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Many times through the years I have stumbled into prepper articles or discussions about the best firearms to have for SHTF. There are always different perspectives and I myself have shared my own opinions about what I think are the top 5 firearms every prepper should have. Naturally this assumes firearms are available to you legally and you don’t have any ethical problems with the thought of using them if needed for their intended purpose. Training in the proper use and safety of these firearms should go without saying.

But invariably, somewhere in the conversations about the best caliber or whether or not the AK is better than the AR, someone will bring up the concept of air rifles as an alternative to more traditional firearms. For many years I dismissed this advice out of hand because I assumed that anyone who thought it was a better idea to use an air rifle for survival was either anti-gun or had some element in their personal lives that prevented them from owning a firearm. A real gun instead of a toy…

I never really delved into this subject and it was a recent email from a reader of Final Prepper that prompted me to look into this topic further, if for no other reason than to fully state my opinion and let the world give me their thoughts on this subject.

Sam writes:

There are many that would like to make a bug out bag but can’t because they may be on a fixed income or in debt e.g. college students or retired. However, Harbor Freight Tools offers some free stuff using coupons that can be used to put in a bug out bag, and anyone can buy a good pack back at any second-hand store for $3 to use. I give Harbor Freight 5 stars for having up to 12 free things that can be used in a bug out bag.

Any prepper should be able to have a high power air rifle if they can’t afford a .22 or other if they chose to bugout so what is a good inexpensive air rifle that someone on a fixed income can buy to use in a SHTF or to bugout with? I would like to know what TPJ recommends or do a story so everyone can read.

First of all, thanks for the email Sam! I always appreciate good information, like the tip about Harbor Freight and for the question about the air rifles. So as I read the question from Sam, I think he (I assume this is a he and Sam is not short for Samantha. Damn both our gender confusing monikers!!!) is bringing up a couple of points. First, that a high-powered air rifle is a cheaper alternative to even a .22. The second is that this high-powered air rifle will be used in a SHTF/Bug Out scenario. I am sure there are other issues and I will try to address my thoughts around each in this article.

Why do so many people recommend an air rifle for survival?

Cost – Air rifles for survival seem to make sense to a lot of people for some very compelling reasons. Most air rifles do cost less than even the lowly .22 Rimfire rifle out there. You can get a brand new Ruger 10/22 Semiautomatic for between $250 and $350 depending on where you shop, but I have found sales on brand new, perfectly capable .22’s for much less. You can also find deals at gun shows that are even less than that. I picked up a perfectly good .22 at an auction for $100.

Air rifles come in a wide array of calibers just like regular firearms but for the purposes of this discussion I’ll stick with .177 calibers. That is the size most of us young kids grew up shooting in the back yard. Why not go up in size to .22, .30, .045 or even .50 caliber (yes they make .50 caliber air rifles)? For a couple of reasons; first off, in some locations; when you go over .18 caliber the local law enforcement usually considers that to be a “firearm”. Some locations regulate according to the muzzle velocity. For an air rifle to fly below this requirement you are looking at muzzle velocities generally below 500 feet per second in some areas. There are air rifles that are much higher power than that, like the Gamo Whisper Silent Cat Air Rifle which has a muzzle velocity of over 1200 FPS!, but if you are purchasing an air rifle that is viewed by law enforcement as a firearm, you are filling out paperwork just like you would have for a .22 so one advantage of the air rifle disappears. Additionally, the larger calibers go up in cost considerably and we are trying to stay on the more economical side here for Sam. I don’t consider the Benjamin Bulldog .357 which is arguably “high-power” and able to take down larger animals in contention for this article for the main reason that its cost is right about $1,000. Not ideal for the prepper on a fixed income.

1200 FPS with a scope for less than $140.

Quiet Operation – Air rifles use compressed air generally or a spring mechanism in some cases but usually in both they are far quieter than a regular rifle. Some models like the Gamo above even have a suppressor included making them even more quiet. An air rifle, it would seem would allow you to hunt without making your presence known in a wider area and this could have great benefits to the average prepper who is trying to stay on the down low. You wouldn’t want everyone who is hungry and possibly starving themselves to hear a loud gunshot and lay in wait for you to come walking back to camp with your prize only to take it away from you.

No license/background check required (normally) – This goes back to my previous point above. As long as you aren’t going into the more powerful air rifles which demand higher muzzle velocity, there isn’t usually a background check for someone buying an air rifle. This could have advantages to people who due to their background may be prevented from legally purchasing firearms.

What is an air rifle good for?

So the first question comes back to do you need an air rifle for survival and to answer that question, I want to look at some things air rifles are good at. The first is hunting small game. By small game and in consideration of our caliber limitations that do not require licensing (with caveats) that means birds, squirrels, possibly rabbits and other animals in that size range. For someone living in a city that has an abundance of birds or rodents, an air rifle could make an excellent choice for a survival tool especially if that state doesn’t allow firearms of any kind or severely limits your ability to purchase them.

880 air rifle kit includes safety glasses, 4×15-millimeter scope with rings, 500 Daisy pellets, and 750 BBs – $60

Air rifles are great to practice your shooting skills or to teach younger shooters the fundamentals without too much worry of accidents (“You’ll shoot your eye out kid.”). Shooting air rifles is a low-cost sport too because the pellets can be purchased for less than $5 for 250. You can purchase 2400 BB’s for that same price and as far as I know, the government isn’t stocking up on pellets and BB’s just yet.

Quiet operation is another non-trivial benefit of air rifles for survival situations as stated above. You don’t get too much quieter even with sound suppressors than air rifles.

What is an air rifle not good for?

Going back to the initial question about great air rifles for survival and in consideration of something that is cost-effective and doesn’t require licensing, what are the arguments against an air rifle? Do air rifles make a good bug out survival option? I don’t really think so in most cases for the following reasons.

Not good for long-range – This is subjective I know but most air rifles in the category we are talking about above aren’t going to be highly effective past 50 yards. Even at 50 yards, you will have drop on that pellet so you will need to know your weapon and compensate accordingly. Could you kill a rabbit past 50 yards with a pellet gun? Maybe and I know that some of this comes down to the skill of the shooter, but the weapon does have limitations. I think the rabbit would take off before the pellet reached it because sound travels faster than the average muzzle velocities we are talking about here, but again I am generalizing to some extent.

Not good for larger animals – You simply aren’t going to be killing larger animals with the lower caliber (cost-effective) air rifles. Could you shoot birds and squirrels all day and feed yourself? Sure you could, but what if birds and squirrels are few and far between? What if it’s winter time?

Velocity of up to 1,200 fps with PBA Raptor ammunition; 4×32 air rifle-scope – $99

Not acceptable for self-defense – Firearms for me, even more so in a SHTF scenario when I am forced to bug out are primarily for self-defense. This is the two-legged kind of predator I am talking about here and you aren’t going to defend yourself with a pellet gun. You might fool someone from a distance, but you would have to be extremely lucky and that luck would run out if you had to shoot at someone and all they heard was pftt.

Firing multiple rounds quickly – For shooting a single squirrel in a tree or a bunny sitting there next to your garden, single shots are fine in most cases. Most air rifles are single shot. You have to pump them or cock the charging handle after each shot. There are some manufacturers that have something resembling a magazine so you don’t have to reload, but you aren’t able to fire semi-automatic. Also, your velocity can decrease if you shoot too many shots too fast. Rapid fire isn’t recommended.

Air Supply dependent – Some models used compressed CO2 air cartridges. What if you run out of cartridges? Other models use a pump-action and I personally have witnessed these wear out over time and become less effective. That was with me shooting my air gun occasionally. If this air rifle is your main source of food, could the seals and parts wear out more quickly? Additionally, temperatures affect the air cartridges. Ideally, they are used in warmer temperatures, but not too warm or the cartridges can explode.

I do believe air guns have their place. I have one in my home, so I guess I would have to answer the question two ways. I wouldn’t ever choose an air gun as my go-to bug out firearm unless I had no other options whatsoever. Actually, if this truly was a SHTF scenario and I had no firearms, getting my hands on a weapon would be just about my first priority.

Do I think an air rifle for survival would be better than nothing? Yes, and there are some good models shown above, but I think even a .22 would be better and with some searching you can find a .22 rifle (maybe used) for about the same price as a good air rifle. At least you would have something more suitable for self-defense and taking larger animals.

Now its your turn. What do you think?

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Many times through the years I have stumbled into prepper articles or discussions about the best firearms to have for SHTF. There are always different perspectives and I myself have

It would be hard to call yourself a survivalist if you don’t know lifesaving CPR. That’s because if someone suffers cardiac arrest and you don’t know what to do, chances are, he or she will die within ten minutes if help doesn’t arrive, according to this infographic from carrington.edu. If you’re in a situation where you can call an ambulance, the victim’s chances of survival are better, but still not as good as if you or someone nearby knows CPR.

