When I first began learning survival strategies in the early 90’s, it was for recreational use in the event I was stuck in the woods on a hunting trip. As a result, the few books I had were focused on the basics; building shelter, staying warm, finding your way out the woods, etc… Basic as my skills were, I’ve had to implement them on more than one occasion.

Now almost two decades later, I’m no longer studying survival tactics for finding my way out of the woods; I’m looking at possible long-term survival scenarios. As a result the basic survival books of the past are not comprehensive enough in their scope for long-term survival. Other types of books must be studied to make a modern survivalist. Below is a list of subjects, with a brief description, that any serious survivalist should become acquainted with.

Edible and Medicinal Plants

One of the greatest assets available to modern survivalists is the growing list of books and articles written about edible and medicinal plants in your local ecosystem. When my wife and I began collecting books on this subject, I was astonished at not only the variety but also the availability of dozens of healthy plants and fruits within our area. Now on our trips to the woods, we now have fun with our children seeking out new sources of food that were previously unknown to us. Should we ever be forced to survive in the woods, whether short or long term, I am confident we would have a well balanced diet available.

Local Wildlife and Their Habits

Everybody takes for granted that virtually every wild place in America has the same basic host of animals; deer, rabbits, squirrels, coyote and a variety of birds. Despite this rudimentary knowledge, few people take the time to better understand the habits or diet of these animals. Aside from this, some areas of this country have poisonous and or dangerous animals that can pose a serious threat to the your survival strategies. Therefore, I highly recommend finding books that will acquaint you with the variety of animals and their habits in your local area.

An example I give my children is this. If you were limited on your supply of ammo and trying to eke it out in the woods, what would you do in a show down with a large predator, such as a cougar? Instead of wasting precious ammo, it would pay to know how to thwart the predator from attacking and scare it away for good.

Hunting and Fishing Skills

Coupled with learning about the animals within your local area, is the idea of how to capture or kill any of these animals for food. By this I don’t mean just sitting in a tree and waiting for a deer to pass by. A well rounded hunting or fishing book, should teach you the essentials of trapping small animals, making fish traps, spear fishing, taking large animals and last but not least how to properly prepare a meal in the field.

Stories About Mountain Men of the Past

Many would be surprised to learn that mountain men of the past lived primarily on small animals, from squirrel to the occasional weasel. They realized that having to much meat can go to waste, and draw unwanted scavengers to their campsite. Aside from this, the toughness of these men of lore gave root to many a tall tale. I’ve admired many of these old timers having to survive on limited food, cold coffee, often in the least favorable weather conditions imaginable.

Food and Seed Storage

One of the subjects I’ve recently begin researching is storage for food and seed. Within this arena is the idea of dry food bunkers, root cellars, keeping your seeds dry and keeping animals out of your food. While this subject requires more resources than many survivalists may have access to in times of emergency, pre-planned preparation is the rule of thumb for this subject.

Homesteading

The idea of homesteading almost died soon after people began leaving the farm last century. However, homesteading began increasing in popularity in the 70’s, with it slowly building steam until now it is a popular subject again, as more and more people desire to leave the confines of the city and live a rural agrarian lifestyle. In the event of long-term survival scenarios, the information gleaned from the many wonderful resources on this subject is invaluable. Most of the popular books have information about various cabin building techniques, electricity production, drilling water wells, gardening, animal husbandry, making clothes and a plethora of other homesteading subjects.

Health and Well Being

While this subject alone is one of the most complex to wrestle, it is essential for survivalists in mid to long-term situations. Occasionally this subject is tackled in the books about wild food gathering, but often time’s additional resources are necessary. A sampling of topics that should be considered is; daily nutritional needs, how to ward off illness, how to treat sickness, how to treat wounds and what foods are highest in vitamins.

While there are undoubtedly more topics that could be added to any survivalist’s library, this list is a good start. The next question is where to find such resources? I have purchased some books online or at bookstores brand new. However much of my library has been found at garage sales, library book sales, used book stores and thrift stores. It is a joyful experience to find a handful of great survival resources for only a few dollars.

My suggestion is to start of simple, get only a few basic books pertaining to each of these subjects, then from there dive in deeper with more complex resources as time and finances permit. Your time in educating yourself in these subjects will not be in vain; you’ll be surprised at how often you will find yourself applying what you’ve learned to your life.

By Justin Cottrell

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.

If you are unfortunate enough to call the state of Massachusetts home, you are looking at jail time or a $1,000 a day fine for not being vaccinated.

