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How to Prepare Now for the Complete End of the World

How to Prepare Now for the Complete End of the World

OKANOGAN COUNTY, Wash. — When the finish comes, some won’t be ready in a bunker for a savior. They will stride out into the wilderness with confidence, prepared to hunt and kill a deer, tan its disguise and sleep simply in a hand-built shelter, shut by a hearth they produced from the power of their two palms on a stick.

Four hours from the Seattle airport, in a valley referred to as Methow, close to a city referred to as Twisp, Lynx Vilden was instructing individuals how to stay in the wild, like we think about Stone Age individuals did. Not so they may get higher at residing in cities, or so that they could possibly be higher opponents in Silicon Valley or Wall Street.

“I don’t want to be teaching people how to survive and then come back to civilization,” Lynx mentioned. “What if we don’t want to come back to civilization?”

Some individuals now are contemplating what it means to stay in a world that could possibly be shut down by a pandemic.

But some individuals are already residing like this. Some do it as a result of they identical to it. Some do it as a result of they assume the finish has, in reality, already begun to arrive.

A pair of occasions a 12 months, Lynx — she goes by the title professionally, although it’s not her authorized title — teaches a 10-day introduction to residing in the wilderness. When I arrived for this program, Lynx ran to me, buckskins flying, her arms cupped tightly round one thing that was smoking.

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Marti’s Corner – 07

Marti’s Corner – 07

Marti's Corner at City PreppingHi Everyone,
Being prepared means trying to plan for a variety of contingencies. Having no power is one of those possibilities. I’m sure that most Texans could NEVER have foreseen having no power in the middle of freezing weather. In Texas!!!! Now is a good time to ask, “What if that happened here?” My Indiana peeps are saying, “And your point is….????” California peeps—– could you stay warm? Could you cook dinner? As our hearts reach out to friends and family who are experiencing these extreme difficulties, just keep in mind that you could be next, whatever the disaster may be. THAT’S why we prepare.  This woman’s wet hair froze as soon as she stepped outside | Your Morning – YouTube

NOTES:

* Garden Update. I have planted some of my broccoli seedlings and cauliflower seedlings into the ground. My other plants are just hanging out, waiting for March 1. I’ve been leaving them outside at night unless the temps are in the low 40’s, then I bring them in. They are actually okay as long as it doesn’t freeze. But I’m still babying them along.

* Facebook Page: Our Prepared Community also has a ton of information. If you click on the videos button, you will see about 25 videos covering everything from natural remedies to evacuation plans. It’s a great resource! Here is a link to the Water Sanitation Class.

LONG TERM FOCUS: Lentils

Lentils are legumes – cousins to beans. Lentils can be green, red, yellow, black or brown. They are full of nutrients with no fat and lots of fiber and protein. Lentils cook much faster than dry beans and don’t need to be soaked. To cook, just rinse and boil 3 cups of water to 1 cup of lentils. They are tender in 15-20 minutes.

SHORT TERM FOCUS

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Step-by-Step When Disaster Strikes

Step-by-Step When Disaster Strikes

Outline

  1. Seconds Before
  2. Seconds In the Disaster
  3. Seconds of Action
  4. Minutes After
  5. Hours After

Many people will prepare for disasters, but they will seize up in crippling fear when the disaster is upon them.  Every disaster survivor’s story has a few common characteristics.  The person was prepared because of the signs leading up to the disaster, or they made the right decisions based on their situation when the tragedy occurred.  There is no guarantee of survival in any situation, but being adequately prepared, being mentally prepared, puts the odds of survival in your favor.

In this blog, we will take a high altitude view of common disasters and the choices you need to make in the seconds, minutes, and hours after a disaster.  Those decisions are going to have several factors you will need to weigh to ensure your instant safety.  By the end of this video, you will have a step-by-step approach that, over time, you can internalize to keep you moving through a disaster and prevent you from succumbing to it by seizing up or paralyzing in fear.

Seconds Before

Every disaster has clear signals that proceed its arrival.  A tsunami is preceded by the water receding far from shore.  A tornado is preceded by a sudden barometric pressure drop and storm activity.  Sometimes animals alert to the low-frequency waves before an earthquake.  Even terrorist and lone-wolf attacks are often preceded by chatter, social media postings, threats, or other warning signs.  When we look at historical events, we are often left wondering how our ancestors didn’t see this event or that tragedy coming.  Do you think the citizens of Pompeii didn’t suspect Mount Vesuvius might one day blow?

