Cookies

Notice: This website may or may not use or set cookies used by Google Ad-sense or other third party companies. If you do not wish to have cookies downloaded to your computer, please disable cookie use in your browser. Thank You.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Are Hand Tools and Hardware Included in your Survival Preparations?

I haven't been a hardware store that I didn't want to spend thousands of dollars in, and I have a significant collection of hand tools and hardware, just in case, so this article on non-power tools interested me. Very good article from Survival Cache on the 10 Non-Power Tools you will need for Survival:

  • Cross Cut Saw
  • Hacksaw
  • Standard Hand Saw
  • Large Hand Drill
  • Small Hand Drill
  • Battery Free Battery Tester
  • Battery Free Circuit Tester
  • Hand Powered Grinding Wheel
  • Hand Powered Air Pump Scythe
Pretty decent list, but why limit it to 10 tools? This above list is completely diferent from my own. Survival Cache is a very good site, just disagree on this one! But his recommendation of hand grinding wheel is something I did not consider before- great idea and will incorporate it into my preps.

Urban Man's Hand Tool and Hardware List:

  • Claw Hammer. Don't forget about boxes of nails of all types as well, concentrating on 8 and 16D size.
  • Cross Cut Saw. These usually have a removal blade so have an extra blade or get a different type of blade.
  • Hack Saw and extra blades,.....many extra blades.
  • Long Handle D shovel. In fact, have a couple of these.
  • Short D handle shovel,...again have several.
  • Axe. Better yet a wood axes, a wedge and a fire axe which is a regular axe with a pickaxe end.
  • Combination pliers/wire cutters. Include a couple of rolls of fencing wire, sometimes called baling wire.
  • Box and Open wrench set, standard and metric. Have a couple of cans or buckets of assorted bolts with washers, lock washers and nuts as well. Think 1/4, 1/2 and 5/8ths diamter in legnths of 2, 4, 6 and 8 inches long.
  • Screwdriver set, slotted tip and cross tip. Include boxes of medium and long wood screws, metal screws and rubber washer sheet metal screws.
  • Sledge Hammer.
  • Ball Peen Hammer.
  • Garden hoe. Makes things easy when you have to put in that survival garden,.....which you will have to do if you want to eat and suplement your stored food supply.
  • Hand air pump is a good idea. I did not think about this. These are cheap - have several.
  • Hand drill - another thing that passed me, but brought to my attention by the article referenced above.
  • Wire Cutters and/or fencing tool.
  • Slip Joint Pliers.
  • Needle Nose pliers.
  • Pipe Wrench.
  • Steel pry bar and smaller crow bars.
I think the thing to do is to carry a notepad around with you to write down your prep ideas as they occur to you.  One of these headings can be hand tools, hardware and material.  Work off the list as you can. 

Related to hand tools would be material such as lumber, PVC and you could probably add some metal stock to this list.  Mush like people in Florida have pre-cut plywood to cover windows to hurricane protection, having some plywood, 2x4's and PVC pipe (don't forget the connectors, etc.) can be stored in your garage.

I have flower beds around the house with rail road ties as borders.  I intended this so I can pull the rail road ties up and use them to fortify the house, provide small arms protection and/or build protected fighting positions if necessary.  Sure would piss my wife of, but it's there is needed.   

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

The Secret American Army?

An interesting article sent to me by a another reader, posted on a blog site and written by  Brett Redmayne-Titley. What this letter talks about, open armed conflict in the U.S. is very disturbing as that end would devastate this country. And I know all the arguments about the coming collapse being as devastating as well, but I just hope a solution can be found that keeps this country intact.  I hesitated on posting this, but I am confidant readers can figure out what is B.S. and what is not.

A new American army is growing on American soil. They are prepared.

In hushed tones during conversations across the breadth of the heartland of America there are whispers. Quiet talk. About an army. Of Americans?

An army prepared to defend an increasingly oppressed population craving reprieve from their government’s increasingly draconian methods. This army, they say, is growing.

