2.
Schedule time to make practical preparations.
Americans set aside time for all
sorts of activities, including work, church, television,
mowing the lawn, and voting for awful candidates. Our
potential survival and wellbeing is more important than these
things. So why not set aside a couple hours each week to help
secure these things?
The investment of thinking alone
will yield rewards, including a more determined mind set,
which is essential to survival. Add a practical project or two
and you are on your way. Your goal can be simple: To be more
prepared next month than you are this month.
Do you have an
old tent that needs to be stitched, a flashlight that needs
improvement, a firearm to be disassembled and cleaned, or
require some research time to make a purchasing decision?
Would you like to test the strength of some rope in your
possession before you actually need to use it, investigate
alternative healing methods for common injuries, or install a
more secure door to your basement? There are countless
projects to choose from, and to benefit by.
It is probably a good idea to
start off spending time alone. You want to first develop and
hone a few ideas and skills independent of external
influences. Learn to pay attention to your own innate common
sense before you start to rely on the advice of others. You
might be surprised at your own resourcefulness, which
recognition builds your own confidence —another important
characteristic for weathering disasters.
If you are married with
children, perhaps both of you can’t commit to share this time
together each week. But one of you can, or you can switch off.
Whoever spends the time can give a report, or synopsis, to the
other on what was learned and considered.
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3. Analyze
your friendships, prepare those that have merit, and set aside
those that do not.
Once you have a sense of where you are headed,
consider sharing some or all of your preparation time with one
or more friends or family who share your preparatory
interests. Pooling knowledge and resources can be tremendously
beneficial for your pocketbook and time.
If things become unbearable, you may need to
work with others to survive and prosper. Here are some
potential questions as you analyze your relationships. Who would be
inclined to rely on in a dark alley? Who would come through
for you if your family were under assault by a vicious
government agency? Who would you trust with a secret, or your
wallet? Who would be ethical and forthright in a business
transaction with complete strangers?
Distinguish between your
“barbeque friends,” and those friends you want in a real
pinch. Who falls in what category may be surprising and even
disturbing. In any event, put your reliable friends in a
higher category of value and importance.
Be careful! Do not speak too
loosely with the wrong people! You can ruin any decent meeting
or activity by adding the wrong apple to the mix. It can also
be dangerous. Be greedy with your preparedness time and slow
to invite people to participate. As General George S. Patton
purportedly put it:
“I would rather have a German
division in front of me than a French one behind me.”
First get to know potential
helpers, and their outlooks and attitudes, via other social
venues. If you do invite them, do not give them the impression
that your get-togethers will be regular. See how you interact
a few times before you invite them to come regularly. Liking
someone does not mean that they will work out well in this
arena.
Strike a balance between getting
things done and fostering free discussion —even some frivolous
discussion. You can easily be consumed in mechanical minutiae
or end up “meeting, eating, and retreating” without tangible
accomplishment. One good relationship can be worth more than a
whole mess of preparations, but you still need to prepare.
Don’t let the group get too big.
No matter who the people and personalities are, there comes a
point where productivity declines and frustration
exponentially increases. The bulk of your efforts and energies
are supposed to be going toward your own preparedness.
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4.
Think things through, budget, and patiently pursue your
objectives.
It is impossible to light a fire
under some people. Others, however, react rashly when they
finally get motivated to prepare for the future. They spend
money like drunken sailors, spin in circles, and appear
desperate and chaotic.
Don’t fall into this trap. Be
deliberate and methodical. Obtain the knowledge you need as
inexpensively as possible; from whatever resources you can tap
into. The Internet, for example, is full of free ideas,
reviews of ideas, and products. Your friends can be fountains
of wisdom as well. You must still take risks and make
mistakes, but they won’t be wasted, and will hopefully be less
costly.
In planning, prepare from your
center of greatest strength outwards. Rather than predict the
migratory effects of WWIII on the American populace, start,
perhaps, with where you are right now. Is your family and home
(or apartment) reasonably prepared for a lengthy power outage
or basic natural disaster? Do you have enough water and food
to make it a few weeks, or will you run to the nearest shelter
and yell, “Help!” from your lawn chair to passing camera
crews?
Once your home front is solid,
slowly work outward to external, potential resources you might
be able to access in times of need. Not all emergencies will
occur while we are sleeping in our homes. What can you
reasonably store in your car for an emergency, for example?
