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Ready Nutrition Readers, before you scoff completely at the title and smirk at the use of a manufactured pharmaceutical, there are a few things I ask you to keep in mind. I have written before on my stance regarding both naturopathic and traditional medicines, and I will reiterate that position once more if you have either forgotten it or not read it:

Herbalism is the parent of modern medicine, and the two “branches” should complement one another and never be in contradiction.

I have the utmost respect for the educational background of physicians. The definition of a true physician is one who uses his skills to for the benefit of a patient in need and helps that patient as best as can be done. Don’t discount modern medicine completely. Where one of the two branches cannot work, or does not work effectively, the other should be able to pick up the slack. In this light, do not relegate all of the chemistry and science behind medicines that do work. Sometimes we need that extra “edge” when facing an illness we cannot rectify through traditional home remedies.

Why Amoxicillin is the Most Popular Type of Antibiotic

One of the best medicines to stock up on is Amoxicillin, a drug that has been actively used in the service since 1972. It is a pretty broad-spectrum antibiotic that is great for bacterial infections, such as ear infections, sinusitis, respiratory ailments, UTI (Urinary Tract Infections), Lyme disease (yes, we’re entering tick season now), pneumonia, and other ailments. A well-rounded antibiotic, it has a shelf life of more than 15 years. That in itself should ring a bell for you as a happy prepper.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Selco: How to Stay Warm During a Long-Term SHTF Situation

January 5, 2018

Selco: How to Stay Warm During a Long-Term SHTF Situation

As America is dealing with a record-breaking cold snap and a weird storm hitting the East Coast, some folks are having to handle the whole thing with the power out also. But we all know that at least this time, our situation is temporary. Most of us have power, and those who don’t will have it restored within a few days. But what if you had to stay warm during a long-term SHTF situation?

After your warm response to Selco’s story about Christmas during the SHTF in Bosnia, I hired him to start writing for us more often. Today, he shares with us what it was like to try and stay warm during an entire year in a war zone without any type of utilities. It’s a lot of information, and we can apply this to our preps.

Selco’s information is incredibly valuable because he has actually been through what we plan for during our preparedness endeavors. He teaches this information in-depth on his website, SHTF School. Let’s get started.

The US is dealing with quite a cold snap right now, and it got me thinking about your SHTF year in Bosnia. First of all, what is the winter like there? How cold does it get and what is the climate?

In a small part of the country close to Adriatic sea it is Mediterranean climate with mild winters and temperatures then goes just below 0 or -5 Celsius (32-23 Fahrenheit) and in other parts of country it is a Continental climate with temperatures during the winter -10 or -18 (14-5 Fahrenheit), with cold waves down to -26 (-15 Fahrenheit) and a lot of snow.

Very usual are periods of strong cold wind (Bora) that actually can lower your body temperature very fast and complicate things.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

How To House the Whole Family in a SHTF-Emergency

December 27, 2017

How To House the Whole Family in a SHTF-Emergency

One of the complications of a major disaster event taking place (with or without warning) is not having supplies and equipment before the event takes place. In line with this dearth is the shortage of preparations for members of the family who live in other locations who may wish to band together. I’m going to propose a solution here that is slightly “unconventional,” so try to remove your mind from the constructs imposed upon it by your entire life spent from the army of skeptics and closed-minded establishment mindsets.

The imposition is that we all are channeled to live in “cookie-cutter” houses, plopped down akin to so many Hershey kisses in a row: identical construction in an approved, regulated, homeowner’s association-sanctioned manner.

We’re referring to the end of the society, and if you’re a multi-millionaire and you want a house for each member of the family retreating to your location, more power to you. We do what we can in life, and do the best we can. In the absence of millions, there is another route. Let’s go over the basics first.

The principle is for all the family members (and anyone close to that family) having a place to meet up and reside together when it all falls apart. From a logistics perspective, unless you have a gigantic manorial-type residence, your space and resources will be stretched thin. What I propose here are sheds…cabins, if you prefer. You can build them yourself or you can buy them.

Once again, much of this is going to depend on the geographic location you reside, and the social and legal impositions placed upon you. Only you know them. Armies of bureaucrats who want to tax you into insolvency are behind the hordes of conformists (commonly labeled as homeowners’ associations) and “friendly” neighbors who wish to impose their wills upon you.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Emergency SHTF Packing: How To Efficiently Pack a Bug-Out Bag

December 16, 2017

Emergency SHTF Packing: How To Efficiently Pack a Bug-Out Bag

This article is a continuation and the second part of the load management series written at the request of Mr. Brent Westbrook, a ReadyNutrition Reader. In the first part, we covered how to stagger a load by weight and pack it according to function for a vehicle. Guess what? Many of the basics used to emplace that load are followed here, in how to pack a rucksack (another word for a backpack). Let’s get right down to it!

