Like Mom always bellowed at us kids growing up, “There’s no time like the present to get things done”.
The best way to begin “prepping” is just to begin.
Any one of us can realize that right after a calamity happens, is not the best time, “for getting your act together”.
So I have decided to layout just a few thoughts for you, only the minimal considerations that anyone trying to prepare for the latest calamity, might want to consider. Anyone of us should be thinking of these ideas as a priority for their prepping plan. These are choices that one can practice right now, and should. That is to say, what this article is about, is doing right now what needs to be done, not just planning for the future, but doing what it takes TODAY.
These are those choices, you will need to consider for a successful prepping, or bugout scenario. The crucial notions for your family’s survival, the most necessary items to have, meaning not just decisions of what you want to make after a collapse. These are concepts that you practice before you need them.
This is critical thinking ahead of time, with ideas, and planning before a collapse, the necessary component to you and your family’s survival, yet practical ways of going about it. Sure, having a plan is one thing but firsthand knowledge wins out nearly ever time over just planning alone.
These ideas are simple; and granted they are mostly common sense notions. This is about putting them to use in your life TODAY, not later. So just because you have a bugout bag ready and the perfect get away plan, with all your items in your bag, and you believe you are ready to go. So… you read a few books on skinning rabbits, and about building shelters. Consider this, you may not be able to do what you think you can.
This is about being truly prepared mentally as well as practically. The first item for this long-term survival plan is the plan itself, obviously. However, something more is needed, you need to consider, practicing what you preach. For instance, are your experiences in these essential skills up to par? Unless you have practiced your bugout plan in the real world situations, you need to DO IT right now. Before it is an emergency, because everyone will agree that once the emergency happens, this is not the best time to practice your skills.
The true question is how do you start to implement them into your life today, without taking up personal time, and before it is too late? The way to survive is by implementing these ideas as part of your present day life now, TODAY.
Here is part of everyone’s starting prepper considerations,
DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE:
THE SURVIVAL LIST
1) Water Supply (Essential, and Is it safe and where to find it)
*Locating
*Filtration
2) Heating sources
* Availability
*Cooking, and for warmth
*Fuel choices (Wood, gas, oil etc.)
3) Food
*Stored foods
*Foraging knowledge
*Hunting and trapping skills
4) Shelters (What’s your scenario)
* Temporary or permanent shelters
* Fixed or Mobile shelters
5) Defending yourself (Defensive just incase Scenario)
*Evasive tactics
*Deterrents
First thing’s first I have to admit the term “prepping” may be a misnomer, nowadays. The idea has grown into something much more mainstream and larger in every way then what it use to be.
Initially the term referred to an individual who was preparing for some form of apocalypse. More and more these days the idea of collapse in some form or another seems to be, much more mainstream. Some might say the collapse is already here. So what are you waiting for? The idea of surviving a collapse has stemmed a new wave of ideas on how we should be living our lives now, while in the collapse. Maybe we may even be preventing a total collapse… by getting our minds wrapped around these new ways of living NOW.
We must change our mindset from the current paradigm. There is no more civilized dream of having a two-child nuclear family; living in a tiny suburban house; surrounded by a manicured lawn with an idyllic white picket fence; sporting the newest gas guzzling SUV parked in the paved driveway. All this happiness is disappearing while dear old Dad works his 9 to 5 factory job, trying to save for that seaside condominium, while being taxed into extinction by a bankrupt government, who is trying to secretly steal his wealth out from under his very nose just before he realizes his illusion of heavenly bliss, is dying.
Lets face it kids, that World is disappearing fast. Our pensions are also being stolen as you read this.
Most of society these days have begun to envision a more harmonious live style for themselves. Just getting away “from it all” before this inhumanity to man kills us all. We are all looking for a better way of life NOW, TODAY, one that is more in tune with what is coming, or for that matter in step with that inevitable calamity to end all calamities, for the last time. I know that this does not, sound very optimistic, but its far better to be prepared for the worst then to be ill prepared, am I right? I also think that it is time to stop pretending these things are not happening.
