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You want both, obviously, but how much of each and why?

At first glance, gold and silver seem pretty fungible. They’re both hypnotically pretty. Their prices tend to rise and fall according to the same financial/political forces. They’re both seen as real money by a tiny (very wise) fraction of the population and as atavistic relics by the vast, ignorant majority. And – most important – they will both preserve their owners’ purchasing power when today’s fiat currencies evaporate like the fever dreams they always were.

So you definitely want some (and maybe a lot) of each. But gold and silver are not identical. They have different strengths and weaknesses in various “monetary reset” scenarios. And their prices don’t move in lockstep. Sometimes one is cheap relative to the other.

So how much of each should we own now, and how quickly should we plan to load up the truck? The answer is different for each person, but a few things are generally true.

The gold/silver ratio
The relative prices of gold and silver tend to fluctuate within a broad but discernable range. This gold/silver ratio is expressed as the number of ounces of silver it takes to buy an ounce of gold and tends to rise and fall along with the emotional state of precious metals investors. When those investors don’t foresee imminent inflation or other monetary disruptions, they gravitate towards gold’s safety and stability, and shy away from silver’s volatility. Gold’s price rises relative to silver’s, producing a high gold/silver ratio.

When investors expect rising inflation or other kinds of currency instability, they buy precious metals generally, but gravitate towards silver’s greater upside potential. Gold and silver both rise but the gold/silver ratio falls as buyers push silver’s price up more quickly than gold’s.

…click on the above link to read the rest…

This Medical Issue Could Exponentially Increase in a SHTF Event

December 19, 2021

This Medical Issue Could Exponentially Increase in a SHTF Event

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.

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…

SELCO: Someone WILL Enforce the New Rules When the SHTF…And You Probably WON’T Like How They Do It

August 15, 2020

SELCO: Someone WILL Enforce the New Rules When the SHTF…And You Probably WON’T Like How They Do It

Words are important, to be sure that we are talking about the same things and situations. We need them so that we can somehow “categorize” things.

Why?

Because we are living in a world where we want to have reasons and “boxes” where we can put all those reasons for everything. We want to then file away the actions that we are going to take because of those reasons.

We want everything to make sense because it is easier to work in a situation where everything has sense and reason, and where there is a clear and clean solution to everything. Not to mention we want to live in a world in which we want to make a stand – a hard stand – because we live by norms and rules that most people think are written in the stone.

It will not work in that way.

Not in a real and serious SHTF.

Right here I want to make a point that I do not classify myself as ‘better than the average prepper’ in anyway, because I do not live with such a strong need for reasoning and structures, I do not have a higher quality of daily life because of this,

BUT…

I do feel better prepared for serious situations because I do not ‘need’ to always have structures and clear reasoning for my actions. This enables me to decide and act more impulsively and intuitively because I do not need to engage in a lengthy or detailed ‘reasoning’ process.

WROL vs DROL…where to start?

WROL is a word that most people imagine describes something like complete anarchy, absence of rules, law, and everything that makes up a society. Does this mean a society where human rights are absent, dictatorship rules, no freedom at all. Is that WROL?

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

Tips on building pocket survival kits

August 9, 2020

Tips on building pocket survival kits

(Natural News) A bug-out bag (BOB) lets you carry all the items you’ll need to survive for 72 hours after SHTF. But if you’re looking for something lighter or if you need a backup plan, try making pocket survival kits (PSKs) to cover basic needs like self-defense, first-aid and signaling. (h/t to Survivopedia.com)

Escape and self-defense PSK

The items in this PSK can help you escape a survival situation:

Diamond rotary cutoff tool – This item is easy to hide because it’s small and flat. Use a diamond rotary cutoff tool to shape bobby pins, hair clips or metal scraps into tools.
Lock jigglers – When trapped or kidnapped, use lock jigglers and a fleet key or two to escape on a commandeered vehicle.
Norseman SNAP card knife – This small but versatile knife can be used for shelter building, firestarting, finding food and food prep. It’s also compact enough to fit in a small PSK.
Oleoresin capsicum (OC) powder – This irritant is the active ingredient that makes chili peppers spicy. In concentrated powder form, OC is the irritant used in pepper spray. Use a small vial of OC powder to contaminate your scent tracks if you’re being followed.
Petroleum jelly – Use petroleum jelly to slip off handcuffs or other restraints.
Restraint escape tool – While the other items should be stored in your PSK, it’s best to hide a restraint escape tool somewhere else on your person so you can easily find it if you’re capture by an enemy. Secure your chosen tool and hide it inside your sock or the lining of your jacket while traveling.
Safety pins – Use safety pins to open flex cuffs or hide smaller tools under your clothing.

