(Natural News)
Water is essential for survival. People know that truism well enough to keep their storage tanks full. Yet when SHTF, most of these tanks won’t be big enough to last a year’s worth of drinking water. As this prized commodity slowly runs out, the need for a new water source, such as a nearby well or rainwater, will become increasingly clear. Here are some tips on sourcing, transporting and storing water. (h/t to ModernSurvivalBlog.com)

Sourcing and transporting water

You don’t have to worry about sourcing water if you have a well at home. You only need to focus on generating the power to pump water out of it. One way to do that is through solar generators, which you can either buy or make yourself.

Power requirements will depend on how deep your well is and how much electricity the pump needs to operate. If you’re able to keep your pump running, you can have a steady source of water at your disposal.

But if you don’t have a well, your only alternative will be a nearby source of freshwater, such as a community well or a lake. You have to consider the distance between the source of water and your location as you will need to haul the water home. You might need a wagon and a motorized vehicle, so you also need to think about the fuel and potential security concerns.

Rainwater collection is also an option but is subject to prevailing climate conditions. That said, on really good days, you could chance upon a heavy downpour that could tide you over the next several days. You simply have to place barrels beneath roof runoff and let rainwater fill them to the brim. Take note that you will need a massive tank to store all that water.

You could also tap your municipal water system especially if it’s gravity-fed rather than pumped and you live “down” from the source. However, this is an unlikely scenario so you might have to look for other options.

Storage and filtration

You can store water in bulk or in smaller water containers. For the former, a 55-gallon drum or tank is ideal as it can store a lot of water while occupying a relatively small area. The downside is that it weighs over 450 pounds, which means it’s difficult to transport if you need to evacuate.

In contrast, storing water in a large number of smaller water containers is convenient when you’re suddenly forced to leave home. These containers are also inexpensive and easy to rotate, which means you could clean them more often than a tank.

Alternatively, you can store water in a variety of containers to ensure that you have a readily available supply of water in any type of disaster. Keep in mind that each container should be food-grade and has not been used previously to store food. (Related: Survival basics: What is the shelf life of bottled water?)

Before drinking the water, you first need to purify it to get rid of harmful pathogens and substances that may be present in the source. Water purification methods include:

Distillation is the gold standard for water purification but filtration is the best way to go in an emergency situation. The latter forces water into very small filters that are intended to remove parasites and other contaminants. Types of water filters include pumps, straws and ceramic filters.

When SHTF, resources will be scarce as society is on the brink of collapse. While some creature comforts can be readily sacrificed, drinking water will always be non-negotiable. Keep these tips in mind for a steady source of water.

Sources include:

This content was originally published here.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 34 million Americans have diabetes while another 88 million people are at risk of the disease. These numbers can spell trouble in a collapsed society where medical supplies have gone dry.

One of the worst-case scenarios is when a patient has to be amputated due to gangrene, which happens when body tissues die due to a loss of blood supply. High blood sugar can limit blood flow or damage nerves, leading to a loss of sensation in the affected area.

It’s important to avoid diabetes complications as these minimize a patient’s chance of survival. Before SHTF, preparing for a medical emergency is a must. Consider the following safety tips. (h/t to PreppersWill.com)

Wear a medical ID tag

A medical I.D. tag is a small emblem that’s typically attached to or worn as a bracelet to let other people know that you have an existing medical condition. This can be useful in outdoor emergency situations.

In diabetes, for instance, your blood sugar could plummet dramatically in a condition called hypoglycemia. This can happen if you have not eaten enough carbohydrates or have taken too much insulin, a hormone that helps cells absorb and use sugar for energy. You could pass out on the street, feel shaky and dizzy or have a seizure.

There are “medical alert bracelets” being sold in the market. You can procure one, especially if it’s advised by a physician.

Feel out your surroundings

However, take note that an I.D. tag will only work depending on the disaster scenario. In more desperate situations, other people are more likely to ignore you or exploit your condition. Wearing a tag should be worn with caution as it can be perceived as a weakness. Feel out your surroundings so you could evaluate whether a tag is an advantage or not.

Prepare a first-aid plan

If you’re bugging out with a diabetic or you yourself have the condition, preparing a first-aid plan will be important for emergency situations. Keep a blood sugar testing kit and stockpile on medications and emergency foods, such as sugar packets and carb-rich snacks.

When prepping with diabetes, one of the most important things you have to worry about is a hypoglycemic attack. If a person is conscious, give him a glass of fruit juice or something similar. Otherwise, open his mouth and put a teaspoon of sugar under his tongue. Your bug-out companion/s should also be aware of these emergency steps. (Related: 6 Useful medical devices to have when SHTF.)

Plan your diet

A good prepper communicates with his healthcare provider to work out a weekly dietary schedule before SHTF.

Diabetes management and treatment are based on making changes to one’s diet. So you’ll likely be advised to eat less sugar and incorporate more healthful foods, such as leafy greens and beans. Having a diet plan is good not only for your health. It will also help you choose which foods to stockpile.

Shed some pounds

Obesity and being overweight are common risk factors for diabetes. That said, you should monitor your pounds especially if you’re a diabetic or have been identified to be at risk of the disease. On top of a solid diet, regular exercise can help in maintaining a healthy weight.

Pay attention to wound care

Over time, diabetes can slow down wound healing and increase the risk of infection. In worse cases, it can lead to gangrene. Therefore, it’s important to pay attention to wounds no matter their size. Your survival kit should include wound dressings, antiseptics and other medical supplies. Natural wound remedies like sugar can also help, so you can consider stockpiling on those.

Though diabetes might seem like a hindrance in a survival situation, you can manage it by prepping and keeping these safety tips in mind.

This content was originally published here.

Note: This is an abridged version of the original which first appeared on

Humans have been fishing since before the dawn of civilization. And it’s no wonder. Fish are nutritious and, dare I say, delicious. Plus, they’re plentiful, almost all are edible, and you can find them in just about everybody of water coast to coast. 

While you could spend thousands of dollars on top-of-the-line fishing gear, you don’t need any of those bells and whistles. Heck, in dire straights, you can find everything you need right on the forest floor. Or even a city street. 

Plus, fishing is one of the best ways to get protein in a survival situation. And it’s easy and fast if you know what you’re doing. Lucky for you, the basics of survival fishing are simple to learn and you’ve got me here to explain them to you.

Survival Fishing Techniques

When catching fish in survival mode, you need to think a little differently about fishing. Sure, you can fish with a rod and reel, but for the long-term, you’ll want something that doesn’t require so much of your time. Called passive fishing, it involves you setting the stage and coming back to reap the harvest. We’ll discuss these different methods in a moment.

In long-term survival, you also want more than a reliable fishing spot. You want a place where you can collect fish and keep them alive until you want them. Lastly, when you’re in a survival situation, you need to maximize your chance of catching fish. That means implementing more than one strategy and continually monitoring them for success.

Keep those things in mind as we discuss the different ways to catch fish.

SETTING MULTIPLE FISHING LINES

Assuming you don’t have a survival fishing pole, you’ll want to create your own make-shift fishing pole. But don’t make one of them. Make several. Start with a strong stick or willow reed and tie a fishing line to it. Fit the line with a few sinkers and a hook. Bait the hook then drop a line in the water.

If you’d like to go more in-depth with this, take a look at our article on “how to make a fishing rod.”

If you want to increase your chances, don’t drop one line, drop as many as you can. You can push the stick into the ground of the side of the riverbank to hold it in place. If there are low hanging branches over the water, forget the sticks and tie your fishing line to the tree branch. Place as many of these as you can on different branches to improve your odds of catching dinner.