The idea of a prepping has become such mainstream way of thinking that it has even been popularized by the mainstream media. However, certainly they have different motives in mind then you do, and the notion of turning those TV personalities into some sorry form of contestants for your viewing pleasure, and for the public to GOP at. I am sorry, but, is this not, how we got here in the first place, because of some ridiculous mindset of man against the world. Is this not just the re-marketed views of the old Western idea of turning everything into a competition to be judged, and rewarded? Have they now simply taken hold of the prepper ideology, and Hollywood-ized it? These minion maniacs are now portraying simple rural, family life, like farmers, and their family’s while making a game show out of it, just to sell the sheeple glued to their TV sets more gear for their Hollywood plastic bugout plan.
The idea of a simple garden is now shown like some bizarre off the grid lifestyle, showing those farmers as just another “off the grid prepper”. They twist normal family farming values and lifestyles into something to be criticized like on a game show. How about how they tease the avid camper or back packer with new space age gear fooling them into becoming a survivalist, instead of just someone that enjoys the outdoors.
Forget the media. Their propaganda is your enemy; this is why many people including myself have decided to think for ourselves. You can simply circumvent these monsters of the media by researching what you need for yourself. Use your head; do not buy that space age gizmo, because all you really need is a blanket, a tin fry pan, a tarp, an axe, and some rope. Most of us have started using the Internet to get our hands on what we need the tools, the plans, the designs, or drawings of whatever we need.
Creating for ourselves the right gear that we need for the task, like building our own solar systems; or creating home made water filtration systems; using hydroponics; and maybe even designing and building some alternative shelters that we want for ourselves, such as Yurts, or log cabins. Perhaps; even in the direst of situations, we learn how to build survival shelter in any environment… and given the many choices of these designs, that have no limits to this, but our own imaginations.
This is NOT a “HOW TO” article; it is more a WHY NOT article. It’s about getting people moving again, getting started getting motivated, getting involved before its to late.
Like our red neck friend Larry the cable guy always says: GET ‘ER DONE!
SORRY it seemed somehow appropriate here!
The aim of this article is to prod the lackadaisical prepper’s out there, into getting ready now, and goad the others into picking up their pace if need be. This is a proverbial kick in the pants, so to speak. I have brought together just some thoughts to this idea, and I have simply gathered what I consider as essential notions, and critical ways of thinking about the task.
My intention is to do this by suggesting that we all begin by thinking ahead, for ourselves, critically considering things for this bugout scenario. Like building these items NOW or by purchasing what we need TODAY, while we still can afford to. My idea is that now is when you have the money, and the leisure to build and to buy and create these items. It makes no difference if you cannot get around to creating these items just yet do not worry. Building the ultimate bugout vehicle takes time.
Because lets not forget if you are one of the lucky ones, you still have a job to go to, and still need to feed your family this will take precedence I’m sure. That is part of the solution though; get your family involved, share this with them, so even if there is some assembly required they could do it while you are at work. You can work and plan and they can train and build. You can always buy the material and build these items later if you do not have a family to help you. Alternatively, if you are a loner you can try these ideas out on the weekends, believe me I understand being to busy at work, but why not spend the money NOW, and get the materials you need today why you can?
The economy is teetering and most likely, it will be the first trigger to any collapse. A depression can show up in many ways, like deflation (Lack of demand) or worse INFLATION (Printing of fiat currency) and by this diluting of the value of your money. Meaning this folks; that simply your money isn’t going to be worth all that much as time goes by. This means things are going to cost you more in the future, and you will have less buying power with that dwindling pay check of yours. So putting money into things that are going to hold their value during a collapse isn’t just good business sense, it may be essential to your survival. Just DO IT NOW!