After firm handshakes all around, Dan T. and Gene R., who I had good reason to believe were both retired military, settled into our task at hand. I was in their company for the day on business. During the one-day meeting Dan and Gene revealed that they were indeed career military. Dan, Army. Gene, retired Navy. I attempted to politely avoid political discussion in the interest of decorum.

So at the first comment on politics from my hosts I took a long deep breath. My opinions, despite being armed with facts, don’t go-over well in conservative America. Much less with ex-military. No doubt, patience would be needed.

Two hours later we clashed the mugs of our third round of beers together in a boisterous toast.

“This country is going to hell!,” I offered just a bit too loudly in the confines of the cramped bar.

“Damn right it is,” agreed Dan. At 6’4”, and a stout 280 pounds, Dan would make a fine nose tackle. “Quite frankly, I’m in favor of ringing America with an expanded Navy to protect us. It’s time our Military went back to protecting our Nation. Leave the world alone. But… the real question right now in America is…,” and he lowered his voice, giving me a direct stare, “are you prepared?”

Indeed America is going to hell. A sleeping America has no idea of the depth of the plot against them. Those few who are paying attention have good reason to fear the direction of their country and their Government.

The savvy American knows about the FEMA incarceration camps. These camps are intended for them. This is confirmed by a leaked two-hundred- fifty-four page US Army manual showing the designs of the camps, defining who is to be culled from the population, and who is to be put to death.

These same Americans also know that their America has recently purchased 1.5 Billion rounds of hollow point ammunition and 800 million rounds of double-aught shotgun shells. This ammo is designed for one purpose; killing… people. While police and National Guard are having trouble getting their own ammo, this massive arsenal is being distributed via the Dept. of Homeland Security to points unknown.

They also know that the FBI formally requested in writing to assassinate with a high powered rifle the leaders of the Houston Occupy camp.

Now, on Tuesday April 29, 2014 the US Supreme Court approved this behavior and a myriad of other authoritarian controls straight from the manuals of Dachau, Auschwitz, or the Gulag.

The informed American should be terrified.

I had heard and read rumblings of a ground-swell movement within the American military. This quiet, passionately pro-American, pro-Constitution, pro-democracy, army is rapidly growing. It has already faced down the US empire twice. Their mission: to save Americans from their Government. They call themselves, “Oath Keepers.”

“I Do Solemnly Swear (Or Affirm) That I Will Uphold the Constitution of the United States of America, Against All Enemies, Foreign and Domestic…Pledging My Life, My Fortune, and My Sacred Honor. So Help Me God.” – US Military Oath of Service.

Oath Keepers are the predictable historical reaction by populations to endemic political, financial, and corporate corruption and the destruction of their society. With a puppet president, malicious congress, and constitutionally irrational court system, to more and more Americans Oath Keepers is becoming the only effective counter weight to a tyrannical empire.

There are approximately 21.5 million military veterans of all ages and ethnic backgrounds in America. Estimates put Oath Keepers membership in excess of 200,000. Within this growing army are every military rank from all four branches of the US military. From Gunny Sergeant to Admiral, from Army Chaplain to Naval Captain, Marine Corp. General to PFC, America’s veteran military corp. remains full of a vast wealth of very expensive and thoroughly trained military.

Oath Keepers include many active duty service men and women who keep their membership very private. Their numbers are reportedly also swelling.

All these men and women were trained to fight. They remember their training. They remember that they are first and foremost American’s, sworn to protect the constitution and the American people. That never changed. These real American patriots have not for gotten the Oath of Service they swore to so many years before.

Few thought the day would come when, rather than providing protection from foreign adversaries, they would actually heed the currently two most important words, “…and Domestic.”

By all current reports Americans hold over 320 million non-military fire arms of all makes, models, and calibers. That figure is only the guns that are accounted for. Actual numbers are higher. With the recent gun buying surge across America, this number is ever rising. Many of these people are buying these weapons whether they are aware of Oath Keepers or not, and hold very similar views on our Government’s authoritarian intentions.

