BP and Obama

Why is Obama using the term “We” now that BP has supposedly stopped the oil flow? WTF!!!

Before this it was BP this and BP that – Now it’s “WE” stopped the leak? Come on. Does anyone take this obvioulsy career politician seriously?

-SP

EMP Talk Gaining Momentum

I follow the blogs, I watch TV and I must say, the talk about EMP strikes is gaining ground.  Interesting? Yes – Concerning? Maybe!

It appears that an EMP strike on the US is the ONLY viable option for countries like Iran and North [not South] Korea as well as rogue regions like the middle east and South America.  Why?  Well, with ONE nuke, you can send the US back to the stone age.  We would be scrambling internally to stay afloat and our focus would be damage control in the US and not abroad.  Now – of course we would still be militarily effective, 20% of our servicemen are stationed outside the US and arguably, we have enough firepower under the sea to wipe out any government that messes with us.  So yes, there is still the threat of mutual destruction.  Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to deter certain groups whose hatred for us is so deep that they are willing to do anything to hurt us.

The simple fact of the matter is that an EMP is the most effective way to hurt the US.  Couple that with its straightforward deployment, and you get a likely and effective weapon.  We may also be susceptible to a biological attack but the title of my article doesn’t say anything about that!

Whether shot from the dock of a ship which is then sank to hide the evidence or fired from a South American jungle, the enemy can deliver a crippling blow to the US with ONE nuke.  What are you doing to be prepared????

Power: Your power is going down, obtain alternative sources of power.  Get a solid generator and plan where you are going to set it up.  Having it on the ground outside your house will not work.  It will be stolen almost immediately.  During the Gulf Coast disaster, generators were stolen item #1.  I like the quiet Honda generators, then can run on your window sill and have a low noise profile.    Oh yeah and get gas too.  You may wish to consider a perpetual power source such as solar or wind.  However, for the money and simplicity, generators are the better option.  But if you have solar and if there is an EMP strike, your electronics are going to get fried with everything else, so store your generator and solar electronics in a Faraday cage.

Food: As I preach regularly, food is numero uno (#1) when it comes to survival.  Get a lot and then get some more!  An EMP will shut down gas stations and equipment – this means nothing is moving around the country including food!

Security:  I know everyone likes to talk guns – I do too.  But in an EMP scenario, it is less likely to be an issue.  Here’s why – You will only have to deal with locals.  Why?  No cars (or very few) will be moving!  Couple that with little gas and you have a stagnant population.  (I know some disagree with me).  As suburban preppers, our neighbors are less of a risk than our big city counter parts.  Is there still a concern?  Yes, But you will likely die of starvation before your neighbor the accountant tries to kill you.

This post is just a scratch on the surface of an EMP discussion.  Think, plan and implement your own strategy!

REMEMBER, prepping is just insurance.  It is better to have and not need it, then need it and not have it!

Keep Prepping and Good Luck!

-SP

Eton Scorpion

If you are a suburban prepper then chances are you have some Eton gear already.  The company makes some cool gadgets for the camping, hiking and survival world.  The latest is the SCORPION!  I like badass names and this has one.

I preordered one of these a month or so ago and I just got the word from www.Amazon.com that it shipped.  Once I get it, I will post a review.

If you are like me you have a ton of appliances that are powered by USB.  Some essential like your cell phone and some not-so-essential like your ipod.  I have been looking for a solution to providing PERPETUAL power to these devices in a quit, clean and simple way.  If the grid goes down, comfort items, like your ipod, will be VERY handy for moral and possibly a life saver if you have kids.  Parents… you know what I mean!

I have tried several CHEAP solar chargers and they don’t last.  A couple of charges or at most a couple of weeks and they are shot.  Definitely NOT the sort of reliability I am looking for in a SHTF situation.  When I saw the Eton, I liked that it was a name brand, I liked that it had solar,  I liked that it had a radio, I liked that it is water resistant, I liked that it had a flashlight BUT I LOVED THE HAND CRANK!  Solar is touchy so the hand crank makes me feel warm and fuzzy!  LED lights and a hand crank = lights forever!

They are pricey at $50 but I expect a price drop sooner than later.  Check them out HERE at and the video below.  Pick one up HERE at amazon and then tell me what you think!

