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Natural Remedies, Off Grid Living, Prepping 

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How to Make a 60 lb PVC longbow for less than $10

Preppers are the new prophets:This is why you need to prepare

Preppers are the new prophets

In the wake of Sandy, preppers suddenly seem like geniuses. While being ridiculed by the rest of the population for as long as we can all remember, preppers are the ones still standing in the aftermath of the storm.

They’re the ones you don’t see on the news, begging for help and panicking over the situation, because the preppers are sitting in their homes, eating their stored food, drinking their filtered water, double-checking their shotgun loads and staying off the streets. Preppers are the ones NOT looting, NOT complaining about the Red Cross, and NOT diving in dumpsters to find food while waiting around for the government to show up and save them.

Preppers are the new prophets. And those who failed to prepare are the new homeless.

72 Hours After Grid-Down: Starvation, Supply Shortages, Food Lines, No Clean Water, No Gas, Transportation Standstill

Mac Slavo
SHTFPlan.com
Nov 2, 2012

A recent study noted that the majority of people have enough food in their pantries to feed their household for about three days and that seemingly stable societies are really just nine meals from anarchy. With most of us dependent on just-in-time transportation systems to always be available, few ever consider  the worst case scenario.

For tens of thousands of east coast residents that worst case scenario is now playing out in real-time. No longer are images of starving people waiting for government handouts restricted to just the third-world.

In the midst of crisis, once civilized societies will very rapidly descend into chaos when essential infrastructure systems collapse.

Though the National Guard was deployed before the storm even hit, there is simply no way for the government to coordinate a response requiring millions of servings of food, water and medical supplies

Many east coast residents who failed to evacuate or prepare reserve supplies ahead of the storm are being forced to fend for themselves.

Frustration and anger have taken hold, as residents have no means of acquiring food or gas and thousands of trucks across the region remain stuck in limbo.

Limited electricity has made it possible for some to share their experiences:

Via Twitter:

• I was in chaos tonite tryin to get groceries…lines for shuttle buses, only to get to the no food left & closing early (link)
• I’m not sure what has shocked me more, all the communities around me destroyed, or the 5 hour lines for gas and food. (link)
• Haven’t slept or ate well in a few days. Hope things start getting better around here soon (link)
• These days a lot of people are impatient because they’re used to fast things. Fast food, fast internet, fast lines and fast shipping etc. (link)
• Glad Obama is off to Vegas after his 90 minute visit. Gas lines are miles long.. Running out of food and water. Great Job (link)
• Went to the Grocery store and lines were crazy but nail salon was empty so I’ve got a new gel manicure and some Korean junk food (link)
• So f*cking devastated right now. Smell burning houses. People fighting for food. Pitch darkness. I may spend the night in rockaway to help (link)

Things are starting to become horrific for the unprepared, as food lines stretch for miles and Meals-Ready-To-Eat are in short supply:

(above images via Gothamist)

With mass transit out of service and no gas, residents have no choice but to commute by foot. Survival Blog founder James Rawles has referred to the masses of starving people who will roam the streets in a post-collapse world as the Golden Horde – here’s a small taste of what that will look like:

The situation has become so desperate that some have been forced to resort to rummaging through the garbage for food:

Video:

“We’ve seen everyone here from the elderly, to families with children…”

A simple 72 hour survival kit and some basic hurricane preparedness would have prevented days of heartache for residents of stricken areas.

The vast majority of those waiting in mile-long long food lines, rummaging through the trash, and criticizing their government officials for a slow and insufficient response have no one to blame but themselves.

This may be harsh – but it’s true.

We wish all those having a difficult time dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy the best going forward. Perhaps it will be a wake-up call for the rest of the nation.

Hurricane Sandy, while disastrous, is not nearly as bad as it could have been.

It has happened before. It will happen again. Prepare or suffer the consequences.

Unrest growing among NJ, NY citizens: Dumpster diving for food, fist fights over fuel, tempers flare in Sandy aftermath

Mike Adams
Natural News
Nov 2, 2012

The first 72 hours after a natural disaster are the “polite” hours. Residents operate under the illusion that Big Government will soon save them with emergency supplies: food, water, fuel, clothing and more. So they follow the rules and “play nice.”

After about the third day, all those social niceties start to erode. People are hungry and angry. There’s a feeling of desperation and even abandonment. What seemed to be a polite society two days earlier suddenly becomes more sinister. The survival needs of individuals begin to outweigh social boundaries, and what emerges is desperation… even panic.

“Dwindling gasoline supplies are causing frayed nerves as the region endures its third full day with massive power outages.” reports Fox News. “Frustration with gas supplies topped the list of issues causing tensions to boil over in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut, the states hardest hit by power outages in the wake of superstorm Sandy. Residents jockeyed for fuel at the few stations still pumping, searched store shelves in vain for batteries, struggled with sporadic cell phone service and found themselves unable to buy necessities at supermarkets.”

State troopers have now been deployed to gas stations in an effort to head off near-riots as citizens lose patience and tempers flare.

