6 months food supply

6 Months Supply (3 Servings/Day)

$3695.00
3 Servings per Day per Person
2,160 Serving Food Supply in (18) Stackable Buckets!
Provides food for 4 Adults (or 2 Adults/4 Kids) for 6 months, or 2 Adults for 12 months.
Standard meal packages provide your family with 4 Adult servings

• Blueberry Pancakes (240)
• Brown Sugar Oatmeal (240)
• Honey Glazed Granola (240)
• Stroganoff (144)
• Cheesy Macaroni (144)
• Country Stew (144)
• Creamy Chicken Pasta (144)
• Chicken Teriyaki (144)
• Cacciatore Pasta (144)
• Corn Chowder (144)
• Creamy Potato Soup (144)
• Chicken Ala King (144)
• Cheesy Lasagna (144)

25 – Year Shelf Life (With Proper Storage)

Hypothermia (loss of body heat) is the single biggest cause of death in a survival situation. A shelter prevents this in the following ways:

1. It blocks the wind.

2. It keeps you dry.

3. It creates a space that can be heated by your body heat itself, or with a fire or other means.

Sometimes people with no skills survive in circumstances where others with survival knowledge have died. Why? Often it is because they have knowledge or intuition of the principles involved in survival. It can be a great help to know how to build a lean-to shelter using natural materials, but it is also possible that a lost hiker with no skills might be more likely to survive by burying himself for the night in a pile of dry leaves. He might simply recognize that it is easier for his body to heat the space under those leaves.

In other words, a little understanding of the principles involved and a willingness to think is more important than specific skills. Of course, best of all would be thinking, understanding and having the specific knowledge and skills to build various survival shelters.

Survival Shelters

Start by looking at what is available, and considering how you can use it. To block the wind, you can look for a rock to get behind. A large downed tree might also help. A snow cave is great for keeping out the wind. A wall of snow blocks can keep the wind from getting into your tent. Locating your camp site in the right place makes all the difference in how much wind you are exposed to.

If rain or snow is likely, a shelter that can keep you dry becomes very important. Again, look around and think of how anything and everything can be used. A broken canoe, for example, might be worthless for getting you down the river, but it still could be used as a shelter, or a roof for a shelter. Garbage bags and any other plastic in your backpack might be used for roofing materials. The right cave or overhanging ledge can be a great way to get out of the rain.

Think of all the materials around you in terms of how waterproof they are, and how you can use them. Large pieces of birch bark can be pulled from rotten logs, for example, and layered over a lean-to like shingles to keep the rain out. Other tree bark may work as well. Cardboard, pieces of a plane, and large leaves can be used as roofing materials.

Be careful about getting wet from below as well. A snow cave or shelter made of snow blocks will keep the snow from falling on you, but you can get soaked from the snow underneath. In these cases, and when the ground is wet, make a floor of plastic or grass or evergreen branches. If you have limited materials, sleep sitting up to decrease the amount of your body that is exposed to the wet and cold floor.

The amount of space you create with your survival shelter is crucial if it is cold at night. Too big and the temperature inside will be the same as outside. You want a small enough space that your body heat or candle or small fire will be able to heat it. Sleeping in a pile of dry grass with a plastic sheet spread over it, for example, is more likely to keep you warm than a large lean-to with a fire in front of it.

Finally, mix and match the various styles of shelters you have seen or heard of. Think about what you have and get creative. The snow may not be suitable for an igloo, for example, but a lean-to made of evergreen boughs could be covered with crusty pieces of snow for extra insulation. A brush-shelter could be build inside a cave, to have rain protection while reducing the space you need to heat. The ultimate in survival shelters is whatever works for your situation.

Various Shelters

Martial arts are not some trendy type of workout designed to impress the ladies as you tell them about the tournaments or trophies you’ve won.  While it certainly is an awesome total-body workout and a great way to get in shape many students really give little thought to its ultimate purpose; survival.

Let’s talk self-defense. I was one of the co-founders of the United Karate Institute of Self-Defense, Inc. in Alexandria, Virginia. Three other instructors, my wife (also a black belt) and I decided that we had met way too many highly ranked black belts who had earned numerous
trophies in sport karate competition. They were champions and winners and knew all the tricks in the ring to be able to score points and come home with the large gleaming plastic and marble trophies.  Sounds great doesn’t it. Except for one small problem, virtually every one of these black belt “champions”  did not possess even the most basic skills or knowledge of how to defend themselves against even a single assailant, much less multiple assailants. What’s up with that?

They’re black belts. They should be able to leap over tall buildings, outrun bullets, stop a speeding train and run between the raindrops! Right? No, but it certainly seems to the average person that a black belt must be nearly indestructible and probably possesses some almost mystical power and knowledge. Wrong again. If you are not trained properly with a real emphasis on self-defense and street application of martial arts techniques then you are merely mimicking movements from your instructor.