-SP

Food and Water – Prep the Basics

It is quite easy to get caught up in the ‘mall ninja’ mentality of prepping… I KNOW – I’VE BEEN THERE.  What I mean by that is – It is easy to buy gadgets, gizmos, doo-dads and the like based on the notion that you MIGHT one day need them.  Well, although fun to buy and play with, doo-dads and gizmos are not essential.

Focus on food and water.  As I have stated in previous posts – you may need guns, you may need medicine (probably), you may need all sorts of things; BUT what is for certain? — YOU WILL NEED FOOD AND WATER, NO MATTER WHAT!  So, my advice for today is remember the basics and your next prep dollars should go towards food and/or water.

Water - Remember; 2 gallons per person per day is recommended & 1 gallon per person per day is required for survival.  I have 5 people in my family – that means I will drink upto 10 gallons PER DAY!  Your water will go fast so prepare accordingly!  For fun, track how much water you drink on a normal day.  I did and it was more than a gallon.  I even tried this when I was out working in the yard – light work mind you – I went through 3.5 gallons! 

Food - Could there be a more appropriate currency of a fallen society?  Nope!  Get all the food you can.  Canned food, freeze dried food, dog food… wait, no – no dog food, MREs, WHATEVER.  YOU WILL NEED FOOD so get it and get a lot.  I have been asked what is good ‘amount’ of food to have.  Well, I don’t know.  But if I had to guess 1 year would be on the safe side and 6 months is a minimum.  With a year of food, you should be able to gorw SOME thing and extend that a bit.  If you are REALLY paranoid about survival or prepping – GET 10 YEARS!

Miscellaneous - I got a Saiga .308 rifle!  Woohoo!  They are California legal, about $500 and shoot military 7.62 surplus ammo on the CHEAP.  The stories about these rifles are epic!  As they are based on the ak-47 platform, they are reliable, and will shoot forever!  I did not get all the ‘bells and whistles’ for it.  A basic and lightweight aimpoint sight and an upgraded forend with some rails.  Both the scope mount and new forend were $70 at amazon.com. 

Also – I have added a few new links – check them out and spend some of your hard earned money where the Sub Prep shops!  BTW – None of these companies pay me or even give me a commission.  These are truley the places I shop and trust.

KEEP PREPPING – THE END IS NEAR (maybe)

Safe Houses

I just love stuff like this… I WANT ONE!

SAFEST HOUSE IN THE WORLD????

-SP

Survival Seeds and the Suburbs? YES!

 

I get a lot of emails from vendors asking me to put links to their sites on this blog.  In order to maintain the integrity of my links I request the vendors provide me with some free stuff so I can review it and determine it is quality stuff or provide me with a credit so I can shop at their store and attest that it is a real store and you actually get what you order.  To my surprise, NO ONE STEPS UP AND BRIBES ME!  So guess what…NO LINK!  What you they think – advertising is free?  The only links on my site are ones that I use and can honestly guarantee.  So for all you vendors… if you want a link – SEND ME SOME STUFF!!

Then along came hometownseeds.com.  They stepped up and sent me a pack their “Survival Seeds” pack.   Here is what I got and here are my thoughts:

I like the idea of having seeds even as a suburban prepper.  Many of us have enough space to sow SOME sort garden.  Buckets, bath tubs and other creative containers can be filled with soil and crops can be grown.  But, if you don’t have seeds (and good seeds at that) all the soil, fertilizer and water won’t produce food.  So, is there a practical and cost-effective way for Joe-Schmoe suburbanite prepper to stock seeds?  YES…and the folks at hometown seeds have the answer.  Check it out here…

 

Here we have a survival pack of Non-hybrid seeds.  You get:

1. Sweet Corn
2. Peas
3. Radishes
4. Onions
5. Bees
6. tomatoes
7. Spinach
8. Cabbage
9. Swiss Chard
10. Lettuce
11. Carrots
12. Peppers
13. Winter Squash
14. Cucumbers
15. Pole Beans and
16. Squash Zucchini

According to Hometownseeds.com, the package will keep the seeds good for 5 YEARS!!  You can store it in a cold, dark place or even the fridge or the freezer.  The package is solid.  I really like the fact that it looks like a package that would withstand water damage and light impact.  In addition to the seeds, you get an informational printout.  It gives you all the info you need about each variety’s garden location, soil conditions, moisture and planting.  NICE!!  You do not want to be second guessing your self when the S hits the F!  As this is the winter, yes – even California has winter, I won’t be planting anytime soon.  However, check back for my planting posts!

