EMP Threat In The News

It is becoming more mainstream to talk about the EMP Threat. Recently on Fox News and on web based reporting, good explanations on how an Nuclear weapon or EMP attack over the central U.S. could potentially cause a blackout or infrastructure destruction to over half of the U.S.

EMP is of course an intense electro-magnetic pulse that will instantly destroy electrical circuits which is a by product of nuclear detonations but also several countries have been experimenting with EMP weapons designed specifically against the electrical infrastructure as opposed to physical destruction of everything.

For example a 1.4 megaton EMP bomb detonated 250 miles above Kansas would destroy most electronics in the U.S. See map below of anticipated effects radius or area. This of course will cause complete chaos and subsequent death from the total destruction of our electrical infrastructure as the entire U.S. economy is dependent upon this grid.

Actually, nobody knows the magnitude of infrastructure failure and destruction that an EMP attack would cause. All of the conjecture is based on modeling. Electrical grids going down for months - if not years; communications gone;

Reports by experts confirms that the U.S. is totally unprepared for an EMP attack and that Terrorists Groups and rogue nations like Iran are fully aware of what such an attack would do to the U.S.  Conservative estimates are that the U.S. would lose tens of millions of people in the first year and many more to follow
as the infrastructure that virtually powers every aspects of our lives would be down for years to come and in fact may never regain even parts of it's former capacity.

New Father Fears the Future

Received this from Anonymous: "I am 27 years old and recently married. We have a three year old daughter and a 4 month old daughter. I live in a duplex, in I guess you would call it the burbs, because I went to school with the owner and he gives me the best rent price possible. My wife is not working now because of the baby, before she was a temp secretary but had work about 60% of the time. I am a
school engineer (really a fix it all guy), plus I do home repairs for the guy I rent from for extra income. Now I need it the extra money more than ever. One of the men I work with taught me about the Survivor Movement with me some magazines to look at and talking about the economy. I am not into guns, recently I have been thinking about getting one and I find myself thinking about what happens if the power goes off and doesn't come back on."

UrbanMan replies: I am curious if you are from the Northeast where a power outage went on for quite a while for some folks. Hopefully, the people who were affected by this used the lessons learned to get better prepared for an alike event,.....or something much worse.

You are wise to start considering what can happen, to include providing for security and protection for your family. Just having a gun is not going to solve everything. If the power goes off and does not come back on, that will only be the beginnings of your problems. Lack of food and fuel, disruption of water utilities, reduced emergency services, a fast and substantial rise in angry, hungry people are can occur quickly if the catalyst for the event are severe enough.

There are four generally categories of Survival Preparation: Food; Water; Shelter; and, Security/Protection. Each with many facets of understanding and preparatory actions.

Consider food for instance. You could have months worth of frozen goods in a freezer, but when the power goes off, what are you going to do? Canned and boxed pantry goods will have an expiration date at some point. Dehydrated foods require water to hydrate. Ready to eat meals like Military MRE's are expensive. You final survival preparation solutions for food, will probably be a combination of all these food items.

One of the easiest things to do is to buy dry and canned pantry goods on sale or when you find good deals.  Put away several months of items and rotate them using the first in, first out principal. 

Security and Protection. I believe all law abiding Americans should own multiple guns. One gun cannot accomplish all your protection tasks as well as possible hunting applications. An individual prepping for survival against many different collapse scenarios would be best served by having several firearms (and ammunition) such as a handgun, shotgun and rifle.

There are other factors of security. Where you live; potential threat streams; refugee routes; defensibility of your home. Protection and security are usually best achieved in a teamwork approach. I say, "Survival is a Team Sport".

And of course, you cannot live without water. You will dehydrate and die without water long before you die of starvation. You simply must have a full time water source, best if not dependent upon power solutions to provide you the water. Some people have a water service where they, like stocking pantry items, buy 15 or 20 five gallon jugs as their stock then reduce the periodic delivery to what they use and use their existing stock again using the first in first out principal.   This is not the cheapest way to insure you have some water on hand when the lights go out or SHTF, but having some emergency food and water on hand gives you time to make a decision,....to stay or bug out.