If you’re a black belt and you can’t even defend your way out of a wet paper bag then what have you spent all of those years doing?  Let me say it again, martial arts are about survival. It’s not about phony point-sparring competition where the only techniques you can use in the ring are things you would never dream of using on the street and where the most effective techniques from the street are not allowed in the ring.

When you study martial arts it’s not all just punching and kicking, you must learn about many qualities of humanity, both positive and negative because your brain is your ultimate survival tool. Ultimately, at its core, is the need to survive; be it on the streets of New York City, the jungles of Asia, the deserts of the Middle East or even a hostile business climate. To survive combat and harsh environments, you the martial artist must have many skills and have developed many physical and character qualities. In order to survive, you must improve yourself beyond your current abilities. However, remember the best warrior is not warlike, but is able to summon the warrior spirit within when it is required.

Preparing to Survive: Adaptability and Versatility

Survival requires adaptability, which is the ability to respond rapidly, effectively and without confusion to changing stimuli. These stimuli can be different training conditions. They can be new techniques, styles of martial arts, weapons or changes in lighting, temperature, speed, distance, surface, or any other attribute of your environment.

To survive, welcome change by varying your training. The more you do this, the better equipped you are to adapt effectively, because you are always doing it. Many martial arts systems have training sessions where their students practice their martial arts in the rain, snow, mud, swamps and other rough and difficult terrain. In this manner students learn to be aware of environmental factors, but also filter out distractions and focus on defeating their opponent.

Do not become frustrated as circumstances change or vary. Welcome this. Anything else would be boring. Variety improves and maintains your survival skills. You cannot possibly adapt if you are not first aware of what is around you to which you can learn to adapt. If you can adapt, you may just survive.

Adaptability can also refer to using your environment. For example, you may use your environment by grabbing a handful of sand to throw in your opponent’s eyes. You may grab a branch lying on the ground to strike your opponent or shove them headfirst into a vertical pole
support inside a subway car or city bus. These are examples of using features of the terrain or surrounding environment to your advantage to augment your martial techniques. Typically, these are weapons of opportunity.

Versatility is having a broad range of skills; you can kick well, punch well, move well, think well etc. Versatility is the quality of having many skills; adaptability is the ability to acquire new skills readily. As you become more versatile, you will gradually become more adaptable. Do not confuse these two and train appropriately.

Realism and Diversity in Training

The more realistic the training experience… the less shocking reality will seem. Part of varying your training is practicing for realism. Take your training seriously. If it is a joke or becomes too much of a social gathering, you will be easily surprised or overwhelmed in a real
situation. As I described earlier, some schools of martial arts practice in swamps, rain, and all types of terrain and environments. Martial arts are a war fighting skill where realism is a key ingredient.

Part of the reason for the diversity and variation in training is to introduce different realistic elements. A curious thing happens when you make a training drill very realistic, you become uncomfortable. Reality isn’t always pleasant, but reality is what you are training for.  Being
uncomfortable is a good thing.  Get used to it in training so that you will not be surprised if it happens for real.

In a real fight, try not to ever let your opponent see that you are injured. Play off your injury if possible. Even if your injury is visible or noticeable, let your opponent think that it is not affecting you. This will make him stop and think that maybe his techniques are ineffective. In
other situations, depending upon the opponent and the circumstances you may want to pretend that you are injured worse than you are. Pretending a more serious injury can give your opponent a false sense of security thinking that he is close to defeating you. Then you will have him. This is deception at its best.  It also helps not to focus on yourself. Keep your eyes and your mind on your opponent in a real fight. Injuries can be dealt with later; a real opponent must be dealt with immediately.

Probing: Preparing to Attacking

Whether your opponent is an army of one-hundred-thousand men or a single man, you must probe to find weaknesses and collect information about your opponent’s strength, position, mobility, reactions and skill.

Attack your enemy where they are weak, but first know this by probing. Test for weaknesses. Watch closely and observe potential weakness, signs of inexperience or disorganization. If you feint an attack and your enemy does not respond in a way that is adequate for his own
defense, then you have discovered a potential weakness or area where you may be able to make an opening.

When you probe your opponent in a particular way, not only make a note of what their response was, but how fast, precise and strong their response was. These factors will be important in determining how to attack and how to construct and time your attack.

Deception: The Key to Victory

Sun Tzu said that deception is the key to victory in all warfare, but what is deception? If I am to apply it, I must know what it is and how to apply it. What constitutes deception? Creativity is the key to deception. Think of ways to draw your opponent off their guard. When they are
expecting one thing, give them something else. Draw their attention away from your true intentions so that when your true intentions are realized, your opponent will be caught unprepared and surprised. Do not be predictable.

