Unstoppable survival skills and tools that will see you through almost any SHTF situation

In the world of prepping there are basic survival tools, and then there are unstoppable survival weapons and skills that will see the average prepper through virtually anything that man or nature can throw at them. (APN) recently outlined the most important skills and tools that every prepper should ensure they have on hand at any given time.

Unstoppable weapons

These tools are weapons against your demise.

Ferro rod:

A ferro rod is a tool used by preppers, campers and others as a fire starter. Ferro rods look like small steel rods, and are made from ferrocerium, a manmade metallic alloy that can produce sparks of 3,000-plus degrees Fahrenheit (approximately 1,649 degrees Celsius). What makes the ferro rod an unstoppable weapon? Its ability to start as many as 2,000 individual fires, and the fact that it is virtually indestructible. As noted by APN, nothing – including blood, water, sand or mud – will destroy it. Since fire for warmth and cooking is one of the most important elements of survival, the ferro rod is a vital part of any prepper’s kit.

Folding saw:

A folding saw is shaped almost like a penknife in that it folds in on itself, but has the sharp, serrated blades of a saw. A good quality steel folding saw will make sourcing wood for fires and shelter-building a breeze, and will spare the blade of your all-purpose survival knife.

Steel traps:

As much as many of us may be opposed to the idea of causing any animal pain or discomfort, the reality is that in a survival situation sourcing food becomes one of the main focuses of the day. A steel trap is a sure way to catch the food you need to keep your family alive and is a better bet than trying to use a weapon to hunt because it doesn’t require ammunition and can be used over and over again.

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A tourniquet:

Medical supplies are an important part of any survival kit, and possibly the most important medical survival gear item is a good tourniquet. A tourniquet is a device that applies pressure around a limb to restrict the flow of blood for a period of time. Why is this an unstoppable weapon? Because it can mean the difference between bleeding out and surviving after injury.

Stakes:

An often overlooked survival item, stakes are strong plastic or metal posts with pointed ends which can be driven into the ground. As noted by APN:

A simple tarp, cordage and stakes will give you shelter from most elements in a matter of 10 minutes.

Shelter is right up there with food and fire as one of the most essential elements of survival, making stakes invaluable – and unstoppable – weapons.

Cordage:

As noted above, a tarp, cordage and stakes will provide basic shelter in a matter of minutes. But the uses of cordage extend far beyond just creating shelter. As explained by APN:

You can make shelter, nets, weapons, grips, hang things, make slings and many other things.

Cordage cannot break. Nothing ba[d] can happen to it. If it gets really old, it might get a little brittle but things like bank line and 550 paracord are what you want. By carrying cordage, you give yourself options to use the natural world and manipulate it to do your bidding.

A steel bottle:

A steel bottle will provide water storage and can be used to boil water directly on the fire. Being steel it will be far more durable than a “designer” insulated bottle. (Related: What’s in YOUR bug out bag? 10 must-have multipurpose survival tools.)

Essential skills

While the ability to hunt, build a shelter and make a fire may immediately jump to mind as the most important survival skills – and, of course, they are vitally important – APN points out the single most important survival skill to practice is physical fitness:

Think of how you enter a survival situation. Are you hydrated, are you winded, are you injured. A healthy lifestyle that focuses on fitness can be one of the most powerful tools you have in your survivors toolkit.

Stamina is gold. It dictates how far you can go. Fitness also teaches you how to overcome severe physical adversity and believe me, survival is going to present severe physical adversity. Its [sic] about a lot more than just looking good. (Related: Bushcraft survival skills to teach your kids or grandkids.)

There is certainly a lot of crazy instability in the world at the moment. Politically, financially and in terms of natural phenomena, our planet feels like it’s teetering on the brink of the next disaster at any given time. Preparedness and survival skills and tools are therefore vitally important. Don’t delay. Start working on your SHTF plan today. Get more essential tips at Preparedness.news.

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The Government Will Help These Cities First After The SHTF

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Whether you clicked this article out of curiosity or are looking to find out whether you have hit the lottery on location, there are some things to consider. 2017 taught us a lot about the resilience of communities and the response of the government to disasters. In fact, regarding disaster response, it was probably the most telling year in modern history.

As a recap, we faced devastating hurricanes, civil unrest, a deadly flu virus, the biggest mass shooting ever, and wildfires that threatened massive chunks of California. It was a wild year! I hope you were paying attention.

Knowing where the government will show up first in a collapse scenario is of immense importance to everyone. Of course, we would all like to believe there is help on the way during any disaster. There are massive amounts of resources that will be used to assist ailing states and cities, but some states and cities are going to be a much higher priority than others.

The government has broken down 8 core principles that guide recovery in their National Disaster Recovery Framework.

