The Attitude of Survival

The Attitude of Survival, by B.T.

We're living in a country that's the equivalent of the Titanic and everywhere around me I see people dancing like nothing's happening...

In the worst of times and in the best of times, it's the attitude of your undertaking that matters most. No matter what we may imagine will come to be, most of us will be drastically unprepared when the SHTF. We can have all the basics covered, and we can have a solution to everything we might imagine, but like war and science, there's always the unexpected we can never account for.

Personally I think most of us won't actually know when the SHTF More than likely it will be such a gradual digression that we'll be unsure if it's time to bug out or not. I don't think the major media will be alerting us to the fact the ship is sinking. It's already sinking and all we hear from them is don't worry, we've got it covered. Don't let it distract you from dancing to the music.

The biggest unknown is going to be knowing when it's really time to G.O.O.D. Am I going to wait until the Golden Horde is rioting in the streets? It might be too late by then. Do I continue to watch the news and read the blogs and evaluate all the available data and make the wisest determination I can based upon that? I don't know.

I'm not wealthy, so for the time being I need to keep working as long as possible. Do I just keep watching as my dollar is worth less and food harder to come by? Do I let my reserves begin dwindling because circumstances warrant I use them to maintain my current needs ? In such circumstances the economy itself might just drain my resources before I ever get a chance to use them. If it all happened tomorrow then I'd venture to say I'm pretty well prepared and my survival rating is pretty high. If I suffer through a slow drain of my resources as things worsen over time will I be able to maintain my survivability?

I don't know exactly what will happen. What I do know is I have a good attitude. I don't really worry about such things. I have made up my mind to go ahead and move to my retreat this Spring. Hopefully I have the luxury of that much time. I am writing this so others like me who may be contemplating these things, might also reach the same conclusion that I have. I can't afford to wait. I can no longer cling to a lifestyle that I'd have to escape.

Sure, I've got my food and water storage going, I've got the weapons, survival gear, a retreat to go to, caches along the route in place and a small group of close friends willing to work together in the name of mutual sustainability. All the basics, and then some. I have the knowledge and experience. I've lived off the grid for decades in the past, honing my acquired skills and learning new ones. I can shoot, hunt, grow a garden, manufacture and improvise low-tech and high-tech. I know the joys and the sufferings. It's hard work but full of rewards.

I suggest that if you're not living on your retreat then plan to do so soon. Stop contributing to the very system that causes us to live believing we have to escape to somewhere else from. If you don't have a retreat, then devise a plan to simplify and take the first step towards acquiring one or finding someone that does and can use your skills and/or knowledge. Don't be dead weight.

If you can't afford a retreat sell that new vehicle you're making the monthly payments on and buy used. Become mobile. Get a motor home or trailer or convert a bus or truck, whatever. Consider it your it your Long Term Survival Vehicle). Whatever solution you come up with tailor it to your needs.

Don't be owned by your possessions, free yourself and retain only the basics. Sell what you don't need and get what you do. Make a list of what you can live without and what you can't. For decades we've pampered ourselves with comforts we don't need and softened ourselves in the process. Simplify.

Surviving isn't so much about the equipment you have or don't have, it's going to boil down to the attitude you possess. Not the possessions. Preparedness is an attitude, not an inventory. If we are all to wait until the last moment to make the necessary changes in our lives, we'll be grossly unprepared. I no longer believe that it's a matter of if, but when the SHTF.

I don't believe I'm just going to wake up one day and hear it on the radio, grab my BOB, my M1A and jump in my fully outfitted, fully fueled and prepped rig with a secured trailer full of equipment, call my survival squad buddies and make some Mad Max convoy run to our distant retreat all fully armed and stocked with the necessities of the apocalypse, fending off the Golden Horde with superior firepower while at the same time hastily planting seeds and sending out missions to establish a perimeter.

I've seen all the movies, read all the books and written a few short stories. I have a very rich and graphic imagination. As fantastical as that is to imagine I don't think it's going to come down that way.

I thoroughly believe the beginning of the end will come more like a thief in the night, like some viral disease that cripples you over time. You slowly become weaker and weaker until one day you can no longer get out of bed, sicken and die. In that final moment you come to the realization that in spite of your best laid plans, you didn't see it coming. Not when it mattered most anyway. The Schumer isn't going to hit the fan. It's going to drip down on it slowly over time, smelling up the air and fouling our nests.

Being prepared is all fine and dandy, but if you are thinking of it like some apocalyptic insurance policy, that you'll just activate when the moment is upon us, then the attitude is all wrong. The powers that be have always inflicted the ills of their master plan and fiscal folly upon us over an extended period of time, the frog in the hot water analogy. This will be no different and don't think it won't.