The components of deception are these:

• Creativity
• Feinting or Faking
• Distraction
• Opposites

These components combined intelligently give you the basis of a strategy. You must practice your creativity. Creativity means developing new and different ways of feinting and methods of distraction or the use of opposites.

You must always create or switch to new means of deception because once your opponent recognizes a deceptive tactic, no matter how elusive or cunning, he will be better prepared to counter it. Always give him something new to deal with. This will give you the advantage.

Distraction is not the same as faking. When you fake, you make your opponent think one thing is happening when it is not. Distraction gives your opponent something to focus on or deal with while you follow up with your true intentions. The idea is that by the time you follow up with your true intentions, your opponent is still too busy dealing with what preceded them.

The difference between a distraction and a fake is that with a distraction you actually are doing something; with a fake, you are only making your opponent think that you are doing something. This applies to combat, self-defense and many things.

Distractions are not necessarily always physical movements. They may be psychological also. You may distract an attacker who is intent upon doing you harm by talking to him. You may use psychology to distract him and engage him in a conversation, which is actually buying you time to size up the situation better or to maneuver to a more advantageous position.

If you are able to engage your opponent’s mind and distract him that way, then you may not have to rely upon physical skill and posturing. Consider the possibilities. This is how hostage negotiators prevent unwanted physical harm from occurring.

Fakes must look real or they will not work. A bad fake is worse than no fake because you leave yourself vulnerable. The advantage of a believable fake is that if the opponent does not react in time you may just use the fake for real. To make a fake look real, you must believe
that you are actually going to do whatever it is. Then at the last instant, do not do it, pull the technique short and instantly follow it up with the technique you really intended.

The purpose of a fake is to make your opponent react to it, generally to create an opening that you can take advantage of with a different technique. For example, a fake kick toward the head might make your opponent raise both arms to guard their face and head. This exposes
their torso where you may actually be planning to land a punch.

Whatever technique you choose to fake, the two key elements of an effective fake are that the fake technique must look completely real – especially against an experienced martial artist – and the follow up after the fake must be fast and decisive in order to take advantage of the
opening or opportunity that you have created.

Attacking

As I have said, attack your opponent’s weaknesses. Of course, you must first discover his weaknesses by probing. Once you have found these, attack them relentlessly. Do no attack him when he is strong or ready, hold off on this or you will be wasting effort.

Attacks can take a variety of forms. They may be like pecking away occasionally to annoy your opponent and gradually wear him down. It could be that his biggest weakness is simply endurance or stamina. You may simply float around him pecking occasionally until he cannot continue. Then either finish him off or leave.

An attack can be a short concentrated burst and then it is over. You can use a short burst to distract and disorient your opponent, putting them at a disadvantage, then follow up with the main body of the attack and finish with the grand finale to secure a final victory.

Another critical concept for you to grasp is that in a self-defense situation your survival may depend upon striking first. At the corps of this concept is a philosophy espoused by Bruce Lee. If you feel that an assault or attack is imminent when you find yourself in a perilous situation and you are convinced that your safety or life is in grave danger – strike first. The pre-emptive strike may give you edge you need to survive. On the street and in combat, there are no extra courtesy points for allowing your assailant to throw the first strike.

Decisiveness

Do not hesitate. Wait, be prepared, time your technique and strike, but do not hesitate. Take the advantage before your opponent seizes it. Decisiveness is essential in survival situations so that you may pre-empt your opponent. Pre-emption is necessary when you sense or read your opponent and determine that they are about to strike or position themselves in some way that increases the threat they pose to you. Be decisive on a course of action to prevent your opponent from realizing his plans.

Recycling Your Weapons

Do not allow an opponent to use a weapon (gun/knife/arm/leg) again after you have disarmed them. Stepping on the weapon, tossing, or kicking it away prevents recycling.  However, you do want to recycle your own weapons and reuse them as often as is appropriate – circular strikes can be easily repeated, modified and used repeatedly and combined with hip rotation for added power.  If you grab an arm or wrist or foot – do not let go. These are weapons. If you have one, damage it or control it so that your opponent cannot use it against you again.

Damaging their Weapons

Punch the arm or block the arm that is punching to hurt the arm or wrist. Damage the knee, foot, or leg so that it cannot be used to kick again. If the situation is serious, break the wrist, shoulder, elbow, or fingers so that they cannot be used again to hurt you! You must decide what is appropriate based on the level of threat.

Environment and Terrain as Strategy

The things around you make up your environment. This includes the terrain, the surfaces covering the terrain, objects, artifacts, obstructions, structures and people around you.

