Revolutionize Your Survival Food Strategy
by Rich Loomis ([email protected])
This could save your life; this could save your loved ones. PAY CLOSE ATTENTION! (p.s. -- I have no financial angle to any of this.)
You are about to read of a food source so unique -- and so perfectly matched to the pressing needs of today's retreaters and survivalists -- that you may very well wish to immediately revise your "prepper" plans forever!
This is not so much discovery of something "new" as it is simply a case of connecting-the- dots in a different direction, having perhaps wider scope.
In short, this exposition merely builds upon what many other stalwart explorers and writers have progressively brought to light. We could be very blessed, however, if such light might now be reflected, re-directed, and focused in a manner specifically adapted to the vital question of the hour, i.e. -- how shall we best prepare our families to survive upset?
But before launching into the details, it would help to first indulge a short mental exercise. Have you ever allowed your mind to fantasize about what might constitute the "ideal" food source, whether for bug-out evasion and escape, or for normal home-style sustenance?
Surely we all wish we could pull a small version of a Star Trek style "replicator" from our backpack or pantry, and simply "dial in" a delicious entrée, perhaps with a cool ice tea to accompany it, then -- Poof! There the meal would appear, with tendrils of warm steam wisping savory foretaste of an effortless culinary delight!
Or, in an even more extreme science-fiction rendition on the theme, at regular intervals during the day or night a specialized bio-energy field would emit from our portable device, envelope the individual for a few moments, then transfer all necessary nutrients while simultaneously removing all waste products, such that the person always felt fully satiated and energized, without actually ingesting even a morsel.
It's not totally beyond reason that this sort of far-distant techno-biological "advance" might indeed become so commonplace and accepted that most of the populace would no longer even remember what "mouth eating" was all about, and wouldn't care to indulge it even if such "retrograde" plant-animal-killing and consumption was condoned!
Of course, the immediate objection from many might be that they would sorely miss the delicious taste-bud sensations and associated delights of chomping and chewing and swallowing -- and therefore would rarely if ever wish to be connected to or associated with such technology, even if it were invented and marketed tomorrow.
A valid concern, indeed, but the fact is that, when ones feels "full" and satiated as after a heavy feast, one does NOT mourn the lack of yet more taste-sensations, but rather one quite happily moves on to other realms of satisfying activity, rich sensory input, and purpose. This objection also fails to credit a truly staggering utility and revolutionary promise: it would eliminate ALL malnutrition and starvation, worldwide and forever, taste buds be damned! Or, as a more "realistic" transitory compromise, the "tummy full" device would not rule out the indulgence of occasional culinary delights, even as it simultaneously released mankind from the enormously time-and-energy intensive labor of normal food production. No more need for monster-scale farming operations, bloody screaming slaughterhouses, costly transportation, and so on. The benefits would be almost endless, and would virtually transform the world as we know it.
But let's bring this illustrative contemplation back down to earth, and into the somewhat more severe realm of difficult-times "survival" sustenance per se.
Yes, this food item IS of potentially major importance, but it is also bland, in the same sense that potatoes and rice provide great food value without exactly provoking the same sort of food-lust as a chocolate cake or a bacon-and-eggs-and-hotcakes breakfast might inspire. Yet, if potatoes and rice quite suddenly disappeared from the planet, mass starvation would quickly follow! Moreover, not just the Irish have experienced the sort of fundamental disruption to society and food chains wherein even the lowly potato became highly sought after and relished -- if for no other reason than starvation lent it a transitory "flavor" and vital interest that would otherwise be lacking in normal times.
We humans can and do mentally adapt ourselves to special circumstances, and are generally willing to relegate our "normal" bodily needs and habits and desires to the back burner, so to speak, if there is no immediate alternative. We tighten our belts and mutter, "it's not forever" and then we do whatever is necessary to get by. Or at least MOST of us do so . . while certain others who are constitutionally unable or unwilling to adapt give up and perish, altogether forsaking any pending "rainbow promise" or possible light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel.
It basically comes down to a matter of self discipline and willingness to forgo immediate pleasure in the interests of a much greater future reward: life itself. Civilization has always had its proportional mix of those who would sacrifice for a distant goal, versus those who primarily lived for the moment. And history clearly proves the lesson of which attitude has always been "most likely to succeed" in life.
Likewise today, some readers will immediately grasp the implications and powerful payoff associated with this special food item -- just as "most" of the Irish came to embrace the temporary blessing of TONS of potatoes in their diet -- while others will grump and dismiss and altogether fail to apply this "exotic" food-solution and associated survival strategy to the coming upset.
And most of them will die.
The fact is that, when hordes of ravening murderer/cannibals are in distant but determined pursuit of you and your family, the last thing on you'd wish to do would be to stop, lay out a picnic cloth, start a fire, heat your favorite freeze-dried entrée, start the coffee perking, and savor a protracted appreciation of the nuances of outdoor cooking.
What one might want instead (short of a replicator) would be something very lightweight in the backpack that would take little or no time or effort to prepare, could be eaten "on the march" and yet would infuse one with such energy that even the most fit among the hungry pursuers would gradually be left further and further in the dust, until -- lacking the same input of virtually "magical" sustenance -- they would be forced to quit in utter exhaustion and turn back to seek easier prey.
But happily for us all, such a food product already exists, has been proven throughout history, has been field-tested in modern times with conclusively positive results, and . . is far cheaper than any of the commonly-touted "survival food" plans currently promoted!
Although many preppers -- particularly those with a keen knowledge of nutritional raw foods -- may have heard or read about this item, due to the limited "context" in which it is usually presented they may have failed to grasp just why this food would be so ideally fitted to sustain individuals and families under supremely stressful survival situations.
Please try your best to "suspend disbelief" momentarily, because the following documentation will suggest a virtual paradigm-shift regarding how one might opt to stock either a bug-out bag, or one's home larder. The "too-good-to-be-true" syndrome may want to kick in (if it hasn't already!) and mistakenly dissuade many readers before they've given the information fair play. But for those able to resist any such knee-jerk rejection, the payoff may be enormous to both self and family.
To wit, I propose the following radical protocol: a mere ten pounds of this item in your Bug- Out-Bag or backpack -- at a cost of only $40 and change (if purchased in quantity) -- has the proven ability to sustain your body in full health, under the very heaviest stress of hiking or other labor, for 420 consecutive days. You read that correctly: nearly one year and two months of full energy and health from only ten pounds of product!
How many granola-nut bars, or pounds of beef jerky, or flour, or beans, or pemmican, or expensive freeze-dried entrees would it take to compare with that easily-toted pouch of sustained energy?
Although we allow that no single item could presently compete with a full spread of "mamma's cooking" as a "forever" proposition -- it must also be allowed that one especially nutritious food just might get us home someday so that we could once again savor mom's magic touch!
The scarcely-recognized historical grain we are referring to has a neutral/slightly nutty taste that does not offend the palette, but (like potatoes or rice) also mixes well with any suitable flavors that one might wish to incorporate into a larger "standard" meal -- provided one has the time and means. But it stands alone if need be, and swells in the stomach such that one feels full on the march, or in the wilderness cabin, or hunkered down for extended periods in a cellar or culvert or cave, etc.
Why is it that in my thirty-plus years of close attention to survival books, videos, classes, and (more recently) prepper forums and such like, that no one (to my knowledge) has properly noted the very special suitability of this item to individual and family survival situations?
It's because that, if it is mentioned at all, it typically appears strictly in the sense of its comparative vitamin/mineral/protein nutritional aspects, along with similarly grouped items like amaranth or quinoa. However, this sort of "health food" coverage entirely misses its spectacularly unique and historically documented complete food endurance and sustainability aspects, ideally matched to the needs of a retreater. As anyone with experience in the field will tell you, having a relatively light pack -- yet holding enough food for a year or more! -- might make all the difference between life and death, comfort and burden, true sustenance vs having to hunt for every morsel and ounce of nutrition, frequently with slowly-debilitating results. Just ain't that many squirrels and dandelions, folks!
Yes it would surely be wise, perhaps even necessary, to occasionally indulge safe opportunistic scavenging of nature's bounty (if any!) so as to augment and diversify the diet. But having the bottom-line confidence that one need not daily hunt and forage -- possibly thereby exposing self and family to danger and discovery or mishap -- would surely help one to avoid growing desperation and bad decisions, should nature's cupboard contain less than expected. With this "core" sustenance at hand, one would always have the wherewithal to move on to a more productive site without undue worry or headstrong, precipitous flight.
Bear in mind while reading the source material below, that over the course of many hundreds (even thousands!) of years, many very bright and observant men and women have been born into the various Indian or other cultures, and as with farming itself, much experimentation regarding long-trail sustenance was surely conducted by such individuals with other grains or foodstuffs yet only one item has subsequently emerged as worthy of both legend and continuity in real-world application.
Had other candidate grains or fruits or nuts etc shown a similarly amazing weight-versus- energy and endurance utility, we would be reading about them instead of -- or along with -- the item featured in this article. But such has not been the historical record.
[Pemmican is often touted as the "gold standard" utilized as early-American "survivalist" rations, and indeed was very nutritious, could be consumed over long periods usually without total revulsion and boredom, plus had a reasonably long "shelf life" on the trail of four years or more if properly rendered from the best bone marrow, etc. BUT at a normal consumption rate -- tested and standardized by the Hudson's Bay Company -- of approximately one and three quarter pounds per person per day, an equivalent 420-day supply in a backpack would weigh 735 pounds! Even a mere one hundred day's supply of pemmican would tip the scales at over 175 pounds, whereas one hundred day's worth of this article's specialized sustenance would be hardly noticed in the pack at slightly over two pounds.]
So with the hindsight of many centuries of cutting-edge trial-and-error provenance, we should perhaps be very grateful for the keen observations of countless men and women who discovered and proved out this very lightweight, long-lasting food -- so perfectly adapted to our own present need! The wise reader should therefore show no hesitation in accepting both the lesson and the benefit of this hard-won knowledge.
The excerpts below, documenting these suggested claims, are drawn from: “The Magic of Chia” by James F. Scheer. Please consider supporting the author by purchasing his excellent book, which goes into much more detail. ______
As archaeologists have discovered, chia seed was buried in the graves of Aztec and Mayan emperors, just as favorite foods were placed in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs. Chia seeds were so important to the Aztecs that they served as an offering to their deity Chicome Coatl.
Use of chia seed by Native Americans helped point the way for two southern Californians—Bob Andersen, of Valley Center, and Hal Neiman, of Santa Monica—to spend nearly twenty years cultivating the most health-beneficial forms of chia seed and growing them in vast amounts so that, for the first time, there is enough chia seed to meet the mounting world-wide demand.
A few years ago Ciraldo Chacarito, a fifty-two-year-old Tarahumara Indian from the Copper Canyon region of Mexico, was among the top finishers in a 200-mile race. This was phenomenal, because Ciraldo competed against the world's best young endurance runners with daily access to the latest training facilities, leading trainers, and scientifically designed running equipment.
Ciraldo hadn't conditioned himself. It was just "come as you are" to him. His competitors wore ultramodern running footwear designed for speed, rather than native, hand-made sandals like Ciraldo's.
Could the secret to Ciraldo's success have been something known for more than eight hundred years by his people: chia seeds eaten before and during the race? Teams of Tarahumara Indians are now training on chia seed, including Ciraldo, who won this race in 1998.
After he had eaten chia seed and was amazed at his physical response to it, Bob Andersen, a health food distributor in Valley Center, California, told himself, "Somebody ought to domesticate chia seed, develop a cost-effective way to harvest it, and assure a steady market supply for the world." Nobody did it, so Bob Andersen became that somebody, along with his friend Hal Neiman.
Many sensational stories about chia seed are repeated by Native American tribes in the great Southwest, as recounted by Harrison Doyle. Most of them relate to the strength and endurance imparted by chia. It was nothing for tribesmen to run for an entire day on a handful of chia seeds and a gourd filled with water.
Harrison Doyle, who for years lived among the Native Americans near Needles, California, on the Arizona state line, has many cherished memories of these times. As a youth he often ran races with young tribesmen. Usually he would break in front of the group. However, after a few hundred yards, they all passed him. After about a mile, winded and exhausted, he fell far behind. He asked his competitors how they were able to beat him every time. They cast knowing glances at one another, laughed, but refused to answer.
No matter how much he pleaded, the Native Americans never revealed their secret. Frustrated and determined to find the answer, Doyle carefully observed his competitors during entire days. Eventually he noted that on most mornings they would take seeds from pouches attached to their waistbands and chew on them. Clyde Hogan, of Paso Robles, California, a man who had spent much time with Doyle and interviewed him in-depth, told me:
"They turned out to be chia seeds. Harrison Doyle began chewing on them each morning, or soaking them in water for thirty minutes to an hour and drinking the mucilaginous product. Then he challenged the Native Americans to a long race. This time he stayed even with them and, before the finish line, surged ahead and won. Rather than feel disgruntled, the young braves just laughed. They knew Doyle had discovered their secret."
Doyle remembered a common sight: tribesmen filling pouches with chia seeds (often the only food taken, along with a gourd with water), strapping on a backpack, and running for days, covering 300 rugged miles along the Mojave Trail from Needles through the Cajon Pass to the California coast. There they traded blue and green stones (malachite copper and turquoise), chips of flint or obsidian lava, arrowheads, and sometimes ochre paint.