Combine all these weapons with the millions of American veterans and you have a highly trained and well- armed militia ready, willing, and waiting to protect Americans from their own government. Was this not the original wisdom of the inclusion of the American Constitution’s very controversial Second Amendment?

Freedom loving Americans have only two distinct choices. Either use their First Amendment right to assembly and free speech to produce a massive showing of outrage that retrieves the remains of true democracy…

Or… it will be the Second Amendment. Guns.

I asked Dan and Gene to comment.

Dan slams his glass down in agreement, since it is empty, looking intently out from under a beat-up, bleached out, somewhat reddish baseball cap.

“That’s a good way to put it,” he says while eying me carefully over the foam atop a freshly poured beer. “The question really is,” he says again quietly, “are you prepared?”

In America’s desperate condition being prepared runs the gambit from eliminating one’s personal debt, eliminating unnecessary possessions, putting assets into gold or silver, and stocking a sensible amount of supplies and provisions away just in case. It means having the presence of forethought to realize the dire reality of America’s real social and political condition.

It also implies being prepared to protect and defend those possessions, and freedoms, from a growing government tyranny.

A whole lot of well trained, well-armed, Americans have seen this day coming.

The Oath Keeper motto is, “Not On Our Watch!” Their own pro-American, pro-constitutional oath has been sworn by all Oath Keepers whether active military, veterans, police officers, national guardsmen, TSA officials, firemen, or peace officers. The Oath is defined clearly in ten separate guarantees:

Oath Keepers will NOT obey any order to:

1. Disarm the American people.

2. Conduct warrant-less searches of the American people,

3. Detain American citizens as “unlawful enemy combatants”

4. Impose martial law or a “state of emergency” on a state.

5. Invade and subjugate any state that asserts its sovereignty.

6. Blockade American cities, turning them into giant concentration camps.

7. Force American citizens into any form of detention camps.

8. Assist or support the use of any foreign troops on U.S. soil.

9. Confiscate the property of the American people.

10. Infringe on the right of the people to free speech, to peaceably assemble, and to petition their government for a redress of grievances.

Only two Days ago the US Supreme Court of the United States formally gave approval for US Government goons to reap all these horrors on all Americans. On Tuesday, the court in Hedges v. Obama, U.S. Supreme Court, No. 13-758, refused to review the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeal’s (traditionally the president’s pocket court) decision to overturn a lower court decision that did, temporarily, protect Americans from these unconstitutional war crimes of Sect. 1021 of the Obama inspired of the National Defense Authorization Act. All ten horrors are, right now, legal across America.

Foolishly I had mistakenly interpreted the Oath of the Oath Keepers to mean that those who take the oath would lay down their weapons under such extreme circumstances.

“Wrong!” said Paul immediately, inching forward and giving me a penetrating glance while setting down his beer. “We’re not laying down our weapons for anyone!”

Gene was also eying me keenly. Quickly forgiving my small indiscretion, he offered support saying, “Yeah. You’re absolutely right about the Oath. But if you don’t have your weapons you’re not going to fight back. That’s what the huge recent increase in gun sales is all about.”

Gene’s a retired Navy aircraft carrier pilot, one of the Navy’s most highly trained servicemen. Of a Bantam weight’s build, and just as feisty, at sixty Gene is looking as youthful as his days in the cockpit. He is just as assured and straight talking.

I told them about the FBI study that concluded that American citizens and their massive private, and growing, arsenal could never defeat the US military, should the populous finally fight back.

Gene smiled slyly, then laughed. “They’ve got that one wrong,” Gene is quite likely correct. Quantifying the totality of a potential armed push back by an armed American public, truly shows the dire consequences about to befall America. It is no wonder that Gene is smiling.

Sadly, that result will be bloodier than the Civil War, just as apocalyptic, and spell the darkest days in the history of America, should it remain a nation when the sands of time have finally cleared the wreckage.