Shelter is important as it provides protection from the elements and two legged threats. No matter how defensible or strong your survival location is, a Bug Out plan so you can rapidly vacate and move to another safe location are paramount. The Bug Out just doesn't consider where you are going, but how you are going to get there; but what you will take with you.

You can learn much and need to learn much in as quickest time period as you can. This site, as well as many other on-line sites reflect alot of planning tips, lessons learned, techniques, equipment ideas and much, much more. Make use of all these resources. Many of which we are linked to on the bottom right side of this page. Quickly develop a plan. Objectively review that plan continually. And prepare for some unfortunate things to happen to this country be it from an economic/dollar collapse or externally generated chaos. Educate yourself, prep well and good luck.

Winter Survival - Stranded in a Snow Storm

I recently had a question from Robert B., based on a story he read in the newspaper, about what would I do in a similar situation. Apparently two college kids traveling on a seldom used road became stuck in a snow storm. Robert’s questions were would I stay in my vehicle? How long would I stay waiting on help before I would trek out towards civilization? Would I take the shortest route or would I follow the roads? What if I didn’t have any survival gear with me in my vehicle?
 

My reply to Robert:

It would near impossible for me to be caught in any vehicle oriented situation without my traveling Bug Out Bag holding various pieces of kit depending where I am going; the season (hot or cold weather); whether I am flying or not; and what purpose I am traveling for.

But for the sake of argument let’s say we ventured out without any kit, without any knowledge of impending adverse weather, cell phone went dead or no signal, traveling a remote road with long distances between any infrastructure, and, became stuck in our vehicle in a snow storm.

Your first priority is not to become a cold injury. I would not sit in my car running the motor and heater as it will eventually run out of fuel. I would use it to get warm between bouts of survival work. I would build a shelter outside of the warm for two reason: one - to have a fire (for signaling and warmth) and, two – the vehicle becomes a refrigerator without the motor and heater running....two plys of sheet metal do not insulation make.

Shelter. Even in the desert location, there are natural materials to build an overhead cover or lean to type shelter. Maybe not enough to provide decent cover from a rain, but if you make it sturdy enough you can stop snow even if you have to clear the snow off from time to time (to reduce the weight and maintain the survival shelter’s integrity).

Vehicle seat covers, floor mats and trunk carpet can be used as a tarp for your overhead cover. All these materials as well as removable seat(s) can provide insulation from the ground as well.

I would build and maintain a fire. If you do not have lighter, the vehicle’s cigarette lighter (until the Government outlaws them) can be used to ignite tinder. One of the vehicle’s battery cables can be loosened and touch connected to the other cable to produce a spark to ignite tinder.

The vehicle’s fuel supply can be used to provide an accelerant. Stuffing a piece of string, root or vine down into the gas tank with a piece of cloth wrapped on the end can collect enough fuel to help start a fire. Maybe you can stuff some paper or cloth down into the carburetor or fuel injection system then pump the accelerator to collect the fuel onto the rag or paper.

Everyone has a owner’s manual or vehicle registration, or scrap paper,…or maybe even a pile of traffic citations or parking tickets in their glove compartment. This paper source combined with small twigs, scarps or torn pieces of clothing or insulation material from your coat provide the tinder. Most vehicles have a paper air filter. The paper filter can be used as a tinder sources as well.

Don’t start your fire until you have an adequate amount of tinder, bigger tinder, small pieces of fuel and even larger pieces are collected and ready to be added to your growing fire.

Water. Don’t pile the snow into your mouth to drink. Instead collect snow in a cup, water bottle or makeshift canteen and melt it by placing it close to the fire. If you have a used water bottle you can pack with snow and put in your coat pocket or under the vehicle’s heater when you run it, to melt. Hub caps and removable vehicle cup holders all can be used for improvised canteens.