…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…

Here’s What 75 Preppers Learned During the Lockdown

July 10, 2020

Here’s What 75 Preppers Learned During the Lockdown

The lockdown that recently took place due to the pandemic was like a practice run for a bigger SHTF event. Many of our prepper theories played out and were accurate, while others weren’t as realistic as we thought beforehand.

People who weren’t preppers already learned a lot about why they would want to be better prepared in the future, but they weren’t the only ones who learned lessons. These preppers took a moment to answer questions about the lessons they learned during the lockdown. (Here’s an article about the things I learned.)

What did you learn about preparedness during the lockdown?

Trisha…

I learned two main things. First, I was very surprised at how strongly the isolation hit me. I am a person who is “energized” by interacting with other people. I knew that already, but I was shocked at how MUCH it affected me. Second, I got a taste of normalcy bias. I kept trying to see ways in which our situation was still “Normal”. As a school teacher of little ones for thirty years, I was pretty much used to switching into action immediately to deal with a crisis and putting my feelings on the back burner. So, I was shocked that it took me a couple of months to “accept” the changes in our lives and start looking for creative ways to make life work and meet our needs.

Maria…

I learned it is so important to pay attention to what’s going on and stay ahead of the crowd. My husband and I were able to stock up two weeks before everyone else panicked. I also learned my plan of being stocked up and shopping only for replacements is a great system.

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

Crazy long food lines across America reveal the total LACK of preparedness that now characterizes our just-in-time society

April 14, 2020

Crazy long food lines across America reveal the total LACK of preparedness that now characterizes our just-in-time society

(Natural News) As the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to spread across the United States, sickening and killing tens of thousands, other problems are just beginning, including food shortages.

As reported by The Sun, the U.S. now has more recorded COVID deaths than any other country in the world, though there are doubts even among U.S. intelligence agencies that China has been completely transparent and up-front in reporting its true number of cases and deaths.

That said, as the virus spread and governors ordered non-essential businesses closed to help contain the spread, newly out-of-work Americans, by the millions, are already beginning to suffer basic shortages of food.

The news site reports:

The shocking statistics come as the need for emergency food aid has exploded in recent weeks due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Nearly 100 per cent of food banks in the Feeding America network are serving more neighbors in need during the Covid-19 pandemic. Yet nearly 60 per cent are facing reduced inventory levels amidst rising demand,” according to a survey by Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief and food rescue organization.

Meanwhile, organizations are having difficulty replenishing their food stocks and keeping food on hand for the growing numbers of needy, many of whom line up for hours in cities like San Antonio, Texas, and elsewhere waiting for assistance.

The survey noted further that the current number of people needing food assistance has surpassed the 37 million who faced hunger in the country last year.

It added that “since establishing the COVID-19 Response Fund on March 13, Feeding America has distributed $112.4 million and over 94 million pounds to food banks throughout the network, helping provide nearly 79 million meals to neighbors facing hunger.”

If this doesn’t prove to you why aspects of “prepping” are vital, nothing will.

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

The S*** Is Actually Hitting the Fan But Somehow It Doesn’t Feel Real

March 15, 2020

The S*** Is Actually Hitting the Fan But Somehow It Doesn’t Feel Real

So here we are. Right on the cusp of that SHTF event that we’ve been prepping for all these years.

A global pandemic.

A breakdown in the supply chain.

Shoppers who are already becoming agitated and even violent.

We’re watching it all unfold in our hometowns and across our nation right now.

Yet, somehow, it still doesn’t feel real to me. Is it just me who finds this hard to fathom? Am I the only one who still thinks doubtful thoughts? Like “No way. It’s going to be okay. You’re overreacting. It’s a little scare, just like Ebola and MERS and SARS.”

I’ve researched and written about this stuff for years. I always knew it could happen. I was whole-heartedly convinced of these possibilities and yet when this situation began to move irrevocably toward disaster, I find myself, somehow, shocked.

I can’t be the only one who has prepared for this yet still feels stuck in normalcy bias, thinking “this isn’t going to get as bad as you think” even as I watch the events unfold around us pretty much like we in the survival community always predicted. There’s still that doubtful voice in my head, making me wonder about spending even more money on another “last” shopping trip.

Heck, maybe this makes me a bad prepper. A fake survivalist. A fraud.

Or maybe it’s only natural to think that life will keep moving on pretty much like it always has.

