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Medical emergencies are bound to be a problem if disaster strikes. In the event that doctors and other medical professionals are not readily available, we should all know what we can do to lessen the burden of injuries and/or infections sustained during a SHTF event.

This Medical Issue Could Exponentially Increase in a SHTF Event

In an article on the most likely ways you could die in a SHTF environment, we wrote, “The die-off from a long-term disaster will not occur from hoards of zombies attacking your homestead. In reality, disaster survivors will more than likely die from four different types of conditions we take for granted today.” One of those ways is death from your sustained wounds.

“Open injuries have the potential for serious bacterial wound infections, including gas gangrene and tetanus, and these, in turn, may lead to long-term disabilities, chronic wound or bone infection, and death. Antibiotics will be few and far between and will be more precious than gold. Without proper medicines, antiseptics, and knowledge of proper medical procedures, many will die of bacterial infections. Learning medical skills, gaining knowledge on natural medicines and alternative medical antiseptics (i.e., Dakin’s Solution) before a disaster occurs could help people survive wound infections. Also, ensuring the area that you treat medical emergencies is clean and as sterile as possible may also prevent bacterial infections.”

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

15 Common Dynamics of SHTF Collapses

October 9, 2021

15 Common Dynamics of SHTF Collapses

When it comes to how we see and prepare for SHTF, thinking in terms of real and probable rather than fictional and possible can make a big difference. Even though SHTF has many forms and levels and is in essence complex, random, diverse and unsystematic, some patterns and principles are common to the way things unfold when it hits the fan.

With Toby and Selco’s Seven Pillars of Urban Preparedness as inspiration, I came up with a different list of the 15 dynamics and realities of collapses.

#1 SHTF is nuanced and happens in stages

Thinking about SHTF as an ON/OFF, all-or-nothing endgame is a common mistake that can lead to severe misjudgments and failures in critical areas of preparedness. Part (or parts) of the system crash, freeze, fail, or become impaired. This is how SHTF happens in the real world. And when it does, people run for safety first, i.e., resort to more familiar behaviors, expecting things to “go back to normal soon.”

By “normal behaviors,” I mean everything from hoarding stuff (toilet paper?) to rioting, looting, and crime, and yes, using cash – as these happen all the time, even when things are normal. But no one becomes a barterer, a peddler, a precious metals specialist in a week. Society adapts as time passes (and the situation requires). That’s why preppers who are also SHTF survivors (and thus talk from personal experience) insist that abandoning fantasies and caring for basics first is crucial. This is not a coincidence. It is how things happen in the real world.

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

Here’s Why a Bicycle Might the Ultimate SHTF Transportation

February 10, 2021

Here’s Why a Bicycle Might the Ultimate SHTF Transportation

Have you thought about how you’ll get around in the event that hopping in your car and driving someplace isn’t an option? Transportation and mobility are extremely important factors in preparedness.

Mobility can vary significantly during SHTF versus normal times. But it remains equally essential to logistics and safety. We must stay mobile to restock supplies, search for help (or help others), communicate, evade threats, etc. If things haven’t gone full Mad Max, you may need an alternative mode of transportation.

So what is the ultimate SHTF vehicle? You can find all sorts of fancy bug-out vehicles out there, but if you’re on a budget this may not be an option. Perhaps it’s time to consider the humble bicycle.

Mobility (or lack thereof) depends a lot on the scenario

War, martial law, a natural disaster: each situation calls for a strategy, considering speed, distance, mode of transportation and load/cargo capacity, and also the status of the infrastructure. Either way, we must be able to move around with the maximum safety possible. When other rules change, the rules of mobility follow suit.

Being mobile has just one meaning, but various reasons and different forms. Sometimes we must go fast. Other times going fast means drawing unwanted attention or risking an accident. There’s also range and cargo capacity. There’s stuff to be done nearby, and there’s stuff to be done far away. Sometimes we must move around slowly and stealthily.

How SHTF affects mobility

SHTF can impact mobility in many ways. Since the outbreak of COVID-19 and all the craziness that came with it, we’ve seen how fast things can change.

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

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

October 28, 2020

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.

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

Suspicious Roadblocks: What You Need To Do To Stay Alive

July 26, 2020

Suspicious Roadblocks: What You Need To Do To Stay Alive

In a SHTF type of emergency, roadways could be used to set up traps to get unsuspecting travelers to pull over and be mugged, stolen from, or worse. With that in mind, there are a few ways to spot a nefarious roadblock that you will want to avoid after the SHTF.

Traditionally, roadblocks and checkpoints are used to cast a wide net that targets hundreds of motorists, but some may be using it will ill intentions. In a SHTF type of emergency, roadways could be used to set up traps to get unsuspecting travelers to pull over and be mugged, stolen from, or worse. With that in mind, there are a few ways to spot a nefarious roadblock that you will want to avoid after the SHTF.