Signaling. Keep the vehicle roof, trunk and hood clear of snow so that any aircraft can more easily spot it. You can take two, 2 or 3 inch diameter sticks and fashion an “X” on the roof. You can find an open area on the ground and create a larger “X”. If and when you decide to walk out, leave a note in the vehicle on the dash or steering wheel articulating your intent and direction.

If your vehicle ran off the road, making a signal on the road where passers by can see it is a good idea.

Decision to Walk Out. The decision to walk out has to be made considering your physical condition,.....what your condition will be in a day or two. How far you have to walk…if it is within your capabilities. I would probably walk the roads, as it is much easier and in case there is other traffic on the road – you can access help. If you have no land navigation skills and are in poor condition, there is no other route but staying on the roads. Other considerations are what gear you have on you in order to build shelters and fire if the trip will take more than one movement. A final factor is if anyone knows what route you took and will be missing you therefore reporting you as missing.

The bottom line is that winter survival, as described in the scenario, above can be made much easier if you carry wilderness survival kit in your vehicle. A simple bag in the trunk or cab containing a blanket or two, a couple small tarps, fire starting material, some long stay food, a couple of bottles or tins of water, a flashlight,…even better if you add candles and chemlights. These are all simple and inexpensive items to keep in your vehicle just in case.

Economic Collapse: Watch Out For QE3

QE3 is of course Quantitative Easing Round Three, where more fiat currency is printed further devaluing the current paper money in circulation and necessarily causing prices to inflate because the dollar is worth less. Once QE3 is announced or actually executed,.....expect the latter since the Government and the Fed have taken secrecy from the people to new heights,....precious metals will go up, particularly Gold.

In fact, when the major central banks launched a joint action to provide emergency U.S. dollar loans to banks in Europe, which put more money (not backed by anything but some politician's word) there became a rush to buy equities and commodities that would survive inflation and Gold rose $30 an ounce.

As 2011 ends, the four FED governors will be replaced and most analysts figure that the next four will be much more liberal in their monetary policies. QE3 will probably be snuck in, money created from air, without much publicity; and the present incredible low interest rates will climb as the dollar devalues. This will incite the $16.4 trillion Federal Debt to explode and the U.S. will be all probability start the slide to become like Greece. So the smart people are buying precious metals ahead of the very probable QE3.

It shouldn't end there for Survivalist. Everything will go up in price,... excepting your pay checks. The smart idea is to procure now what you can, because as the interest rates rise, the beginning of the dollar collapse begins. Scary times my friends. They will likely become much more scary in early 2012.

I am not advocating going into debt to purchase vehicles or property at the current low interest rates, although I know a couple people who are rationalizing that they would rather have new, reliable vehicles for a Bug Out
than to try and procure one when the interest rates are higher and the dollar buys less.  I'm not going to do that.  I'll continue on the same rate, maybe just step it up a notch, on procuring long stay food items and perhaps more Silver. 

2012 is going to be ugly.  Be prepared.

Copper: The Other Precious Metal?

Received an e-mail from Henry who wrote: "What do you think about savings pennies for their copper value. One of my friends told me that the one cent penny is now worth 5 cents as copper scrap metal."

UrbanMan reply: Henry, you wrote me over three weeks ago and to be frank I did not think I would reply, until I saw a recent article on the internet talking about potential legislation in Congress that may result in the abolishment of the penny as currency. Until then, and only then can pennies be legally melted down for their copper value.

But not all pennies are made of copper. Pennies made in 1982 or earlier have 95% copper. Pennies since then are made mostly from zinc. The current value of a copper penny is around 2 1/2 cents.

Copper has a lot of scrap value, otherwise you would not be seeing copper related thefts of copper wiring, construction sites, phone facilities, etc. As I write this copper scrap is valued at $3.57 per pound.

Going back to the value of a copper penny, 150% of it's face value, is substantial, however you would need a truck load of it to make any substantial money once or if the legislation is passed to abolish the penny. Plus it is just so heavy as to not be practical. I even know gents who have taken very substantial amounts of silver and converted it to Gold to reduce the weight to value ratio.