Your environment can be used to your advantage. It can also be used to your opponent’s advantage. Beware of this. The ways in which environment can be used are many. You may be able to hide or escape from an opponent in the dark or fog. You may be able to use
everyday objects around you as weapons to add to your empty-handed defense.

You can use a wall or a railing to push off or as a support for throwing a kick to make you more stable and less vulnerable. You can throw objects in the path or the face of your attacker to distract him and buy you time to maneuver or escape.

You can use nearly any object around you to throw, swing, tip, spray or move rapidly and easily to put time or distance between you and your opponent. Consider the possibilities often and you will be surprised what you find that you had never noticed. However, do not get too
caught up in a desperate self-defense situation trying to find too many objects or obstructions that may actually slow you down more than they do your opponent.

Whenever using weapons of opportunity or aspects of your environment they must be readily accessible and useable, only requiring a split second to grab or put to use to aid your defense or to provide some momentary advantage. Anything more will actually put you at a disadvantage.

You can train, study and prepare, but if when you are in a self-defense situation or any other form of combat, you do not have a grasp of the terrain and its surfaces, then you may be surprised and defeated.

It is essential to vary your training. This includes varying the type of terrain or surfaces upon which you train. Your training should give you the opportunity to train on grass, dirt, gravel, in the water or mud and on smooth surfaces such as ice or tiles. All of these surfaces require you to adapt and select different techniques and strategies from your library.

Terrain is not merely the surfaces of the ground upon which you stand, but the contours of the ground beneath these surfaces. As Sun Tzu said, terrain can have many characteristics, which can give the advantage or take away an advantage.

Terrain can provide an escape route such as in wide-open areas. Another escape route may be a wooded area or a maze of alleys where you may give your opponent the slip. You can use terrain as a vantage point, such as at higher elevations. You can use it to encircle or otherwise entrap an opponent. You can use terrain to conceal and protect. This may be good for you or bad for you depending upon whether you are the one concealing yourself or whether your enemy is concealing himself.

Any surface or terrain where your footing or balance is compromised or put at a disadvantage will require you to either grab hold of some handle or railing to stay upright or you will have to lower your center of gravity and your stance to keep from falling.

Use the terrain or objects around you to your advantage. Rocks and boulders offer a shield, concealment or protection. You can kick up loose dirt or throw it in your opponent’s face. You may also do this with water or other liquids.

If some other surface is so unpredictable or disadvantageous that you cannot maintain balance and control, you may even consider drawing your opponent to the ground and taking the conflict lower, providing that you have trained and studied ground fighting. Then you will have an advantage even on disadvantageous terrain.

You can use icy, snowy surfaces for a ground fight, and then you will not be so concerned with maintaining your balance or footing because you are already down.  If you choose to stay upright, then you must widen your stance to be more flat-footed to maintain traction. Kicks and sweeps are more risky because they reduce your stable base. In these cases, hand techniques may be more appropriate. Your techniques and strategy will vary with the terrain and the surfaces. Find advantages where there appear to be none. This is the essence of victory!

Also, be aware the same advantages you may find, your enemy can use. Do not assume that your opponent will not use the terrain or surfaces to the same advantage that you would. You must train on different terrains, flat, uneven, hilly, rocks, wooded, cluttered with debris or rubble, in narrow confines such as alleys or elevators, in wide-open places and in streams or inside automobiles or moving trains.

Terrain is a large component of the environment, as I have discussed. The more often you train in different terrains and environments, the more versatile and adaptable you can become.

It’s About Survival

I started out by saying that martial arts are about survival.  The topics I have covered in this article only provide a brief glimpse into a few key concepts that for most commercially educated martial artists are completely foreign.  I encourage you to study combat techniques and tactics for urban combat and street assaults and to incorporate what you learn into your training.  Check out books and videos to gain a better understanding of these tactics and study how techniques you have learned in your martial arts training can be incorporated or adapted for practical use in a real situation rather than just as a form of demonstration for your next belt test.

We had a saying at United Karate: “If you can’t defend yourself, nothing else matters.”

About the Author

Kevin Brett is a certified martial arts instructor with twenty years of martial arts training and teaching experience. He and wife Lana Kaye Brett were two of the five co-founders of the United Karate Institute of Self-Defense, Incorporated in Alexandria, Virginia. He has taught martial arts and street self-defense to local law enforcement, military and federal officers focusing on realistic and practical application of martial arts techniques.

He is the President/CEO of Kevin Brett Studios, Inc., and the author of The Way of the Martial Artist: Achieving Success in Martial Arts and in Life! Information and samples from this comprehensive martial artists guidebook can be viewed at his website.

