive and sustainable.

The End

Prepare: Freeze Fried or Dehydrated? Do it youself or not?

2011-06-30T06:48:00.000-07:00

I wrote this review for another website whose audience was primarily comprised on "non-preppers".

Freeze Dried versus Dehydrated - Which is better?

Rather than look at which is better, compare instead the products sold by major long term food supply companies. Also consider the packaging and size of packaging. Finally, and most important, think about what your family will eat and enjoy.

Here are the basics about dehydrated versus freeze dried.

- Freeze dried foods generally take less time and water to prepare

- Dehydrated foods may take longer to rehydrate

- Freeze dried foods are generally pre-seasoned and may contain more sodium and other seasons than eaters may prefer.

- Also generally speaking, most dehydrated food companies sell their foods as stand alone products - dehydrated fruits in one #10 can, wheat in another, TVP in another and so on. Buyers than mix and cook from scratch meals using these products.

- In bulk, as in a six month or one year supply, both dehydrated and freeze dried foods take up a lot of space. Make sure you have the room.

- Many multi month or one year food supply packages include extras like sugar, baking powder, yeast and other products which can also be purchased at the grocery store. While some companies claim these are "fillers" to make the supply seem longer, these extras do come packed in long term food storage containers and this might be convinient for some customers.

Do I have to buy foods from these companies if I want to build a long term food supply?

Absolutely not. You can purchase grains, rice, cooking oil, honey, dried milk and other foods and repack them yourself. You can also purchase a good food dehydrator and dry your own seasonsal fruits and vegetables. In fact, many enjoy doing this themselves and may save money if done correctly and with proper planning.

However, for those with the means and with little free time, purchasing a supply of ready packed foods from one of these companies may work best for them.

As for me, I have a combination of my own packed foods, grocery store foods (like canned and packaged products) and a retort supply from some of the companies below.

Mountain House Foods are all freeze dried foods. Rather than sell baking and cooking ingredients, Mountain sells large (#10 cans) and small (individual meal pouches) complete meals such as cheesy macaroni and cheese, spaghetti and meat balls and beef stew. Mountain House Foods are also light weight and the preferred choice of backpackers, campers and even those who are building a one year food supply.

eFoodsdirect offers both freeze dried and dehydrated foods. eFoodsdirect has both ingredients for those who wish to cook complete meals from scratch using a combination of freeze dried and dehydrated ingredients, they also carry a complete line of "Quick Meals" which can quickly be reconstituted and served for one or an entire family. They also carry a full line of emergency "on the go meal packages" for travelers or emergencies.

Shelf THRIVE foods also has a full selection of freeze dried and dehydrated foods and complete meals. What is neat about THRIVE is their organized and easy to use system of preparing meals using their colored packaging. Also, THRIVE is more designed for those who enjoy cooking meals from scratch at home and wish to have the convinience of long term store foods.

Which is best for you? Each of these companies has sample sized products containing 1-3 meals. I would try a sample and serve to your family and find which foods they prefer.

Prepare: Work Bug Out Bag

2011-06-29T09:52:00.001-07:00

I will be working at a different office next week and when I do, I plan on bringing with me a new office bug out bag. A BOB for work is different than one you can keep at home or the car for a couple of reasons.

- Places of employment generally have rules about bringing weapons (guns, knives, crossbows, etc) into the work place. So those are no-nos and can't be included.

- Most of us, in an emergency, are going to use our BOB at work to get home and not as the beginning of our new life in the wilderness or on the road. So our BOB needs to meet the demands and distances of making it home.

- Finally, most of us can't walk in the door at work with a 85 lb military grade backpack with fanny. Size and appearance matter.

First up, I chose to use a standard day type back pack. I have a couple of them I have received from different jobs, but my favorite is a heavy duty one I purchased more than ten years ago.

It has a large main compartment and two large outer compartments.

My focus will be on outerwear, food, water (and water recovery) and small tools. So I put together my basic bag after a quick trip to the market today and after puttering around the house.

Main compartment

Clothing

- One pair of sneakers. I wear dress shoes or loafers at work. I prefer sneakers to walking shoes or boots for outdoor use and I can run in them if need be.

- Two pair of lightweight, moisture wicking socks. I can wear them under my normal socks or whatever.

- One spare t-shirt. Hey, you get your outer clothing wet, having just one spare dry shirt improves your outlook immensely and this type shirt takes up little room.

- Pullover waterproof jacket. I got one of these as a present and it has come in handy many times. Plus it stores in this neat little bag built into the jacket.

- One pullover stocking type hat (cold weather) and one baseball hat.