I am not just speaking about buying freeze-dried food supplies that you purchased off EBay here, or that lifetime supply of bottled water. What I am talking about right now is building, or buying, your own backcountry water filtration systems. Perhaps designing a portable filter system made by you yourself, a system suitable for emergency use on the road, or, at the very least, if you are a person with limited means one should always know how to build to make such a simple system in an emergency, and then DO IT to see if it works.
You will see this throughout this article… DO IT!
There is no point in just planning your bugout DO IT!
Or
Only planning that solar generation system and not build it, just DO IT!
How about the water filtration systems, build it, and use it?
Well, you get the picture.
Simply knowing how to build something is one thing, but it is a lot different then having to actually DO IT, and uses it. Now of course no one expects any one of us to go out and build a log home for ourselves on some government land you snuck onto, but understanding the concepts of building a log home is a good start, and having some downloaded or written material on the subject is not unreasonable. However, most people among us will agree that building a log home with an axe as compared to a chainsaw is a lot more difficult. So perhaps this is something for your survival kit, like buying a chainsaw, it’s as simple as that.
Buy the tools you think you will need now, and have a running list in your head so you can buy them when you see them, such as at flea markets, or yard sales. Maybe buy a used chainsaw, or get a broken one free from someone and repair it yourself. Now having an axe and a buck saw or crosscut saw as back up is essential don’t forget this, because chainsaws do break down, and fuel is probably going to be very hard to get your hands on during an economic collapse.
So if your bugout plan is to build a log home, then buy what you need now, or collect the things you will need to build it right now.
An axe head for instance is easy to find at any old farm yard or yard sale and learning how to make your own axe handle is a good learning experience as well as a useful skill. You can easily take an old rusty axe and polish it like new with a sander, then carve a handle from Ash or Hickory. Knowing what tree to use and what grain to select, or what style you like best is a learned skill. Carving your own handle will show you what it takes to live on your own, and what tools you will need to acquire before you need them.
So… what’s stopping you, DO IT! You will also need tools for building a log home such as a block and tackle, a rope, cables, and chains to do the lifting, and an axe or two at least. You will need a draw knife for peeling, an adze for barking, a brace and bit, a crosscut saw, personal hand tools, chisels and rounds, as well as files for sharpening and scribes to mark and gauge the cuts, and a plumb bob, chalk line etc.… these are the everyday tools you might need in an emergency too. These tools can be purchased from yard sales or online as you find them, so buy them ahead of time just DO IT!
If your plan is living in a yurt then buy a yurt if you can afford one. There are plenty of people out there making them in all shapes and sizes. Or learn how to build one for yourself because yes they are expensive, they’re labour intensive but not material intensive. So no… it is not a fantasy to think that you can build your own yurt. Not if you are at least a little bit handy. Someone had to have built the one in the catalog you are wearing thin by flipping through its pages. So lets give it a go… if they can do it, so can you. DO IT NOW! Build a yurt for yourself. You might find out it is a lot easier than you think.
If you are not fussy about the colors, you can afford to buy some of those very large insulated tarps to use for the yurts outside shell. These are readily available from industrial supply stores, and they can be sewn into an excellent water proof yurt, with a simple sewing machine capable of zigzag or double stitching, I recommend many parallel passes for more strength..
NOW DO IT!
How much more prepared will you feel if you have a complete yurt, and a large home made water filter system (That you made yourself), and a 30 day food supply, tools and your gear bundled up and ready to go on some tiny trailer in your garage. So when things get dicey, and its time for you to bugout simply hook up and go.
DO IT NOW!
Speaking of food supplies here is some ideas.
What if food is no where to be found after a month or so on the prowl, or in most scenarios it runs out after your 30 day supply is gone, and there is no more to be had anywhere.
Then what will you do? Cannibalism each other perhaps, I don’t think so…
Do you know how to dry your own vegetables, jerk meat, or can fruits and what not? Did you realize you are able to, “CAN” anything yourself that you find pre canned on the grocery store shelf, and it will not be full of additives like theirs. Even things you won’t find on the store shelf, can be canned, like canned meat is a useful skill, and learning how to prepare meals with canned stew sized chunks of meat is also useful.
