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 This is an interesting Prepping Mindset 
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Post This is an interesting Prepping Mindset
This site has some very interesting stuff - albeit some a little dorky, but I have learnt a few cool tips here.... Go have a look.

Credit to M.D. Creekmore


http://www.thesurvivalistblog.net/2010/09/be-the-change.html?


Be The Change

by Scott in the Midwest

Do the following simple things with those you care about, and I firmly believe it will bring you more happiness and more benefit than any single “prep” activity you can do on your own:
Be open with them about your feelings on being independent and prepared for any future events.
Find activities to do with them on a regular basis that incorporate your mindset into their lives.
I worked in marketing for more than 10 years, and I know that the most powerful motivator is not telling people to try something, but by having them actively experience it themselves. That is why there are so many “try it risk-free” and “90-day money back guarantee” offers out there. The companies offering them know that if they can get you to just sample their offering, there is a great possibility that you will choose to buy the product or service.
Let’s take the same approach that has been profitable for so many companies and apply it to expanding the number of people in our lives that can develop a survivalist attitude. I feel very fortunate to have been born with an independent nature and good planning skills, but sometimes I get concerned that others don’t see the same looming problems in our society as I do. No matter how much I prep, it won’t be satisfying if I survive a crisis, only to see my brothers, their spouses and children, and my parents and friends suffer, especially when I could be doing things right now to get them familiar with being more self-sufficient.
However, I feel that there is a “prepper inside of all of us.” Most people just need to be introduced to it in a casual, non-threatening way, rather than be told that the end of the world is soon approaching.
Some things I do with family/friends to introduce them to my prepping:
-One Sunday each month, I visit my parents and can vegetables with them, using the old canning equipment and jars that, until recently, were gathering dust in their garage. It’s a good way to pass the time during a visit and they keep the finished product in their basement. It gives me piece of mind to know that they have a growing inventory of food at their home, particularly now as they are entering their 70s and are slowing down.
-I have a niece and a nephew, both under the age of 10. Every few months, we sort through the loose change I collect, keeping all nickels and any pennies minted prior to 1982 for their high content of copper. It’s fun for them to lie on the floor and sort through all the pieces of money, and they are becoming aware that some coins remain valuable over time because of their content. For further emphasis, I purchase a United States Silver Eagle for each of them on their birthday and at Christmas.
Occasionally, I visit one of the local coin stores and make small purchases of pre-1965 U.S. coins. If my brothers and I are getting together that day, I arrange it that I pick them up, so they will come into the coin store with me. They now know what “junk silver” means, and how it is different from coins being minted today, which is something that they were totally unaware of just 12 months ago.
For friends and co-workers, I loan them books on prepping from my personal collection, all of which I have purchased secondhand from garage sales, local bookstores or online. I also forward them links to information on the Internet (like this blog) that I find extremely helpful.
For the most part, I have found people to be at least somewhat interested in why I think the way that I do and how it motivates me to prep on a regular basis. Sometimes, however, people immediately assume that I have some sort of radical political ideas (my planning has nothing to do with any politics), or that I am not as much of a “patriot” to this country as I should be. If I really wanted to start an argument, I would explain to them that our country was founded by men and women who believed in being self-sufficient, and not being dependent on energy and financing from other countries. Instead, I just smile and calmly re-assure them that I don’t wish anything bad to ever happen to any of us; I just want to be in control of daily necessities as much as possible and be healthy and able to lend a hand should a crisis ever develop.
To those people who openly doubt the wisdom of prepping and being self-sufficient, I offer the following suggestion, one that does not cost anything: take one item that you spend money that is not vital to your survival (most of us have at least one thing), and go for a period of time, like one month, or 100 days, without buying that item. You don’t have to tell anyone about this, in case you are worried about failing and what others may think. Just try it, holding you accountable. At the end of the allotted time, you will feel a sense of accomplishment and empowerment, that you have greater control over your actions, your destiny, and your future than you may have ever thought.
That feeling is why I do the prepping that I do.
These are a just a few of the things that I do and share with other people. I am certain that you can come up with simple, low-budget activities that best suit your circle of family, friends and even strangers. The hardest thing I find sometimes is to keep perspective and remain patient. Those of us who frequent this blog and others like it take so much of our understanding on the importance of prepping and survivalism for granted.
However, in terms of numbers in our society, what are we, 1 in 100? 1 in 1,000? 1 in 10,000? Now, I am certainly not in favor of disclosing your bug-out location to anyone or promoting how much food, water or precious metals you may stored; but, think about how much more confident we would feel about a post-crisis situation if many more people were made aware before the fact, and started to develop a similar mindset and stockpiling of materials, no matter how small at first.

As Mahatma Gandhi said, “Be the change that you want to see in the world.”