Among many tribes it was common for men to eat a tablespoon of chia before spending a day hunting for game. A story is told of young, chia-fed Apache braves, stationed long distances apart, chasing after a deer for extended periods of time. Outdistanced at the start, they showed amazing endurance and energy in the pursuit. Finally the deer became exhausted and was easy prey. Then they carried the animal for miles back to the village, showing no signs of overfatigue. This legend challenged my ability to believe, but it was verified by Clyde Hogan, with whom Harrison Doyle discussed the subject. Doyle was an eye witness to several such hunts.
Adolph Bulla was a hard-rock desert miner in his seventies who was legendary for his physical stamina. Some years ago he was the subject of a feature story in the Los Angeles Times. After reading it, Harrison Doyle drove out to Randsburg, California, to interview Bulla.
"It was indeed astonishing to find a hard-rock miner at that age drilling, blasting, mucking, and hauling for six sunup-to-sundown days a week," he told Bob Andersen. "Crediting his remarkable physical stamina to chia seed, which grew up and down hills near his home, Bulla generously presented me with some, explaining that he mixes a teaspoonful into hot- cake batter—sometimes a little more for an especially hard day—and this fortifies him for work without another meal." And despite constant exposure to the burning, skin-aging desert sun, Bulla "looked and acted a good twenty years younger than his actual age," according to Doyle.
Doyle claims that numerous Native Americans were sustained by only a tablespoonful of chia and a gourd of water on a twenty-four-hour forced march.
I attended many nutrition lectures, including one by pioneer nutritionist Paul Bragg, and learned more exciting facts about chia seed. Bragg referred to the legendary physical feats performed by chia seed eaters down through history and related the absorbing story of how he had been introduced to this fabulous seed.
"Early in this century, two friends and I decided to climb the rugged and uncharted San Jacinto mountain that towered 10,831 feet above the then small southern California desert community of Palm Springs. This is one of the world's most spectacular mountains, inasmuch as it is situated in flat desert country and goes straight up. In our packsacks was food for three days. Starting at dawn, we struggled up to the top just as the sun was setting on the western horizon.
Too tired to do anything else, we ate our evening meal and then crawled into our sleeping bags. Early next morning, a tremendous thunderstorm broke over the mountains. It was like being pounded by a waterfall. Drenched, we quickly ran under an overhang of rocks. When the cloudburst subsided, we were upset to find that our packsacks of food had been washed down the mountainside—along with our trail maps and guiding compass. Our situation was desperate. It is not easy to go down a mountain— miles and miles of wilderness—with thick underbrush and sheer dropoffs.
Afraid of starving to death, we started downward on the wet, slippery, and rocky terrain. Of course, the trail was washed out. Just when we thought we were making progress, we came to a cliff with a dropoff of several thousand feet and had to start all over again.
A long day of hiking through the underbrush and stumbling over rocks exhausted us, especially because we hadn't eaten a morsel of food. We were thankful we had canteens of water. We slept under a big Ponderosa pine that night. Our next day was almost a duplicate of the previous one. So were the following three days. Discouraged, apprehensive, and exhausted on the morning of the sixth day without food, we found that we were back where we had started on the first day.
While we tried to figure out what to do, an Indian of the Agua Caliente tribe appeared out of nowhere. He had a remarkable body—tall, lean, symmetrical—and he moved with such power that I was amazed. He carried a rifle, and there was a leather pack on his back. His bronze skin almost glowed. I judged him to be middle-aged.
He spoke excellent English, telling us he had been on a nine-day hunting trip looking for a mountain goat. I wondered how he had fed himself during that period. He showed us. His leather pack contained seeds which he called chia. He had lived on several teaspoonfuls daily. Seeing that we were lost and famished, he shared some with us.
Within a short time, the three of us us felt a supercharge of energy. Never in my life had I experienced such a sharp change. That was my introduction to chia seed and to its remarkable powers to invigorate a person. Equally remarkable was the fact that this Indian, a powerful specimen of manhood was seventy-nine years old and lived mainly on chia seed.
That top-of-the-mountain experience was one of the most trying of my life, but I wouldn't have missed it for anything. From that time on, I made a point of going to the desert to gather chia seed or to buy it whenever it was available in health food stores.
Although I had eaten chia seeds for some time and, as an athlete, had gained strength and stamina in the process, I wanted more evidence that chia was the reason for these gains. After all, I ate a number of great health foods. I remembered something from the Bible, a quotation from the Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians: 'Prove all things.'
That was what Paul Bragg did. The test came about almost by accident. In a chat with a group of young men and women athletes at his athletic club, he checked each person to find out which foods gave them the most energy, vitality, and endurance for winning performances. Responses ranged from wheat germ, wheat germ oil, brewer's yeast, desiccated liver, blackstrap molasses, royal jelly and soy foods, to individual supplements such as vitamin C, vitamin B-complex, magnesium, and mineral complexes.
"Then my turn came," said Bragg. "I quickly told the group I seemed to get my greatest go power from chia seed, which has been my old standby for energy for years—just as it has been for various American Indian tribes. Inasmuch as I was considered more or less a guru of the group, one of the young men said, 'Paul, why don't we test chia seed on some weekend?"
There was almost unanimous agreement, and Paul Bragg structured the experiment, actually a competition—a grueling test of endurance, a thirty-six-hour hike to the top of Mount Wilson and into its wilderness back country. He divided the volunteers into two groups. "Members of one group were to eat only chia seed during the climb, and the others were to eat whatever foods they wished."
"I took the chia-seed-eating young people—eight men and four women—and another fellow led the eat-as-you-wish group. On a sunny yet nippy morning we started out. We in the chia-eating group took in several teaspoons of chia seed in water as soon as we arose. During the entire outing, we chewed on chia seeds or took them in water.
"For the first few hours, there seemed to be no difference in our ability to climb. However, as the terrain got rougher and the slopes steeper, things changed. Our chia-eating group started to pull ahead of the others. Initially, we were ahead by a quarter of a mile, then a half mile, and soon there was more than a mile between our group and the other. As we munched on the chia seeds, we negotiated the rough upgrade almost effortlessly. No one felt tired or recommended that we rest. Actually, we appeared to gain momentum as we covered the miles."
Soon Bragg's group was on the home stretch toward the agreed-upon goal. At the end, everyone in his group appeared recharged and even ready to go farther. Out of the other group of twelve, only five finished—three men and two women—and they dragged in four hours and twenty-seven minutes after Paul Bragg's chia-eating group. All of them were exhausted, their faces drawn and their feet dragging. They were almost too played out even to talk. None of them needed to be convinced that chia spelled the difference between winning and losing the Mount Wilson competition.
"Even before that contest, I suspected that chia seeds were one of the greatest foods I had discovered to help refuel my body engine," Bragg told us. "Our Mount Wilson competition convinced me of that fact.
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An excellent online wholesale source for this product -- from whom I have purchased several times with reliable result -- is linked below. (I have no financial connection or affiliation of any nature with either the sale or promotion of this food item.)
The usage figures in this article are based upon the most-frequently quoted requirement of one tablespoon per day; one pound of chia measures out to approximately 42 tablespoons, thus 10 pounds equals 420 daily measures. At link below, 50 lbs (nearly six years of healthy survival) can be purchased for only $225 -- the best food bargain on the planet and perhaps soon to disappear amidst societal upset, etc. Don't delay! http://www.naturalremi-teas.com/mm5/merchant.mvc
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Practical Applications, Conclusions, and Recommendations
As many of us have observed, human nature tends to stubbornly cling to its conceits and preferences and acquired tastes, even to the extent of dismissing out-of-hand anything that does not conform to its preconceptions and habits and societal imprinting. As Arthur C. Clarke put it:
Every revolutionary idea — in science, politics, art, or whatever — seems to evoke three stages of reaction. They may be summed up by the phrases:
(1) "It's completely impossible — don't waste my time"; (2) "It's possible, but it's not worth doing"; (3) "I said it was a good idea all along."
For instance, if one's mindset is deeply invested in the notion of backwoods hunting, subsistence gardening, animal husbandry, and such like as the "final and only answer" to any threatened food-chain upset, then the concept of a temporary (or long term!) one-grain portable solution might seem anathema, or purely ridiculous. Yes, a fair number of society- weary individuals have historically "fasted in the wilderness" for one reason or another, with varying degrees of success and/or regeneration of body and soul -- but this practice has pretty much gone out of favor, however beneficial it might be to one's evolving life-focus, inward "listening" and progress.
By contrast, the relatively luxurious home-garden-apple-orchard approach (though quite laudable and rewarding during "normal" times) tempts the obvious danger and likelihood that one's hard-earned paradise will at some point almost certainly be discovered and plundered. (Not to mention its inherent vulnerability to weather anomalies, pests, soil/crop disease, and similar problems that are challenging enough even under the best of circumstances.)
Even the most carefully hidden fruit trees and gardens have the inherent propensity to eventually serve as little more than a yummy "menu" arrow pointing straight at the home larder and family. Whereas, the counter-strategy proposed herein is to essentially forsake any sort of dependency on field-crops, chicken-coops or fixed homesteads for survival purposes, period. Leave that worthy dream for a time and place AFTER peace, law, and order has been fully or near-fully restored!
This brings us at last to what might be regarded as a philosophical crux of dissent and divergence which I've observed in my own recent efforts to share this powerful yet humble survival tool named chia: certain self-proclaimed "experts" on the Internet inexplicably either lapse into silence when presented with this proposition, or immediately and actively oppose this new/old "energy food" approach. It's frequently due, in my estimation, to what might loosely be termed a cultivated "fortress mentality."
[James Wesley Rawles, being a case in point. Although a popular "end times" novelist and webmaster, he blithely dismissed my suggestion to publish this vital message on his well- visited website, via a one-line brush-off to the effect that it contained "too many quotes" from Mr. Scheer's book (even if openly attributed!)
I leave it to your judgement, dear reader, whether the full thrust of the necessary argument and logic -- with its vital historical underpinnings -- could have been conveyed without these persuasive real-life anecdotes and affirmations from various people's experience.
At base, Rawles pooh-poohed the offering because I was not sufficiently speaking "from experience" -- yet how many among us could rightfully aver that we are Tarahumara Indians, or how many of us have managed to conduct our own group A versus group B strenuous hiking tests, and so on? The overriding morality at this juncture is to AWAKEN and INFORM and SAVE LIVES rather than quibble over protocol. If an obviously sane and caring writer such as Mr. Scheer were to inform me that a certain path led into a swamp, would I be amiss in conveying that same warning to other people that I happened to encounter? Do I need to step into the muck myself, or would it be sufficient and proper in speaking with others to simply add the caveat that it was Mr. Scheer and not myself, that had originated the advice?
Especially in these troubled times, I regard this sort of shared exposition as a textbook example of potentially live-saving "fair use" but . . evidently a number of other people with a Rawles-type mindset would likewise rather let children and parents perhaps perish with fatigue and starvation, or suffer capture and torture, rather than allow a few more quotes than they normally "prefer" to see in a submitted article. (Those quoted paragraphs, while indeed somewhat lengthy, actually amount to a relatively modest percentage of the author's total text.)
One may also generously opt to dismiss the possibility of egotism, envy, arrogance, and hubris as being a significant part of the mix -- but that would entail ignoring human nature, yes?]
The overwhelming majority of "survivalist" web pages and forums seem to primarily align themselves with the strategy and practice of sinking nearly all of one's resources into a semi- impregnable homestead, and then arming/training nearly every inhabitant in its defense-to- the-death.
As in the Rawles' example, this typically requires several hundreds of thousands of dollars invested into land, structures, fruit trees, gardens, rabbits, chickens, goats, and such like plus an expensive arsenal, coupled with years of ongoing firearms training involving many thousands of rounds of expended ammunition (with attendant noise, smoke, etc) then top all that off with extensive medical supplies, motor vehicle pools and tools, communications gear, perimeter alarms, patrols, carefully-defined fields of fire, explosives caches, command- detonated mines, -- the list goes on and on!
Indeed, if one insists upon adopting that highly questionable Fortress-of-Eden mindset and strategy from the get-go, then you'd damn well BETTER have the 82nd Airborne Division (or its equivalent!) dug in and camouflaged throughout the vicinity! Why? Because it's been well validated by many experienced woodsmen and hikers and "good 'ol boys" who write to the forums, that your retreat has probably ALREADY been repeatedly observed, very likely by a wide variety of people. (Or if you don't have a homestead garden/orchard retreat yet, but plan to establish one, the same "discovery" rule applies during either construction or later usage.)
Short of taking your cows and chickens and fruit trees and claymores into the wilds of Alaska or Patagonia, the local residents along with seasonal hunters, game wardens, BLM/Forest Service choppers, or satellite electrical-emissions scanners or . . whatever . . WILL notice what you're doing, and even if they haven't yet, rest assured that once the millions upon millions of fleeing city people trickle (even with huge losses) into your region with their SUV's and trail bikes and backpacks, your rustic homestead WILL more than likely be discovered in due course. Moreover, these observant and very hungry refugees or armed gangs probably will NOT be so stupid as to attack frontally or individually. They will scout around, and adroitly pick the time and place for their deadly intentions . . leading to the obvious question: which of your friends or family are you comfortable with being sniped or ambushed or barbecued by torturing cannibals FIRST? Yes, perhaps in subsequent battle you CAN emerge victorious, overall, from the fray (or at least from the FIRST one of many?) but at what cost in precious lives and investment?
Unfortunately, being a stationary target means that time is on the side of the enemy: plenty of starving, desperate cannon-fodder men, women and even children will either volunteer or be forced by ruthless warlords to test your defenses, and do you really think your ammo and nerve and luck will forever hold?