However, if you have never done this before, how do you know? This might be frustrating to you, so just DO IT NOW! Can some meat for yourself, and then use it in a meal, simply buy a pressure cooker, and some mason jars, and DO IT NOW, while you still are able to afford things.
May I suggest to many of you just to familiarize yourself with wild foods right now, before you need to do it for real. Having a general knowledge of edible wild plants and water sources in your area is always a good idea. Books are great but practical experience is invaluable.
Take a walk, find a plant bring it home and look at it, research it, look up how to prepare it then DO IT NOW. If it is edible, try the tiniest of pieces first, and see if it agrees with you. If it tastes indigestible, do not give in to despair. Many plants require large amounts of processing to make them edible. You will find that in many survival literature they won’t tell you about this, and many that do tell you a plant is edible will never tell you how to process it.
I have even seen in some cases, that an author often forgets to tell the reader that it is only edible after processing it. So, by all means, be very careful with wild edibles that you read about online. However, just imagine how proud you will feel after discovering how to process and turn these wild plants into meals. Imagine that, you foraging for wild edibles so DO IT NOW!
I can definitely tell you this fact, and I’m speaking from experience, that you will NOT find enough food to survive in most parts of the world, WITHOUT knowing first, how to live in a certain natural way, and by using critical thinking and above all else practicing the native way of life.
Your best bet is to look for old books from the pioneer days. Many have recipes and techniques used in travelling without refrigeration. The old pioneers would dry vegetables and then pack them in a press, making bricks out of the vegetables then they would just drop them in the pot to expand and cook in some water. This is such a great way to preserve vegetables because it is lightweight and practical. Read, read, read…
No prepper that is fresh from the big city and is just carrying a handful of nature books and a pocket knife is going to make it very far in the real world without having some practical knowledge about the very planet they live on. Learning these skills will give you a better appreciation for the Earth too, and that is never a bad thing.
So get out and practice what you preach. Take a hike on the weekend with the family, even if its in downtown London or New York like central park or along the Thames, or in the Rockies. Though be mindful of herbicides and pesticides when in urban areas. The reason most of these woodsmen or bush craft skills have been lost is that it is human nature to put off today what we think we can do tomorrow. The pop-tart in your cupboard is much easier to find and prepare then that handful of acorns you found, or even more easier then foraging for wild nuts and berries?
Which by the way are a seasonal foods for many creatures, and you will not find them so easily as you find that pop-tart in the back of the cupboard. Besides, you will have a lot more competition out there in the wilds, then just those two or three screaming kids around your ankles. For instance the many wild birds, mice, squirrels, and bears you will have to compete with, especially if you live in the Northern regions.
Not to mention deer and other critters constantly nibbling away at your Garden of Eden you think is waiting out there for you. All of these animals are vying for a piece of the edible action in your neighbourhood, and consider this; all of these animals are potential food for you, too.
It’s strange but I have read many survival tips on camping and living in the bush, where the survivalist teaches the students how to keep bears from their camp. To a real woodsman this is ridiculous. Why would you want to do that, bear meat is quite delicious, and if a bear is stupid enough to come to your camp, so be it?
Real hunters and trappers of old never worried about such fluff, they simply killed the bears and wolves or what ever ventured into their camp, and ate them. They were grateful for the chances too turn their fleshy friends into food for the table. They also never wasted anything either, they used their hides for useful clothing or rugs or even to make and mend tents too. You will need to change your way of looking at things and change your view on living in the wild, if you want to survive in the real wilderness.
Perhaps a good first step for many beginners will be to get a rifle or shotgun for hunting and maybe a hunting license if you have not already. These are the life style changes, which you will need to embrace if you chose to live in this way. I also, do suggest you get together with an experienced hunter or trapper and learn from them the best ways of doing this. Again, you can Google anything nowadays. I am sure you can find some direction on this too.
So, what do we have so far?
We need knowledge of our environment like how to gather our own food.