I think you would do okay just to save what you normally get in pocket change. I do this and routinely fill a jar which I take once a year to the bank to convert to dollars. My average yearly conversion is just shy of $200. A little mini- windfall which contributes to my survival stockage as ammunition, or helps buy a new gun or long stay food.

You could collect copper pennies, again 1982 or before, and sell on e-Bay as some people do. I would recommend however that you put your precious metal collection efforts into Silver and/or Gold. My efforts are concentrated mostly around the buying of silver coins for their silver melt value, one or two ounce silver rounds, or, five ounce bars.

Government Crackdown on Survivalists?

UrbanSurvivalSkills received several e-mails from readers alerting us to "government raids on private citizens who had been stocking food" because these people fit a profile for domestic terrorist activity. Apparently this story came from an Oath Keepers report on a federal raid on a Mormon (Latter Day Saints) facility in Tennessee and was later de-bunked by Glenn Beck and the Blaze and the
story recalled by Oath Keepers.

However, the roots from this story, and possible others like it, come from government "intelligence" reports about domestic terrorism with survivalists, "gun nuts" and returning "disillusioned war veterans" as potential "lone wolf" type domestic terrorists. One of the government documents that fuel the belief is a joint bulletin from the FBI and Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) titled "Communities Against Terrorism" where the bulletin listed potential indicators of terrorist activities related to (purchases at) military surplus stores.

The joint bulletin lists suspicious activity and encourages store owners to call authorities if they have customers who meet any of these profiles:

What Should I Consider Suspicious? People or Groups who:

Provide ID that is inconsistent or suspect, or demand identify privacy.

Insist of paying with cash or use credit cards in different names.

Significantly alter appearance from visit to visit.

Have missing hands/fingers, chemical burns, strange odors or bright color stains on clothing.

Make racist or extreme religious statements coupled with comments that are violent or appear to condone violence.

Make suspicious comments regarding anti U.S radical theology, vague or cryptic warnings that appear to endorse the use of violence in support of a cause.

Demonstrate interest in uses that do not seem consistent with the intended use of the item being purchased.

Possess little knowledge of intended purchase items.

Make bulk purchases of items to include: Weatherproofed ammunition or match containers; Meals Ready to Eat; Night Vision Devices, night flashlights or gas masks; high capacity magazines; bi-pods or tripods for rifles.


See the Blaze story here, as well as a copy of Joint FBI-BJA Bulletin.

UrbanSurvivalSkills believes that if you are not doing anything illegal then you have little to fear from the government, except tanking the economy and running businesses out of business, but it stills pays to maintain OPSEC,....against misguided government instusion and criminal threats targeting you because you are a prepared survivalist.

Captivity, Escape, Evasion and Survival

Last week an American teenage boy kidnapped and held in captivity for five months, by Philipino militants associated with Abu Sayyaf and al-Qaida, escaped and evaded his way until he was provided aid by villagers. Kevin Lunsmann, 14 years old, had been taken captive with his mother and cousin while boating near Zamboanga City. His mother was released after two months and his cousin reportedly escaped captivity last month. Apparently after having gained some trust from his captors, Kevin escaped while supposedly bathing in a nearby stream.

Guerilla forces, operating in secret base camps, have to have a water source. Conducting patrols alongside running water sources such as streams and rivers to detect signs of Guerrilla activity, is a common Counter-Insurgency patrolling procedure and I wonder why de-briefings of the released mother and the escaped cousin did not lead Phillipino Army forces to the Guerrilla before.

Anyway,…… just some thoughts on captivity, escape, evasion and survival.

Captivity. The idea is to keep from becoming a captive. Having and utilizing knowledge of the Environment and Threats you will face in a particular area; possessing Situational Awareness; using counter-surveillance skills; and, not drawing attention to yourself are key to not becoming a captive. However, once a captive there are some things you need to consider/implement: do not be combative until you absolutely have reason to do so, as if you are uncooperative it may result in a beating and physical condition that is life threatening and certainly can greatly reduce any successful attempt at escape.