The American Empire has been keeping any news of Oath Keepers out of the media. The regime does not want an example of courage and successful opposition getting to the minds of its subjugated and fearful people. The regime fears the Oath Keepers for a very good reason; this army has already beaten the devil back-down below.

Twice.

When the sequestration cuts agreed to by a criminal congress took effect in late 2013, the Obama administration decided to punish Americans for his failure as president. He proceeded to close the ocean to recreational fishing and boating, and close access to lakes and national parks. His dark minions in the Forest Service went so far as to ring the famous geyser, “Old Faithful,” a US tourist attraction, with a twelve foot high solid plastic fence. This made sure that no-one could see and enjoy it. Tourists who went to the third floor of an adjacent hotel to sneak a peek, were arrested.

Then the puppet went too far.

American veterans come from across America to remember their friends and loved ones at the Vietnam and World War Two war memorials. When Obama closed these, it was a call to action for the Oath Keepers.

Wearing side arms, some in uniform, Oath Keepers showed up en-mass. They proceeded to escort arriving visitors past the equally armed Capitol Police and then protected them during their visit. To everyone privy to this successful operation, the Oath Keepers were heroes.

Two weeks ago a corrupt US Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) tried to use his equally corrupt connections at the Bureau of Land Management to then order US Marshal’s Service to seize Clive Bundy’s Nevada ranch so he could sell it to the Chinese. Two thousand people showed up to defend the ranch, but the siege was turning ugly. Marshall’s were tazering peaceful protesters, and slamming women to the ground. Things were getting bad.

Then the Oath Keepers road in.

Armed and ready, several dozen Oath Keepers took up positions and began patrols on Clive Bundy’s property. Many publicly stated that if they were fired on they would return fire.

So, two hundred plus Federal Marshals went home.

UrbanMan's comment: Not U.S. Marshals, but BLM Law Enforcement Rangers and possibly some US Forest Service Special Agents. There were reports of military personnel supporting the BLM operation against the Bundy Ranch, those reports have been discounted. Some of the BLM personnel were National Guardsmen, which is perfect understandable as they can work for governmental agencies during the week and be members of the National Guard during a weekend a month.  And the militarization of Federal LE, e.g..mainly weapons and cammie uniforms supported that misperception.

The cheers were world-wide.

Our conversation had been enlightening, optimistic, supportive, but at the same time terrifying. To discover that so many American active and retired military are of like mind to just as many passionate pro-American progressives holding radical viewpoints was heartening.

Knowing that former members of America’s military had already sworn an oath to protect me, and other Americans, from the very real threat of being shot, or incarcerated without a warrant, by our own government was reassuring.

Assuredly the Oath Keepers will be called to order again soon.

That is terrifying.

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Monetary Collapse on July 1st?

Most of you have seen the ads and the alerts that on July 1st, the Dollar will collapse. I received the same spam that Bob talks about in the article. I was in the process on trying to figure this out because I have received several questions from readers about it, then all of sudden I come across Bob Rinear's article which is much more articulate than I could ever be. Did I previously mention in a post that Bob Rinear is becoming one of my favorite sources of common sense information?

Does The World Stop July 1st?

By Bob Rinear

Over the past few months, my inbox has been littered with spam Emails suggesting that on July 1st, the US dollar will collapse, the lights will go out, and martial law will be put in place. All I have to do is cough up a few hundred bucks to get the authors letters, and I’ll know everything I need to get around this disaster.

But, it has been so effective at stirring people up, that I’ve probably fielded a couple dozen questions from our subscriber base, asking indeed if July 1 is going to usher in some form of collapse. So, I figure I best do a quick outline of what this is all about, and see if we’re all going to be reduced to babbling rubble in a month.

The basis for this doom and gloom scenario is that House bill HR 2847 which is titled “Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act” goes into full effect on July 1. Well that sounds tame enough, what’s the issue? Well, inside this monstrosity is a section labeled the “Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act” which most will know as FATCA, and that is the basis for the apocalypse warnings.