Packing a Bug-Out Bag + Gear Suggestions

For those who have been reading my articles for a while, you know that my personal preference is the large-frame Army Rucksack (also called a Large “Alice” pack) …the one from the turn of the century and thirty years before. It has an aluminum frame, it’s made of nylon, and it can take a lot of punishment. That being said, the mechanics and reasoning for packing it are still the same.

You must ensure with a ruck that the load is balanced, as high as possible to keep pressure and weight off your back and that you can get to your equipment in a hurry.

Items on the bottom are those rarely used

I pack at the bottom of mine stuff that I do not intend to use at all or very seldom, such as extra clothes and extra food. Pack your clothes in a wet-weather bag ( the military issue is preferable to me, although I’m aware there are many civilian firms that follow the premise of waterproof bags). In the middle of the ruck, you want some ammo, more clothes, and some specialty equipment that doesn’t see immediate use. You be the judge of that. Toward the top, I keep Gore-Tex pants and jacket, as well as an issue sleeping bag with a Gore-Tex cover in a compression bag and then in a wet-weather bag.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Operational Essential Task Lists for When the “S” Hits the Fan

November 24, 2017

Operational Essential Task Lists for When the “S” Hits the Fan

ReadyNutrition Readers, this is “Part 2” of our METL series. To refresh, METL is a military acronym that translates into “Mission Essential Task List.” Part 1 covered a METL for training and how to prepare yourself and your family in terms of what to study and practice. This second part gives the tasks you will all need to be proficient in when the “S” hits the fan and everything comes unglued.

Try and understand that this list can be changed and modified to fit the needs of a family and their idiosyncrasies. Each family is different and unique in terms of physical conditioning, skill-sets, geographic location, and family demographics, there will be different challenges facing each family even in the same disaster.

These are tasks that all the family members…the ones able physically, mentally, and chronologically…should be proficient in. Let’s do it!

First Aid: Everyone in the family should learn about bandaging and splinting (termed “sticks and rags” in the Army). How to dress a wound, run a simple set of sutures, clear and maintain an airway, perform CPR, treat for heat and cold weather injuries. About a year ago, we did a series on Field First Aid that you may wish to refer to for a refresher on these tasks. Also: if you have any family members who have special medical needs…all the rest of your family needs to know how to take care of them…from injections to the administration of oxygen.
Essential Outdoor Survival Skills: Building a Fire, Disinfecting/Treating Water, Construct a Lean-to or Erecting a Tent, Cleaning and Cooking Wild game, fowl, or fish. These are some of the tasks. Depending on your geographic locale and the season of the year, there may be a substantial number of tasks added that require proficiency.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Fact: Your Chances of Surviving a Post-Collapse Urban Environment are Slim

October 21, 2017

Fact: Your Chances of Surviving a Post-Collapse Urban Environment are Slim

ReadyNutrition Readers, Simply put, urban survival will be quite a bit different from survival in a remote wilderness area or even a sparsely-populated suburban area. Let’s game some options, remembering that these options are general. These actions aren’t specific to the type of breakdown of society (external by an attack from a foreign nation, or internal from economic collapse, for examples).

So, we have our collapse. Let us “X” out a nuclear war/nuclear terrorist attack, as we can deal with all the other scenarios in variables without radiation to contend with. Let’s identify the largest challenges faced for that high-rise apartment resident in Manhattan, or the family in the brownstone on the South side of Chicago. First, let’s game the scenario:

After “The Day,” the city was almost completely without power. You and your wife and two children were not able to leave town. All mass transit was halted or discontinued. It has been three days, and your family has been listening to static on the radio for the most part, with “campy” pre-recorded disaster broadcasts that have not been helpful or informative. One of your neighbors left this morning after saying goodbye: he and his family had a boat, and they were heading out of the harbor, hoping to use one of the major rivers to make an escape.

They didn’t have room to take you or yours, but you wanted to stay put and not follow your neighbor’s idea: that there were plenty of boats whose owners were not going to use them…probably dead following the rioting and civil breakdown. You’re beginning to think you should have listened to him. Now you can hear angry voices outside, and you go to the window. A mob has gathered at the top of your street!