Intentionally use of the word “attempt” rather than “attempts” in the plural form. You have to figure that you have one,....repeat, one chance at escape. An unsuccessful escape attempt will most probably results in serious physical injuries or death. Instead, be compliant; lull your captors into thinking you are cowed; always plan your escape and execute at the best time and place; if your captors are giving proof of life for a ransom or other demands – be cognizant of what innocent things you can say on a video/audio recording that will help Friendlies find you. Find ways to leave clues of your presence around your detention area.

Escape. There are story and after story of captives who have found nails, pieces of wire and other things and have meticulously fashioned lock picks or other tools to help in an escape attempt. The prepared individual has tools hidden on and around his/her body and would not be found in a cursory search.

Evasion. Skills that are useful and indeed required for a successful evasion are:

* A plan. Once free where are you going to go, and avoid leaving sign of passage by sterilizing at least where you cross road, trails and other areas where sign of your passage is easily detected.

* Use terrain to your advantage. Always analysis the terrain for cover and concealment. Reduce any shiny spots on the exposed parts of your skin and anything you may be carrying. Mud, burnt wood and foliage can be used to help camouflage yourself. Use resting spots that provide cover and concealment and allow for observation of likely routes your pursuers will be on.

Survival. Skills that are useful/required for surviving while evading.

* Able to tell direction of travel using the Sun and the stars.

* Be able to read terrain and use terrain association. Valuable for finding the best routes, whether you are trying for a difficult route for pursuers or trying to find easy of movement. Also useful to detect best places to find water sources.

* Be able to use field expedient methods to procure and filter water.

* Be knowledgeable of poisonous and edible plants in the area. However, great the hunger is, water is more important. Given a decent physical condition when beginning evasion, you can go several days without food. Be considerate of what stomach upset natural plants can cause. Crapping your pants all day long does not lend itself to successful evasion and provides sign for pursuers to track….plus it will severely dehydrate you.

* Know how to construct survival shelters. Be considerate of the detect-ability of your shelter.

* The ability to set traps and snares may come in handy as may constructing survival hunting tools and weapons.

* The skill set to built fires is necessary for survival, however the escaped captive will probably not have fire making tools.  Knowing how to build a fire without a torch and how to keep that fire as covert as possible by using masking terrain and vegetation, burning only dry wood may save your life.     

The greatest survival aid is your mind and the best way to employ that is to be prepared for all threats. Preparation, both knowledge, training and equipment is what is going to keep you alive.

Foods that will be Gone When SHTF

UrbanSurvivalSkills received a comment from Horsyguy: "There is a new advertisement about 37 foods that will sell out when SHTF, but they don't list them or give them and want you to buy books? I think the site was 123foodsurvivalplan.com ? Does anyone know what they are or have read the books? Are they legit books worth reading? thanks."

Horsyguy, I have seen many different lists of the foods that are supposed to run out or be first off the shelves and unavailable during a dynamic collapse of when SHTF is apparent. Safe to say all foods will be gone. The advertisement may be 37 foods that will go first, but after two days o not eating, I think a can of Lima Beans, expired for three years would look good.

Here is an example of 37 items that will go quick, taking the obvious Food items, bottled water, guns, ammunition and fuel for vehicles off the table:

1. Water Filters/Purifiers/Pumps.
2. Generators (even though the fuel will run out - people will buy them.
3. Firewood, depending upon the time of year.
4. Candles,
5. Flashlights and Batteries,
6. Dog Food,
7. Butane Lighters and matches
8. Coleman/camping fuel to include propane and butane bottles.
9. Water containers (get more than one and in different sizes)
10. Propane Heaters and all accessories that go with it (extra propane, heads, etc)
11. Some clothing items, starting with coats, gloves, socks and footwear
12. Hand Tools
13. Lumber
14. Aluminum Foil
15. Feminine Hygiene/Haircare/Skin products.
16. Gasoline containers
17. Toilet paper, paper towels, hygiene items
18. Work gloves, Work boots, Work Clothes
19. Seeds (non-hybrid or hybrid - some people don't know the difference)
20. First Aid Kits and all medical materials
21. Large and small Plastic Containers
22. Canning mateials, jars and lids
23. Camping/Cast iron cookware
24. Duct Tape
25. Garbage cans (metal and plastic)
26. Rope and twine
27. Laundry Detergent (dry and liquid)
28. Backpacks
29. Garden tools & supplies
30. Bleach
31. Knives, axes, sharpening stones
32. Bicycles and spare parts/tires
33. Camping material such as Sleeping Bags
34. Books on Survival, gardening, raising animals, etc.
35. Hardware such as nails, screws, bolts, etc.
36. Cigarettes
37. Wine/Beer/Liquor