If you’ve ever truly read any Government “bill” you know it is loaded to the gills with “blah blah blah” of Article 2 of section blah blah blah, which is subnoted in index 9, subset 4, of blah blah blah….. but I can wrap it up for you relatively compactly. Basically the gist is this.. Uncle Sam is broke. When nations go broke they start looking for income in every nook and cranny. So, they pass more and more laws to make sure they know what everyone has, where it is and how they can tax it. FATCA does that for all the US citizens with foreign connections, such as offshore accounts, foreign stock holdings, etc.

They want to make sure no one’s making a dime they can’t get their ransom on. FATCA requires foreign financial institutions (FFI) of broad scope — banks, stock brokers, hedge funds, pension funds, insurance companies, trusts — to report directly to the IRS aall clients' accounts owned by U.S. Citizens and U.S. persons (Green Card holders).

Starting July 1, FATCA will require FFIs to provide annual reports to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on the name and address of each U.S. client, as well as the largest account balance in the year and total debits and credits of any account owned by a U.S. person. If an institution does not comply, the U.S. will impose a 30% withholding tax on all its transactions concerning U.S. securities, including the proceeds of sale of securities.

In addition, FATCA requires any foreign company not listed on a stock exchange or any foreign partnership which has 10% U.S. ownership to report to the IRS the names and tax I.D. number (TIN) of any U.S. owner.

FATCA also requires U.S. citizens and green card holders who have foreign financial assets in excess of $50,000 (higher for those who are bona-fide residents abroad) to complete a new Form 8938 to be filed with the 1040 tax return, but this has been in effect since 2011.

Okay, so why the utter doom and gloom sales pitch about this act collapsing the dollar, and forcing us all to eat bugs in the front yard? Well, the underlying theme is actually correct. It WILL accelerate the move OUT of US dollars that I’ve been showing you all for two years now. I’ve been telling you of the “global reset” for more than two years as a new global reserve is going to replace the dollar. Many think FATCA will be the straw that snaps the camels back.

All the articles I’ve penned about the Chinese wanting out of the US dollar, how they are forming alliances with dozens of countries to use Native currencies and bypass the dollar, etc, are all real, and YES…FATCA will push even more countries that have been sitting on the fence to say “the hell with this US regulation stuff, we’re not dealing with all this”

Multiple reports have suggested that small and medium-sized firms, unable to bear the compliance costs or the crippling withholding taxes, would be especially likely to ditch American markets. "On the institutional side, the cost of becoming FATCA compliant may be prohibitive for some foreign institutions, and therefore they will divest from their American holdings," explained Douglas Goldstein, author of The Expatriate's Guide to Handling Money and Taxes and director of Profile Investment Services Ltd. Indeed, compliance costs borne by the private sector are expected to dwarf the amount of additional U.S. tax revenue — perhaps by hundreds of times.

Okay, so now you know what the hype is all about. The question is, do we all come to a grinding halt on July 1? No, we don’t. This bill was crafted in 2010 folks, and it has been postpone/delayed a couple times. Nations, and institutions have had years to work the system, and decide if they’re going to play ball or go home. So, most of them are “ready” for this nightmare. But there’s no doubt that some of the fence sitters, when finally faced with “doing” the work, instead of just planning for it, are going to toss in the towel.

I think that the biggest “problem” isn’t going to be chasing down Ex-pats for their income taxes, those numbers won’t be significant enough to make a major difference. Where things could go bump in the night, is that it very well might push more foreign investors to completely shun our markets. In other words, why buy US stocks, if Uncle Sam is going to butt in on every transaction? They can instead buy emerging markets, BRICS markets, and not have to have us breathing down their neck.

It is moves like this bill, that proves to you all that the US is in the final stages of a long drawn out collapse. When nations do stupid things as ours has since the early 70’s, they run up debts they can’t pay. Before they toss in the towel and give up and let everything crash, they first go on a witch hunt for every penny they can scrape up to keep the illusion alive. We’re in that stage now.