A “pandemic response bill” currently making its way through the Massachusetts state legislature would allow authorities to forcefully quarantine citizens in the event of a health emergency, compel health providers to vaccinate citizens, authorize forceful entry into private dwellings and destruction of citizen property and impose fines on citizens for noncompliance. – Source

This is a scary state of affairs and even more so when such a large portion of medical staff refuses to take the vaccine because of the potential health danger it poses.

So let’s discuss the best ways to evade the flu and the apparently more lethal vaccine.

Avoid The Swine Flu

01. Wash Your Hands.

This is the number one way to prevent contracting any virus. Carry a bottle of that waterless hand soap, or a pack of wet wipes. Just keep your hands clean.

02. Beef Up Your Immune System.

Esberitoxis an immune boosting natural medicine. Get your system into shape just in case.

Eat Immune system boosting foods. And avoid sugar! Consider these natural boosters.

Citrus
You can’t overdose on Vitamin C, and C is a great immune system booster. Chug your OJ every morning. Mix orange juice, lemon juice, stevia, and cayenne pepper for a good drink that is full of Vitamin C and helps alkalinize your body to fight infection.

Red chili peppers (cayenne)
Cayenne pepper has long been appreciated for its medicinal properties and can help your body during states of emergency. So chili it up for good health!

Garlic
Tougher men than I can take a bite outta a bulb of garlic as if it were an apple. Garlic has historically been used to fight all kinds of sickness and plague. Load up on it.

Carrots
Bursting with beta-carotene, carrots give your body a leg up when you’re fighting infection. Drink a few carrot juices to get enough in your body. Sweet potatoes and spinach also contain lots of beta carotene, so eat up.

Fish
Fish like salmon, mackeral, and tuna are filled with omega-3 fats, which support white blood cells in fighting infection.

04. Be Well Rested.

Well rested and plenty of sleep helps your body fight off infection and other things that ail you.

05. No Alcohol and No Caffeine.

This might be a tough one for some folks. Excessive alcohol intake produces an overall nutritional deficiency, depriving the body of valuable immune boosting nutrients. Second, alcohol, like sugar, consumed in excess can reduce the ability of white cells to kill germs. The stimulating effects of caffeine are similar to the body’s own response under stress. Chronic stress can, over time, weaken the immune system.

06. Don’t Drink After Other Folks.

This applies to family members as well. You never know who they’ve interacted with recently.

07. Drink Lots of Water.

In boot camp, a big mantra is “Hydrate or Die!”. Keep your body well hydrated as it helps flush your system.

08. Keep Hands Away From Your Eyes, Nose and Mouth

This can require concentration, as we instinctively reach for an itch, etc. This is a strong reason why masks as seen in the photo above help combat the spread of illness.

09. Take Probiotics.

Probiotics are a healthy bacteria that help your body fight off infection. Pick up a bottle of capsules and follow the directions on use.

10. Get Your Exercise.

But avoid crowded gyms. Try a hike through a park or a local nature trail. A nature hike is always good for the body and mind.

**Interesting Tip: It was reported during the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic that a household had remained healthy and well. The only difference was they had placed an onion in every room of the house. The onions were studied and found to have the flu virus inside of them.

Avoid The Swin Flu Vaccine.

For those of us who are lesser students of History, let us peer back to 1976 when the swine flu first hit the scene.

President Gerald Ford orders a nationwide vaccination program to prevent a swine-flu epidemic.

Ford was acting on the advice of medical experts, who believed they were dealing with a virus potentially as deadly as the one that caused the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic.

The virus surfaced in February at Fort Dix, New Jersey, where 19-year-old Pvt. David Lewis told his drill instructor that he felt tired and weak, although not sick enough to skip a training hike. Lewis was dead with 24 hours.

The autopsy revealed that Lewis had been killed by “swine flu,” an influenza virus originating in pigs. By then several other soldiers had been hospitalized with symptoms. Government doctors became alarmed when they discovered that at least 500 soldiers on the base were infected without becoming ill.

It recalled 1918, when infected soldiers returning from the trenches of World War I triggered a contagion that spread quickly around the world, killing at least 20 million people. Fearing another plague, the nation’s health officials urged Ford to authorize a mass inoculation program aimed at reaching every man, woman and child. He did, to the tune of $135 million ($500 million in today’s money).

Paranoia and propaganda were rampant. Much like our instance of the vaccine, in 1976 the vaccine was rushed to the market while hardly tested. This proved to have dire consequences for many people. Especially this healthy young lady who was paralyzed and interviewed in this old episode of 60 Minutes.

While there are support foundations that are actively working to protect our Constitutional rights, the violations will always be present. In the words of Augustine of Hippo “An unjust law is no law at all”. We must be prepared for the reality that the government may decide to step in and mandate a vaccination.

