Alternative Methods of Protection.

  If you are like most preppers then you probably have several different weapons to chose from.  I think most all of us have the basic's,Beans,Bullets,and Bandaids.  This is what prepper's do.  But one thing came to mind the other day.  I was asked the question"Do you think that every confrontation with people will be solved with guns".  This has caused me to think very hard about interactions between people during a SHFT event.


  In my humble opinion I don't think that deadly force will be the answer to every confrontation.  This brought up thought's about how best to deal with someone that is either just having a bad day or being a pain in the ass.  You know the guy.  The one that thinks he needs to jump in line at a water or food station.  Or the guy that comes to your door looking for food and will just not take No for an answer.

  Dealing with these people does not require you shooting them dead.  They are just trying to feed themselves and their families just like all of us.  Killing the guy serves no purpose.  That is where having the ability to take care of the guy and to put him in his place comes in.  Learning a form of Martial Art's or Self Defense is an excellent way of taking the guy out but not killing him.


  This has really hit home with me because my son has started taking some mixed Martial Arts training.   It seems a much better way to take care of a dispute than shooting someone.  Now don't get me wrong here, I am still going to be carrying my weapon just in case it is needed.  I figure that since my son is doing it I might as well do it with him.  I will keep both of us in shape and give us time to spend with each other that we might not have otherwise.

  In my opinion it would be a good thing for the whole family to take part in.  You get your exercise and a valuable skill plus in most martial arts you work on self enlightenment too.  This would allow you to stay calm in the midst of chaos.  Being able to center your self and stay calm will be a great skill to have.  Finding a style or form that pleases you and makes you feel more secure about your defenses.


  For you women out there this is a great skill to have anyways.  You just never know when you might need to use it.  I learned my different styles of Martial Arts, many modified to serve a different purpose in the Army.  It is a perishable skill so you will need to keep practicing to keep your self honed and ready.  It is a perfect reason to stay in shape and to eat better too.

  There are many different styles so do your research and check some of them out.

How will you know When the SHTF??

  This has been on my mind a lot lately.  I have been trying to figure out at what point have things become so bad that the SHTF has actually already started?  Is it when the government finally comes out and lets us know that things are bad?  Is it when we can no longer afford to buy food?  Is it when our money is no longer worth anything and can barely buy you anything?


  I know a lot about getting ready for when it hits the fan but I am not really sure about when it is official or not.  This has been a little disconcerting to me.  I get asked all the time about when I think it will all happen but I have not got a real firm idea about when that is for sure.  When is it that we know for sure that we are in deep S%#$.


  Economists say one thing and politicians say another.  Store owners have one point and manufactures have another.  The whole line in the sand thing is a bit fuzzy to me.  Do we need to be at 30% unemployment or will it happen before it gets that far?  I like to think that I have a sixth sense about stuff like this but maybe that is just my way of putting up a good front for family and friends.


  This also goes for when is it time to bug out of the cities and head for the hills.  I guess for each of us it will be a different time.  The idea of prepping and getting all the stuff and all the skills and having control of those things but not being in control of when to start using all that has me a bit lost.  I guess I feel a bit jumpy about implementing my plan just to find out it is too early or even worse maybe too late.


  I would really like to get some feedback on this topic from all of you.

Preparing not only body and home but your mind.

  We all put away food and other prep's to get ready for an emergency.  One thing that most of us don't prep for is the mental strain of an extended emergency situation and the toll that it will take on us mentally.  What I mean by this is how we will deal with the increased stress that comes along with being put in a situation that is longer than just a few days.


  If we were to have a monetary collapse or a pandemic of epic proportions or a shutdown of the electrical grid.  Most of these scenarios would cause an extended emergency situation that could last months or even years.  Taking us out of our daily norm and putting us under incredible stress.  Are you prepared for something like this.  Some of us think we might be ready but more than likely we are not.


  Taking simple steps such as learning to meditate or to us things like Yoga or other types of exercise as stress relievers is a move in the right direction.  Working on a system of stress relief that we can manage while still getting all of the stuff done that we need to do to keep ourselves and our families alive.  This goes double for the heads of households that are in charge of families.  This will keep us more mentally fit to run a family and keep others happy and healthy.


  Having a clear mind and one as free of stress is a vital part of leadership.  Thinking clearly allows us to make important decisions that effect our families and others.  Meditation and for those that are religious, Prayer can sooth our minds and help us to see things for what they are.  I personally use Meditation a lot to help me stay on an even keel and to clear my mind of unnecessary and chaotic thoughts.