Let me know if I forgot something.

More from Lt Col Dave Grossman

If you have not heard of Lt Col Dave Grossman, then you should learn the name and research his writings. He is an internationally recognized scholar, author, soldier, and speaker who is one of the world's foremost experts in the field of human aggression and the roots of violence and violent crime.

One of Grossman's writings, titled "On Sheep, Wolves, and Sheepdogs" and includes insight such as: “Most of the people in our society are sheep. They are kind, gentle, productive creatures who can only hurt one another by accident. I mean nothing negative by calling them sheep. To me it is like the pretty, blue robin’s egg. Inside it is soft and gooey but someday it will grow into something wonderful. But the egg cannot survive without its hard blue shell.

Police officers, soldiers, and other warriors are like that shell, and someday the civilization they protect will grow into something wonderful. But they need warriors to protect them from the predators.

Then there are the wolves, and the wolves feed on the sheep without mercy. Do you believe there are wolves out there who will feed on the flock without mercy? You better believe it. There are evil men in this world and they are capable of evil deeds. The moment you forget that or pretend it is not so, you become a sheep. There is no safety in denial.

Then there are sheepdogs, and I’m a sheepdog. I live to protect the flock and confront the wolf.

Any collapse, gradual or dynamic, will cause and allow the wolves of society to operate more openly. We have to be prepared to operate in a much more dangerous environment. The time to prepare is now when we have relatively better resources and a safer environment.

Lt. Col. Dave Grossman has presented a seminar titled "Bullet Proof Mind". Talking about topics ranging from school shootings to psychological response to a violent encounter… but one of the most critical things Grossman stresses is the importance of having a sense of urgency.

The Bullet Proof Mind is not available as a 5 disc DVD set covering such topics as:

* The truth about the explosion of violence in America (Think things are getting better? Think again…)
* What it takes to be a warrior capable of stopping multiple attackers and mass murdering lunatics
* The hidden truth about lethal combat…
* How the body responds to a violent attack, and what you can do now to ensure your body responds the right way
* How to prepare your spouse for an attack
* The New Killer of the 21st Century, and why most people aren’t willing to talk about it
* Important drills that Nobody practices that would save countless lives
* Who is Teaching Our Kids To Kill? Find out now so YOU can put a stop to it

To watch a short video on Lt Col Grossman and look over the Bullet Proof Mind DVD offer, go to this site.

$1000 to Spend on Survival Firearms

Wally wrote UrbanSurvivalSkills with the following question: "If I had a $1000 and no more to buy a gun for survival what would you recommend?"

UrbanMan's reply: Wally, I would have to make some assumptions in answering question. I am assuming that you have no firearms of any type right now, and after spending your $1000, you would not, in the future, be buying any additional firearms. I limited my search to firearms advertised in the local, but national franchised, sporting goods store which give pretty good prices and this is how I came up with spending your $1000:

Handgun. Taurus, 9x19mm semi-automatic. $299

Shotgun. Stevens, 12 gauge pump riot shotgun. $199

Rifle. Marlin Model 336, .30-30 Winchester, lever action rifle. $379

total spent of Firearms, $873, leaving $123 left.

Then I would use the rest of the $1000 to buy the following:

Ammunition. One box (50 rds) of 9x19 $10.99; two boxes (40 rds) of .30-30 $26.98; one box (25 rds) of 12 gauge bird shot $14.99; and, four boxes (20 rds) of 12 gauge 00 buckshot $19.96

Cleaning Kit. One rifle-pistol combo cleaning kit $6.99, and one shotgun claning kit $6.99 for a total of $13.98 spent of cleaning kits.

