"THE MORE YOU KNOW, THE LESS YOU NEED"

Cody Lundin, founder of Aboriginal Living Skills School in Arizona, is the best example I can find of a self-sufficient realist. He knows how to live off the land and survive with minimal gear, using skills that native peoples have utilized for centuries to survive. His motto is "The more you know, the less you need." And that is good advice for all of us.

Urban dwellers especially need to downsize and learn to live with less if they want to survive any crisis that may lie ahead. Whether they happen tomorrow or twenty years from now, the time to plan and prepare is NOW, not, as Cody says, when it's already a crisis.

Here's a video from his YouTube site--he acts a little wacky, but I tell you, the man has sound ideas to live by!



(The guy at the end of the vid is pretty much a dork, but you can always turn him off!)

THE ESBIT POCKET STOVE

This stove is, hands down, the best little item you can put in your kit. I have three of them, and extra fuel tabs, stashed in various BOBs. The don't weigh much and allow you to have a ready source of heat that is simple, non-toxic, and reliable. I highly recommend this little gem to add to your emergency supplies. In my EDC (which is basically my daypack) I also carry a Snow Peak 700 titanium cup that fits under my 32-oz. Nalgene bottle. This serves as a dandy pot to heat water in. Along with a folding cup and a few tea bags, I have the makings for a quick brew in any emergency.

Here's the details and specs for the stove:

Esbit tablets are a solid-fuel heat source that make for one of the most weight-efficient cooking systems around. Each tablet (.5 ounces) is enough to boil a pint of water. If that is all you are doing, this is one of the best systems. Esbit tablets are individually sealed inside a package, so they have a long shelf life.

Pocket stove includes 6 tablets. Four tablets can be stored inside the stove.

Weights: Esbit Pocket Stove: 3.2 ounces (91 grams)
Tablets (each): 0.5 ounces (15 grams)

Price: average is $10. Any more and you are getting ripped off.

WHEN ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE

Here's a great interview with Cody Lundin with a Seattle radio station about his book "When All Hell Breaks Loose"; The intro section is almost a minute, so hang in there. It's well worth the time:



The book is terrific, so pick up a copy today!

THE AMERICAN DREAM?

It's called The American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it.
-- George Carlin

America is going down fast. What you see now, like the talk of hope for a turnaround in the economy, is all smoke and mirrors. It's created by the corporate elite, who have their hand up the ass of the big White House puppet, and are putting on a show for the American people.

Don't buy into it folks. Prepare. Trouble is coming and there may not be much warning.

PREPARE!

GETTING READY - ARE YOU PREPARED?

Anyone that hasn't put together their emergency and survival supplies are going to be sorry. It's only a matter of time before we will be faced with either a natural disaster (earthquake, flood, hurricane, tornado) or a manmade socio-polical lockdown (martial law due to worsening economy, flu pandemic, terrorism, or hostility from foreign sources). If you haven't even started, you better do it NOW. When disaster strikes, and you're not ready, it's way too late. And why wait until an emergency is announced and fight the herd at the local stores for supplies? Get yours NOW and then all you need to do is sit tight when trouble comes.

There are tons of websites online and videos on YouTube showing how to put together basic survival kits. But always remember to think soundly and logically--and realistically--about your personal needs for an emergency situation. Don't go buying every little gizmo you see or you will run out of money quick. At a minimum, you would need the following:

WATER. I cannot stress this enough. WATER. And lots of it. Red Cross states 1 gallon per person per day. More if you have pets. And more if you live in a hot climate. Plan on having a month's worth on hand. WSHTF (when the shit hits the fan), there isn't going to be time to do it. Help won't be coming (at least not for a while) and you will need to take care of yourself. And for sure don't count of FEMA to bail you out.

SHELTER. If you must evacuate your home, either know where your local shelter is or have a tent (or tarp and means to pitch it) for you and your family. Have a plan about where you would go should you be away from home. Keep your shelter in the car when you are at work, running errands, etc. After you get in the habit of loading your gear up, it will be like grabbing your lunch bag in the morning. It should be that automatic. Sleeping bags are nice, but a surplus wool blanket and ground tarp (both available cheap at any Army/Navy store) will do in a pinch. I got the blanket (85% wool & poly), 8' x 10' camo tarp, 100' of paracord, and ground tarp for $49.95). I also bought a small tent by Wentzel for $29.00 that I keep in my BOB at home. I have two--a large one in a 'summit pack' that stays at home at all times with a lot of duplicate items, and my daypack version that pretty goes everywhere with me now.

FOOD. You should have a month's worth of food stashed in your house and at least 72-hours worth in a kit to keep in your car. Have at least 24-hours rations close at hand at all times. Try to avoid foods that need a lot of water to digest like protein bars, or are thirst provoking like salty foods. The Mainstay food bars are great for a BOB--nine portions in a foil pouch. I've tried them--they have a light lemony flavor and are very tasty.