:agree

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Sat Oct 02, 2010 2:48 am
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Post Re: This is an interesting Prepping Mindset
And here is another interesting story to help those sitting on the fence for starting their own prep activities...


http://www.thesurvivalistblog.net/2010/07/why-do-you-prep.html


Why Do You Prep?


by Twister

Prepping. That is a word I never got a chance to really put my attention into. But for the past couple of years, prepping has been circling the back of my mind every day, every hour, every minute…

There were two moments that grab my attention and make my move my butt and start prepping.

August 30, 2005. The images of a flooded New Orleans still linger in my head. It was surreal…

Then my friend David who works with the USCG came back from New Orleans. He was there to help with the Hurricane Katrina rescue efforts. The first thing he told me when he came back was: “Go and get an AR15 or an AK47.

While patrolling canals (as the streets were all filled with water) trying to rescue people we were received by bullets instead of open arms. As night falls all you heard was gunfire all across the city.

The chaos was so great that there is no way that we neither any Government Agency could help everyone. Instead everyone should have prepared by themselves for the worst case scenario…I have never seen anything quite like this…” So I went and got myself a rifle for home defense in case TSHTF, but that was it.

The second moment came when in January 12, 2010 the Haiti Earthquake hit. As soon as the images of the aftermath started to flood the media channels, I started getting my guns and ammo in order with the necessary gadgets and sufficient ammo to live if such situation ever comes my way.

I started to read web blogs about urban survival and the term TEOTWAWKI came to light. It became obvious that guns and ammo won’t help get thru 6 months without any food, water, medical supplies and fuel.

About three weeks after the earthquake my first holster tactical holster arrived home. After that some extra weapons for home defense and for extra guns for the members of my family to defend themselves, along with extra ammo, and other camping gadgets such as axe, survival knifes machetes, etc.

It’s been almost 5 months since the disaster in Haiti and life in there has gone from a poor country nation to a hell hole on Earth. I personally have friends from Haiti and the situation does not look good over there.

That’s when I realized that I needed to prepare myself to get thru in case something happens in my area. So, instead of going out and buy whatever might help me get by in case of any situation WTSHTF ( another acronym from survival websites), I have started to read a lot and little by little started plan my own plan.

I am currently teaching my family what to do in case of earthquake or social disturbance and where to meet, etc. codes on how to communicate in case there is an intruder in the house, etc.

Also, being ready at all times so you are not caught off guard. That means never let the fuel tank on our vehicles go below 3/4 tank. Have our water reserve tank ready and our diesel generator checked every week.

Right now I am in the process of starting to get some tools I still do not own, also storing food such as grains, rice, beans in proper quantities and do the proper storage.

Also looking for collecting rainfall in water tanks, prepping the house with some solar panel and windmills so the generator is used in emergency cases only.

Medical supplies and vehicle (motorcycle) and extra fuel tank for my generator are on the list. Since I live in an area susceptible to hurricanes it is a great effort just to be ready for one of them in case one hits this season.

Snip

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Sat Oct 02, 2010 2:56 am
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Post Re: This is an interesting Prepping Mindset
Hmmm... another interesting POV:


5 Reasons You Might Fail As A Survivalist

August 15th, 2010 by M.D. Creekmore in Life & Mindset


#1 – You Lack The Support of Your Spouse.
We’ve covered this here and here and it is a big deal. Without support from your spouse and family it’s difficult to stay focused and to make matters worse some will be down right hostile toward the idea. Survivors who fail to get family support, usually give up on the idea of prepping altogether.

Or if you’re like me, give up on the relationship. Some people simply aren’t compatible no matter how hard they try to “make it work” it doesn’t. This was one of the reasons for my divorce.

We had nothing in common each of us seeing the world very differently. If you’ve tried everything and it still isn’t working perhaps you should consider that alternative.

#2 – You don’t really believe a collapse will happen.
Surprisingly, many calling themselves preppers or survivalist’s don’t think a collapse will really ever happen. They look at survivalism as a hobby or an excuse to buy guns or build that super-duper bug out vehicle with camo paint job, run-flat tires and machine-gun port in back.

They prep because they think it is cool but will ultimately fail, because of a lack of motivation, skill, planning or means of sustainable self-reliance.

#3 – You fail to execute.
OK, this sounds obvious. Surely we all know that we have to take action to get somewhere.. You can read all the survival blogs and books seeking advice and knowledge, but Knowing is not enough. Having ability is not enough. You have to take action with what you learn.

Thinking about it doesn’t get it done, you have to execute, even when it is uncomfortable.

#4 – You have no plan.
Without a well thought out plan (just don’t plan so much that you never take action) you get nothing done. You run around, like a chicken with its head cut off, you make a lot of noise and stir up dust but accomplish nothing for your effort.

First you need to look at your location, skills, current supplies and threats then mind map solutions. Make a list of thing you need and things you need to do and do it.