TROTLINE

A trotline is a passive way to catch fish that doesn’t require your undivided attention. You want to find a narrow point in a river or creek that’s shallow, but not too shallow. If there’s cover nearby, even better.

Take a length of paracord and tie it from a tree branch on one side of the water to a tree branch on the opposite bank. This is your control line. Take sections of the fishing line and tie them to the control line.

Make them long enough that they hang a few inches or more into the water. Attach a hook to each of these leader lines and bait it. Tie the lines every foot or so across the control.

Survival fishing trap

GORGE HOOKS

Using a gorge hook isn’t like fishing with a traditional bent hook. Instead, these hooks are straight and about one inch in length. You can make them from just about anything hard, including bones, twigs, and pieces of hard plastic. Sharpen it on both ends and have a notch in the middle where the fishing line secures to the gorge hook.

With a gorge hook, you want to entice the fish to swallow the hook and bait. Instead of jerking the line to set the hook, slowly pull the line so that the gorge hook turns sideways and lodges in the fish’s throat. You then pull the fish toward you and capture it in a net.

CATCHING FISH WITH A NET

Another way to catch fish in a survival situation is with a fishing net. You can make a survival fishing net with green wood found inside sapling trees. You can even improvise with a piece of cloth tied to two sticks.

Wade through the water, slowly and calmly, toward the shore. When you get to shallow water, lift the net to reveal your catch. This also can be an effective way to catch small fish like minnows for bait for large fish.

HAND FISHING

You can even fish when you have absolutely no equipment. Hand fishing, which is also called noodling, graveling, or hogging, is a primitive, backcountry fishing technique.

It involves grabbing the fish directly from its hiding spot with your hand. It’s most often seen when fishing for catfish and suckers, who like to hide in dark places like hollow logs, undercut banks, and holes under rocks.

You start by blocking the hole, then slowly reach inside. Once you touch the fish, slide your hand along its side until you can grab the mouth or gills. Grip tight and pull the fish out. Beware of the catfish’s barbels, which fan out around its mouth. These barbs can sting, causing pain and irritated skin.

PRACTICE SURVIVAL FISHING

The final survival fishing technique is to practice. Then practice some more. You can read blog posts (like this one) and watch YouTube videos, but it doesn’t give you the actual survival skills you need. Only experience does that. So get out there and start looking for good fishing areas. Get a line in the water and catch a few fish.

Because it’s easier to do things when you’re not in a survival scenario. When you’ve eaten more than a few nuts and berries and your seven-year-old isn’t crying because he’s so hungry.

Learn what you can NOW so that if an emergency happens, you can handle it with less stress and worry. Remember, once you know how to fish, you can almost always find food.

Where to fish in a emergency scenario

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT SPOT FOR CATCHING FISH

The biggest angler secret to finding fish is to think like a fish. And the first thing to know about how fish think is that they like cover. Cover consists of things that cover the water, providing hiding spots.

These can include structures in or out of the water like rocks, trees, brush, logs, and weeds. It also includes manmade structures like docks, drain pipes, and seawalls. Even trash that’s gathered in the water provides cover for fish.

Don’t forget to look for natural underwater covers like undercut river banks, caves carved from rocks, or underwater ledges. Just be careful. You can’t help anyone survive if you break a leg when a shoreline collapses.

Other places to look for fish include:

  • Areas of change. Look for changes in the water, a rise of a lake bottom, or even a drop in water depth.
  • Places where water pools or becomes still. Look behind fallen trees and large rocks.
  • Where waterways meet. Look where small streams flow into rivers or lakes, which often have more oxygen and cooler water.
  • Deep holes. Look for deeper holes in lakes and rivers where fish hide in the darker, deeper water.

Survival Fishing Gear

In a perfect survival situation, you have everything you need in top-quality survival gear. The right pole, the right reel, some comfy shoes, and a tackle box stocked with exactly the right equipment and supplies. While survival situations rarely work out that way, let us pretend for a moment that they do and take the opportunity to discuss what is the best-case scenario in fishing gear for the post SHTF fisherman.

SURVIVAL FISHING POLE

There are a lot of variables in finding the best survival fishing pole, including where you’re located, the types of water available, and even the time of year. But a good survival fishing pole could accommodate almost any fisherman’s needs.

That’s why you should opt for a survival fishing pole that’s compact enough it doesn’t take up too much space, but large enough to handle a good sized fish. Versatility, as well as durability, are also qualities to look for.

SURVIVAL FISHING REEL

When it comes to survival fishing reels, there is just as much variance as with fishing poles. The most important aspects of your survival fishing reel are that it’s compact enough to carry with ease, yet dependable enough that you can rely on it when you need dinner.

Speaking of dependability, you want a reel that works well in YOUR hands. This means you need to fish with it and get the feel of it. Don’t just go out and buy one to stick it in a bag and never use it. Becoming familiar with your survival fishing equipment, and especially your reel, can mean the difference between a full belly and an empty one.

SURVIVAL FISHING HOOKS

Perhaps the most important thing when it comes to survival fishing hooks is that they need to reliably set in a fish’s mouth. If you need dinner and you can’t set the hooks that you haphazardly threw in your survival fishing kit, guess who’s going to bed hungry.

You also want a strong hook that can withstand the tests of repeated fishing. After all, these hooks won’t be easy to replace so you need to make sure they’re as durable as possible. And regardless of what style of survival fishing hook you decide on, purchase several sizes. If it’s a true TEOTWAWKI scenario, you may end up fishing in all sorts of different locations and a variety of species of fish.

To read the full article, go read over at

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By Coty Perry

For Coty, he didn’t love bass fishing at first cast. It took a few (thousand) throws for him to become obsessed with mastering every possible fishing style, technique, and lure. As a third-generation angler, he has a plethora of knowledge and experience on the water and loves sharing what he knows.

The post Survival Fishing: How to Catch Fish When SHTF appeared first on Urbasm.

This content was originally published here.

How To Test Your Bug Out Bag For SHTF

Being an avid prepper, it looks so easy to add tons of survival items in your bug out bag! But, have you ever physically practiced bugging out with that much weight? A very important piece of equipment for any survival situation is having your bug out bag with you. Your bug out bag and the survival items in it are the most important part of your evacuation plan. However, your escape plan would not entirely be complete if it is not tested properly. There is a lot of literature, websites and YouTube videos that will guide and get you prepared to your very best, however nothing compares to actually getting out and testing your bug out gear to ensure yours and its’ capabilities can cope with reality.

The fact is there is no substitute for reality! However, you can test your physical endurance and practice bugging out by doing anything. It could be a hiking trail with a 20-30-pound back pack or canoeing into the park river. Through this, you would be able to plan your trip considering any emergency situation and even ready to handle a difficult situation. So, you should first test your bug out bag on your own.

Testing Your Bug Out Bag Plan

Here are our suggestions that would turn your survival experience into a piece of cake.

Weigh Your Bug Out Gear

A heavy bug out bag is a challenge to carry. You cannot blindly put plenty of survival items in your survival pack, without knowing that is it possible to even carry it for few blocks or few miles.  And, it’s quite possible that you’ll end up discarding some of the stuff or even the whole pack in a survival situation.