The Step-By-Step Guide To Help You Through Any Disaster

Some believe roadside checkpoint tactics are used to intimidate travelers and allow police or even private citizens to abuse individuals they choose to target for whatever reason. In fact, during the initial COVID pandemic lockdown in April of 2020, several states, including Rhode Island, Florida, and Texas, took the unprecedented step of setting up border checkpoints to stop nonresidents who might be carrying the virus. Concerned citizens in Colorado used roadblocks to try to control those who were out. Colorado drivers reported being pulled over at a roadblock checking for coronavirus lockdown violators, but police say they haven’t conducted any blocks, according to their Facebook post. These fake roadblocks and checkpoints are a thing, so it’s important to be able to spot them from afar.

Questions arise on whether or not this is constitutional.

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

Is Walmart Working With the Govt. to Distribute EVERYTHING When the SHTF?

September 10, 2019

Is Walmart Working With the Govt. to Distribute EVERYTHING When the SHTF?

In conspiratorial circles, it’s long been rumored that Walmarts across the country would become FEMA camps after an epic disaster. Some folks even suggested that once you were in the camp, you would not be able to leave. Sort of like those old roach motel commercials.

If you’re not familiar with it, here’s the Wikipedia link for a general overview of the FEMA camp theory. And here are 16 mindblowing facts about Walmart and its arguable quest for world domination.

While the FEMA camp theory has some holes in it, a long-time employee of Walmart contacted me to tell me about a direct link between Walmart and the government. We’ll call him Frank. (I generally hate those “unnamed source” articles, but occasionally the option to reveal a source just isn’t there.)

Some people will dismiss this article because I promised not to disclose the gentleman’s name or the store where he works. That’s totally up to you.

Now, according to what Frank told me, it looks like Walmart’s world domination plan may not have anything to do with housing people after all.

The italicized text is Frank’s own words.

The connection between Walmart and the government

So where do I start? I still work for Walmart, but I’m not sure for how much longer. I’ve been employed by them for 25+ years, but may not survive the next restructuring.

I have seen many things and have witnessed a clear connection between Walmart and the government. Remember after the tragedy of September eleventh all the Walmart TVs had the “if you see something say something” commercials playing 24-7. That’s an example of those connections I was talking about.

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

25 Prepping Excuses the SHTF Won’t Care About

March 28, 2019

25 Prepping Excuses the SHTF Won’t Care About

If disaster was a human named SHTF, it would be that person who takes delight in dropping by unannounced and seeing you at your worst: still in your PJs, out of coffee, and taken utterly by surprise.

The kind of person who takes advantage of your unpreparedness to ask to borrow the keys to your new car while you’re still in shock at his arrival. The kind of person who acts surprised that you’re surprised and makes you feel like 12 kinds of an idiot for being surprised. The kind of person you must always plan for like an unpleasant in-law, whether you want them to come by or not.

SHTF doesn’t generally drop by at the most convenient of times, nor does SHTF care about your prepping excuses. In fact, SHTF thrives and grows exponentially under more adverse circumstances.

25 Excuses That Won’t Matter When the SHTF

So, suck it up, put on your boots, and power through it – SHTF doesn’t care about your prepping excuses.

SHTF doesn’t care about inclement weather – snow, hail, tornadoes, pouring rain, and hurricanes all just add to the party atmosphere for SHTF.
SHTF doesn’t care that you sprained your ankle, broke your leg, or are otherwise less than ambulatory. If you have to bug out without a vehicle, you have to bug out, regardless of your injury status.
SHTF doesn’t care that you decided to start prepping after you take that trip to Disneyworld (because how can you do it before? That trip is expensive!!!!)
SHTF doesn’t care that you are on a boat in the middle of the ocean, regardless of what you paid for the luxury cruise. (Check out recent ill-fated Carnival Cruise of the Triumph or the Viking Sky if you don’t believe me!)

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

The Grim Reality of Survival Medicine in Austere Conditions

March 5, 2019

The Grim Reality of Survival Medicine in Austere Conditions

Several years ago, I wrote the following for a survival medicine book we had put together. I still think it provides a realistic view of the potential medical environment in a grid down or austere survival situation.

From a healthcare standpoint, a post-SHTF world looks quite grim.

“With no antibiotics, there would be no treatment for bacterial infections; pneumonia or a simple cut could kill again, contagious diseases (including those sexually transmitted) would make a comeback, and high mortality rates would be associated with any surgery. Poor hygiene and disrupted water supplies would lead to an increase in diseases such as typhoid and cholera.