#5 – You try to do it all at once.
When you actually sit down and start making a list, you will probably end up with a long list. Decide what is most important to your survival and move these items to the top of your list. These are the goals to start working on first.

Keep your list of the remaining goals to get back to later. Trying to do too much at the same time can be self-defeating.

Snip


http://www.thesurvivalistblog.net/2010/08/5-reasons-fail-survivalist.html


I posted this as I can assure you just about everyone has an option to fail on one of these points! That includes me, having doen this for a number of years already. Thank you to MD!


:oops :agree

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Sat Oct 02, 2010 3:12 am
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Post Re: This is an interesting Prepping Mindset
I am posting this here as I have learnt from this and I think it begs contemplation if you are serious about survival...

Thanks again to MD!


Six Reasons Why You Won’t Survive


http://www.thesurvivalistblog.net/2010/01/six-reasons-why-you-wont-survive.html

January 4th, 2010 by M.D. Creekmore in This 'n That


1. Overconfidence – The overconfidence effect is a bias in which someone’s subjective confidence in their judgments and abilities is greater that their actual skill set or knowledge.

Never assume you know everything or even enough. We can always learn and expand our knowledge base. I learn new things and contemplate fresh ideas all the time, the guy or gal thinking they know all there is to know will likely be the first one in the stew-pot.

2. Procrastination – I covered procrastination in a previous post “How To Stop Procrastinating and Start Prepping”. Procrastination, the habit of putting things off to the last possible minute, can get you killed. In a true collapse situation you may not have time to run to the corner grocery to stock up.

Everyone will try that. The lines will be long, dangerous and best avoided. It’s better to get off your butt and get it done now. A lot of people fear stocking up on survival foods and never needing to use what they bought, eventually there stocks go bad and they waste money.

This is nonsense. You will always need to eat, so the solution is simple eat what you store and replace. First in – first out. Repeat. This way you never spend more money than you normally would. All your doing is buying what you already need in advance.

3. Inefficient use of resources -This is another big mistake often made by preppers. Wasting money (resources) on things of lesser importance, while neglecting the stuff needed to survive.

I see this all the time. You know what I’m talking about – the “survivor” who spends $10,000 on weapons and related gear, yet has a two week supply of survival food and no water filter.

This is stupid. I love guns and gear as much as the next guy – but I know eating and drinking are more important to survival. Sure we need weapons to protect what we’ve put away, just don’t neglect the other stuff.

A Lee-Enfield or Mosin Nagant will stop a raider as sure as the most expensive tactical weapons system. The key is skill and a willingness to squeeze the trigger. An expensive armament will not make up for lack of skill or proper mind set. :huh

[Personal comment: Personal decision, and I have made this one, even if only to be able to protect what is near and dear from a bad situation. This is not saying we will not share when the time comes. But what will you do if life and limb are threatened? - Sky]


4. Failure to actThis one ties in with procrastination and indecision and many of us suffer from it. Not only will it interfere with your survival plans it can stop you from planning at all. Look at your situation, form a plan (write it down) and do it. No excuses.

5. Lack of persistence – Most people start their survival preps with the utmost determination and desire to get things done – but they stop when they run into the first obstacle. They lack persistence.

Most things aren’t easy, if you give up before completing your goal, you will never get anything done. Quitters never succeed. Set realistic preparedness goals (write them down) and work through it until completion.

In case you missed it, the key word is realistic, never set goals that are impossible to reach. Most of us can’t afford the retreat in Idaho, $20,000 survival gun collection, hummer, concrete bunker and ten year supple of mountain house freeze-dried foods.

I’m sure many who read such advice give up before they even start. Some survival blogs just don’t get it. They can’t identify with the common, struggling to make ends meet individual in the trenches. They are blinded by their wealth to the point of being nearly worthless to the needs of common folk. Set realistic goals, not pie in the sky dreams. Write it down and work at it until it is a reality.

6. Divided actions – Many preppers run around like the chicken with its head cut off. Their actions are divided, to the point where they never get anything done.

A can of spam here, a box of ammo there, maybe work on a bug out bag – but they never meet their goals or get anything done. You know who I’m talking about…

Take a look at your personal situation and decide what is the most important concideration for your survival. Again make a list. List the most important to the most trivial. Work down the list in descending order until your goals are completed.

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Sat Oct 02, 2010 4:52 am
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Post Re: This is an interesting Prepping Mindset
Ok - this is another cool review of survival which I think helps ...


Survival Planning For Smart People

May 25th, 2010 by M.D. Creekmore


http://www.thesurvivalistblog.net/2010/05/survival-tips.html


Have you ever heard this expression? “If you fail to plan then you plan to fail.”

Planning is one of the most essential elements of any effective strategy. The art and science of survival planning involves strategically stockpiling gear, learning skills and using what you’ve learned, testing your abilities to see what works under real world conditions.

