Magnetic Poles Shifting Soon?

Scientists continue to point towards a potential magnetic pole shift in our near future.

What Does That Mean?

Every 200,000 to 300,000 years, the earth's magnetic poles switch causing our magnetic field to weaken. The magnetic field is what protects living things from UV Rays and dangerous cosmic rays. The last pole switch occurred 780,000 years ago so we are way past due.

The problem is that there is no agreement on what might happen to human life after this shift.

Some believe the effects will be minimal while many others are stating this could be the next extinction.

What is agreed upon is these solar storms can have dangerous effects on the systems we have come to depend on. Cell phones and even the electricity entering our homes may suddenly stop working.

This might not sound like a big deal on face value but after numerous government studies, it's widely accepted now that today's human population would not survive very long without electricity. The conclusion being 95% of humans would perish in the first year without electricity.

What Should You Do? 

Preparing for a pole switch isn't much different than preparing for any other disaster. You're mostly preparing for an extended period without electricity.

That means clean water, lights, fire starting material, food, medication, transportation, bug out plans, etc.

Having a plan in place will prevent panic within your home if an emergency like this occurs.

Keep on prepping!

Don't Be Like Everyone Else!

It truly is terrifying to look around in a crowded public place and realize you might be the only one fully aware of your surroundings. 

People are so enthralled into their daily rituals and phone checking to understand things can go south in a blink of an eye. Having your eyes up and watching what is going on could be the big difference between dying and surviving a sudden dangerous situation. 

I walk through Walmart and see people loading up their food carts. But it's only enough for the week. Why? It's so simple to slowly build up your emergency supplies now!

You don't have to go to the store and spend hundreds of dollars for supplies tonight. But at least buy a few extra items each time you're there. If you eat tuna, buy a couple extra cans. Maybe you like pickles. Buy two jars instead of one this time. 

Those few extra items will add up to a large stockpile. A larger stockpile than your neighbors. 

Because I guarantee none of your neighbors are prepared! 

Don't find yourself in a nasty situation without any supplies. Don't find yourself looking back on today, realizing how easy it would have been. 

Don't put yourself in that situation. 

Keep on prepping!

Going Beyond Canned Food

For most people, building up supplies typically means buying lots and lots of canned and dehydrated food with a 2 - 25yr shelf-life. This food is a necessity and will save your family's life in a disaster situation. 

However, there is a way to get beyond the canned food and give yourself a couple of good first few weeks to a month of yummy food.  

Before I start, I am not saying you should alter your canned food supplies at all. Canned food is what will allow you to survive longer than most in an extended disaster situation. Maintain your large supply of canned food and dehydrated food etc. I am just saying, maybe we can delay your reliance on what some call less-appetizing food choices. 

What we must realize here is most disaster situations will be for a much shorter period of time than expected. Meaning you might only need a couple of days to a week or two of supplies before help arrives. While we should always plan for the longest survival situation we can afford, your initial food supplies can have a shorter shelf-life because you will be storing items you eat on a regular basis. By having a regular rotation you will be eating the food and replenishing far before the actual expiration date. 

What you will be doing is buying extra of the items you normally buy in a grocery trip.  

My family loves crackers, potato chips, granola bars and cereal. These items all have a shorter shelf-life than canned food but they are still good for on average of 3-6 months after I've purchased them. I buy a couple of extra boxes and store them with my other supplies. Then I rotate them into my family's cupboards as we eat them and continue to buy new boxes when I return to the store. Thus replenishing my supplies and extending the final enjoy-by date. 

Storing familiar food items will not only create a happier atmosphere in a bad situation but it will also be easier on your stomach. Unless you are used to eating dehydrated and canned food regularly, this food will most-likely cause stomach issues. Nothing like tossing diarrhea on top of scary dire times. 

A list of items we keep on hand: 

Crackers, potato chips, granola bars, mashed potatoes (just add water), cookies, spaghetti (don't forget jars of sauce), other sweet treats, beef jerky, and pudding snack-pacs. 