Will Covid-19 really be the thing that brings us down? Will the nation devolve into chaos? I’d like to say no with firm conviction. After all, there have been close calls before. But the rational part of me won’t allow that firm conviction, despite the part that says, don’t be silly, everything will be just fine after a brief blip.

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

It Could Never Happen Here: Many People Won’t Consider the Grim Reality of Long-term Survival

September 22, 2019

It Could Never Happen Here: Many People Won’t Consider the Grim Reality of Long-term Survival

How dark are you willing to go in your preparedness efforts?

If you’re like a lot of people, there’s only a certain level of SHTF that you are willing to imagine. And that means you aren’t going to be prepared for it if things get worse than the level you can envision.

If you’re reading this, you’re probably a prepper or have some SHTF awareness. Maybe you’re participating in my National Preparedness Month Daily Challenge. If not, it is a series of small challenges – mostly thought exercises – to help people get better prepared by taking a step every day.

The challenge has been really popular, both on the website and over on the forum. Except for this one day when I took things to a darker place.

The question many people didn’t want to answer

On Day 15, I asked people how they could acquire food if they’d run through all their preps and still we had no grocery system in place. This challenge was loaded with excellent answers from people who really knew about the bounty they had outside their backdoor.

But then on Day 16, I asked people to take it one step further.

Today’s challenge is inspired by the course that I took in Croatia with Selco and Toby.
Yesterday, I asked you what food you could find nearby if the situation had devolved to the point that you’d gone through all your stored food.
Now, if the situation has devolved that far, you have to also imagine that there is no Rule of Law. It’s the Wild West. Everyone is a threat.
As Selco said to us, “You think this is hard? Now do it while everyone is trying to kill you.”

…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…

Prepping: The Only Way to be Ready for Anything is to be Ready for Anything

May 12, 2019

Prepping: The Only Way to be Ready for Anything is to be Ready for Anything

Most of the time, no one actually expects the S to HTF on that particular day.

Most folks don’t go through their lives expecting one specific disastrous event to occur, and then have it unfold according to a predetermined script.

Several years ago, I didn’t get up in the morning expecting some jerk to get mad at his girlfriend, light a tree in her yard on fire, and set off a 100,000-acre forest fire. But he did.

People don’t go to work, expecting to sit down at their desks and grab another cup of coffee, only to find the company filed bankruptcy at midnight the night before. But it happens.

The folks in West Virginia didn’t expect that a container would leak deadly chemicals into the municipal water supply. But it did.

Residents of Haiti weren’t expecting it the day an earthquake leveled most of the homes on the island. But they still found themselves homeless.

Some disasters we can expect. If we live on the coast and there’s a hurricane warning, we know that we either need to evacuate or batten down the hatches and ride out the storm. We are usually aware if war is brewing. Often, we suspect we’re on thin ice in the workplace long before the pink slip arrives on our desk.

But most disasters are a complete surprise, either in their suddenness or an unexpected intensity. We can’t prep specifically for every single eventuality, but that doesn’t mean we must face challenges unprepared. By combining adaptability with general preparation, we can be ready for whatever life throws our way.

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

Which SHTF situation is most likely to actually happen?

May 5, 2019

Which SHTF situation is most likely to actually happen?

(Natural News) The prepping lifestyle can be overwhelming for most people but at its core, preppers prioritize readiness in all aspects of their lives. But amid all the talk about prepping skills, survival gear, and food supplies, how do you know which disaster event has the highest chance of occurring within your lifetime? (h/t to TheSurvivalistBlog.net)

How to prepare for possible SHTF events

For this article, an “SHTF” event is defined as “any event that upends your life” after it occurs, such as flooding in a major city. These events would be classified as major disasters or catastrophes, not personal emergencies.

On the extreme end of prepping are those who will do whatever it takes to get ready for apocalyptic events like EMP attacks or nuclear world war. However, more realistic preppers are concerned about events that may likely occur in their lifetimes, such as hurricanes or tornadoes.

No matter where you land on the prepping scale of SHTF-readiness, the important thing is to get ready for disasters that happen yearly worldwide.

Take note that the events detailed below are more or less likely to occur depending on your location. According to the U.N.’s Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), the single most likely natural disaster to occur anywhere in the world is flooding.

Flood preparedness

Rising water is “the most likely disaster to befall you anywhere in the developed world,” with about 30 percent of all disasters categorized as flooding. This coincides with data gathered by U.S.-based disaster response agencies and insurers.

Regardless of what causes flooding, it is a deadly and destructive event that occurs yearly. In most cases, a local major body of water will overrun its banks due to several days of heavy rain. However, other factors like dam failure, ice or snow melting, or tsunamis can also create severe flooding.

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

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