We need a ready-made shelter if possible, just to fend off the weather and hypothermia we encounter first hand.
We need above all else, a way of filtering our water, or at least understand where to find fresh potable water. Without water, you will not survive at all.
In addition, we need heat not only to cook but to keep warm too.
Moreover, and last of all we need to just get off our backsides and DO IT NOW!
Not having any one of these skills or items that I have mentioned and not knowing about how to use them can make you fail, so LEARN them NOW!
This bugout plan of yours is a great start, but it is a lot like having a recipe for soufflé without having ever tried it before, its guaranteed to fail in some way. What I suggest with this way of thinking, is taking it one more step, and start living this way now, TODAY. Get off the grid NOW; so get off the state run system of electricity, build a beginner solar powered system.
Most of the pieces you will need for a reliable and moderate solar generator system can be purchased for under $1500.00 USD, if you design and build it yourself. The simplest system that one can build will run your laptops and most devices such as drawing under 1500 watts total; this can be built by piecing together items off the Internet for less then $500 USD. Here are a few basic things you will need to put together for your own beginner solar panel system. The Internet has made many of us experts on reciting fact and diction in rhyme, but can we actually do what we say we can. How do you know if you have not tried it?
Firstly, sure you have to read, read, read…
Get as much information as you can from reading about what ever you want. Its FREE, so take advantage of that. The obvious items you need for any solar system are as follows:
1) The solar panels of course, your choices are 12 or 24 VDC (The higher the Voltage the easier it can push DC power along a long connection. You can adjust this voltage by series or parallel setup configurations.)
2) The Charge Controller, must able to handle 12 or 24 VDC panels, or what ever voltage you decide to configure your system to.
3) The inverter is to change DC to AC current; (This converts your DC current into AC current to run your household items.) This should be big enough to power your daily needs. (You may need to compromise, here on a beginner system.)
4) The wiring (Which must be the heaviest gauge you can afford for future upgrades, and must be of braided wire, bear in mind the heavier the better as DC doesn’t travel well along thin gauge wires)
5) The batteries you will need are your critical storage device, and the more the merrier, because this is your energy storage for night time use. (These must be deep cycle batteries to handle the large cycling (that is the Charge and Discharging) that they will be put through on any system)
Now your panels need to be powerful enough to fully charge the batteries during the daylight hours and even on those over cast days, yet they need to be powerful enough to run what ever you need them to run, and for how ever long you require it (like Laptop, lighting, radio, etc.). The inverter likewise has to be able to handle the draw of what ever you are planning on running on it (add up the total power consumption of the devices that will be running on it at the same time, to arrive at this number).
AND, finally the charge controller should be designed to charge the batteries without over-charging them and boiling away all of their precious electrolyte (Thus ruining your batteries or shortening their lifespan).
(I personally suggest a modern designed MPPT, (Maximum, Power Point Tracking) type charge controller, capable of stepping down any voltage from your panels be it 96 VDC all the way to 24 VDC and bringing it down to your 12 VDC system design; usually automatically. I use a Morningstar charge controller the Sun Saver MPPT). No, I do not work for these guys, but these controllers are very good. (By the way if you do not know what VDC means. (VDC = Volts of Direct Current)
Whenever designing a system, a person must often make compromises in what they can afford over what they want. Meaning a bird in the hand is always worth two in the bush, right?
For instance if you cannot afford a MPPT controller, but can get a free charge controller from your buddy then that is the right way to go, even if it’s only for now, and not the best you can get like it’s a simple voltage regulator, so be it? Even if you have to monitor the batteries for yourself during the day, because all you can afford is a regulator off of some old 1960s Buick, that’s fine perhaps this will allow you, to buy better batteries for your system, that’s for you to decide. Well, that’s probably the better way to go for most people anyway isn’t it.