Just check the expiration dates on your regular purchases and you'll develop your own list pretty quickly. 

Keep on prepping!

Three States Warned of Potential Terrorist Attacks on Monday

If you live or will be visiting Texas, New York or Virginia next week, be vigilant and monitor your surroundings at all times. Any suspicious activity should be reported to authorities in order to prevent any potential attacks.

Even if you live furthest away from any of these states, I would not consider your area safe. Just because these states have been named does not mean there aren't other states in the scope of would-be terrorist attackers.

Protect yourself and your neighborhood. Do not casually rely on the FBI and Homeland Security to prevent attacks before they happen. Intelligence typically prevents these attacks but when the intelligence community warns us, we must be ready.

Keep on prepping!

How To Always Protect Yourself

News of mass shootings and terrorist attacks continue to increase and until people start standing up for themselves and stopping these individuals, we will proceed on this downward spiral.

 Keeping you and your family safe should be your number one priority everyday!

BE ALERT
Always be aware of your surroundings. Always! As humans, we are built for survival. Our senses are there to protect us and warn us of problems. Use them and always scan your immediate area for potential threats.

KNOW YOUR EXITS
Escaping a threat and seeking help is always the best option before attempting to stop the threat yourself. You can either end up hurting yourself or going to jail because you used unnecessary force. The Police are trained to stop threats and protect others.
If it's an option, always escape and seek help! Living to see another day is not a cowardice act.

DEFEND YOURSELF
When escape is not an option and you must defend yourself, your goal is now to incapacitate the threat so that you can escape and seek help. Let's talk about the multiple levels of self-protection.

Most states allow law-abiding citizens to obtain permits to legally carry a handgun for protection. I understand not everyone is comfortable carrying a gun around and that's ok. But before ruling this out, I would recommend going to your local firing range and getting comfortable through personal training with a gun instructor.

Keep in mind that pulling out a gun is the last form of self defense you ever want to employ. Many people have gone to jail because they used a firearm unnecessarily in a situation that didn't warrant the use of a gun for protection.

Another form of protection is carrying a folding tactical knife. Many businesses do not allow guns on their premises, so carrying a knife at least prevents you from being helpless if a situation arises. I highly recommend a TAC Force Assisted Opening Tactical Knife as the spring mechanism allows you to open the blade much faster.

Another great item to keep on hand is Pepper Spray. Pepper spray is a non-lethal form of self defense and it will incapacitate your attacker, whether human or animal. I always keep pepper spray on me when I'm walking my dogs to protect us from other dogs. I'd rather not use lethal force against an attacker if I have the option.

The last form of protection you have in your arsenal is hand-to-hand combat. I don't suggest this even if you're a highly trained in mixed martial arts. Again, your job is to get away from the threat as fast as possible and a street fight is rarely quick.

Do yourself a favor and always make sure you have some form of protection on your person at all times.

Keep on Prepping!

Alone Season 2 Episode 1

I was super pumped to see the new season of Alone was coming soon and have been counting down the days until this first episode.

I'm sure a lot of people will agree it will take a lot for someone to outperform Alan from Season 1. He seemed to calmly handle every situation thrown at him and understood his biggest competitor was his own brain.

I was able to learn a lot about each person in the initial episode showing how they pick the contestants and test them, but I don't feel like we actually meet them until they're alone out there.

Having said that, we only met four of the new contestants in this first episode and I wonder if that means we have a shorter season and less footage to work with.

Desmond White had a lot of camera time in this first episode and I figured it was because he was the first one to return home. The theory was proven correct rather quickly. He actually decided to call it within the first day after realizing he was surrounded by bears and not as prepared as he had thought.

I was very surprised he made the decision so quick but it was a very tough decision I'm sure and one I will not judge. It is easy to sit in my cozy chair and say I wouldn't quit, so I just keep my mouth shut.