Binoculars. Bushnell Compact 8 x 21 Binoculars $12.99

Knife. CRKT M16 tactical folder $16.99 (great price on this knife by the way).

By my math you would have about $6 left over.

If money is a difficult issue for you, each week, I would put away what I could each pay period or month that goes by,........a few bucks here and there to spend adding to my ammunition stockage and buying survival food across the spectrum of long storage term food, dehydrated foods and pantry items.

Another way to go in the Survival Firearms decision is to buy an AR for around $850 and put the rest of the money into ammunition and magazines.

I chose the three guns, ammunition and accessories that I did because a Survival Firearms battery needs to fulfill many requirements across the spectrum of of possible collapse of SHTF scenarios. Personal protection being the main requirement. Ask yourself this question: Is the three person survival team better off with only one gun - that being one of the members equipped with an M-4 or AR platform?.......or would they be better off with each of the survival team members being armed with the three firearms I choose? Really doesn't matter what I think or say. The solution is what works best for you. Good preps my friend.

Unique and Efficient Stove - The Russian Wood Stove

A friend of mine sent me this article, photo and video. He explained that while he granted this is an old video, but it does a good job with basic explanation of the technology. I have never seen a design like this before, but I'm sold 100% on it for if/when we build a house someday. There is a North America association with a list of builders around the country, and designs have been updated since this video
was produced.



There are other wood burning stove designs at this site.

Another site would be Russian Wood Stoves

Survival Shops Report Big Sales For Possible Collapse

From a local Television station in Missouri comes a report about a Survival Food and Gear store saying a huge jump in sales reflects that many people are getting prepared for the “possible collapse” of society. The stores are selling expensive MRE's at 50 cases a month. Reports that people come in as a family and build Bug Out bags on the spot.

Others are stocking up on freeze-dried meals and other supplies to stash at a remote location away from the city where they would go in an emergency. Other people have said they have property which they have set up different things to protect themselves like towers they can stand up and watch.”

One of the store owners said that business has been brisk since the spring, when uprisings in the middle east, the U.S. Federal deficit and lack of government movements to fix it bringing on a deep concern for the future of the U.S. He says " People are just plain scared. They don’t know where this country is going".

From the on-line version of this news report, many diverse comments are made and
UrbanMan is going to take the liberty of commenting on some of them:

"If you haven’t stocked up by now, pray."

UrbanMan say's: It's never too late to start. I think that if you polled all the preppers in the country, most of them would say they are not finished prepping or at a point where they would want to be preparation wise if the STHF.

"I’m stocking up on GUNS and AMMO, the currency of the future. With those things, I can have all the food I can eat when I take it from the liberal pacifists. I’m making a list of all the turds in my area with Obama bumper stickers or yard signs."

UrbanMan say's: Really. A lot of "if's" in this premise. If the "liberal pacifists" have food for you to steal. What "if" they don't have any food? What if the older gent who drives a BMW, who you think as a Liberal, is really a Vet,....much better trained than you,...and in fact knows your cowardly

kind and is just waiting for you to give him a reason to kill you? And you know what's funny? I don't like Obama either.

"Make sure you have plenty of Ammo and several rifles and hand guns. You can always take the food from the others who are storing it. OR Ammo will be a trade item.. Your call if the doo doo hits the fan."

UrbanMan say's: Here it is again,....taking food from others. You may evne be able to do it, if they are unprepared. Are you prepared? Have you been tested with your life on the line? Take you stealing mind set back to the couch and re-read your "Soldier of Fortune" magazines.

"People streaming out of the city when TSHTF, remember Katrina. Most city dwells won’t be able to get out. Many are to dependent on the government for any type of help and wouldn’t be able to find a road out of the city. Also after a while with people panicking I’d imagine alot of pileups on the highways. Without police to direct traffic or city workers to move the wrecked cars alot of people will be walking out of the cities. Without the massive and daily trucks of food the keep grocery stores stocked people leaving the cities aren’t going to find alot to eat, unless they learn to catch animals by hand."

