Why I Became a Prepper

Most of the population is not prepared for a disaster situation and I will admit I used to be one of them. I wasn't always attentive to my surroundings and the aware of the possibilities of our great country coming under attack.

When you think about it, it's easy to become reliant on the systems our government has put together for us. Electric, heat, food supply, clean water are all now necessary systems for the survival of the majority of US citizens.

US Congress once did a study and found that if the country were to lose the electrical grid, 98% of Americans would be dead within the first year because we wouldn't have access to food, water, medicine etc. You get the idea. 

I never thought about what would happen if those systems suddenly became interrupted. I never wondered what I would do if I couldn't drive down the road to the grocery store and replenish my food supply. Or what would happen if I turned on my faucet and no water came out. 

Disasters typically don't give us a heads-up that they're coming so that we can run to store and stock up on supplies. 

One day, I found the book Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse and began reading.

It's not my typical book, as I prefer to read non-fiction. Even though this book is fictional, there are many facts about survival tools and firearms that it's hard to classify it completely as fiction.

This book opened my eyes to not only the immediate dangers of a post-collapse America but also the threats that occur months down the road as vagrants and gangs try to survive by killing and stealing.

When the shit hits the fan, this book will be the number one reason that I will be ready.

Sony Hackers Reveal Much Larger Threat

The hackers who have been slowly releasing hundreds of thousands of private documents recently stolen from the servers and computers at Sony have now threatened violence to those who attend the showing of the movie, The Interview.

You heard that right - A terrorist attack has been threatened to occur on our soil because a corporation has put potential profit above public safety. Did you expect any different?

The hackers are claiming this attack will rival Sept. 11 2001 and it seems the attack(s) may occur at the movie premier or on Christmas Day.

UPDATE

Since posting this, Sony has cancelled the movie premier scheduled in Manhattan on Thursday. Seth Rogan and James Franco, the stars from the movie, have cancelled all public appearances and at least one movie chain is refusing to show the movie at any of its locations because of the terrorist threat. 

Warning from Guardians of Peace

I hope this is nothing more than a threat, but if this group is affiliated with the North Korean
government as some are saying, we may be in more danger than we think.

It is safe to assume North Korea has access to some sort of nuclear technology. We know they have been testing for many years and that testing hasn't occurred for quite some time, leading some to assume they are happy with the current product and are ready to use it. While they may not have the missile technology needed to deliver a warhead to the United States, there are other delivery options.

Stay vigilant over the holiday week, watch for suspicious people and keep on prepping!

Don't Throw Out That Old CellPhone

At some point in the near future, you're going to upgrade your phone and you may be left with an old phone that is still functioning, just outdated. Do not throw it away.

You can use this old phone as a backup device if there is an event that destroys most of our electronics, like an EMP. Of course this will only be possible if the old phone is stored in a EMP safe container. Some people mention microwaves could withstand an EMP.

 Make sure you have a solar charger

So let's say there was an EMP attack and your brand new phone is toast. In fact, everyone's phone is toast. All of the information on the phone, lost forever. But you have your old phone sitting at home safe and sound, ready to be turned on.

Now, I know what some of you are saying, "the EMP destroyed all of our communication lines, so who cares if I have an old phone".  Our phones are now mini-computers. They will hold any information we put on them for future reference. Apps that don't require a signal will function just fine. Music you would have missed could still be at your fingertips. Your children will be entertained and quiet during stressful times.

Before throwing old items away, always ask yourself if it's something that could be useful down the road in dire times.

 Make sure you have a solar charger

Keep on Prepping!



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Newt Gingrich Claims EMPs are a Major Threat

Newt has gone on record again, reminding Americans an EMP would destroy America's grid and most of our lives. Unfortunately, the government and private electrical companies have yet to make a move to protect us.

The threat of any rogue nation launching a nuke above our heads and wiping out life as we know is becoming more of a reality as Iran and North Korea get closer to the launching technology. North Korea may already be there after successfully launching a satellite into space a few months ago.

Hacking is another threat we must be concerned with. Hackers have gained access to our electrical systems in the past and they will continue to find these weaknesses and threaten our grid. Without power for an extended period of time, most Americans will die. Our enemies are quickly learning how dependent we are on the grid and how easy it would be to take away our life line.

I hope you aren't one of the millions of Americans who will turn a blind eye to this threat. As we become more dependent on technology, we also become more vulnerable.

Keep on prepping!

Keeping an Emergency Money Stash

Despite the rise of credit card use, cold hard cash still serves a purpose in this economy. During most disasters including financial collapse, American currency will maintain some value for a short time. Imagine if the power grid in your area suddenly fails. Your banks, grocery stores, ATMs, and gas stations all rely on electricity to facilitate the transfer of electronic funds. No power means no goods for you or others unless you have cash. Having a stash of emergency money gives you the ability to purchase goods without relying on the electrical grid.