But what if you can’t call an ambulance or what if there is no ambulance service to begin with? If you know CPR, even just hands-on CPR, then the victim’s chances of survival are doubled or even tripled when you can keep them alive before transporting them to the nearest medical facility.

With 400,000 cardiac arrests occurring every year in the United States outside of hospitals, the chances of encountering a situation where lifesaving CPR is needed is more common than you may think. But you have to act quickly by assessing the situation. First, check to see if the victim is responsive and breathing by tapping his or her shoulder and asking if they’re okay. If he or she is unresponsive, you can call for help if others are nearby. Someone should call 911. And then life-saving CPR should be performed immediately.

To perform hands-only CPR, also referred to as “compression-only” CPR, you press down on the chest deeply—about 2 inches—100 times per minute. According to The Good Survivalist, a medical reviewer has recommended singing the song “Stayin’ Alive” by the BeeGees or “Another One Bites the Dust” by Queen to keep the tempo going. This type of CPR can be performed on anyone except newborn babies.

So that you know what to do in a life-and-death situation where a person, newborn, or animal has stopped breathing, it’s important to take a local CPR class. These classes, often given freely or for a nominal price, can be located in community centers, medical centers, fire stations, and police stations, for example.

Animated CPR Guide

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It would be hard to call yourself a survivalist if you don’t know lifesaving CPR. That’s because if someone suffers cardiac arrest and you don’t know what to do, chances

Live poultry often are carriers of Salmonella – a germ that can be harmful to humans.

But how big is the risk?

In chickens, Salmonella is a naturally occurring germ that lives in the intestines. It is not a cause of the food that they eat or how they are raised. Even organically raised chickens can have Salmonella in their gut. It usually doesn’t make the birds sick. But it can cause serious illness when it is passed to humans.

The risk of actually catching Salmonella from chickens is very small if you follow some simple sanitary steps.

Let’s take a look at how Salmonella can be transferred from chickens to humans and what to do if it happens.

How do people get Salmonella from chickens?

Salmonella can be found in the intestines of chickens. That means that their droppings can be infected. And because chickens are often in a confined space, there is a good chance that their feathers, feet and beaks also have Salmonella on them just from their walking around in their environment.

The germs can also get on anything they come in contact with – their cages, coops, water dishes, hay and dirt.

In other words, just by working with your chickens, you can get Salmonella on your hands, shoes, clothes, etc. And this creates the environment that allows you to get infected.

So how do you actually get infected?

People become infected with Salmonella by touching various parts of their body – eyes, mouth, etc. – with hands that have been working with chickens. The risk is greater with children as they are more inclined to be putting their fingers or other contaminated objects in their mouths.

Fortunately, it is pretty easy to avoid being infected with just a few cleanliness steps.

Cleanliness steps to reduce the risk of Salmonella infection

There are several steps  you can take to reduce the risk of catching Salmonella when working with your chickens. They include:

  • Washing your hands thoroughly with soap and water after working with your chickens or touching anything that could have been exposed to your chickens. Hand sanitizer can be used but soap and water is the best approach.
  • Wash your hands when removing any clothing you wore when working with the chickens – and be sure to wash them.
  • If you are raising egg laying hens, be sure to thoroughly cook the eggs before eating.
  • Clean all equipment associated with the chickens – water and fed containers, etc. – frequently.
  • Know the possible Salmonella infection zone. It is anywhere the chickens may roam. This means that if you raise free range chickens, it could be your entire yard.
  • Don’t let chickens in the house – especially in food prep areas. Since they could have external contamination on their feet, beaks, etc., they can easily contaminate your workspace.
  • Don’t keep chickens near your drinking water supply if it has any possibility of surface runoff contamination.

How do you know if  you have Salmonella and what can you do about it?

Salmonella sickness has a set of symptoms that are easily recognizable:

  • Diarrhea
  • Vomiting
  • Fever
  • Abdominal cramps

If you develop these symptoms without any other obvious reason, you should get checked out. Salmonella can be a deadly disease if left untreated. Treatment is typically a round of antibiotics but if you have a severe case, it can involve hospitalization for dehydration among other issues that can develop.

Salmonella is a serious disease but simple sanitary procedures dramatically reduce the risk. Follow the simple steps in this article to ensure that your adventures raising chicken are safe and productive.

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Live poultry often are carriers of Salmonella – a germ that can be harmful to humans. But how big is the risk? In chickens, Salmonella is a naturally occurring germ that lives

 

Most of us have read a ton of material about prepping, enough to know how absurd/impractical/expensive some of the advice is. We also know that many folks have offered some incredibly good information for us to consider using ourselves.

There are however, two ideas that I don’t hear much about and that my own experiences have taught me are invaluable. I have become old in part by saving my own life many times, and quite a few folks got another chance to get old because I was involved in saving their lives, often with a little help from my friends.

The inspiration of this article began with the idea of a “Possibles Bag” which, in my mind, need not be a physical thing as it was among Mountain Men trappers of the American past. Hugh Glass and John “Liver-Eating” Johnson, or any trapper of the era certainly had an actual Possibles Bag. The way I read it, a possibles bag contained items that a man might possibly need to have handy during the course of his travels. Those things he would not want buried deep in a pack, saddle bags or pannier. They might include tools for trapping, black powder, flint, patches and ball, tobacco, sugar, and coffee, or items for trade with Indians and so on. I also think of “possibles” as a problem solving mindset, or a MacGyver like flexibility to make do with what is available at the moment.

Changing your thinking to what is possible

Nowhere was this more apparent than aboard a ship in the middle of a gigantic and nasty ocean. A ship can be a very big thing, but it cannot carry spares for all the crazy equipment needed to keep the thing running. Sailors learn to “jury-rig” things, which is another way to say that we became good at combining things that were not meant to be combined, in such a way that the ship stayed afloat and underway. My dad taught me to fix all sorts of things on land, but becoming a sailor also taught me how to jury rig things, and at sea that happened all the time.

Later in life I was a member of a well-known and internationally certified Mountain Rescue Team, and again was faced with being in merciless places with only what you and your teammates could carry on their backs. Sometimes we had horses, ATV’s, snowmobiles or choppers to help carry gear, but mostly, all we had was our backpack filled with the things we thought we might “possibly” need for ourselves and for those we were trying to rescue. Once again the need to find a way to make do with what was “on-board” was the reality. A knot of rope, wedged in the crack of a rock or in the fork of a tree can be used as an effective anchor, as can using a pack buried in the snow. The point is, to be open to thinking about solving problems in non-routine ways by using the things or knowledge at hand. Your best resource is your brain and humans have big brains. You can think of your brain as the “Possibles Bag” that you always have with you.

Getting Real with Reality

“Getting Real” is my way of saying that one should think about, and be honest about, knowing your limits. I used to be a technical rock and ice climber and I can still climb things many would not attempt, but those abilities are nowhere near what they once were. I know and accept that I have lower limits than I used to. Dirty Harry that said it well when he said, “Mans got to know his limitations”.

I taught new rescue team members to be honest about their abilities before stepping forward for any mission. Just because they were capable last month does not mean they are just as capable today. Maybe they just lost a job or a spouse and their head is not on straight. Maybe their allergies are kicking their butt. Maybe last year’s broken ankle is still not up to side hilling on snowshoes with the heavy pack. Being real about how deep and cold the water is’ before you do a gung-ho jump in, may save your life and the lives of those around you.

The same honest self-assessment also applies to equipment. If you carry a map and compass but you can’t remember how to use them, who are you fooling? If you haven’t practiced your fire starting skills in a while, how confident can you be that you can do it under bad circumstances? If you can’t correctly tie the half-dozen essential knots to use a rope effectively, you may be falling for the rest of your life. Or maybe your child is the one falling.

Try to choose your gear thoughtfully with care given to weight, to doing more than one thing, and to simplicity. And then, haul it out and use it once in a while. A good way to refresh your skill set is to teach someone else.

To wrap it up, I have been out and about for a long time and these two things continue to have relevance for me and for what I see in others. Whether you are surviving in the city, or in the desert, the prairies, and the forests or on the water, these same ideas are useful.

Use that “Possibles Bag” called your brain often and realistically and you will have learned yet another, important survival skill.

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  Most of us have read a ton of material about prepping, enough to know how absurd/impractical/expensive some of the advice is. We also know that many folks have offered some

In any severe crisis or disaster, there is a risk of a breakdown of society. Even if there isn’t a complete breakdown, there’s the possibility of demonstrations, rioting and mob violence. It doesn’t take much for a crowd to form, protesting something; all it takes is an expectation of bad news. Any crowd can quickly turn into a mob and become violent.

Even without any help, mobs can do crazy things. When the Argentinean economy collapsed in 1999, they overturned public transit buses and set them on fire. When the Grand Jury failed to indict the police officer who fatally shot Michael Brown, the mob burned down 25 businesses in their community.

