Survival Preparation - Natural Disasters Increase Probability of Economic Collapse

Tornadoes in the Mid East; Record breaking Droughts in the plains, especially in Texas; Wildfires across West and Southwest; Massive Floods in the Mississippi basin. All this will result in a cost of tens of billions of dollars in economic losses and that cost will most certainly climb as the Floods and Wildfires continue. Just look at the map above.

Some Economists calculate that the cost will be a minimum of $15 billion dollars.....these are conservative estimates. One economist argues that the cost is already at $12 billion dollars to the economy.

Cattle and crop losses will be significant. Insurance premiums will most certainly go up. Food prices are going to skyrocket....and it is in addition to othe prices you have already seen increase. And this is all happening in a very dire time for this country. Between the diminished supplies, the devaluation of the dollar, housing foreclosures, and the rising fuel costs this country will experience a big down turn in the economic condition and certainly a full fledged economic collapse is very possible,....even probably.

Look at the map below of U.S. Counties where natural disasters have affected the crops.

These alone are reason enough to prepare. Stock food supplies; ensure safe routes to safe locations; plan for your security; include financial planning to include what happens when the banks close.

This is what I explain to a gent the other day when he overheard a conversation between me and another guy who on on-board with trying to prepare for all contingencies. This other gent, I'll call him Bob, starting making comments like "Oh Yeah, buy a bunch of guns and head for the hills."

I replied in a serious way, "Well, I guess you can buy guns and run for the hills if you want, but I choose a more deliberate approach where I use critical planning and decision making skills. Sure, guns are important, cause if you don't have one or more (and know how to use them), then your security is greatly compromised,.... ....however, survival preparation, or disaster preparation if you will, is much, much more than that.” Anyway I could see the wheels turning in this guy’s eyes. I told him I would send him some links to several internet sites to look at. It helps that I don’t have a reputation as some nut. I hope I get this guy turned and turned quick as I don’t need another straphanger showing up at my place.

Reader Disapointed in Lack of 21 May TEOTWAWKI Coverage

Received an e-mail from Tecumseh: Hey Urban Man, I was disappointed not to see any coverage on the 21 May The End Of The World As We Know It prediction. I remember when you tried to scare everyone before Christmas I think.

UrbanMan replies: Tecumseh, first of all 21 May was not my prediction - it was some religious nut's call,.....and I never have had the intention of scaring anyone. It may seem some sort of noble cause to scare people in order for them to get their act together and start prepping, but the "accordian effect" comes into play where people get jerked with multiple threat streams, get tired of leaning forward, then get complacent enough to ignore important events or indicators, then are caught with their pants down.

It's kind of like athletics,...you can't always be in tip top shape. You ebb and flow in regards to upcoming competition or events. I think that's the way I approach survival preparation.

I have baseline preps across the major needs of food, water, shelter and security (protection). I try to keep track of many indicators. When those indicators start to lean to a possible event that may plunge us into chaos or a collapse,...or maybe not plunge us but certainly make us pick up speed towards TSHTF, then I will do a couple things: ensure all my vehicles and (some or all) of my spare fuel cans are filled up; maybe buy some extra cases of bottled water as you can never have enough water.

I have a habit of carrying a small notebook and pen with me everywhere. You never know when a solution to some thought or problem that has been incubating in your mind pops up. So I am always jotting notes of things I realize I may need but may not be available either due to supplies or the threat environment. I use the lead in time to procure some things like this. In fact, just the other day I realized that I have broke my round file to sharpen chain saw blades,...so a round file goes on my list,....then last week when this 21 May TEOTWAWKI crap comes up. Rather than just ignore it, I make a trip to the gas station fuel up, stop by the hardware store an buy a two round files among other things.

But life goes on for me. My family and I rent movies, eat out at our favorite restaurants, spend money on things that have no real survival purpose like fashionable clothes or shoes for the girls.

Doesn't mean I walk around like John Q. Thirty Five years of carrying guns and being aware make it second nature. In fact two nights ago, I saw a care drive by my house slowly. Twenty minutes later the same car with one 20 something year old white, male, brown hair, black ball cap and sunglasses drive by again and stopped about two houses away facing my house.

Out the back door, over the fence, paralleling my street then I approached this car, using my cell phone camera to take a picture of the license plate, like a traffic stop. The boy was a college student doing home appraisals for an insurance company. When I was satisfied, I went back the way I came so we would not know where I live. So I guess the moral of this story is to prepare well; hope like hell nothing happens (except maybe a new government!); be cautious - look, act, and be a hard target, but keep living life.

Survival Firearms - Lever Action Guns for the Collapse

UrbanSurvivalSkills.com received this e-mail comment: ……..”I have been discussing most of the topics covered here with friends in different parts of the country and we have come up with very similar solutions. One thing we decided was that a lever gun in 44mag or 357mag would be better than anything magazine fed. You can top up a lever gun at any pause and there are no mags feed lips to damage. As most contact ranges would be 100yds or less these calibers are more than adequate. If the range is greater, stay hidden!! Your comments. P.”