But where do you start? What do you need? What skills do you need to learn? And perhaps most importantly where will you find the money? After all, none of this stuff is free and no one is going to give it to you.

Making matters worse, without a plan your efforts often become scattered and less focused and you end up wasting a lot of time and money-getting no where. People often fail to reach their goals because they never had a specific plan.

You need a plan, actually write it down so you don’t forget – as each item is completed check it off the list and move on to the next. This is smart survival planning that’ll help you to save time, stay focused and avoid wasted resources.

Before you start writing your plan, you need to ask yourself - are my goals realistic? Unrealistic survival goals in my opinion are worse than no goals at all. Unobtainable goals will eventually cause you to give up on your preps altogether.

Budget will dictate the depth and content of your plan, setting goals without considering budget is a recipe for failure.

A paid for retreat in Idaho, complete with a ten-year supply of freeze-dried food, twenty thousand dollar gun collection, indoor shooting range, bomb shelter, escape tunnel, electrified fence topped with razor wire and camo painted hummer in the drive all on one hundred acres of prime ranch land, would be great.

If you can afford it without debt, then by all means – go for it.

But for most of us this is an unreachable goal and you’ll have to settle for less. I know it hurts – reality often does. Fortunately this doesn’t mean you can’t prepare or that you have to be less prepared than the big spender.

My complete set-up including land, trailer, storage foods, water filters, weapons ect, cost me less than $12,000 and I think have just as good a chance at survival as the big spender. It can be done you just need to think outside the box.

Smart survival planning should take into account individual needs, location and perceived threats.

In the desert fresh water would probably be your number one concern, while the survivor in Alaska would be more concerned with cold weather, for example. Think about your location, needs and plan accordingly.

The last factor in survival planning is time. You have to determine both how much time you have to meet your goals and also how much time is needed to reach those goals, working within that time line.

Remember too that your goals will change as time goes on. Adjust them regularly to reflect growth in your knowledge and experience. For example say you initially plan for a family of four, only to learn six months later that you have a new-born on the way. Be flexible.

Key Points

• You need a plan – write it down.
• Set realistic goals.
• Plan within your budget.
• Consider your personal survival needs.
• How much time is needed to reach your preparedness goals
• Survival plans aren’t set in stone

If you don’t already set preparedness goals, do so, starting now. You’ll get more done, save money and be better prepared. Isn’t that the ultimate goal?

Snip

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Sat Oct 02, 2010 5:13 am
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Post Re: This is an interesting Prepping Mindset
Great thread Sky :clap :clap :clap :clap

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Sun Oct 03, 2010 8:15 pm
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Post Re: This is an interesting Prepping Mindset
Thanks L2L.

Was not sure if I should post more as it can appear a bit negative if you're not into this stuff, and therefore I was not sure how it would go down? It is educational though if you're un-initated, so I might list more bits that help when I find them.

What do you think?

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Mon Oct 04, 2010 2:11 am
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Post Re: This is an interesting Prepping Mindset
That's fine with me, like everything else around here it's reader be ware so go for it...

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Post Re: This is an interesting Prepping Mindset
I love it, too, Sky! Post away! :clap

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Mon Oct 04, 2010 6:24 am
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Post Re: This is an interesting Prepping Mindset
Again a submitted piece by a contributor to the Suvivalist Blog and maybe a skewed view on causes, but never the less a sobering perspective for the US. I would have stretched this opinion world wide with added risks from the Sun, a meteor strike and climate change.

Anyway - any opinions?


The Most Probable Ending
Posted: 05 Oct 2010 04:45 AM PDT
End Of The World Predictions: The Most Probable Ending Non-fiction Writing Contest Submission by Chris F

http://www.thesurvivalistblog.net/opinion/end-of-the-world-predictions


Everyone reading this blog is preparing for “the end” in some way large or small. But, I seldom see any mention of what the end of the world as we know it looks like when it is headed for us. We’ve all got that feeling in our bones that something wicked this way comes. I’d like to tell you a few possibilities of what that wickedness may be. These are all 85/15 scenarios.
The US, if totally isolated, is capable of sustaining about 15 percent of its current population over the long-term. Part of the 15 percent survivors read this blog. Pretty much anyone that has done some basic preparation and garnered some rudimentary survival knowledge is going to survive. It won’t take much for the sheep to get themselves slaughtered. Here is how it could happen…

Social Collapse

This is an easy one to understand. Simply put, the US falls into complete chaos. The first thing that is likely to happen is hyperinflation. Prices will double and triple on basic necessities in a very short time. People will become too poor, even with excellent jobs, to afford to live. The government may try to impose price controls so goods become affordable, but that will lead to shortages.