Mobs rarely are left alone to take whatever action they see fit. There are always instigators looking for such an opportunity. They are quick to show up at any mob situation and turn it to their purposes. In most cases, it is these professional rabble-rousers who turn mobs violent, as a form of violence against the established order in general.

Mob Psychology

In order to avoid falling victim to a mob, it helps to understand a little bit of what’s going on in that mob’s collective mind. I say collective mind intentionally, because you’re really not dealing with people’s individual thoughts; you’re dealing with a collective reasoning; one that is usually directed by people who have nefarious purposes in mind.

There’s something interesting that happens to people in a mob situation; they lose their individuality. They literally stop thinking for themselves and start accepting the mob’s thinking as their own. If the mob gets angry, they get angry; even if they don’t understand why. If the mob starts running, they start running; even if they don’t know where they are going. If the mob is turning over a bus, they’ll help turn over the bus.

Along with losing their identity, people in a mob lose their inhibitions. Normally calm, meek, law-abiding citizens may commit heinous crimes, simply because the mob is doing so. There’s a sense of anonymity in a mob, so people aren’t worried about being identified. If they can’t be identified, then they won’t be punished for their actions.

Mob violence can quickly escalate.

Since the fear of reprisal is what keeps most of us from committing crimes, removal of that fear gives us the liberty to resort to the basest emotions and instincts. Hence, the mob easily becomes violent, allowing all of their pent-up anger out, regardless of whether what they are angry about has anything to do with what the mob is doing or not.

Avoiding the Mob

The best thing you can do with any mob is to totally avoid it. That means avoiding large gatherings of protesters as well as avoiding places where they might gather. You never know which “peaceful protest” will suddenly turn violent, so you are best off not being involved in any of them.

In times of unrest, a police scanner is an invaluable tool to help you know what’s going on and avoid any potential mob situations. If a crowd or demonstration turns violent, the first place where you can receive any news about it is via a police scanner. The police will be working to track the mob, even as they try to disperse it. Their actions will be announced over the scanner.

What if You’re Caught in the Mob?

Even if you try to do everything you can to avoid a mob, you might find yourself caught in one someday. If you do, your goal has got to be to get out of the mob and get away safely. However, you can’t just walk away. To do so would identify you as not being part of the mob and put you at risk of becoming a target.

So, the first priority to fulfill if you’re caught in a mob is to blend in with the mob. You need to act like them, while not becoming part of them. That can be tricky, as the same inclination which has caused the other people to become part of the mob can hit you as well. You’ll need to keep your head clear, while deliberately acting like you’re part of the mob. Just don’t do anything you’ll regret later.

Work your way to the edge

While you are acting as part of the mob, look for an opportunity to escape it. That means working your way gradually to the edge of the mob. Don’t walk directly to the edge, as that will make you stand out; rather, take a circuitous route, gradually working your way to the edge. A little play acting here would be good as well, as if you recognize someone and are moving to their position, then recognizing someone else.

If the mob is moving, then move with it, as you are working your way to the back edge of the mob. That’s fairly easy to do, as all you have to do is be a bit slower than everyone else. Eventually they’ll all pass you by. If it would be easier to get to the edge by angling to one side, then do that.

Arrange a pick-up

Once you are on the edge of the mob and before you break free of it, call someone to come and get you. Don’t have them come to where you are, as that will put them at risk. Rather, have them drive to a location a couple of blocks to the side of where the mob is moving and wait for you there. Once you break away, you can have them move closer, but by no means do you want them to get within a block of the mob at any time. Covering that first block will be your responsibility alone.

Breaking away from the mob

Breaking away from the mob is the trickiest and riskiest part of the operation. If the mob is moving, then you’ll want to find a location where you can go down an alley, into an open building or otherwise disappear from the back of the mob quickly, so that nobody can see you go. The idea is to be out of sight in a matter of seconds, before you can be noticed.

If the mob is stationary, you’ll essentially need the same thing. However, you’ll be faced with the fact that the mob is not moving away from you. So, your escape route has to be extremely good for hiding you from the mob. The best is escaping through a building, going in the front door and out the back. You might even be able to do this through a building that is being looted.

Once clear of the mob, put distance between yourself and them as quickly as you can. Call your pick up ride and have them move to intercept you a block away from the mob. Don’t put them in danger! You would be better off having to run farther, than to put them too close to the mob. A moving car is a very attractive target to a mob.

If they get too close, the mob may decide to surround them, blocking them in. In such a case, there’s a very good chance that they would be drug out of their car and at a minimum be severally beaten. It wouldn’t be all that surprising if they were beaten to death.

The only possible defense in a car is to continue moving slowly. Trying to move quickly, if you are within range of the mob, only attracts them. Moving slowly may allow you to push your way through them. When I say slowly, I mean at a crawl. It has to be slow enough that you won’t actually hit anyone, although you will be pushing them with your bumper.

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In any severe crisis or disaster, there is a risk of a breakdown of society. Even if there isn’t a complete breakdown, there’s the possibility of demonstrations, rioting and mob

 

You were right! The SHTF event you have been preparing for has happened and you and your family are ready. Your bug-out bags are packed; your weapons are locked and loaded and you have trained your family for this moment, you have a plan and you’re putting it into operation.

Then it happens, the one thing that you didn’t foresee.

You are suddenly face to face with someone else, blood races through your body as the adrenaline kicks in….your family frozen in place behind you…arm straightened out in front of you, your finger on the trigger cramping up with the tension of the moment.

A lifetime flashes by in a blink of an eye.

Then the sound of the click breaks the silences as you remove your finger off the trigger and your thumb flips up the safety.

The person or people in front of you are not a danger they are just PWBs’ – Prepper wannabes

They are scared and it’s obvious they aren’t prepared for the SHTF event you are going through. It is like suddenly coming across someone in a lake, struggling in deep water, over their heads and panicking. What do you do? Let them drown? Let them die? Your wife and kids are looking to you for the answer. Perhaps there are others in your group, but you’re a take charge type of person. You made the decisions during your family’s training and now, you are suddenly facing the one thing you or your group didn’t really plan for.

Suddenly you find yourself accepting them, suddenly; it is not just about being prepared or about just having to take care of your family or your group. You’re the leader, you’re the Sergeant of your growing group. You now have a number of unknown survivors, with your group or do you? Did you plan for this? Should you have planned for this?

If your plans call for keeping all the food in a central location. Have them collect food, water and any other items from their homes and bring it to that location.

If you were to ask 1,000 different preppers, it is safe to say that you would get about that many different answers. Yet it could very well happen to you.

There are many survival articles that talk about being the gray man, keeping a low profile or the need to be prepared for the gangs or marauders that will be out and about in a SHTF situation. This is a different scenario and yet is more likely to happen as people form groups for survival and safety. This applies to either staying in place or bugging out. So let’s discuss these scenarios for a moment:

Staying in place:

In most places within the United States, homes are built close together within subdivisions. Most of us do not know our neighbors or at least not well enough to suddenly bet our life or the lives of our families on them. Yet, there is safety in numbers and there are many articles that detail the necessity of building a Prepper group within your neighborhood, so I won’t repeat that here.
However, no matter how hard you try, not everyone in your group and especially not everyone in your neighborhood, will want to be prepared, or train themselves and/or their families to the level required when SHTF is suddenly thrust upon them.

So, what is the best way to deal with this situation?

First: If your part of a group, hopefully you have discussed this issue. If your group plans on digging in and protecting your homes, you most likely have some background on the PWBs. You can still benefit from accepting them. There are things that they can do.

What training have they had? When were they last used? Do you have someone in your group or can you assign someone, to inspect the weapons? Do they need cleaning?

But remember that these PWB’s are most likely scared to death and some maybe close to panic. Some may not listen to reason. It will be your job to calm them, guide them, reassure them and even praise them to help stabilize their anxieties. If not, instead of being helpful they may become a threat that you may have to deal with later.

Security: be prepared to brief them on the current situation and what will be required of them. Team them up with one of your trained personnel guarding the access points to your neighborhood. Are there any with weapons training? Prior military or police experience. Are any doctors, nurses, day care workers?

Levels of confidence: While you will need to brief them, be sure that all your trained personnel knows to limit discussing your plans, where you keep weapons, additional supplies, bug out locations and routes with them. In short, provide them enough information for them to perform the duties assigned. Make them feel that they are part of the group, but keep your plans to yourself.

Food rationing: If your plans call for keeping all the food in a central location. Have them collect food, water and any other items from their homes and bring it to that location. Keep a record, or mark it with their names. While rationing will or may be required, seeing their names mixed in with others from the group gives them a sense of belonging.

Keep them busy: Select someone in your group to assist them in creating a bug out bag for each member of the family. Getting into their homes, building up a rapport as your team member guides them also gives you a chance to collect more information about them. That information could be vital if you have to suddenly bug out.

