The other day, I was gassing with a friend who owns a gas station/grocery store when a guy came in a purchased three bags of bulk tobacco.  He was a pensioner and liked to stock up on his vice at the beginning of the month so he wouldn’t run out of tobacco before he restocked his monthy money supply.

It dawned on me that tobacco is probably going to be another trade good in those days.  It won’t keep forever like good whiskey (or any other liquor) or the other items I mentioned before, but for the medium term, it will be good.  Tobacco’s shelf life is somewhat controlled by climate, so keep it cool and it will last longer (so will batteries, by the way).

Most people will probably start running out of tobacco after a few weeks and even those who got to Safeway first on Dec. 22 will see their supplies burned up within a few months. Inside plastic bags and stashed away in the cool safe-keeping of your cache, you supply should be good for at least a year.  And for folks who are desperate for a smoke, even stale tobacco will be good.

Pick up a pro rata supply of papers, as well, ’cause those will be just as hard to get.  Put them away in baggies to keep them dry.

Some folks may start to grow their own tobacco in those days (just as some will make their own bathtub gin), but rest assured there will be a powerful market for the real thing!  The key will be the same as in the stock market — making sure you sell at the right time.

First, I want to be able to provide you as much good information as possible.  If others have written about it, and it’s reasonable stuff you need to be thinking about, why re-do it?

Second, it’s good to offer a variety of styles and a variety of perspectives, as long as they’re valid and/or interesting.

Third, just as you need to be building a “tribe,” there’s no reason that I can’t do it as well, even if it’s only to provide you with ideas and training.

You’ll be seeing more guests from time to time, and they’ll always be identified.  Probably they’ll come with links to their own sites.  Explore if you wish, but I’m not necessarily recommending.

Keep on learning!

Having a trail medical kit can help you keep yourself safe on your different trips.  Your trail medical kit can work as your emergency pack in case something happens on your long plane trip, your hiking escapade, even your children’s field trip.

You need to make sure that you have a medical kit, and that it is of the best quality, so that you can be sure to have something working all the time no matter when you need it.

Here are a few tips that you should take into account when buying your trail medical kit.

* Because you will be walking around with this pack often, you need to have something that is lightweight, and that has a lot of functions at the same time.  Avoid buying your trail medical kit online if you can.  You need to go to your store, check how heavy or light it is in your hands, and how well you handle the equipment.  If you are comfortable with the equipment and its weight, then you will be able to use the trail medical kit better.

* Don’t just settle for the equipment.  Go for a guide book as well.  Some trail medical kits will not only have first aid equipment, but first aid guide books that will include pointers on wilderness medicine and other things that you need to know in order to survive.  Study this guide book before you start using your trail medical kit.

* Even before you get to the store, have a list of the things that you would like to see in your medical kit.  You can call this your “barest minimum” list, since these are the essentials that you want and need your kit to have.  Anything else will be a bonus.

* While making your barest minimum list, talk to your doctor and get a good check up done.  You need to do this to check what medications or special first aid kit equipment you need to add to your kit in order to fit any diagnosis that your doctor might have.

* Don’t settle for just one kit!  Get at least two so that each person in your team will have a medical kit.  Moreover, try bringing more than one.  This will assure your safety just in case you run out of bandages and other things that you should have in your kit.

* Have refills ready!  Buy extra bandages or other things that might run out quickly.

* Try to get a kit that has reflective trim.  This will allow you to find your kit in your bag better if you are walking in dim lighting or at night.

* Check the expiry dates of the medications and ointments that are in the kit!  Some kits might not have been restocked, and some contents might actually be past their time!  You need a kit that will last you for at least a year, so that you don’t have to worry about your own restocking.

* Have more than one kit in mind. It pays to have a lot of options open. Don’t settle for just one kind of kit:  You may get better bargains on other kits, or even in other stores!

* If you’ll go outdoors, going trekking, camping or just about any other activity outside your home, it would be very useful to bring along a medical kit with you.  And if you’re looking for a top quality trail medical kit, Survival Gear can help.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Phil_Washington

Yellowstone National Park is the home to one of the world’s largest and most active volcanic system. During he last several million years this area has produced some giant volcanic eruptions.

As of this date we have not experienced any eruptions which contain volcanic ash or lava however future eruptions may likely contain both of these dangerous contents. We may be lucky and all we will see are some ongoing hot spring activities, an occasional steam explosion and perhaps even a few moderate to large size earthquakes.

Geologist Christopher Sanders has stated on Jan. 1 of 2009 that he was advising the state officials around Yellowstone of the potential for a state wide emergency.  He further informed the authorities that within that week alone there were over 252 earthquakes.

He warned that we have all the necessary warning signs relating to a major eruption associated with a super volcano. He predicted that people should leave the immediate area of Yellowstone Park and for about a 200 mile radius as well.