On Twitter, fist fights are being reported over fuel shortages. Police have had to draw guns on some people, reports Brietbart.com.

That article includes posts from Twitter users:

You know things are bad when you ask the gas station attendent “when do you think you’re going to get more gas?” and he just laughs at you. – Prede (@predederva) November 1, 2012

Just awful! RT @metrogypsy: Someone just pulled a knife at Greenpoint #gas station as line stretches with hours long wait #gettingrealFAST – Camila Xavier (@camilaxavier) November 1, 2012

Watching the breakdown of society at a gas station on Long Island. #sandysucks – Christina (@wooly_says) November 1, 2012

There are also tweets from some users who are intelligent preppers… like this one from JohnnyRH:

I live in Utah and the people here are big into “prepping”… I have relatives in NJ and just last week we were talking and they thought I was nuts to own guns, store fuel and water and have a generator. Most people are totally blind to what chaos will come with a really large power grid failure over half or all of the country. It will take little more than a week for all hell to break loose and riots will be the norm.

“We’re going to DIE!”

Another report from ABC News reveals the desperation and panic now forming among residents in Staten Island.

“We’re going to die! We’re going to freeze! We got 90-year-old people!” Donna Solli told visiting officials. “You don’t understand. You gotta get your trucks down here on the corner now. It’s been three days!”

The situation is so bad that even the Red Cross is being blamed for not showing up with supplies:

“This is America, not a third world nation. We need food, we need clothing,” Staten Island Borough President Jim Molinaro said today. “My advice to the people of Staten Island is: Don’t donate to the American Red Cross. Put their money elsewhere.” (ABC News)

NBC News reports:

Staten Island officials had some choice words Thursday to describe what they said was a feeble disaster-relief response to people left dying, homeless and hungry in the New York City borough hit particularly hard by Sandy. Staten Island’s top elected official blasted the American Red Cross response as “an absolute disgrace” and went so far as to urge its residents not to donate to the largely volunteer agency.

No gas for a week, no power for two

This situation, by the way, is only going to get FAR WORSE before it gets better. CNBC reports gas shortages will continue for at least a week, possibly longer. That’s seven more days even while desperation has already taken hold on day three!

And power? Con Edison says it will be another 10 days before power is restored to the majority of customers currently in the dark.

As long as the power is out, gas stations can’t pump gas, and that means continued gas shortages. That, in turn, means more desperation, starvation and even panic as residents can’t use vehicles to acquire food and supplies. The American way of life, remember, is almost unimaginable without gasoline. Half the population seems physically incapable of walking anywhere these days, and almost nobody own bicycles anymore.

Things are going to get a lot worse over the next few days

What happens when millions of people packed into high-density cities can’t get food, fuel or electricity?

People get desperate, of course. Desperation is about to set in. In the days ahead, you’re going to see more fights and even weapons brought to bear in real-life survival scenarios. The federal government will predictably fail to reach people with the help they need, and people who neglected to prepare will find themselves in ever-more-desperate circumstances.

This is a time when nearly everybody suddenly realizes gee, it sure would have been smart to have been a prepper.

What’s the value of having emergency food, fuel, a water filter, batteries and a fully loaded Remington shotgun in the hours after a superstorm? Priceless.

Preparedness is the solution

What’s the solution to all this frustration and panic? Preparedness.

If the people of Staten Island or NYC had been prepared for the storm that they knew was approaching, they wouldn’t be in a state of desperation right now!

If they had stored some of their own food, fuel, water and emergency supplies, they wouldn’t be panicked for the Red Cross to show up and save them.

If they had intelligently planned ahead and taken action based on the seven days of dire weather predictions that preceded the storm, they wouldn’t need to beg for big government to bail them out!

The answer to disasters like Sandy is to be a prepper.

Preppers are the new prophets

In the wake of Sandy, preppers suddenly seem like geniuses. While being ridiculed by the rest of the population for as long as we can all remember, preppers are the ones still standing in the aftermath of the storm.

They’re the ones you don’t see on the news, begging for help and panicking over the situation, because the preppers are sitting in their homes, eating their stored food, drinking their filtered water, double-checking their shotgun loads and staying off the streets. Preppers are the ones NOT looting, NOT complaining about the Red Cross, and NOT diving in dumpsters to find food while waiting around for the government to show up and save them.

Preppers are the new prophets. And those who failed to prepare are the new homeless.

Evacuation plan – Planning to bug out during an emergency

Having an emergency evacuation plan  is critical in any survival situation.  If the SHTF, having a plan of action will put you about 20 steps ahead of the mindless morons who spent their time watching T.V.

Your Evacuation plan should take into account the following things:

Most likely emergency scenarios

Put on your thinking cap! Start to list the most likely emergency situations that can take place. Hurricanes, Earthquakes, Civil Unrest, War, Riots,  Nuclear or Terror Attacks, Etc…

Sketch out some ideas of what you would do when the SHTF and put together a custom survival plan for each scenerio.

Stay or Go?