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5 Winter Homestead Tips To Help You Prepare

5 Winter Homestead Tips To Help You Prepare

It’s easy to decide to create a homestead, however, the ways in which we go about it can be difficult. But here are a few tips to help you as winter approaches if you want to live on a homestead or improve your self-reliance.

Even though things slow down on the homestead during winter, there is still work that needs to be done! Having some winter chores prepped will keep you ahead of the game so you can stay inside more. Below are some winter chores to keep in mind when tending to a homestead.

It’s easy to decide to create a homestead, however, the ways in which we go about it can be difficult. But here are a few tips to help you as winter approaches if you want to live on a homestead or improve your self-reliance.

1.Have Backup Heat – A wood-burning stove is a great option especially if you live near a wooded area with a lot of dead trees ready to be harvested. Back up heat will come in handy if the power is knocked out and the heat is incredibly soothing. It also offers that added security of being more self-reliant.

2. Store Enough Water for Animals – You will need to take into account all of your animals when storing water. Plan at least a gallon per day per person, and dog.  Cats need less but should be counted too.  Make sure you plan for your ducks, chickens, goats, horses, rabbits, etc. Be sure to plan enough water storage for livestock, cooking and cleanliness, house pets, and your family’s daily consumption. Also, prepare for your worst-case water outage scenario.

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Bringing disaster preparedness into resilience politics

Bringing disaster preparedness into resilience politics

Introduction

Most discussion of “sustainability” for the last 30 years has been about how to ensure that what we do today is not at the expense of future generations. This is supposed to be so that future generations are safe from the damage done when current generations over-exploit the planet and ruin their future.

That was the theory but the overuse of the planet’s resources happened anyway. Growth got priority and future generations will pay for the planet’s consumer class and the idiocy of its economic priesthood. Ecological footprint analysis tells us that humanity (or rather the rich part of the humanity) has been consuming natural resources as if there were 1.7 planets. This overshoot, the inappropriate growth promoted by mainstream economists may end up sending future generations into earlier graves. They have a right to be angry. Humans born now will inherit an exhausted planet with an increasing number and intensity of disasters. [1]

According to a recent UN report, damage has increased over the last 40 years:

“Between 1980 and 1999, 4,212 disasters were linked to natural hazards worldwide claiming approximately 1.19 million lives and affecting 3.25 billion people resulting in approximately US$1.63 trillion in economic losses.”

That was twenty years ago and it has got worse.

“In the period 2000 to 2019, there were 7,348 major recorded disaster events claiming 1.23 million lives, affecting 4.2 billion people (many on more than one occasion) resulting in approximately US$2.97 trillion in global economic losses. This is a sharp increase over the previous twenty years.” [2]

On current trends it will get worse again. We should not give up the campaigning against further overshoot but we now need to combine this fight with steps in communities to prepare for the disasters that are now baked in – because the growth fanatics cannot take in the dangers of rushing over planetary tipping points. We are facing climate crisis, biodiversity collapse, public health crises and economic turmoil that are already upon us.

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SELCO: Everything Is Fluid When the SHTF – Including the Rules of Survival

SELCO: Everything Is Fluid When the SHTF – Including the Rules of Survival

In hard and weird times, everything is fluid.

I bet you have heard many times that expression, but what does it actually mean?

In essence, it means if you do not pay attention to that “fluidity” or let s say if you do not keep paying attention to the timing of everything you are gonna make mistakes, and even more, you may end up dead.

“Rules” must also be fluid.

It is especially important in light of the “teachings” that you can find in mainstream survival where the majority of “masters of survival” give you rules on how to survive, but fail to recognize that rules are there for bending, for changing, even for trashing. It’s all connected with the timing of events, particular or current situation. (Here are some pieces of advice I find particularly bad in the survival world.)

It is fluid.

So, again, if someone is giving you rules (including me), never forget that you need to take it as a starting, point, or let’s say blueprint, or foundation only, that you should refer to when times get tough. BUT you must always be keeping in mind that the situation CHANGES, so the rules might change too.

I know the prepper world today is consistent with 99 percent of “lists what to do in order to survive” and I also know people like to have clear pointers and clear instructions on what to do and how to prepare, which is OK.

The problem is that the majority of folks want someone else to do the job of figuring it out and give them the solution, while they are sitting in a chair in front of their computers.