It would presently appear that for every practicing retreater, there are literally thousands, if not tens of thousands, of unprepared men and women who WILL nevertheless try to make up their mental/moral shortfall at your expense. And make no mistake: in due time, however much initial attrition and infighting and fumbling on the part of the aggressive roiling masses, some highly vicious, capable leaders WILL at length emerge from the chaos, and will skillfully direct their now tightly-disciplined and motived minions straight to your bountiful-garden doorstep -- unless you are either VERY remote, or very lucky, or both.
Depending upon which scenario the "powers that be" might opt to deploy against humanity, instead of facing ruthless/desperate fleeing citizens, the homestead might instead find itself struggling against large numbers of Chinese troops, or U.N. blue-helmeted thugs drawn from nations we've bombed and ruined or otherwise counted as enemies previously, i.e. no- nonsense hardened cadres from Iraq, Somalia, Panama, Afghanistan, the Balkans, perhaps even Russia or Haiti or Pakistan, etc. Plenty of deliberately-fostered hatred there, and yes, they WILL eagerly look forward to their chance of rape, mayhem and revenge against the once-mighty USA.
So then, one way or another, the Rawles-mentality sort of retreaters must necessarily "put it all on the line" for their open-target orchards and ponds and rabbits and gardens and gun ports and perimeter defenses, etc, thus it is natural that they would sneeringly adopt an ingrained, public-persona macho "defend the Alamo" semi-eagerness to confront all comers.
"They'll have to pry my gun from my cold, dead fingers" is their war-cry, but the subliminal, virtually unperceived overtones in this prideful stance echo Scripture itself: "where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." I.e., if your "treasure" is near-totally invested in a homestead garden-fortress, your "heart" will not want to hear anything contesting that stance, even if another, inherently far safer option might more appropriately see the family through the coming upset.
As bizarre as it may seem, I suspect that the very simplicity of what might be called the "chia solution" has overtones that "spiritually" rebuke the fortress-Eden cowboys and gunner- gardeners, and that much of the seeming antipathy/apathy arises from this nearly subliminal divergence of substance and style.
I am reminded of a science fiction novel I read several decades ago . . sorry that I can't recall the title . . but the story was basically about a distant earth-type planet that was home to some of the most vicious and intelligent/aggressive jungle-style creatures in the known universe. It was so primitive and deadly and challenging that it was famously regarded as THE place to go if you were a macho sportsman -- with a death wish! A landing craft would place you and your party of adventurers on the surface, and then come back after a fixed period (might have been a month or thereabouts, I forget exactly) to see if there were any survivors . . to be feted and welcomed home as heroes if successful . . or mourned in sympathetic admiration if they didn't turn up.
None ever did! Until . . one man . . I'm not sure whether by design or by misadventure, found himself more or less "dumped" on the planet with nothing but the clothes on his back and a pocketknife. All of the trophy-seekers before him had been armed with the latest high-tech "blasters" plus armored apparel, biological detection systems, etc -- to no avail -- so what hope did HE have in such a dire condition of vulnerability?
Well as you might guess, being necessarily humbled and frightened nearly out of his wits by his condition, he HAD to abandon all hubris and superiority and adopt a survival style more akin to a rabbit amid wolves: he went to ground, or hid high in the foliage of trees, and by every similar mode and instinct sought each day to AVOID being a ready target -- much less a patrolling/strutting so-called "master hunter" seeking the glory status of toughest guy in the galaxy!
He of course encountered all sorts of perilous situations and quandaries, but by the end of the story -- by virtue of his forced humility and opting to be EVER and ALWAYS as invisible as possible to the natural predators -- he become the first man to ever make it back to one of the pickup points, finding rescue and celebration.
I aver that even thus should most retreater/survivalists behave in today's perilous circumstance: save the proud yuppie wonder-gardens and chickens and little-house-on-the- prairie homesteads (with carefully calibrated fields of fire) for LATER, and instead adopt the wisdom of the little furry critters that advertise neither their existence nor their abode, nor in any fashion fantasize various modes whereby to confront would-be invaders intent on their blood and their offspring's blood.
These timid "little guys" outlasted even the fierce dinosaurs! And why? Perhaps in part because they instinctively adapt their lifestyle and expectations to account for the near-certain occasional appearance of patrolling predators, and strategize accordingly. They foresee the winter's dwindling food supply and thus while it is yet summer they stock their FULLY HIDDEN larders with sustenance, and construct underground (or very artfully hidden above- ground) unobtrusive abodes, typically with several escape routes and with other similarly- prepared warrens elsewhere in the near forests in case they are forced to flee from an escape-hatch tuft of covering grass, or whatever.
It's true that, in some parts of the country, weasels for instance are adroitly equipped to locate and wreak terrible havoc upon even such well-hidden inhabitants if they fail to escape in time . . but by and large, if enough initial care and skill was employed in the siting and construction of their lair, and with enough habitual alertness, they subsequently live their dangerous lives relatively carefree of roaming bobcats, foxes, and other frightful hunter- seekers. In human terms, one might be equally wise and successful by careful planning and implementation of a similar strategy, e.g. to have a larder based upon totally out-of-sight STORED sustenance ONLY, hidden along with the abode itself in such a way as to be virtually undetectable by the casual hunter or hiker or game warden or . . Chinese soldier, as it may be. Military snipers and long-range surveillance specialists know all about becoming so nearly invisible as to be practically stepped upon by enemy patrols, etc. You can't do that with a homestead effectively "strapped on your back."
Impossible for a whole family unit to accomplish, you say? Too much work to make a shelter large enough for comfort AND camouflage? Too expensive, impractical or labor-intensive? Check out this link:
http://www.amazon.com/Fifty-Dollar-Underground-House-Book/dp/0442273118/ref=sr_1_1? ie=UTF8&qid=1296861263&sr=8-1
There are of course as many clever solutions as there exists the will to implement them, yet in today's special circumstance these efforts should perhaps not be even as extensive and noticable as the modest example(s) depicted in the book. But by all means, do a thorough Internet search on underground bomb shelters, hideaways, etc -- a great many people have shared their boo-boos and successes for our edification: take advantage of it.
Some people have utilized cover of night, inclement weather (or simply good timing) to maneuver a reinforced, burial-ready, luxuriously fitted out 20 foot or 40 foot ocean shipping container unseen onto their property . . or even NOT onto their property! Millions of acres of so-called "government" land overseen by the BLM or other agencies are virtually unpatrolled or so remote as to allow unfettered (but suitably cautious) utilization for retreat purposes, etc.
And for the very most "open thinking" adventurers, there remains the example of the 79 year- old Agua Caliente Indian, exuding golden-skin energy and vitality with only a tiny backpack and rifle! Adapting this simplicity in appropriate manner to the challenges of varying climate and topography, one could very well outfit both self and family with a "Jim Phillips" approach to survival clothing, and thereafter require little else! He and his dad invented a clothing system that enabled them to move about in comfort whether at the Northernmost edge of Alaska amid severe freezing, or -- with the same garments -- stroll the Southern California beach vicinity while awaiting their luggage and regular street clothes. Again, a net search might BEGIN with just one useful link -- especially watch the several introductory videos: http://www.preparemyfamily.com/
The point here is that it may very well be not only possible to come through upsets and dangers with a "minimalist" mindset and practice, but it might in fact be the ONLY mode whereby to succeed over a long stretch.
Below is my own deeply researched list of suggested foundational survival items that would give a person an excellent chance at successfully emerging from prolonged crisis, so as to eventually build his or her garden of Eden -- rather than attempt a premature fortress of Eden.
Unlike the casual hiker/camper, any "total evasion" approach to wilderness living/hiding will require complete severance of dependency upon re-supply of any type whatsoever. This means re-thinking the whole "happy camper" routine in a very careful and radical manner. In normal times one may suffer an equipment failure, or a bear vandalizing the campsite food stocks, with relatively mild alarm or even good humor, perhaps taking pictures to show to the guys at work!
Not so, when the supermarkets are barren memories, cannibal gangs await the foolish wanderer, and just a drop of clear but contaminated water might mean agonizing weakness or death. Second chances, and second-rate equipment might get you by -- but it wouldn't be wise to select either your survival gear or your survival strategy on that basis.
Most family members today will NOT be a Tom Brown, Jr. clone -- needing little more than a good knife and a loincloth, able to hunt and scavenge with practiced ease, while also having the stalking skill whereby to creep unseen amid snakes and biting bugs up to within just a few paces of even the sharpest human eyes! (Read his excellent and amazing books!) Short of his example, we common folk must be prepared to "pack in" considerably more than the casual nature hiker.
One likely mode of accomplishing this would be to first have a properly outfitted high clearance off-road truck, with a securely lockable camper shell. Inside that one might have a Knaak brand (or equivalent) tool box bolted to the truck bed. See illustration:
Having already scouted out the area best suited for no-human-contact "oneness with nature" (ha) a person would then make several trips, if necessary, so as to backpack the contents into a distant wilderness setting, be it forest or mountain or desert.
By prior design and division of contents, several buried caches would be constructed and camouflaged, such that one would end up with a very manageable pack weight for subsequent everyday carry or stowage in the "primary" refuge-spot. Having accomplished this "core" item transfer, IF there remained sufficient time and surplus funds, one could THEN augment the survival basics with as much yummy extras as due caution and circumstance might permit, bearing in mind that each cumbersome load would be yet another opportunity for unobserved eyes to note your presence. So go easy on the pancake mix, honey, salt, and oatmeal etc!
Naturally, more than one suitable hideaway nook would be within handy escape/evasion distance, should the primary site become compromised for some reason. Weapons would be used only as a very VERY last resort, employed primarily against say, the unlikely but possible encounter with a feral dog pack, or persistently aggressive bear, etc.
These hideaways could be gradually improved, camouflaged and elaborated -- or better yet -- moved entirely underground via discrete and patient labor over time. But always with the understanding and design such that an immediate evacuation would not entail leaving vital items behind. Even in a carefully hidden wilderness setting, the bug-out bag mentality would still be the order of the day, until such time as the short wave radio made it absolutely clear that all danger was past.
So then, with that general approach (among possible others) in mind, let's see the list:
We'll start with a quality backpack, with water bladder hydration pockets, etc. Nothing less than the best will do here -- if society does indeed break down your field equipment had better not need repairs, so the lifetime guarantee and outstanding reviews given to this brand offsets both its price and extra weight compared to some lesser competitors. (The U.S. Navy Seals purchase some of these products, because they've proven them able to withstand heavy loads and heavy abuse.) As with so many of our soldiers, your backpack may very well constitute your HOME for an indefinite period, so I'd suggest you go with the 7,500 cubic inch Expedition model, with accessory items, etc: (foundation frame & pack combo, $988) 9 - 3/4 lbs total
http://www.mysteryranch.com/s.nl/c.999464/sc.8/.f At least ten pounds of Chia per person -- buy the full 50 lbs for $225 and either carry more, or cache the rest in several locations, inside vermin-proof containers:
http://www.naturalremi-teas.com/mm5/merchant.mvc cold weather clothing (Jim Phillips style) -- this man also has a number of videos that are well worth purchasing. Do a thorough web search since not every item associated with his approach is lumped together at one site: ($188 per set)
http://www.preparemyfamily.com/?page_id=912 also: http://www.jimsway.com/atjs1.html a Wiggy's brand sleeping bag & ground pad -- select the FTRSS two-component system, and since extreme weather anomalies may someday be part of the equation, I'd suggest the Ultima Thule as the core bag. They can be ordered in wide/long and Olive Drab. Overbag (left) and Ultima Thule (middle) combined price: $459 plus ground pad: $84) bags 9 lbs total The suggested coldest weather combination (can of course use single layer or mixes for moderate weather variations) would begin with Fishnet Long Underwear below at top left, your foundational undergarment regardless of overlayer selection ($78) then put on (assuming very cold conditions) the Jim Phillips TJ's, then the Antarctic Bib with suspenders ($310) then the Supplex Sleeveless Vest ($110) followed by the Alaska Range Parka Liner Arctic ($211) topped with the Antarctic Parka (illustrated by gloved man -- $375). Complete the ensemble with insulated Head/face Cover ($46) and Extreme Arctic Mittens ($166) plus for the feet the Joe Reddington Mukluks ($197) which are designed to be worn OVER regular boots or lighter footwear. If you've ever been cold -- or especially been out in extreme weather with sub-zero blasts producing wind-chill factors of minus 60 degrees or worse -- then you KNOW how much you'd prefer to be absolutely comfy and secure, regardless of nature's vagaries! This sort of ensemble is your HOME and will enable you to pretty much laugh at conditions that would be fatal to the more casual/ignorant retreater. No skimping in this area, period! So if the totals seem high, compare it to how much you'd spend for a small house or cabin or motor home that will NOT get you well into the boonies under adverse conditions and out of harm's way. Remember, the Garden of Eden homestead is for LATER, after having first evaded and outlasted the turmoil. Right now, mobility is the key and to be done right is not cheap. Lesser quality garments that use the so-called "miracle" fabrics like Goretex and such like simply do not compare either in strength and durability and wicking properties which WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE if you get too wet or sweaty OR by contrast, if you must sit quietly and not generate the usual body heat of stressful exercise. No such thing as overkill when your very life depends upon the best equipment possible. Sizing is of course VERY important, and especially if you intend to wear the foam TJ's as part of your system then all the other garments must be sized well upwards of "normal" in order to accommodate proper layering. Some "quality time" with a tape measure as each piece is purchased in sequence will help with that process. No shortcuts, else you'll just complicate matters and/or end up with unworkable combinations in the "real world" just when you need to focus on other pressing issues. Do it right, do it now, so there will be no regrets later when the SHTF! 10 lb
http://wiggys.com/ a .22 long barrel handgun (recommended by today's U.S. military Special Forces survival instructors to supersede/replace the usual lugging around of a rifle or shotgun.) Will not truly replace a rifle but when weight is an issue, this can be make to work. Below, the Ruger Mark III Hunter with 6 - 7/8 inch barrel. It comes with two magazines, but I'd suggest buying two more also. ($567) 4 lbs with ammo
http://www.handgunsmag.com/featured_handguns/HGmarkIII_1005/
Some may wish to add a low power scope, suggested by many so as to eliminate the necessity of constant front-sight-acquisition and target-blur issues. The Simmons Prohunter 2 - 6 X 32 is considered by many to be an excellent bargain, though it's easy to spend double or more on such items! $123 1/2 lb
the pistol will then end up looking something like this
http://www.opticsplanet.net/simmons-prohunter-2-6x32-handgun-scope.html AWC Amphibian S Ruger Mark II --
For those of you with big bucks -- or even such "poor people" as will insist upon doing it right -- one can always apply for a suppressor permit (available without much hassle in many states) through a gun dealer so as to obtain an integrally-constructed silenced weapon, as shown below. As you can see, there is no "screw-on" cannister but rather the entire barrel assembly is modified to end up with a very unobtrusive, yet greatly quieted pistol. This particular manufacturer advertises his $1,299 product as follows:
Survival of the fittest is one of nature's laws. This pistol is a survivor. It will never be worn out, damaged beyond repair, or become obsolete at any time. The Amphibian S is designed to be shot! Designed to be routinely serviced with ease by the user. At any time the pistol can be sent back to AWC's plant for fast inexpensive detail strip, cleaning and inspection. This type of service will not be needed for several years. As technology evolves the pistol can easily be upgraded at a later date for a low cost. AWC can change or modify any thing on the suppressor or the Ruger pistol itself any time.