- One pair of lightweight gloves.

Food

- Six powerbar/protein bars

- Two foil packs of tuna fish

- One big bag of trail mix

- Two bags of nuts (peanuts, almonds)

- Bag of hard candy

- Two bags of jerky

- Two ramen noodles

- Two packs instant oatmeal

- Ziplock containing four tea bags, sugar, salt and pepper packets.

- One pack chewing gum

Water

- One large Naglene bottle with built in filter

- One small bottle of Polar Pure water tablets

- Two small (4 oz) bottles of water

Tools (some are in outer pocket, others in main)

- My Swiss army knife

- A multi tool

- Three n95 masks

- One pair goggles

- Three contractor trash bags

- One LED headlamp

- One small LED flashlight

- Multi purpose first aid kit with bandaids, neosporin, aspirin, tylonol, immodium, six multi vitamins, benadryl and one large compress type bandage

- Compass, road map of surrounding area

- Metal spoon, metal bowl

- A length of paracord

- Three pack of Big lighters

- Spare AA batteries (four)

Other

- Portable radio (optional - I may simply bring one and put on my desk and take with me in an emergency).

- Sunblock

- Chapstick

- Toilet paper in zip lock bag

- Small bottle of antibacterial gel

- Small pack of antibaterial hand wipes

- $20-50 in small bills

I broke all of this down and repacked into three long resealable plastic bags. Some of the smaller things went into the outside pockets for quick retrieval and so they don't get lost in the main compartment.

Like I said, I can't camp out with this BOB, but it has most of what I need to get home. Since I carpool to work most days, I can't depend on having a vehicle in the parking lot to get home with.

I have to weigh this bag and will probably move some things around or leave some at the office rather than carrying with me at all times.

Prepare: From Choas Will Come Order

2011-06-28T07:40:00.000-07:00

Check out Greece this morning. The locals are protesting the government's austerity plans for government spending. The situation is near riot level in some locations, but peaceful in many others.

How did this happen? Some bullet points:

- Greece has a limited economy dominated by tourism as its largest industry.

- One out of three workers in Greece is employed in the public sector. Most of the country is on some form of government assistance or stipend for daily survival. The government has been financing this with deficit spending.

- Unemployment is over 20% and higher for younger people. The private sector does not create enough jobs for sustainable employment to meet the demands of the available labor pool.

- Greece was "bailed out" by the European Union last year under the conditions that they reduce their government spending (fewer public workers, less government spending programs) and raise taxes to offset their deficits.

- The general population is protesting as so many work in the public sector (and austerity means layoffs, reduction in benefits, pay) or depend upon government assistance to get by (welfare programs, school assistance, unemployment).

- The EU has stated there will be no more money unless the austerity program continues.

There are no quick fixes to this problem. The same problem is also facing Ireland and Portugal.

In the USA, the federal government's ability to borrow (deficit spend) money to meet its obligations is about to hit a "debt ceiling" the amount of which is approved by Congress.

One side says to cut spending equal to the requested amount of raising the debt ceiling. The other side says the requested amount should be met with spending cuts as well as tax increases.

Again, in the USA, many are employed in the public sector or dependent upon government assistance for their daily living expenses or to meet financial obligations like university tuition.

The USA has a much more diverse and larger economy than Greece and will probably weather this crisis through some sort of compromise at the federal level. This time.

Eventually, there is no amount of money which can be borrowed, here, in Greece or the rest of the world, which can satisfy the demands of government obligations.

At that point, some societies will adjust. They will either raise taxes on their populace, reduce services or simply redo their government and force it to live within the actual revenues collected from current taxes.

My opinion is most other societies will take the alternate route. They will allow their government to continue to borrow and spend, make obligations they cannot meet and then protest any changes or cuts to government spending which affects them.

Eventualy, the system will break. No more money will come from the government and those that attempt to rule by fiat (allow people to purchase food, energy and housing with paper money based upon nothing) and force vendors and businesses to reduce their prices (price controls) to meet the new economic reality with crash, Zimbabwe style.

In the end, there will still be people. There will still be resources to feed, house and clothe people, but they will not be available due to the laws of supply (you have something) and demand (someone wants it and thus, has to come to terms with you to get it).

In some of these societies, a new system will arise. Order out of chaos. It has happened before. The result historically has been Hitler, Mussolini, Lenin/Stalin, Mao and others.

The thing to watch is whether this spreads or is isolated. If the economic conditions improve world wide soon, then Greece can be advised and restructured with the help of other more fortunate nations.

If not, well, pick up a history book and read how that turned out.