  • Convene the core of an inclusive whole community planning team, identified predisaster, which will oversee the disaster recovery planning process and activities to reduce recovery risk and increase resilience.
  • Public Information and Warning. Manage expectations through clarity, accuracy, and transparency.
  • Operational Coordination. Lead, coordinate, and drive the recovery process.
  • Economic Recovery. Share, aggregate, and integrate economic impact data to assess economic issues and identify potential inhibitors to fostering stabilization of the affected communities.
  • Health and Social Services. Identify affected populations, groups, and key partners in recovery.
  • Housing. Assess preliminary housing impacts and pre- and post-disaster needs, identify available options for temporary housing, and support the local development of the plan for permanent housing.
  • Infrastructure Systems. Facilitate the restoration of and sustain essential services (public and private) to maintain community functionality.
  • Natural and Cultural Resources. Implement measures to protect and stabilize records and culturally significant documents, objects, and structures.

In researching this topic, I noticed one resource that stood out above all. It was an article written with a government and recovery motive in mind.

A Governmental Response Based on Common Sense

The list provided below was created by Fergus Mason of askaprepper.com, and I love the reasoning behind each choice.

  1. Washington, D.C. – Government
  2. New York City – Largest US population center
  3. Los Angeles – Second largest population center
  4. Chicago – Major population center, finance, manufacturing
  5. Houston – Major population center, oil industry
  6. Dallas – Population center, oil industry
  7. Philadelphia – Population center, manufacturing, oil refining
  8. San Diego – Population center, military
  9. Phoenix – Population center, food processing
  10. San Francisco – Tech industries

It’s easy to understand why the government would respond in such a way based on population size and their ability to aid in the recovery. That said, I think we must be honest about the government’s track record when it comes to disaster response.

If this is a surprise to you, check out this list of the 5 worst government responses to natural disasters.

It’s important to realize that the government’s response to a massive collapse of our nation would probably not be the right one. No one has ever seen what happens to a country of 300 million people who are heavily armed and accustomed to all the conveniences of modern life when a disaster changes everything.

Honestly, I don’t miss a chance to knock the government but, in this instance, I think it’s just a numbers game. While having a plan and executing it makes sense for a governing body, I just don’t think any government can adequately prepare for a nationwide disaster.

Factoring in the Human Element

Recovery from a nationwide collapse scenario would really depend on the actions of the people that are being helped. I think the quicker that recovery happens, the better it will be for everyone. That said, those cities that don’t receive help in the first week or weeks will erupt into so much chaos that I don’t know if any of them can be saved. It may be like a wildfire that just has to burn itself out.

Even if we suspended Posse Comitatus to use as many resources as possible, we would come up short. We have about 2.5 million soldiers in our military. I guess you could add to that the police which are estimated at 800,000. This would put us over 3 million. Still, we would have 300 million people to watch. Most would be armed, and all would be scared.

In 2013, FEMA’s operating budget was 16 billion, and while I couldn’t find anything on recent budgets, I’m sure it’s gotta be around a 20 billion. It took nearly that much money just for the recovery of Texas and Florida from this year’s hurricanes. And most Americans didn’t feel the effect of that at all.

Donald Trump also just cut the budget of the coast guard, who would no doubt come to the people’s aid in a disaster

How Do You Control of Millions of Scared and Desperate People?

While the list of cities above is probably pretty accurate, I wonder how fast the turnaround would be from one city to the next. If resources were dispatched to the first 3 or 4 cities, how quickly would they be able to move to assist the others, or would it be a limited number of resources to each major city?

It will all come down to how the government decides to take control of millions of sacred and desperate people. When we really consider what a recovery looks like, it conjures up thoughts of despotic martial law. These are serious concerns, and I’m not sure I can blame anyone for fearing that.

Even in the very first cities to receive aid, there will be things like curfews to keep order. What the nation’s response to these rules will be is anyone’s guess. I think it’s very clear what the government’s response to a disaster will be. I think we can also agree they will be strapped for resources.

The big question is: Will the weak and unprepared people allow for recovery? What do you think?

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Practical uses for newspapers for when SHTF

Practical uses for newspapers for when SHTF

Old-fashioned, physical newspapers will remain useful long after the content they bear become outdated. They can even be used during crisis scenarios when SHTF. shared a number of reasons and uses as to why you should stockpile them.

The most valuable and versatile newspapers are the ones made from regular paper that only use black ink. Avoid the colored ones because their inks are toxic, and don’t waste your time with glossy paper since it has far fewer uses than ordinary paper.

Stay warm and dry with the help of newspapers

When the power grid goes down, you will lose air conditioning, heaters, and other means of controlling the temperature. Newspapers can make up for this by serving as insulation material or fuel.

As an insulator, newspapers can keep out cold temperatures and drafts. Use them as lining material for your clothes, blankets, sleeping bag, or home.

When added to clothes, they will also cut back on the sweat you build up. At home, make sure that the open end of the newspaper faces the source of the draft from the door or window.

You can also turn newspapers into burnable logs for fires. Rolled-up logs are simple to make, last longer, and generate plenty of heat.

Keeping weeds out of your survival garden and helping crops ripen

Your survival garden will provide you with food for the longest time. In addition to hiding it from human sight, you must protect them from encroaching weeds.

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Newspapers can serve as underground weed barriers around your plants. Unfold them and arrange them inside the soil around individual plants. They will keep other growth out of the protected plant’s space.