We are not talking about some crazed crackpot here but an educated professional whose job it is to know and understand volcanoes and associated phenomena.

Let’s take a what-if example at this time and place the data into this equation. We are all aware of the number of mid-eastern enemies that America has encountered in the past 8 to 10 years. Many are ruthless and have vowed to never rest until we are destroyed.

With this thought clearly in mind we can continue with our what if scenario. What if a terrorist or a terrorist organization were to visit Yellowstone National Park. Further let us suppose that in some sort of manner this terrorist were to have access to a thermonuclear device.

It is not beyond their capabilities to perhaps attempt to not only kill millions of Americans but to do so on a national ideology such as the Park would be a vast feather in their cap.  This desired retribution to America and its people would make Yellowstone the major target for these types of terrorists.  The devastation of the surrounding communities and the drastic loses of lives would certainly suit their goals.  

We currently experience a considerable number of terrorist threats due to our countries stand in the mid-east and as such are open game for any terroristic organization that views us as their enemy. It would only take one or two of these mid-east holy warriors with access to nuclear products to create a situation that would easily rival 9-11.

A strategically placed nuke in the vicinity of Yellowstone geyser could very well be the start of a fierce change reaction that could cause drastic consequences.

As I see it, with the built up hate and anger that these organizations have for the American people and our country, it is only a matter of waiting patiently for the right time to obtain what they consider restitution for their suffering.

At this point in time I plead with the American government to do one of several things.  First they must create emergency action plan in the event that a situation such as this occurs.  Second they must attempt to eliminate the potential for the crisis to even get started.  Some plan must be in place immediately to prevent such an occurrence from happening.

Copyright @ 2009 Joseph Parish For more information relating to survival visit us at http://www.survival-training.info

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joseph_Parish

Bear takes on the Utah desert

For the first time last night, I watched “Man vs. Wild” on Discovery.  Host Bear Grylls takes you through a variety of climates and talks about certain aspects of survival in each. 

One episode focused on how to find water.  In snow country, for example, while it seems right at hand, he warns not to eat the snow directly because of how it may damage your mouth.  Instead, put it in a canteen, put the canteen against you body and let the snow melt.  In a temperate climate, he encourages a trip upstream before drinking, to make sure there are no carcasses in the stream adding toxins.  And on and on, all the way to the ultimate survival requirement — drinking your own urine.

He also gave clues about building temporary shelter:  getting it off the jungle floor to avoid sleeping with snakes and scorpions, getting it high in the air in the forest to keep away from bears, etc.

Episodes have covered the Rockies, the desert around Moab, Alaskan mountains, the Sierra Nevada, the Everglades and then on to more exotic zones around the world.

Grylls is a Brit who served in the Special Air Services.  He’s one of the handful of folks who have climbed Mt. Everest (he did it at age 23) and he led the first unassisted crossing of the frozen North Atlantic Ocean in an open, rigid inflatable boat.  He’s unassuming and direct, making the show enjoyable.

Why learn about survival in all these climates rather than just where you live?  As we’ve discussed, we have no idea what the cause of the End of Days will be.  Will it be nuclear winter, putting even south Florida under a blanked of snow?  Will it be desertification or wide-ranging flooding.  Will we head south into Mexico or north into Canada?

You can wait for the show to come to Discovery or you can watch segments of it on hulu.com for free.  Or you can buy the DVDs containing the episodes.

Important notice:  It’s highly unlikely that watching a DVD about survival is anywhere close to adequate training.  It’s merely an introduction and perhaps a way to get family and friends interested.  Then get a book that goes into detail (and which can be cached away).  And finally go out and try the suggestions (at least the ones which are legal or in season) to complete your education.  For some of the more exotic locales, book learning might be all you have.

You need the right to acquire whichever type of firearm you believe best for your survival, now and later

Tonight Lou Dobbs considered a host of proposed gun laws around the nation that would make it even more difficult for law-abiding citizens to own and use firearms.

Whatever your opinion of the limits of the 2nd Amendment, this trend will make it more difficult to survive after 2012.  That’s why you should take the time to fight these laws and proposals.

This early in the course of events, it’s impossible to know what exactly will be responsible for the cataclysm which brings about the End of Days.  Possibly, as we get closer, we may be fortunate enough to know what we’re up against.  At that time, we may be able to acquire the appropriate weapons needed for survival.

More than likely, however, we’ll need to start earlier and prepare for a variety of eventualities.  That means we will need guns and ammo for hunting, self-defense and defense from armed aggression.  (The difference in the last two is holding off a burglar vs. holding off a SWAT team.)