Physical Specifications Added to Ruger MK II: 1.75 in. Materials used: 404 & 303, 6061T6 Optional Night Sights $225.00 Optional Black finish $175.00
Comparative Sound Level: The weapon firing 40 gr. High Velocity ammo is quieter than the bullet impacting a telephone directory!
Clearly, anyone with an expectation of possibly having to fire a weapon amid troubled times would NOT want to attract attention in the process! Although the "chia solution" would presumably be utilized so as to render hunting small game (with its attendent exposure) virtually unnecessary, it nevertheless makes a whole lot of sense to go this route if the wallet is deep enough. The following states are reported as accepting silenced weapons provided you pay the $200 federal fee and submit the misc forms (via the dealer.) It may also entail taking a short class on the subject: AL, AR, AK, AZ, CO, CT, FL, GA, ID, IN, KY, LA, ME, MD, MS, MT, NE, ND, NV, NH, NM, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WV, WI, and WY. Sometimes there's some delay involved in this sort of thing, so by all means check with your local gun shop for details. http://www.impactguns.com/store/AWC-AMPHIBIAN.html purchase TWO complementary modes of water purification, the first being a world-renowned Katydyn Pocket Water Microfilter, typically good for 13,000 gallons of safe drinking: ($248) 1 - 1/4 lbs
http://www.amazon.com/Katadyn-8013618-Pocket-Water- Microfilter/dp/B0007U00YE/ref=sr_1_cc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1296863895&sr=1-1-catcorr and a SteriPen Classic System. Would strongly suggest a second one as a backup -- you may have a year's worth of food, but it's useless without clean water! The most "bombproof" procedure is to use the Katydyn first (with a prefilter on THAT if water is slimy) then treat the Katydyn water with the SteriPen. In most instances, the Katydyn "might" be all you'll need, but the Katydyn handles nearly everything BUT viruses so if in the slightest doubt, take the next step with the SteriPen also. Note: it's quite vital to wipe the drips from any surface that comes from "suspect" water since even one drop into the "fresh" bottle or Platypus bag could mean big trouble. This uses AA batteries . . but either use lithium OR only the best NiMH, featured elsewhere on this list, along with a solar charger. The manufacturer warns that alkalines probably won't cycle it long enough in some instances. ($77 each) 1/2 lb?
http://www.amazon.com/SteriPen-Classic-Safe-Water- System/dp/B004FVMILO/ref=cm_cr_pr_sims_t Once you've located water, you'll need to be able to transport it, possibly for a considerable distance, or draw from the container(s) for several days or more before having to return to the source (or find another one much further on.) Although it's very convenient to suck from a Platypus bite valve system that mounts inside the backpack, there will be times that you simply must transport more volume. In that case the best solution might be to have TWO six- liter MSR Dromedary bags in reserve "just in case." (Gotta have water, or you die!) These items have a very well deserved reputation for ruggedness and versatility for attachment, etc. They can survive freezing, boiling water, abrasion, heavy impact (within reason) etc, so when your life depends upon it go with the best! ($36 each) 1/2 lb
http://www.amazon.com/MSR-Dromedary-Handle-Liter-Black/dp/B000FIU2TG/ref=sr_1_6? ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1297125933&sr=1-6
For on-the-move ease in drinking, get two each (one for spare) of the Platypus Big Zip SL 3 Liter Hydration bags for insertion in the pack (along with separate cleaning kit and misc accessories): ($35 each) 1/4 lb?
http://www.amazon.com/Platypus-3-Liter-Hands-Free-Hydration- System/dp/B001KZGYLS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1296866325&sr=1-1 a Surefire Saint headlamp, costly but worth every penny. Can use AA batteries. (Get one for each adult or child): ($185) 1 lb with batteries
http://www.amazon.com/SureFire-HS1-A-BK-Surefire-Saint- Headlamp/dp/B001EAOPX8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=sporting- goods&qid=1297036359&sr=1-1
a 72 hour laser beam rescue/signaling device -- 20 mile nighttime range, 3 miles day, AA batteries. Could be used in peacetime emergency, or later for no-electronic-signature personal communications. It isn't a "spot" beam but at distance it becomes a spread-beam "line" which at 16 miles is actually 6,000 feet in length and thus able to "scan" across rescue planes, distant mountain terrain, etc: ($100)
http://www.cardinalgear.com/rescue-laser-flare-magnum.html
It's symptomatic of today's world that so few people understand (as yet!) just how fragile our technological base really is. Everything is VERY highly inter-dependent and when collapse ever comes -- for whatever reason -- it would be best to assume that manufacturing and distribution as we know it will not recover in time to do this present generation much good at all. Particularly in reference to batteries, once the lithium cells already out there reach their shelf life of ten or so years, there will be NOTHING to replace them. The alkaline and other shorter-lived items will of course be long gone well before then, and while a few techno-nerds among us will be able to rig up the occasional large and crude stationary battery using bathtubs, salt, copper, aluminum and other scavenged materials, flashlights will for the most part be a distant fond memory. With one exception, and one exception only: the "shake" style flashlights. However, much Internet research suggests that only ONE brand is worth purchasing: the NightStar 3. So long as the essentially non-chemical capacitor storage device retains its integrity possibly for several decades or more (depending upon the luck of the draw, manufacturing tolerances on a particular day etc) then this device will be a Godsend to whoever owns one. With one important caveat: it must be kept away from certain types of sensitive electronics, precision compasses and other delicate magnetic devices. Other than that, having one in every home, automobile glove box, and bug-out kit is a very smart idea . . so long as separate placement is MAINTAINED vigorously. Just try going without light for a few nights running (with no full moon to help) and you will very quickly understand just how much we take such things for granted. Oil lamps and other primitive solutions can't hold a candle (ha) to this shake light for convenience and safety (no open flame) so don't wait, buy several now. ($30 each) 1 lb
Source -- http://www.amazon.com/Nightstar3-Shake-Flashlight-Translucent- Blue/dp/B002U6O26K
A useful informational review and test of the product -- http://the-gadgeteer.com/2005/05/13/ shakelight_nightstar_led_flashlight_review
Some further explanation: a few reviewers have done side-by-side testing of the various shaker flashlights and they've learned two things: first, that compared to the best competition, the Nightstar 3 does not initially shine quite as bright as the next-best contender, BUT it very soon outlasts it and shines brighter thereafter until it finally peters out. Second and more important, a great many cheap knock-offs are in the market, and people lap them up because they seem to be quite bright straight out of the box, -- as well they should be, since the manufacturers cheat by inserting a watch button battery in the circuit! Once it dies (doesn't take long) you're left with a piece of junk that won't light no matter how much you shake it. Squeeze type generator lights wear out your hand quickly, and can break. The wind-up Freeplay Jonta is great, but relies upon charging a battery that will fail like all the rest. This next device would be very useful for those times when inclement weather prevents solar charging of batteries. Depending upon location it could be that during certain seasons overcast conditions might last for many days or weeks at a time, with only brief minutes of clear skies. (It's sunny nearly all year round where I am in Colorado, with most overcast lasting no more than two or three days at most.) If one wishes to keep the netbook or other devices operational, then short of a VERY heavy and noisy and fuel-slurping gas generator that could be heard from great distances -- or a stationary bike/generator that's also very heavy to bring in -- a thermoelectric powered system will do the trick. However this particular item is not "bonehead simple" so a bit of a learning curve would be involved with using it so as not to immediately overheat and destroy it. And since it would have to use fire as a heat source, that brings in the usual caveats on that subject, i.e. security issues, wafting smoke and smell etc that "might" be noticable depending upon location. Needless to say, nightime use of fire would require even more keen attention to visibility factors . . but with wise placement, use of only very dry (non smoky) wood, and so on, this will charge the batteries quite well. If used in the "default" mode as shown, with attached water resevoir to prevent overheating, all you do is place the plate on left facing the fire (a deep pit arrangement would largely negate the flame visibility factor) and monitor the water level. After 30 or 45 minutes or so just add more water, assuming more charge is needed by that point. Heck, do double duty and arrange a method for drawing off/replacing the water now and then for hot drinks! Check out the videos on the site for a better idea of what's involved. Although other devices are available, this offers perhaps the best price vs effeciency vs simplicity ratio UNLESS you're really a techno-nerd in which case the 50 watt module could be incorporated into a semi-permanent dirt/clay rocket-stove arrangement for higher output and relatively carefree attendence, etc. ($180)
Specs: The TEG Power Brick has two sets of power terminals. 1- Regulated Power: 15 VDC / 350 milliamp, enough to power most electronic devices or recharge batteries. 2- Unregulated Raw Power: 12 VDC (max) / 1.2 amps, continues operation daily output equivalent to 85 watts solar. Can be ganged and wired together in multiples to achieve higher voltages and amperage. Life expectancy - 200,000 hrs. All aluminum construction, dimensions - 8" X 4.75" X 4". http://www.tegpower.com/products.html Kel Tec P-32 fully loaded, only 10 ounces! I have one of these, and no joke, it's so small and light that you barely notice it in your pocket or (for you ladies) in your purse. Uses 7 rounds plus one in the chamber -- or get extended magazine (recommended) for 10 rounds plus one in the chamber. No external safety, uses double-action trigger instead, so in a panic situation you won't be squeezing to no effect and/or fumbling (until too late?) for a button safety. The extended magazine greatly improves the "feel" in the hand, it's simply a better grip plus the total of 11 rounds gives that "little edge" that can make a difference. The .32 caliber round is actually quite effective, and however much some would pooh-pooh it those same people would NOT (I guarantee) wish to stand in front of it and absorb the bullets! A whole lot better than pointing your finger and saying "bang" -- and being so tiny it is ideal for the emergency pouch. I'd get two extended mags, one in the pistol and the other pre-loaded right next to it. If you ever get separated from the main backpack, it will add a whole dimension of confidence to have ANY weapon at hand. May or may not immediately slay the cougar or black bear, but the noise alone is often sufficient to send them packing, and far better than a stick! (Though first thing after losing my main outfit I'd cut and sharpen and fire- harden one of those, too!) $223, extended mag $25 ea
Get pistol from dealer, or online at: http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/41364-55.html
Extended magazine from: http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/MAG017-36.html Although the Surefire headlamp is by far the most practical and convenient method of trail and camp illumination, one should always ALWAYS have a couple of backup alternatives -- especially for the little emergency pack ( the one that you NEVER leave behind, even for a bathroom break just 50 feet from the trail or home base etc.) This excellent Maratac brand flashlight runs on a single AA battery for as much as 100 hours on low, 7 hours on medium, and 2 hours on high. Get two so you'll also have a backup tucked away in the main pack as well. Although these will of course run well on the rechargeable AA's I suggest purchasing several AA lithium batteries for each of them (easy to fit into the emergency pack with the flashlight) since with their approximate 10-year shelf life you can pretty much pack-and-forget: ($30 each)
http://www.countycomm.com/AAWORLDSMALLEST.html
a Cold Steel SRK Survival Rescue knife -- use the lanyard hole provided, for extra security, perhaps with a stretch-cord attachment! (Not an item you'd want to lose.) ($65) 1 lb
http://www.amazon.com/Cold-Steel-Kraton-Handle-Concealex/dp/B000BSY9AS/ref=sr_1_13? s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1297035655&sr=1-13 Leatherman Charge TTi -- and no, you will NOT trust it on your belt, but have it well secured IN your vest or pack somehow! Plus a spare for the emergency pack. ($80) 1/2 lb
http://www.amazon.com/Leatherman-830685-Charge-Nylon- Sheath/dp/B000LG823K/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1297035177&sr=1-1 get at least two each of these fire starter tools, (BlastMatch, $21, Spark-Lite, $8)
http://www.amazon.com/Adventure-Medical-Spark-Lite-Firestarter-Tinder- Quik/dp/B000ZHC4RU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1297034715&sr=1-2
(find "Big Flint" rod,at left ($16) also Corona striking tool ($8), scroll down near bottom) http://www.bepreparedtosurvive.com/FirestarterProducts.htm a Trail Blazer TBS 24 bow saw, with Swedish Steel blade (buy several extra blades and a sharpening file!) Collapses to fit inside one slender tube. Far safer and faster than an ax, nevertheless do NOT brace one hand on the log or branch anywhere NEAR where you're starting the actual cut -- until the blade sinks far enough into the cut for stability it could jump sideways and wreak severe damage: ($33, extra blades $13 each) 1 - 1/2 lbs