In addition to stopping weeds, newspapers can be used as frost protectors. Use multiple sheets to form a paper hat that is large enough to cover the plant. These covers keep frost from forming on the plant. They also trap as much heat as possible.

Finally, they can help speed up the ripening process for many fruits and vegetables. Harvest the crop of your survival garden a few days early. Wrap the produce in newspaper and let them stand for a couple of days.

The cover traps the ripening gases around the fruit to maximize the effect. They also keep the food from rotting. The technique can be used on apples, bananas, and tomatoes, among other produce.

Other uses for newspapers

Paper mache is not just a material for children’s arts-and-crafts. It can be made into decoys and baits for hunting, medical casts for broken limbs, and food containers such as bowls and cups.

Newspapers combine well with sticky materials to make paper mache. Remember to use a water-soluble glue for body casts so that the cast will dissolve in time.

They can also be used to maintain cleanliness. As lining for a drawer or cabinet, they keep the contents and the container free from dust.

They are also good for cleaning up messy workplaces. And while it actually takes a lot of effort and care to wrap a breakable item in them, they will keep the object safe from damage.

Finally, putting newspaper in the bottom of damp shoes will help dry them out and reduce the odors in the footwear. They not only keep your shoes smelling good, but protect your feet against infection.

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How To Prepare For SHTF In Just One Day

As preppers, we pride ourselves on being ready for any emergency situation which might arise.

More than anything, this means having the supplies and gear to deal with the situation and provide our families with the basic necessities of life, even if nobody else has them. But what would happen if we suddenly found ourselves in the situation of being faced with a potential disaster and we didn’t have any of our preps around?

Think that can’t happen? It just happened to me. You don’t need to know the details of how, because that’s immaterial to today’s discussion. But here are a few examples of how any of us could end up in this situation:

  • Traveling out of town when a hurricane strikes
  • An earthquake or wildfire destroys our home
  • We are unable to make our way home for some reason
  • We are forced to leave our home, either due to criminal invasion or even something as mundane as a divorce, coupled with a restraining order

I’m sure there are other possibilities, but these are enough for now. In any of these cases, the only survival gear that you would have available to you is your bug out bag, everyday carry bag or survival kit. In addition, it’s safe to say that you’d have the clothes on your back, the credit or debit cards in your wallet and the survival knowledge you’ve stored up in your head.

With only that to work with, what do you do? How can you prepare to survive a disaster with minimal time and minimal resources? For the sake of argument, let’s say that you’re in the path of a hurricane and all the planes are grounded.

Knowledge Trumps Gear

In a situation like I am describing, you really can’t count on your survival gear and stockpile of supplies, other than what you manage to take with you. Some situations might allow you to grab a bug out bag or you might have an EDC bag with you. But if you are traveling, you might find yourself without even these basics to work with. In such a case, the only thing you can count on is your knowledge.

Fortunately, knowledge is king, when it comes to survival. If you have the right knowledge, you’ll be able to procure, scrounge, harvest or create the equipment and supplies you’ll need. As a prepper, at an absolute minimum, you have the experience of having prepared at home. That provides valuable knowledge. Hopefully you’ve added other knowledge and skills to that.

Just like knowledge trumps gear, gear trumps supplies. If all you have are supplies, then once you run out of supplies, you’re in trouble. But with the right equipment, you are able to create or harvest more supplies. This isn’t to say that you should ignore stockpiling supplies to get gear, but rather than that, you shouldn’t ignore getting the right equipment in order to have a larger stockpile of supplies.

Don’t Forget Your Priorities

I don’t care what sort of disaster you are facing, the priorities for survival remain the same. In order to survive, you’re going to have to meet those basic priorities. If you don’t, your chances of survival are greatly decreased. Just to make sure we’re all on the same page, those priorities are:

  • Maintaining your body heat
  • Clean water
  • Food

Secondary priorities are:

  • Fire
  • First-aid
  • Self-defense

Keep in mind that it is harder to meet these survival priorities in the midst of a disaster, than it is any other time. While there may be water falling by the bucketful in a hurricane, it won’t be clean drinking water. It would be especially dangerous to scoop water up out of the street, as you won’t have any idea of what sort of contaminants it might have. Not only that, but you would get soaked to the skin getting that water, bringing the potential of hypothermia.

Evaluate Your Situation First

Before doing anything, you need to take stock of your situation. What kind of threat are you facing? How soon is the threat going to manifest, assuming it does? What’s the weather like, especially the temperature? Is there any way you can clear the area, before the threat occurs? Is there any way you can mitigate the impact of the threat on you, such as moving away from the shore? What do you have to work with? How much money do you have available to you?

Based upon the answers to those questions, you need to develop a plan for getting through the pending disaster. You obviously don’t have time to do a full-blown, detailed plan, but you need something to give you direction. Otherwise, you’re going to end up like all the other people out there, just running around grabbing what you can.

What Survival Secret We Lost To History

Your plan has to deal with the basic requirements of meeting the essential survival priorities. That means finding, procuring and preparing the necessary equipment and supplies to get through the disaster and its immediate aftermath.