I had my questions about Tracy Wilson, mostly because of her weight. I won't lie. But seeing how calm she was while animals roamed around her shelter at night was extremely impressive. Maybe she is cut out for a long haul this season after all.

I like Larry Roberts and hope he can overcome his shelter issues. He had a strong motivation to experience this show for himself and I hope he continually reminds himself of this before quitting. Having a family that has grown up and moved out may be in his favor, as I know from season 1 that having little ones plays a large role in that decision to throw in the towel.

Speaking of little ones, Mary Kate Green seems knowledgable and may have a chance but I just can't give her the benefit of the doubt at this point. Having two small children at home is going to play a very large role psychologically and I don't believe many moms can voluntarily be away from their babies for very long. I also feel she was immediately dealt a bad hand by having to walk from the plane through the water and get her gear wet. We know from season 1 how important it is for the gear to stay dry and she is already in trouble with wet equipment.

I really wish this first episode would have been longer to allow us to see each person and how they fare on their first day. It will be difficult to wait a week before seeing the others but I guess I have no choice.

I am excited to see more of Jose Amoedo and think he may be the one to beat this season.

We shall see.

Free Army Manuals

The U.S. military has a lot of experience in survival situations and they tend to put what they learn down into manuals for all of their soldiers to learn.

If you go to Amazon, a lot of these survival manuals are available for sale. What most people don't know is  these manuals are a free resource and many can be found online. No cost. Zilch.

So stop spending your hard-earned money and check out some of these links below:

Basic Cold Weather Survival

Improvised Munitions Handbook

Special Forces Sniper Training

Map Reading and Navigation

Special Forces Medical Handbook

This is a small sample of the manuals available for free download. I have added a second page with 9 more free manuals.

Don't forget to print these manuals out and store them away somewhere safe. You may not have access to a computer or the internet in a disaster situation.

Keep on prepping!

Our Infrastructure is Under Attack Daily

CNN recently reported our infrastructure is constantly under threat from hackers around the world. Because a majority of our electrical, water, and financial systems are controlled over networks, there is always potential for a hacker to take these systems down for a considerable amount of time. An interruption of these systems could be catastrophic depending on how long it took to regain control and return systems to normal operating capacity.

Suzanne E. Spaulding of Homeland Security confirms our systems are under attack on a daily basis. It only takes one of these hackers or groups of hackers to successfully take control.

Not to mention 85% of these systems are handled privately by organizations. In the past year, we have seen first-hand how poor these private systems are handled with the Target and Home Depot identity thefts.

The hackers are fully capable of bringing down the system as they are usually one step ahead with their attacks.

We continue to hear our infrastructure is aging and is on the verge of failing if it isn't updated soon.

Do not allow yourself to become complacent and assume our government and organizations will stay ahead of the threats. A grid failure is 100% possible. Professionals will agree it is only a matter of where and when it will happen.

Keep on prepping and make sure your family is ready for this!

Factors to Consider in a Survival Retreat

For the person who wants a plan B for shelter that does not consist of a tent or sleeping under a tarp, a survival retreat is a must-have. Survival retreats do not have to be expensive either. Hunting land can be had pretty cheap and small cabins can be built with the surrounding trees if you have the expertise.

I have compiled a small list of things to consider when looking for a safe place to flee.

Distance From Home

Typically, you will want your emergency shelter to be within a gas tank trip. For most vehicles, that's no more than 400-500 miles. Not knowing what kind of disaster you'll be fleeing, you will want to be able to get there quickly. If you live in Indiana, a retreat in Utah will be pretty pointless.

Distance From Civilization

The point of an emergency shelter is to get away from everyone else. As supplies dwindle, people will turn to violence and you do not want any part of that desperation. I would suggest you look for property that is at least 100 miles away from a major highway and at least 300 miles from a major city. As society begins to collapse and supplies run short, everyone will be making their way to the country. The farther away from civilization you are, the less chance you have of anyone finding your retreat and attacking it.