Eventually, state governments will go bankrupt and the locally elected officials will find themselves both on their own and at the mercy of the federal government all at once. If too many state governments fail, the resources of the federal government will become too thinly spread and the federal government itself will begin to collapse.
Police, firefighters and the military will stop getting paychecks. That is the number one giant screaming warning sign. Anyone not getting a paycheck is going to stop going to work. Without police and emergency services or maybe even the military, the streets will belong to gangs of all sorts and it will be dangerous to step outside or your home. At this point, you’ll be in fighting to be part of the 15 percent.

War on US Soil

There is always the possibility of war. Something that frightens me personally is China. There are approximately 200 MILLION more men than women in China. That much of a disparity causes very difficult conditions. Polygamy is not generally known in China, so there is little possibility of introducing shared wives, as is done in other parts of the world.
Having an extra 200 million men hanging around is very dangerous to the social order. China does some cruel things to try to ease the imbalance. Many, many men are killed outright as criminals. More are killed through unsafe working conditions in mines or construction projects. The military makes exercises of all sorts extra dangerous.

But, 200 million is too big of a number for the government to surreptitiously kill off without other social repercussions. The easiest way to get rid of that many extra men is to start a war. A very bloody war. The total population of the US is just north of 300 million. That includes men, women, children and even illegal aliens.
If China were to attack the US, the illegal aliens would run for home and drop our population by 20 million. That would leave the rest of us to fight – and it would likely take every man, woman and child to repel an invasion force of that size. Even after we’d fought off the initial wave of men, they would send more…and more and more and more.
The point wouldn’t be to win the war, it would be to cull the herd, so it wouldn’t matter how many casualties they took. They would most likely attempt to invert the disparity of the sexes and actually send in as many as 400 million men. The war would rage across this continent and probably pull in Mexico and Canada and possibly a few European countries as well. It would be long, bloody, total war and our country will be ravaged by the end of it, no matter the winner.

Electromagnetic Pulse

Electromagnetic Pulse, or EMP, is probably the most frightening scenario – primarily because it is also the most likely. A single nuclear bomb, set off high in the atmosphere, directly over the dead center of the US, would send out a pulse of electricity when it exploded. Through a fluke of the physics or our atmosphere, the pulse would actually multiply in strength as it expanded out from the blast and down towards the ground.

It would eventually knock out every electronic device in the US, including the entire electrical grid. No one would have power. Even at the margins, in southern FL or up in Alaska, there would likely be a huge surge through the intertwined electrical system that blew the power stations. Planes, trains, trucks and automobiles would all be at a standstill – right where they were at that moment. The entire US and large portions of Canada and Mexico would go dark.
The warning signs are easy to spot. The electricity goes out at the same time your cell phone and watch stop working and then your car doesn’t start – or anyone else’s car. If you see that everything with electronic pieces and parts simply stops working all at once, it isn’t a coincidence. Most likely, a few terrorists got their hands on a fair-sized missile with a nuclear warhead that they launched from a container ship in the Gulf of Mexico. It wouldn’t be hard for them to do and there would be no way to stop it, because it would all happen in the span of about 15 minutes – from launch to darkness.

Food wouldn’t be delivered. Water wouldn’t be purified. Heating and air conditioning wouldn’t work. Freezers would thaw. If this were to happen, there would be a series of die-offs of the population. The first would be the immediate deaths – people in air planes, people in-car wrecks, people with pace-makers, people in hospitals.

That first wave would continue for about a week, with anyone that was sick or injured or bed bound dying of thirst or starvation or the chaos that would likely occur. The second wave would also be medically related as medicines would begin to run out. Anyone dependent on medication for their health, such as diabetics, would die as their medicine ran out – generally within three months.

The third would be downed by disease. Without proper sanitation, many heretofore eradicated diseases would make a strong come back and kill large swaths of the population. The final die-off would be from starvation as the food ran out and people couldn’t find anything to eat. In between these die-offs, there would be a constant stream of sickness, injury, localized wars, roving gangs and all other manner of causes of death.
Eventually, overseas military would return and try to establish order. But the US would be a very different place after that…and we’d once again have wide open spaces to grow and prosper on our own. We wouldn’t just be set back to before the advent of electricity. It would be much worse than that because most people don’t know how to survive in a non-modern age.

They don’t know how to grow food, herd livestock, hunt, fish or trap. They can’t make fabric for clothes. They don’t even have the tools to do things purely by hand, without the aid of electric motors. Except, of course, people who read this blog and others like it. We’ll be part of the 15 percent that survives. Good luck.

What do you think – what is “The Most Probable Ending?”

End


:?:

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Wed Oct 06, 2010 3:20 am
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Post Re: This is an interesting Prepping Mindset
I think senario #1 is the most plausible one IMHO of course...

The second one certainly is plausible but I hope not likely :scared

The third is an un-known at this point but a very scary one to ponder indeed..