You should also think a bit farther down the road, as to how you are going to flee the area, once the disaster has passed. However, your ability to plan for this will be limited, as you have no way of looking forward to see what the situation is going to be like. Roads and bridges might be damaged or destroyed and airports might be closed.

Shelter Has to Come First

Your number one priority is to maintain your body heat. Even a drop of a couple of degrees of core body temperature is extremely dangerous, leading to hypothermia and possibly death. With our potential scenario of a hurricane, the wind and rain will make it very hard to maintain your body heat if you don’t have shelter.

Shelter doesn’t have to be fancy, but it has to protect you from rain, wind and cold. It also has to be something that will ride out the storm. Seeking shelter in a vehicle and having that vehicle be swept away by flooding doesn’t do any good. Nor does getting a hotel room as shelter, if the storm breaks the window of your room, allowing the wind and rain to come inside.

We have to consider heat or at least fire, along with shelter. One of the key questions we asked above is about the weather, specifically the temperature. If the temperature is going to be 60 degrees, fire really isn’t an issue; you can survive without it. But the same can’t necessarily be said for 30 degrees and it definitely can’t be said for 10 degrees. If you have to provide yourself with heat, that might be the biggest survival challenge you face, while away from home.

Staying Dry is Key to Staying Warm

When it comes to prioritizing shelter, keeping dry is the number one priority. Your body will lose heat much quicker if it is wet, than if it is dry. Wet clothing provides no insulation and will usually cause your body to shed heat faster than if you were completely naked.

Remember, your body temperature is 98.6°F. That means that anytime the temperature is below that point, you are radiating heat. While you won’t radiate heat quickly at 70°F, if you have dry clothing on, you will if your clothing is wet. Even though 70°F seems like a reasonable temperature, the fact is, you can get hypothermia even then.

Water Purification is Better than Water Storage

Unless you have a huge water tank available to you, there is no way that you can practically stockpile enough water to get you through more than a few days. I live in a hurricane zone and every time there is a potential for a hurricane, the stores sell out of water. But a few cases of bottled water isn’t going to be enough to get anyone through. They’d be better off going to the local sporting goods store and buying a water filter, so that they can filter the water flowing down the street.

Yes, by all means, get some water bottles or better yet, gallons of water. Those gallon jugs will help you with filtering water to use, but don’t allow yourself to be fooled by a big stack of water bottles, it’s not going to be enough.

You Can Get by Without Food

Even though food is our number three survival priority, the reality is that you can live for quite a while without eating. For many of us, that might even be a good idea, allowing us to shed some unneeded pounds.

There is a lot of disagreement about how long you can live without food. Part of that is because it differs for each person. Some of us can live for longer than others, just because of the amount of energy we have stored in the fat cells in our bodies. Another factor is how we define surviving without food. If all we’re talking about is that our bodily functions remain active, we can go a whole lot longer than if we’re talking about being able to manage the physical activity necessary for wilderness survival.

But at a minimum, you should be able to survive for 30 days without food. Yes, your body will suffer for it and so will your energy level. But you’ll be alive and able to function. That’s what matters. So, if all you’re worried about is getting through a few days of a hurricane and maybe another week of trying to get out of town, food really isn’t a major priority. Your body may try to tell you that it’s dying of starvation, but it’s not.

Where Can You Get Supplies?

We’ve all seen the pictures of what a grocery store or Wal-Mart looks like when a disaster is bearing down on a community. People who aren’t prepared panic and run to the store to grab whatever they can, often the wrong things. This makes it hard for you and I to get the things we need, if we are caught in the same circumstances as they are.

One very important thing we need to realize is that those photos are taken of the aisles which empty out the fastest; water, bread, meat, dairy, things like that. Most people will buy the kinds of foods that their family is used to eating, not realizing that their purchases won’t survive when the power goes out.

But there will be a lot of food that gets overlooked, especially the types of non-perishable foods that you and I are accustomed to stockpiling; canned goods, rice and beans and other foods which will keep us alive, while their food is spoiling.

Another good place to look, which most people won’t even think of, is a restaurant supply. While much of their food will be frozen, they also carry packaged mixes for bread, cakes and a variety of other things. The packages will be much larger than you need, but if you have measuring cups available, you’ll still be able to cook the food.

Don’t forget the sporting goods store either. There’s a lot of camping gear that does double duty as survival gear as well. In addition, many sporting goods stores carry freeze-dried foods for backpacking, essentially the civilian version of military MREs. Sam’s Club also carries pre-packaged survival food in five-gallon buckets, which most people will overlook, as they run to fill their carts with food.

Don’t Overcomplicate Your Preparations

One of the biggest mistakes you can make in this sort of situation is to overcomplicate your preps. You don’t really need solar panels to survive a hurricane, even though it would be nice to be able to recharge your cell phone afterwards. Neither do you need to stockpile 1,000 rounds of ammunition. Don’t think about everything you could do to prepare yourself, think only about those things you have to do in order to be ready and stop there.