So, you need to plan things. It’ll make any difficult or easy situation that much simpler if you are familiar with using your bug out gear and moving around with it. List down necessary essentials and arrange a bug out bag list for your trip. Ensure whether the suitability and reliability of your equipment is appropriate for the wilderness or not. Also, share your trip plans with your team mates and family in order to avoid any mishap and any situation in which they need to find you. Here’s a great to get you started. 

Check the weight of your bug out bag as to whether it will be too heavy or bulky in weight to carry on your back. Avoid duplicating things in your backpack. You can alter the items according to your needs. You can replace the non-essentials with essentials such as if it is summer then you need to add more bottles of water or ways to purify water on the go.

Method Of Navigation

Being prepared for a disaster is a necessity. Every phone has GPS and some kind of built in map tool. Being a prepper, you have to be ready for a worst-case scenario, where your phone might run out of battery and your cell service will no longer be available. Or, in case the weather turns bad and your GPS goes on the fritz. Thus, you should consider making a back-up plan for this purpose.

There are some basic navigation tools, which you can put together to help you to find your way in the wilderness. So, apart from GPS, you need to have a to find your way in the woods. This includes an accurate and durable baseplate compass, topographical map for the area you are traversing, SE navigation cards, and a fine point pen (to make notes). You should use a lanyard to keep your kit around your neck for quick access. You also need to store and protect your map by placing it in a zip-lock bag until you need it. For better protection, use a water-proof document holder.

Escape And Evasion Routes

Next thing that comes after navigation is to plan your escape and evasion routes. Have your routes down and plan your way out already. You should know the alternative bug out routes. If you are in city, and highways are clogged due to some nuclear strike or snowstorm, then you’ll have to walk out of the urban areas.  You need to know the alternative routes if you want to stay off the highways. So, avoid the refugee routes as these are the main highways. Take your route to smaller roads as these will more than likely provide more options. Since people are creatures of habit, they are going to use these main roads that they are used to travelling on a daily basis. Therefore, you must know some of the different roads and routes that you can take and practice them.

Weather

Plan your trip to test your endurance and your bug out bag by increasing the difficulty level. It is better to be prepared for the worst weather condition. A sensible prepper will know what items to pack according to the weather of that particular bug out location. They say that there is no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing. In winter, the main goal is to stay warm, so locate an area where you’re surrounded by dry, seasoned wood or a natural outcropping of coal.

In case of rain, you still need your bug out bag gear dry. For this purpose, you should have appropriate water-repellent clothing and durable raingear to go in your pack that will keep you warm and dry. Wool is one of the natural materials you’ll want to have for this occasion and definitely on your bug out bag list. You can expect to remain warm even if you get wet due to its insulation property. More so, there are many waterproof technologies that not only keep the water away, but also allow your body to breathe and avoid the water buildup. These Special Ops Soft Shell Jackets from Rothco are perfect and come in a range of styles to suite, so be sure to have a look. 

Survival Camp Security

Make sure that your location is well-hidden and off any of the main paths. You should hike into the woods a descent distance to somewhere that is secure and secluded. You should also make sure to limit the number of infiltration points into your camp. You can also try to create a natural security barrier around your survival camp, such as rock facing to the north and using some densely vegetative areas to remain invisible. Therefore, you want to try to create that natural barrier to reduce the likeliness to be easily approached upon.

You should have a clear exfil plan. Let’s say, if you are compromised by somebody with a weapon. You need to get your loved ones out of that area quickly and safely. Make sure that you have a well-defined and practiced plan to handle such panic situation.

Water is one of your primary resources for obvious reasons. While bugging out, make sure that your camp is going to be near water but not too close to it. You want to be at reasonable distance because of having to transport that water back to your survival camp. So, don’t make it too far, otherwise it will become a pain for you, since it’s something that you are probably going to do everyday. For every ten miles of walking, you should have at least two quarts of water to keep yourself going. Keep yourself hydrated regardless of which season you are bugging out in. Alternatively for on the go hydration, you can’t go wrong with the Lifestraw. Small, compact, cheap and super easy to use. Just add water. 

Bodily Effects

One of the important factors to sustain in a crisis is your physical fitness. You’ll more than likely be carrying your bug out bag every day and will therefore need the stamina to do so. The stamina to sustain the bug out bag and walking the long miles will vary from person to person. If your destination takes more than few miles with a heavy bug out bag, people with less stamina are probably going to get fatigued really quick. Therefore, ask yourself a few questions about your personal decisions before such a disruptive event occurs, such as how far do you reckon you would be able to travel and then how far do I need to travel to get to my secure place.

Don’t risk your life though over testing your bug out bag. Start with a low pace and short miles and then follow an average stride. Pre-decide your mile coverage and never assess distance by the time you took for a walk. By doing this, your legs will not feel much pain. And, you would be able to cover your distance without getting fatigued.

Testing Your Bug Out Bag Conclusion

It is thoroughly recommended to test your bug out bag in the wilderness for at least three days. This way, you would be able to determine which supplies you might need in case of a SHTF situation, or any other disaster. You’ll also get a chance to upgrade and further build up your endurance ability, so you can go miles ahead in the future. You’ll get to know which items you need to ditch from your bug out bag list and which ones you need to have more of. In any case it will surely be great workout and spiritually rejuvenating experience for you. You should try it at least once in a year.

Author Bio:

Kel Warner is the owner and writer of EverydayCarryGear.com. A site designed to inform, direct and introduce like-minded readers about Survival Topics, Bugging Out Preparation and EDC Tools. Kel is a current serving military member of the Australian Defence Force, which has influenced her love for gadgets and tools that any GI-Joe or Jane would have in their kits or carry on their person.

This content was originally published here.

This year we saw a lot of people being forced to evacuate their homes when various natural disasters hit our country.

Without having an escape route planned, some of these people didn’t think they would make it on the road, and even worse, they did not take the whole situation seriously. They decided to hunker down and see how it plays.

As a serious prepper, you shouldn’t count on luck since it plays only a minor role when it comes to surviving a disaster. In these uncertain days, having your bug out bag ready at all times is mandatory, and planning an escape route is critical to your survival.

As a quick example, during the California wildfires in 2017, more than 900,000 people had to evacuate Southern California to escape the deadly fires. Some lost everything, while others were smart enough to think things through before the evacuation order came in.

Regardless if an evacuation order comes or not when a disaster hits close to home, you have to decide if it’s safe for your family to distance yourselves from the affected area. Since certain natural disasters can grow and develop unexpectedly, it’s smart not to gamble with your safety and always be ready to evacuate.

Your vehicle of choice

Your bug-out vehicle of choice should be prepared and ready to take you to safety at any time. Such a vehicle should be kept in good condition and be gassed up every time you have the occasion to do so. You have to consider that not only most gas stations will be closed, but those that will still be open will have limited service, and there will be a lot of competition for the remaining fuel.

As a precaution, most preppers keep a host of minimum needed gear in their car at all times, while some have a corner of their garage designated to store all the items that are needed for bugging out safely.

If you opt for this strategy, you will save yourself a lot of time when the evacuation order comes. You won’t run around your house looking for things to gather and take along. Not to mention that you will assure a certain comfort to your family when you are all away from home, and this alone will boost morale considerably.

Gearing up

Preparing for a certain scenario needs to cover certain basic preparation. The first thing you need to do is consider the environment you’re living in, the time of the year, the type of crisis, and the intended destination.

If you are familiar with my work, you’ve probably learned by now how much I stress to the readers about the need to keep their gear updated. At a minimum, you should have your gear updated for the time of the year and weather.