Read this excerpt from “Vaccination Orders during a Public Health Emergency” for a general idea of how things may go down.

Vaccination Orders During a Public Health Emergency. Many states also have laws providing for mandatory vaccinations during a public health emergency or outbreak of a communicable disease. Generally, the power to order such actions rests with the governor of the state, the state board of health, or the state health officer. For example, in Hawaii, the Governor has the power to supplement the state’s existing compulsory vaccination programs and institute additional programs in the event of a civil defense emergency period. Arizona also authorizes the Governor, during a state of emergency or state of war emergency in which there is an occurrence or the imminent threat of smallpox or other highly contagious and highly fatal disease, “to issue orders that mandate treatment or vaccination of persons who are diagnosed with illness resulting from exposure or who are reasonably believed to have been exposed or who may reasonably be expected to be exposed.” In Florida, upon declaration of a public health emergency, the state health officer may order an individual to be vaccinated “for communicable diseases that have significant morbidity or mortality and present a severe danger to public health.”

Other states have provisions for mandatory vaccinations, but provide exemptions similar to those for childhood vaccinations discussed above. For example, in Connecticut, a person may refuse a vaccination if a physician determines that “it would not be prudent on account of sickness.” In Virginia, vaccination requirements may also be waived if the vaccination would be detrimental to a person’s health, as certified by a physician. Wisconsin allows a person to refuse a vaccination for medical reasons and also for “reasons of religion or conscience.” However, if a person refuses to be vaccinated, he or she may be quarantined during the public health emergency giving rise to the vaccination order.

On refusing a mandatory vaccine, it seems that most solid advice is to talk to your MD now and get them prepared to provide you with documentation, but there is still the possibility that you will be quarantined for a while should you refuse.

Religious Exemption has been thrown around quite a bit in discussion on evading the vaccine. This is not a realistic way out, as this only works if you can prove that you never see a doctor. Most of us cannot say that. Also, in the face of a pandemic we know full well that Constitutional rights tend to go out the window.

As most sheeple will probably run to the federal government as their savior and line up for shots, the smaller percentage (that is growing larger) may not receive extreme persecution. But as Preppers, we prefer to be safe rather than sorry. We know that if it is ever a SHTF situation, road blocks and security check points will be in place. Always consider alternate routes and have a plan B.

Natural Vaccination Remedies.

If for any reason you end up taking the shot, whether by force or by decision, here are some natural sources to protect you. Consider Protective Remedies against Inflammation, as well as Colloidal Silver or Influenzinum.

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.

Penny Can Stoves are compact handy stoves. They are popular with lightweight extreme backpackers and survivalists. Make one to keep in your G.O.O.D. Pack.

SUNSET – We first featured our backyard adobe oven in our August 1971 issue. It’s modeled after mud-brick ovens used around the world, from the Southwest to Mexico, Italy, and France.

Building it takes about two days of grubby work; it speeds up building to have two or three people making the thick-walled adobe shell, the mass of which stores the heat of the fire. The reward: wonderfully rustic pizzas, roasts, vegetables, and crusty loaves of bread from your own backyard.

Materials and Tools

You’ll find most of the materials you need at a home center or building supply yard, except for the cardboard barrel, often used by movers. (You cut it in half lengthwise and use it to form the oven’s curving top.) Look in the yellow pages under Barrels & Drums for a local source.

• 14 concrete building blocks (8 by 8 by 16)
• 14 concrete cap blocks (8 by 2 by 16)
• 68 firebricks (2 ½ by 4 ½ by 9)
• One 28- to 30-gallon cardboard barrel
• One empty 1-quart can
• 6-foot square of 6-inch wire mesh (used to reinforce concrete driveways)
• 10 feet of 30-inch-wide chicken wire
• 4 feet of rough-sawed redwood 2-by-4
• 2 feet of redwood 1-by-3
• 16 1 ½-inch deck screws
• 3 feet of 6-inch-wide aluminum flashing
• Eight large wheelbarrow loads of adobe soil (heavy clay garden soil)
• Three bags Portland cement
• 1-foot square of ¼-inch galvanized wire mesh
• Exterior latex paint
• Optional: 24 precast 1- by 2-foot concrete steppingstones

You’ll also need a tape measure, hacksaw, pencil, circular saw with masonry bit, wire cutters, saber saw, drill, screwdriver, large wheelbarrow, hoe, shovel, sturdy rubber gloves, sponge, small piece of scrap lumber or plywood, old towels, and plastic tarp.