Within a day and with less than a couple of hundred dollars, you can actually do everything you need to, in order to prepare for that hurricane. No, it won’t be as comfortable as being back home, you won’t have everything you need to have in order to be comfortable. But you will have everything you need to have in order to survive and that’s the point of the exercise.

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The Five SHTF Events I am Preparing to Survive

I sometimes get the question “Tim, what are you preparing for? What do you really think is going to happen?” Well, here’s my answer:
1) Life’s Everyday Emergencies.  Life is full of smaller emergencies that fall short of being a civilization ending doomsday – house fires, wildfires, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, winter storms, power outages, car accidents, household accidents, recessions, an unexpected job loss, an unexpected illness, and even an unexpected death. These type of emergencies happen everyday to lots of people. They are so common, I guarantee that everyone reading this article will face some of these emergencies not just once, but multiple times in their lives. I certainly am preparing with these everyday  emergencies in mind. 
2) The Threat Within. There are elites in both government and corporate board rooms that want to destroy America and western civilization for their own benefit. They believe traditional western civilization and culture is bad, that America in particular is evil, and that Biblical values and ethics are too restricting (for them). They hate capitalism, even though they personally have greatly benefited from it. They look down on the lower and working classes with great disdain (we are uneducated, unsophisticated, vulgar…). They want to create a world with no borders, where they are basically global citizens unrestricted by normal laws and ethics. They desire a large underclass (they need workers), a small middle class (they need some working professionals), and a small but extremely prosperous upper class made up of themselves and their fellow elites. They want to create an elite class who, by virtue of their obvious superiority, have absolute rule over the lesser classes. 
Over the past decades, the elites have already done great damage. The introduction of centralized banking and fiat currency is one example, along with massive government debt they have generated. Destroying our educational system and dumbing down the people is another example. Their current attempts to restrict Free Speech and Free Press come straight out of the elites’ desire to control the lesser classes, as does their desire to eliminate the Second Amendment, to ridicule patriotism, to end borders, to weaken the traditional family, and to greatly restrict parental rights. The attempt in recent decades to recast the broad Freedom of Religion our Founders gave us into the much more narrow freedom of worship is very much a part of their attempts to overcome traditional western civilization (see my article on the important difference between Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Worship and how the elites are weakening our freedoms in this regard). 
The threat within may lead to massive economic, political, and social instability, along with a loss of rights, traditions, and culture. In fact, we are already starting to see these things, and it will only get worse. 
3) The Stealth Invasion of the West. There is an active, but stealth, invasion of Europe and the Americas by Muslims through “peaceful” immigration, along with increasing (often violent) demands for various accommodations, privileges, special legal status, and the acceptance and even imposition of Sharia Law. This stealth invasion is well-documented by investigative journalist Leo Hohman in his book Stealth Invasion: Muslim Conquest Through Immigration and Resettlement Jihad. Also documenting this stealth invasion are Sam Solomon and Elias Al Maqdisi in their book Modern Day Trojan Horse: Al-Hijra, the Islamic Doctrine of Immigration.
Add to this stealth invasion the much higher birth rates of Muslims compared to native westerners, who have been convinced that large families are a bad idea (overpopulation, climate change), and you have a situation where western civilization is slowly being replaced by Islamic civilization.

It is worth noting that this stealth invasion by immigration is being fostered by western elites who have become so anti-Christian, anti-capitalism, and anti-traditional values, that they are willing to allow anything that might bring down traditional western civilization, so they might remake it to their benefit. Expect more economic, political, and social instability, violence, and loss of freedoms as this trend continues.

4) War with China. According to the historical concept known as the Thucydides Trap, which has been well-studied by academics and heavily discussed in diplomatic circles, a hot war leading to the destruction of either America or China is coming. Very simply, the Thucydides Trap states that when a rising great power (China, in this instance) threatens to displace an existing great power (in this case, America), a war that will almost certainly lead to the destruction of one of the great powers is almost always inevitable.

China is aware of this concept, and is making policy based on it. They are preparing. America is also aware of this concept. However, we are not preparing. Notice, too, the resistance from elites within our government and board rooms to Trump’s attempts to be strong in regards to China. War is coming. Not tomorrow, but it is coming. 

5) Death. Even if nothing I’ve talked about in this article comes to pass, one SHTF event is certain. I will die. And so will you. At some point, everyone one of us will die. Spiritual preparedness is an important part of my preps, and hopefully, it is a part of yours, too. You may be interested in my recent article on spiritual preparedness for more on this topic. 

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Who Will Be Dangerous and Who Can You Trust When the SHTF?

by Selco

We are all witnessing how the world is becoming a more dangerous place. Actually what we are seeing is that people have a tendency to be more dangerous, or to be more precise – sicker and more perverse.

One of the reasons is that we are able to access information faster than 30-40 years ago, for example. If you have something wrong happening in another part of the world you will know about it pretty soon. You just need to do a couple of clicks with your mouse.

The world is a dangerous place to live if you do not follow some rules, and very often those rules are actually not rules that system “gives” us as rules of behavior.