While it’s important to pack well for an evacuation scenario, you should never overpack. Not everyone out there is a seasoned survivalist, and most folks will pick food and water as their main priority. However, you should also pack clothing and sheltering items that fit your needs based on where you are heading. It makes no sense to use up storage space with extra warm clothes if you are going to a zone with a warm climate.

Always keep your bug out bags in the vicinity of your car. Every family member should have one and if you are unable to use your car for the escape route you’ve planned, consider that the total weight of a survival bag should be distributed according to each body type and physical strength.

Additionally, you should also consider the following necessary items when mapping your escape route and organizing your gear:

Your exit plan

Every city is different, and they have different layouts. While certain cities will have multiple directions to evacuate, others will be limited. When you plan your escape route, it’s mandatory to base it on based on your location, population density, and intended destination. In a few words, this means that you should be familiar with all the main routes and secondary routes of your town.

You should avoid going towards the city center even if that’s the fastest route out of town. Have detailed paper maps of your city and mark both primary and secondary routes of escape on those maps.

I also recommend getting some forest service maps and topographical ones since you need to have a clear picture of all the available roads and paths when planning your escape route.

Since it is advised to follow the guidance and directions of government officials when an evacuation order is given, things may not always be so straightforward. While the officials may be better informed than you, always be prepared to go your own way if you are forced to do so. Be smart and listen to the radio and plan your next move based on the information you gather.

Alternative planning

Every plan you make for an escape route must also include a failure scenario. For example, the plan for the main city highway to be jammed. Plan for secondary roads to be blocked by fallen trees or be washed out by flash floods. Plan for alternate routes that might not be as crowded but would eventually require a long detour; therefore, more gas will be needed.

When you plan for failure, you should also consider the items that will help you overcome certain and perhaps unexpected scenarios. There are a lot of people that hate firearms and see such items as nothing more than death tools. However, in a scenario that requires you to defend yourself and your loved ones, such tools may be exactly what you need.

It is mandatory to think about what you will need when your main plan falls apart due to reasons that are out of your control. This is why, as preppers, we often need a plan B and perhaps a plan C.

You may have the safest BOV money can buy, but what if it breaks down?

Do you have the tools and parts to fix it?

Even more, do you know how to fix it?

If you come to a halt and your bug out vehicle becomes useless, you still have to figure out ways to continue your journey. Maybe you packed a bicycle or two, or perhaps your loved ones are used to carrying their backpacks for long distances since you all love to go camping often.

Regardless of how things will turn out, only you can plan for the proper outcome since you know the alternatives you and yours have. 

Everything we learn during the course of our lives must and should be put to the test. The same goes for emergency preparedness, and there should be no major surprises waiting for you.

Testing your escape route may be as simple as organizing a trip out with the family during a busy time of the year. It can be as simple as driving your intended routes and be observant of what happens along the way. Even better, do it during the rush hours to get a proper feel of the kind of traffic you can expect.

Observe and write down on your maps “sensitive” areas to avoid (busy landmarks, bad neighborhoods) and areas you may have to target in case of unexpected emergencies (hospitals, relatives, friends, etc.). It’s also worth labeling areas that can provide resources in case needed (fuel, food, water, etc.).

The main thing you have to keep in mind is that the same objectives you’ve circled on your map could also be targeted by others, so you need to be prepared to deal with the most unpredictable element of all, human nature.

Other important things you should be noticed on your map when testing the escape routes are the choke points and natural obstacles that you may have to get through (rivers, rough terrain, etc.). These points on your map have the highest “unexpected factor,” and you may have to abandon your vehicle or make a long detour to overcome such obstacles.

Evacuation day

Regardless of how much you planned and prepared for the day when you are forced to evacuate, there’s always that doubt mixed with a multitude of interchanging feelings that will prevent you from taking on the road.

When the evacuation order comes, that feeling that keeps telling you that you may never see your home again is heartbreaking. Leaving everything behind is not easy, and many people just don’t manage to do it. They fail to see that their lives are in danger and that they cannot stop a natural disaster.

You should stay strong and convince your loved ones to get in the car without making a big fuss about it. Keeping everyone calm and constantly reassuring them that things will be alright helps more than you would think.

First, they will be able to follow your direction with a clear head, and second, your neighbors and everyone staying behind won’t know that you are abandoning everything.

As I said earlier, avoid overpacking and making your car look like a survival vehicle from the Mad Max movies since this will only invite looters in after you vacate the premises.

Remember to cut the power and shut down the gas line to avoid further damage in case flooding or landslides occur. Locking all windows and doors should go without saying that it’s basically common sense at this point. All your defense layers should be in place, and you need to double-check them before you go.

When you are on the road, stick to your evacuation route and don’t make unnecessary stops, or take detour routes unless you have to. Stay vigilant for unforeseen dangers since your main goal is to escape the city as quickly as possible.

Planning for an extended stay?

After an evacuation order was issued, people go on the road, and they hope everything will soon turn to normal. However, many people planning for a bug out scenario have a hard time answering the old age question, “how long to stay away?”

In fact, in most cases, this remains a question without an answer, and if you do find an answer for it, it’s always dependent on the main, major factor, safety.

Is it safe to go home?

The event that triggered the evacuation order has come to an end?

If that’s not the case, do you have any good reason to return to, perhaps, a pile of rubble?

You must be prepared for the duration of your absence and fight the impulse to go home early. You took an escape route for good reasons, and there’s no point in going back early and possibly, face additional dangers.

Planning for an escape route becomes mandatory if you know your area is exposed to the dangers of a natural disaster. Every bug-out plan being built is a task of personal nature, and it requires ample knowledge of your whereabouts.

Plan for both the expected and unexpected when building an escape route since only by doing so you will be able to reach safety.

This content was originally published here.

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by Selco Begovic

Timing or the importance of perfect timing in SHTF can be a matter of life and death.

For a starting point, you need to understand something that I mentioned in previous posts. When SHTF occurs, the situation is fluid – it can change quickly, and you need to recognize those changes so you can react in time, and in the proper way.

The real danger is other people

I like to say that when the SHTF most probably your enemy is not going to be some foreign invaders, UN troops, or people that are very different than you.

It’s very possible your enemy will be the people that today live around you.

What will make them your enemy?

Well, a lot of things. The SHTF itself, the lack of resources, hate, polarization, absence of a system, absence of repercussion for their actions…

But always the main reason will be the lack of resources, and it is something I wrote about a lot in my book. That makes every person your possible enemy.

How does the importance of timing come into play here?

Well, it is on you to time your plans and actions based on the situation around you.

Here are a couple of examples:

Answers to those questions are quite different based on the time (or timing) when you are answering them. Simply if there is no system still working, everything falls apart. The timing of your action is important. You must understand what the rules are so you can choose how (or how hard) your response will be.

And do not forget, since it will be fluid the difference can be as little as a half-hour of time. Or even minutes.

A law-abiding citizen

Yes, I know, most probably you are a law-abiding citizen.

But, you cannot be a law abiding citizens in a situation where there is no law at all.

So what are you gonna be?

I am not suggesting anything here, but, again, your actions should be different in normal times and world without law and order. I am talking here not about violence, but about your feelings of who owns what when all falls apart.

If you recognize in time that there is simply no system, and there are things that actually suddenly do not “belong” to anyone, you can make good decisions about acquiring things you need. And trust me if you do not make it then, you will make it later. Only later you are not gonna have so many choices or opportunities.

No, I am not talking about stealing from other folks or looting your local mall during a bad weather event or riot.