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5 Frugal Prepping Tips For Beginners

5 Frugal Prepping Tips For Beginners

You never know what’s going to happen. But, lately, I’ve had so many questions from those I know that have never been interested in preparedness before, asking how they can help themselves out on the cheap because they honestly “feel” like something is coming.

You never know what’s going to happen. But, lately, I’ve had so many questions from those I know that have never been interested in preparedness before, asking how they can help themselves out on the cheap because they honestly “feel” like something is coming.

Again, if you feel like something is coming, you are not alone, and don’t classify yourself as crazy! In fact,t it is never crazy to be prepared for an emergency. If you want to start preparing now, there is never a better time, so don’t put it off.  Because of that, these are a few frugal prepping tips I have followed to stock up on when funds are tight.

1. Go to the Dollar Store – It doesn’t matter if you have a Dollar Tree, Dollar General, or a Family Dollar; these stores are excellent resources for preppers on a budget. We wrote an article on 30 frugal prepping items you can get at the Dollar store, but you can also look for mini sewing kits, batteries, packed shelf-stable foods, canned foods, and soaps. I also often scout for laundry detergent, bottled water, and canning jars as well. If they have socks or deodorant, it never hurts to grab some of those either. (I suggest aluminum-free deodorant, but use your own judgment on this one.) The best tip I can give to new preppers who are on a budget is to go to your local dollar store.

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A Quick Reminder of How Venezuela RAN OUT of Food: Does This Look Familiar?

A Quick Reminder of How Venezuela RAN OUT of Food: Does This Look Familiar?

We’d all like to believe that the United States is on the road to economic recovery and that things are going to get better. Everyone wants to think the store shelves are just a few cargo ships away from being refilled. People want to believe that once 2020 is over, life will return to “normal” and that we’re just having a really bad year.

But someone pointed out an article I published four and a half years ago and when you look at the things which happened there and compare them to our situation, you may notice some uncanny similarities.

Here’s how Venezuela ran out of food.

In February of 2016, I wrote about what an economic collapse really looks like, using Venezuela as an illustration.

Venezuela:

The article begins when prepping began to be frowned upon by the Venezuelan government.

In 2013, many began to suspect that the outlook for Venezuela was grim when prepping became illegal.  The Attorney General of Venezuela, Luisa Ortega Díaz, called on prosecutors to target people who are “hoarding” basic staples with serious sanctions.

Shortly thereafter, grocery stores instituted a fingerprint registry to purchase food and supplies. Families had to register and were allotted a certain amount of supplies to prevent “hoarding.” (source)

The United States:

Early in 2020, supplies began to be difficult to find due to the outbreak of COVID-19 and the potential of a lockdown. When folks couldn’t find basics like toilet paper, fingers immediately began to point at “preppers” and “hoarders.”

The word “hoarding” is being repeatedly used throughout news reports. They’re already working to paint preppers as bad and selfish people. They’re already vilifying those who hurry out to fill any gaps in their supplies. They’re making it seem like a mental illness to get prepared for what could potentially be a long stretch of time at home with only the supplies you have on hand.

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18 Simple Habits That Create a Prepared Mindset

18 Simple Habits That Create a Prepared Mindset

Look both ways before crossing the street!”

“Take a sweater so you don’t get a chill!”

“Don’t let the gas tank get under half!”

Most of us have heard these and many other parental adages over the years – but how many of us really stop and think about the importance of such advice when it comes to being prepared?

I may drive my family nuts when I ask if everyone has a sweater or sweatshirt before we go out the door, but every time the weather changes on us, they are glad they had something to throw over their shoulders. My teen heaves a big sigh every time I make her change out of flip-flops before a road trip (or bring socks and shoes), but if we break down and have to walk somewhere, she’ll be thankful for mean old mom’s demands.

As someone who has lived around the world and dealt with both personal emergencies and weather-related incidences, I can attest that there are certain habits that, once ingrained, will serve you well some day. These habits may seem silly, neurotic, or just too simple to even think about, but they’ve helped me react more quickly (or better yet, be proactive), have alleviated my worries and concerns, and have even allowed me to help others in stressful and scary situations.

18 Simple Habits That Will Help You Be Better Prepared

The best part about the following list of habits is that the bulk of them are about making the most of what you have and using your brain.

If you’re just starting out on your journey toward preparedness, you can choose just one or two basic concepts to incorporate into your daily routines, making you more prepared almost immediately. If you’re further along, pick something that you could brush up on or use this list to ask yourself how you’re really doing.