If you wait until the last moment to G.O.O.D., then chances are the authorities will have already outlawed weapons possession, stockpiling food, and owning an inordinate amount of survival equipment. They would have already come through and searched your home, confiscated your outlawed items and hauled you off to some camp for rehabilitation.

That or they'll establish roadblocks long before they pull the trigger on the apocalypse. Are you really going to resist if they have a warrant and you've got your family there to think of? It's one thing to imagine yourself wading through the chaos, fighting your way out of the Horde to get where you need to go. It's completely another when they come knocking on your door with badges, guns and mercenaries to back them up (research Hurricane Katrina). You'll find yourself a refugee or incarcerated in a world that loathes anyone who thought to think ahead.

They'll use the excuse that "We're all in this together" and "All those things you've put together and planned for to assure your own survivability are better distributed for the benefit of all." They'll tell you they are much better suited to taking care of you than you are at taking care of yourself. After all, isn't that the current mindset being employed against us? Isn't that the very creed by which we allowed Homeland Security and FEMA and a host of other organizations both visible and invisible to establish themselves as the protectors of our well-being?

We subjugate ourselves to body scanners, body searches, an inordinate amount of senseless laws and policies to protect ourselves from one another. After all, we've sheepishly accepted seatbelt laws, helmet laws, mandatory vehicle and health insurance policies, non smoking policies, food and agricultural legislation, consumer protection laws and a multitude of similar intrusions into our personal lives because we've been either too lazy or too negligent in taking personal responsibility for our actions. We've lost the concept of Common Sense. We've neglected the precedent of the Constitution, and allowed ourselves to fall to the level of a herd of sheep.

Our herders have divided and turned us against one another on the basis of race, creed, color and politics. We're Red States and Blue States, Conservatives and Liberals, we're labeled and marketed and sold a bill of goods because we're awash in comfort and luxury. We stopped making do and sold out for the ability to enjoy it now and pay for it later.

We got distracted keeping up with the Jones's and connecting ourselves to our possessions. We are what we drive, where we live, what we live in, how well we eat, what we do for a living. We allowed a corporate consumerist culture to blast us with advertising to the point we've forgotten to think for ourselves. That's all got to change. You can't take that attitude with you when the SHTF.
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The first step to preparedness and survivability is to lose the pre-programmed attitude of consumerism and selfishness, to become self-reliant in attitude as well as action. It just might save your life.

How to Preserve Food by Salt-Curing

Before canning was invented, people preserved food in several ways. Drying, bleaching and even burying food were common ways. Salt-curing was another means of preserving food. This method added variety of taste and texture to the diet. Huge barrels were used in the old days.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. 1
   Know that the method of salt-curing is often referred to as "pickling." A solution of brine is made to soak the food in. Brine is simply water that has been saturated with salt, much like the ocean. Beans, cabbage, cucumbers and beets are all good vegetables for salt-curing. In the old days, people would use 50 to 60 gallon-sized barrels. They would use the barrels for salt-curing and just leave the food in the barrel to store through the winter. The barrel would be covered with a board cut to fit and held down by rocks.
2. 2
   Cut your vegetables up in pieces before you put them in the salt water to preserve food by salt-curing. As you chop a vegetable and put it into the salt water, it makes its own juice. Nowadays, you might want to use a smaller container. Just make sure the water has plenty of salt added. Let the vegetables stand in the salt water for at least 10 days in order to "pickle." Pickle simply means preserved in brine. Then cover tightly with a lid.
3. 3
   Preserve meats by salt-curing. Rub meat completely with salt pellets and allow it to cure for 4 to 8 weeks. At the end of this time, the meat will be almost dry. It can be stored this way for a long time. This method is called "dry-curing."
4. 4
   Soak meat in a solution of brine for a period of 3 to 4 weeks. It will be ready to eat, but it won't last long this way. You can also use a syringe to inject brine into the muscles of the meat in order to preserve the food by salt-curing. It will be ready to eat in 2 to 3 weeks. Just remember that these wet methods of salt-curing meat do not preserve it as long as the dry method does.

The Post-SHTF Store

The Post-SHTF Store, by J.P.C.

So much has been written on preparing solely for survival of TEOTWAWKI. What about after? What about five years after? Granted, if something minor happens and we could overcome it within a month or so, I truly see precious metals quite viable. However, should the whole world fall to its knees and we would be looking at years before any sort of progress could be made, I think material goods would be much more important.

This list is not meant to be a final checklist, but rather a starting point that you could adjust, add, or take away from. These are some items that you could stock, to start your own General Merchandise store:

Glasses: With so many people running around with contact lenses, lots of eyesight would be lost after the first few months of TEOTWAWKI. Try talking to friends and family that have old pairs of glasses lying around and ask if you may have them. If possible, keep the frames as similar as possible. This would allow you to change out one lens for another if need be. Go to your local pharmacy and purchase a few types of reading glasses as well.