I am talking about your acts in the first days of an event that is gonna be complete and prolonged world without a regular system of law and order.
Timing there also means that you need to recognize when some things are more important than others…for example, food is more important than some big-screen TV.

Actions on the ground

Timing also means a lot while certain things are happening when SHTF, especially in the very early stages of SHTF.

The early stage is important, because most of the people in that stage are not sure of:

You, as a survivalist/prepper, should be ahead of those people and you should know, or at least have an educated guess about the 4 questions above so you can time your actions appropriately.

Looting/scavenging

There is nothing too much philosophical here, and here is one example:

Something happens, and people are looting the mall.

What are you going to do?

Well, the most obvious answer is that you’ll stay at home because it is safest.

But let’s say you need medicines, food, or whatever.

Well if it is a real and serious SHTF, I would say you are gonna go there and “loot.” Only it is technically not looting anymore, because there is no law and order. It is not coming back for a long time or ever. So if you are smart, you’ll go there and stock up with important medicines, or food, or lighter fluid or similar stuff.

The timing is perfect because the answers to all of the above questions are “satisfying” for that. And you as a prepper for sure are not gonna loot stereos and TVs.

Most of the other people gonna be stupid and loot that useless stuff, because they completely missed the understanding of what is going on.

The timing here can be tricky too because you need to check if there are other people who understood how serious the situation is (based on the above questions). If they did, then you might lose your life there looking for food or medicines, simply because a lot of other people could be doing the same.

And do not forget, criminal organised groups WILL eventually figure out what is important, so they will eventually come to control that.

So, the timing is important, but again, the timing of your understanding of the term “law-abiding citizen” here is something that you need to figure out first when something serious happens.

You also need to know when to leave.

I have said before if I had realized what was coming when the SHTF for me, I would have left. But I waited too late. I missed my time.

You must be ready to leave everything (physical) in a split second if that means survival and life.

Learn to operate in terms of “less is more” or in other words, try whenever you can to substitute dependence on things with owning knowledge of a particular skill. For example, owning a big stash of water is great, owning skills and means to purify near water sources is even better.

Be ready to alter your plans – do not value your current plan so much that you are ready to die for it. Have an open and flexible mind so you can recognize that moment when your current plan becomes worthless. Do not act like “my plan (bugging out, or bugging in) is so good that I am ready to die for it.

Timing is everything when the SHTF.

A lot of things and actions in the world of survival are simply words. Those words will have different meanings when SHTF, based on the moment in time and based on when you are taking your actions. You as a prepper need to time your actions according to the events around you, and you need to be ready to kinda bend based on the events unfolding.

Have you ever had poor timing?

Have you ever been the victim of bad timing or missed a window of opportunity during an emergency? Share your stories and thoughts in the comments.

About Selco:

Selco survived the Balkan war of the 90s in a city under siege, without electricity, running water, or food distribution. 

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.

If bugging out is a mainstay plan of prepping in general, then bugging out to the woods is about as bread-and-butter as that plan can get.

Anyone you talk to, so long as they don’t live in the desert, will regale you with their idea of just heading off into the woods to find a nice little clear patch next to a babbling brook before setting up camp and waiting for the whole situation that sent them scurrying to blow over. Sure is a nice idea…

man walking in the woods

And an idea is pretty much all it is. This is because surviving in the wilderness, even in the woods, is no picnic, and it sure as hell isn’t just recreational camping.

The context of survival places many more demands on people who would exist in the midst of nature, even in an environment thought to be so bountiful as the woods.

I can understand the appeal; daydreams of pure, clear streams, wholesome game animals both big and small prancing and capering everywhere, ample fuel for fires and material for shelter. What could be better?

Well, lots of things, for one, though it could always be worse too. Surviving in the woods is no joke, and people who go deep with the idea that they will be coasting on Easy Street are in for a rude awakening, and potentially a miserable death.

Surviving away from society, or even the ruins of society, is not for everyone and in today’s article I will present you with a list of people that I believe will stand the best chance of surviving in the woods and those that should hang up their hopes before that fateful day ever comes.

The Woods, Dark and Deep

While the appeal of a forest in a recreational capacity is absolutely undeniable and it is true that the woods are a biome that is generally more plentiful than one like the desert, the reality is it is still a challenging environment to survive in, especially for the unprepared.

This makes the irrational enthusiasm some preppers exhibit toward bugging out into a remote patch of the woods particularly troubling.

Too many among us believe that they will be able to drop their packs after a hike of some exertion in a picturesque clearing near a ready-to-drink source of water before they stretch, have a snack and meander off into the woods to shoot some animal or another before dragging it back for dinner along with some fresh picked fruit or berries.

And all of this sent to the backdrop of a society that is tearing itself apart somewhere, out there, beyond the edge of the forest.

It is gauche poetry, and for the vast majority of us who attempt such a thing it will look quite different. You will be in an environment that is extremely easy to get turned around in.

One with water sources, but water sources that are contaminated by the fecal matter and corpses of animals along with innumerable kinds of plant and fungal debris.

What animals there are in the woods will easily evade people who are not skilled hunters, and the “natural bounty” of fruit, fungi and leaves are just as likely to be toxic as not, some fatally so.

Well before proper sunset the environment will become incredibly dark, as little in the way of light filters down through the canopy save in winter, and though fuel for a fire is ample in the woods this means that one must constantly be on guard that their fire does not get out of control and turn into a raging conflagration.

Surviving in the woods is just that: surviving. It sure as hell isn’t camping, and it won’t feel like a pleasure hike. If it does, you have probably bugged out for nothing.

Also keep in mind that the vast majority of people, and some preppers specifically, are nearly entirely dependent upon their survival gear and provisions that they bring with them.

I have heard the analogy before, and it is a good one that this is akin to the tank of air a scuba diver uses to descend into the depths of the ocean. So long as the air holds out the diver can remain, but once the air (or the supplies) run out they must surface in order to resupply, or die.

It will be much the same for many survivors who head into the woods at the first sign of trouble. They may yet be able to remain comfortably enough so long as their supplies hold out, but only those with a considerable amount of skill and experience living in wooded country will be able to make a proper stay out of it if required.

One must also consider that the popularity of this idea, well-informed or not, means that plenty of other people will have the exact same plan you do, and if you are not heading into the remotest parts of rarely traveled forest you might have more company than you’re planning on…

With all of that said, let us get to the list. There are two lists below, those who will survive in the woods in my estimation, and those who won’t. The list is not entirely conclusive, nor is it complete.

You can probably think of several additional categories of people who would belong to one or the other, and everybody knows someone in a group who defies expectation, and is either the second coming of Tarzan or the Mr. Magoo of survival. Regardless, based on my travels and experience both of these lists hold water.

Those Who Will

Boy Scouts, current and former

This as you might expect was an auto-include on the list of those who would survive an extended stay in the woods. The Boy Scouts have long placed an emphasis on self-sufficiency, preparedness and survival skills, complete with many exercises that build confidence and provide a lived experience for exactly these circumstances.

Even a Boy Scout of modest rank could be expected to self assess, prioritize based on the situation he found himself in, create a serviceable shelter, get a fire going. and tend to it before locating food in the form of safe mushrooms, berries or other plant matter and even bagging some kind of animal protein, all the while being cautious and acting intelligently.

In this regard, it is easy to view scouting as a sort of “disaster-proofing” in addition to being a fulfilling pastime.