  I one heard a saying" War is 90 percent Mental and 10 percent Physical"  after being in many situations where this was the case I do believe it to be right.  Having your "Shit" together as the saying goes is one of the most important parts in being able to go into a combat scenario and to function at your fullest capacity.  Before any mission I would spend some quality time with myself.  Working through some of the demons that we all have and finding a peaceful place in our minds that we can come to grips with it all.


  This also works after a horrific event in which you have had to do things you never thought you would do.  Coming to grip with the idea that you might have just had to kill another human being to keep your family safe is a difficult idea to deal with.  These are the times when you need to sit with yourself and to relieve your self from all the stress that comes along with that act.  It never gets easier and it never should but keeping your family safe is never easy.

  We will all face things that we never thought we would ever have to deal with but that does not mean that we will end up going bat-shit crazy over it all either.  Find a way to clear your mind of all the chaos and bring peace and tranquility back with you.  For all of us this will be found in different ways.  Find your way and practice it daily.  You will find compassion and love in that space and you can share it with your loved ones as you provide for them and love them.

Home Security in Hard Times.

  I have noticed in the last few months in my area that thefts have sky rocketed.  There have been more break-ins since the beginning of the year than there were for the whole of last year.  I hear a lot of numbers coming from the Federal Government but what I am seeing on the streets of the city I live in is a whole different ballgame.

  I hear people talking about their hours being cut and city and state employees getting mandatory furloughs.  The money just is not there to put into the economy.  This is where Home Security comes in.  Because of the larger and larger amounts of home robberies, security should be a prime objective for all of us.  The number of home robberies will only get higher, much higher.  I would venture to guess it will get worse very fast.


  I know of at least three break-ins in the past two weeks just on the block that I live on.  I don't live in a ghetto.  The area is typical suburban housing and most of it is older money.  The neighborhood has lots of local parks and the road medians are grassed and planted with trees.  Sadly two people were shot to death just around the corner from my house last week.  Of course they did not have any weapons in the house or any other way to protect themselves.


  One other thing I have noticed is that most of the break-ins I have heard about have involved the bad guy having a gun and the violence level has gone way up in these crimes. This has prompted me to make some changes in the security of my home.  I have went through the entire house and placed trimmed 2x4's in the windows to keep anyone from opening them.  This is not a permanent solution but it will slow them down long enough for me to get my weapon out.

  I have also installed some motion sensing lights out side in the back yard and on the side of the building.  This is a small deturant but something that will make the bad guy think twice before breaking in.  I have also heard of some people putting in fake surveillance cameras that rotate and have a red flashing light on them.  I am not to sure about those mainly because you really can't see what is going on outside.  The cost of the units is a mere fraction of what the real ones cost, so that must be part of what makes people get the fake ones.

  The biggest thing you can do for your security is to work with the neighbors and have more eyes on the area.  I know our neighbors have met up several times over the past month to discuss our security problems. We have always had a Neighborhood Watch program but they can be in all places at the same time.  Neighbors helping neighbors is by far the best solution I can think of.  They main thing you can do and it cost nothing is to have situational awareness at all times


.  Notice if anything seems out of place or just doesn't feel right and get help.

Just a few Reminders!!

  I just wanted to post a few reminders for the week.  Remember that we are having a contest for the best real life Survival story that ends on May 15th.  Please submit your stories to my e-mail address located on the contact page of the blog.  The top two stories will receive a copy of "Going Home" by A. American.  It was a great read and I suggest it to everyone interested in prepping.

  The second reminder is to go on over to Survival Gear Bags and see all the new stuff Kelly has there.  Remember while you are there to check out the special deal they have going on the Retreat Tactical Survival Gear Bag.  This set-up is a great start for your Bug Out Bag and will contain most everything you will need for a bug out situation.  It is also on sale right now.  Lets show Kelly some support and show him how we do it at The Retreat.


  I am also working right now on the final phase of the Mosin Project and should have that posted sometime this week.  I am looking forward to showing you what you can do with very little money and getting a nice survival rifle that will help you to protect your family and stay in a common mans price range.  It has also been a fun project for me and a real eye opener of what these old weapons are still capable of doing with a little TLC and some parts.