What is the link to this blog sky

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Post Re: This is an interesting Prepping Mindset
Quote:
Social Collapse

This is an easy one to understand. Simply put, the US falls into complete chaos. The first thing that is likely to happen is hyperinflation. Prices will double and triple on basic necessities in a very short time. People will become too poor, even with excellent jobs, to afford to live. The government may try to impose price controls so goods become affordable, but that will lead to shortages.

Eventually, state governments will go bankrupt and the locally elected officials will find themselves both on their own and at the mercy of the federal government all at once. If too many state governments fail, the resources of the federal government will become too thinly spread and the federal government itself will begin to collapse.
Police, firefighters and the military will stop getting paychecks. That is the number one giant screaming warning sign. Anyone not getting a paycheck is going to stop going to work. Without police and emergency services or maybe even the military, the streets will belong to gangs of all sorts and it will be dangerous to step outside or your home. At this point, you’ll be in fighting to be part of the 15 percent.


Yep, I think this is the more plausible scenario, however, the writer does not address the cause of the social collapse.

I don't think a financial meltdown will be the cause. We came close last year and have managed to survive so, IMHO, another cause is more probable.

We could have an infectious disease outbreak (pandemic influenza), a natural catastrophe like a New Madrid earthquake or a really horrific hurricane, or we could have another terrorist attack - especially a dirty bomb.

My point here being that you must first survive the initial shock to the system that precedes the social collapse. That first shock is going to be the hardest to survive even for folks who are prepped. The first 72 hours are the most difficult in any disaster scenario.

Think back to 9/11, Katrina, Rita, Ike. The human mind just shuts down when faced with overwhelming disaster and/or information overload. I can talk about this from personal experience with Ike.

When we woke the morning after Ike to discover the minor damage to our place and then heard the news (via battery operated radio) of the damage to Galveston, Houston, Beaumont and surrounding areas it was too much to take in all at once. We sort of froze if you will. The shock set in and we just looked at each other. We had no electricity, we had no coffee (at least for a while), and we just looked at each other. :dunno

This shock lasted all day. It came and went as we went about our day trying to return our lives to some sense of normalcy. It was after we realized that we were dealing with a new "normal" if you will that we were better able to cope.

IMHO, you must try to mentally prepare yourself for this moment/hours/days because no matter how prepared you physically may be - you are not and will not be mentally prepared to deal with a disaster - at least initially.

Jest my two cents...

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Wed Oct 06, 2010 6:19 am
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Post Re: This is an interesting Prepping Mindset
You know something Blue you bring up a good point and I know you have been saying this for a while but we should do a mock disater right here on thread for let's say 24 hrs and see how the folks here would deal with it.

Somethin like what we did in the old days of TRC.

we have enough people here in opposite time zones we could throw in a few loop holes, like broken water main 12 hrs in, NO MORE water, gas line rupture and you have to evacuate for 6hrs or more etc.

It may be a good excersie to help people firgure out what they would do, what they require in their stocks now etc.

Whos game, I can think if 5 people right off the bat that would be interested.

L2L
Blue
Ruts
Sky
Selene

Anyone else?
We can asign roles to lets say three key people to throw in lopeholes during the moch disaster.

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Wed Oct 06, 2010 6:48 am
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Post Re: This is an interesting Prepping Mindset
The link is in the top of the article L2L

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Wed Oct 06, 2010 7:59 am
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Post Re: This is an interesting Prepping Mindset
Oh geeze sorry was so busy reading the article that I totally missed that

:doh :roflmao

Thanks

Sky wrote:
The link is in the top of the article L2L

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Post Re: This is an interesting Prepping Mindset
Hell yes, I am in for a mock run. We can be innovative with this by testing a couple of scenarios...


:tounge

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Wed Oct 06, 2010 8:41 am
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Post Re: This is an interesting Prepping Mindset
I knew I could count on you, I am just trying to work some things out with the staff, if you have any input shoot me an email or PM.

Thanks

Sky wrote:
Hell yes, I am in for a mock run. We can be innovative with this by testing a couple of scenarios...
:tounge

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Post Re: This is an interesting Prepping Mindset
Maybe a bit of a hard core view, yet interesting...

Again from http://www.thesurvivalistblog.net/ with thanks to M.D. Creekmore


Tools To Consider For Your SHTF Plan
Posted: 08 Oct 2010 - by Chad H


During the most recent years of my adult life, my finances have changed significantly, which forced me to seek additional ways to support my family. In my chosen career (firefighter) I have gone back to school in order to obtain additional training to become a Paramedic. The additional skills I am learning will allow me to provide better care for people in need, and give me more useful skills for a post SHTF scenario.

I have also taken on a second career as a handyman, doing odd repairs and to-do lists in my off days. Both of my current careers as a firefighter and as a handyman have much to offer in the area of survival and prepping. With this, I have been able to learn about many tools, their practical uses, and applications which would provide a positive benefit in a SHTF environment. The following descriptions are some suggestions that may be helpful to you.