Hearing Aids with Batteries: These are a bit more pricey, but if you can come across some save them for someone that may be willing to pay for them with a side of beef in post-SHTF situation.

Boots and Shoes: It seems all we hear about is the best type of clothes for when the SHTF, but what about footwear? People will be walking all day, everyday thus making shoes wear out faster. I'd recommend going to garage sales and second hand stores to stock up on various sizes and types of footwear for adults and children. Twelve months after TEOTWAWKI and people are going to want to ditch their sandals and oversized sneakers for a more durable and appropriate shoe.

Can Openers: You would be astonished as to the number of people I know that have stocked up on canned goods but only have an electric can opener. Buy a few dozen good quality hand can openers. These will likely sell fast.

Female Products: Per my wife's instructions. Women will need time until they can make their own pads. Nuff said!

Herbs: Whether or not you know how to make herbal remedies, someone will. Possibly through a collection of people, enough remedies may become apparent as medicines. You could trade these herbs for some of the medicines that people would make.

Medical Supplies: Medical personnel close to you will probably have a small stock of supplies in their own home. This extra supply is so if they are unable to get to their work site to retrieve more. You could trade these supplies for some medical treatments.

Writing Supplies: Pencils, pens, markers, and paper. Most likely electricity will go out fairly quickly. Being able to write notes, signs, or for pleasure will become more commonplace.

Reloading Equipment: This isn't necessarily for you to sell, but rather to make sellable products. Bullets will in a sense become a type of currency. It will be used daily for hunting and for protection. Carry sufficient equipment to reload common sizes such as .357, .40, .45, .223, .30-06, .308, 12 gauge, and others . Check out local tire shops. Some will give you the old lead weights for free.

Archery Supplies: This one is not really talked about in the prepper circuit, but is becoming slightly more popular. At some point and time, there will be no more cartridges [because there will be no more primers]. Period. That is until someone starts producing gun powder and cartridges. This doesn't apply to everyone, but if you live in an area where guns and shooting are frowned upon, this will happen. A large number of hunters are becoming more involved with bow hunting. Carrying some extra arrows, heads, and strings will make you quite popular among these hunters.

Antiques: So when you inherited grandpa's farm you got to looking around. You found old lanterns, a horse drawn plow, old hand tools, an antique sheller, etc. You understand the importance of these types of tools in a SHTF situation, so you bought new replicas that you know will last. Don't chuck these antique originals in the junk pile. These can be sold to farmers who have not prepared, for a hefty price.

Fire Starters: Lots of people have matches and lighters in their house. Do you think they have sufficient to last five years? Stock up on strike anywhere matches, butane lighters, and magnesium fire starters. Once people realize there gas stove doesn't light up without their electric starter, they'll be calling you to trade.

Lubricants: Whether we experience an EMP or not, the lights will go out at some time. People will have generators and vehicles that are still going to run for awhile. I constantly read feuds between preppers over how many "trillions" of gallons of fuel they should have along with a stabilizer. What about oil for your motor? If you have enough fuel to last for three generations, how long will that motor last with nasty oil? Buy some common types of oils for two-strokes, gas vehicles, diesel vehicles, and tractors. Don't forget to buy grease and penetrating lubricants as well.

Dental Care: There have been a few articles on the care of your teeth and gums, which means that people understand the importance of good dental hygiene. Stock up on toothbrushes and dental floss. People that understand the importance of these products will trade with high values.

Soap: Many people will start making their own soap, but many people will not know how. At fifty cents a bar, stock up on a pallet of this stuff. Even for certain people that are in love with their hair will use good old bar soap for shampoo. It sure beats using soap made from animal lard, or worse yet, no soap at all.

Kids Stuff: Children will be living in a far different place a year after TEOTWAWKI. No more Xbox, DVDs, iPods, and the list goes on. Most kids will be working to help the family survive by helping in the fields, homes, or learning a trade. However, we don't want to completely throw away our children's' future. Stock up on some old fashion board games. These will not be solely for children, but for the whole family. When things calm down some, we will need to take some time to decompress everything that has happened. Stock up on story books along with textbooks. These children will someday be rebuilding the world we destroyed. Don't let them lose their intelligence.

Adult Stuff: Kids aren't going to be the only ones that will need to decompress. Our days will be long and difficult and at some point in we will have some down time to relax. As stated above, board and card games will help. Pick up some novels to sell that people could cozy up with next to a fire. Keep some bottles of perfume for women and some old car magazines for guys.

Tools: Most people have a socket wrench set and a hammer. If you live in the country, you probably have a mini hardware store in your shop. On the other hand, some people have a screwdriver and not much else. Keep a few extra tools around not only for yourself, but to trade as well. Sockets break, screwdriver tips wear down, and handles break.