UrbanMan’s comments: I have no problem with anyone’s choice of survival firearms, as the first rule is to have a gun and remember one is none, two is one. People who tend to have a limited number of guns just may be more proficient with them then those of us with an arsenal!

If you have a lever gun, then it most probably has a tubular magazine. Yes easy to top off, but slow to load,…limited to certain bullet types so sympathetic detonation from bullet nose to cartridge primer does not occur while loaded in the tubular magazine, and, ……also limited to number of rounds that you can carry and if you always keep it fully loaded, then you face a degraded spring strength.

I own a couple lever guns. A great point about levers is that they are robust enough to take the abuse. But I’ll choose my M-4 most every time over a lever. However, I know a gent (not in my survival group) who owns just a couple guns: a Browning lever in .44 magnum; a S&W Model 29 in .44 magnum; a double barrel 12 gauge shotgun and maybe a .22 LR rifle. He used to have an old Colt NM M1911 in .45 ACP to shoot in competition, but he no longer has that (he sold it to me). I know he has a lot of ammunition for each and is very capable with any of these guns, despite his age in the mid 60’s. He believes that there will be a collapse, but say’s he thinks he is adequately armed.

As far as magazines go, I have three different brands for my M-4’s: standard GI mags, mostly 20 rounders; 20 and 30 round P-Magazines, and even a few H&K steel magazines. I rarely have problems with the magazines and if I do and am sure of it, I’ll toss it from my inventory. So I would think that economics and familiarization would be better reason to stick to a lever gun.

A friend of mine from the SW Border area told me, about a year ago if I remember right, that he went into a gun shop to buy some .45-70 ammunition for a competition only to find out that the store had none because a old man came through a few days earlier and bought up all they had,…hundreds of dollars worth. The store said the old man was touring the region buying up all the .45-70 he could find. I would think that this gent probably is pretty high on his .45-70 be it a lever gun or a sharps, and was obviously preparing for a collapse and basing his security/protection needs on what is seemingly an antiquated gun.

I like your idea at ranges greater than 100 yards, then hide! I think smart people don’t look for fights, especially in an environment of degraded medical care. Fight when you have to and when you have the advantage…e.g..it if is a fair fight, then you did something wrong. Keep the principle of ambushes foremost in your mind: Surprise, Coordinated Field of Fire, Violence of Action, Speed and Security.

I would not feel particularly under gunned using a lever action, but I would damn sure try to use the new Hornady LeveRevolution ammunition which gives a 160 grain bullet in a .30-30 case, near .308 performance. Good luck with your lever guns and stay safe.

Survival Kits - Reader Question on Personal Survival Kits

UrbanSurvivalSkills.com received this question on Survival Kits,....What do you consider are the necessities of personal survival gear items, and I'm talking about pocket sized kits in case you lose everything else? John L.

UrbanMan replies: I would consider the words "redundancy" and "a layered approach" when it comes to outfitting you and/or your survival group in all manner of kit. I am assuming that you are asking about wilderness survival items,....and I am assuming that you are talking about the minimum items you would carry on your person as opposed to what is in a Bug Out Bag or on your vest, harness or web gear. So here are my comments:

Even though my Bug Out Bags are well equipped, there are some redundant items I will carry in my pockets or otherwise on my body. In my opinion, the most essential items of personal survival kit are a lighter and a knife. An example of redundancy is that I carry a small sealed packet with a butane lighter, storm matches and fire starting material as well as always having a small fixed blade knife..and this is on my body not on my assault vest or anything else I would or could normally take off in the field. So I guess if you are asking for a minimum requirement, this is it for me.

But your question is a good one as I am know re-visiting the idea of also adding a small vacuum packed bag with a couple adhesive bandages, larger one time anti-biotic ointment, and military battlefield dressing.

Survival is also heavily influenced by being prepared, so my Bug Out Bags also have several fire making items as well as a (backup) folding tactical knife, which the most prolific model I own is the CKRT M16 folder.

If you are fully dressed, but absent any external kit, when you find yourself in a pure wilderness survival situation, then you may also have several items of survival kit already in your possession: shoelaces, socks, t-shirts, buttons, belt, thread from unraveled clothing,....

However, the idea is not to find yourself separated from your larger items of kit such as your Bug Out Bag, Assault Vest and weapons. I received another question about having members within a group carry different items so the group would be better prepared,...but what if you find yourself alone? Everyone must be able to stand alone.

Now as afar as those belt survival kits,...if you are always going to carry it, then fine, but anything the size that would make it worthwhile will probably get in the way of wearing an assault vest or even simple tasks like driving,....but it doesn't keep this kit whore from having several different survival kit which I'll never use.

The latest manufactured kit I have is in a small nylon camera case with the following items: water purification pills; water purification drinking straw; small butane lighter; strike all storm matches; tinder kit; Silva compass; small button compass; two small Photon lights - one red and one white; two one quart 3 mil zip lock bags; survival blanket; mini multi-plier tool, mini V cutter; razor blades; 50 yards of mono-filament line; 20 feet of 550 cord; 25 feet of snare wire; small magnifying glass; small signal mirror;.....hell I'm probably missing something......so if you are going to always carry a small external kit, these items may be considered. Hope I answered your question well enough. Prepare well, Urban Man.