Without vaccines, there would be a progressive return in infectious diseases such as polio, tetanus, whooping cough, diphtheria, mumps, etc. especially among children. People suffering from chronic illnesses such as asthma, diabetes, or epilepsy would be severely affected with many dying (especially insulin-dependent diabetics).

There would be no anesthetic agents resulting in a return to tortuous surgical procedures with the patient awake or if they were lucky, drunk or stoned. The same would apply to painkillers; a broken leg would be agony, and dying of cancer would be distressing for the patient and their family.

Without reliable oral contraceptives or condoms the pregnancy rate would rise and with it the maternal and neonatal death rates, women would die during pregnancy and delivery again, and premature babies would die. Women would still seek abortions, and without proper instruments or antibiotics death from septic abortion would be common again. In the absence of proper dental care, teeth would rot, and painful extractions would have to be performed. What limited medical supplies available would have to be recycled, resulting in increased risks of hepatitis and HIV infection.”

…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)

March 2, 2019

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.

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

4 Bad Ideas That Can Get You Killed When SHTF

December 27, 2018

4 Bad Ideas That Can Get You Killed When SHTF

In a survival situation, every decision you make is crucial. One wrong move can quickly cost you your life. If you want to survive when SHTF, you should avoid these four bad prepping ideas at all costs.

(h/t to BeansBulletsBandagesAndYou.com)

Drinking unfiltered or unpurified water

Just because the water looks clean doesn’t mean it isn’t clean. If you don’t have a reliable source of clean drinking water, you probably won’t last longer than three days. If you start drinking unclean water out of desperation, your chances of survival could dwindle even lower. Even drinking from clear mountain springs can potentially be harmful to your health, if you don’t filter or purify it first. You could expose yourself to all sorts of waterborne diseases and parasites that are invisible to the naked eye. SHTF will really happen if you have to deal with a serious bout of diarrhea on top of all your other problems. At the very least, you should always boil your water first before drinking it. It isn’t worth it to take your chances otherwise. (Related: Do you have a safe source of water for a SHTF situation? Top 5 water purification mistakes.)

Playing with fire

In order to boil your water, you must first learn how to build a fire. Campfires serve a number of uses, such as cooking and keeping you warm, but you must always be responsible for any fires that you start. If you don’t have the faintest idea of how to build a fire, then you shouldn’t try to build one in the first place. You should also first learn how to properly put out fires before making any attempts at starting them. In the right conditions, it can sometimes only take a few neglected embers to spark a raging wildfire.

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

Selco on the Riots in France, False News, and Manipulated Rage: “Every riot can be the start of SHTF”

December 5, 2018

Selco on the Riots in France, False News, and Manipulated Rage: “Every riot can be the start of SHTF”

Editor’s note: The riots in France have been all over the news and we’ve watched many beautiful, historic places being destroyed. While the whole thing supposedly started in reaction to an increase in fuel prices, it has turned into something far worse than simple protests. We in the US have long suspected that many of the riots here have been funded and that the rage has been manipulated. In this article, Selco shares his perspective and explained how riots helped start the Balkan War. ~ Daisy

Thanks to the situation that is deteriorating everywhere, I think we gonna be witnessing more and more events like the latest rioting in France. I think it is just the beginning.

For this article, it is not really important what was the reason of riots there. The point is that riots like that gonna probably happen “in your town” too eventually.

Why is that?

Without getting too deep into political and economical or any other reason why it might happen to you, two reasons can be pointed out.

The internet and social networks create waves.

The internet as a resource for independent news and opinions is a great thing, but also it may work in a different opposite way. It happens like this all the time so one fake news that is carefully packaged and spun can cause an illogical situation where you have full grown people getting together and involving themselves into something that is actually riot.

So as an end result you are out, together with people who are kicking a police officer or storming the local mall for big screen TVs because you were fueled and raged by something that you read or saw on the internet, something that might be completely false.

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

What Will YOU Be Like When the SHTF?

December 1, 2018

What Will YOU Be Like When the SHTF?

Did you ever wonder, deep down in that secret place where you question yourself, how you would behave in an all-out SHTF catastrophe? Would you take charge like some kind of superhero? Would you hide the entire time, terrified of being discovered? Would you actually be able to put into practice all the skills you’ve learned for all this time, just for that moment?

We can all guess how we’d respond, but until we’re in the situation, none of us actually knows what we’d be like when the SHTF. The one thing I learned from Selco’s newest compilation of stories is that there are many different ways to survive, and not all of them are noble or heroic. In horrific situations, people do what they must to live through it. Sometimes they do what they’ve wanted to do all along, and sometimes they accept their fate as the only alternative to death.

The following scenarios are taken from Selco’s new book, SHTF Survival Stories, Volume 2. If you read his book, SHTF Survival Stories, Volume 1, you’ll know that he doesn’t pull any punches when he tells you about the grim reality of a longterm survival situation and this book is no different.