Weapons: Hopefully, some may have them. But, once again, what training have they had? When were they last used? Do you have someone in your group or can you assign someone, to inspect the weapons? Do they need cleaning? Do they have ammo and if so how much? Take the time to drill them on weapons safety. Create a hands on proficiency test. Be sure what you’re dealing with before you place a weapon in their hands.

Bugging out:

Suddenly having untrained personnel with you or worst collecting them along the way can quickly place you and your group in a life threatening situation. I’m sure there are many preppers out there saying that they would not collect PWBs or survivors that managed cross their path. After all, your supplies are limited and the more people in your group the more your group will stand out and perhaps become a target.

But, let’s look at the reality. In Canada, A huge forest fire displaced thousands of residents. The majority of the residents were not prepared and escaped with just the clothes on their back. I’m sure there were some that were prepared and suddenly found themselves surrounded by a sea of escapees. Can you honestly say that you would walk past a hungry and scared child? A most likely SHTF situation that we could encounter will be due to Mother Nature, Fire, Flood, Snow Storm, Earthquake, etc. Your plans should be flexible enough to adjust to the situation that surrounds you.

So allowing for adjustments based on your location, your means of travel, the actual situation that forced you to bug out go back to the various sub topics listed under staying in place and ask yourself how they apply to this situation, how they need to be modified.
You must also know when to say no and deal with the fall out from that decision-both externally and internally.

Sergeant! What do we do with these?

What will be your answer?

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  You were right! The SHTF event you have been preparing for has happened and you and your family are ready. Your bug-out bags are packed; your weapons are locked and

Hurricane season for the Atlantic Ocean runs from June 1st to November 30th with a sharp peak in activity from late August through September. It was precisely this time period that Hurricane Katrina descended upon the gulf causing a still unknown number of deaths and over 108 billion dollars of damage. The resulting chaos and horror shocked and moved millions of people to lend assistance in the aftermath of this tragedy. After the storm left and the cleanup process began, millions more began to make preparations for themselves so they wouldn’t be faced with some of the tragedy the victims in the gulf had to live with.

Ten years later, the effects of Katrina still linger. The towns impacted are still not completely restored and may never be as they once were. The anniversary and season should be an opportunity for anyone who lives in areas prone to hurricanes to reflect on their preparations and make sure they have what is needed should a hurricane be forecast in the future. The list below isn’t exhaustive but I think it covers most of the bases that a good hurricane survival guide should account for. If you have taken care of the items below you will be much better off than many who survived hurricane Katrina. This list could end up saving some lives.

Should you stay or should you evacuate?

The decision to stay or evacuate needs to be evaluated early and often. At a certain point in the storm, you will not be able to leave. Deciding quickly and before the storm is too near, based upon your circumstances and the forecast from the weather experts is best.

The strength of a storm is one indicator of the severity of the damage you can expect. The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is what is used to define and classify hurricane strength.

Category 1 Hurricane – Sustained Winds 74-95 MPH

Very dangerous winds will produce some damage: Well-constructed frame homes could have damage to roof, shingles, vinyl siding and gutters. Large branches of trees will snap and shallowly rooted trees may be toppled. Extensive damage to power lines and poles likely will result in power outages that could last a few to several days.

Category 2 Hurricane – Sustained Winds 96-110 MPH

Extremely dangerous winds will cause extensive damage: Well-constructed frame homes could sustain major roof and siding damage. Many shallowly rooted trees will be snapped or uprooted and block numerous roads. Near-total power loss is expected with outages that could last from several days to weeks.

Category 3 Hurricane – Sustained Winds 111-129 MPH

Devastating damage will occur: Well-built framed homes may incur major damage or removal of roof decking and gable ends. Many trees will be snapped or uprooted, blocking numerous roads. Electricity and water will be unavailable for several days to weeks after the storm passes.

Category 4 Hurricane – Sustained Winds 130-156 MPH

Catastrophic damage will occur: Well-built framed homes can sustain severe damage with loss of most of the roof structure and/or some exterior walls. Most trees will be snapped or uprooted and power poles downed. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months.

Category 5 Hurricane – Sustained Winds 157 MPH or higher

Catastrophic damage will occur: A high percentage of framed homes will be destroyed, with total roof failure and wall collapse. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last for weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months.

If you do decide that you will be evacuating, there are some other considerations.

  • Know where you are going – Don’t hit the highways without a plan or expect you will just find a hotel down the road an hour. During Katrina, hotels were completely booked hours away from New Orleans in all directions. Having a friend or family member within a reasonable driving distance would be better.
  • Don’t wait until the last-minute – Roads out-of-town during an evacuation quickly become clogged with traffic. There are accidents, people run out of fuel and the whole interstate system can become a giant parking lot. If you are leaving, make sure you beat the crowd. In addition, make sure you have a full tank and plenty of additional fuel. You may not be able to get to a gas station for many hours.
  • Plan on delays in coming back – Even after hurricanes have passed road conditions or security concerns can delay people from getting back to their homes. If you are forced to evacuate make sure you have proof that you live in your home. This can be as simple as a couple of bills and your driver’s license with your current street address.
  • Lock house – This may sound obvious but before leaving you should lock your home up as tightly as possible and make preparations for debris.
  • Let friends, relatives, and neighbors know where you are going – It is a good idea that someone knows where you are headed. This can be the people you are going to stay with or family members in other states. You don’t want them worrying about whether you are still alive if they aren’t able to contact you. Knowing you left before the hurricane hits will ease their mind and let them know hopefully how to reach you later.
  • Turn off power at the main breaker box – This should prevent any electrical damage that could be caused if your home is flooded.

Flooding is a major risk in hurricanes. Even well after the storm has passed.

Assuming you are staying put, you can expect services to be out and it helps to take some steps ahead of any outages to deal with issues as they arise after the hurricane.

What supplies do you need for a hurricane survival kit?

  • Water – At least one gallon per person for two weeks.
  • Food – Make sure you have at least a few days, better a month’s worth of food for each person. Your individual bug out bag is tailor-made for a short-term scenario like this and each should have many of the supplies on this list already.
  • Generator – A generator is perfect for situations like hurricanes as long as you have enough fuel. I would make sure to have at least a weeks’ worth of fuel on-hand but you likely won’t need to run your generator non-stop. You can store fuel for a very long time with a good fuel stabilizer. If the power is out you should not connect your generator to your home without a power transfer system. Ideally, you cut off power to the city electric and switch your home over to generator power. This will prevent anyone from working on the line from getting electrocuted by your generator.
  • Battery operated radios – The simplest way to hear the news in a disaster situation like a hurricane is a good weather radio. This will not only warn of any additional approaching storms or floodwaters but keep you up to date with the situation outside your neighborhood if you are unable to get out. Spare batteries are a must.
  • Cash – No power means no AMT machines. Make sure you have a good amount of cash well before you are unable to get it out of the bank. This can make purchases after the hurricane much easier if credit card machines are down.

    A well-stocked first-aid kit, not a box of band-aids it’s a must in emergency situations.

  • One month medicine – Need any medicine to stay alive? Make sure you have enough stocked up to ride out the rebuilding process. Your local pharmacy might not be open for several days or months if they are struck directly. I would also stock up on your basic pain relievers and anti-inflammatory as well as any children’s fever-reducing medicines you could conceivably need.
  • Can opener – Sure you can open a can without a can opener, but it is much simpler if you have a manual can opener to get to all of that non-perishable food you have in the pantry.
  • Flashlights – I recommend headlights for close-in work like seeing what you are cooking, making your way through a dark building or assisting others. Headlamps allow you to be hands-free. They are perfect for most situations, but a backup high lumen flashlight will really cut through the dark and could help in rescue situations.
  • First aid kit – Every family should have a very well-stocked first aid kit. Moving around after a hurricane can cause injuries like burns or major cuts. You will need supplies to dress these wounds and keep them free from germs.
  • Charcoal/gas for grills – Grilling out is usually the best method of cooking when the grid goes down. Take those steaks out of the freezer and have a big party. After that, you can make pretty much any meal with the right cookware and some imagination on a grill.
  • Plastic tarps – Tarps are very light, cheap and useful. They can be used to keep you dry, temporarily patch roofs or keep the sun off your head. You should have several tarps around for general use.
  • Tools/wood/nails – These can be used to close off windows or make repairs after the storm is over.
  • Baby supplies (diapers, wipes, formula) – The little ones need supplies too. Make sure you have a month worth of items they will need just in case.
  • Cleaning Supplies – You will still need to clean up and if you don’t have any running water, some simple cleaning supplies could make the job easier. If your home is damaged from flooding you will need a lot of bleach to disinfect everything that has come in contact with the floodwaters. Disinfecting wipes, rags, scrubbing pads, sponges and cleaning gloves.
  • Mosquito repellent – Hurricanes never happen when you want them too. In hurricane areas, you will likely still have hot sticky days and the mosquitoes will flourish in any flooded areas. Make sure you have plenty of repellents to keep them at bay.
  • Water filtration method/system – I prefer to always have a backup water filtration system that I can use for my family. I do have water stored, but eventually, you may need to find sources and filter the water so it is safe for drinking. I have both a Berkey Light filter and Platypus GravityWorks. These two are dead simple to use and filter a lot of water quickly.