A design collaboration between Ethan Becker of BK&T and John Benner of TDI, the Tac Tool ($80) smashes, bashes, prys, hammers and cuts. It is equally powerful at lifting stubborn hinge pins, prying open doors or windows, and hammering out glass as it is efficient at cutting 550 cord.

We’re quite used to seeing tons of tools crammed into a pocket knife-sized package, but it’s not everyday you see the same thing done to an axe. The Brook & Hunter Mo-Tool Axe ($40) brings the handyman heat with a capable axe blade and hand-crafted red oak wood inlay handle, plus a hammer head, screwdrivers, knives, a can opener, wire cutter, file, pliers, and a wrench.

GERBER Prodigy Serrated Edge Designed ($44) cues for the new Prodigy were inspired by the award-winning LMF II another knife engineered by Gerber’s Jeff Freeman. The Prodigy is much smaller (9.75″ overall length) but it certainly packs as much punch as its predecessor. The full tang high-carbon stainless steel blade is beefy and coated with black oxide for improved corrosion resistance and reduced visual signature.

• Sandvick 12C27 Stainless Steel Blade with Black Oxide Finish
• Serrated Edge Only Full Tang Fixed Blade
• Textured Soft-Grip Overmolded Ensures a Secure Grip
• Window Punch/Pommel
• Molle Compatible Hard Sheath with Ballistic Nylon Belt Loop and Straps

The Swedish FireSteel with MayaDust ($24) is a flash of genius. Its 3,000°C spark makes fire building easy in any weather, at any altitude. Used by a number of armies around the world, Swedish FireSteel’s dependability has already made it a favorite of survival experts, hunters, fishermen and campers.

Fire building made easy, the pure and natural way. Don’t build your fire with noxious fumes or harmful chemicals. Use the time-honored, organic method. A technique that resembles the centuries-old art of the native fire-builder. From the heart of the ancient Mayan Empire comes the remarkable product known as MayaDust. MayaDust is made from Pino de Ocote, a fatwood pine cultivated in the highlands of Guatemala and Mexico. With 80% resin content, MayaDust is easy to light, even when wet and produces an extremely hot flame. Use a pinch to quickly light your campfire. MayaDust is shavings from MayaSticks packed in a convenient waterproof “snuff box” that is easy to carry in your pocket or backpack (weighs about an ounce). Gives maximum heat energy for minimal weight. Use MayaDust together with Swedish FireSteel to light your campfire with ease.

Learn how to build a shelter in the woods with just an axe. Also learn a neat trick for creating effective tinder and kindling with a fixed blade knife.

I have found many resources on the internet that give great information about food storage, shelf life, and nutritional values. I implore all who read this (including myself) to educate yourself on these things and ultimately begin stockpiling your food and water supply. Global economic woes, natural disasters, or a full fledge wartime invasion would have devastating effects on the supply chain. As a father or husband we need to learn how to become self reliant and get past our natural tendencies to put stuff off until later.

There is so much to learn and so much TO BUY that if you don’t start now you will regret it down the road. This is precisely why we started this website… to get people (and ourselves) on the track to self reliance and survival readiness.

Big Stick, out.

Freeze Dried Foods for light and easy storage.

There’s actually a sale going on at the Earth Wave store, for their freeze dried foods in bulk.

LINKS on FOOD STOCKPILING:

• Food Stockpiling by Grattan Woodson, MD FACP
• FEMA- Food
• One Pot Recipes for Non-perishable food
• Why Buy Dehydrated Food (7-30 year shelf life)
• Prudent Food Storage
• US DEPT of Ag- Old Stockpiling Pamphelts
• Alpine Survival Foods

8: But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. I Timothy 5:8 HOLY BIBLE (KJV)

Many articles have been written on Survival Digest and elsewhere on the various tools and gear available for surviving in just about any situation. Some of these articles are good, some are bad (the bad ones, of course, have not appeared on SD). Yet for all the attention given to lights, tents, campstoves, water purification, knives, firearms, and everything else under the sun the most critical tool often goes overlooked: your brain.

All the tools in the world are useless in the hands of an unprepared or ignorant person. You would not trust your finances to an untrained accountant or your eyesight to an untrained laser surgeon, would you? Neither should you trust your (and your family’s) survival to your untrained instincts.

Get the Right Type of Training

Google “survival training” and you are instantly overwhelmed with information about this DVD or that former Spec-Ops Ranger wanting to teach you how to craft shelters out of deer hides you tanned yourself. For some, that kind of training makes sense (some of it may have helped the Kim family last winter). For others though, focusing solely on that may leave them for want of more useful information when disaster strikes. Each person needs to assess their own situation with respect to geography, locale, and what kinds of disasters they are most likely to face when putting together their training regimen. However, there are a few kinds of training that will help everybody when they need it. I am talking about preparedness courses from the American Red Cross in First Aid / CPR / AED, and Community Emergency Response Team training from the Citizen Corps (a partnership with FEMA). Let’s take a closer look at both.