Personally, I hope a third path emerges. Responsible, yet limited government which governs from the middle and helps those truly in need yet shares the responsibility among all citizens, not just a few.

Cross your fingers.

Prepare: Shelf Life

2011-06-27T10:49:00.000-07:00

Scenario: A global pandemic has finally ended but not before taking 99.9% of the world's population. For some reason, you were immune and with preparations in place, were able to avoid the fate of most of the human race. Now, you have the entire world as your personal grocery store and supply depot what with all the abandoned goods waiting for your to come get them.

Scenario: A nuclear war started and quickly ended. You and your family had a stocked shelter and emerge a few weeks later to learn that most of the people around you succumbed to fallout sickness and perished soon afterward. Now you must get busy preparing for a world without other people, however, you have all of the food and other supplies left in stores and in homes for your use.

While neither of these events (fortunately) have taken place, we run across these scenarios in survival fiction all the time. In Stephen King's book, "The Stand", one of the central characters remarks that with the reduced population, there is enough food in the grocery stores for 200 or more years. Another character suggests that there is plenty of gasoline in the ground to run cars for decades.

The truth of the matter is everything has a shelf life. That is, how long it is useful, edible, in working condition, safe to use or run before it is no longer viable.

Take food. Canned food, in ideal conditions (cool, dark, non-damp storage), can remain edible for two to five years. While some foods may last longer, after that time the vitamin content drops to nothing, the contents are nothing more than inert material, the taste might be negligible and the danger of food poisoning is higher.

What about dried foods? Same thing and some foods, like packaged dry cereal, may actually become inedible after less than a year. Sugar and salt, properly stored can last decades. But the key is proper storage.

Most grocery stores have all of the food out on the shelves. Bags containing flour, sugar and salt will quickly be compromised by insects or vermin. As the temperatures fluctuate in a grocery store with non-functioning climate controls, canned and glass bottled goods may actually crack or explode on the shelves.

In the end, after four or five years, only a few cans of spices in metal containers or coffee might still be usable. That is, if water does not get in through the roof and spoil even those things.

What about non food items? Batteries, depending upon the type, may only have a shelf life of 5-10 years with lithium batteries holding out the longest. Tires for the car and motorcycle, if kept wrapped and in a dry location, may only last five years at the longest. Many drugs, such as "cyllin" based antibiotics and tetracycline could kill you if used after their expiration date. Even aspirin after five years may lose its efficacy. Ammunition left in a cardboard box on the store shelf runs the risk of exposure to heat, air and moisture resulting in bulging, questionable cartridges.

The problem is the storage of a product, the weather conditions and if anything else, such as vermin, insects or animals have access to the product and may cause it harm. Most of the "stuff" in our world is either in a retail establishment, in a warehouse waiting for delivery or in the back of a truck somewhere. None of these conditions are ideal for storing anything for long term.

The solution?

First off, fiction aside, it is unlikely any of us will be in a situation where we are the "last man on earth" and have the world as our proverbial oyster. However, if you find yourself in a post-survival instance, here are some steps to take.

- Have climate controlled storage ready. That means a generator (more than one preferably) running on different fuel supplies, (gas, solar, wind) and lots of space (a big house or single story building) with plenty of insulation and several store rooms.

- Start collecting stuff. That means a big truck or trailer and access to grocery stores, drug stores, warehouse clubs, hardware and auto parts stores. Have a plan and a list and an amount needed to collect. There is no reason to collect and store five hundred sets of tires as you will never be able to use them all in a lifetime.

- Organize and start using the stuff. Digging around the warehouse looking for a bottle of aspirin means that something else has probably already gone bad.

- Start planning on doing without stuff. In the first month, fresh bananas, limes, pineapples and lemons will become a distant memory. Soon afterwards, chocolate and coffee will disappear forever. Best be able to getting used to a world without either.

- Start finding alternatives. Gasoline and diesel, even with preservatives, will go bad or be used up. Better find a good horse as even the bicycle will be worthless after the tires can no longer be replaced. Plant a huge garden and fields of wheat, corn and potatoes. That is where food is going to come from after the canned stuff goes rancid. Investigate and plant herbal alternatives to modern medicines. If it were me, I would be searching out and relocating chickens, goats and other small livestock before they die and before even setting foot in the local Walmart.

Eventually, you will have acquired everything locally available and will have run out of room. At that point, anyone would realize there is no way you can prepare and stockpile enough stuff to last a lifetime.

In the end, even people have a shelf life. With the world described above, our seventy five to eighty year lifespan will drop dramatically in the following generations. Enjoy the shopping while it lasts!