I know quite a few men who attained the rank of Eagle Scout after a great many years scouting while they were boys and young adults, and let me tell you they are all regular MacGyver’s and serious outdoorsmen, more than capable of surviving in the wilderness using a little more but a pocket knife and a button compass.

I hope the people who mocked their uniforms when they were young lads don’t wind up in the same situation; they will be starving, lost, and freezing, while the target of their mockery is having a comparatively easy go of it elsewhere.

Soldiers, Marines, etc.

The training necessary to become confident in certain professions can wind up serving you well long after your time on the job is done.

Anyone who served in the military is probably better suited for surviving in the woods than nearly anyone else, since so much of their career centered on surviving and even thriving and natural environments under the worst conditions.

It also helps that these people are conditioned and used to hard and grueling work, work that is often necessary when the time comes to survive in the forest.

Beyond being generally comfortable in an outdoor setting, in uncertain circumstances and under a considerable amount of pressure folks in this category are often confident and capable at improvising shelter, and taking care of other considerations attendant with survival outdoors, including those of security.

As they say, when the going gets tough the tough get going, and you will rarely find people tougher than these men and women.

And beyond their occupational training, quite a few members of the military benefit from what is known as SERE training, or “survival, evasion, resistance and escape” training.

This training curriculum focuses in part on survival techniques when poorly equipped and in hostile environments, including the construction of various shelters, provisioning of food and signaling for rescue when applicable.

Training of this nature is invaluable in a wilderness survival situation, even when people with guns aren’t hunting you.

Hunters

Chances are most hunters will be going into a woodland survival scenario with a major leg up over the rest of us. If there is one group of civilians you’ll be able to count on having already spent a long time in the woods, it will be these guys and gals.

Contrary to popular belief there is a lot more to hunting then just clambering up into a tree waiting for some hapless animal to walk by. Serious hunters who are dedicated to bagging the quarry they seek will put in a lot of time in the woods, gaining an intimate familiarity that few others will be able to rival.

From investigating probable routes of travel to looking for watering holes, sources of food, and all kinds of other nuances that most people miss, your average hunter will be very comfortable in the woods.

They will also be confident at maintaining their bearings, as traipsing all over creation through an environment that is very easy to get lost in will quickly impress upon the unwary how important is to keep your heading.

Naturally, when push comes to shove and tummies are grumbling a seasoned hunter is most likely to nab the big game that is needed to substantially supplement food stores.

Even if their chosen game is not available, the skills they learned in the pursuit will serve them well when the time comes to shoot or catch something else.

Ultimately, time spent in the woods is never wasted if you’re trying to prepare for a lengthy escapade, and your average American Hunter will have drastically more time under the branches of the canopy than most anyone else.

Hikers

Hikers are another category of civilian whose pastimes will likely serve them well when the time comes to bug out in the woods.

Although the typical skill set for hiking is not quite as comprehensive as the one for hunting, it nonetheless will do much to acclimatize someone to the challenges and rigors of surviving in the woods, particularly when it comes to navigation.

Long-distance hikers will also be more than capable of locating the best campsites and picking the best wood for fuel.

Hikers also tend to be fit, a major advantage when it comes to surviving in the woods as there is no shortage of work that must be done more or less around the clock in order to improve your position.

Also of particular import is the likelihood that they will be very familiar with their favorite trails and stomping grounds, an informational advantage that can give them a major boost in confidence when the time comes to bug out.

If they already know the lay of the land, especially in various seasons, they will be able to head to the best spots for survival and avoid the worst.

Additionally, hikers are also aware through study or bitter experience of the various hazards that reside in the woods, among them terrain that is likely to see them slip, stumble, or fall, perhaps resulting in an injury to a leg that they can ill afford, as well as live hazards like dangerous big game and venomous snakes.

You will rarely see a hiker that will put their hand any place that they cannot see and they will never carelessly overturn rocks, branches or logs for any purpose, lest they disturb a resting, venomous reptile or agitate a swarm of insects.

Naturalists

Plenty of other people spend a lot of time in nature and crave interaction with it, from amateur botanists to mushroom hunters, birdwatchers, wanderers, game wardens, and others will all stand a pretty fair chance of surviving in the woods so long as they have a proper basis of survival skills to back up their general comfort and competency in such an environment.

Experience in an environment, even experience spent in some other pursuit besides survival, is still valuable when it comes to a survival situation because you will be learning a little bit about how to move, live and otherwise operate in that environment.

Just because you were out looking for the ideal patch where a rare mushroom or moral might grow does not mean you are failing to learn what other lessons that the environment can teach you.

Even if they are niche skills, niche skills still count, and people who have an affinity for nature on a practical level will benefit from those skills in a survival situation. A person who is enthusiastic about the plant life in their region will know which plants to avoid and which are helpful for nutritional or medicinal purposes.

Mushroom hunters will be able to easily supplement their calorie intake with delicious and nutritious fungi while avoiding the ones that will make them sick or kill them.

Game wardens will be familiar with the travel routes and behavior of various animal species, as well as those of poachers, giving them a leg-up on avoiding potentially compromising interactions.

The bottom line is that the people who spend more time in the woods voluntarily, those who embrace the environment, are the ones who are more likely to survive its perils and make the best use of its assets.

Those Who Won’t

Gear Fanatics

There are some people who believe every problem can be solved by simply having the right gear. You don’t necessarily need the skills, the experience, or the dues paid in sweat and blood to get something done, you just need the right gadget!

If only that were true. Unfortunately quite a few Americans believe this fallacy and we have our fair share right here in Prepperdom.

While it is true that having the right equipment is going to make your job easier, there is no amount of equipment that can replace experience and confidence when living in the woods, especially in austere conditions.

The right tools, the right tent and the right gadgets will not replace knowing how to build and tend a fire, knowing where you should and where you should not pitch your camp, which plants to avoid and which to eat and how to avoid becoming disoriented and lost.

All of that takes experience, and even gadgets that can help ameliorate these problems are prone to failure and don’t always work in all circumstances.

While none of us are perfect, the one thing you will always be able to depend on the most is your own wits and knowledge. This is the first and most important tool, and without that the best technological gadgets that money can buy won’t amount to a hill of beans when trying to survive in the forest.

Urbanites

Urbanites are, in my mind, distinct from mere city-dwellers. Lots of us live in the cities, even if it’s not our first choice, and plenty of us can’t wait to leave, or at least get away from these teeming hives of humanity.

Urbanites are different; an urbanite is a city dweller who loves the city, who is truly part of it, and their existence inside a metropolis is their baseline. If they’re not surrounded by towering spires of steel and concrete they don’t feel comfortable.

When they are forced out into a natural setting, or even a less built-up area, they start to feel profoundly out of place, and anxious.

As you might expect, these folks will not do well in a forest survival setting. This might come as a shock to some readers, but I know more than a handful of urbanite preppers that are nonetheless serious about the craft, and want to be prepared for every eventuality.

Some among them actually entertain the notion that when things invariably deteriorate into an unsurvivable condition inside the city limits that they will bug out “upstate”, or out of state into the woods to live a more pastoral existence in the meantime. These self-same preppers cannot even be bothered to go on a hike!

Deprived of electricity, modern convenience and a reassuring rigidity of man-made roads and other paths that make it impossible to get lost, they will founder and possibly die. This is not intended to insult or belittle such folks, but a person must know their limitations.

Animal Caretakers

Lots of people care for animals in one way or another, from your average everyday American with their pet dog or cat, to those who must tend to herds or flocks of livestock as farmers.