Do you have a pet survival kit?

You can’t forget about your pets either in a time like this and they should be taken with you if you decide to evacuate. You don’t want them left to die as so many were in Hurricane Katrina.

  • Make sure they have a collar with identification (rabies/Tag) so if you are separated, they will know who your pet belongs to. I would also add a tag with a (if found call) written on it.
  • Carrier if your pet is small enough and a leash regardless.
  • Plenty of food for two weeks minimum
  • Bowls for food and water – Collapsible bowls can be used in a pinch and take up less space.
  • Any medication your pets need
  • Poop bags for dogs. A litter box and spare litter for cats
  • Can opener if your food is in a can

This list isn’t everything you could possibly need, but hopefully, it is a start and helps some of you to be more prepared for hurricane survival if you find yourself in that situation. Please let me know your ideas to add to this hurricane survival guide. Stay safe!

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Hurricane season for the Atlantic Ocean runs from June 1st to November 30th with a sharp peak in activity from late August through September. It was precisely this time period

One of the biggest hurdles to actually doing something that can save your life is getting started. I know many people who research topics, watch movies, create lists and pages and pages of bookmarked websites that they can pull up at a moment’s notice. For every idea they have a source. For every plan, they have written information, sourced in binders with color coded tabs. This could be the same for you and your food supplies that are all written neatly in a binder or on a downloadable excel spreadsheet or parked on a DVD you bought online from a survival expert.

My question is what if the world as you know it ends tomorrow? What if the proverbial poop hits the fan and all your lists are just that; worthless words on pieces of paper. What if your highly organized blueprint for survival is nothing more than electrical impulses burned to a hard-drive that will never run again? What if in your efforts to be thorough, you didn’t actually do anything and now you family is looking to you for guidance? Since you have been talking about Prepping for 3 years, you have something prepared for this day, right?

I know that this isn’t the majority of people who read Final Prepper, but there are those out there that become overwhelmed by information and keep thinking over the details in their mind of what they want or need to do until it’s too late. We call this analysis paralysis and in the world of survival, this can get you killed. If you haven’t begun storing food for your family because you haven’t finished watching a DVD or your excel spreadsheet isn’t completely accurate with the quantities and current prices for all 1000 food items you need, you should try something else. What I want to give you is a simple food supply plan that can feed a family of 4 for a month, can be purchased in about one trip out and will cost you a few hundred dollars. Use this plan if you haven’t started anything yet or simply need a jump start on your emergency food supply list for your home. Trust me, your family will appreciate this if something terrible happens and you will be able to look them in the eye again.

What Foods to Buy?

Rice is a cheap and easy emergency food supply

Rice – Rice is one of my favorite storable foods because it is relatively easy to buy even in big quantities and I don’t know if I have ever met anyone who wouldn’t eat rice. Rice stores easily as long as you keep it cool and dry just in the bag. For longer storage you can seal your rice in Mylar bags, throw them in buckets and you are looking at years of shelf life. For your emergency needs though I would go to Sam’s or Costco and by a 50 lb. bag of rice or two. A 50 pound bag contains 504 servings of rice and will lay flat on your shelf for years. We use our rice though so it is always in rotation. Cost – Approximately $20

Beans – Beans, beans the magical fruit. Beans are another food that has a long storage life and is relatively cheap. Beans are the first part of Beans, Bullets and Band-Aids for a good reason. Beans don’t need too much care and like rice store easily for years. You can use them for a good source of fiber, but you should make plans to deal with excess gas if everyone is going to start eating beans once a day… A 10 lb. bag of beans costs around $7 and makes 126 servings. Buy several bags for your pantry and don’t forget the chili and soup mix.

Canned Meat – The best way to cheaply store meat is in cans and for a little variety and additional flavor for your meals, we stock up on canned tuna and chicken. Depending on the size you will need about 35 cans to cover your family for 30 days but these stack nicely and you can always work them into your weekly meals. Canned chicken will easily store for longer than a year so rotation shouldn’t be a problem.

Canned Veggies – 40 cans of your family’s favorite vegetables will give you the nutrition they need and something they will eat. Make sure you aren’t buying mushrooms or olives (unless your family loves them) if you don’t want to see turned up noses when the power has been out for a week and you are trying to get creative with dinner. 40 cans of vegetables will cost roughly $40 and like the meat will store for years.

Canned Fruit – Some people purchase other items for dessert, but canned fruit has a long shelf life and I have to recommend this for your sweet tooth over most other things outside of fresh fruit. I purchased 5 big #10 cans of pears, peaches, and mixed fruit. Each has about 25 servings and will be a nice addition to the rice, bean and chicken stew… 5 cans will cost around $25.

Oatmeal – Breakfast is served, unless that is you are raising chickens and already have fresh eggs everyday which I also highly recommend if you have the ability to do so. Oatmeal is great for breakfast cereal, its cheap and will store a pretty long time. Oatmeal needs a little more care than your rice or beans, but if you have this stored in Mylar you would have breakfast for years. The old cardboard tubes of Oatmeal has 30 servings, costs about $2 each. Buy 4 and you only need water to make this edible. Unless you have the next item.

Honey – Honey as you probably know has been called the perfect survival food. This is because it has an infinite shelf life. That isn’t something we usually have to worry about though because it gets used as a sweetener to replace sugar in tea, over that oatmeal above and you can even use honey to treat wounds. The normal 5 lb. jar of honey is about $15 right now and has 108 servings. Buy two of these.

Salt/Seasoning – Salt is another good storage item because if you keep it dry it will also last forever. Salt is needed by your body and in my opinion; it makes almost everything taste better. You can buy a case of salt in 4 lb. boxes for about $12. Buy a case and you will have enough for a year of seasoning. You can also purchase pepper and other spices you normally use to make that soup or chili above taste better.

Vitamins – The experts say vitamins don’t help you but I tend to believe that some nutrients even in vitamin form are better than nothing. If you aren’t able to maintain perfect nutrition, a simple multivitamin could keep you healthier than not. If you have kids get them some chewable gummy vitamins to keep their health up too. A bottle for each of you would cost about $8.

Water – I know this list was about emergency food supplies, but I will throw water in here too because if you are going to the trouble of taking care of food, you should knock out water at the same time. Each person needs about 1 gallon per day (assuming you aren’t working in the heat all day) for normal hydration and hygiene. A family of 4 would need 120 gallons of water to live for 30 days so you can either buy a whole bunch of bottled water or get 5 gallon plastic water storage containers. If you have the space, a fifty gallon water barrel would be easier, but you won’t be able to move that once it is in place.

What Next?

If you purchase all of the food supplies above it will set you back around $500 buy will cover your family as far as food and water for 30 days. Is this enough to weather any disaster? No, but it is that start you were looking for and you can really knock out all of these items in one day. One day of shopping and storing water would give you the peace of mind you need to ensure your family is taken care of. Can you go out and buy a 30 day supply of freeze-dried food just as easily? Maybe but the key is to do something now. Act before you need this food and take care of your family.

Next steps would be to work on medical supplies, and security. Once you have those, there is also other lists of prepper supplies you should consider. If you want to read a more comprehensive plan, you can also check out our Prepping 101 – Step by Step plan for How to get started Prepping.

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One of the biggest hurdles to actually doing something that can save your life is getting started. I know many people who research topics, watch movies, create lists and pages

 

Walt Disney had the vision to create a place whose sole purpose was to help folks forget their world for a time- a Fantasy-land that could transport us out of reality for a day or so. As individuals that are concerned about our lives, we need to be sure we are looking at reality, not a fabricated fantasy-land as our world. First of all, this article is not meant to offend anyone, I am just humbly submitting my opinions. I have had the good fortune to be on this planet for 50 plus years now, and despite my own goof ups, I am still here.

I wanted to share a few life lessons I have learned along the way that hopefully show the difference of living in Fantasy-land vs Reality. What I learned in many cases shows how reality differs in substantial ways from the Fantasy-land that many preppers envision will be their lives in a TEOTWAWKI situation.