Here is the information sheet that comes with the seeds

The package contains even seeds for 3/4 of an acre of crop!  All that for $35?  That is well worth it.  The good people at hometownseeds.com have made the following generous offer…

In appreciation for your help, we would like to offer a 10% discount on all of our products to you and your web community.  By entering the coupon code thanks, 10% will be reduced from the total cost of any order.  The code will be good through February 28, 2010.  Feel free to offer this to your readers and visitors.

 

I did a little research to check the price point on this seed pack and this pack is reasonably priced and a GREAT WAY to get a seed storage plan going!  The one thing I saw on another site that I liked was a tobaccoseed pack.  I like the idea of prepping something that will be a money maker if the worldgoes bonkers.  If you have good non-hyrid tobacco seeds and some land (tobacco takes a lot out of the ground so you will need to rotate your crops) you can produce a crop that will be in VERY VERY HIGH DEMAND!! 

Remember, you want non-hybrid seeds because they allow you to harvest the seeds of the crop you just grew and allow you to have a PERPETUAL supply of food.  Food will be the currency of a new world!  Remember my advice, Guns are great but there is a chance you won’t need them if the SHTF… there is a 100% absolute guarantee you will need food!  Adjust your preps accordingly!

-SP

Haiti Quake – What to Learn

First off, my thoughts and prayers go out to those in Haiti.  But like everything in life, learn from history - or be doomed to repeat it.

What have we learned from the quake in Haiti?

1. Large earthquakes can and DO happen… that happen without warning.  The only time to get prepared is NOW.
2. Looters and ‘wolves’ will take advantage of the choas and the police will not be there to stop them.  The police in Haiti are no where to be found.  See Here.  Plan to protect yourself and your family.
3. Communications went down and will not be back for a while.  See Here.  If you want to communicate with someone after a major disaster, you better have those systems in place now.  Become a HAM.
4. Infrusture will be destroyed or become inundated with refugees and rubble.  Relief will have MAJOR problems getting to those who need it.  See Here.  If you are expecting help to come to you-you AND YOUR FAMILY are doomed!
5. Expect seaports and airports to be either destroyed or overrun.  The seaport in Haiti is damaged and can’t be used.  The airport is slammed by everyone trying to get in and out.  That is called a bottleneck and the amount of assistance that gets in is limited by the local ports’ capacity.  See Here.

Keep Prepping and Good Luck. 

-SP

Information is Key – Become a HAM!

Information.  Corporations spend billions of dollars per year launching satellites to ensure communications, governments make confidential communications priority one during times of war.  Sheeple, sorry, people spend hours in front of the TV or internet every day for information.  Why?  Information is key in good times… and bad!

How can you keep the flow of information coming when the SHTF?  Internet?  Nope, the internet is as fragile as a glass ornament.  There are thousands or switches, hubs, boosters and lines that depend on grid power, daily maintenance and will assuredly go down when the SHTF.  Phone?  Wrong again.  similar to the infrastructure that supports the internet-although not as fragile-phone systems are a labyrinth of physical wires and connections that cannot be counted on when times are tough.  Cell phones? HA!  Not only do cell phone towers link through traditional ‘lan line’ phone wires but they too are dependent on power and rely on the phone companies for maintenance.

So where to SP?  BECOME A HAM!  Yes, take communications into your own hands and become an amateur radio operator.  Before you even ask, yes… the SP is a HAM!  And proud of it.

The HAM network is self sustained.  We all (mostly) have our own station (equipment) with the off-grid power needed to keep them running in down times.  We have repeaters maintained by individuals, who know how to keep them running.  We are prepared and trained in emergency communications.  We form a grid over the entire world that allows us to keep communications open when mass media systems are down.

I my case, the rewards are even greater.  In my community we have an extensive HAM involvement in the emergency operations of my city.  The emergency frequencies are public knowledge so if something goes down, I know the exact frequency to tune in to get informed and help if I can.

Go out and become a HAM.  We will be the only ones communicating when the grid goes down.  Will you be part of the new ‘net’?

-SP

Comments on Buying Guns for Prepping Purposes

Many preppers own guns and many do not.  This post is not meant to reopen any gun vs. no-gun debate.  This is a post on my thoughts/recommendations for a survival battery (aka bunch of guns)

There are many types of gun enthusiasts.  Those who like to hunt, those who like to shoot competitively, those who do it for recreation and those who do it to prepare for WWIII.  I do HIGHLY recommend training on basic gun use.  If nothing else, you should know about loading/unloading, malfunction clearing, shooting positions/stances and target acquisitions.  Obviously there is much much (nay I say MUCH a third time) more to learn, but those are the minimum basic areas to know so you may safely operate your firearm to defend yourself and your family.

