Brandon Smith
Alt Market
August 1, 2012
I think it’s safe to say with some conviction that in the year of
2012 the concept of survival prepping is NOT an alien one to most
Americans. When National Geographic decides there is a viable market
for a prepper TV show (no matter how misrepresentative of true preppers
it may be), when Walmart starts stocking shelves with long term
emergency food storage kits, when survivalism in general becomes one of
the few growing business markets in the midst of an otherwise
disintegrating economy; you know that the methodology has gone
“mainstream”. There is a noticeable and expanding concern amongst
Americans that we are, indeed, on the verge of something new and
unfortunate.
Is it the big bad hoodoo of the soon to expire Mayan Calendar? For a
few, maybe, but for the majority of us, no. That jazz is a carnival
sideshow designed to make the prepping culture appear ridiculous. We
don’t need to believe in magical prophecies to know that there is a
catastrophic road ahead; all we have to do is look at the stark
realities of our current circumstances. It does not take much awareness
anymore to notice looming fiscal volatility, social unrest, the
potential for unrestrained war, and the totalitarian boldness of our
government. I’ll take the wrath of Quetzalcoatl any day over the manure
storm that is approaching us currently.
With some estimating a count of 3 million prepper families and
growing in the U.S., the motto of “beans, bullets, and band-aids” is
finding a home amongst legions. However, being closely involved in the
survivalist movement during the past six years and speaking with
literally thousands of preppers, it has become clear to me that we still
have a long journey ahead of us before we can claim true efficiency and
mastery.
Sadly, having a stockpile of food, weapons, and some slick tactical
gear is not enough to ensure a high likelihood of survival, at least not
in any of the social collapses that have occurred in the past century
around the world. It’s a start, but only just…
There are a number of detrimental weakness to the survivalist
movement and considerable holes in prepper knowledge that must be
addressed now while we have the time and relative safety to do so. The
greatest threat to the common survivalist is not economic collapse,
roving bandits, Blackwater mercenaries, or predator drones; those
dangers are a piece of cake compared to the threat of an overblown ego,
which will get a man killed faster than the most sophisticated smart
bomb. If we cannot accept that there is always more to learn, and room
to improve, we have been defeated before we have begun.
The following is just a short list of the many areas in which there is obvious and acute inadequacy in the movement overall…
Secondary Retreat Locations
Never put all your eggs in one basket. I hear a lot of tough talk
from some survivalists who claim they would rather die than leave their
property. Of course, I suspect they will see the error in this brand of
bravado when the legitimate chance of death actually arises. There is
no harm whatsoever in having a backup plan. I’m not sure any
survivalist who doesn’t is really a survivalist. Stand your ground when
necessary, but don’t let pure pride and stupidity prevent you from
living to fight again another day.
Physical Fitness And Health
You may be the Tom Berenger-like master sniper of your particular
county, but if you can’t run a hundred yards with your rifle rig without
going into coronary thrombosis, then you aren’t going to live long
during a collapse scenario. Even those preppers who have age as an
excuse…don’t really have an excuse. I personally know survivalists and
homesteaders in their 60’s and 70’s who could physically outmatch
numerous other preppers of the same age or younger without much effort.
The difference? They make a concerted effort to take care of their
health.
Sometimes certain wise-cracks made by the insipid yuppies of our
modern era against suvivalists are true, and we should take serious note
when this occurs. The primary insult being that many of us are far too
fat to outrun or outfight a paper sack, let alone a determined
opponent. I have, to be honest, seen chest beating antics from more
than a few clinically obese “preppers” that were truly embarrassing. On
the bright side, this does not have to be a permanent hindrance to our
success.
The solution is simple: Eat less. Eat healthier. Exercise more.
A person who has attained a high level of physical fitness has done
more than prove his prowess. He has also proven he has the will and the
passion to pursue a directed goal and achieve it, regardless of
difficulty. This is where the adults are separated from the children in
this world. Are you willing to endure extreme difficulty to win
something of legitimate value? Do you have the self discipline to forgo
certain luxuries and comforts to gain long term advantages? Or, would
you rather take the path of least resistance and certain doom? Personal
health is no joke for the survivalist.