COOKING. You're going to want a hot drink at some point or perhaps boil some water to purify it. I highly recommend the Esbit Stove (Google it) and buy extra fuel tabs. It's compact and super easy to use. Make sure you have something to boil water in (even a mini loaf pan folded for storage) and a folding camp cup (Google it). Your food, stove, fuel, and cup can all go in a small stuff sack.

LIGHT. Keep a flash light (Maglite makes a great little mini AAA model that will fit on a keychain) or headlamp close at hand at all times. When the lights go out you will thank yourself. Keep lightsticks in your home for emergencies, too.

WHISTLE. This should go on your keychain along with your mini flashlight--that way it's always with you. If you get trapped somewhere don't waste your energy yelling. One of the Coast Guard 'howler' whistles will do the trick! They are lightweight and work even when wet (unlike the old style with the cork ball inside them).

FIRE. Have the means to start a fire to keep warm should you find yourself stranded. Have multiple means of accomplising this, too. Go on YouTube and search "Firemaking"--and don't get overwhelmed.

EMERGENCY BLANKET. These mylar temporary heat retention blankets are cheap and lightweight. There's no excuse not to have them stashed all over the place.

KNIFE. The value of a knife cannot be estimated. It is the best defense/tool you can own. Since earliest times, the edged tool has been invaluable to humans, used for cutting, scraping, chopping, and protection. Even cultures that only had stone tools had knives fashioned from stone. Buy a heavy duty one for cutting and chopping (such as a Ka-Bar Heavy Bowie) and a small clip-on folding pocket model (too many to mention here--and it is really affordability and preference) for everyday carrying.

WATER PURIFICATION. Again, a Google or YouTube search will bring up an overwhelming amount of information. Chose the simplest and easiest to use for your level of expertise and comfort. This should be part of everyone's BOB kit.

PARACORD. Again, a multitude of uses, from lashing things together to rigging a tarp shelter. Buy the military style with the 7-strand cord, and buy at least 50' (100' is better) and don't cut it unless you absolutely need to. The inner strands of this cord can be used for snares, fishing line, etc. Only limited by your imagination.

You may have heard the term BOB (bug out bag) or some such term. Make one. Buy an inexpensive but good quality day pack and put your emergency kit in it. Keep it in your car during the day and by your bed at night.

Depending on where you live, your kit may vary. Mine is geared toward a mostly urban environment, because that where I dwell. But I've got loads of camping and backpacking experience since early childhood, so I'm ready for most anything.

And here's the final and most important tip: PRACTICE. Play with your stuff. Get to know how it works and how to use it. Then when you are all stressed out in an emergency situation, it will be second nature. You can always replace consumables. You can also write down instructions and notes on how to use items like water purification tablets and how many drops of chlorine bleach to add to water to keep in your kit. Then you won't waste precious time trying to remember or figure things out in a crises situation.

BE PREPARED. BE PREPARED. BE PREPARED!

The Time Is Near

The grim economic news and increasing global instability has led me to ramp up my perparedness efforts. If you haven't been paying attention and reading the handwriting on the wall, let me tell you brothers and sisters--you need to WAKE UP!

According to Sir Richard Burton (the explorer, not the actor), every tribal village had a "Sentinel," a tribal watchmen selected by virtue of a genetic advantage - dramatically heightened sensory awareness. This awareness was honed by long periods in isolation.

I stay aware and vigilant for danger no matter where I find myself. I have learned to always check for an exit no matter where I am and am always on the lookout for good hiding spots should the nead to conceal myself become neccessary. And my own senses have been heightened due to the increase in earthquakes, global instability, and looming economic collapse.

Now I don't consider myself a knee-jerker or alarmist, but as I said, the handwriting is on the wall. We may have gotten rid of a president who totally crapped our economy, but we got another one that is still pushing the NWO agenda. If Americans think "O" is the great savior, think again. He, like all presidents since Kennedy, has made a deal with the global elite. He will try any trick in the book, continue exerting his charisma over people, and propel us into even more hardship and enslavement.

So here we are, nine months after the election of a new president, and what is he trying to do? Ram a faulty healthcare bill down our throats. It was bad enough that Congress was beaten with the "they'll be rioting in the streets" threat on the bank bail-out boondoggle. And we are already pretty much owned by China, Russia, and Japan--who now hold the mortgage on America. So we don't need no stinking healthcare reform that will just compound our financial woes. It creates more big government and makes another black hole for our money to disappear into. More on this topic in a later post.

I plan to thoroughly exercise my First Amendment rights on this blog, as well as bring reviews and survival tips from my own experience of staying prepared and vigilant.

Stay tuned, stay informed, stay safe!