Seeds: The starter prepper knows that they need "X amount" of food stored away. What about after it's all gone? Seeds will become very important once people realize that TEOTWAWKI is here to stay and their supply of canned goods will not suffice until the lights come back on.

Canning Supplies: When harvest time comes around, people (hopefully) will have a bountiful crop of food. They will need a way to store this to get them through winter and into the next year.

Coffee and filters: The filters can be used for people that do not have percolators. They set their coffee pot up as normal and slowly pour hot water over the grounds. The filters can also be used to filter water for big chunks of stuff that we shouldn't be drinking. As far as the coffee…we're Americans. Coffee will be like gold!

Bibles: I stress that for this one, you use it not for trade, but as a gift. Help spread the word of God in a crucial time.

Baby Formula: Some children may not drink breast milk due to either a lack of lactation or an allergy to something in the milk. I do not think I would be able to use this as a trade or sellable item. Best leave this for a charity item.

Hand Pumps for Wells: I know of people that live in the country that are preparing to have the SHTF. They are storing food, fuel, water, and bullets. A number of these same people have yet to realize that when the lights go out, so does their well. Having a few of these around could be worth a huge amount in the barter world.

Solar Panels: For this, I would recommend putting them away in a faraday cage. Should an EMP blast occur, these could be trade to someone that is in great need of electricity such as a doctor, dentist, fire department, or the local Ham Radio operator to keep us up on the news. Don't forget to also keep on hand batteries, charge controllers, cabling, connectors, and all the other goodies needed [to make small PV systems.]

Last, and certainly not least…. Books and Manuals:
Not everyone's situation will be the same. You may live in an area without any medical personnel around. I may live in a climate that never gets below eighty degrees. Pick up books that people could use and the entire community could benefit from over time. Pick up a copy of Where There Is No Doctor or Seed Sowing and Saving. Find technical manuals and do-it-yourself (DIY) books. Purchase five copies of each one. Should you live in an area that is so desolate that your community is less than one hundred families; skills may not be readily present and must be learned. Knowledge is power.

The preceding list is just a guide. What I really hope to get out of this is for people's minds to shift from preparing and trying to survive to looking past the final hour and realize that if you do survive, we will have to restart everything. If you are thirty years old, have all of you food, water, crops, and fuel squared away, start thinking about the next thirty to forty years you may live after the SHTF. We've focused long enough on getting ready for the big day, but what about the years and years after? As in the novel "Patriots" we will have bartering going on. We may even have some kind of barter stand that turns into a store. No matter how much you prepare and store, there will always be at least one thing that you forgot. That is why it will be important to have extra stuff, so that you may trade for that item that you forgot. Be Blessed in the difficult road ahead!

Making A Low Impact Refuse Pit

Making A Low Impact Refuse Pit
It seems that we all leave our footprint on the environment no matter how careful and concerned we are in preserving nature, but by making a low impact refuse pit at least one aspect of camping can be addressed in a responsible manner. In it's most basic form, a low impact refuse pit allows campers to tend to personal needs while outdoors with a minimal negative impression on the areas utilized while camping. This simple measure can assure that the environment is preserved for future use without contaminating the camping area, and if done properly it is hard to determine if the low impact refuse pit is even present at a given location.

The first step to making a low impact refuse pit is to establish where local sources of water are near a specific camp site. A low impact refuse pit should always be created at least 200 feet from any flowing water, and if possible 300 feet away is optimum. Although this may be a minor iinconvenience for campers to walk the extra distance to the refuse pit, it is well worth the effort in helping to maintain the environment responsibly.

After finding a suitable location to place your low impact refuse pit a trench must be dug into the soil. The length of the camping stay and the number of people in your camping party will dictate the size of the refuse pit in accordance with necessity. In most cases a refuse pit measuring 6 feet long by 18 inches wide and 12 to 18 inches deep will accommodate a camping party of 4 people for about one week.

After excavating the refuse pit to the proper size it is necessary to place a small pile of sand next to the refuse pit, along with a small pile of campfire ashes that are completely cooled. Using a shovel line the bottom of the refuse pit with about 2 inches of sand and place 2 inches of ash on top of it. Leave the shovel at the refuse pit, and each time a camper uses the refuse pit they should cover their contribution with a small amount of dirt. Every other day during the camping trip add another layer of sand and ash on top of the contents of the low impact refuse pit. When the camping trip is over, cover the low impact refuse pit with dirt before leaving for home.

The idea of this type of low impact refuse pit is to utilize the sand and ash as a sort of purification system to prevent refuse from contaminating ground water in the area. If done properly, a low impact refuse pit works exceptionally well in maintaining the environment for both humans and wildlife

The Art of the Cache

The Art of the Cache, by James C.