Community Building And Networking
Organization is not the strongest suit of the survivalist movement
for a number of reasons. The first being that our paranoia completely
impedes our ability to work with others. Now, to be clear, it is not
paranoia if they are really out to get you, and with multiple leaked
documents like the MIAC Report, the Virginia Fusion Center Report, and
the DHS reports on “right wing extremism”, it is not as if our concerns
are unfounded. However, the movement needs to realize that the primary
object of labeling us as “extremists” and categorizing us as potential
threats to national security is to create crippling fear. Their main
goal is to condition preppers to censor themselves, and to stifle their
own organizational efforts.
Solid community, even open formation of community, is necessary for
countless reasons. The more we isolate ourselves from one another now,
the more alone and vulnerable we will be tomorrow. Calls for “OPSEC”
should be embraced to a point, but they can also become an excuse for
laziness and inaction. No prepper who goes it alone during crisis is
going to come out unscathed, if they come out alive at all. This is the
great forgotten lesson of survival, from the Depression and Weimar
Germany, to Argentina and Bosnia; those persons and families who were
isolated simply did not make it. The wide spectrum of skill sets and
supplies needed to establish a survival foundation are far too many for
any single prepper to attain.
The logical fallacy that usually prevents survival networking is the
argument that if you are a bigger group, you are a bigger target. This
thinking shows a lack of prioritization. During a social or economic
collapse, EVERYONE is a target. National chaos does not make
distinctions between those who never shared their survivalist tendencies
and those who did. The DHS might, but they are not the biggest threat
to the common prepper. The most dangerous environment for the prepper,
no matter what the circumstances may be, is one in which he has no
support.
If you do not have ample neighbors and friends on board with the
prepper lifestyle, and who can be counted on in an emergency, then you
are not ready, nor are your chances very good. Period.
Barter Markets And Trade Skills
At Alt-Market we relentlessly promote the idea of decentralized trade
markets because, to be frank, they are going to spring up one day soon
whether the IRS, the DOJ, or the Federal Reserve likes it or not. The
crisis in the EU has proven my position on the inevitability of the
barter dynamic conclusively. These private trade networks are becoming
the new foundation for countries like Greece, Italy, and Spain, and it
should be noted that the financial instabilities in America far outweigh
any of the problem in those places. If we know that economic danger is
on the horizon, and we know that barter markets will be the immediate
result, then why not build them now, instead of waiting and scrambling
after disaster strikes?
Any survivalist that does not know who he will be trading for
essential supplies, and who does not know what skills he will use to
garner those supplies, is in for a world of hurt.
Overlooked But Vital Items
There is a saying in the survival movement: You’re never done
prepping. I absolutely agree. Unless you are a millionaire with a
highly organized brain, there will always be some other piece of
equipment that you’ll discover you need down the line. That said, there
are some things every prepper should have, but many, from my
observations, do not. I have also heard every excuse imaginable and
some unimaginable when such people are presented with the recommendation
that they obtain these items, lack of money being the usual suspect.
Yes, many of us are broke, or feel broke, these days Invariably,
though, when most survivalists examine their financial situation
carefully, they will discover a host of peripheral expenses that are
unnecessary or outright extravagant. I once had a would-be survivalist
make the argument that he could not afford a year’s supply of food, then
admit that he had just went on a Carnival Cruise to the Caribbean.
This is an extreme example, but it illustrates a common hang up. Now is
not the time for people to live beyond their means, or to shrug off
their preps so that they can have a new La-Z-Boy, cable TV, an internet
gaming account, a high priced vacation, a six day a week stockpile of
beer (hey, cut back a day, guys! Try it out and see how it fits) etc.
Times are changing, and they will definitely change without us if we are
not careful.
There is always a way to get the preps you need, if you are motivated
enough to make it happen. Here are a few items that seem to escape
from people’s lists:
Extra Survival Clothing: Clothing is a real pain for a lot
of survivalists because it is one prep that they must absolutely
purchase doubles and triples of. Good durable shoes, pants, even socks,
can get expensive. Base layer clothing like Smart Wool sometimes costs
in the range of $100 or more for a single set. Take the pain, bite the
bullet, and get the absolute best clothing you can find in multiples.