UrbanMan say's: You have a good point based on the Katrina scenario. But do you really think people,....hungry refugees....can't travel 10, 20 or 30 miles in search of food? What kept a lot of Katrina victims in the city were: obstacles such as large bodies of fast moving water and blocked bridges; a fairly rapid state and federal response; the idea that it would never get so bad. I have said many times, be sure to look atthe natural routes for refugees when you are planning.

"Pshaw. For this type of collapse you need a good financial plan or adviser to protect your savings from government trying to inflate their way out of debt. Society is not going to collapse, in the US; no telling what will happen in the EU. Europeans get barbaric fast – think Bosnia."

UrbanMan say's: You will be one of the people railing at the banks at forced bank holidays, calling your broker (if the phones work),....here's a tip, he won't pickup as he will be loading his SUV with food, guns, gear, gold and silver and heading to his bug out location. If you really think the way you wrote, then you are a chump,......but not everyone is planning adequately for a economic or societal collapse so I guess you'll be one of the first victims. To use some social media code: LMAO at you.

"Things certainly appear to me to be headed for big trouble for us average people. I doubt that a complete collapse of society and riots everywhere will happen, but we need to be prepared for some of this if the food supply gets interrupted. I think the most likely scenario coming toward us is that energy and fuel prices will spike so high that the truckers will refuse to drive and therefore no food or other goods will go to stores. How long do you think it will take the shelves at Safeway to empty out? So, somewhere between everything collapsing and everything is roses, we need to prepare. Why not just buy extra canned goods, pasta, rice, nuts, etc. and store them in your house? Put them in expiration date groups and eat the oldest ones first. So, instead of eating what you bring home from the store, you store it and eat what you previously stored. Using this method I have now about 3 months of food in a pantry. It’s sort of a hobby, picking food at the store and arranging and storing it. Anyway, if you don’t get ready for at least a temporary interruption, then you are very foolish."

UrbanMan say's: I don't think the truckers will refuse to drive, unless it gets too dangerous. I just think they won't be able to afford to drive or find fuel for their trucks. You are certainly right at least being ready for a temporary interruption.

The Bad Guys Are Us

Starting to come out two days ago, then more fully yesterday and today, are details of the Senate Defense Bill for Fiscal Year 2012 that has a provision, Section 1031, which allows for the designation of the homeland (meaning the 50 states) as a part of the War on Terror or as Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) put it: "The homeland is part of the battlefield and people can be held without trial whether (they are) American Citizens or not." Notable supporters include Senator's John McCain (R-AZ) and Carl Levin (D-MI).

On the surface it seems like a logical means and set of tools for Federal Law Enforcement to combat domestic and imported terrorism. Until you get to these four facts:

1 - The Senate Defense Bill was developed in secrecy contrary to law.What is the Senate worried about? That the People would see what the bill was shaping up to be and be outraged as they should be?
2 - The bill allows for the use of the Armed Forces in domestic law enforcement and anti-terrorism operations.
3- That domestic Terrorist suspects include,.....people who disagree with the Government; people who may be missing fingers; people who collect or store guns and ammunition especially multiple guns and waterproof ammunition,...and people who have 7 days or more of food stocked.
4 - Finally, some wisdom from one of our great Founders, Benjamin Franklin,.."Those who would sacrifice freedom for security deserve neither.

I don't know who else besides Rand Paul (R-KY) is on our side and the side of tens of millions of Americans, but what I do know is if this bill is passed the game changes. Primarily focused on conditions and threats outside of our control,.e.g..economic collapse, dollar break, external terrorist attack by Weapon of Mass Destruction or EMP attack,.....or even natural disasters have now been superseded by the very real threat of a totalitarian government,....at least we have a counter-measure that that is redress of grievances through petition (phone call and e-mails) or through the ballot box. Holy Jesus, this scares the shit out of me!