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Items That You Can Barter When SHTF

August 18, 2017

Items That You Can Barter When SHTF

Barter items for survival – What would you have to trade in a survival situation?

Any conversation about prepping first starts with the “the best survival gun” followed by “bugging out vs hunkering down” and then on to “the best retreat location” and then to “what to have on hand for barter… well today, I’m going to answer that question.

The first thing to consider is what items do people need and use every day, followed by will they need these items after a long-term disaster and if so will those items be readily available when the resupply lines are cut. If not, then would those items be easy to make from other common items?

These are the questions I asked when putting away my own barter items – those are included in the list below in no order.

1. Ammunition

While I don’t advocate bartering most ammo after a collapse simply because that ammo could be used against you. Stop and think about it, if a person needs to barter for ammo in the first weeks and months after a collapse then it’s evident that that person has not prepped and will need other stuff, stuff they figure that you now have and there is no guarantee that they won’t use the ammo that you traded them at a later date to kill you and take your preps for their own use.

The exception that I make with ammo for barter purposes is for shotgun ammo. I’ve stocked up a large amount (500 rounds) of 12 gauge bird shot in #6 and smaller shot sizes for barter purposes. Sure birdshot can kill someone, however, it’s low penetration and short range make it one of the least threatening ammo types that can be stocked up and used for barter purposes.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Have you prepped for the most likely SHTF event?

April 23, 2017

Have you prepped for the most likely SHTF event?

I like to read a lot of self-reliant and prepping blogs and articles, as we all likely do. Toward the beginning of my self-reliant venture, these articles and blogs were critical in my education. I am in no way an expert in this field, but I am comfortable enough that a lot of this information for me now is review, and it is always good to review the basics.

I love reading articles and blogs simply for the fact that there is usually more than one way to skin the proverbial cat, and I’m always looking for ways to improve my knowledge base or tweak existing techniques. This self-reliant community is often very willing to share their experiences, both positive and negative, so that others may learn from their successes as well as their failures. To say this community is rich in comradery would be an understatement, to say the least.

I have never written for another blog other than my own, so this is a new venture for me. I hope I will be able to give something back to someone here and return the favor that you have all given me over the last several years.

As I continue to read and search the self-reliant and prepper communities, I run across multiple hits regarding making fire, storing and gathering water, weapons and ammunition, just to name a few. It’s not that these things aren’t important, they should be the staple of anyone’s self-reliant plan, however there is one particular aspect that I rarely see mentioned, and yet it is likely one of the most commonly overlooked ways to prepare for bad times ahead.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Sailboats, survival, and SHTF

January 13, 2017

Sailboats, survival, and SHTF

I’ve always been a fan of being self-sufficient and learning skills. Sailing is one of the skills that I always wanted to acquire but until my sister married her husband, I never knew anyone who sailed. I love it so much now that I’m considering selling everything and living on a sailboat. As you’ll see below, learning how to sail will give you the opportunity to learn all sorts of self-sufficiency skills, emergency preparedness skills, and off-grid capabilities. As far as I’m concerned, the skills and knowledge required to sail a boat to a distant shore and live on the boat require almost exactly the same skills that preppers pursue.

Lemme throw some context at you for a sec and then tell you why you might want to consider learning how to leave dry land if you need to. I went out to Kalifornia in September to visit some friends and family and along the way, I spent a week in Monterey, where a good friend is learning Russian at the Defense Language Institute (DLI). Since I didn’t want to sit around his house all day while he was in school, I decided to take this opportunity and take sailing lessons. I’m glad I did.

I spent a week and got my ASA101, Basic Keelboat Sailing and ASA103, Basic Coastal Cruising certifications (those links are to the exact books they gave me for the courses but I’ll list the other books I’ve recently read at the end of this post – click here to jump to my book list). I then stopped in at Oxnard on the way back to Phoenix, and instead of getting a hotel, I decided to just rent a 32-foot sailboat for the day since it was almost the same and I’d have the boat for daytime (they let you sleep on the boat).

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Bicycles: The Ultimate SHTF Ground Transportation

June 26, 2016

Bicycles: The Ultimate SHTF Ground Transportation

Think about it. What other machine is hugely inexpensive, human-propelled, can move sizeable weight over long distances, on multiple road conditions and varying terrains, at reasonably good speed? The title gave it away but a bicycle is a remarkably efficient form of transportation and very relevant to prepping plans.