  I also have about 10 different books that I am trying to get through and write up the reviews on them.  This has been taking up quite a bit of time and I look forward to sharing my opinion on these books.  Be on the look out for these if you are trying to build a survival/prepping library.


  For those of you that are into the Primitive Skills/Bush-craft stuff I am going to be doing a bunch more on both of those in the near future so be on the look out for that coming up over the summer.

Book Review: "Going Home" by A. American. We are also having a writing contest!!

  This book is mainly about a guy named Morgan and his experiences while getting home after  a large EMP.  Everything is broken down and he has to walk back 250 miles to get home to his wife and daughters.  He is a prepper so he has all the gear he needs in his Get Home bag in his car.


  The book is a bit heavy on the gear side but it does show how having gear and knowing how to use it makes carrying it worth while.  It has a glossary at the back of the book to explain anything that you might not have understood that was abbreviated.  The main characters in the book are very like-able and easy to cheer on throughout  the book.  I also like the fact that the author kept things credible and didn't go over the top on what people were capable of doing.


  I think this book captures the basic essence of what the experience will be like and how people will change after an event of this type.  Over all I liked the book and found it to be an enjoyable read.  If you are just getting into prepping this book will surely get your juices warmed up.


  We are going to have a fun contest because I was given two extra copies.  I want to hear about the best or worst real life survival experience that any of you have had.  Remember this has to be a real experience.  The top 2 stories will win a copy of this book.  So lets get our fingers warmed up and get to writing.


  If you want to read it right now you can find it on Amazon.com in either hardcopy or kindle format.  It is really a great read and remember the contest it ends on the 15th of May so get your entry in.  You can submit them to me if you go to the Contact me page on this blog and send them to my e-mail.

Boston Marathon Bombings!!!

  Unless you live under a rock I am sure you have heard about the bombings at the finish line of the Boston Marathon today.  I seem to have some kind of sense about this sort of thing and I will tell you why.  I was out running errands today earlier in the afternoon and had just finished and came home.  I was milling about the house and kept getting this weird feeling something was wrong and that I should turn on the television.  I don't watch TV very much  maybe once or twice a month so having this feeling was somewhat unusual.


  This is not the first time this has happened.  I did the same thing when 9/11 happened and also when we started bombing on Baghdad back in 2003.  It is weird that I get these feelings and I can't explain them either.  But back to the story at hand.  It is terrible and tragic that we live in a world so filled with hate and violence.  We should not have to live in a world like this.

  For this sort of thing to happen at an event so filled with joy and happiness makes this terrible act even that much more evil.  People out having fun and watching such a great event that end up getting senselessly killed and maimed is sickening.  Those that are responsible for these acts need to be hunted down and killed the same way that they killed others. I believe in our justice system.  I do not believe that people that do such things fall under the protection of this system.

  Those stands were filled with family members of the runners waiting to greet their family members that were involved in the marathon and were there to cheer them on.  I have not been able to verify but I have heard several accounts saying that one of the people killed was an 8 year old boy. Having children and grandchildren this news makes my heart cry out for those that lost loved ones.


  What kind of a world have we created that this kind of stuff happens?

North Korea???

  Well today marks the Anniversary of the birth of Kim ll Sung, the grandfather of Kim Jong Un the current leader of North Korea. Last year they fired a missile  putting a satellite into orbit to celebrate the 100th anniversary  There has been a lot of speculation on whether North Korea is bluffing as usual or if they just might fire their missile's  off to show strength and as an act of defiance toward the US.

  My personal opinion and gut feeling on this is that they are going to try something today.  Un is unstable enough mentally and he needs to show some strength for his military leaders to keep them satisfied that he is in control of the country.  Be on the look out today for something to happen.  The North has postured so many times before that they pretty much have to do something or they will fade out of existence if they don't.

  We could be looking at them firing against Japan which would require an answer from us because they are an allie of ours.  I am not certain what kind of an answer we would give back but I am relatively sure that it would be a whopper what ever it is.  We also have the possibility of an attack on South Korea which would create a situation that would require an immediate answer from our military, either on the ground or from our current missile systems directed toward Pyongyang.


  My biggest concern is the fact that they do have the capability of doing a high altitude burst causing an EMP over a wide area.  Their scientists know this and just might try using their nuclear capabilities in this manner.  They would be stupid to try a direct attack on a hard target in the area.