Under ideal circumstances, we’d prepare for everything, stocking a secret underground vault or two with all types of guns and unlimited ammo for each.  For most of us, that isn’t possible.  With a quality pistol costing upwards of $500, we might be limited to one or two and perhaps a few hundred rounds of ammo.

If we’ve acquired them, we don’t want to take the risk that someone’s going to take them away, or levy an additional tax on them, or even tell the world what we have.  Since most of us are city dwellers, we certainly don’t want to be forbidden the right to own certain types of firearms.

Lots more later on the types of guns you’ll want to consider.

For now, however, take time to make a phone call to your congressman that will help keep your — and my — options open.

The End of Days is predicted so late in 2012 (Dec. 21, the winter solstice) that most of your most critical time for survival will come in 2013.  That first full year, 2013, will determine whether you’re going to survive or whether your family name is going to be lost to history.

It’s likely that the few days remaining in 2012, though critical to survival as well, will be so frenetic and frenzied that you won’t be able to put to use much of what you’re planning.  If you have a place in the country, a hideout, a cache, you’ll likely spend much of the rest of 2012 escaping the city and getting to a place of safety, either geographically or metaphorically.

Essentially, then, the calendar year 2013 is a good time span to keep in mind for your planning.  If you can make it through the first winter, and gather resources that summer to survive the next winter, you’ll be well on your way.

So 2012 is the year of catastrophe.  And 2013 is the year of your survival.

(I’m not going to get into the philosophical, ethical or moral discussion about buying on credit with the understanding that debt will disappear at the End of Days.)

You’re going to need your education, tools to back it up, weapons and ammo, food and supplies to last however long you choose to stockpile for.  Not to mention buying trade goods.

So where does this cash come from, if you’re the average Joe?

1) Learn to sacrifice now.  You’ll be doing a lot of it post-2012.  The ability for mature adults to sacrifice is not necessarily a switch you can turn on at will.  If you don’t believe me, just try it tomorrow with your favorite drink or food or TV show.  Give up now things that eat cash which needs to be spent on resources and things that waste time that needs to be spent on developing skills.

2) Reduce clutter.  If you’re like me and most other folks, you’ve got crap all over the place.  Stuff you haven’t used for year and may have forgotten about.  Clean out that storage shed (at home or rented), attic, basement, closet and every other place.  Sell the stuff.  Put it on eBay.  If you’re in a tax bracket that can benefit and don’t have time or inclination to run a yard sale, donate it to a charity thrift and take the tax benefit.  (Here are some guidelines, including links to relevant IRS publications.)

3) Right-size your lifestyle.  You don’t need all that space you’re living in.  You really don’t.  You don’t need a luxury car.  You don’t need a gym membership — there’s plenty of real work that can help you build your new skills while getting buff in a way that matters.  Come 2012, you won’t be eating out all the time, so practice smart eating now.  Carpool, no matter how “independent” you pretend to be; learning cooperation is vital.  Cut out the excuses — no one believes you.

4) Find ways of turning your new skill(s) into an income generator or a part-time job.  You can do it almost from the beginning if you’re willing to be creative.  You may want to learn to make candles, for example; the kids can start selling them within a couple of weeks.  And stay entertained while doing it.  Talk about win-win.

5) Entertain your family the same way you’ll be doing it in 2013.  The way great-grandpa would have done it.  It’s a lot cheaper and, again, it’s good practice.  Get the whole family involved in skill-building.  That will keep them entertained inexpensively and keep them generating King Cash.

6) If one spouse isn’t working, change that.  The definition of work is broad; think “making candles,” for example.

7) Birthday and Christmas presents: Make them.  And keep it in the family.  Other celebrations?  Be smart.  If you give in that easily to social pressure, you can kiss it good-bye in 2013.

8) Bank all the savings and the additional income, spending it only on stuff that matters.

Just about everyone has it within their reach to put together the wherewithall for survival in 2013 and beyond.  It involves giving up the excuses and the time-wasters and deciding what’s important.  (If you’re got to phrase it in terms that the rest of the family can accept, use the current economic downturn to justify the changes in lifestyle.  Times are genuinely tough; lifestyle changes have to be dramatic.  That’s a good facade for outsiders, too.  Most of what you’re doing and planning, very few people need to know about; more on that in the future.)

9) Start now.  No, now.

This may become a more important part of your life than you ever realized.

A standup comic once described something as disappearing “faster than a pizza at a Weight Watchers® convention.”

That’s an apt description of what going to happen to the food on the shelves of your neighborhood Safeway store on Dec. 22, 2012.

That’s why we need to have a discussion about Spam® and other assorted canned food products.

You say you don’t like Spam?  Well, join a big crowd.  Then get over it.

You’re going to need food in 2013.