I thought I’d offer my thoughts because even though there are several references to bicycles as SHTF transportation but there isn’t much detail in which bike would be optimal for most people. Not only can a bike be simple and dependable transportation, but the right kind of bike can carry a lot of stuff. In my case, full disclosure…I’m a bike technician, I have several suitable bikes ready to head for the hills and I wanted to share a few guidelines on what may be appropriate for your prepping.

Bikes are inexpensive, quiet, and easy to maintain, and last a long time if you just keep them out of the elements. You may have seen riders with saddle bags (called “panniers” in bike lingo) of various sizes where you live. There is a resurgence of ‘bike packing’ now so people are venturing out with camping equipment intending on a truly self-contained adventure. With this new interest, there are several technological improvements that will benefit your bug out bike.

Don’t forget that before SHTF you can use your bike for exploring and local errands or even exercise! It’s a fun type of exercise, though.

So here are my suggestions to get you geared up.

Buy used…Always!

Used bikes are everywhere, and with the exception of high-end road or mountain bikes for enthusiasts, they depreciate at an amazing rate. New bicycles lose 40-60% of their retail value within the first year after purchase.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Here’s How You’ll Die When the SHTF (and How to Prevent Your Untimely Demise)

September 24, 2015

Here’s How You’ll Die When the SHTF (and How to Prevent Your Untimely Demise)

When it hits the fan…I mean REALLY hits the fan in a permanent kind of way, the most likely outcome is death.

That’s not pretty, and I’m well aware of it. I always try to be positive and optimistic, because for me, preparedness is the ultimate act of optimism, but sometimes we have to look at the numbers and face some things that are pretty terrifying. The first reality check is that some research says that only 3 million Americans are preppers. That means that 315 million Americans are not preppers. Some experts predict that within 30 days of the power going out, 50% of Americans will be dead. Within a year, an astounding 90% of the population will be dead.

Do you want to survive such a scenario? Do you want your children to survive? When you read this information, you have to realize that it’s very unlikely that you and your family would live through a grid failure of a year or more unless you are proactive and develop a preparedness plan that takes all of these causes of death into consideration.

The Top 10 Ways to Die in a Long-term Disaster

So here are the cold hard facts. One of these is the way that you are most likely to die when the SHTF, particularly in the event of a long-term grid failure. The good news is, now that you know this, you can take steps to prevent your untimely demise.

You die of thirst or waterborne illness. Most people have a case of water bottles kicking around, and perhaps a 5 gallon jug for the water cooler. What they don’t have is a gallon a day per person for a long-term emergency. Most people also don’t own a gravity fed, no-power necessary water filtration device with spare parts and extra filters.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Major Chain Stores Shutting Down as America Faces “Birth Pangs of Retail Apocalypse”

July 15, 2015

Major Chain Stores Shutting Down as America Faces “Birth Pangs of Retail Apocalypse”

Reduced consumer spending is heralding a looming economic downturn, if not collapse, with an unprecedented shutdown of major box stores, restaurants and grocers underway.

It doesn’t bode well for the millions of Americans who are already seriously struggling, and will only accelerate the death of the middle class.

Along with this massive shrinkage of the retail sectors will go thousands of jobs.Natural News reports:

There is chatter across the web about dozens of major retail chains that are expected to permanently shutter a large number of their store locations this year. Popular names like Abercrombie & Fitch, Barnes & Noble, Chico’s, Children’s Place, Coach, Fresh & Easy, Gymboree, JCPenney, Macy’s, Office Depot, Pier One, Pep Boys, and many others are named as soon-to-be casualties in what some news sources are now referring to as the coming “retail apocalypse.”

The Economic Collapse Blog pins 2015 as a significant “turning point” for the U.S. economy, ominously warning that at least 6,000 retail store locations are expected to close this year based on company announcements. Many American consumers are already witnessing the birth pangs of this retail apocalypse as brick-and-mortar department, specialty, and even food shops close their doors for good.

The list of store closures (see here) is truly massive, and in no way accounts for everything that’s coming.

But Americans are still buying one major retail category — technological gadgets like iPhones, wearables, smart devices and computers. As technology purchases soar, shopping malls that have long specialized in clothing and fashion retail are falling in on themselves.

Business Insider calls it a slow and painful death, noting the collapse not only of thousands of stores from dozens of chains, but even the fall of giants like Gap:

Gap once ruled the retail world. But today America’s largest apparel retailer is closing a quarter of its stores and laying off hundreds of workers after disappointing sales.