Access to Fresh Water

Everyone knows how important water is for your survival so make sure you have fresh water close by. Either a fresh spring or flowing water is a necessity. Make sure access is fairly simple also, like a manual pump.

Plentiful Natural Resources

How much firewood will you need to cook and keep your family warm? Is there space for a garden? What types of animals frequent the area? It is also nice if there are natural choke points, high points and other factors which can assist in defending your home. Plan on being discovered and needing to protect your home from desperate folks.

Secrecy

The last factor is keeping your emergency plans secret, from everyone. The best retreat is one no one knows exists. When looking at properties, make sure no one knows what you are doing. If you are dealing with an agent or a bank, they do not need to know your plans. If you are building a new shelter, try and use very few contractors and just explain it as a hunting cabin. The last thing you want to happen during an emergency is to arrive at your retreat to find the real estate agent has already taken residence and is using your supplies. A person willing to take your property, is also willing to take your life to keep it.

I hope these points help and please feel free to add some factors you think I missed in the comments.

Keep on prepping!

Alcohol for Bartering After a Disaster

Alcohol is overly abundant in this day and age and many people are even learning to make their own at home as a hobby. But imagine how long it would take for the supply to run short if there was an economic collapse or interruption in grocery supplies. Americans rely on alcohol way more than we care to admit. It plays the role as a stress reliever and social catalyst for many on weekends.

So where am I going with this?

Well, think about the value of liquor now versus post-crisis America. After the supplies have dwindled, liquor is going to be a high value bartering item. Post-disaster times will be very depressing for most survivors so they will likely jump at the chance for a taste of the luxuries we once enjoyed. Stock up on some liquor now and you may have the chance to trade for must-have items you didn't think you needed or couldn't afford.

But get your priorities straight. I only recommend stockpiling alcohol if your food and survival supplies are already fulfilled. Sure you could trade the alcohol for the gear or food you didn't buy but don't bet on it. Do not buy top shelf alcohol either! Look down at that bottom shelf and buy the cheap stuff. Make sure the proof is no less than 70% because the liquor can also be used for disinfectant purposes.

If you're part of a prepper group, learn how to make your own beer and wine and you have increased your value to the survival community 10 fold. Experiment with growing your own grapes and master the art of wine-making as a hobby. This is the kit I use to make wine at home. Not only is it fun to make...and taste-test, but as a bartering item, wine and beer might be more valuable than liquor because of the improved taste quality.

Keep on prepping!

Ebola Experts Warn They are Wrong

At this point, in my opinion, being an expert on Ebola means nothing. So-called experts are now coming forward wondering if they could be wrong about the rules of transmission.

"There is no proof a person has to be symptomatic to transmit the disease."

"There is no proof Ebola is not mutating and possibly becoming airborne."

Open your eyes and see the warning flags. If an expert is saying, "I don't really know", then we have a problem folks.

What is even more concerning is the potential for Ebola to mutate into an airborne virus. If this happens, the discovery will come too late. The virus will spread faster than a wildfire.

At this point, I don't believe there is much to worry about. But it is wise to keep your ears to the ground and monitor cases as they are reported.

Protecting your family is the number one concern and the only way you can do that is by keeping a safe distance from people out in public and practicing hand washing and limiting the common habit of touching your face.

If this virus begins to spread outside of the Dallas area, I won't think twice at barricading myself and my family inside for the next few months until this passes. After-all, you can't get the virus if you limit your exposure to others.

Be safe and keep on prepping!

Solar Storm Headed Towards Earth

The Space Weather Prediction Center has just reported a big solar storm is on its way to Earth, arriving Saturday, 9/13. At this point, they don't even know how bad the storm will be but warned our electrical grid is fragile and could be affected.

Luckily, we are getting a fairly decent heads up on this storm, so most of us don't have an excuse should this cause issues.

You have more than one day to prepare for any power outages caused by this storm, so get cracking folks!

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!