View  step-by-step building instructions »

Adobe oven heating guide »

Handloads are great for hunting. The best shot I ever made in the game fields, was on an impala at 117 paces–double action–with a Smith & Wesson Model 629 .44 Magnum, loaded with a 320-grain SSK hardcast flatpoint bullet my buddy Bill Grimmett had carefully seated over a maximum safe charge of W296.

Reloads are great for training, too. How many people can afford ample, serious shooting without them? Bless you, Mike Dillon, for opening the world of “mass-produced home loads” to the individual handgunner.

Handloads are great for match shooting, if they’re carefully put together. The majority of national bull’s-eye championships (military sponsored) and police pistol championships (law enforcement agency sponsored) have been won with factory amino purchased by the governmental entity that fielded the shooter. However, most IPSC and Bianchi Cup matches have been won with reloads homebrewed by the winning shooters themselves. That says something about individuality.

However, as an expert witness for the courts in shooting cases over the last quarter century, I’ve learned some good reasons not to use reloads for personal defense. Not in the carry gun, and not in the home or store defense gun. In the limited space of this column, let’s talk about just two of those reasons.

Malice Factor

Attorneys hungry to nail you, whether in criminal or in civil court, need some hook on which to hang their argument that your actions constituted malice against the person who forced you to shoot him. We saw it with anyone who went to court after firing Black Talon ammo in self-defense, during the period when that cartridge was ludicrously demonized by the press and the politicians. We’ve seen it for decades, right up to the present, with the use of hollow-point amino. Appellate lawyer Lisa Steele is right now speaking for multiple individuals who suffered either conviction or enhanced sentences because juries bought lawyers’ arguments that the use of HP ammunition was cruel, unusual, and malicious. A lawyer who knows his stuff–which the original trial lawyers in those cases of Lisa’s apparently didn’t–can defeat the hollowpoint argument easily. The simplest avenue is to show the jury that virtually all cops carry HPs. But that argument isn’t available for handloads.

In one case I was consulted on back in the ’70s, the shooter had used a CCI Speer 200-grain JHP he’d handloaded to equal CCI’s ballistics in a factory loaded .45 ACP cartridge. The state police who investigated, and the prosecutor who brought him to trial for aggravated assault, kept asking why regular bullets weren’t deadly enough for this man. On my recommendation, the defense brought Jim Cirillo in as an expert. He calmly explained the whole thing, including the fact the defendant’s .45 ACP handloads were less powerful than the factory amino issued to the investigating troopers for their .357 Magnums, and the jury acquitted the shooter. Still, it was an attack that could have been prevented if the defendant had simply loaded with CCI’s own factory cartridges, and used his identical handloads for training and practice.

Evidentiary Element

Many defensive shootings take place literally at “powder-burning distance,” with the assailant virtually on top of the armed citizen. Those who take the criminal’s side have been known to argue he was a safe distance away and the accused shot him for no good reason. Well, gunshot residue (GSR) will tell the tale and expose the liars if the distance has been close enough. However, to do that, we on the defense team have to perform testing with what is called “exemplar” ammunition. This is ammo identical to what was fired in the incident in question. We can’t use what was left in the gun, because it’s evidence, and the testing consumes the amino and literally destroys that evidence.

You shot him with a factory round? No problem. We call the factory, get 50 rounds of identical amino of the same lot, do the GSR testing, and determine virtually to the inch the actual distance involved. You shot him with a handload? What guarantee does the court have the ammo you provided is identical to what was fired in the case at bar? You can hear the opposing lawyer now: “Objection! Your Honor, the defendant literally manufactured the evidence!” In a case I was involved in some years ago in New Jersey, the defendant’s use of nonreplicable handloads put him through a multiple-trial ordeal when, if he’d used factory amino, the facts would have been demonstrated at the starting gate and brought a just closure much sooner.

Handloads for defense? You’ve just seen two documentable reasons why I would urge you to use factory ammo for that purpose.

If you have the property and the means to begin a vegetable garden and an orchard, I strongly suggest preparing for this today. There are plenty of resources and gardening communities available online to help you get started. From photo groups on flickr, to gardening forums.

If you do not have land, the most you could do is store the ingredients for a crop now, should you need to Get Out Of Dodge and hunker down. The Survival Seedbank offers a variety of heirloom seeds that cover an acre. While supplies last, they’re going for around $145 a seedbank.

“By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail.”
- Ben Franklin

If you’re a country music fan, you’ve probably heard ol’ Bocephus singing A Country Boy Can Survive. It’s a great classic song that rings true with many Americans who were fortunate to grow up in an area that taught self-reliance.

This video is for a new survival course for infants and todlers from YMCA. These courses have saved babies from drowning all over Florida. Every infant should take a course like this, especially if you have a pool.