Just like I mentioned in Sunday’s letter, the elites don’t pick up the phone and tell you what they’re doing. You have to be a forensic economist and put the pieces of the puzzle together to see the big picture. This act is simply another, albeit a very large…piece of the puzzle.

On Sunday I showed you the Deutsche report on bringing the Chinese yuan to the “world stage”. I also showed you the groundbreaking EurAsian pact that Russia is forming, as dozens of nations shun the West, for the economic stability of the East. Add up the times that the foreign nations have said that they’re tired of the US dollar hegemony, and toss in the gold that China, India, Russia and others are amassing and you can easily see the big picture emerge. The US is a desperate old gal, who wants to keep her façade of strength and superiority, but it’s all just make up. Everyone knows it except her own citizens, who are kept in the dark by the main stream media.

I think it also bears mention that our Government continues to militarize itself inside our borders. Years ago we made serious mention of the billions of rounds of ammunition that the Dept of Homeland defense was amassing. Then I showed you all the armored vehicles that have been populating cities and towns across the Country. Just a couple weeks ago the Dept of Agriculture started submitting for bid applications to acquire Submachine guns, Body armor, ballistic vests, etc. I don’t think you have to be a paranoid conspiracy freak to want to know just what on earth the Dept of Agriculture needs with a bid for .40 caliber “full auto” tactical weapons capable of holding 30 or more rounds???

The explanation for billions of rounds of hollow point orders and all this military style armament is that it is for training purposes, etc, but let’s be realistic. I pump more rounds out of my guns than just about anyone you’ll ever meet….yet I don’t use hollow points for my target shooting. I’m supposed to believe that this is all for training purposes? I’m supposed to believe that towns having tanks and half tracks, is all about better policing? I don’t think so. It’s just another part of the big picture. As the dollar continues to be shunned and collapse, as the Emerging markets join at the hip and create trade zones that exclude the US… we’re going to break down both economically and socially. They see it coming and they’re arming for the day.

UrbanMan's Comment: Hollow points for training ammunition? Yes. Most agencies practice and qualify with the same duty ammunition. I believe the LARGE governmental ammunition purchases were because of new EPA lead restrictions would necessarily drive up ammunition prices and drastically effect ammunition availability for the civilian population. That's your clue to stock more ammunition while you can find it, AND afford it.

Just Tuesday we learned that the Russians and the Chinese have created a joint “Ratings agency” for investments. They’re tired of the old boy network of Moody’s and S&P. They’re tired of having them place ratings on things based on political pressure versus fundamental economics. So, they will discard the ratings agencies, just like they’re discarding our dollars. But sometimes you have to pay attention to see just how pervasive this move “East” is becoming. Sometimes it isn’t broadcast in big headlines for all to see. For instance in April the Saudi’s held a very public parade, and what was rolling down the street? Chinese made missiles. Not US made. Many wouldn’t notice and others wouldn’t care. But that was a very public “thumbing of the nose” to the US by the Saud’s.

No, the world doesn’t stop on July 1. No, the dollar doesn’t collapse in a heap. No, we don’t have martial law in every town. No, the lights don’t go out. None of the doom and gloom you’ve been warned of is going to happen on July 1. It is however ALL going to happen. It just won’t happen then. It comes in fits and starts, a little at a time. The dollar has been in a slow motion collapse for years. The economy has been sinking for years. This will continue until the day they “pull the plug” on it. When is that? No one knows.

But the one thing I do know is that a date won’t be broadcast. It won’t come because of a bill that’s going to go into effect. No, when the collapse hits, or the reset or what ever you wish to call it, it will come out of the blue, probably on a Sunday night/Early Monday morning, with NO warning. So, don’t sweat July 1 folks. That’s just noise. You can however sweat all the things that point to the fact that all the evils are indeed going to hit at some point. Okay? Good.

UrbanMan's Comment: Perhaps Rinear's most significant point is that "the date of the monetary or dollar collapse WON'T be broadcast. It'll come without warning." Get prepared for it as it coming. It would sit you well to have some silver and maybe some gold bullion on hand as well. Think about it.