I am sure many of you have planned for the possibility of a wide scale disaster, but you cannot carry all of your equipment when you get out of dodge. So caching is the best option however your cache cannot just go anywhere. Obviously certain locations experience heavier traffic, so in time of natural disaster, large scale riots, or terrorist attacks, it is good to choose locations away from this traffic. These caches also need to be on your bug out route, so if you have not prepared an escape route, do not plan your cache locations yet. These locations should be marked with things that most people would overlook. For example you can mark your cache site with a cross, giving it a resemblance to a grave, or a memorial. Depending on the location most people might overlook this. But in certain areas this may draw attention to the site. So work with what is in the area and use your best judgment.

Location
Next is the actual location of the cache. When choosing it, as mentioned above, remember to choose a site on your bug out route or a place you will visit long after you bug out. As a hunter I have come in contacts with hundreds of private and state forests where the area is perfect. One example is Rock Rimmon State Park, only 400 acres; the park is heavily wooded and located near a pond. On top of this consider the land elevation; is there a hill that you could observe from? The site you cache needs to be secure without showing how secure it is. Other areas that can work are the back wooded edges of cemeteries, while this is consecrated land I believe God will understand the situation at hand. Your first cache should be within a five to ten day hike of your home or current location. This should equal out to somewhere between fifty to a hundred miles. What seems like a long distance, but in the events previously mentioned all you want is distance. While I recommend this it is also possible to place your first cache in your backyard, however if you keep a well stocked G.O.O.D. Kit this shouldn't be necessary.

Preparation of the storage container
First and foremost your container needs to be large enough to carry all of the supplies you have selected for the cache, a .50 caliber ammo can might be enough to fill your needs, but a twenty-five gallon tote may be more your size. Either way you need to properly prepare the canister. With the ammo can you can simply use a tar sealant, or similar waterproof sealant along the outside because it is made of metal, but the tote is much more challenging. First everything you put inside the tote should be in either ammo cans sealed against water, or double bagged in heavy duty black trash bags. Then you should fill the empty space in the tote with some kind of insulation, whether you just fill it up with paper scraps or pink panther, it is up to you. Then take the tote seal the edges with duct tape or spray foam. Finally end by double bagging the tote and insulating the inside bag. The insulation should prevent freezing of the supplies inside the newly made cache container.

Supplies need for preparation:
1 Tote (25 gallons or up)
2 Fifty Gallon trash bags
10-20 Five to Ten gallon trash bags
1 small insulation roll
1 small spray foam tube, with applicator
1 container tar or water sealant
# any number of fifty caliber ammo cans (as you deem necessary)

Supplies for your Cache
The supplies you place in your caches are very important, especially your first cache, they can easily determine if you live or die. Now you can have different caches that specialize in certain supplies so you can visit reload and rebury, but I suggest that you stay away from that because chances are the one item you will need the most just won't be there. Everyone you talk to will have a different list for you so I settled down to give you just a couple examples. The following includes comments from one of my writing collaborators.

#
Item
Comments

1
Combo .22/410 (Allows greater variance then a straight .22)


150
.22 rounds
(1) I think since this is a buried cached, I would tend to up the ammo a few rounds. .22 is not large, and a few more boxes may fit in when it is all said and done.

25
.410 Shells #4 Shot
(1)Here is your 'bulk' in ammo, but I think you have the .410 ammo dialed in there. Maybe a few more slugs would fit later on. Definitely would work for emergency defense against most Earth creatures. The slugs would be really nice to have a few more of.

10
.410 Shells Slug


10
.410 Shells 000 Buckshot


1
Leatherman type tool (Gerber Multi-Tool)


1
Bowie Type Knife (K-Bar)


1
Sharpening Stone


1
Flexible Saw
(1)Try a 'Sven' saw as they pack small and do not easily break, but they will still allow you to cut large trees. Wire saws simply break after 5 minutes of use.

1
Bottle multi-purpose (3 in 1) oil


1
Flashlight, AA (Mini-MagLite)


4
Batteries, AA
(1) Ok I think I would do the same with the batteries. Add a few more to the cache.

2
Bulbs, Flashlight, Mini-MagLite
(1)I noticed you have two extra bulbs and I know the bulbs are small, but you don't have enough batteries to really be worried about burnt out bulbs.

4
Candles (plumber type)


1
Small Radio (AA)
(2)On the subject of radios. I have a very small one that uses little headphones that plug into the ears. I wear a single earphone and have an ear open to hear the environment. A radio speaker can be heard quite a ways off in a quiet woods. If you need the magnet, you can snip off one of the ear plugs and still have one that works.