FREE is always better then wasting your money on new fancy MPPT controllers; you do what you have to, correct? The idea here is just get going, get by with what you can afford now. This is just the modern world that is still desperately trying to tell you, that YOU NEED THE BEST. This is corporatism, and the death knell of a failing marketing scheme that is still ringing in your ears. This was all created by a dying regime, so move on. Forget those people; be smart, critical thinking is the true language of a free people.
The simplest idea can also be just to purchase a system online for emergency power, with all of these components already included. Nevertheless, these portable units are usually small capacity, and limited in how well they can be expanded on if at all. They are also limited in what they can handle as a load (Power consumption). Any system can be purchased online complete and ready to go mind you.
However, a person who knows how to assemble a system and he or her can build it themselves is a significantly better prepared individual. Perhaps you may try building a simple single (90 watt) panel system for your self (estimated cost $120 USD per panel). Add to this a single deep cycle marine 12vdc battery (estimated cost $120 USD). Then a decent charge controller (estimated cost $150 USD and an inverter Estimated cost $100 USD, as for the wiring you’ll need to purchase that from an industrial supply house (10 or 8 gauge braided or purchase a 50 amp extension cord for $2.00 USD a foot or so)or look for the 50 amp extension cord at an RV supplier, and cut it up.
If you shop around you might even find these items are cheaper then I have posted. Now you are ready, so install it on your camper or your RV, and use it. Alternatively, put it together and hook it up to your house through the window for playing with on your desk, or for running your computer or your lights at home or while camping. The point here is, you are that much closer to being ready for that coming collapse. I guarantee once you begin down this rabbit hole of knowledge and start to get PREPARED, you won’t want to stop.
For instance the simple solar system I have described, can be used in your home by converting some of the lighting system in your house into LED lighting, the price keeps coming down all the time on these items. The best thing about this idea is bearing in mind that later on you can expand upon it. Such as, you might add more batteries to the system or another solar panel.
Purchasing each as you can afford them is the right way to go. The only thing that may need upgrading in the future is the inverter. It needs to handle whatever load you plan on stopping at. You can design a system that eventually will run your entire house with what you have right now as a load. That is free electricity for life.
Bear in mind that to add more batteries to your system, they should be comparable in capacity and age as a poor quality batteries (Run Down old ones) for instance they can drag down the rest of the batteries down to the same level. Think of them as water tanks, each connected to the other by a hose located at the bottom of the tank. The water or in this case the capacity of the batteries will seek the level of the entire system, reducing the life span of the newer more robust batteries as they do it.
So research before you begin your expansion, and try and keep to the same size and models of panel as well and the batteries. This will create a much more reliable system in the long run. Starting out small this way with a single panel system is ideal for teaching yourself about this exciting potential of using solar, and gives you the confidence to grow it larger as you can afford it. You will soon realize that the media out there has been trying to discourage solar usage at home, and the fella’s that design them for a living are not very helpful.
My beginners system that I personally built and use on my RV has two panels with a peak output of 288 watts, just two 12VDC deep cycle marine batteries (Though I wish I had many more), A 1600-watt inverter, and a MPPT Controller. That steps down my 24VDC panels to 12 VDC systems. This cost me less than a $1000 USD to build, and it works great all night long. I also have a portable wind turbine on a telescopic pole, which is capable of generating 500 watts peak power. It is integrated into the same charge controller as my solar panels.
In short, I bet once you get started you will discover that even if that apocalyptic scenario never comes… who cares. With your knowledge and the system you built, you will be able to scratch one more bill off your list of living expenses by eliminating that monthly utility bill from your life, for the last time.
So, get rid of that electric bill. Reduce the system load and buy an electric fridge that runs on 12 VDC, or get a solar powered fridge designed for a solar generator systems, they do have them you know, or in the very least get a gas fridge and freezer. Convert your entire house or camper to using LED lighting, as this is the best way to cut back on your solar systems load. Reducing its load means reducing how large you need to build the solar system, thus saving you money. You will soon discover that designing and living off the grid is not only a way of surviving the coming economic collapse but it is in fact, a better way of living in the first place.