Let’s assume there isn’t going to be electricity come the End of Days.  Fortunately, the projected date of our cataclysm comes at the beginning of winter, so the food in your refrigerator and much of the food in your freezer will be good for several weeks, under the best of circumstances.

After that is gone, however, you’re going to have to turn to foraging, hunting and long-lasting reserves.  Foraging may include Safeway, vacated homes of neighbors and gardens without owners.  Hunting isn’t going to be as easy as it is in peaceful times, but more about that in another episode.

That leaves your reserves.  How much Spam would your family consume in a month?  In six months?  In two years?  How much can you afford to buy?

Spam and most other such canned products will last well nigh on forever.  The Hormel website indicates that after a while (what, 20 years?) Spam will still be good to eat but may lose some flavor.  In survival mode, flavor isn’t of great importance.  And by 20 (or 10 or 5) years out, we’d all better have other food sources lined up.

But next summer’s garden isn’t going to do much good if you can’t survive until then.  Ergo, Spam.

In the grand scheme of things, Spam is pretty expensive.  Buy it at Amazon.com and it’ll cost more than 4 bucks a can.  But dollar stores often have similar products for, you guessed it, $1.  Compare nutritional information.  Give them the taste comparison test.  Throw several brands on the grill for that backyard barbeque you and the tribe will be doing every month.

If you’re going to go the brand-name Spam route, there are several varieties to consider: hickory smoke, hot & spicy, bacon, cheese, oven-roasted turkey,  garlic and so forth.  You might believe that in survival mode, just plain classic Spam will do fine, thank you.  But as you settle in and eat this stuff every day for months, you might wish you had another flavor or something else.

That something else could be other “pantry products,” as Hormel calls stuff that doesn’t have to be refrigerated.  And there are many choices, from many manufacturers, including those who sell in the dollar stores.  Hormel, for example, has canned chicken, turkey and ham as well as a variety of chilis and hashes.

Once you decide which of these to treat yourself to, then you’ll need to decide where to lay them by.  Kitchen?  Garage?  Place in the country?  Cache in the outback?  All of the above?

And you’ll need to make other decisions as well.  How will you get your vitamins — pills or canned veggies?  And on and on.

Today it can be an adventure.  Tomorrow it will be only too real.

You have an advantage over Frederic Remington's Apache scouts: You get to choose your own tribe.

An advantage is that you get to pick your own tribe. If you hurry, that is.

What’s the makeup of a tribe?  It has to act as a unit, with members who are independently dynamic yet willing to get each other’s back when times call for it. It’s not a cult: Each family continues to be a family, working and growing  just as they would outside the tribe.

But when that fateful Dec. 21 hits, the families must come together, already prepared and trained for what will happen next. Just as the Apaches sat around the campfire, telling their stories and planning their next actions, backyard barbecues for your “tribe” must focus on sharing successes and planning for the future. Just as the Apaches would have known exactly when they would attack a particular hacienda, your tribe knows exactly when it must be ready for a new life.

To start your tribe — if you honestly assess yourself as leader material — you might start with your education, as discussed in the most recent blog entry. Find one or two guys from your neighborhood who might want to carpool down to the college to take classes. While it might be best if you’re each learning different, complementary, skills, it won’t hurt if you all take the same shop class. There should be a duplication of skills in a tribe; the harsh fact is that not everyone can be expected to survive.   Ask any football coach:  Depth is vital at each position.

By the way — that’s the last football analogy you get to consider.  Weekend get-togethers are no longer to cheer on the alma mater or overpaid pros.  Now they serve to work on projects that will enhance your skills, teach you to work together, build “stuff” that you’ll be needing in your future life and discuss who else needs to be brought into the tribe.

(Since I’ve used the Apache reference, you may want to learn how one group of Apaches led their lives when the tribe wasn’t under the control of the Americans and restricted to reservations.  Morris E. Opler’s “An Apache Life-Way: The Economic, Social and Religious Institutions of the Chiricahua Indians” is a comprehensive introduction.  The Chiricahuas were the tribes of Apaches such as Mangas, Cochise and Geronimo.)

As the ancient knight in the third Indiana Jones movie warns:  “Choose wisely.”  You’ll have to live not only with the one you select, but the family as well.  But remember, no one is perfect and even the best are imperfect in some areas at some times.

How large to build your tribe is a question we won’t be able to answer until the time comes.  In other words, just about any guess that is backed by rationale is as good as any other.  Perhaps you’ll lose one-third or maybe two-thirds at the time of the devastation.  Some will be away or you won’t be able to link up with some afterward.  So it needs to be enough.  Perhaps the number that you can fit into your back yard for a barbecue is the right size for a tribe.

While the ultimate number is fuzzy, it’s pretty clear that you have to get started with one or two like-minded individuals.  So get busy.  You don’t have as much time as you think.