  I am not certain that if they did go the way of the EMP that it would have any effect on the US mainland but  it could do some serious damage to the pacific rim countries that we do a large amount of trade with.   In this way it could deal a pretty big blow to our already unstable economy.  Our biggest concern is the fact that we never really know what these idiots are going to try next.  They have been nothing but hot air for the past few decades.  But you never know what might happen.


  I would love to hear your take on all of this.

What the hell is going on here??

 Are you scared yet?  This whole Department of Homeland Security ammo grab is a bit disconcerting to say the least.  If you have not heard about it yet you sure the hell should have already heard about it due to it's sheer size and nature.  The DHS has put out purchase orders to most of the major ammo manufactures for 1.6 billion, yes you read that right, billion rounds of ammunition.  The bulk of which is hollow point ammo which is outlawed for use in war outside of the US. Another huge hunk is ammo intended for use by Snipers.

  Are you wondering why there is a shortage of ammo for the American consumer?  Well now you know why.  This is enough ammo for the DHS to train with for over 100 years. Some of you may also have spotted all the Maxx Pro MRAP vehicles that are being delivered all over the nation.  These vehicles are being refurbished as they come back from Iraq and Afghanistan and being deployed in many states.  Many have been photographed and videoed as they move along interstate highways and through towns and cities.

  The DHS has also just put out purchase orders totaling over $50 million for new uniforms to go along with their ammo and their new toy trucks.  WTF is going on here?  Why has this not been in the lame stream media?  It's not like it is not happening but you hear nothing about it on the news anywhere.  You know that feeling that you get in the pit of your gut when you know something is wrong but cant quite put your finger on it.  Well I have a very strong feeling in the pit of mine right now.  I know from first hand experience what these guys are capable of.  I have seen it with my own eyes.

  Why is our President not jumping up and down and shitting all over himself right now about this.  We are in the middle of a sequester and the dumb-asses at DHS are spending money like it is going out of style for stuff they can only use against us.  The plan is starting to become crystal clear right about now.  You tell me what the hell is up.





 

Bugging out of you don't have a retreat.

  Ok we are going under the assumption that you have to bug out and you don't have land and a retreat setting on it ready to go.  Where are you going to go?  Most people think of heading for the hills.  This works fine if you have hills to go to.  I am lucky and have the Mountains about half a mile away from my house.  But is doing this the smartest thing?  I am sure that most of the city I live in is going to be thinking the same thing.


  I am also lucky because I have mountains and high desert to the west.  Most people are going to run to the place that they find most appealing first.  This is a good thing for those of us that know how to live and survive in places that are not as commonly thought of as comfortable and green.  The same idea works for other types of terrain in the US.  Places like swamps and hollows, deserts and such.


  One key rule to finding a place to go to is to make sure to find somewhere off of main highways and away from what is known as the "Golden Horde".  When people start leaving the cities and moving toward the country they will take the path of least resistance i.e the highways.  Be as far from these spots as humanly possible.  They will turn into death traps when SHTF.


  I have a spot picked out that is about 90 miles west of the city I live in.  It has some mountains and plenty of caves and woodlands but it situated in the middle of the desert.  It is relatively remote and has a lot of greenery and plenty of water and game.  Most people would not ever consider going out there even while times are good.  Sure you will always have some that have figured out the same things as I have but they will be few and probably thinking the same way as I am.


  Figuring out where you will go is not something that can be left until the time you need it.  You need to do a lot of work right now and scout out and research the area heavily.  Spend some time camping out in that spot,move around the area and hike around.  Look at how defensible the spot is and make sure you have all your bases covered.  It is also a good idea to have several caches buried in the surrounding area and to know where they are at a  moments notice.


  Have everything located on a map and preferably mark everything with a handheld GPS unit if you have one.  Locate and map as many sources of water and natural shelter as you can.  On your scouting hikes look for as many different wild edibles as you can find depending on your area.  These could come in very handy if your food supplies start running low.  Know the area well, it will give you the upper hand should people try and come get you.  Make sure that the area has what I call a back door.  Someplace that should you need to get out of the area that you can make a fast stealthy exit.


  Knowing what resources are in the area and their location is vital.  Is there plenty of resources to make shelter and fire?  I try and spend at least one weekend a month during the summer and one every two months during the winter in my bug out area.  Knowing how things are going to be during the winter is super important.  Spending time in the area helps you to set up a defensible area and where to locate your LP/OP positions and also your ambush points in the surrounding area.


  I would like to hear about some of the places some of you have already located and why.  Please share your information without giving away your retreats location.