Growing up on a dairy farm I learned:

  • Hard work is hard
  • Weather cannot be controlled – You must prepare for winter, spring, summer and fall
  • Pipes freeze
  • Animals get sick and die
  • Animals are born
  • You want to stay out of the mud
  • Cows kick you – Watch out for the bull
  • Milk spoils
  • Insects win sometimes
  • Rats are not your friend- You need barn cats
  • Neighbors need help
  • Crops fail and boom
  • Tractors break down – Get your machinery ready ahead of time
  • Gotta have a good truck
  • Picnic lunches in the field are good
  • Bees don’t like tractors
  • It is satisfying to see content animals
  • The way people treat animals speaks volumes about how they will treat people
  • Sometimes things just go wrong
  • Good tools payoff
  • Gardens are hard work
  • Do it right once
  • Grandpa is usually right

Growing up, I moved to Alaska to become a commercial fisherman and learned:

  • Hard work is hard
  • You don’t have to like everyone you work with
  • There isn’t a person on the planet you cant learn something from from
  • Be a tourist wherever you go
  • Not everyone lives the way you do
  • Sometimes you have to eat Reuben sandwiches 5 days in a row – Be thankful you are eating
  • Animals also want to survive
  • One must adapt and overcome
  • Step out of your comfort zone
  • Sometimes 100 percent isn’t enough
  • Enjoy good food
  • Prepare for the weather
  • Be a friend
  • Work hard, play hard.

As a single dad, I learned:

  • Sometimes just having a meal on the table is enough
  • Life isn’t about the stuff
  • Kids grow up way too fast
  • You can talk about sex to your kids, and drugs, and alcohol etc.
  • Be their parent, not their friend until later in life
  • Be consistently adequate
  • Admit your mistakes
  • Don’t automatically hate their boyfriends, still show them the guns though…
  • Shut the TV off!
  • Go camping, fishing, volunteering
  • Love each other
  • Accept help when needed
  • Don’t put down your ex, the kids will figure it out
  • Encourage your kids to work hard, oldest is lawyer, next is scientist, youngest is coach
  • Protect your family, but be responsible with weapons, teach them to shoot, self-defense
  • With privileges comes responsibility
  • Don’t look down on others, but don’t get crapped on by others either. Be nice about it…
  • Treat animals well

As a Police Chief, I have learned:

  • People lie to you
  • Honesty goes a long way
  • There are always 2 sides to every story
  • Those that can do, those that can’t teach seminars, (not always)
  • Lighten up sometimes
  • Give breaks when you can, sometimes life just happens
  • It may seem unimportant to me, but not to the other person
  • People do awful things to people
  • Stay aware of your surroundings at all times
  • Hands kill
  • Treat people as good as they will let you
  • Use your brain
  • Slow down or too many unnecessary bad things can happen
  • Be prepared
  • Have a good flashlight
  • Keep backups of important things
  • Know how to shoot well
  • Know first-aid
  • Don’t escalate situations, everybody has somebody that can kick their arse
  • Protect your eyes
  • Encourage folks to do the right thing
  • The people you need to worry about aren’t the ones that tell you what they are going to do, but just do it!
  • Most little guys make up for their size with skill and speed
  • Learn something from everyone you meet, even if it teaches you what not to do!
  • Do all things in moderation!
  • You have the right to remain silent… use that right!

So, Reality vs Fantasy-land

I believe that reality is based on knowledge, coupled with action that is practiced and planned for ahead of the event or situation. Fantasy-land is having lots of gear, watching YouTube videos, owning 45 guns, but not being able or willing to mow your own yard or walk a few miles.

Trust your own skill-sets, improve on them, learn new ones, adapt, improvise and most importantly overcome!

So let’s not buy front row tickets to the 4 pm show at Fantasy-land, but perhaps we should work with the ones setting up the stage, maybe they are the true people that know how to get it done.

Each day, try to learn something, get the bugs out of a prep or tool or project, and make your preparedness reality, not just something you saw in prepper Fantasy-land. I personally love sitting down with elderly folks to enjoy a cup of coffee and hear about their lives, experiences, skill sets, etc. These folks are a treasure chest!!!

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  Walt Disney had the vision to create a place whose sole purpose was to help folks forget their world for a time- a Fantasy-land that could transport us out of

Have you ever wondered what you would do for work after the end of the world as we know it? There are many ideas out there and we have even mentioned a few of them on Final Prepper in past articles. Most of the ideas seem to start with the view that there will be a total collapse of the grid. When that happens, anarchy will reign supreme for some undetermined time. After the chaos is over, we will go back to living like it’s the 1800’s or close to that with no authority or social control in place anymore. In that kind of world where none of the technological advances are working anymore, what would you do?

Like I said, there have been a lot of good ideas posted on prepping blogs. Some people recommend blacksmiths or leather-working and those both sound like excellent choices if you have the skill and equipment. Surgeons, pharmacists and mid-wives will always be needed I think, as will people who can grow food, fix things that aren’t running and build things that need to be built. Anyone who is handy and has some imagination would seem to be able to offer something of value in this new imagined world in return for payment of some form. I imagine the world’s oldest profession will somehow find a way to survive even in a world of collapse.

Your average marketing executive, social worker or accountant will likely be up a creek without a paddle unless they have some other skills to offer. One job that I started thinking about was the job of a hired gun. If you have nothing but tactical training and the tools of the trade I can see a potential job for people who fit that bill.

Who would need a hired gun?

Hired guns have been in practice for eons. The bible talks about Amaziah hiring “100,000 valiant warriors out of Israel” so we can safely assume the practice wasn’t new even back then. The ten thousand were a group of mostly Greek mercenary units pulled together by Cyrus the Younger to attempt to take the throne of the Persian Empire from his brother, Artaxerxes II. The Swiss Guard has as part of its history service to the French where they were known as “the best contract troops money could buy”.

Do you envision yourself in the role of hired gun or mercenary?

People throughout time have needed protection or muscle to fight their wars. The form of the force or amount of protection would seem to depend on a couple of factors but the bottom line was you got what you could afford. When we are talking about the end of the world as we know it, payment could be as simple as food and shelter. Many of us talk about hunkering down in our homes with our stored provisions of food and riding out the chaos that we can imagine in a real collapse scenario but not many of us have a large enough force assembled to keep what we have safe if we are attacked by superior numbers. It wouldn’t take too many people or too much training to force a family of frightened, sleep deprived and stressed individuals out of the illusion of safety in their home which would then become the property of the invading force.

I could easily see the value in paying trusted, skilled, principled individual’s wages to help me defend my home and possessions if I had the means to do that. Could you?

What skills would you need to have to be a hired gun?

Since I am midway through this article, I should step back and state clearly that I have zero experience with this subject and anything I am writing today is just a simple thought exercise. I have never been a hired contract killer; likewise I have never hired anyone to run security for me, so I can only guess at some of the possibilities here. By the same token, I am imagining a world that has been set back to the 1800’s which also takes some mental creativity and artistic license. If you do have experience please join the conversation in the comments below.

Now, getting back to the article, what skills would make you worthy of employment as a hired gun? I can rattle off a list of military disciplines, skills, experience and schools that the mere attendance of would have made you a certifiable tough guy, but until you had a small village under your control, I would assume anyone hired to be protection would also serve other purposes too unless the threat of violence was imminent. Imagine you and your ex-military buddy were forced out onto the road due to some horrible circumstances. You have skills taught to you by the armed services of your country and you had essential gear for bugging out; battle rifles, bulletproof vests, enough camouflage to look respectable, night vision goggles and a good bit of ammo.

You wander through the countryside and come across a homestead during the course of your route away from the conflict and are lucky enough to meet the rancher who owns the land. After some very guarded pleasantries, he shares that he could use some help protecting his land and family. He would provide room and board for your loyalty.

What jobs could you have to do?

Now in my imagined doomsday scenario, you aren’t manning guard towers all day and sniping bad guys from 600 yards. You are there to provide muscle when needed, but the majority of your days would likely be occupied by other tasks. Your hired gun status is really only for when that gun is needed. Most of the rest of the time, it is your strong back, your calloused hands and maybe in some part, your companionship that is more likely what you will invest.

You probably thought you would be guarding the perimeter and keeping the other people who wandered through the rancher’s territory in the Golden Horde at bay and dealing with gangs who appeared to take some livestock or the ranchers’ wife and daughters. Maybe that could be the role of someone lucky enough to fall into this line of work, but I doubt that would be a full-time job.

Your job might even evolve over time where the first responsibility would be to set up those guard positions and fortify the house as much as possible. You might be teaching people how to shoot accurately, setting up range cards and developing SOP’s for dealing with various situations. You could be tasked with reconnaissance and information gathering where you would go out into the countryside to analyze approaching threats or coordinate resources. You could have much responsibility or very little until you were needed.

What if you wanted to hire someone as your security force?

Admittedly, this whole idea requires a lot of factors to fall into place to even work. For starters, we would have to have some cataclysmic event that rendered most of the world out-of-order. There would need to be lawlessness and people intent on protecting what is theirs with the resources on hand to ensure that happened. What are some of the other problems with this scenario?