People hide.

In one story, Selco talks about a person he knew who became a member of a gang to survive the SHTF. The man shared the fact that he never slept in the same place two nights in a row.

When we moved through the city, we learned quickly in those days, adapt or die. We saw many people die.

We always changed location, every day or night a different location. We lived on the move.

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

FORGET THE LISTS: Selco’s Guide to What You Should REALLY Store for Trade and Barter

November 30, 2018

FORGET THE LISTS: Selco’s Guide to What You Should REALLY Store for Trade and Barter

Selco’s Guide to What You Should REALLY Store for Trade and Barter

Discussions about trade and usage of trade are great because sooner or later when SHTF, you’ll find yourself in a situation to be involved in a trade.

Now this sentence above sounds great and you may think: “OK, let’s just store a whole bunch of items for trade”.

But what items?

Then you may look for info what is going to be missing once when SHTF and you may find out that (eventually) everything going to be gone and missing once when SHTF really bad.

So it is not about what is gonna be gone when SHTF when it comes to trade. It is much more about what makes sense to have stored for trade.

But since the whole trade topic got pretty much “hijacked” from the fiction industry, there are a lot of myths there, so let’s start from some common sense ideas first.

When you should trade during SHTF?

The answer is pretty weird and paradoxical.

The answer is that you should not trade, or you should avoid trade because the process is dangerous because it involves usually unknown people during a prolonged event where there is no law and order.

In a more serious event, it is one more level up in danger. It is an event where there is no law and order and there are clear signs that law and order are not coming back any time soon.

So, again you are involved in a process where you are holding valuable resources and showing them to another group of people in a time where there is no punishment from the system for the folks who want to shoot you because of those resources.

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

Why Understanding the Brutal Reality of the SHTF Could Save Your Life

November 16, 2018

Why Understanding the Brutal Reality of the SHTF Could Save Your Life

There’s something incredibly important for your survival that a lot of folks aren’t doing. I’ve written before about overriding your body’s natural urge to freeze in panic when something terrible happens, but there’s an additional step you must take. You need to know the horrible truth about the SHTF. The ugly, brutal truth.

Because as much as we stockpile, go to the shooting range and shoot stationary objects, can vegetables from our gardens, and raise chickens in our backyards, it only prepares us partially.

From my many interviews with guys like Selco and Jose, I know for a fact that an all-out collapse is a dirty, terrifying, and brutal matter of life and death every single day.

As much as we wish it was, the SHTF is not about you being in a bubble, peacefully working in your vegetable garden while the world goes to hell around you outside the bubble. The darkness can reach you wherever you are.

Why is it so important to know about the bad stuff?

Many of us try to insulate ourselves from the dark things going on in the world. I know that I stay away from social media beyond what is required for work because I’m sick of the arguing and the hatred. There are certain articles in the news I hesitate to read because I know they will haunt me. This is human nature – we avoid things that scare us, sicken us, and make us unhappy.

But there are some exceptions to this rule that you should make.

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

Tips For The Caffeinated: Coffee After The SHTF

September 1, 2018

Tips For The Caffeinated: Coffee After The SHTF

If you are anything like me, there’s nothing like that first sip of piping hot coffee in the crisp, cool, and silent morning mountain air, then you’ll understand the importance of making sure you’ve got your ‘cup of joe’ covered, even if the SHTF. Here are some tips and tricks to prepare for the worst, while still making sure you continue to enjoy the simple things in life – like your morning coffee.

Did you know that coffee restores mental alertness just seconds after you drink it? Although we’re primarily concerned here with it as a drink, caffeine, as well as ground coffee, is available in other forms, such as tablets and as an ingredient in a mixture. It takes a lot to overdose, and the lethal dose for an adult is 150 to 200 mg of caffeine per kg of body weight. To place this into perspective, if you weighed about 120 lbs., you would have to drink about 75 cups of coffee before you checked into the big Starbuck’s in the sky.

Coffee beans will last up to three years, but without electricity, or your handy Keurig, how will you prepare it? Well, plan for coffee after the apocalypse today so that should the worst-case scenario indeed come to pass (or even a far-from-worst-case-but-totally-normal hurricane, snowstorm, or blackout) you’ll be able to move into an electricity-free world with ease; at least when it comes to your coffee. There are many “off the grid” coffee makers, and those who often camp know a percolator can be invaluable. A percolator allows coffee to be made right over the campfire. The Yosemite percolator is an excellent choice, and it’s a bit heftier than the granite-colored ones we tend to think of from years past. Steer clear of vintage glass percolators simply because they just aren’t as practical and all that glass can be a tad nerve-wracking to deal with.

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

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