http://www.amazon.com/Trail-Blazer-TBS-24-24-Inch-Take- Down/dp/B000LW1Q1E/ref=pd_sim_ol_1 get six 100' packets of Genuine GI paracord, the uses are endless: ($6 each)
http://www.amazon.com/Foliage-Green-Genuine-Enhanced-Paracord/dp/B001D4EO0O a very high quality (surplus issue) foldable combo spade/pick, for constructing shelters, caches, etc Don't leave home without it!: ($25) 3 lbs
http://www.majorsurplus.com/Dig-It-with-our-Military-E-Tool-with-Cover-P15082.aspx a Plastimo Iris 50 precision prismatic hand bearing compass (and waterproofed maps for your anticipated areas of operation) allows you to easily see the exact bearing number while looking through the prism towards a landmark. No more trying to glance ahead and back down to your compass repeatedly, hoping to get everything in correct alignment. Can save you from ending up miles away from your target due to imprecise headings: ($90) 1/4 lb
http://www.marineproductreviews.com/navigation/plastimo-iris-50-hand-bearing-compass- review
Be sure to load this Garmin Etrex Vista HCx with the optional topo detail maps of your state (the GPS system will eventually go down in the collapse, but the maps themselves will remain on the Micro SD memory card and screen for subsequent navigation with compass, internal altimeter, etc.) Uses AA batteries. There are more expensive units, but only marginally better in performance, each with quirks and faults, etc. This will do just fine for most people. ($194) 1 lb
http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-eTrex-Vista-HCx-High- Sensitivity/dp/B000PDR1LS/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1296868034&sr=1-1 a Sangean ATS 909 All Band Digital Shortwave Radio (on the same page, be sure to buy the separately-sold Sangean ANT-60 accessory long-wire antenna at left in photo): ($198) 1 lb
http://www.amazon.com/Sangean-ATS-909-Digital-Shortwave- Receiver/dp/B0000228GG/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1296873459&sr=1-1 a Standard Horizon STD-HX370S handheld two-way VHF radio (5 watt, can use AA batteries, intended for marine use therefore water resistant and rugged. For those who absolutely require emergency communications capability with roaming/lost family members, etc, despite future risk of possible satellite or land-based gov't detection): ($130 each) 2 - 1/4 lbs
http://www.amazon.com/Standard-Horizon-STD-HX370S-Marine- Radio/dp/B000GDXNAK/ref=sr_1_21?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1296874453&sr=1-21 a Sony PCMM10 digital recorder -- an amazing unit for very high quality recording, but it is included here primarily for its mp3 and other playback features. It will run on AA batteries AND has a microSD/Memory Stick Micro Slot, so you can load 32 GB's of music, books-on- tape, oldie radio shows and other memory items on each chip (easy to carry a dozen or more of these if you want huge amounts of "boonie" entertainment on tap to relieve possible boredom.) Add a good pair of earbuds and you'd make any audiophile swoon in the woods -- you can't get better quality playback and technical specs, period: ($230) 1 - 1/4 lbs
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-PCMM10-Portable-Digital- Recorder/dp/B002R56C4O/ref=dp_return_2?ie=UTF8&n=172282&s=electronics a Canon Powershot SX130IS digital camera -- uses AA batteries, takes SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards. Besides the regular camera/video functions -- helpful when exploring new trails, taking waypoint snaps in both directions, etc -- it is also possible to scan and save entire books (such as color descriptions of edible wild foods) onto the cards, and have a whole collection of useful references that can be viewed on the excellent 3 inch LCD screen. Be sure to get a separate protective case for it and extra memory cards: ($180) 3/4 lb
http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerShot-SX130IS-Stabilized-3-0-Inch/dp/B003ZSHNG8 get 3 or 4 of the 9 X 12 inch waterproof gear bags (other sizes are available depending upon your needs): ($11 each)
http://www.amazon.com/Kwik-Tek-Multi-Purpose-9-Inch-12- Inch/dp/B000OF72WK/ref=sr_1_8?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1296958860&sr=1-8 how about a decent quality harmonica -- sometimes it's worth a few bucks to "make your own music" under the big sky: ($110) 1/4 lb
http://www.amazon.com/Hohner-Koch-Harmonica-Key-C/dp/B0002GWKUA/ref=sr_1_8? s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1296923533&sr=1-8 a take-apart flute/recorder in the same key of C as the harmonica -- if you're with a partner or family, learn to make beautiful music together -- a lifelong investment in fun and harmony! Can't go wrong for only 5 bucks each:
http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-C-Soprano-Recorder-Baroque-English- Fingering/dp/B0002F5I46/ref=sr_1_1?s=musical- instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1296923854&sr=1-1 Buy at least a dozen or more AA size Sanyo eneloop NiMH batteries, plus same brand 8 or more AAA: ($9 per pack, $8 per pack AAA)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000IV2WAW/ref=cm_cr_asin_lnk
a must-have item: foldable solar charger for AA and AAA batteries (to power Garmin, Surefire, Sangean, etc) Can also charge cell phones or other devices that plug into a 12 VDC automotive type socket: ($210) 1 lb
http://www.amazon.com/Foldable-Solar-Battery-Charger-Batteries/dp/B002MUS8S2 a WikiReader Electronic Encyclopedia -- 3 million topics in your palm! Text only, no graphics, but plenty of lazy-evening learning and diversion and trivia, some of which could be very useful. It uses AAA batteries. No backlight, but will run several months on the batteries before recharge. A handy item if the netbook decides to quit! ($71)
http://www.amazon.com/Pandigital-Handheld-Electronic-Encyclopedia-WikiReader/dp/tags- on-product/B0039NLVB2
Although adding a hefty 3 lbs to the initial packweight, once in camp (or cached) this netbook could be considered THE premier luxury/necessity! It can be loaded with favorite programs, games, survival data, Kindle books (yes they can be downloaded onto a PC instead of just a gray-screen Kindle), scanned books from one's personal library at home, and with the zoom or screen magnifier function you can closely examine those high-resolution photos of yummy vs dangerous plants, mushrooms, misc critters and their tracks and so much much more! Plus, the highly rated Asus model below has up to 13 hours of battery time between charges, excellent performance, indeed! However if you do actually include this item in your purchasing, you'll need to upgrade the size and wattage and feature set of the suggested solar panel/battery charging arrangement as previously illustrated. If you need help on this, by all means email me and I'll guide you through some fine alternatives. Also, although I've had great luck so far with my own Asus, be cautioned that ALL of the top contenders in this category suffer the occasional fault, either right out of the box, or soon thereafter . . so be sure to buy from Amazon so you'll get no hassle on returns. Naturally, if it fails out in the boonies, oops . . which is why I suggest backing up the most important books and other data on Sandisk chips and other flash memory backup devices. If done properly, you can access some or all of the books and photo illustrations via the camera display, and listen to your music collection via chips installed in the mp3 recorder/player, etc. Redundancy, insofar as you have the bucks and the legs to transport everything to the boonies!
http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-1015PEM-PU17-BK-10-1-Inch-Netbook- Black/dp/B0042TYYI4/ref=sr_1_5?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1297305316&sr=1-5
Get two each of these multi-purpose items: Flat Tarp 2.0 heavy duty 200 denier urethane coated nylon tarps, reinforced multiple tie-out points, highly regarded by field testers etc -- note that most tarps are flammable so be careful with nearby fire! ($82 ea) 3 - 1/2 lbs
http://www.owareusa.com/ Order four packaged sets of MSR Ground Hog tent (tarp) tie down stakes: ($15 per pkg)
http://www.amazon.com/MSR-Ground-Hog-Stake-Kit/dp/B000A8C67W/ref=sr_1_1? s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1296962269&sr=1-1
"Almost" needless to say, in a post-catastrophic collapse one had better LOOK before he leaps . . whether scouting out a trail, or closely observing what seems to be an abandoned cabin, or checking out that disturbing cougar scream from the near ridge, a good pair of medium-magnification binoculars can make a big difference in survival. Up to the task: Vortex Optics 8 X 42 Diamondback binoculars (an excellent value, but by all means upgrade if you have the bucks!) ($220) 1 - 1/2 lbs
http://www.amazon.com/Vortex-Optics-Diamondback-Waterproof-Binocular/dp/B001MGZU3S Get one Hennessy Hammock for each person -- a very adaptive and very comfortable alternative to the usual ground tent scenario -- it's utilized all over the world by soldiers, explorers, and "happy campers" able to finally get a good night's sleep! These are not your usual tippy, hard to enter/leave cheapo hammocks, it's a whole new system that really WORKS and gets rave reviews. I suggest the "Survivor Camo Woodland Asym" for its increased size and strength (able to handle up to 350 lbs) and large rain fly. Be sure to add the 4-season system -- tested north of the Arctic circle -- and by all means peruse carefully the web site for all sorts of useful information on this revolutionary approach to survival comfort! With a bit of ingenuity, it can be strung in places you wouldn't normally expect, and even if you've constructed a decent little hideaway in the woods, this item can turn it into virtually a luxury condo instead of just a bough-bed "sufficiency" apartment. ($400, 4-season kit, $100, misc extras $40) 4 - 1/2 lbs
http://hennessyhammock.com/index.html heavy duty sewing repair items: ($7, $10, $11) 1 lb
http://www.amazon.com/Sewing-Essentials-Household-Repair- Needles/dp/B0028DT0O4/ref=pd_sbs_sg_17 http://www.amazon.com/SPEEDY-STITCHER-Speedy- Stitcher/dp/B000FXT814/ref=pd_sim_k_3 http://www.amazon.com/Leather-Crafting-Artificial-Sinew- Natural/dp/B0018N7CVS/ref=pd_sim_k_4 Best Glide Emergency Fishing Kit. Although I personally would wish to rely on the chia and occasional foraging for edible wild plants, berries, etc, this isn't very large or heavy and if you can fit it with the other items in the emergency bag, by all means go for it. $23
http://www.amazon.com/Survival-Fishing-Kit-Standard- Version/dp/B004HPQ72E/ref=pd_sbs_sg_58
Leaded Nylon Gill net, 1 - 1/2 inch mesh, 6' X 50' ($100) Ok, if you're gonna insist on fish in your diet, might as well do it right. This particular style is primarily for flowing water applications, but even in a still pond or lake it will very likely outproduce a regular pole-and- bait fisherman by a large margin -- and it works day and night, when you are not there!
http://www.texastastes.com/p129.htm#810196 This next long section should be absolutely VITAL READING -- especially for those thinking to remain anywhere near "normal" civilization. "Buckshot" Hemming knows his stuff! Website: http://www.snare-trap-survive.com/
I was in a chat room tonight and we were discussing dogs. I said "If TEOTWAWKI (the end of the world as we know it) happens, then 100 millions dog will be a major problem." Then we got to talking about the Great Depression and how the land was almost hunted dry.
First, before we accept that as fact, here was the argument. One person stated that when the great depression happened there was half the population, than there is now. So, if a great world collapse was to happen today, his premise was there wouldn't be anything left in the forest. I have to disagree. My biggest point was during the G.D., 40 percent of the population came from farms, most knew how to hunt and a fair percentage knew how to trap. Then it makes senses that the game would disappear. But even then, there were a percentage of trappers all over this country that fed their families and saved their farms with the fur money. See the value of trapping?
My premise is we have 90 percent of the U.S. population in the cities. Most are soft and would rather steal what you have than work at hunting or trapping. I believe most will never get out of the cities and will die in a hail of gunfire, rioting and fires. When all this is going on, they will let their pets go free, thinking at least they can survive on their own. This is why at 4:00 am I'm writing this article. I could not sleep. I know city people will do this and we will have 100 million dogs and 80 million cats released to go wild.
Now what I have to say next is not for the weak hearted, if for any reason you have a weak stomach or can't handle a cold hard reality check, then go back to my home page and choose another article.
OK, for those that are still with me, these animals will be a major problem and must be dealt with. Period. This isn't Disney, where you can talk to the poor dog and cat and the world is all fuzzy and warm. This is reality. If you own animals never, ever, EVER, release them to go wild. If you don't have the stomach for putting them down, have someone else do it. If you have to put dog food away at your camp, cache, whatever, great. I think a dog is invaluable then. A cat in the wild in this crisis is your greatest enemy. One study in Wisconsin found that the best predator against small game was the house cat. The common house cat killed more small game than all other predators in the study. Now the reason I'm up this late and can't sleep is the dogs. I understand pack mentality and a pack of dogs scares me more than a pack of wolves. I have been studying the woods and wildlife my whole life. This is how the dogs will form packs, an alpha male will take control of the pack with a beta male as second in command, the packs will range from 6 to 100 dogs depending on the food supply.
This scenario, I read years ago of a pack like this that had 45 dogs and this was how they attacked people. The alpha picked a friendly looking female like a collie. This is the decoy dog. As you are walking in the woods, the collie approaches and draws your attention, as the packs circle you for the kill. When the pack sneaks up to striking distance, they will attack and so will the decoy. I'm talking lighting fast 45 dogs coming at you. How many rounds does your clip have?