Some walking shoes, water, maps, cash, food, wet-weather gear,
gloves, tools, lighter, first aid kit, dust mask, etc.?
Continue working outward from there to other areas, states,
and even countries.
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5.
Store water.
Want to drastically reduce your
risks of being a casualty? Store some water. Studies have
suggested that roughly four-fifths of all casualties occur
after the natural disaster has passed, and result from the
lack of clean drinking water. On the move, the military
estimates that one soldier requires approximately 1 gallon per
day to cover the body’s basic needs. Store a few weeks worth —
preferably more — for you and your family.
Some industrial container
outlets now offer 55 gallon plastic barrels with tops that are
completely removable, and can be tightly resealed. Whether or
not you can afford or store these larger barrels, you might
profit by collecting some hardy 5 gallon containers. Or keep
some of the hardy 2 liter soda bottles (the ones you really
shouldn’t be drinking). You can learn more about water
storage, usage, and treatment on the Internet.
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6.
Store food and the means to consume it.
My family used to store all
sorts of stuff we never ate. The vast majority of our stored
food is now comprised of what we eat, or would not mind eating
in an emergency. (If your list solely comprises food products
such as Mountain Dew and Twinkies, make sure you pay attention
to Item 8.)
There are exceptions, but try to
rotate stored food by eating it. This forces you to more
closely track expiration dates, and ensures that you will
store more of what you like to eat. Calamities are bad enough
without eating stale or gross food. And periodically do a
complete audit of your food to refine your habits and rid your
shelves of those mashed potatoes from the Civil War (blue on
one side and gray on the other).
Storing food you like is one
thing, but you need to be able to prepare it. For instance, a
bucket of wheat is nice, but can you grind it for use? Do you
have the means and know-how to sprout it and obtain maximum
nutritional value? Have you ever made anything with wheat? How
would you bake it? If you don’t have the means and ability to
utilize your food, it might be good for trading, but that is
all.
Again, there are numerous
websites to assist you in understanding basic food
requirements, and in safe and smart food storage and usage.
You might also learn how to grow your own food, a useful skill
no matter what happens.
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7.
Become proficient with the means to defends yourself.
Selfish people, in or out of
government, may covet the water and food you have diligently
stored. You need the means and skill to effectively defend
yourself and your property. Volumes are written on guns,
calibers, ammunition, accessories, training, and tactics.
Again, do some Internet research and combine this information
with advice from others who have extensive firearms
experience. Go shooting a few times before you decide to buy
something expensive.
If you are new to firearms, look
for something simple, maneuverable, intuitive, reliable,
and friendly (i.e. it shouldn’t have excessive kick or be
uncomfortable). I am personally drawn toward a pistol for
initial home defense, as pistols are the most maneuverable and
attackers have more difficulty taking them from the defender.
I prefer a pump action 12-gauge shotgun as a backup weapon. Be aware that various
rounds are more penetrative than others. Penetration is good
against your attacker, but potentially bad against your walls
and the innocents on the other side of those walls.
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8. Eat
better and get in shape.
If you can’t run or walk to save
your life, you are at a real disadvantage to yourself and to
others in an emergency. Get off your fanny and do some leaning
exercises that will not harm your joints and body.
Would you convulse today like a
recovering heroine addict if forced to adopt a diet of basic
raw foods? Get real. Your food storage is useless unless you
exercise, eat better, and shed some fat and accumulated toxins
from your body. Start weaning yourself off the sodas, the
sugars, the corn syrups, the tobacco, the monosodium
glutamate, aluminum, and other harmful additives and processed garbage. Read labels for crying out loud and spend a
little more time looking for better ingredients. Do a little
free research on the Internet from time to time to improve
your intake and health.
In decent shape, your mind will
function, you will better handle stress, be more mobile, and
can recover faster, and more fully, from injuries.
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9. Explore
alternative healing methods.
Forget an oil shortage. Consider
some real disasters, like a sudden end of anti-depressant
supplies to millions of addicts across the country. We’re
talking “Night of the Living Dead” in many parts of my current
state, Utah. Or how about a shortage of medical supplies, such
as antibiotics, aspirin, flu shot vaccinations, and heartburn
medicine?
These are real nightmares for
those with no natural immunity, resilience, independence, and
sense of empowerment and self-worth. There are those of us,
however, who live almost entirely without the godlike realm of
the modern “medical community.”