  • Who would supply the ammunition you needed for practice and defense?
  • Would you have access to the ammunition or would you need the rancher to get it?
  • What if the rancher asked you to do something that you didn’t want to?
  • Are there other “defenders” that you have to worry about?
  • Are you able to leave at any point or is this contract for life?
  • Will you honor your commitments?
  • What if the rancher is killed?
  • What if you decide you want to leave to start a new life?
  • What if the rancher kills your friend?
  • What if the rancher isn’t really all that nice and wants to kill his neighbor and take their lands?
  • What if there was a local law presence and your actions as a representative of this rancher ended you up in front of the local law with a murder charge?

There really are a million different ways this could play out and after all these words I still understand that these hypothetical scenarios can never be answered to the satisfaction of all concerned in all cases. The best I can offer in situations like this are my own thoughts which on occasion pose more questions than answers. These are the types of things I think about.

What do you think? Could you foresee a Wild West world where you could be hired on to a larger home to help them protect what is theirs? Would you do it assuming you had nowhere else to go? Would you be a hired gun?

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Have you ever wondered what you would do for work after the end of the world as we know it? There are many ideas out there and we have even

Although you may not know of any immediate dangers or emergencies, it is best to be prepared for something long before it presents itself. Often, when a disaster arrives, supermarkets will run out of food rapidly. In fact, typically grocery stores only have a maximum of three days of goods on hand before they run out, so it would be best to prepare now.

Below are 103 items a prepper should consider to have on your long term food storage list because they have a long-shelf life, have multiples uses and can be great for bartering. and should pick up during your next grocery store visit to hold in case of emergency:

How do we choose them?

Shelf Life.

When the world is not the same as we knew it now. Chances are there will be no one restocking the food at the nearby Walmart. One of the best bet is to store only food that can last for decent amount of time.

Bartering

Unlike in video games, cash does little but to use as artificial fuel to keep your campfire burning (not that it is of much use in that aspect as well). Ensuring that you have items on hand that are essential for survival will also mean that you have bargaining chips in negotiations as well.

Multi-Purpose

Food are not only used to nourish our bodies. Some food even rises up to special occastions when you couldn’t find any such as cleaning or antibiotics.

1. Back To Basics

buckwheat

These ingredients are those that should be on any survival food list because they are foods that are the foundation of many meals. That being said, many can be eaten alone if need be.

Grains

As you are likely aware, grain are a stable in many people’s diets and are crucial to have available during a disaster. They offer a viable way to keep you filled when looking for alternatives.

Depending on the aridity and coolness of where these are stored; the shelf life can vary.

Hard Grains

When stored properly at 70 degrees F, these grains can last for 10 – 12 years. They can be stored longer due to their hard outer shells.

Hard Grains

1. Buckwheat

2. Dry Corn​

3. Kamut

4. Hard Red Wheat

5. Soft White Wheat

6. Millet

7. Duram Wheat

8. Spelt Or Hulled Wheat

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1. Buckwheat

Buckwheat is usually considered as an alternative to rice. Low in GI and filling. It is a worthy choice to store

2. Dry Corn

Lesser known as Maize, these corns is a good source of vitamins B, fibers and essential minerals for the human body.

3. Kamut

High in protein and minerals compared to modern wheat.

4. Hard Red Wheat

Brownish , high protein wheat

5. Soft White Wheat

Made from red wheat, these grains contained lower protein but higher carbohydrates.

6. Millet

Great for the heart and can be stored for a long time.

7. Durum wheat

Durum wheat is a very hard wheat with high proteins

8. Spelt or Hulled Wheat

Triticum spelta, the scientific name of Spelt is a more nutritious counterpart to wheat; containing more carbohydrates and fiber.

Soft Grains

In contrast to the Hard Grains, these have a softer outer shell; hence the name. If stored properly at 70 degrees F, soft grains can last for about eight years.

Soft Grains

1. Barley

2. Oats Groats or Hulled Oats

3. Quinoa

3. Rye

5.Rolled Oats or Oatmeal

1. Barley

Chewy and having a nutlike flavor, barley contains maltose which are essential for the human body.

2. Oat Groats Or Hulled Oats

Oat Groats are the kernals of Oats. They can take a long time to cook. It is an excellent source of Fiber, vitamin B and Protein.

3. Quinoa

Highly nutritious. Quinoas are gluten-free and one of the few plant food that contain all 9 essential amino acids

4. Rye

Contain lower gluten and higher fiber than wheat

5. Rolled Oats or Oatmeal

Another preparation method of the Oats. Think Quakers.

2. Beans And Peas

kidney-beans

Fact Check: Most beans are in fact, seeds that we can use as food.

Beans are a great source of protein, fiber, iron and should definitely be on your food prepper list. They must be sealed and kept away from oxygen.

The beans below can last for up to 10 years.

Beans And Peas

1. Pinto Beans

2. Kidney Beans

3. Lima Beans

4. Hard Red Wheat

5. Adzukzi Beans

6. Green Mung Beans

7 Black Turtle Beans

8. Blackeye Beans

9. Dried Lentils

10. Dried Beans

10. Dried Split Peas

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1. Pinto Beans

Very High in Dietary Fiber and Proteins and usually consumed in US

2. Kidney Beans

High in Iron and Potassium and various vitamins. Essentially a good choice to store for various disasters.

3. Lima Beans

Also called butter beans for their buttery texture. They are good sources of Fiber vitamin B

4. Adzukzi Beans

Native to East Asia, also known as red mung beans. High in Fiber and good for the heart.

5. Garbanzo Beans

Also known as Chickpeas.

6. Green Mung Beans

The green cousin to the Adzukzi Beans.

7. Black Turtle Beans

Low Gl, high in fiber, protein and Iron. What’s more?

8. Blackeye Beans

Literally having a black eye. These beans are high in Potassium; have good Iron and protein

9. Dried Lentils

Coming from Asia and North Africa. It is one of the oldest sources of food and a rich provider of protein and carbohydrates.

10. Dried Beans

Also known as legumes or pulses, these dried beans are one of the world’s oldest food source. They are also excellent sources of protein, dietary fiber and complex carbohydrates​

11. Dried Split Peas

Dried Peas are available around the year, making it a good choice to store whenever you need to at the mart.​

3. Get Some Doughs

Flours, mixes and pasta can last anywhere from five to eight years if stored properly.

Get Some Doughs

1. All Purpose Flour

2. White Flour

3. Whole Wheat Flour

4. Cornmeal

5. Pasta

6. White Rice

7. Noodles

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4. Some Sweet Stuff

If frozen, dried fruits are nonperishable and still last for a long time if left out in the open. See below for some options.

Some Sweet Stuff

1. Raisins

2. Dried Cranberries

3. Dried Blueberries

4. Dates

5. Dried Mangoes

6. Apricots

7. Dried Cherries

8. Dried Plums

9. Banana Chips

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5. The Morale Boosters

salt-and-spices

While it may seem unnecessary to focus on adding flavor or cooking well during a time of emergency, if you have time to prepare in advance, investing in spices and ingredients that add flavor to your food is well worth it.

Flavoring your food during a tough time can help to raise morale during a tough time. Spices can often last over ten years or forever if stored properly.

The Morale Boosters

1. Salt

2. Peppers

3. Brown Sugar

4. White Sugar

5. Raw Honey

6. Whiskey

7. Vodka

8. Molasses

9. Maple Syrup

10. Cinnamon

11. Paprika

12. Dried Herbs

13. Pure Flavor Extracts

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6. Oils

Most types of oils aren’t going to last long enough to hold onto for long term disasters,but there is one that will at least for a couple years!

Oils

1. Coconut Oil

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7. Condiments

vinegar

There aren’t a ton of non perishable condiments, but there are a few if you are hoping to add them to your survival food list.

Condiments

1. White Vinegar

2. Apple Cider Vinegar

3. Balsamic Vinegar

4. Rice Wine Vinegar

5. Red Wine Vinegar

6. Raspberry Vinegar

7. Worcestershire Sauce

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8. Other

If you plan on cooking, the below items would be useful to have on your long term food storage list.

Other Useful Items

1. Corn Starch

2. Baking Soda

3. Corn Syrup

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9. Items Used For More Than Cooking

While the below items have already been listed, it is important to call special attention to them because even if you don’t think you would need them for your food prep, you may need them for another use.

1. Apple Cider Vinegar for its cooking, cleaning and as antibiotic properties

2. Baking Soda for cooking and cleaning functions

3. Honey for it’s antibiotic wound properties. It also alleviates allergies, treats burns and acts a sleep aid.

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10. Short Term Survival Foods

canned-food

Other survival foods that you should have on your food prepper list are below, but they are better for short term disasters because of their shorter shelf life.