Often you need to create your own set of rules and stick to them to be safe and in order for your family to be safe. SHTF or no SHTF.

The latest news about rich and powerful folks being able to manipulate and use young girls is horrible news, but it is nothing new. You just heard about it this case. Unfortunately, there are many events like that all around. We just never hear about them so it is like they have not happened.

All that is horrible, but I would like to point out here one very important thing:

The system allowed that man (and others) to do what they did.

Why?

Well, it is simple. Because they are powerful,  they can get out and do a lot of things most of us could not get away with.

SHTF vs. “normal” times

How all this can be transferred to our preparations for SHTF?

Actually, the SHTF that I went through had a lot of similarities, so for example, if you were powerful during that time you could do whatever you wanted – including a lot of sick and perverse things.

Another commonality between a warlord in the middle of the SHTF and this very rich dude in “normal” times is that neither of them is worried about repercussions or punishment.

In the SHTF time, a man did not worry about it because there is no law, and even if there is some, he had enough firepower to deter it.

In the other case – the current one – a man who is so rich and connected has enough power to bypass the law, to make the law invisible for him.

What to watch for

The million-dollar question that is always being asked is, “How do I recognize that the SHTF is very close?”

One of as closest answers possible to give there is this: “You know it is close when people stop worrying about repercussions (punishment from the law and the system).”

To go back to the beginning of the article: are there more sick and dangerous people now than before?

Have you taken Selco’s online courses yet?

Taking the online courses are the next best thing to getting over to Europe and studying with him personally.

If you want the real deal from a legend who has lived through the SHTF, these are the online courses for you.

Probably yes, because of numerous reasons, and some of the reasons are simply the fact that the world is becoming a place where sick stuff is trying to be recognized as normal.

But for preppers, that is not the most important thing here.

You as a prepper need to realize and understand, deeply and truly for a fact, that dangerous and sick people are all around us.

Maybe your next-door neighbor or your co-worker, or even your family member.

You do not see it just because the system is there, so it keeps them from acting on their true thoughts, keeps them looking normal, and functioning normally.

When that system is gone, together with punishment and the law, only then will you see for real and recognize who is really sick or bad.

I have seen people who use to be family men holding rape camps when the SHTF, or average folks collecting ears from people.

Do not make a mistake – people are the same everywhere, the only difference is how bad society and the system will be stripped down.

OPSEC and what kind of people may become dangerous

OPSEC is a word that like many others in prepping world turns to a parody on its own, and it should not be like that. Right now, when OPSEC is being implemented through the survival world, it is often done in a way that actually makes YOU look suspicious.

It has all gotten so complicated. OPSEC is being practiced in a way that it messing with your average everyday life or even in so bad a way that you do not have a normal life. You can be discreet and still come across as an average person. It is not discreet to look overly tactical or to be paranoid.

Remember, the point of prepping is to be prepared, not to be scared to live your life and be hidden in an underground bunker.

Other million-dollar questions are “what kind of people do I need to pay attention to when the SHTF?” and “who is who when the SHTF?” or simply “what type of people should I avoid when the SHTF?”

The simplest answer (and kinda ridiculously stupid and lame) is – avoid the bad ones.

But the point here is how to know who is bad.

Well if we are not talking about usual “bad ones” like known criminals and similar you simply do not know, or cannot be sure, because as I mentioned before, the system through its levers push most of the bad people to behave in accordance to “a normal way of life”.

So we have the impression that most people are good.

But that isn’t the case. People simply behave like they are good so they don’t go to prison.

There are hints that people are feeling strangled by the system, and waiting for SHTF to express their real nature, but you cannot be sure until it happens.

What should you do?

So many words but no real advice about who is who when the SHTF, right?

Well it is real life and it goes like that, you simply can not be sure, unless as I said we are talking about known criminal elements. In their case, you can be sure that they will emerge immediately after something bad happens and will try to take advantage of those “levers of the system.”

That means for example if something bad happens and all organizations (government, system, etc.) fall apart you will have your local criminal organization (whatever kind that may be in your case) emerging and trying to take over things like:

And so on.

What you as a prepper can do in terms of recognizing “who is who” on a personal and local level, or let’s say common folks level is simply to do what is prepping about:

1. Be ready to wait it out until people show their true faces.

That means in reality if the SHTF tomorrow in your place you need to be able to be independent from any service and need for some amount of time, the longer the better, until you figure out who is who outside.

To have food, energy, medicine, manpower, water…everything.

It would really suck if you needed to go out on the 3rd day of SHTF and check who is who because you really need something badly, like an antibiotic.

2.  Try to KNOW good people before the SHTF.

I always keep repeating that SHTF is a bad time to get to know people, simply because the stakes are too high. So you need to build a network of known people before SHTF.

For some, it could be a militia kind of group, a group of preppers who have known each other for years before the SHTF.

But if it is impossible for you (and for most people, it is impossible) then having one or two trusted people is good enough for the time when the SHTF.

Remember, there are a lot of sick and perverse people around us. We are simply not seeing them.

They are waiting for the SHTF.