It may have to last you quite a long time without replacement,
especially the artificial fabrics. Imagine having to wear the same
vapor producing sweat drenched crusty duds day in and day out while
sharing a retreat location with some less than amused buddies. They may
end up coming after you before the looters do.
Body Armor: This stuff is going to be at a
premium in the near future. I have already seen price spikes in good
body armor in the days after the Aurora Theater shootings. Why?
Because the fear is that the establishment will move to try to ban said
gear in response, causing a rush to purchase. That fear is not
misplaced. Plus, I would imagine a bullet to the gut, whether
accidental or intentional, is not an event to celebrate with a rootbeer
float. Believe it or not, body armor rigs that include rifle plates are
extremely sparse amongst preppers right now, and this simply can’t
continue.
Gas Masks And Filters: Not long ago I wrote
about the revolutions and rebellions that took place in Russia after
the formation of the Soviet Union against the abuses of communism. At
that time, the more successful the rebellion, the more apt the Soviets
were to dump chemical weapons over entire towns, mountains, and valleys,
to erase the problem. Never expect that a tyrannical government is
going to fight fair. In fact, expect that they won’t. Even if you
don’t foresee such an event taking place in the U.S., it is imperative
that every person owns not just a gas mask, but extra filters as well.
Plan on dealing with multiple incidences in which your air will be
unsafe to breath.
NBC Alert Items: How many preppers do you
know with a Geiger Counter? I know three, out of the hundreds I speak
with regularly. This is not a good sign. If the Fukushima disaster has
taught us anything, it is that radiological threats are not just
relegated to the realm of nuclear bombs. Every community should have
several Geiger Counter devices handy, along with chemical warfare strips
which change color when exposed to an offending airborne agent.
Remember the panic buying that ensued in Japan for these kinds of goods
after the reactor meltdown? Don’t overlook radioactivity. Knowing what
has been hit by concentrated fallout and what hasn’t is a tremendous
advantage.
Thermal Countermeasures: A box of road
flares, IR flashlights, and IR floodlights, should be in every
survivalists home. With the advent of predator drones armed with night
vision and thermal vision, as well as numerous other nasty weapons
platforms, the need for countermeasures that create false thermal
signatures to confuse an attacker with this kind of technology is a
must.
Extra First Aid Supplies: During a
collapse, you become the hospital, and no amount of Obamacare is going
to help you. Almost every prepper has a first aid kit, but few have one
that will really last through a prolonged crisis. Collapse brings with
it all kinds of injuries and sicknesses we never think of facing in our
current atmosphere, with more frequency than I believe many would like
to admit possible. A sterile bandage may be as sought after and as rare
as a warm shower in the near future, so stock an ample supply.
Solar Panels: I am astonished at how many
preppers still do not have any solar power capability today. It’s FREE
off grid power, for god’s sake! Pay the initial costs, and at least buy
a system that is capable of charging and running batteries and
essential electronics that will aid you in your survival.
Greenhouse: When discussing the idea of
relocation, I sometimes hear the assertion that places like Montana are
terrible for growing food (usually from people who have never lived in
Montana). In fact, a survival garden could be grown almost anywhere,
regardless of region or climate, if you use the right methods. One of
the best methods is the use of a greenhouse, which many preppers do not
have. Set aside your preconceptions of what gardening is, and do what
works. Even in winter, some plants can be grown in a greenhouse
environment to provide you and your family with precious vitamin rich
food. Just build it.
Raw Building Materials: Do you have a
stockpile of lumber and nails? What about raw iron and steel? Sealants
to repel pests and maintain your home? Bags of concrete to reinforce a
new addition? Think about how much you will need to build after the
final shoe drops. Probably a lot more than you have ever built in your
life…
No Room For Error
Time is running short, and if we are to succeed as a movement, we
must be ready to hold a candle to ourselves, admit where we are lacking,
and fix the problem while we have the luxury to do so. Ultimately, the
most important and most ignored aspect of prepping is our own mindset.
Do we have the correct sense of urgency, and are we acting on it? Have
we prepared ourselves psychologically for the difficulties ahead? Are
we ready to make sacrifices for survival and victory? Will we have what
it takes at our core to see this thing through? At this very moment,
many do not. But, they have the potential to rise to the occasion. The
decision is theirs to make…
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