It’s fair to assume that during a short term disaster you won’t be able to or won’t want to do any food preparation or cooking and the below foods are perfect for that. Make sure to pick them up during your next trip to the grocery store.

For The Short Haul

1. Canned Tuna

2. Canned Meats

3. Canned Vegetables

4. Canned Fruits

5. Peanut Butter

6. Coffee

7. Corn Oil

8. Cocoa Powder

9. Tea

10. Ramen Noodles

11. Hard Candy

12. Powdered Milk

13. Dried Herbs And Spice

14. Popcorn

15. Vegetable Oil

16. Oats

17. Cereals

18. Pasta Sauce

19. Crackers

20. Jell-O Or Pudding Mix

​21. Instant Potato Flakes

22. Olive Oil

23. Bouillon Cubes or Granules

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11. That Something Extra

In order to survive any sort of disaster you must also be prepared with the appropriate non-food items. Add the below items to your long term food storage list.

That Something X’tra

1. Bic Lighters

2. Toilet Paper

3. Soaps

4. Bottled Water

5. Vitamins

6. Charcoal

7. Batteries

8. Medicines 

9. Bandages

10. Peroxide

11. Lighter Fluid

12. Canning Supplies

13. Flashlight

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Conclusion​

You certainly do not need to buy every item on the survival food list to be prepared for a short or long term disaster, but I would suggest getting a few items from each category.

Speak with your family about what items they would like most and then narrow down your list. Be certain not to forget water in addition to your food items.

Once you’ve made up your mind, don’t delay, head to the grocery store immediately or order any supplies you may need before disaster strikes and the stores become empty.

Before we end this off, here is an useful video on how to increase your odds of surviving.

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Do you have any additions to this best prepper food list? If so, let us know!

This article has been written by Colin, from Basisgear.com

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Although you may not know of any immediate dangers or emergencies, it is best to be prepared for something long before it presents itself. Often, when a disaster arrives, supermarkets

 

Be ready for your workday.

Like many other preppers all over the world I find myself in daily situations where I feel less than fully prepared. While you can never be ready for everything, and yes this includes when you are hunkered down in your bunker with the Fort Knox of dried foods and more guns and ammo than the Israeli army, there are some things that we can do to help minimize this. One of the biggest holes in my preparedness plan is work. Like almost everyone else I spend the majority of my time at work, specifically a school. While the school does have standard emergency provisions such as emergency blankets, medical supplies and enough salvageable materials and resources to at the very least, coupled with my EDC (everyday carry), put me in a very good position to head home to re-evaluate the situation. However, it could be better. As preppers we also have a moral responsibility to aid others when we can. Having an emergency bag, or preferably several, at work could make the difference for not only you but for the unprepared as well.

So what would this emergency bag or kit contain? In this article we will look at several points of consideration and areas that will need to be explored for you to make your own at work emergency bag. This is by no means a how to guide or my own personal opinion, more an aid in helping you, the reader, evaluate and create your own kit specifically tailored to your situation and the legal requirements and regulations in your area.

Some Big Questions

The first thing to ask yourself is what is the purpose of your kit? Is its purpose to get you to a specific place? To manage the immediate situation? Or to equip you and your co-workers with the means of effecting self rescue. If you are looking to get to a specific place you will be needing something lightweight and comfortable to wear even if you have sustained injury. If you are staying put you will be more concerned with medical supplies and provisions. Also, you will require materials and ways to secure your surrounding area. I.e clearing debris and checking for immediate threats like water, gas and electrical lines. If self rescue is your goal then a means of reaching help quickly and safely will be your main points of concern.

Mini bolt cutters can be carried easily and cut though locks or metal in an emergency.

The next big question is how many people will be in your group and how many kits will you have? While safety in numbers and the additional manpower can be a big advantage, will everyone share your point of view or plan for survival? Will you have a set hierarchy or chain of command in place if an emergency does require it? An emergency situation is only made worse with the chaos of panic. Looking into or addressing these situations now will directly affect your gear and plan of action.

Let’s say you will go it alone or with a very small group. This will mean you will need gear that is lightweight with more weight and space being taken up by necessities such as water or medical supplies. On the other hand, if you go with a larger group you will be able to transport more gear and will have more options for what you can do in your situation. For example, you could carry a range of tools that could help you bypass obstacles easier, such as a crowbar or bolt cutters. You may also have more chance of people having access to a functioning vehicle or medical/emergency training.

Finally, and in many ways the most important question and without an answer to this, even your best laid plans will never leave the drawing board. How will you fund and start this endeavor? Can you get permission from your boss to store gear at your place of work? Will your co-workers be on board or just go with it when the time comes leaving you with stressed out, unprepared, possibly dangerous people to have to handle? Training or including others in your preps is a necessity if you plan includes others.

If you have a single kit you will limit options for space and weight, if you have several the storage space and price may go up, one for everyone it certainly will. So before reading further these questions need to be answered.

Gear, Gear and More Gear for your Emergency Bag

Paratus 3 Day Operator’s Pack has a lot of features for less than $100.

Onto the matter of the gear. Like all good BOBs (bug out bags) a good emergency bag relies on the same principles. With that in mind let’s look at the first aspect: the bag itself.

You have a wide variety of options to consider here. You could go with durable military bags with ample padding, strapping and webbing for gear or a more discreet civilian bag that doesn’t draw attention. Others prefer high visibility bags with attached lights and whistles for easy access similar to the design of airplane life jackets or flame retardant bags that while not all too well designed will ensure your gear remains safe from fire and is partially waterproof. Each has their pros and cons and should be chosen when and only when the rest of your kit has been assembled. One of the golden rules of BOBs: buy the bag to fit the kit not the kit that will fit in the bag.

Next, clothing and protective gear. Most everyday office buildings, schools or company work spaces are built of similar materials, concrete, re-bar, steel (possibly corrugated) and plywood. These materials while dependent on size can be moved if blocking an escape route. However, doing so without adequate hand and eye protection would be a mistake. Strong work gloves, goggles and masks can be extremely useful. Be sure to take in mind the amount of protection verses dexterity you will need. If working with wires and fine tools is what you expect bulky industrial work gloves may not be the best choice. In regards to goggles and masks the standard N95 mask and standard full eye and nose goggles should suffice for keeping dust or smoke at bay.

Onto the case of footwear. While work boots are preferable don’t underestimate a comfortable pair of dress shoes. Try yours out on a long distance walk in the city or on a short jog. It may sound strange but it could save you time, money and space on gear you may not need. While helmets may be unnecessary they are a fair consideration depending on your place of work, but be sure to make sure you can wear it with your goggles and mask with good visibility.

The next main concern in any kit is signalling and communications. For this aspect of your kit you should be looking at mid/long-range ham radios, solar/kinetic emergency radios, flares and glow sticks. The reason for this is that you can keep in contact with whoever is in the area, keep track of emergency broadcasts and signal for rescue. Replying on cell phones and land line communication is a gamble in a survival situation and should not be relied upon. If you are going to rely on ham radio then you first have to learn how to use it and all the relevant emergency frequencies.

Now let’s move onto medical matters. If any of your party are injured leaving them untreated can only make matters worse. Having a basic knowledge of first aid can prove invaluable and as the saying goes: Knowledge doesn’t weigh anything.

A small axe can make survival in many situations much easier.

However basic supplies don’t hurt. Having a standard trauma kit in your pack can provide you with. A kit I would recommend is the Bighorn Sportsman Medical Kit, or at least one which contains similar provisions. That said, the best medical kit is always one you put together and tailor yourself.

The last but by no means the least important is food and water. While having a store at work for several days a head would be great it unfortunately isn’t possible most of the time. Having cooking gear and fuel, while they double as a heat source are, for most, quite unnecessary. Dried long life foods such as Datrex bars which are well suited to a small lightweight kit. While they are by no means gourmet but they will get the job done of sustaining you until rescue or self rescue occurs. Water, like food, does not need to be stored in great volume. A one liter bottle of water per person should be sufficient for 1 – 2 days. While glass containers will allow you to store water for longer periods of time and should be considered for at home stores, plastic is the best choice here due to its weight, durability and flexibility. Cooking equipment and food that requires such should be avoided to save weight and space. That said if it is within your capability to do so a hot meal can go a long way in regards to boosting moral.

Locked and Loaded

The last aspect of a kit to talk about is weapons and tools. While carrying a small axe, firearm or full tang knife is something that most, if not all, survivalists consider essential it may not be safe nor permitted in the work place. While it is tempting to simply conceal these items from people in your personal belongings it is also worth talking to your boss or manager about these things with the aim of having all your gear approved. Depending on where you work you may be faced with different rules, restrictions and regulations for what you can carry. Always make sure that you have the right permits and documentation. Who knows you may even make a Prepper out of them.

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  Be ready for your workday. Like many other preppers all over the world I find myself in daily situations where I feel less than fully prepared. While you can never be