About Selco

Selco survived the Balkan war of the 90s in a city under siege, without electricity, running water, or food distribution. He is currently accepting students for his next physical course here.

In his online works, he gives an inside view of the reality of survival under the harshest conditions. He reviews what works and what doesn’t, tells you the hard lessons he learned, and shares how he prepares today.

He never stopped learning about survival and preparedness since the war. Regardless of what happens, chances are you will never experience extreme situations as Selco did. But you have the chance to learn from him and how he faced death for months.

Real survival is not romantic or idealistic. It is brutal, hard and unfair. Let Selco take you into that world.

This content was originally published here.

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10 Secret Places To Hide Your Stuff When SHTF

When SHTF happens, more often than not, law enforcement will be extremely busy and unable to uphold the law efficiently. There’s to much going on and not enough officers to handle it.

Crime will start to skyrocket with more looting, vandalism, thefts, assaults, rapes and worse. This is not a possibility. It’s the norm and you must be ready for it.

During an emergency, such as a hurricane alert where you absolutely must evacuate, chances are you’ll leave your home earlier to go somewhere safe. During this time, most other people will be fleeing too and this is an opportunity for criminals to do some brazen last-minute housebreaking and flee with some loot.

In order to prevent your valuables from being stolen, you need to adopt a few measures to safeguard them. It would be a good idea to be prepared well ahead of time instead of scrambling to think of hiding spots at the last minute.

* Use A Safe

If you thought of safes, you’d be absolutely right. These are without a doubt one of the best ways to protect your valuables. During an emergency, fleeing with all your jewelry, cash and other expensive belongings is not a good idea. You may lose them or they may get stolen.

It’s best to leave them in your safe at home. It’s important to note that not all safes are made equal. Do NOT get a small safe that can be easily carried away by 2 or more people. Ideally, your safe should be large, extremely heavy and too cumbersome to move. It would be better if you could anchor it to the ground.

The best kind of safes are expensive, large and placed in a discreet place where the ground can support their weight. Do not use wall safes because the walls can be broken and the safes carted away by thieves.
It’s also a good idea to make sure that your safe is fire resistant. There’s no point in having a safe that keeps everything intact as it burns to the ground. Pick a safe that has a thick layer of steel.

* Hiding places

While safes are great, the hard truth is that they can be costly. The good safes are expensive and if you just don’t have the budget to buy a safe, don’t panic. There are several smart ways to hide your valuables.

The first thing you should not do is hide your stuff in the master bedroom. People are creatures of habit and thieves know exactly where to look. Sealing your valuables in an airtight plastic bag and hiding them in the toilet tank is not as uncommon as you think. Thieves know where to look.

Cereal boxes, under the bed, between mattresses, laundry baskets, etc. are all NOT good hiding places. Generally, when someone breaks into your home to rob it, they want to be in and out of there as fast as they can. They’ll toss just about everything upside down as they quickly grab whatever they think is of value.

To hide your valuables, you need to be creative. If you have an attic or store room where you store all your old stuff, those are some of the best places to hide your valuables. Since there is already so much junk there from old shoes to old clothes, most thieves will assume that there’s nothing of value going to be hidden there.

Another good place to hide your valuables are in PVC pipes. You could place all your valuables inside an empty PVC pipe and run it in a place that looks suitable. To the casual observer, it’ll look like just another water pipe and they’ll not even notice it.

Another way to hide your valuables is to add them in an empty flower pot and cover it halfway with soil and add a plant in it. Make it all look normal and place it somewhere inside the house that’s relatively discreet.

Follow the tips in this post and your belongings will probably be safe even if there’s a break-in. Plan in advance and be ready to hide your valuables at a moment’s notice. Do remember where you hide your precious belongings so that you know where to look when you return.

The post 10 Secret Places To Hide Your Stuff When SHTF appeared first on The Good Survivalist.

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Will SHTF Bug-out be Fun and just like Camping?

Here’s something to think about. Camping is fun, right? Untold numbers of people take a camping vacation each year. It’s a enjoyable experience to get away from work and out of suburbia – to relax while “getting back to nature”, feeding our “cave man” calling, right?

Maybe it’s the engineer in me, but for me, much of the fun is within the process of “setting up camp”. Even when it’s done, it’s never really done. I will find myself fiddling around with this or that, improving one setup or another – always something to do when building one’s castle – even if for only a week or a weekend…

I have lots of memories of camping trips, beginning early during childhood. There’s just something about the experience that resonates. I’m sure that most of you have enjoyable recollections too.

But here’s where I’m going with this…

A recent comment on the blog re-kindled what I’ve thought about before:

I feel some (not saying on this site) think a shtf would be like camping, easy, enjoyable, etc. but you’d have to factor in once rule of law is thrown aside, bad people are going to do bad things. Even people that one may think are good, may test and try that little thing that is inside them that they’ve hidden.

There are two points that I would like to address. And this is relative to a hypothetical scenario that so many ‘preppers’ hypothesize about: some sort of disastrous collapse event that brings it all down while everyone ‘hunkers down’ for a long period of time.