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Not All Dogs Are Suited For Survival: 5 Suggestions to Help You Choose

Not All Dogs Are Suited For Survival: 5 Suggestions to Help You Choose

Are you thinking of adding a new canine member to your family? If what you are really looking for is a survival dog, there are a few things you need to seriously consider. Some dogs are more well suited to be just companions, while others are better suited to be protectors. What a prepper really needs is a combination of both.

Canines have been around for thousands of years. They have stuck with us for decades, through wars and natural disasters. They have proven to us that they are true companions and assets.

Which canine breed is most suited for the role of survival dog? Could there be more than one? In a world with over 100 dog breeds, this question may be very tricky to answer and research.

Together we have created a list of the five best dog breeds for preppers. We have not only selected our five best survival dogs, but we have also detailed our reasons for choosing them to help you decide which dog is best for you!

What makes a good prepper dog breed?

When it comes to selecting an excellent prepper breed; there are a few things you need to consider:

  • Do you have land and/or animals that need protection?
  • Do you require personal protection?
  • Do you require a companion as well as a guardian?

Prepper dogs should confidently protect your land, animals, and especially your family. Protection breeds should have the following traits and abilities:

  • Alert dogs, in which they bark or signal to you that there is a threat nearby.
  • Physical intimidation; a larger breed is more intimidating to intruders or threats than a smaller breed. Larger and physically daunting breeds are taken more seriously
  • Man-stoppers; these breeds can physically fight or restrain potential threats by force

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The 7 Pillars of Urban Preparedness

The 7 Pillars of Urban Preparedness

The 7 Pillars of Urban Preparedness is an introductory course that Selco and I teach. This is a foundational module that we refer to often because so much is built from these seven pillars. Selco and I created this framework to hang things in a logical sequence.

When Selco and I first met we shared our teaching material. After sifting through it all we found we had a massive volume of material with very little structure. People were having to process the information and somehow compartmentalize it in their own minds. They could not keep up with what we were teaching in the moment because they were still trying to sort out the previous information. We realized we needed to build structures for people to hang information on.

The preppersphere desperately needs that structure. As the sphere expands, without these structures, the information becomes more and more fragmented and people do not quite know what to do with the information they are given. The 7 Pillars are strong foundational pillars designed to help them with that and to help build resilience.

Please remember this crucial piece of advice:

These pillars are meant to be built together, incrementally, and consistently so the main structure stays level. You don’t want to build one pillar to its highest possible height when you haven’t yet started on the other 6.

What are the 7 Pillars?

  • Pillar One: Water
  • Pillar Two: Shelter
  • Pillar Three: Fire
  • Pillar Four: Food
  • Pillar Five: Signaling | Communication
  • Pillar Six: Medical | Hygiene
  • Pillar Seven: Personal Safety

Pillar One: Water

Water is absolutely vital. Most of us probably already know that. However, what we see consistently is we struggle to contextualize the absence of something. Particularly water. Many people just can not fathom a world without freely available water. Even though academically we know it is possible there may be a time when we are without water, we viscerally don’t feel it.

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5 Rookie Prepping Mistakes to Avoid

5 Rookie Prepping Mistakes to Avoid

Prepping for your withdrawal from mainstream society comes with a steep learning curve. A small mistake could leave you in a pinch when you least expect it, leading to costly repairs or, worse, the end of your remote hideaway. You need to take care of your equipment, prepare for the worst and make sure you have everything you need to live a healthy, sustainable lifestyle off the grid. From truck seat covers to vitamin deficiencies, learn how to create the ideal homestead operation.

Going off the grid takes practice and patience. If you’re new to the game, avoid these five rookie mistakes at all costs.

Not bringing a paper backup

Leaving the modern world behind usually means not having access to the internet. Even if you set up your own router, you should prepare for potential outages. Nasty weather, weak connections and damaged equipment can leave you without this convenient tool, especially when you’re on the road.

That’s why it’s best to bring along paper copies of equipment and vehicle manuals, how-to guides, maps and just about anything else you might need to read in the wild. Bring along plenty of books to keep boredom at bay, as well as physical resources, such as those for purifying water, growing fruits and vegetables and hunting wildlife. Print off web pages you’d normally read on your computer and keep these documents organized in case you need to access them in an emergency.

Not creating a contingency plan

Let’s face it, there’s always a chance your homestead could take a turn for the worse. You could run out of food or water, accidentally injure yourself or get hit with a natural disaster. But that’s all a part of the fun.