You see when the riots and the death in the city is happening the dogs will learn to feed on the bodies then in turn will acquire the taste for humans. Now you have a pack of wild dogs who consider you and your loved ones as food. They have no fear of man and will kill you to insure their own survival. Now, I'm not trying to scare you and sell fear. I am telling you that this will happen if the chaos of TEOTWAWKI occurs. You'll have to learn to kill dogs and cats on sight. Period. This is not an option.
If you want to insure your own survival, then listen to me. This is no game. If you think I'm just stating this to sell you trapping equipment then click off this article and go take a poll of the people you know, ask the following question, "What would you do with your dog and cat if you lost your job and could not afford to fed them?" I have lived in the country most of my life and I have had to deal with these animals that people let go on their own.
I have talked to the people who have told me that they still believe their Ralphy boy is probably still out there hunting with the best of the coyotes. Dreamy like and with pride in there voice! Or I know my cat is still alive because he was the best hunter in the neighborhood, he killed more birds then any other cat!
I'm not selling anything but reality! I'll tell you another dog story that happened to me. I was trapping on this farm years ago and I caught a black mangy, scaly looking black lab mixed mongrel. I have caught lots of dogs over the years and I can let most go with out a problem, unharmed. Anyway, I approached this dog and started talking to him and slowly moving closer. The dog stood up, wagged his tail and appeared happy to see me. When this happens, 99% percent of the time I can release the dog and place him in my truck to take to the farmhouse and explain what happened. Most dogs are fine and have a sore foot for a couple of days, then they're back to normal. Not this dog, he lured me in with his friendly attitude until he thought I was in striking distance, then turned into attack mode. Lucky, I was prepared for the reaction and quickly jumped back. I never will forget that lighting fast change and the snarling teeth just missing my hand. The dog misjudged his strike range, if I had been a little closer this would be a different story.
So I walked back to truck truck, found the farmer and told him I caught his dog. The farmer says I don't own a dog and what color is it, because some black mongrel attacked his wife yesterday. To make long story short, the dog was turned over to the humane department and tested positive for rabies. Now this was back in the early eighties when a lot of people were getting laid-off. People were letting their dogs go in the farmers' fields and without proper care, and the dogs picked up all kinds of diseases. Someone has to deal with these dogs. There is no such thing as a dog or cat that is better off let go to fend for themselves. I have seen them all and most of the time you would never recognize them after 6 months on their own.
If a TEOTWAWKI does happen then someone in your group, preferably everyone, should trap, hunt and kill every dog and cat that has gone wild in your area. Period! I'm writing this early in the morning because I couldn't sleep at the thought of that many wild dogs and cats free in America. The best defense to protect your garden and livestock or game animals would be snares. I would have 10 dozens coyote grade snares and enough heavy wire to set all of them at once.
Here is another theory: Starving people will kill the dogs for food. I say sure some will become food, but the average household that has guns has less then 50 rounds, although most survivalists will have much more. So, I think after the first week most people will be out of ammo. Then the packs will rule.
Let me know what you think, am I way off base? I just keep thinking of all the people in the cities and their "My dogs are my children" attitude. Dog and cat food is a huge business. I mean, they have pet psychiatrist for Christ sakes. Think about all the movies and shows like 911 where people risk their lives to save animals. I'm not saying that this is wrong, all I'm pointing out is people's attitude toward pets, and I guarantee they will let them go to fend for themselves when the food runs out. Make sure you are ready to face this threat.
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In reference to your writings on dogs. I'm was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. And I am lucky to have had a grandfather who taught me all the advantages to learning about weapons for hunting and survival. When I was about 17 yrs. old I got a call from my mom about my older brother who seemed to always have disagreements with local law enforcement. Well, it seemed he was going away for a short vacation, if you know what I mean, and it seemed my mom was stuck with dealing with my brother's large stock of pit-bulls and a couple of pit-bull- Doberman crossbreeds. The majority of the dogs I had no problem getting rounded up and taken to the humane society. Now a couple of them, mainly a crossbreed named Dragon, was going to be a different story. No one could get close to him because he was so vicious, even my brother had trouble with him. Well, I knew the humane society wouldn't take a mean dog so I opted to put him down rather than have him hurt someone or God forbid a child. So I took a Charter Arms .38 caliber snub nose with hollow-points and proceeded to put him down. As I approached him he was snarling and trying to break the chain that was tethering him to a broken down '71 Chevy pickup truck axle still attached to the truck. I shot him from about 5 yards away and hit him behind the left ear. To my shock and amazement he yelped once and proceeded to jerk the truck sideways sliding it about 4 or 5 inches in my direction forcing me to jump back about two feet, almost losing my footing. I hastily shot him two more times, once in the chest and another in the neck before he finally fell. The ordeal had me shaken up a bit to say the least. I knew that if he would have had less tied to him he would have easily jerked free and I'm not sure if I would have been quick enough with the follow up shots. I learned very fast the choice of a .38 caliber was not enough for a dog, and he wasn't a very large dog either, I would say probably 65 lbs. tops. And I know of countless other dogs just in that neighborhood alone many from the same bloodline, and I would hate to even think of them getting loose and into a pack mentality. Thanks for bringing this very likely scenario to me as it never even crossed my mind once. I was only thinking of the 2-legged threat while not thinking of the obvious 4- legged one. ______
Now you are thinking: "My wife carries a 9mm Glock". My answer, "So what?" There have been plenty of cases where police have shot attacking dogs with 9mm Parabellums and been chased on top of their patrol car, after the dog was hit numerous times from the 9 mm. I don't want this to get in a huge debate over what gun to carry. If you are going to carry a sidearm its caliber had better start with "4". But it is more than that. Okay, the gun is a .45 are you sure you can hit a charging, growling, snapping dog running at you at 30 m.p.h. with four of his friends behind him. How about your wife, how about your daughter, your son, your best friend? In a true life and death struggle most people go through a slow motion time frame, tunnel vision, and based on your life experiences you can make critical or even fatal mistakes. Our mind is a wonderful computer. It will fill in voids, your mind is going to open the dog folder -- "dogs are your best friend" -- this causes hesitating, your next folder will open up -- "this is a attack like a pack of wolves killing an elk." Right then you realize you have changed from being predator to prey, then your adrenaline dump will happen. Perhaps 80% of untrained people will make a critical error next. They will freeze. Just like a computer that is getting conflicted reports it freezes up. Their mind will be screaming "This isn't happening!" and like a deer in the headlights staring at the oncoming semi truck, the dogs will knock them off their feet.
The new breed of wild dogs will have a system to kill humans, based on past success. They have no natural fear of man, they normally get fed by man, it will be natural to turn to man for food, even if the food is man himself. They will work out a hunting system because they are pack animals. Like wolves circling a deer, like a single lion chasing the herd of impala into the main pack, like an alligator waiting for the Zebra to dip his head for a drink. You see, the predator's job is to survive. In order for them to survive they must work out a hunting system. The new breed wild dogs will work out a hunting system, with humans as their prey. As I have stated previously in my writings, the normal American household has less then 50 rounds of centerfire ammo. There will be millions of people walking around unarmed. The dogs will have a system worked out before they find you. In other words, you are dealing with seasoned troops. The troops attacking you are successful human hunters--otherwise they probably wouldn't be attacking you.
The attacking force is successful, vicious, and is miles ahead of you in the thought process. They know what their goal is, to feed on you. They have successfully stalked to within strike range. You have entered the kill zone. This is analogous to the hunting method of a dog I once owned: The dog was smart and hated squirrels crossing our lawn. The dog would sleep under a pine tree. This dog from past hunting experiences knew when the squirrel was in the kill zone. The kill zone was the point of no return for the squirrel. He would be too far from the safety of the tree he just left and too far from the safety of the tree he was heading to. The dog would charge out and before the squirrel reached the tree he was caught and killed. The squirrel made the critical mistake of entering the kill zone.
This is my point. Having watched dogs my whole life, hunting with me or by themselves I have an understanding based on reality. Even with me giving you these written warnings, people are still going to hit the critical kill zone from dog packs. The new breed wild dogs will allow you to enter their kill zone or stalk you until they feel you are in their kill zone. When you become aware of the attack you will have precious few seconds to react. Having read hundreds of true attack stories, people have reported essentially the same thing: "I could not believe it was happening to me. I froze not knowing what to do." This is why I am writing this, hopefully to to open your eyes. Dogs are attacking. Hopefully your computer brain will hit the "wild dog attacks" file and you will react. But even if you clear leather of your holster in time, bring the handgun up and fire, the distance is already critical. Missed shots could be fatal. The first missed shot or not damaging enough to put the dog down is going to cause you to have a second adrenaline dump. Your heart rate is going to change from a normal 75 beats a minute to 150 beats a minute. You are now going into a panic as you try to fire faster, praying that one will hit the target. Police officers in shoot-outs have often shot the ground on their first shot trying to return fire too fast in a high stress situation. People have gotten buck fever and worked lever action .30-30s without firing--ejecting fully loaded rounds to the ground. (I've seen this happen. When asked later what he was doing, he replied: "I was shooting at the deer." In his mind, he was shooting. But all around him are littered unfired cartridges. Yes, it happens!) Firearms training is crucial. You must be confident and competent with all of your defensive guns. My point is that you don't know how you are going to react. You have entered the kill zone of seasoned troops whose whole survival is base on successful hunts.
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Many years ago I lived in a small town, sort of a suburban setting and had a job where I got home about 2 a.m. I noticed a few dogs loose and wandering when I would get home. As the weeks passed, there were more and more dogs, and they would gather where people came and went, where there was garbage or food, or just travel together. These were all neighbors' pet dogs. Due to circumstances, I had to park about 5 car lengths from our door. I began to get nervous about the situation and talked to the police, but the mayor's dog, as well as 2 councilman's dogs were involved and I was told there was nothing that could be done. I was also told to not even think of carrying or using a gun. I was very unhappy, but still had to go home at night.
One night I got out of my car and as I was headed towards the door with key ready for the lock, I heard a snarl and the pack of about 10 dogs were running for me. I ran for the door and got in just as a dog bit into the heel of my Western boot. When I looked at the boot later the heel had 2 teeth broken off in it. I complained loudly and was informed that if I fired a weapon, I would be arrested. Period. End of discussion. After that I would call home when I was about 10 min. away and someone would stand by the door to hold it open for me as I ran for it. Most times I just didn't go home until about 8-9 a.m.
This went on for a week or two, and then the pack got together during the day one time. There was a child, about 4 maybe, I never found out for sure if it was a boy or girl, playing outside in it's yard. I saw the dogs, about 6 of them, go for him/her. I was too far away to do anything, all I could do was scream for the kid to run, and they hit the kid. Some people were able to beat the dogs off, but she was mauled pretty badly. Mauled. Such a nice painless word. Puppy mauls its squeaky toy. What I saw was a child, still alive, screaming in agony with chunks of flesh and muscle ripped out of its arms, legs and body. Those dogs were eating that child alive. The face and scalp were literally shredded, what little remained. The nose and lips were gone, it was almost just a skull. You could see the bones through the ripped muscles and blood was everywhere. The paramedics were good; they saved the child's life. Five years after the attack the kid is crippled from muscle damage, an arm had to be amputated, and the face -- after many surgeries, that face and head still looked like something out of a horror film, and if you were not prepared, you would become ill just seeing it.
If people wonder why I'm so against dogs and cats running loose, just think about what 6 dogs did. The scary thing? All those dogs were indoor family pets, all were breeds known for gentleness or considered harmless. All were less than 50 lbs. They were just allowed out at night to run. From when they first started to run together to the attack? About 3 to 4 months.
The last one is on why a .22 is not enough. I have said it before a .22 is a poor defense gun, now read why. To be fair I have also received other e-mails from people that have used a .22 and it dropped the dog in its tracks.
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I used to live in the country, and we all know how it is out there. A dog that kills livestock either winds up as someone's pet in the city, or he gets put down. I had adopted a retired Greyhound from the local shelter. Sweet dog, been abused all her life I guess, because she was pretty blown away just to be petted. Anyway, after a few months, she took it in her head that she wanted to chase chickens. Chickens are quick little boogers, but they were no match for a dog that was just fresh off the racetrack. Needless to say, she decimated my flock.... and a few other people's flocks in a single day as well. I tried keeping her penned up after that, but she got out one day and decided she was in the mood for a veal steak.
Well, came time to pay the piper (and the owner of the calf). I took her out back, choking 'cause I liked the dog but couldn't find anyone to take a livestock killer, and placed the end of the .22 Marlin between her eyes. It was a .22 Stinger too, come to think of it. Pulled the trigger and said I was sorry. Be damned if she didn't just howl in pain and start running about in a circle. It took 4 more shots in the head, and finally one in the heart, to drop her. I've never seen anything like that in a horror movie, and I still have nightmares about it. 1 shot between the eyes, 1 shot in each eye, 1 in the ear, and one more behind her skull at the base, and she was still squalling and running in circles. I'll never shoot another dog with a .22 as long as I live, unless it's a matter of life and death and that sorry a** .22 is all I have left. ______Feral dog pack kills Georgia elderly couple
By The Associated Press
August 19, 2009
LEXINGTON, Ga. – A shredded piece of shirt, some strands of hair and bloodstained dirt are all that remain along the rural stretch of road where authorities believe a pack of wild dogs fatally mauled an elderly couple.