This decision can be huge; each choice has benefits and risks associated with it. Think about what things would have to happen to make you leave your home.  Hint: if you waited for the government to issue mandatory evacuation orders, you waited to long.

Meet up place

When disaster hits there is a good chance that your family may not be together. Now is the time to decide on a family meeting place. Pick a place that is easy to find and make sure each member of your family can find it during an emergency.

Have multiple routes out.

Keep in mind that during a disaster most of the major highways are going to be completely clogged with people trying to get out. Plan now, and map out as many routes as possible. Use Google Maps to print out possible evacuation routes and then laminate the paper so it hold up when you need it.

Don’t forget to print out vehicle and walking routes (hiking trails, railroad tracks, side roads etc… should all be considered.)

Survival Supplies:

What items do you need to survive for 72 hours, a week, a month or even indefinitely? Put together a survival / Bug Out Bag of essential items that you will need to survive each situation.

Your bag should be designed around your family, climate and health. There is no one size fits all bag, so make sure you pack the items that you need to survive.

Where will you go?

Bugging out without a place to go isn’t a plan. Make sure you know where you are going before disaster strikes. If you don’t own land or a second house, then look for areas to camp that can sustain you and your family.

You may also want to look into investing in a bug out vehicle, a 4 season tent or a small travel trailer.

Bug Out Bags for Kids

Do you have a BOB for your kids?

During a SHTF situation it will be important for your kids to feel as safe and secure as possible. Having their own child sized Bug Out Bag filled with familiar items and comfort foods can be a real life saver during an emergency.

With children comfort items often become a top priority to ensure their overall mental health during a SHTF scenario.

What Items should go into a kids bug out bag:

Basic Survival Items: Make sure they are light weight and age appropriate, heavier items and gear should be in the adults bags.

• Flash light
• Emergency whistle (clipped to the outside of pack so they can easily find  it if they become separated from you)
• Laminated emergency contact list with name, home address, and telephone numbers.
• Pre paid cell phone
• Poncho
• Extra socks, pair of gloves and knit hat or bandana (depending on your climate)
• Dust mask
• Goggles
• Small pocket knife for the older kids
• Band aids & wipes
• Small bottle of hand sanitizer

Comfort Items

• Stuffed animals
• A couple small light weight toys
• Pack of playing cards or travel size games
• Baseball or small Nerf football
• Harmonica
• An Ipod or small device to play games and listen to music
• Hard candy
• Bubble gum
• Sugar packets
• Trail mix
• Drink mix packets

Remember a kids bug out bag is not meant to be an adult BOB. It’s main purpose is to comfort your child during a stressful situation and give them a feeling of control. With younger children comfort items are a top priority and will help to ensure their overall mental health.

Make sure you customize the bag for your child’s age, personality and overall fitness level.

Ultralight Bug Out Bags – Lighten your load

Carrying a heavy backpack can be a real pain in the BACK!

The last thing you need in a bug out situation is to be carrying any unnecessary weight. When it comes to Bug Out Bags I take a minimalist approach to what I carry and tend to use a lot of lightweight hiking gear.

Here are Six ideas that you can use to cut down the weight in your Bug Out Backpack

Break out the scale

When I’m light hiking I rarely carry over 15 pounds of gear including food and water. It may sound a little crazy but I actually calculate how much each piece of gear weighs on paper before I ever add it to my pack.  Trust me when your a couple days into a long distance thru-hike you will be wishing you would have put a little bit more thought into your packs weight.

Pick backpacking gear that is multipurpose

To cut your packs weight try to select gear that can be used in a number of situations. Items like Bandanas and tarps are great multipurpose pieces of gear that are not only lightweight but can be used in a variety of survival scenarios.

Shed those ounces….

Ultralight hikers are notorious for going to extremes to shave off even a few ounces from their packs weight. From drilling holes in equipment to removing tags, patches and other emblems from their gear light hikers will do just about anything to shed those extra ounces!

While some of the things they do may seem extreme, every little ounce eventually adds up.

Don’t forget the actual Pack!

One thing that’s often overlooked when trying to cut pack weight is the actual weight of the backpack. Ultralight backpacks have gotten so light that you can often shave over 5 pounds from your total weight just by switching to an ultralight pack.

Ditch the tent

If your carrying a tent you can cut your weight in half or more by switching to a tarp and hammock setup. While you can save even more weight by ditching the hammock, I like to carry one in certain areas of the country. They are a great for keeping you off the ground and away from dangerous little critters.

Carry Less Water

A gallon of water weighs over 8 pounds. When hiking I try to carry the least amount possible without running the risk of dehydration. When planning yourbug out or evacuation routes make sure you map out as many watering holes as possible. Knowing where you can find water can help you cut down on a significant amount of water weight.

I usually carry a hiking water filter, one full canteen and one empty one. The empty one allows me the option of carrying extra water if I’m in an area where water is scarce. It also serves the dual purpose of being able to cook food our boil water over a campfire.

The canteen that I use is made by Klean Kanteen and is pictured on the right. They are one of the most well made canteens that I’ve found and are a great multipurpose survival item to carry. Click here to check them out on Amazon.