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The Prepper Shopping List for August: 7 of the Hottest Deals For Preparedness Supplies

The Prepper Shopping List for August: 7 of the Hottest Deals For Preparedness Supplies

The temperatures are heating up and so are the deals in August. If you are looking for frugal ways to stock up on your food pantry and preparedness supplies, this month will not disappoint!

The temperatures are heating up and so are the deals in August. If you are looking for frugal ways to stock up on your food pantry and preparedness supplies, this month will not disappoint!

7 Things You Can Buy To Stock Up On Your Preps

Buying items during certain months of the year will allow you to buy at discounted prices so you can stock up and save big time. You just have to know which items are best to buy.

  1. Back To School Supplies – Take advantage of the back to school deals and purchase pens, pencils, tape, and other office necessities. Purchase a few extra rolls of tape and get them prepped for Christmas wrapping marathons in a few months! A majority of us are working from home these days, so take advantage of the deals. As well, you can look for small coloring books and crafts that may be on sale to invest in “sanity savers” for off-grid events where the kids need something to do.
  2. Bug Out Bag Supplies – There are some discounted items this month that could help you in creating a perfect bug out bag. In fact, if you don’t have a bug out bag, this month would be perfect to buy a sturdy backpack. As well, Ziploc bags of all sizes will be on sale and are perfect for organizing bug out supplies, first aid items, just add water meals, etc. As well, premade snacks like packs of crackers, juice boxes, granola bars, etc., will also be good to pick up at the store and are great for comfort foods during emergencies.

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Dehydrated Blueberry Muffin Syndrome: Survival Isn’t Always Comfortable

Dehydrated Blueberry Muffin Syndrome: Survival Isn’t Always Comfortable

One thing a lot of preppers overlook is the potential discomfort of a survival situation. They stock up and prepare as though everything will remain exactly as it is now, except they’ll have to rely on dehydrated food instead of fresh ingredients. In some scenarios, this is true – take, for example, the recent lockdown.

But in more extreme scenarios, your life will be anything but comfortable, and this is something Selco and I try to get across to people. Many preppers refuse to fathom a life in which they won’t have time or facilities to bake a batch of muffins. We call this Dehydrated Blueberry Muffin Syndrome.  Get more details in the video below. (Note: the video won’t appear if you have an ad blocker on.)

Survival may be gritty and difficult, as it was in Selco’s situation. It’s not just like life is now, but without electricity.

What are the 5 Rs?

Here’s an explanation of the Five Rs I mentioned in the video. They highlight the sequences you have to be prepared to deal with depending on INTENSITY and/or DURATION of a disastrous event:

  1. REDUCE the impact on your lifestyle or routine. Many events are over within 72 hrs. With adequate preparation, you should feel little to no interruption to your daily life.
  2. REPAIR. By understanding the nature of the threat. Your residence and life situation, you can anticipate by competence or cost things that may well need repairing in order to RETURN TO NORMAL.
  3. REBUILD. This can be both physically (Think a beyond repair storm-damaged house) or ‘structural’. A business that has suffered significant disruption or loss and cannot necessarily continue exactly as before…

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Selco: “Here Are Some of the WORST Pieces of Prepping Advice I’ve Heard”

Selco: “Here Are Some of the WORST Pieces of Prepping Advice I’ve Heard”

The competition for the worst prepping advice out there is pretty sharp. It’s been going on for many years and has a tendency to get even more ridiculous as time goes on.

One reason is that a lot of the advice is pushing you in the direction of buying something, and when you need to buy something things can go weird and false.

Another reason is the fact that there are numerous “experts” out there, and it does not have to be about selling. Often it can be that people just want to be known as experts because they feel more important or whatever.

So, as I mentioned many times before there is a chain of people who share advice, and if you follow the trail where that advice is coming from you are usually gonna find a self-proclaimed “expert” at the end, or even worse some fictional character from movies or books.

So here are a few pieces of bad prepping advice I have seen.

“Handle everything with violence.”

Yes, I do agree, nothing can put things in the right perspective like a few shots from an assault rifle in the correct place and time. Brute force can very efficiently solve some situations.

But…

I see a lot of advice that goes only as far as being well-armed and having that “out of my cold dead hand” attitude.

Most of the time when the SHTF, it will be about other things, like hygiene, resources, interactions with people, managing people in groups, maintaining mental and physical health in hard circumstances, and many other things that have nothing to do with violence.

So, violence and being ready for violence are critical, yes, of course, but it is not only about that.

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Olduvai IV: Courage
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Olduvai II: Exodus
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