Even in a disaster situation like an EMP, you may have one or two days where you can walk into a grocery store with cash and buy what you want, mostly because no one will know what is going on yet. Of course, this is assuming the stores stay open. The sooner you can arrive at a location you improve your chances of being able to shop. Small businesses and corner shops may keep their doors open for a couple of days, but big stores like Walmart will most likely be locked up after one day. 

How much you set aside is your decision. I like the idea of having enough to double my food and water supplies immediately if something happens. Of course I only recommend this to those who already have a nice stockpile of food and water. Going out after a disaster may be extremely dangerous and risky, so do not rely on this as your only post-disaster plan. You may return home empty-handed and then be without anything.

Stay always prepared!

North Korean Missile Launch

It looks like North Korea will be proceeding with their scheduled missile test despite warnings from Russia, China, and the United States. North Korea claims the launch is peaceful and only a satellite.

North Korea Missile Launch

I have two problems with this launch. The obvious first problem is allowing North Korea to test the capabilities of their missile technology. A test allows scientists to see what tweaks need to be made and then brings them one step closer to firing on the U.S. My second problem is even if this missile test is meant for satellite launching, I do not trust the motive. North Korea placing a satellite above our heads will not end well for the West. A satellite has the potential to detonate a nuclear weapon far outside of Earth's atmosphere and the protection of the missile defense system (EMP damage). However, reports state that North Korea does not have the technology to build a rocket that can reach space or build a satellite that can fire a nuclear warhead. But these are reports based on assumption since no one has access to the highly secretive country.

This may just be a peaceful test by North Korea or this may be a more sinister step towards becoming a legitimate threat. I would rather be prepared for them becoming a threat so that I'm not surprised.

Do you think we should take this launch as an act of war and stop them before they proceed further?

EMP Threat

Electromagnetic pulses (EMP) are a pulse of energy typically found during a nuclear explosion. This pulse destroys anything electrical by overloading the circuits with energy and frying the devices. EMPs can be a serious threat to our country. So much so that our government assessed the impact an EMP blast would have on our nation by appointing a commission in 2008. The results can be found HERE. A nuclear blast miles above America is all that is necessary to wipe out a majority of the infrastructure and result in a 70-90% loss of life within the first year after an attack.

So who would explode a nuclear bomb above the United States? I believe North Korea is a considerable threat within the next 5 years. North Korea continues to test missile technology under the guise of launching satellites. The scary part about their cover is the potential to launch a nuclear missile from a satellite instead of from Earth (most likely outside the range of our missile defense system). The nuclear explosion could be well outside of the Earth's atmosphere, up to 300 miles away according to the commission report and cause significant damage.

Preparing for an EMP is like preparing for the worse case scenario. Every electronic will most likely be destroyed from the blast. That means no electric, no water, no cars, no generators, no flashlights, no batteries, no radios, etc. If it runs on electric, you won't have it. On the positive side, being prepared for the worst means you are prepared for everything else.

What's worse? Our country in not prepared for such an attack. No government could respond fast enough and restore power as necessary. Restoration would take months into years. Imagine the loss of life as hospitals are without power because the generators are fried. Mobs will form within days as hunger begins to set in.If you want to read a chilling account of what may happen, then read One Second After

Faraday cages are believed to be one way to protect your electronics from such an attack. However, there isn't much research on the subject because you need a nuclear explosion in order to test the hypothesis. There are many plans on how to build a faraday cage so just Google it if you are interested in building your own. I believe it is better to be safe than sorry so I will be beginning my project very soon.

Remember, preparing for an EMP attack means you will be prepared for any other disaster. 

Red Dawn

The remake of Red Dawn was actually pretty cool!And if you need some motivation to prep, this movie is even better.

What I liked about the new plot was the updated threat. They actually appeared to borrow the somewhat realistic idea of North Korea becoming a military threat to the nation from the recent video game, Homefront. By causing an EMP above America, most of the nation's defenses are down, allowing millions of North Korean troops to invade and take over each town.

Even though this movie is fictional, we need to take a serious look at this type of threat. An EMP would devastate our current living situations and it would take years to correct all of the power grids, communications, vehicles, etc. They scary thing about an EMP is it could cause a slow death for millions because we are so reliant on the system now. Everything we rely on, relies on the electrical grid in one way or another.

Take the necessary steps to become less reliant. Wind turbines and solar power is an excellent idea if you can afford the technology. The prices continue to come down as the supply increases to meet demand so maybe we will all have these backup power sources shortly in the future.

Until then, keep prepping!