5
Spare Flints for Zippo type lighter


1
Bottle Lighter Fluid


1
10' Duct tape (wrapped around water bottle)


1
25' Para Cord
(1) I might up the length of the para cord as well. I know cause I just ran out yesterday, and had to get more. Definitely had what I thought was enough, but its incredible what you can do with that stuff. Make sure you get the type with 7 to 10 individual fibers in the center of the core.

1
Compass


1
Local Area Map (Waterproofed)
(1)You might want to throw in a few common highway maps or State or USA map.

1
Generic Dark Colored Nylon Shoulder Bag (waterproofed)



2Large, lawn type Trash Bags (Black or green)
1Sheet of plastic 10' x 10'
1Emergency Blanket
1Towel
1Bar Soap
1Bottle Bug Repellent
1Bottle Foot Powder
1Roll Toilet Paper

1
Poncho


1
Pair boots/Spare Socks
(1) Triple up on the socks. No feet, no move. I suggest natural wool actually, even in the summer. Good place to throw in some moleskin or mole foam too. Small and fits anywhere. Spenco second skin is small too and great to have for emergency hot spots on your feet.

1
Set of clothes (Dark colored [not camo])


1
Hat (Bush type)


1
Mess Kit


2
Water Bottles (1 Quart)


1
Metal Cup (Sierra)


1
Spoon (Large)
(1)Trust me on this one, throw in several extra disposable spoons.

1
Roll Aluminum Foil


1
Bottle Water Purification Tablets


1
Rice small bag (in mess kit)


1
Dried Split Peas small bag (in mess kit)


2
Packages Raman noodles


1
Salt (in mess kit)


1
Sugar (in mess kit)


1
Bottle Multi-Vitamins


1
Tobacco Can with Tobacco
(1) Definitely think before you light up. I can smell tobacco a long way in the wilderness. I agree in packing smokes though. We don't need a nicotine fit now do we? I think stress should be combated with familiar practices.

1
Spare pack Rolling Papers


4
MRE's


1
Bag of Hard Candy
Ahh, here is the sugar for that long walk. Its amazing how much longer you can travel while eating a peppermint or a butterscotch.






1
First Aid Kit


1
Fishing Kit


1
Snare Kit


1
Fire Starting Kit


1
Sewing Kit


First Aid Kit

1
Military Trauma Bandage


1
Triangular Bandage


1
Roll Gauze 1 1/2"


10
Band Aids


1
Tube Neosporin


1
Bottle Iodine


1
Tweezers


5
Razor Blade's


2
Female Hygiene Pad (Great Trauma dressing)


1
Roll Medical Tape


10
4x4 Gauze Pads


1
Needle


1
Bottle Aspirin


1
Ace wrap 3"


2
Safety Pins


(1) Few suggestions, throw in some butterfly bandages or cat gut. Also see above about moleskin or second skin. One last suggestion would be some antibacterial soap like Phisoderm or similar and a wash cloth or two. Then you could ditch the bar of soap from above.
(2)In your med kit, pack a tube of Ora-gel. Not just for a toothache. The stuff works on any wound or blister. If you ever have a gash that needs stitches, the Ora-gel can be used to numb the area while you sew yourself up.

Fire Starting Kit (Film Canister)

1
Small Lighter (Bic)
(1)Once again, I would get several of these for the Cache. It will set you back a big $3.00, but its nice to have several lighters in your equipment.

1
Set of Matches (waterproofed) and Striker


1
Small Piece of Sandpaper
(1) Waterproof the sandpaper as well or use wet/dry paper Automotive sanding paper)

1
Small Magnifying Glass


1
Cotton balls


1
Piece of Steel Wool




(1) How about a few trioxane bars? Or Hexamine tablets? Wet rotten wood that you will find is not easy to get going with cotton, or a candle. The lighter fluid or Everclear would help, but you really need a prolonged heat source.



Snare Kit

3
Small cable Snares with lock tabs


2
Large cable Snares with lock tabs


2
Spare Lock Tabs


1
Length Piano Wire


(1)I like this idea. Snares make a lot of sense. Piano wire can be bent right? Or is it like spring steel? If it can be bent, I could find a lot of uses for it.
(1)Maybe you could drop in a length of surgical tubing, for both a solar still drinking straw and an emergency slingshot.



Fishing Kit (Film Canister)

10
Hooks varying Sizes


1
100' fishing line 15lb


2
Small Bobbers


5
Plastic Worms (no time to dig for them)




Sewing Kit (Film Canister)

10
Needles varying sizes (Leather Needle)


1
Roll heavy thread


1
Roll light thread (Sutures)
(1)I see you have though this through. ;) Cat gut or Ethilon comes with the Curved needle attached and in small foil packets as well as being sterile.