Get rid of your bills for good, this is the best way to survive the coming collapse. For it is coming, of that I have no doubt, but you will be already living this way so you will not even notice when it arrives. I mean how bad is it going to be for you, if you have already eliminated most of the worries about your monthly living?
Next step, down this rabbit hole, is water filtration. Nowadays it is always a good idea, especially if you live in the city to filter your water. Anyway, even just to get rid of the additives, and the chemicals they love to poison us with nowadays. Nevertheless, if you are travelling around this great country, water filtration is necessary, and having this on your bugout list is priority.
Sure, its fine if you have a cabin in the woods and you do not need to filter your water for now. However many of us do not have that option. For those of us like myself included, we will be mobile and on the move after the collapse. So I suggest in the very least a portable filter system that you can drop into any source of water be it a river, a stream, lake, or puddle if nothing else. Therefore, you may want to design a portable back packing system or buy one if you can afford to before the collapse. Perhaps you need more then a hand pumping system, like I have designed for my RV.
My system on my RV is designed around a 1/10th HP electric sump pump (Its small on purpose as I can actually run it off my solar system if need be.), and it uses a ceramic water filter system like on a home water supply. It was built from a household water filtering system and will remove all pathogens, cyst, chemicals and silt, etc., from the water.
I simply, run a hose with an extension cord, right down to the water source, and then sink a bucket with several holes drilled into the bucket, and place it into the water sinking it with a rock. This acts like a sort of rough filter; to keep the large objects away from the intake, and then I place my sump into the bucket, to be below the water line, and using a gas generator or my solar power setup.
I start the pump. The electric sump motor pushes the water through the ceramic filtration system I have installed inline, and moves the filtered water all the way up to my RV and into my holding tanks. I use just a 50-foot garden hose to do this, but can add others if the source is further away. I have no need to go to town to fill up my tanks when in I’m in the back country, and besides who wants town water with all those chlorine and fluoride infused chemicals in it anyway. So… I am… the proverbial Happy Camper especially when back in the bush where I prefer to be. I have clean filtered honest wholesome water with no need to waste fuel heading to town to get it, AND I’M READY FOR THE COLLAPSE.
This is what I mean by integrating your plan into your life today. Now not every situation will be like mine. So, again design and build your own filter system and solar system. For instance for a simple gravity system of filtering water use a gravity layer system of material it will do just as good a job as any other… and if you are a person living in one spot by all means this will work great. However, for the mobile nomads among us, something along the lines of what I described already is ideal and practical as you can build it for less then $150USD as long as you have a generator or solar panels to power it.
(I must mention that in the event of not being able to get close enough with a gas generator or solar power you should have a 12VDC pump that can run off a car battery, in a pinch.)
I am hoping this article is giving some of you ideas on what to tackle first. I hope at the very least it will make your life change much more comfortable, as you will have the means if not the time to gather these items now, instead of later.
Next, I would like to talk about shelters. I as you probably surmised by now have an RV. I have it because I knew my job was going to be taken from me because of down sizing in the company I worked for, (and I knew when this would happen), and by losing that position I would most likely be without a home in short order.
So I prepared myself for this. I sat down and listed my needs (just like we are doing right now). I crossed checked what resources I had, and how much money it would take. Then I began looking for ideas on how to meet those needs. I knew I did not want to be living like some cave dweller in the bush or under a tarp or pile of brush, but I was also practical about the ways that I could balance the modern world with what I wanted out of my life.
I decided that I could be very comfortable and would fit in a mobile unit, like an RV. I consider also in the event I could not afford gas for it anymore, my RV could still provide a place to survive comfortable off the grid, and if I was parked back in the bush out of sight out of mind I could live comfortably undisturbed for a while as well.
My next big project is going to be a gasifier unit to power my RV, so if gas becomes to scarce I will be able to power this RV using wood burning gasifier.
I will be writing about this building process as I design and test this unique way of producing energy from wood.
Dare to dream, that is what this is all about here people, just DO IT NOW!