Image from http://www.workingworld.com/images/articles/big/webiStock_000008788953Larg.jpg

Ebola: Coming to an Airport Near You

Can this story seriously stop following the plot of a bad 1990's pandemic horror movie?

Now America is flying the American patients back to Atlanta in order to treat them. Full Story Here. Yes, that is correct. We have sent a special medical jet over to retrieve them and bring them...and the disease...back to us.

Don't get me wrong folks, I want these amazing people to survive this. They have done amazing things over there that most of us wouldn't even attempt. They deserve to survive this beyond a doubt, but why are we going down this path? I understand their survival chances improve being admitted into one of our four special isolation units.

The scary revelation then is this: what happens if this spreads in the U.S. and we only have four of these special units across America.

Listen, Europe and Asia are extremely concerned about this disease spreading to their borders. Apparently, they're the only ones because I keep seeing American Drs on TV saying it's no big deal. America is pretty cut-off at this point from the pandemic. That is until yesterday when we decided to voluntarily fly the patients and their virus back to the States.

At this point, it is so crazy it is laughable. This story is so bad, word for word, it could have been sold as the screenplay for the next pandemic movie.

Thanks to our decision makers, the threat is real now. Ebola has crossed our border and we are more at risk today then yesterday.

Keep on Prepping!

Are Your Water Preparedness Plans Enough?

Lack of space is a huge deterrent when people begin storing clean drinking water. The containers add up real fast if you're planning for a gallon per person per day. Even folks with a private well will need backup plans for accessing the water without power. But don't give up on your prepping plans just because you can't store months of clean water. Most of us can't either. Fortunately, there are affordable options for those of us who can't bury a 10,000 gallon water tank in our backyard and fit it with solar powered pumps and 24-hour military-trained armed guards.

My number one device in my bug-out bag is my LifeStraw Personal Water Filter. The LifeStraw is only $20 and will filter up to 1,000 liters of water down to 0.2 microns removing 99.999% of water-borne bacteria. This $20 straw can supply a single person with over 260 days of clean drinking water. Each of my family members are equipped with one of these.

The next water purifier I keep with my main supplies in my house is the SteriPEN Traveler 3-in-1 Water Purifier. This purifier uses UV light to kill organisms. At $42 for 3,000 16-oz treatments, it's a good backup to have in addition to the LifeStraw. The only thing I do not like about the SteriPen is it relies on AA battery power where as the LifeStraw does not.

 If you are aiming to supply safe water for more than yourself, I highly recommend the LifeStraw Family Water Purifier. LifeStraw has introduced the new LifeStraw Family 1.0 Water Purifier for $75 which will filter up to 18,000 gallons of water, enough for a family of four to stay hydrated for 3 years. No power is necessary for this purifier as it uses gravity to filter the water. So, three years of clean water for $75 and you don't have to store containers of water around your house? Folks, this is a no-brainer purchase if you ask me.


Lack of clean water will be the number one killer after a disaster so please do not skimp in this area.

Keep on Prepping!

NASA Reports Solar Storm Just Missed Us

So NASA is just now reporting that a 2012 solar storm just missed us and had it hit us, the effects would have been detrimental to the human race. Detrimental because it was strong enough to destroy most of our electrical infrastructure which would have taken years to repair. Even though this storm missed us, you should be extremely concerned.

I say you should be concerned because the government is acknowledging these possibilities exist and we were close to experiencing it firsthand. Imagine the chaos in our country without electricity. The government has documented in separate reports that 90% of our society would die within the first year with no electricity. Losing electricity is the single biggest threat against our country. Even our enemies know this.

I also say you should be concerned because we are just now finding out about this near miss 2 years after the fact. This is proof that we cannot rely on our government agencies to warn us about catastrophic events beforehand. I realized after reading this that my only chance of surviving something like this is to always be prepared. I do not want to join the masses on streets looking for food and water when we all suddenly lose power. I would prefer to be safe and sound with my supplies and I hope you would too.