5
Razor blades


1
Threader

1
Piece of Silk (to magnetize needles)



The List shown above is a perfect example of a large and extensive cache that will supply you for a small time until you can get longer lasting supplies. Now obviously when it comes to ammo if you are packing a .45 and a larger caliber rifle or shotgun (.308, 12 gauge, .30-06) then pack that ammo and other specific needs you may have, adjust and overcome. Good luck on the making of your caches.

JWR Adds: I do not recommend using plastic tote bins for cache containers. They are very difficult to seal and they are not rodent proof. If you want something that holds nearly the same volume, then buy 20mm ammo cans. These have a time-proven seal design. Paint the exterior of the can with either two coats of Rust-Oleum or one coat of asphalt emulsion. But first attach a sacrificial zinc anode, to minimize corrosion. (Be sure to leave the zinc unpainted)

Survival Through Adaptation

Survival Through Adaptation, by Jason G.

Regardless of what you may or may not believe about evolution, it's hard to argue that the organisms best able to adapt to changes in their environment are generally the ones that survive. While organisms with less intelligence do this over generations, we humans were gifted with the ability to think and adapt on the fly. Sometimes this is not a good thing when we are manipulating currency on the fly or making decisions that can adversely affect our survival. But dealing with those circumstances with adaptive ability is the other edge of said sword.

After TSHTF neither I, nor anyone really can make any educated guess as to how long it would take to adapt to the new circumstances. Some of us will do better than others. Some will refuse to even try, giving up on the spot. The psychological side of adaptation is speculative at best. Some of us will, some wont and trying to ferret out how or why is a job best left to someone other than me.

The more physical side of adaptation such as adapting skills and physical objects to the circumstances is easier to talk about and outline. But the first task is trying to determine what we take for granted that simply won't be there in the case of TEOTWAWKI.

Water
In a good deal of North America water is pretty easy to find. But finding potable water may be a different matter altogether. The usual sources are easy to get to. Rivers, lakes and streams may provide better water after a collapse due to less pollution. However the opposite could very well be true as proper sanitation and care is taken during this period.

The truth is that for many days, weeks, months or even years, fresh drinking water will not be out of hand as long as human habitation occurred where you frequent.

I don't advocate looting but positively identified abandoned houses or industrial buildings may have water stored in the pipes in the walls and in the hot water heater. Industrial buildings such as warehouses or factories store water in overhead sprinkler systems. The bad news on either account is that you will need tools to get to the water.

In houses the copper pipes can easily be beaten through with a hatchet, axe or even a hammer. You would just want to be ready for the deluge once the pipe is breached. A better idea would be a well-placed nail into a pipe, creating a small hole. Industrial building sprinkler systems are usually iron pipes so you will need a few good wrenches in the appropriate sizes.

None of the water from these sources should be assumed to be clean. It should be chemically treated or boiled before drinking.

Food
The second concern and one I think will be immensely more difficult to secure in most of the country will be food.

There are several schools of thought as to the game population once TSHTF. Some people think that due to lower human populations there will be more game. Some people believe that more hunting will wipe out the forests quickly. I'm not sure what to believe in this regard.

Small game will provide a one or two meal situation but killing a whitetail deer, elk or other big animal will provide a good deal of meat for a while but only if you know how to properly preserve the meat.

The same goes for a garden. Usually certain crops ripen all at once even with good succession planting. So again, the key is preservation.

When TSHTF many people will be prepared to can. However, with unstable supplies of fossil fuels and very few wood cookstoves around these days, can we be sure we can do this effectively? I submit that the answer to vegetables is drying and that the answer to meat is salting, jerking, drying and smoking.

It will be quite easy for someone to adapt a small amount of materials into a dryer or smoker quite easily. A small box can be built easily out of scrap wood and screen material from windows can be used to keep the drying vegetables well drained. Then a small window itself can be used to cover the box and keep the heat in. Paint the sides black or make a reflector out of any shiny metal such as ductwork from your house (you might not be using your central air at that point anyway).

For meat you will want to use the simplest methods first and build from there. Jerking meat is pretty simple if you have salt. Simply slice it very thin, salt it well and put it in the solar dehydrator I described above. In the absence of a solar dehydrator you can make biltong.

I learned about biltong from The Survival Podcast. Its been made in South Africa for decades. You simply douse thick-slicked strips of meat with vinegar then salt, coriander and black pepper. Hang the meat where it is protected from insects, moisture and light. In a few days the meat will turn hard and essentially mummify. Done properly and tested by consuming small amounts, there is no real limit to how long this can last.