Mind you some of these ideas will require some time for people to learn if they are not very familiar with the wilderness. I already knew before hand how to trap and hunt and forage for food in the wild by myself, I grew up that way.
So, what?
That is why everyone needs to sit down and itemize what their potential is, what their skill sets are, and what resources they have at hand. What can you live without? Then start building upon those resources; because whatever time frames you think you have, YOU PROBABLY DON’T HAVE ENOUGH.
So build your bugout plan and fit it into your life style today, a plan that you can live with now, and practice right now. Then when the time comes for the collapse, your transition will be much smaller as you are already living the dream.
Perhaps you might even want to consider moving to another environment altogether or even another country if you can. Maybe one that suits your dreams more, one that you can see yourself making that final stand, should their be an economic collapse or whatever inevitable calamity it may be.
My final note, most of us need to consider this; defending ourselves. I have thought about this a fair amount for I do own my own guns, and ammo, and I reload my own ammunition, but it occurs to me that no matter how ready you think you are. There will always be a force greater then yours. I have sometimes read of predictions of ex-military personnel roaming the countryside living off prepper’s like you and stealing your stores.
Personally I think this is designed purely to scare people into submission, I think the only ones that we need to fear, are the ones most likely to lose their power when the coming collapse happens. This is one reason I like my mobility, as an aspect of my preparedness. However, if the enemy turns out to be our own state or government or some form of martial law or another war they have gotten us in to. Then most likely those in control will rule the roads as well as the skies above us. In that case they will make hiding, and travelling much more difficult. Defending your self is best done by evading the stronger enemy.
No, you do not have to have a gun for defense. However if you want to eat well sure you can always carve your own bow and arrows, but if you can afford one, you should at least get a .22 calibre rifle for hunting small game, and learn to trap. Unbelievably, a good shot or two at close range can bring down an average white tail deer with this calibre; I have had neighbours in my area that have done this. Though let me qualify this by saying it is very irresponsible when a hunter decides to do this, and not to mention they are committing a CRIME, ILLEGALLY and MORALLY, shooting a deer with a .22 calibre is irresponsible at best.
Again, this should only be considered in an emergency and only if you are a skilled expert shooter, and know where to shoot the animal to kill it quickly. Because missing the mark it will certainly let the animal get away from you, and it will run for hours before dying somewhere much later when it beds down, and you will never find it. That would be cruel and a waste of life.
Again all countries have hunting big game with such a small calibre as illegal, but it is possible never the less in an emergency to do this. So my all around, best survival calibre is a .22 rifle. In addition, bear in mind it is illegal to shoot across open water with a rifle in most countries too, so using it on waterfowl is also illegal do to ricochets off the water.
In my conclusion, now that many of you are getting the idea I’m trying to convey here. Finally, “Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today.” What I’m saying is stop thinking like the old regime tells you to, and think for yourselves. Stop being a zombie consumer and a slave to their fiat money fraud. Get ready TODAY, get prepared, read a book, and learn as much as you can now. If you will not do this for your family and yourself who will? Practice what you preach, build that shelter, and sleep in it for a week or so. Design that building you want, and that solar system you need, buy those tools, that gear, and DO IT NOW.
Also a footnote: For those of you out there that are worried about EMPs (Electro Magnetic Pulse devices), understand this. That they cannot affect your device if it is protected inside properly constructed faraday cage, so by building a simple cage and placing all of your electronic devices inside one of these for storage will prevent them from being destroyed during one of those EMP attacks.
In addition, a good idea is to line a cupboard with the proper sized mesh, and store your equipment that way. Mind you, most of the infrastructure around the world will be obliterated by such an EMP device, but trust me there are plenty of people out there prepared for this scenario. You will be able to use a short wave radio soon after if you store one in a faraday cage during the attack.
PS…
I will be writing articles here in the future regarding building these prepper systems for your reading pleasure.
Good Luck, and happy hunting… from
The wilderness prepper… Jack Woods
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