In many ways our domesticated animals are integral to our lives, and most people will go out of their way to accommodate them be it through professional dedication or sincere affection. Unfortunately, most animals will make a surviving in the woods more difficult, not less.

People with pets would be cautioned before choosing the forest as a bug-out location if they have the dog or cat in tow.

There are lots of ways for both to get into serious trouble in the woods, either through ingesting something poisonous or investigating a venomous creature that will not take kindly to the intrusion upon its space.

Most pets are also noisy, and will do much to both attract attention when you are trying to maintain a low profile as well as scaring off game that could potentially fill your cook pot.

Securing a domestic pet while in the middle of the woods so it does not escape or wander off is also challenging.

Farmers who have any ambitions about taking their animals with them when bugging out, even if it is a small herd or flock, will face many of the same challenges above and their animals will struggle to find good pasturage upon which to rest or eat.

There are other places to bug out that can indeed accommodate pets and livestock better; the forest should not be your first choice if you have animal companions in tow.

The Unfit

People who are badly out of shape are going to have a hard enough time surviving in most conditions if they cannot bug in, but their troubles will be multiplied tenfold if they have to bug out into the forest. Surviving in the forest is hard work!

Again, it isn’t like camping. You will always have much to do, and plenty of strenuous chores to attend to if you want to maintain and improve your situation.

From scouting campsites and moving your camp to gathering and processing wood to fuel your campfire, clearing brush and debris, foraging for food and water and so much more; you’d better be ready to roll up your sleeves, put in the hours and get a good sweat going!

The forest might provide more for you to make use of then some other environments, but making use of it still takes quite a bit of effort on your part.

If you are out of shape, flabby, and otherwise incapable of strenuous activity for any length of time, your work capacity is going to be reduced. Reduced work capacity means your margin for error when surviving gets smaller and smaller.

What if you have to deal with the snap of cold weather that sees you powering through your supply of firewood even quicker? If you are so exhausted that you didn’t gather more the previous day or couldn’t process it to get it ready for efficient burning you might have a problem.

Rain or wind that forces you to move your campsite in order to seek better shelter means you will be doing a lot of packing and schlepping; you’d better be up to the task.

Generally, the less fit someone is, the less the woods will be to them as a bug-out location.

The Arrogant

For many of us the woods have an undeniable appeal and a certain mystique. The peace, tranquility and sense of grounding we get is almost enticing enough to see us head there during a bug out if only because it will help us calm down and center our thoughts.

This is undoubtedly true, but as I’ve stressed continually throughout this article the woods are extremely dangerous for most of us who enter unprepared, and are particularly dangerous for those who are arrogant.

If someone is ignorant of the dangers that lurk in the woods and all its many forms, or even worse just complacent, knowing better and not caring and doing better, they are probably not going to be long for this Earth during a woodland survival scenario.

You cannot cheat the forest; disregarding proper procedure, flagrantly acting in defiance of what is sensible and safe will see you gravely injured or killed, and the woods can oftentimes kill you in slow motion, inflicting an agonizing and torturous death.

Ignoring the danger posed by slick logs or rocks could result in a stumble and fall that earns you a compound fracture of the leg or ankle. Immobilized and crippled, you’ll be helpless.

Eating the wrong berry or mushroom could make you gravely ill, dehydrating you to the point of incapacitation, or it might kill you outright, clutched by seizures as your diaphragm shuts down and you suffocate, your heart beating its final beat.

You can be bitten by snakes and torn apart by bears. You might just get lost, never to be found and never to emerge.

Survival in the woods is not for the unwary or the inexperienced, and it is definitely not for the arrogant.

Conclusion

Bugging out to the woods is a valid strategy for dealing with an SHTF situation, but only if you have the right experience, the right attitude and the right skills. It is definitely not for everyone, and should not be your default response to every situation, counter to what is often asserted.

Only by assessing your skills, advantages and disadvantages, and survival objectives in totality can you make the right call. There are some people that are just not suited for survival and the dark corners of the forest.

who will survive the woods pinterest

This content was originally published here.

SHTFPreparedness may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page.

What does SHTF currency look like?

We all like to speculate but it’s hard to really know what will hold weight in which situation. It’s hard to imagine a time when cash is no longer king. However, if the currency is devalued by massive debt and inflation we could see that in our lifetime.
5 Reasons Why Pure Silver Will be the Currency of the Collapse - This article makes the argument for simply investing in and having pure silver on hand when you are looking to barter in the collapse. Its a tough one to argue but there are many people who really like the idea of having junk silver and also like the fact that it is free.

Let’s take a moment to look at these four currencies and see which will play well in the SHTF scenario.

At the very least your emergency plans should involve a cash emergency fund of $1,000. This fund is to be held onto in case of emergencies that affect your finances.

In the near future cash is going to get things done. A cash fund should be your first consideration before anything else.

While gold has long been a means of currency around the world, the price of gold is so high that it is hard to use practically. You would struggle to buy food and provisions with gold.

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, gold is currently over $1,700 an ounce (as of 4/26/2020)! That means you would need flakes to buy food or you would need some means of making a change. That’s a lot of moving parts for an SHTF barter.

I would not make gold a big player in your SHTF wealth profile unless you are looking to make large purchases that you can secure.

The SHTF currency that makes the most sense to me is silver. It gives you a value that can be used for the purchase of most things. Likewise, it’s easy to afford in meaningful batches and can make a big difference in a hurry.

At $15 an ounce (as of 4/26/2020), you can start putting silver away today!

The reality of collapse currency could be much different. It could be skills, labor, or the human body itself. As sad as that is, in Venezuela women are crossing over to Columbia in order to sell their bodies to feed their kids.

That is a real collapse. Pay close attention.

Bonus: How to Make Pemmican, the Original Survival Food

Invented by the natives of North America was used by Indian scouts as well as early western explorers.

Native Americans spent a great deal of time on the go and depended on having portable, high-energy, highly nutritious, and filling foods that would last for long periods of time without refrigeration.

Pemmican is a portable, long-lasting, high-energy food. It’s made of lean, dried meat that’s crushed into powder and mixed with hot, rendered fat. This makes it one of the ultimate foods to have stockpiled for when SHTF or disaster strikes.

People really should avert their gaze from the modern survival thinking for just a bit and also look at .

These guys were the last generation to practice basic things, for a living, that we call “survival skills” now.

This content was originally published here.

While too many of us would like to think that we live in a world where everyone would be kind and courteous, especially when following a major disaster, we’d only be fooling ourselves. That’s because there are certainly evil people out there who would only be looking out for their own interests, and they’d be willing to use whatever method necessary to get what they want.

So whether you believe in guns or not, it’s crucial that you have some way to defend yourself if those types of strangers show up at your door. Fortunately, there are a number of ways that you can do this without pulling a trigger. These are non-lethal ways to defend your home when SHTF. In case you missed this post, 12 Places to Hide Important Items in Your Home

Good Ole’ Fashioned Steel Baseball Bat

A cold steel baseball bat doesn’t require you to fumble over to your gun safe in the middle of the night and then struggle to get locked and loaded in the process. All you need is a good strong swing and you can do some major damage. Just be sure that you’re swinging for the fences so that it’s “lights out” for the visiting team. There’s also the possibility that you could trash your house in the process, but given the circumstances, I’d say it’s worth it. 

Pepper Spray

Just because something is non-lethal, doesn’t mean that it won’t cause a lot of pain. And that’s what you want in order to thwart an attacker. With the Sabre 3-in-1 pepper spray, you can guarantee that you will temporarily blind and cause pain to someone that’s up to 10 feet away. It can be used up to 35 times! It’s no wonder this pepper spray is the number one recommended by police forces.     