American Red Cross First Aid / CPR / AED

American Red Cross First Aid, CPR and AED programs are designed to give you the confidence to respond in an emergency situation with skills that can save a life. They are designed for the casual citizen, and are mostly centered around the administration of life-saving medical care while waiting for help to arrive on the scene. The American Red Cross has a chapter near you, and they offer preparedness classes for all age ranges. I recommend that all members of your family over the age of 12 certify in First Aid every two years and CPR annually. Contact your local chapter of the Red Cross today, or find them on the web at http://www.redcross.org.

Citizen Corps / FEMA Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)

The CERT program is specially administered by the Department of Homeland Security, and seeks to educate the American public about disaster preparedness while training them in “basic disaster response skills” such as fire safety, elementary search and rescue (SAR) operations, and first aid.

The CERT training for community groups is usually delivered in 2 1/2 hour sessions, one evening a week over a 7 week period. The training consists of the following:

• Session I, DISASTER PREPAREDNESS: Addresses hazards to which people are vulnerable in their community. Materials cover actions that participants and their families take before, during, and after a disaster. As the session progresses, the instructor begins to explore an expanded response role for civilians in that they should begin to consider themselves disaster workers. Since they will want to help their family members and neighbors, this training can help them operate in a safe and appropriate manner. The CERT concept and organization are discussed as well as applicable laws governing volunteers in that jurisdiction.
• Session II, DISASTER FIRE SUPPRESSION: Briefly covers fire chemistry, hazardous materials, fire hazards, and fire suppression strategies. However, the thrust of this session is the safe use of fire extinguishers, sizing up the situation, controlling utilities, and extinguishing a small fire.
• Session III, DISASTER MEDICAL OPERATIONS PART I: Participants practice diagnosing and treating airway obstruction, bleeding, and shock by using simple triage and rapid treatment techniques.
• Session IV, DISASTER MEDICAL OPERATIONS, PART II: Covers evaluating patients by doing a head to toe assessment, establishing a medical treatment area, performing basic first aid, and practicing in a safe and sanitary manner.
• Session V, LIGHT SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONS: Participants learn about search and rescue planning, size-up, search techniques, rescue techniques, and most important, rescuer safety.
• Session VI, DISASTER PSYCHOLOGY AND TEAM ORGANIZATION: Covers signs and symptoms that might be experienced by the disaster victim and worker. It addresses CERT organization and management principles and the need for documentation.
• Session VII, COURSE REVIEW AND DISASTER SIMULATION: Participants review their answers from a take home examination. Finally, they practice the skills that they have learned during the previous six sessions in disaster activity.

Because CERT graduates become permanent members of a team and are “deputized” to respond to emergencies, perform rescues and treat injuries and perform other duties when emergency services are unable to respond, not all cities/counties offer the program at this time. Those areas which do not offer CERT usually offer a Community Emergency Preparedness Academy (CEPA), which consists of mostly the same training but lacks the official team designation. As of this writing there are 2,911 CERT programs in the United States, including programs in every state. You can find more information about CERT and the Citizen Corps (including training locations) at https://www.citizencorps.gov/cert/.

Develop Your Plan

The above training will provide a foundation for you to go further. You should not stop here. Each person’s circumstances are unique, and the combinations are myriad. After incorporating the above training into your plan, you should build on top of that, adding specialized training that will suit your individual situation. Know your threats, your risks, and your strengths, and plan accordingly. Then be prepared to act on your training when the time comes.

I know that if you are survival enthusiast you have seen the list of 100 Items that would disappear in a TEOTWAWKI situation on other sites. If this is your first time seeing this list then great! What I want to stress is that if there is ever an event that results in a “Jericho” type of situation, paper money will be useless. Gold and silver may even become worthless. Your best bet is to stock up on these items and use them to barter. Find a hidden, safe, dry place to stash your surplus. Remember, during a economic collapse on a national scale, there is going to be a sudden surge of crime. Anarchy could be the law of the land… at least until the baby blue helmets of NATO arrive to take away our guns. People will turn to crime in order to survive. Look at what happened in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. Multiply the chaos 1000 fold. I’ll let that sink in a bit… now go start your stash.