Sherry Schweder, a 65-year-old animal lover, was taking an evening stroll when she was attacked. Her husband, Lothar Schweder, a retired professor, had gone out in search of her. Paramedics who came to the grisly scene Saturday morning found the suspected attackers standing guard. While it’s unclear exactly what happened because there were no witnesses, officials have rounded up 16 dogs they believe were involved.
The dogs were aggressive toward authorities who rounded them up using traps and tranquilizers, Huff said. Authorities believe Sherry Schweder went for an evening walk near her home on Friday. At some point, Schweder was attacked. Preliminary autopsy results showed she died from animal bites.
Authorities believe Lothar Schweder, 77, later went looking for her in his car and came across his wife’s body. There were signs of a scuffle, several shoe prints and what appeared to be paw prints in the mud, authorities said. Autopsy results show Lothar Schweder also died of injuries from multiple animal bites. A group of Jehovah’s Witnesses walking in the same area discovered the bodies Saturday morning and called police. Four days later, a faint unpleasant smell still hung in the air. There have been at least 20 deadly dog attacks in the U.S. this year, 22 in 2008 and 33 in 2007, said the Humane Society’s Goldfarb, compared with about 75 million owned dogs.
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Ok, now that we've got your attention with the feral animal warnings, you might better appreciate the wisdom of a more powerful weapon than the .22 -- which indeed does well for "survival" harvesting of small game, one-on-one encounters, ease of carry, low noise, etc. This next weapon however is roughly the equivalent of a .30-30 hunting round -- plenty powerful enough for tough dogs or even bears if shot placement is decent. (I.e. don't miss entirely, ha) But it is heavy and LOUD so is strictly for no-other-choice, do-or-die situations.
From Centerfire Systems, an AK AMD 65 Rifle, 7.62 X 39 shown with standard banana clip inserted, on left an optional 75 - round drum magazine. $400 for the rifle, $25 for the drum (if both purchased together.) Hard to beat for swift pointing and aiming, especially with the top military grade holographic sight featured just below it. If one were to be suddenly surprised by a patrol, or perhaps worse, by 40 snarling feral dogs -- this would be the ticket, upping the odds much much more in your favor! If 75 rounds without stopping won't do it, might just be time to climb a tree, FAST.
http://www.centerfiresystems.com/AKAGUN-AMD-2.aspx the Aimpoint M4s holographic sight -- the "gold standard" for ruggedness, dependability, sight aquisition, AA battery life over 8 years, adjustable reticule brightness, etc. The rifle above would need some aftermarket items added, such as a picatinny rail to permit this sight to be properly mounted. Yes, the sight costs more than the rifle, but HITTING something is the whole idea of carrying a weapon, so don't shirk this vital component if you can possilby afford it. Other much cheaper solutions exist, but at much risk of failure just when you need it most. $670
http://www.amazon.com/Aimpoint-Comp-M4s-Optical-sight/dp/B001CJ2LQ4/ref=sr_1_1? ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1297560033&sr=8-1
There will be many who will wish to supplement their chia not only through foraging of plants, berries, wild onions, and such like -- but also with small game animals such as squirrel, rabbit, groundhog, beaver, etc. Personally, I'd much rather not get into the whole killing, skinning and gutting thing -- not only does such regular hunting expose one to potentially dangerous encounters, but there are other considerations such as the increasingly swift spread of CWD and other similar diseases among a great many animals (possibly on purpose by certain powers-that-be) plus certain moral considerations that the chia approach is designed to direct in a more spiritual and progressive direction. Be that as it may, IF one is determined to augment the diet in that manner, then it makes sense to do so as efficiently and humanely as possible. To that end, the tried-and-true Conibear trap can't really be beat. Experts woodsmen who have hunted and trapped all their life almost universally recommend that one should not tramp all over creation hoping for a chance encounter with animals, but rather should place a dozen or even two dozen or more powerful traps in the most likely locations and let time and nature do most of the work. A simple multiplication of effort, via a product that nearly always kills quickly and is relatively cheap to employ. The three sizes below are the ones most often used, covering the range from squirrels and rabbits up to beaver and coyote sized animals with the larger one. Typically one might start with a dozen or more of the small size, maybe a half dozen of the medium, and three or four of the larger size. People who trap for a living, selling furs and such like would of course use many more, but for retreaters conscious of weight considerations, this amount would probably do very well indeed . . that is, until the local game populations were virtually wiped out! (Assuming any significant numbers were actually in the area in the first place . . ) Make sure that you obtain the setting tool for the two larger sizes -- else they will be very difficult or impossible to deploy. And by all means, get some instructional books and videos (as necessary) from "Buckshot" Hemming unless you have his decades of experience already.
Conibear #110 ($6.25 ea) #220 ($16.25 ea) #330 ($25.75 ea)
http://www.fntpost.com/Categories/Trapping/Traps/Body+Grip+Traps+ (Including+Conibear)/Oneida+Victor+Conibear+Traps/
"Buckshot's" site: http://www.snare-trap-survive.com/ First Aid items -- remember, out in the bush it's just YOU and these items will stop bleeding FAST before things go "critical" on you. Both the QuikClot and Israeli Battle Dressing are widely regarded as MUST HAVE components that are usually not included in cheapo medical kits -- get at least two of each: ($13, $18 each)
http://www.amazon.com/Quikclot-Sport-Silver-Hemostatic- Packages/dp/B001BCMLWQ/ref=pd_sim_hpc_1 http://www.amazon.com/Israeli-Battle-Dressing-Compression- Bandage/dp/B003DPVERM/ref=pd_sbs_hpc_14
An emergency dental kit "may" help in certain cases or at least alleviate pain long enough to ponder alternatives without distraction -- but I'd seriously advise having your dentist pull any teeth that you or he even suspects might become an issue within a few years. Better a few gaps (if you have neither the time nor money for expensive implants or bridges) than the horrific necessity of your own bloody pliers yanking amid intense agony, think about it . . ! ($20) 1/2 lb
http://www.amazon.com/Travelers-Supply-Emergency-Dental- Kit/dp/B001MA316C/ref=pd_sbs_hpc_1 and a decent "general" first aid kit for the more common "ouch" factors: ($46) 1 - 1/2 lbs
http://www.amazon.com/Adventure-Medical-Kits-Weekender- kit/dp/B000BON59S/ref=acc_glance_hpc_ai_-2_t_5 and since some will insist upon the occasional campfire (keep it small) -- however much the smell and smoke and brightness might attract unwanted attention -- this item is very highly reviewed by many who've experienced nasty burns: ($15)
http://www.amazon.com/Water-Jel-Burn-Pain-Relief/dp/B0006GE5N6/ref=sr_1_1? s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1297012853&sr=1-1
Gear Aid Tenacious Tape ($4.50 ea) According to many reviewers, much better than duct tape for very long lasting and strong repairs to tents, sleeping bags, clothing, etc.
http://www.rei.com/product/783045 ok, you were dumb enough to lug an ax around and now look what you did to your leg . . or maybe your knife slipped deep into your thigh. It's not enough to just stop the bleeding, the wound is large, it's got to be sutured, by yourself, all alone -- or does it? Use this item, a few quick snaps, no needles and thread, -- done! (package of 2, $25)
http://www.amazon.com/Sterile-Skin-Stapler-Wide- German/dp/B001I0EQWE/ref=pd_sim_hpc_34
Once the GPS satellites are taken off line, and the cell phones fail, it's back to the ol' wristwatch -- which means you'd better have one that doesn't rely on broadcast "atomic" time or button batteries. (Even the so-called "solar" watches have to charge an internal battery which often fails within ten years or less.) And most "kinetic" self-winding watches quit after a couple of days if you're not active, i.e. perhaps bedridden for a while or otherwise unable to strut around. But THIS item below is a very highly reviewed exception: it's very accurate, and can sit for nearly four YEARS and still retain the correct time. Arm motion charges a capacitor instead of a chemical battery, thus reportedly providing longer useful life. Also has automatic date function until the year 2100, plus water resistance to 330 feet, etc. Get it NOW! ($223)
http://www.amazon.com/Seiko-SNP007-Coutura-Kinetic- Perpetual/dp/B000BDDF30/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top A great many experienced woodsmen and survivalists strongly recommend having an "emergency" pack (or fisherman-style multi-pocket vest) to hold redundant vital items that are also in the main pack, but not easily reached in an emergency. For instance it might happen that one decides to set the heavy pack aside while investigating a certain "side trip" area of interest which was SUPPOSED to be short and safe -- but suddenly wasn't! I.e. for whatever reason perhaps you have to run like crazy from some pressing danger, or perhaps your main pack was weighing you down when you slipped during a stream crossing and you had to dump it instantly or drown, or . . or . . you get the idea. Stuff happens. Get a totally separate and independent vest or fanny pack or in this case -- a front carry pack -- stocked with such items as firestarters, spare compass, a pound of chia seed, 55 gallon garbage bag, two zip lock freezer bags (for water carry) Micropur water purification tablets, paracord, 20 feet of coiled baling wire, extra Leatherman knife, mylar bivvy sack, pocket chain saw, etc -- it turns a potentially fatal circumstance into something quite likely survivable, or at least offering a reasonable chance at later recovering the main pack without freezing/starving to death first. This Maxpedition Fatboy Versipack is very highly rated for ruggedness and comfort, especially since a vest is difficult to adjust to all the variations of underclothing, layering, winter jackets, etc, while a fanny pack often just won't fit under a large backpack loaded with gear. ($57) 1 lb
http://www.amazon.com/Maxpedition-403-Fatboy- Versipack/dp/B002XLHEEO/ref=pd_sbs_sg_12
Speaking of purification tablets, these are rated as best since unlike iodine tablets and similar offerings these do not leave the water with a bitter or unpalatable "aftertaste" -- or at least very little as compared with the competition. While of course unsuited as the main form of treatment (far too expensive and bulky) they are ideal for the emergency pack, and maybe a few tucked away in the main pack also. Made by the world renowned Katydyn company, each package contains 30 tablets, able to treat 30 quarts. Get several! ($13)
http://www.amazon.com/Katadyn-Micropur-Water-Purification- Tablets/dp/B000IDXL5A/ref=sr_1_6?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1297130678&sr=1-6 This wallet-sized mylar bag should fit well in the emergency pack, and is reasonably tear resistant, plus being windproof/waterproof such that -- especially with an all-night fire -- one would have a very good chance of surviving a severe snowstorm, etc without the main pack. Get two or three at only $3 each!
http://www.amazon.com/Emergency-Sleeping-Survival-Reflective- Blanket/dp/B000Y9H09Q/ref=pd_sbs_sg_3
Purchase two of these items, vital for protracted deep-country survival so as to keep those knives and saws sharp. A dull blade is the most dangerous, as it is more likely to slip off the workpiece and do damage to nearby body parts! Highly rated by many, it can also handle serrated blades and odd shapes: ($6 each)
http://www.amazon.com/Smiths-PP1-Pocket-Multifunction- Sharpener/dp/B000O8OTNC/ref=pd_sim_sg_20
Each family member or prepper should have a Storm Whistle in the emergency pack: ($7)
http://www.amazon.com/10359-Weather-Loud-Whistle- Orange/dp/B001ANZLDC/ref=sr_1_cc_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1297209388&sr=1-2-catcorr One item that should go into the small emergency pack is this Chainmate 24" pocket chain saw, which can -- with care -- cut fairly easily through logs up to 8" or more! Whereas even a large knife (which wouldn't fit into the emergency pack anyhow) would be ill suited, slow, and cumbersome in comparison. Also get the 48" model to keep in the main pack, for larger trees. (Who knows, maybe it would someday be vital to cross a raging torrent -- and felling a tree across might be the only quick and safe option.) In the event you get separated from your bucksaw, these will make short work of constructing a substantial shelter, bringing down dry timber (carefully!) and are generally much safer than hacking with a knife or ax. Get a chainsaw file and some oil, else binding and rusting will eventually become a problem. ($19) 1/2 lb
http://www.amazon.com/Chainmate-24-Inch-Survival-Pocket- Chain/dp/B0026OOS60/ref=sr_1_cc_1_1
Imagine how you'd feel if you were almost completely dependent upon your supply of chia seed and one day discovered that during the night a couple of ground squirrels or porcupines had chewed their way through your pack and made off with nearly all your supply! Or perhaps a bear got curious and somehow yanked your pack from its seemingly secure location and scattered the contents -- including your chia -- all over a half acre of weeds and brush! NOT GOOD. So . . in view of the critical importance of the "main ingredient" to your survival plan, some critter-proof security is definitely in order, yes? This Bearikade Scout model offered by Wild Ideas is possibly the lightest and strongest available, and (with a foam pad) can even double as a camp seat! It's 9 inches in diameter by 8 inches tall, holds 500 cubic inches of material, and has water-resistant O-rings on the lid assembly. ($195) 1-1/2 lb
http://www.wild-ideas.net/index2.html Grab two spools of military-grade Spectra thread (used for parachutes so you know it's the very strongest and best!) 100 yards ($20 each)
http://www.countycomm.com/spectra.htm
Oral rehydration packets are a "must have" item when you're alone in the boonies -- anyone who has experienced a severe case of diarrhea will understand that it MUST be stopped before one becomes so weakened and dehydrated that you can't even crawl to the stream for more water -- which wouldn't do you much good anyhow without the right mix of simple salts and nutrients that gives the body a chance to recuperate. Whether suffering from diarrhea, heat stroke, or vomiting, this is the "go to" brand found in the U.S.A.F. survival kits and is used in many military combat MASH units. Get at least three packets (makes one liter per pouch. $7 each)
http://www.nitro-pak.com/products/emergency-preparedness/1st-aid/first-aid- accessories/ceralyte-oral-electrolytes-50g-2-pak
Plastic barrels with large removable lids can hold many "cache" type items for burial. Most of them use metal-band locking rings to secure the top. For those worried about metal detectors (I'm not) a thorough net search will turn up some more expensive all-plastic varieties with screw-on lids. Then be sure to put metal objects at bottom, much less likely to be detected that far below surface. Also, it's highly recommended that you do NOT bury these on your own property unless said property is fairly large AND you take great care in the process, i.e. spread a tarp, put a couple of 5 gallon buckets in the middle, gradually excavate each shovel full into the bucket and tote well away so scattering will NOT leave an obvious "hill" or discoloration or otherwise suggest excavation had taken place.) Then after completion one MUST firmly ram down soil along the barrel sides and top (which should be 12 inches or so below surface) such that subsequent settling is minimal. One may have to return periodically to re-pack/fill the depression if any until no indication remains, plus appropriately camoflauge the surface appearance, etc. (That means either saving the first few careful hand-trowel removals OR making sure that sufficient nearby similar colorations and material is on hand for blending into overall appearance.)