Maybe you’re looking for something to use other than pepper spray? Some people have mentioned that wasp spray also has similar effects on humans as pepper spray does. This is one of my favorite non-lethal ways to defend your home!

Vipertek VTS-989 Stun Gun

There’s a reason why the Vipertek VTS-989 Stun Gun is labeled “very powerful,” and for special occasions such as this I can clearly hear Martha Stewart saying, “and that’s a good thing.” It’s also very affordable while administering enough volts of electricity to put your assailant on the ground. There are enough electrodes dished out to get through any thick clothing, and also shock plates on the side that makes it extremely difficult for them to snatch it away from you.   

I’m sure many of you have heard the famous line, “the pen is mightier than the sword.” While I believe that saying was metaphorically intended, the StrikePen decided to give it a new and more literal meaning. It may look deceptively like a pen, but it’s strong enough to break through windows or cause severe pain to intruders.    

Arma-100 Bean Bag Gun

Have you ever had the wind knocked out of you? If so, then you know that it stops you dead in your tracks (well…not literally). An Arma-100 Bean bag gun is a great way to greet intruders that decide to pay you with an unexpected visit. Beanbags are capable of traveling at 135 feet per second, so it’s sure to deliver a knockout punch when needed. The gun comes with a safety and a spring mechanism that makes it difficult for most children to operate. You also won’t need a license or a background check to get your hands on one, and they are legal in all 50 states.   

Barbarian Stun Baton

The Barbarian stun baton can be used to swing just like a club, or also has enough volts of electricity in it to work just like a stun gun. The baton also comes with a 3-mode CREE LED flashlight so that you can see your way around in the dark while blinding your intruder at the same time. You can be sure that this weapon will put distance between you and your enemy, but be aware that a stun gun can cause cardiac arrest in some people and death can occur in some situations. 

Salt Supply Pepper Spray Gun

The Salt Supply Pepper Spray Gun looks just like a real handgun but fires rounds of pepper spray at your target at a speed and distance of 320 feet per second. That’s about 10 times the distance of what normal spray cartridges will do! Your target will immediately be engulfed in a pepper spray cloud as you’re able to get your family away to safety. Just be sure to go over your state’s laws as to whether this form of protection is legal in your area. 

Add an Extra Line of Defense 

If things start to take a turn for the worst, you may have to set up boobytraps around your home and property. You could always learn a brilliant trick or two while watching any of the Home Alone movies. Even though Harry and Marv (the bad guys) survived several terrible ordeals set in place by an 8-year-old, I make no promises that one of them might not put your aggressor 6 feet in the ground.    

Home Security System

Should anyone snoop around your home or decide to break into your home in the dead of night, your home security system will be ready, even if you’re not. You’ll be able to monitor your home and possibly your entire property for more peace of mind. Not only will a triggered-alarm set off a loud noise, but it will also contact your local police, which is important if you’re unable to.  

Maybe you can’t afford a home security system? There are always window and door alarms that you can install around your home that will also serve a similar purpose. Adding thorn bushes around your windows can also deter an intruder much like having motion-sensor floodlights.   

Get Your Family a Dog

Dog’s are not only “man’s best friend,” but they’re also one of the best security systems that your home could possibly have. They have excellent hearing and can deter most home invaders simply with their booming bark (depending on the breed). If an intruder makes the poor decision to continue breaking into your home, if you have a larger canine, they can attack and put their teeth into their enemy? Besides all this, they are loyal companions and great around your kids if you train them right.

Non-Lethal Ways to Defend Your Home When SHTF  

Final Word

If the SHTF, it may not be long before unwanted guests start eyeing your home. Even if you are completely against killing another human being using a deadly weapon, or shiver at the thought of even the slightest amount of bloodshed, these are several non-lethal ways that you should consider when preparing to defend yourself and your family. What are some other non-lethal ways to defend your home that you have thought of? May God Bless this world, Linda. 

Copyright Images: Baseball Bat on Wood Deposit photos_54709795_s-2019

This content was originally published here.

You may only choose two long guns and two handguns. They will be chosen for a time of SHTF. In other words, a time of extreme turmoil, social chaos, collapse, shortages, revolution…if you get my drift.

Maybe one scenario is as follows. The globalist Marxist Commies come into power. Subsequently they do what they always do — try to take your guns. Without arguing about how you might mitigate that, lets just say you’ve planned ahead for it. Maybe you put aside two specific long guns and two handguns that “they” wouldn’t find.

Or maybe that doesn’t happen at all. But you’re considering all aspects of a hypothetical collapse and you’re deciding what might be best in the long gun department and the handgun department.

I will initially refrain from putting out my own opinion so as to get your comments without influence. I’m sure there are lots of opinions, and I put this out there for fun… (haven’t done a “gun” post in awhile).

Lets see where we end up, and I’ll update this post with some of the highlights.

Ready, Set, Go!

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NH Michael

1 hour ago

22 revolver with 22 mag cylinder, sks. Why can use 22 short or the cci 22 quiets for quiet hunting, any 22 ammo for general use. 7.62×39 is just fine.

Gee I should have read more closely. 2 of each? wow? I picked for utility and plain out total reliability. Would I select two different ones or more ammo instead. Only the Owl knows. 🙂

Probably a single/double barreled shotgun 12 gauge with a full set of chamber adapters so I could use anything I found in “lost ammo”, and more ammo….

Been awhile since I looked at purchasing a gun, but as a kid my friend and I shot lots of different guns and 10s of thousands of rounds. 12 gauge slugs either 000 or 00 buckshot are absolutely devastating to anything in its path so I’d opt for a pump 12 gauge of some sort. I had an M&P 9mm that was a smooth shooter and a large capacity magazine. Too bad it got lost deep in the woods.

The ones i have when it goes ugly

I hope Ige doesnt read these posts!! haha


Reply to 

Bluecatmatt

Ige is why its so hard to come home. Living in Oklahoma where we can buy and own anything we want, Pro 2nd. What would i do with all my “stuff”.

any kind of high powered kind of rifle for longer range hunting a semi auto 12 gauge for home defense a 9mm hand gun and a 45 handgun for short range stopping power


42 minutes ago

This was a mental exercise that I thought through years ago because it’s fun. In my head I decided I’d like to just store 22LR, rather than buying various ones to keep track of. That would allow me to use a pistol such as a Ruger SR22, a Ruger 10/22, as well as even going into The Saint that had been fitted with an insert to accept 22LR, then toss in a revolver too if desired. Seemed practical to just streamline the gun selection off the ammo stored in my scenario.

Kel Tec PMR 30 22 mag, Glock 21, Mossberg 12ga with mini shell adaptor, AR.223

A 10/22 semi auto rifle, Mini 14 .223, Both can be used to hunt what’s near me.
357 revolver & 45 semi auto for defense from man or beast…I prefer Ruger from my Rifles
Colt for my pistols.

Remington 870 12 gauge pump with vent rib and slug barrel.
AK-47 7.62×39
Colt Woodsman .22LR Pistol
S&W 686 .357 mag revolver

#1 Mossberg 20 gauge pump with a bunch of different barrels
#2 Well made AR-15 with a bunch of mags
#3 Glock 19’s x2 with a bunch of mags,

If allowed one more by the Gun Czar Bozo O’Dork , it would be a Ruger .22 “American” bolt action in .22 LR.

This content was originally published here.