One of the smartest things I
ever did was to pay for my wife to do on-line coursework with
a natural healing college. It opened our minds in so many
ways. But you don’t need to go through that expense if you
will just take the time to explore the Internet.
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10. Give
your children a real education in a safe, positive
environment.
Government indoctrination
centers are the last thing free, independent thinkers need.
These centers only exist through involuntary force via taxes
and mandatory attendance statutes. They are, by their very
nature, statist, teaching children to worship the state and to
believe in collectivism/socialism, secular humanism, and, in
some areas, the church-state. They are havens for sexual
predators and experimenters, drug addicts, and sadistically
violent. Get your children out!
Unfortunately, the vast majority
of us are also products of this indoctrination, and can’t
fathom the notion that we have it within ourselves to educate
our children without these state “experts.” But parents do
have natural, superior abilities to teach and to instruct, and
we must assert our innate talents if freedom is to survive on
this planet.
If you are a single parent
without other options, then spend more time with your children
to help them survive and heal from the brutality, immorality,
and depravity they will encounter. If you are simply too
scared to teach your children at home, transition them to a
decent private school while you find your courage. Their
intellect may not advance as rapidly as it would under your
tutelage, but at least they will be in a safer environment.
If you are a grandparent or
relative, consider financially assisting your relative to free
the minds and souls of their children. Home schoolers are also
forcibly taxed to pay for the poor souls who go to government
schools, and must pay twice for the “privilege” of educating
their own children in safety.
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11. Store
fuel to get you where you want to go.
Oil supply lines are fragile and
can rapidly end. Even in shape, you can only hoof so much gear
so far. If you treat, store, and rotate gas carefully and
safely, it can be there for emergencies.
If you want to get several
states away, you may need sufficient gas supplies along the
way. Be aware that local statutes may attempt to prohibit you
from maintaining a reasonable supply. Be creative.
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12. Obtain
property and shelter in a rural area.
If you ever feel the need to
evacuate your current residence, wouldn’t it be nice to have a
place to run to? A refugee without a destination is the most
vulnerable and least desirable person on the disaster totem
pole. Do you want to be shuttled around like a New Orleans
refugee by the whims and whips of some government agency? Or
do you want to have a plan, a destination, and the supplies to
exist on your own power and agency?
You can make your getaway a
pleasant one, so that, if all goes serenely, you and your
posterity will have a comfortable place to escape city life.
If things turn very badly, you have an emergency retreat.
Don’t blow your budget and buy all the amenities today.
Whittle at it.
Be careful where you go. Scout
out the area, the prevailing attitudes of the surrounding
people, the size and regulatory interference of the government
there, etc. Consider factors like water rights, fault lines,
roads, and climate.
If you are able, consider
finding a rural spot close to the border with Canada. This
region of America is full of beautiful, rugged, quiet country.
In some states, like Montana, government is somewhat behind
the times — which is a good thing. Consider your strategy now
while avenues are still available to build, refine, and
supply.
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13. Obtain
or update passports for your family.
What if some event or series of
events were to happen that made you feel the need to leave the
country for a period of time? A passport can make your border
crossing, and stay, easier. You can always cross a border, say
to Canada, illegally, and do as the Mexicans do, but there are
risks to such an approach. And, if you need to go elsewhere,
other countries are not as lax or forgiving.
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14. Prepare
your children to escape the ravages of war.
America is becoming increasingly
militaristic. Elitist corporate and banking heads continue to
propel their interests through the politicians and bureaucrats
who serve them. This emerging fascist (i.e.
corporate/government control with the façade of private
ownership) regime views human beings, particularly the young,
as resources to be farmed and exploited.
Eventually, if things continue
on their current, violent course, a conscription of the young
will be necessary to sustain this regime’s military and
economic escapades. It may be essential for our children to
have either some form of dual citizenship, or at least the
ability to “get lost” in a foreign nation for a period of
time. It is incumbent upon us to prepare them for that
potential crisis, and not to leave them with the sole option
of being involuntary cannon fodder for the self-interests of
war-mongering perverts and deviants.
Hopefully, these ideas are
helpful to you. They are by no means inclusive, as chaos and
flexible preparedness are, by their natures, uncertain and
unpredictable. I do hope they spark thought and assist people
in considering what is important and why.
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