Gap’s closures are indicative of a larger trend in American retail.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

“The System is Broken”: Americans No Longer Believe In Its Institutions

June 19, 2015

“The System is Broken”: Americans No Longer Believe In Its Institutions

trust-no-one

It’s not difficult to see that the foundation is crumbling…

A new Gallup poll has found that already low “confidence” in our system of government, our economy, the media, banking, big business, religious institutions and watchdogs is further eroding.

“Americans’ confidence in most major U.S. institutions remains below the historical average for each one,” a Gallup spokesman said in a news release.

[…]

All in all, it’s a picture of a nation discouraged about its present and worried about its future, and highly doubtful that its institutions can pull America out of its trough.

There is plenty of good reason, with evidence uncovered daily, weekly and consistently throughout the years of the hypocrisy and failures of government, the failed promises of politicians, the lies and spin of the mainstream media and newspapers, the greed and exploitation of the financial sector and the “just us” mentality of above-the-law enforcers who are supposed to uphold justice.

Just check out how little faith remains in the structure of, well, just about any institution in America, by the numbers:

Only 8 percent have confidence in Congress, down by 16 points from a long-term average of 24 percent – the lowest of all institutions rated.

33 percent have confidence in the presidency, a drop from a historical average of 43 percent.

32 percent have confidence in the Supreme Court, down from 44.

28 percent have confidence in banks, down from 40 percent.

21 percent have confidence in big business, down from 24 percent.

24 percent have confidence in organized labor, down from 26.

24 percent have confidence in newspapers, down from 32 percent.

21 percent have confidence in television news, down from 30 percent.

52 percent of Americans […] are confident in the police [57 percent historically]

What else can be said, but that the system is broken?

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Bloom Where You’re Planted: Prepping to Survive Where You Are Right Now

May 23, 2015

Bloom Where You’re Planted: Prepping to Survive Where You Are Right Now

Have you ever heard anyone utter some variation of one of these comments?

“I’m going to start prepping as soon as I can move.”

“I can’t prepare because I live in a tiny apartment.”

“Well, once we are able to get moved to our farm in two years I’ll start prepping hardcore.”

“I’m saving the money for moving instead of using it for preps.”

“There’s no point in prepping here because if the SHTF I’ll be dead.”

Maybe you didn’t overhear someone else saying it. Maybe you said it yourself. One of the most common excuses that people use for prepper procrastination is the unsuitability of where they currently live.

This is the kind of thinking that will get people killed.

While your current situation may be less than ideal, you have to remember that very few locations are actually perfect for prepping. Nearly anywhere you live will be subject to some type of extreme weather, be it crippling cold, blazing heat, drought, tornadoes, or hurricanes. Chemical spills can taint water supplies anywhere. Riots and civil unrest can occur outside of the big city.

The point is, to borrow an old saying, you just have to bloom where you’re planted.

There are many things you can do to create a viable preparedness plan wherever you happen to live. Apartment dwellers at the top of a city high rise, folks in the middle of the desert, those in a beachfront condo, and people in HOA-ruled suburban lots all have to examine their situations, figure out their pros and cons, and work towards resolving what they can.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Urban Survival Skills That Will Keep You Alive

May 18, 2015

Urban Survival Skills That Will Keep You Alive

When the subject of Survival comes up in conversation, what do you think of? I am sure context plays a big part in the answer to that question, but for me personally it used to always conjure up the shipwrecked on a deserted island idea of survival. It was that or the lone hiker scenario where you are lost in the wilderness, miles away from civilization. I used to love watching Bear Grylls’ Man vs. Wild many years back on his first TV show where he would present just those types of scenarios and show tips on how to survive and get back to civilization.

The word ‘survival’ has a very different connotation to a lot of people but I think that many people out there limit their view of surviving to the way I used to. When I started getting into the concepts behind prepping, part of my thought process was that I would only need my true survival skills if I was shipwrecked or lost. I almost neglected the more likely scenario that I would need survival skills where I lived and worked every day. While I see the benefit of wilderness survival skills, I would be much more likely to need urban survival skills on any given day. There are some skills that overlap, but there are many differences between trying to survive in the woods and trying to survive in the urban jungle.

For this post I wanted to list several urban survival skills that while they may share some characteristics of their wilderness cousins, could still help you more in an urban environment if you are faced with some type of urban SHTF scenario.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

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