A smoker can be adapted very easily as well. I think cold smoking is the best method for preservation, especially for fish. You'd simply need to have a metal barrel half or other metal box or container open at one end and closed at the other. Dig a hole that the container will fit in. Remember the ductwork I talked about earlier. Run ductwork from a hole in that container to a box at an elevation higher than the first container. The second box can be made of wood. Take care to close and seal any gaps or cracks in any container or the duct. Build a fire and toss on a lot of wet deciduous wood like hickory, apple, pecan, etc. Put the metal container over it. Use the ducting to connect the metal container to the wooden box. Hang thin strips of meat in the box and allow the smoke to work its magic.

Another method of preserving fruits and even some vegetables is to make them into wine. Alcohol is often thought of in terms of the detrimental effect that it has on our society. However, it has so many more uses than as a mental impairment.

Making alcohol is pretty simple. All you really need is some sugar or honey and a fruit or vegetable and water. If you have yeast, its better to use it, but many fruits such as grapes have yeast that grows naturally on the ripe skins. The key to making wine is keeping the air away from it as it ferments. If you fail to do that you may get vinegar which, when pasteurized afterward can be almost as good as wine. After all, where are you going to get vinegar to make biltong?

You could also adapt a pressure cooker, some salt and a length of small copper pipe and create a still for stronger alcohol to use for strictly non-internal uses.

Hunting and Fishing
I spoke above about preserving food once you get it. Adapting certain items to obtain food to begin with will present its own challenges-none of which are insurmountable. Many of these techniques are not legal and should only be practiced when lives depend on them.

Of course firearms will be around for a while and even a modest stock of ammunition should last for some time. However I believe we will find more primitive ways less likely to draw attention and good ways to save ammunition.

Longbows can be built surprisingly easily out of simple board lumber or of course split wood from fell trees. I recommend PoorFolkBows. com for information on how to do this step by step. Arrows can be made from bamboo or cane or small straight saplings. Making arrow points can be done with a glass bottle and a small nail. Dave Canterbury's YouTube page illustrates how.

For those who don't want to take the time to build a longbow or don't have string or the aptitude an atlatl might be a better choice. The atlatl is simply a wooden handle with a knuckle at one end and a handle at the opposite. The dart-which is a long arrow-sets into the knuckle and the throwing action acts as a lever to propel the dart at near arrow speeds in some cases.

While normal fishing will yield decent catches sometimes adapting an old liquid detergent or clean bleach jug into a jug line makes a lot of sense and will allow you to catch fish passively while you work on other methods of getting food or water. [JWR Adds: Of course consult you state laws before using a set line or any sort of multi-hook line.]

Though highly illegal, old crank telephones or car batteries can be used to shock fish up.

There are also several wild plants in North America that can be adapted into a poison that will stun fish into submission where they can easily be scooped up. If you've watched the show Beyond Survival with Les Stroud this should not come as any shock. The natives he spends time with as well as the ones on our own continent had ways to use these poisons to get food. The good news about the poisons on our continent is that many times they are not as dangerous to humans. I do not recommend using any poison you don't know the origin of. Chemicals that are not safe to humans can ruin a body of water or leave you severely sick if you eat the fish that result.

While most people think of fishing as an activity only for catching fish, there are many more edible creatures in water besides fish. In many lakes, mussels cling to underwater rocks or wood. When the water levels go down you can swim down and harvest. Or if you have a boat and a good spot, simply sink a log and pull it up at timed intervals, break off the mussels and sink it again.

You can also adapt a 2-liter bottle into a crayfish trap. Simply punch some small holes in the bottom end and sides toward the end. Cut the top ¼ off and reverse it and wire it into place so the funnel points in. Place a small but heavy rock in the bottom and a piece of bacon or entrails from a recent kill (might want to tie it into place). Then sink it in a muddy flat. The crayfish will come inside, eat the meat and when you pull it up the crayfish will be trapped.

Medical
After TSHTF many of us will be doing activities we don't normally do. The desk jockey may be pounding nails and the housewife may be butchering game. Anytime you bring untrained labor into new activities injuries will occur.

For a while after TSHTF medical supplies such as medicine and sterile dressings may be somewhat accessible. What to do when they run out though?

I mentioned an antiseptic above that was used from Roman times until the 13th century. Wine and vinegar both are not stellar antiseptics but in the absence of everything else, they could save lives. The alcohol obviously kills germs and other nasty things that could grow on a wound.

Finding sterile dressings will be hard but you can always boil fabric or soak it in wine or alcohol in the absence of fire to sterilize it.

Conclusion
There was a line from the movie The Book of Eli that stuck with me. The protagonist said: "We threw away things people kill each other for now." I thought that was very insightful. After TSHTF we will have to learn that nothing is disposable. Pants that get torn and ripped will be cut off into shorts. When the electric grids fail we will use the wires from extension cords as rope or snare wire.

It's hard to do it with our modern conveniences but we have to look at everything as if it is not what it seems. Sometimes the sum of the parts really is greater than the whole.