100 Items to Disappear First in a National Disaster

1. Generators (Good ones cost dearly. Gas storage, risky. Noisy.target of thieves; maintenance etc.)
2. Water Filters/Purifiers
3. Portable Toilets
4. Seasoned Firewood. Wood takes about 6 – 12 months to become dried, for home uses.
5. Lamp Oil, Wicks, Lamps (First Choice: Buy CLEAR oil. If scarce, stockpile ANY!)
6. Coleman Fuel. Impossible to stockpile too much.
7. Guns, Ammunition, Pepper Spray, Knives, Clubs, Bats & Slingshots.
8. Hand-can openers, & hand egg beaters, whisks.
9. Honey/Syrups/white, brown sugar
10. Rice – Beans – Wheat
11. Vegetable Oil (for cooking) Without it food burns/must be boiled etc.,)
12. Charcoal, Lighter Fluid (Will become scarce suddenly)
13. Water Containers (Urgent Item to obtain.) Any size. Small: HARD CLEAR PLASTIC ONLY – note – food grade if for drinking.
16. Propane Cylinders (Urgent: Definite shortages will occur.
17. Survival Guide Book.
18. Mantles: Aladdin, Coleman, etc. (Without this item, longer-term lighting is difficult.)
19. Baby Supplies: Diapers/formula. ointments/aspirin, etc.
20. Washboards, Mop Bucket w/wringer (for Laundry)
21. Cookstoves (Propane, Coleman & Kerosene)
22. Vitamins
23. Propane Cylinder Handle-Holder (Urgent: Small canister use is dangerous without this item)
24. Feminine Hygiene/Haircare/Skin products.
25. Thermal underwear (Tops & Bottoms)
26. Bow saws, axes and hatchets, Wedges (also, honing oil)
27. Aluminum Foil Reg. & Heavy Duty (Great Cooking and Barter Item)
28. Gasoline Containers (Plastic & Metal)
29. Garbage Bags (Impossible To Have Too Many).
30. Toilet Paper, Kleenex, Paper Towels
31. Milk – Powdered & Condensed (Shake Liquid every 3 to 4 months)
32. Garden Seeds (Non-Hybrid) (A MUST)
33. Clothes pins/line/hangers (A MUST)
34. Coleman’s Pump Repair Kit
35. Tuna Fish (in oil)
36. Fire Extinguishers (or..large box of Baking Soda in every room)
37. First aid kits
38. Batteries (all sizes.buy furthest-out for Expiration Dates)
39. Garlic, spices & vinegar, baking supplies
40. Big Dogs (and plenty of dog food)
41. Flour, yeast & salt
42. Matches. {“Strike Anywhere” preferred.) Boxed, wooden matches will go first
43. Writing paper/pads/pencils, solar calculators
44. Insulated ice chests (good for keeping items from freezing in Wintertime.)
45. Workboots, belts, Levis & durable shirts
46. Flashlights/LIGHTSTICKS & torches, “No. 76 Dietz” Lanterns
47. Journals, Diaries & Scrapbooks (jot down ideas, feelings, experience; Historic Times)
48. Garbage cans Plastic (great for storage, water, transporting – if with wheels)
49. Men’s Hygiene: Shampoo, Toothbrush/paste, Mouthwash/floss, nail clippers, etc
50. Cast iron cookware (sturdy, efficient)
51. Fishing supplies/tools
52. Mosquito coils/repellent, sprays/creams
53. Duct Tape
54. Tarps/stakes/twine/nails/rope/spikes
55. Candles
56. Laundry Detergent (liquid)
57. Backpacks, Duffel Bags
58. Garden tools & supplies
59. Scissors, fabrics & sewing supplies
60. Canned Fruits, Veggies, Soups, stews, etc.
61. Bleach (plain, NOT scented: 4 to 6% sodium hypochlorite)
62. Canning supplies, (Jars/lids/wax)
63. Knives & Sharpening tools: files, stones, steel
64. Bicycles.Tires/tubes/pumps/chains, etc
65. Sleeping Bags & blankets/pillows/mats
66. Carbon Monoxide Alarm (battery powered)
67. Board Games, Cards, Dice
68. d-con Rat poison, MOUSE PRUFE II, Roach Killer
69. Mousetraps, Ant traps & cockroach magnets
70. Paper plates/cups/utensils (stock up, folks)
71. Baby wipes, oils, waterless & Antibacterial soap (saves a lot of water)
72. Rain gear, rubberized boots, etc.
73. Shaving supplies (razors & creams, talc, after shave)
74. Hand pumps & siphons (for water and for fuels)
75. Soysauce, vinegar, bullions/gravy/soupbase
76. Reading glasses
77. Chocolate/Cocoa/Tang/Punch (water enhancers)
78. “Survival-in-a-Can“
79. Woolen clothing, scarves/ear-muffs/mittens
80. Boy Scout Handbook, / also Leaders Catalog
81. Roll-on Window Insulation Kit (MANCO)
82. Graham crackers, saltines, pretzels, Trail mix/Jerky
83. Popcorn, Peanut Butter, Nuts
84. Socks, Underwear, T-shirts, etc. (extras)
85. Lumber (all types)
86. Wagons & carts (for transport to and from)
87. Cots & Inflatable mattress’s
88. Gloves: Work/warming/gardening, etc.
89. Lantern Hangers
90. Screen Patches, glue, nails, screws,, nuts & bolts
91. Teas
92. Coffee
93. Cigarettes
94. Wine/Liquors/BEER! (for bribes, medicinal, etc,)
95. Paraffin wax
96. Glue, nails, nuts, bolts, screws, etc.
97. Chewing gum/candies
98. Atomizers (for cooling/bathing)
99. Hats & cotton neckerchiefs
100. Goats/chickens
Big Stick’s 101. LOTS OF BIBLES!
Buffalokill’s 102. Swedish Firesteel