Some would argue the Earth's magnetic shield would protect us from such an event, but recent news is reporting our magnetic poles have been moving. The last reports show the lowest point of the magnetic field currently resides over North America. America currently has very minimal protection from a solar flare so again don't rely on something you can't control. The only thing you can control is yourself and if you decide to protect yourself and your future.

Keep on prepping!

Food Rotation and Survival

So, I was meandering through my supplies this week and noticed I have violated my own cardinal rule: I failed to properly rotate my stock and was forced to throw away a large amount of canned food.

Thankfully, this loss isn't detrimental because I can just go to the store and replenish my supplies. But what if Shit Hit The Fan before I realized a large portion of my food supplies were spoiled? My family would be in dire straits because of my oversight and I could blame no one but myself.

I consider this discovery both a negative and a positive. Positive because everyday I do not need my emergency supplies is a good day. Positive because I learned to keep a better eye on expiration dates. Negative because I just wasted a lot of food which could have been used up had I paid better attention.

Small mistakes today can have large impacts tomorrow if we are not properly prepared. I hope by reading this, you will double check all of your supplies.

Keep on prepping!

My Furnace Died

I woke up this morning to a furnace that won't ignite on a day that thankfully isn't below freezing. However, the part my furnace needs won't be here for a couple of days and the temperature is quickly dropping. While the situation isn't dire, my winter survival stock is finally being put to the test. The warm clothing and thick down blankets I have stored away for an emergency situation is now needed and man am I ever happy I took the time to plan for this.

Even though the temperature inside my house will soon be close to the same as outside, I know it won't be forever. This is a temporary situation unlike disasters we may face in the future. Luckily, I get to use this as a practice run and when the house gets too cold, I'll be reaching over and kicking on the space heater for added comfort.

Learn From Others' Mistakes

If you have maintained even a partial eye on the news lately, then you haven't missed the typhoon that destroyed some parts of the Philippines. The people there have been left with little food and clean water and are stuck waiting for outside resources to come to them. It is a terrible situation over there because it is taking too long for help to arrive.

A little preparedness goes a long way during disaster situations. A weeks supply of food, water and shelter can mean life or death while you are waiting for government resources to save the day. This is no knock on the victims of the typhoon because this storm was strong enough to destroy any supplies these people may have had. But this is a factor you don't have much control over. I would rather know my supplies were destroyed by a super storm than know I didn't have supplies because of my laziness.

These storms continue to grow in intensity and it should be a growing warning in your mind. Governments and citizens must take these threats seriously and begin effective preparedness plans for the next super storm. It could only be a matter of time before mother nature comes knocking on your door.

Keep on prepping!

5 Survival Apps You Should Have

Take advantage of the smart phone technology and have survival information at your fingertips in a disaster situation. While there are some disaster which will render your phone useless, it still doesn't hurt to have some of these apps as an extra step in preparedness.

Don't forget to buy a solar cell phone charger

U.S. Military Survival Manual FM 21-76

This manual is full of survival tips which will undoubtedly come into handy during any disaster. The best part is the app is free and will work without a signal. A must-have!

ubAlert - Disaster Alert

This is a global social network where users can share knowledge of disasters throughout the world. This app is free but also requires a signal to function. Could be a great warning system of a coming disaster.

First Aid - American Red Cross

The Red Cross app puts expert advice for everyday emergencies in your hand. This app includes videos, quizzes, and step-by-step advice. This app is also free and appears to function without a signal.

 

Police Scanner 5-0

Monitor existing police, fire, and rescue frequencies and stay abreast of activities in your area or around the world. This app requires a connection to function.

Google Maps

It sounds silly, but what happens if a disaster happens in an unfamiliar area. Remember, we have no idea when disaster will strike so we have to always be prepared. The map is available without a signal but you will be unable to use the locate features.

BONUS TIP

Don't forget to have some entertaining apps as well because they can help time pass and keep morals up. Games, books, and even coloring apps can be extremely helpful during hard-times.

 Make sure you have a solar charger