Oxygen/Acetylene Torch: This type of torch is very versatile and reaches extremely high temperatures. An oxy/acetylene torch is capable of cutting many types of steel including chains, bolts, sheet metal, tubing, and locks. An oxy/acetylene torch also has the ability to weld steel, loosen corroded nuts/bolts, brazing, bending and forming all types of steel.
With all these options available, one could easily salvage parts from cars, repair fences, strengthen structures, or any other type of steel related project. Oxy/acetylene torches do not require electricity making it very mobile and useful in a grid down environment. Additionally, an oxy/acetylene torch reaches temperatures of approximately 6330 F, thus giving it the ability to easily melt the following examples of metals: iron at approximately 2750 F, steel at approximately 2500 F, gold at approximately 1950 F, and silver at approximately 1765 F.

Propane Torch: This torch does not reach as high of temperatures as an oxy/acetylene torch, but it is inexpensive, very common, and easy to use. The propane torch is great for soldering copper pipe together (sweating pipe). Many propane torches come with convenient electric igniter which would make it a great fire starter in situations that demand more BTU’s than a regular cigarette lighter or matches can offer.

Another way of increasing your operating temperatures but having the convenience of one tank is using MAPP gas. It operates the same way as propane, but it burns at higher temperatures enabling you to melt some metals like lead or silver with it. Some systems use separate oxygen and propane/MAPP cylinders to increase the temperatures to almost oxy/acetylene levels. Additionally, some propane torches use very common “Coleman” style 1 lb. cylinders making use and storage of these tanks dual purpose.

Generator with 3-way Carburetor Conversion Kit: Having a generator on hand speaks for itself. With it you can run any number of electrical tools, operate lights, keep refrigerators cold, and be able to charge batteries. The unfortunate side is most residential use generators operate solely on gasoline. Gasoline is great if you can get it, but when it runs out you do not want to burn up your last fuel source for your vehicle.

If you are able to store gasoline, it is possible for it to go bad within a year even with fuel stabilizer. There is a kit you can buy for most gasoline generators that allows you to convert your standard carburetor to run on three fuels: gasoline, natural gas, and propane. You will always have some gasoline on hand, but why waste it if you can use natural gas that is being piped into your home?

If the grid goes down that flow of natural gas may stop, so then switch over to propane. Propane is great, because you can store large capacity tanks without anyone showing concern, and it can be stored for many years as it virtually never goes bad. To make the generator more portable, you can operate it off 25lb. grill style tanks. Additionally, the propane you are storing can be used for other applications like heating water and cooking. Google search “propane carburetor conversion kit”.

Halligan Tool: In combination with a sledge-hammer, this is one of the most versatile hand tools available for breaching a means of egress. It is in use on nearly every fire company in America due to its’ versatility and effectiveness. The tool consists of a claw or fork end used for prying into doors or latches, the other end consists of a tapered pick used for breaching locked doors or punching holes, and the wedge or adze which is another option for prying. Usual lengths are 24” to 42”, constructed of forged steel, and weighs 8 to 12 lbs. Google search “Halligan tool”.

18 Volt Cordless Drill Combo Kit: Currently the drill kit I use is an 18 Volt Ridgid, but there are many other brands that are just as serviceable. My kit included an 18 volt drill with work light, reciprocating saw, AM/FM Radio, and a flashlight. The kit included (2) batteries, and I have (2) additional batteries from a previous drill purchase which are all interchangeable.

The Ridgid brand is durable, and the batteries have a lifetime warranty. As long as I am able to charge the batteries, I will have a dependable flashlight, radio, saw, and drill without wasting disposable batteries or fuel to constantly run a generator. This will enable me to do work around my structure or listen to the radio for updates very easily and efficiently.

I also upgraded the light bulb on the flashlight from a standard incandescent bulb to an LED which will last longer and not use as much battery power. The bulb was easy to find at Superbrightleds.com for only about $10.00. There are additional accessories made by Ridgid like a shop light that uses the same battery, which can be purchased as well.

Pressurized Water Can: A great tool that most fire companies carry is called a PW can. It is a stainless steel can about the size of a large fire extinguisher that carries about 2 ½ gallons of water. On the top is an air valve that allows you to pressurize the can. It operates the same way as any fire extinguisher: PASS- Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep.

These small cans actually put out a lot of fire do to the pressurized stream exiting the nozzle. They are however only recommended for use on Class A combustibles like wood and paper. In a grid down environment the need for fire extinguishers will be high and there may be a lack of pressurized water available. With the PW can, it can be emptied and refilled as often as needed as long as water and pressurized air are available. Google search “pressurized water fire extinguisher”.