Most people live in urban and suburban areas. A small percentage of them are preparedness-minded ‘preppers’. Some of them have thought through what they would do if a worst-case collapse scenario were to evolve.

Some will hunker down where they are, at their own home, even though within population-dense ‘suburbia’ or urban. I’m not suggesting one way or the other if this is a good idea (there are lots of articles on this blog which noodle through this notion).

Others are planning to ‘bug-out’. To ‘get out of dodge’ where it may be ‘safer’ with a better chance of long term survival.

Some of the latter group will go to ‘Uncle Joe’s’ farm out in the boonies. But others in the latter group are planning to ‘bug-out’ to some campground, park area, or other such rural or wilderness location and ‘survive’.

Bug-out to some Campground?

I’m not suggesting that it can’t be done (camp survival for a long term duration). But I’ll bet that most will not be successful at it, after awhile.

We have romantic notions of camping. The good times. How fun it was. But let me tell you, think about trying to survive for weeks upon weeks at your camp. Can you imagine the difficulties that will creep up? The things you will have to deal with in that environment?

Water! Okay, maybe your ‘bug-out’ camping area is right near water. Good! Otherwise you will NOT make it. I’m assuming you’re geared up with filtration.

Food! Here’s where it gets mighty tricky. How much food can you possibly take with you on your ‘bug-out’? Certainly not enough to last long-term. What are you going to do when it runs out? Fish? Hunt? Do you really think you’ll be successful keeping your belly full?

Shelter! Are you in a tent? How’s that going to hold up when the weather gets bad? Cold yet? What time of year is it? Maintaining a safe body core temperature is extremely paramount to survival.

Security! This was my second point. It’s going to get dangerous. How long until real danger sets in will depend on your location and vicinity to others. I’m telling you, “if” this hypothetical collapse actually ever happens, regardless of the trigger or circumstance thereof, desperate people WILL do desperate things. How are you going to deal with that? Got enough 24/7 security?

There are so many other additional challenges that will arise while bug-out camping. Sanitation. Health. OPSEC. Insects/bugs/snakes/bears/. It will be anything but easy. Not fun after awhile. Not like vacation.

Bug-out Camping may not be a good idea

I am suggesting for those who may be considering ‘camping out’ as their SHTF ‘bug-out’ plan, you might want to reconsider. At least look into other options.

“Uncle Joe’s” farm may be a better idea, so long as he’s alright with that…

Sometimes people that we know (who know we’re ‘prepared’ despite our OPSEC) may joke about staying at our place if it all comes down (similar remarks probably have been made to some of you too, right?)… and I’m sure that most are said simply in jest. However depending on if and when and who shows up, they might be in for a surprise.

Okay, lets try to generally stick to the topic of ‘bug-out’ camping. What do you think? How long might one survive while trying that? It depends, right?

This content was originally published here.

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Medical prepping: 5 ways to protect your health when SHTF

Medical preparedness is not usually a term associated with prepping. But if you really think about it, this knowledge should be an essential part of your survival education. You can purchase all the best first aid kits in the world, but if you have no idea what to do with them, how exactly were you […]

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Diabetes Preparedness: Emergency, Disaster, & SHTF Preps for Diabetics

We’ve received a lot of reader questions asking us how to prep for diabetes over the years.

How many? I couldn’t possibly count. It’s a lot, and not all from preppers who are themselves diabetics either. We get a number of concerned relatives who are emailing because they want as much advice on the topic as possible so they can help keep their family members healthy on top of safe during disasters and emergencies.

My honest to goodness response for the past few years has been to Google and research the topic for a while, realize I’m way in over my head, sit with the email in my inbox for a month or two, consistently going back and researching in that time, then after a number of attempts, give up and decide to pick up trying when I’m more ready to tackle the topic.

diabetic-preppers-preparedness-survivalists-preppers

The thing is: I don’t think I’ll ever be ready to tackle this particular topic. I feel like prepping for a diabetic, and others with medical conditions who need specialized medications, is one of the most difficult things to really plan well for. I’ve no firsthand experience with prepping for any difficult-to-prep-for medical issues. This lack of experience, paired with my lack of first aid experience (that’s Thomas’ department), makes me feel like I’m not the right person to be advising anyone on diabetes preps. And I know there must be many with better answers than I could ever come up with out there.

So I’m bringing this topic to you.

I don’t care if you are or are not a diabetic, if you have friends or family that are diabetics or if you’ve never met a soul with diabetes in your life: if you have any ideas on prepping that you think a prepper with diabetes could benefit from, I want you to type those ideas down in the comments.

If you have actually been prepping for a diabetic, please let us know so that we can know you’re coming from a place of experience. If you think you’ve found an ideal system, let us know what that is. If there are things you’ve tried that haven’t worked, or things you’ve heard suggested that, plainly put, you would not recommend, again, leave it down in the comments below.

I wrote up a post asking for your help when it came to lessons learned from Hurricane Harvey, and boy did you guys deliver. You gave infinitely better advice than anything my completely-inexperienced-with-hurricanes self could have come up with. So I’m hoping that’ll happen again here.

This content was originally published here.

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