People Run in Herds and Packs, but Both Follow Natural Lines of Drift. Most people are sheep (“sheeple”). A few are wolves that prey on others. But just a few of us are more like sheepdogs–we think independently, and instead of predation, we are geared toward protecting and helping others. People naturally follow natural lines of drift–the path of least resistance. When the Schumer hits the fan, 99% of urbanites will try to leave the cities on freeways. The highways and freeways will soon resemble parking lots. This means that you need to be prepared to both get out of town ahead of the rush and to use lightly-traveled back roads. Plan, study and practice.

Now lucky for me, I live in a less dense populated area. But even so, one must still plan a route and have a “Exit Strategy.” Recently a friend of mine said that he has a “Small Exit Strategy Survival Kit” stashed in a bucket, in a hole in the ground, down the road from where he lives. This might be wise. There may be reasons that you should not be in or around your home during a G.O.O.D scenario.

The person who snapped this photo talked about the Power outage of 2008:

On August 14, 2003, the power went out at 4:12PM across the Northeastern United States and Southeast Canada. Caused by weaknesses in the North American electrical grid, the blackout affected an estimated 50 million people, covered an area of 9,300 miles, shut down 100 power plants, and eventually caused $6 billion in damages. It was the single largest blackout in North American history.

Almost immediately, the traffic in affected areas came to a standstill. With the traffic lights no longer working, and police unable to get to intersections to guide traffic, cars were forced to go one at a time through intersections. Busy roads were packed bumper-to-bumper with commuters, and conditions were made even worse by not just the incredible heat caused by the warm air and car fumes, but also the rush hour traffic.

I live about 15 minutes from where I worked. On the day of the blackout, it took me three hours to get back home.

I snapped this photo after arriving home from work that day. This is the street I live on. I’ve never seen it this busy in all my life. We were subsequently without power for a full week after the blackout. We were forced to live with relatives in an area that still had power. Looking back, it was quite an experience. At the time, however, it wasn’t very enjoyable.

Be prepared for anything!

The Bruce, out!

Smith & Wesson has assembled an “Emergency Survival Tool Kit” that revolves around their 460PD or 500PD revolvers, it is available with either. S&W’s Herb Belin, who developed this kit, emphasizes the short and very powerful .460 S&W and .500 S&W Magnum handguns as defense against bears. The idea of the snub nose is that it allows easy use even if attacked while in your sleeping bag in a tent, according to Herb. A longer barrel would make it more difficult to use in such a confined place and at point blank range, accuracy isn’t that much of an issue. That’s not an unheard of occurence, so he has a point.

The revolvers is equipped with a 2.75 inch unported barrel and a bright yellow Hogue Recoil Reducing Grip. Unless they are truly magic, best be prepared for a very sore hand after firing this one on the range. Anyone with a weak grip need not apply.

The remainder of the kit includes: an Ultimate Survival Blastmatch firestarter and four packages of WetFire tinder, Ultimate Survival Saber Saw, Jet Scream whistle and 2 x 3 StarFlash signal mirror, a Silva Polaris baseplate compass, two MPI Mylar Space Emergency Blankets (Note to Herb, see above article) and a Smith & Wesson Extreme Ops liner lock folding knife. Also included is the book, “Bear Attacks of the Century – True Stories of Courage and Survival” by Larry Mueller and Marguerite Reiss; just in case you weren’t paranoid enough about bears. All this is packed into a fitted bright yellow Harddig Storm Case. A ballistic nylon holster for the revolver is included. MSRP is $1150.

How practical is this kit? Well, individually, the components are generally very good and ought to be carried on your person for use if needed. If you are traveling into bear country, a powerful firearm is advisable. While a rifle or shotgun with slugs is preferred, most of those we know that travel in such areas also carry a powerful handgun and you’d be hard pressed to find one more powerful than these two.