WD-40: Well, I like this stuff. It is very simple, but you can do a million things with it. For years I have used it in all situations around the house, as I am sure most people have. In a SHTF environment, the tools you have with you will be all the tools you have. They have to work and they must be taken care of. WD-40 is a great lubricant and a great preventative from rust and corrosion.

I recently began cleaning and protecting my firearms with it and have had great results. You can also repair many varieties of sticky mechanisms with it. This stuff is cheap and does not go bad. To me, it is the duct tape of the lubrication world.

The following is a list of tools that I recommend every home should have. These will be important for any situation you find yourself in as they have many practical uses. In a SHTF situation these tools could save your life.

 Leatherman Multi-Tool-At least two
 Bolt Cutters- Cut locks, fences, metal
 Come Along- Lifting objects, pull-out stuck vehicles, securing vehicle loads
 Farm Jack- Lifting objects, pull-out stuck vehicles
 Chainsaw-Extra chains, oil, spark plugs, oil mix
 Shovels- At least two
 Axes/Hatchet- At least two
 Machete- Making trails, trimming bushes, also a scary weapon
 Pruning Saw- Great for small firewood
 Hand Saws
 Pick
 Air Compressor
 Pneumatic Tools
 Full Wrench/Socket Sets
 Full Screw Driver Sets
 Full Allen Wrench Sets
 Worm Drive Construction Saw
 Side Grinder-Steel Blades/Masonry Blades
 Flat Black Spray Paint (Lots)
 Bullet Puller- Gunsmithing
 Brass Extractor- Gunsmithing
 Rubber Mallet- Gunsmithing
 Plastic Mallet- Gunsmithing
 Pin/Nail Punch- Gunsmithing
 Files- To sharpen all edged tools
 Soldering Iron- Repairing electronics, wiring applications
 Full Sets of Pliers/Cutters
 Chisels- Wood working
 Vise
 12 Volt Water Pump
 Hacksaw- Extra blades
 Duct Tape-Lots
 Electrical Tape
 Manual Flammable Liquid Pump- To siphon gas
 Drill Bits
 Hammer-Sledge, construction, Estwing’s are good due to metal handle construction

The above list is a good starting point, as there are many tools that could be added to this list, and your personal needs will determine what tools you should have. Please do consider some of the above tools for your home or getaway as they may save your life. Be aware of your surroundings, practice like its real, and may God be with all of you during the tough times ahead. Thank You.

http://www.thesurvivalistblog.net/survival-homestead/tools-to-consider-for-your-shtf-plan/


:hmm

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Sun Oct 10, 2010 2:42 am
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Post Re: This is an interesting Prepping Mindset
The Mormon Food Plan
by M.D. Creekmore

I have a saying; those who prepare to survive deserve to survive. If you have the foresight to plan ahead for a possible end of the world as we know it situation, by learning needed survival skills and laying back supplies against the day of need, you deserve to survive.

The thing is, a lot of people know of the likely possibility of society breaking down, but are turned off by the cost of putting back a years supple of of non perishable foods. Should one die simply because of being poor? I think not. I am at the bottom of the economic ladder, in fact some of the best people I have ever met are in the same financial condition.

My own food storage is based on the Mormon plan. The Mormon plan for stockpiling consists primarily of four basic food items: wheat, sugar and or honey, powdered milk and salt. From these four basic ingredients, a wide variety of foods can be prepared.

The advantages of this plan is that these four food items are relatively inexpensive, readily available, storage is simple and the wheat, sugar and salt will store indefinitely under proper conditions. If you are as poor as I am but still want to prepare for the worst, then the Mormon food storage plan maybe you best option.

After you get the basic foods (wheat, sugar, powdered milk, and salt) in the needed proportions then it is a simple matter to add other foods as you get the extra funds. Pinto beans, mixed beans, rice, and split peas can be added with little expense and will add a little variety your diet.

Remember to date your beans, peas and rice and rotate into your everyday foods, most beans have a shelf life of only about two years, this way you always have fresh supplies on hand.


Read it Here


Way cool pov. :cool

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Sun Oct 10, 2010 3:26 am
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Post Re: This is an interesting Prepping Mindset
Although I am not a mormon there are some great tips in that post Sky thanks!

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Sun Oct 10, 2010 7:20 am
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Post Re: This is an interesting Prepping Mindset
Lol - I don't think we have to Mormons to do the trick L2L, you made me laugh!

I agree, the plan is sound and basic, and I do respect the Mormon way of simple living as they will all survive a tight spot. Always have I think.


:cool

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Post Re: This is an interesting Prepping Mindset
Sky wrote:
Lol - I don't think we have to Mormons to do the trick L2L, you made me laugh!
I agree, the plan is sound and basic, and I do respect the Mormon way of simple living as they will all survive a tight spot. Always have I think.
:cool



I agree Sky their plan is basic but solid

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