Not as easy a task as it might appear at first consideration. Thus the utility of doing pretty much the same thing but on public land (BLM "wasteland" or wilderness retreat areas) such that even if someone suspected you were a prepper they could search all year and not find your valuable stash AND with a relatively huge area to work with it might not be so critical re final appearance, depending upon placement, etc. By they way, the 8 gallon size makes a fairly decent boonie "washing machine" that you can just seal with clothes and a couple of smooth river rocks, and sort of "bounce it around" for a few minutes (hang from a springy branch) and voila! "Relatively" clean stuff! ha. But (sigh) one must add yet another packing weight, i.e. detergent or select something that can do both hair/body AND clothes adequately. When caching foods (or other sweet/interesting smelly things)they should ideally first be packed inside odor proof bags: http://www.amazon.com/LokSak-OPSak-Re-Sealable-Storage-12- 5/dp/B004HGB7L4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1297370784&sr=1-2 and then (since animals can be AMAZING) to be even more thorough one can spray the whole barrel after it's ready for burial, and spray hands when setting it (perhaps none of it necessary . . but hey, it might be all you've got between life and death, right?) http://www.amazon.com/Eliminator-friendly-blocker-ingredients-cover- ups/dp/B002TELRIO/ref=pd_sbs_sg_7
15 gallon barrel at left, $33, 8 gallon barrel at right, $25 -- shipping depends on your location. For an example, the company is in Ohio, I'm in Colorado: my shipping is approx $12 for small size, $20 for larger size. They each have molded handles, item on left has handles turned away from camera. Be advised: if the little drum was filled with water it would weigh around 70 lbs! So depending upon what you put into these things, they can be very unwieldy in the larger configurations.
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?sku=75044&catid=459 For those preferring a screw-on lid arrangement with no metal, these 12 gallon containers will do the job nicely. $37.20 plus shipping (Also available in 10 gallon for $32.30)
http://www.bascousa.com/pails-buckets-cans-bottles-and-jars-3544/pails-and-closures-steel- pails-plastic-pails-71/open-head-plastic-pails-141/heavy-duty-child-resistant-screw-top-plastic- pails-2088/heavy-duty-child-resistant-screw-top-plastic-pails-ot12crc.html
Ok, that does it for a few "basics" that will make life much more manageable in the "bush" or home front, wherever that might someday be! Naturally, a careful perusal of survivalist web sites and such like will suggest many other very useful items. Just to give a general sense of what else can and should be thought of, here's a sample: a few pieces of folded heavy duty aluminum foil, several thick walled 55 gallon trash bags, a couple of oven bags, a few dozen feet of baling wire (hardware store), six feet of surgical rubber tubing (hardware store), some quality tweezers, a flexible plastic Fresnel lens magnifier, coffee filters (to pre-filter the water purifiers), several butane lighters, a dozen baby-style plastic-head safety pins (very handy to have!), a few locking carabiners, boots, socks, leather work gloves, hat, layered moderate-weather clothing, sand goggles, UV/glare snow glasses, hygiene aids, water-resistant writing pads with Fisher Space Pens, collapsible wash basin, Gorilla Duct Tape (a must-have item), Goop shoe repair (in protective baggie), spare eyeglasses in ruggedized frame, soap/shampoo, a couple of mousetraps, several rolls of dental floss (doubles as strong thread), mosquito head net, small gun cleaning kit with oil (double bagged), small (or cut up) soft cotton automotive style shop towels for toilet paper substitute (and re-use after washing), at least one hard-copy edible plant color guide for your region, etc, etc.
Amazon is a very useful starting point for such items, particularly when reviewed by many (rather than one or two) customers.
But with just the above items taken as is -- with the included Chia -- one could very likely survive in reasonable comfort for well over a year with only bare minimal amounts of foraging and/or supplementary items such as rice/Jiffy mix/honey/salt etc. Remember: "Less is sometimes more." (And far less obvious than a tricked-out, do-or-die luxury homestead that may be "too much, too soon" for realistic family safety!)
Recall too, the old but accurate truism that "a moving object is more easily guided" (both physically and spiritually) in the sense that one's mindset is generally FAR more "open" to prayerful direction, compelling instincts and intuitions -- such as a speedy and appropriate re- location at a moment's unease or alarm! This critical "flexibility factor" in itself may very well spell the difference between emerging joyfully from severe challenge (with family intact!) or not . . so carefully reflect upon this radical reply to the "fortress Eden" strategy.
Perhaps you've totaled up the expense of the items above, and were mildly shocked. (Over $9,000 in products for your fully independent "house on two legs!" Weighing in at 85 + lbs if one were to pack it all at once -- which some can in fact rather reluctantly manage!) If a bit surprised at the totals, consider the alternative: unless you're very wealthy indeed, you simply cannot afford the many tens of thousands, or hundreds of thousands, that would go into the unending list of critical, inter-related necessities and considerations involved with making an Eden-fortress lifestyle even halfway complete and defensible.
Moreover, it takes years to plan and implement that approach. Even purchasing someone else's established retreat most often takes quite a bit of time to locate and visit and finalize and move in, etc. Plus -- were you really the first one to do a walk-around? How many other prospective buyers already have directions to the listing? And you'll never know (until it's too late) who the previous owner had invited over, or how many "locals" observed his years or even decades of come-and-go, etc. Whereas, the admittedly more humble but fully mobile option CAN be accomplished with total privacy, at relatively modest cost, RIGHT NOW, today-- you'll have it all within a short time IF you don't put it all off until too late!
It is worth noting that in the Book of Revelation, the warning angel loudly instructs the inhabitants of luxury-Babylon to "come out of her my people, lest ye suffer her plagues" and further affirms that it shall shortly "become the cage of every foul bird" etc. Is it truly obedience -- or even truly wise -- to attempt to essentially "re-construct' our comfy little hunk of Babylon just a relatively little ways removed? Or is a FULL mental/moral "divorce" from the Great Whore the necessary wisdom (and misapprehended blessing) of the hour?
Perhaps what our whole society most needs is a new humility and simplicity and dependency on spiritual values, instead of a stubborn lingering attachment to Babylon's energies, stultifying comforts, and rampant immoralities. A radical re-evaluation of what's important is essentially being forced on us all anyhow, so why not -- at least during this critically dangerous period -- humbly embrace its lesson of full rejection, full departure, instead of supporting the almost suicidal vainglory of fields of fire, bunkered perimeters and defiant "final battle"?
I don't want to get too "wonky-religious" on the reader, but the Bible does have many lessons and examples and wise counsel for us in our moment of need. Indeed, the following words illustrate a societal ideal that must and surely will someday come, one that we even now should cherish and gradually implement and teach to our children:
"The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them." Judging from the tone and context of these words, it would hardly seem appropriate that the child (or the mom or dad) should immediately after yank out a knife, gleefully butcher them all for the freezer, hang their stuffed heads "gloriously" on their walls, and then proclaim it all as man's "superior" right!
Truly, the underlying thrust of nearly ALL holy writings, from whatever culture, is basically a variation of the Golden Rule as applied to ALL activity, and to every circumstance. "What goes around, comes around" -- what we do to the universe (sentient creatures included) tends to eventually come back at us, yes? Even if we merely "allow" others to butcher, torture, and conduct wars in our name, might not that eventually invite just a wee bit of "karma"? We're not talking about righteous self-defense here, but wanton abuse of life itself.
And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
Well, you've now been made fully aware of how great a blessing just one "herb bearing seed" might be to you and yours. We may not have a replicator yet, or may never have one -- but we do have the example of millions of hale and healthy vegans, and we do have a huge variety of sublime flavors and textures and satisfactions available to us that do NOT depend upon the killing of animals -- or even plants! -- whereby to bless us with their bounty.
Think about it: no harm accrues to the tree in savoring its fruits, the harvesting of beans need not entail the destruction of the parent plant, the chia can happily share its bounty without necessarily being uprooted in the process, -- the list is actually rather extensive, if one cares to explore the matter! Even if we are not yet personally able to fully grasp or implement the promise of the following scripture, we nevertheless can gently guide our offspring in that direction, and towards a better future world for all:
"But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid"
And so, friends, we find ourselves at a crossroad, facing choices of literally prophetic immensity and promise, both for good and evil. Shall we opt for wisdom and humility? Or shall we instead "courageously" convey both our conceits and our claymores into the fray, patting our children on the head as they worshipfully shoulder our ammuntion?
Shall we duck the storm, or stand "bravely" (i.e., bizarrely!) amid its punishing winds and hail and lightning? Is it in fact cowardly to avoid the incoming tidal wave? Should we advise our children that it's more "manly" to stay and play on the beach? Again, I would choose -- and gently suggest that you might choose -- the spiritual and logical guidance of Scripture itself to point the answer:
"A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished."
"But is there not," some will ask," a middle ground in all this?" Indeed there is, but it is rife with its own risks and entrapments, in the very real sense that when push comes to shove, "a man cannot serve two masters." It is simple human nature to ever-so-gradually shift "loyalty" towards one choice or the other, and almost invariably in the end it will opt for whatever feels most comfortable! Even a disciplined effort in support of a rigorous "compromise" would inevitably affect attitude, readiness, habit, and all other attendent considerations. For example, if one had the funds for both options, then a small comfy cabin or homestead -- situated for swift access to several dense-foliage escape trails -- might suggest that one could merely purchase all the "backpack" type items separately, cache them, and thereafter easily evade an approaching danger by fleeing towards the first of several wilderness hidey-holes.
But . . !! Unless one had purchased and installed a very extensive, very distant, and exceedingly well-tested early-warning perimeter alarm system, the whole enterprise could come to nought in just a few moments of inatttention, or via an especially savvy or accidentally off-tangent approach by an enemy force. (Not to mention helicopter troops, rocket-equipped surveillance drones, or other discovery/instant-attack sorts of scenarios, whereby even the notion of flight might be obliterated before it could commence.)
This also brings in the matter of whether an advancing force might have among them a skilled woodsman/tracker, or hounds: if so, the "half-way-house" strategy could very swiftly end in disaster. It would take but a few moments to ascertain that the home had only recently been abandoned, and by simply "cutting trail" via perimeter circling and observation, a severe challenge would very soon arrive at the hideaway doorstep, no matter how well hidden.
Why? Because there simply wouldn't have been any time whatsoever for plant growth to spring back from contact damage, or for rainfall and natural weathering to obscure footprints and scuffed earth and bent twigs and other "arrows" pointing straight to your children and family. (Again -- purchase the Tom Brown, Jr. books and you'll immediately grasp the reality here!)
Contrast that "middle ground" approach against someone who forthrightly elected to "jump off the deep end" and into full wilderness mode -- either by lack of funds or by conscious decision! He or she thereby became fully invested in the enterprise. And, just as with other aspects of life -- business, marriage, and so on -- it most often requires this singleness of purpose and committment if there is to be any hope whatsoever of success.
The time and effort and daily little details and diversions that perforce occupied the attention of the "middle ground" cabin dwellers never became an issue with the committed retreaters; having nothing else, they spent their spare moments in hidey-hole improvements, additional camoflauge, listening and learning the quirks and sounds and peculiarities of the region, and only very rarely (and carefully) venturing out to check on their other lesser hideaways and escape routes, etc.
By thus confining their movements to their immediate local area, they did not tramp all around, constantly leaving fresh tracks or other wide-ranging evidence of human passage or presence. Having properly selected their primary (hidden) abode for its "unlikely" or somewhat strenuous access, it would subsequently have required a huge dose of pure "bad luck" for a tracker to first wander into their vicinity, and then also accidently stumble across their hidden lair.
Which option do YOU suppose evinced the most wisdom, and bestowed the greatest chance of success?
So then . . after having carefully reviewed and pondered the choices, let it all "steep" like gradually-strengthening tea in your subconscious. Your solution may be far more appropriate and clever and adapted to "your reality" -- or it may not!
But whichever way you ultimately choose to jump -- whether towards the minimalist, mobile flexibility OR towards the more comfy sitting-target halfway effort -- I implore you to do it just as quickly and wholeheartedly as possible. Many insightful world observers, who have called it correctly on multiple previous occasions, are suggesting we may have little remaining time.
Consider this: either option would certainly put you way ahead of the sleepy masses . . at least temporarily! Having a jump on the problem, by DOING something -- even if it meant some later re-evaluation and swift alterations -- would be much better than altogether ignoring the issue.
Ok . . one final bit of guidance that might aid your decision, and perhaps soften your footsteps in its implementation, is found in this sublime Scriptural hint to us all:
"The Meek Shall Inherit The Earth" rl