Friday, June 6, 2014

The Insight to Prepare for the Collapse

We received this letter from Phil the other day: "A friend of mine recently started prepping after a number of telephone chats with me examining the economic climate here in Canada and in the US. We talked about bug outs vs bug ins, food storage water storage/filtration, the whole 9yds. Up to this point he hadn't really been more than mildly concerned about things, he is retired and on a tight budget. After I directed him to your site and the Survival Blog site he started doing his own research on the possibility of a collapse or just really hard times. He now has acquired firearms, ammo, reloading equipment and is getting long term foods, medicine and first aid gear and all this on a tight budget!

While I must admit that I have created "a Monster" it is good to see that a rational and logical man reading on his own can come to the same conclusions about possible future outcomes. Sometimes one can get wrapped up in the doom and gloom side of prepping and loose sight of the reality, that is, be prepared to the best of your ability to get through any hard times that may be coming down the pike. It's not about being ready for TEOTWAWKI, it about being ready for all of the lesser evils that may occur as well. The other lesson I take from this is that it's never too late to start your preps and spend within your means. I hope this finds you well. "


Hey Phil, I would be interested in knowing what prompted your friend to start prepping. Was it all the signs of an economic collapse? Was it the possibility of EMP type or other terrorist attack and the resulting chaos or at least governmental martial law? Maybe just a slow slide into devastating inflation? I think many people start prepping just to be more self sufficient - they don't want to rely on other people or institutions such as the government for their safety and indeed, their very lives. Anyway, no matter. If any country is going to come out of a collapse, it'll need self responsible, capable people to survive.

There are MANY "survive the collapse" sites on the internet that provide much more and more complete information than I do. Among these sites are the following (please pass them to your friend):

http://urbansurvivalsite.com

http://www.secretsofsurvvial.com

http://survivethecomingcollapse.com

http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com

http://www.shtfplan.com

http://www.survival-homestead.com

http://survivalblog.com

Additionally, there are several books he probably should read to get an idea on how a devastating collapse may ocur and the problems in the aftermath:

The Going Home, Surviving Home, Escaping Home, and soon to be released Forsaking Home series by A. American.

One Second After by William Forstchen

Lights Out, by David Crawford

and of course, Patriots by James Wesley Rawles

You mentioned creating a monster. I did too with Jim who's survival preps I have reported on. Jim is now slowed down on prepping but that's okay as he rapidly set himself with stored food, silver and to a lesser extent gold bullion, and firearms/stored ammunition. He has also procured necessary survival gear as well. But I think where Jim has backslide is that his Survival Plan has been overcome by the events of his employment. He travels extensively which places him at risk of being way too far away from his assets and being able to implement a Bug In then Bug Out plan. I have talked to him about curtailing his traveling when the conditions make a collapse imminent, however some conditions we just won't see - like a nuclear attack or terrorist conducted EMP type attack. An attack on the banking system, cutting off money and therefore food to the population masses would be another catalyst we just probably won't see coming.

Another point of yours, and one I have made often, is that prepping is possible on a budget. It starts with buying extra food for your pantry to extend what people call the three day pantry. If you look close enough you'll find those deals.

Procuring suitable firearms and stocking ammunition, maybe some silver bullion, long range food supplies and some gear is obviously more costly. I've always been a proponent of the first rule of a gun fight and that is having a gun. While some people think that if you don't have a high end M4 or clone and can't dress to look like a Navy SEAL then you are basically dicked when it comes to survival. I think you can adequately cover security and protection otherwise. In fact, you may have to when you just don't have the funds for high end weaponry. If I only had a 12 gauge shotgun and a handgun (with suitable ammunition stocks), then I would most likely be filling other holes like food, water storage, precious metals, seed bank, etc., before I went back to modernize firearms.

Anyway Phil, thanks for writing. Thanks for helping others to prep.