For those that are assembling a firearm battery for self defense in the event of an emergency they are specific considerations.  Here are some issues that make assembling a survival battery different than hunting or competitive shooters:

1. Standardization: Henry Ford revolutionized car manufacturing based on the theory of standardized and interchangeable parts.  This allowed all models of car to use the same parts which allowed for simpler and less costly repairs.  When starting or expanding your battery, keep this in mind.  Choose one or two calibers for each class of firearm.  Choose one or two types of firearms in each class.  For example: I like Glock and Heckler and Koch for my pistols.  I have chosen the manageable 9mm round and the harder hitting .45 round as my standards.  Therefore, I buy Glock 17, 9mm pistols and Glock 21 .45 pistols.  I buy H&K USP 9mm pistols and USP45 .45 caliber pistols.  I have only 4 types of extra barrels, magazines, repair kits, etc to buy and it will support my entire pistol battery.  If one Glock 17 should fail, I have can use it to supply parts to the remaining.  The magazines are still useful.  The same goes for the ammo, by having only two types of rounds, I have a deeper reserve of rounds.  If my 9mm fails, I don’t throw away or lose all of my stored rounds.  I have other pistols that use that round.  Yes, I have other pistols, but those are for fun.  If you are interested in building a survival battery, think standardization. 
   1. The same theory applies to all rifles and shotguns.  Choose a main caliber (or two) for your rifles.  Choose one (or two) platforms, i.e. AR, Springfield M1 series and then expand on that.  Avoid getting an AR, and M1A, a FAL and a SIG 556… get four ARs or two and two, etc… you catch my drift.  I recommend sticking with 12 gauge shotguns, you just can’t go wrong.
2. Avoid the latest and greatest: You don’t need the latest and greatest in a survival battery.  In fact, you want the tried and true.  Get firearms that have a history of solid, wide use.  There have been several firearms introduced that were recalled within a few months due to manufacturer defects.  Stick with companies like Glock, H&K, Kimber and choose models that have been in the market for YEARS!
3. Bullets: Have bullets.  Enough said.  Without bullets, firearms make a poor striking weapon.  100 rounds minimum for each caliber of weapon.
4. Magazines: Get at least….AT LEAST 3.  Come on, that is only one more than they usually come with.  Buy them when you buy the gun.  I haven’t ever had to load a magazine in a fire-fight, but I can’t imagine it would go well for me.
5. Go Slow:  Don’t rush out and break the bank and burn yourself out.  Think each purchase through especially since you should be buying a multiples of each gun.  I recommend a Glock 17 9mm or Glock 21SF (get the slimframe model, the grip on the standard is only for giants!) as a starting point.

Good Luck out there!!!!

-SP

Gold or Glock

Yes, this post is contradictory to some of my previous posts… and yes I have the right to change my mind!  Don’t I?

Glocks versus Gold… what does that mean SP?  Well, I was thinking about the price of gold and thinking ‘I need to get me some (more) just in case the world ends, that way I will have stored my wealth and be able to buy or trade things with my gold’.  Now, at first this sounds good.  But when you look at the utility to price ration of gold versus the utility to price ratio of a Glock, the Glock wins.  Why?  A Glock is only $500 ($650 in California, why?  NO CLUE!) and gold is $1,000 or more an ounce.  Now ask yourself this question… when you walk to the local trader post after a full collapse, what you rather have to barter?  1 ounce of gold or 2 Glocks?  I think you know the answer!

A Glock is going to be MUCH more valuable than an ounce of gold.  It has the ability to be immediately used and it lasts a long time.  I would have no problem using a Glock with a 2,000 round-count.  The gold must be bartered to be of value in a SHTF-scenario.  The Glock is barterable and useful and given the price of gold right now versus the price of a Glock, it is a no-brainer!

No, this is not revolutionary thinking.  I am sure you are muttering to yourself that I am an idiot and stating the obvious.  But if just one of my loyal readers goes out and gets TWO Glocks instead of ONE ounce of gold, well, then I have helped that person become less apocalyptically-challenged <— that is the new term for sheeple.  You are politically correct, aren’t you?

So get some Glocks with two additional mags and a 250-round battle pack of ammo and store them for bartering INSTEAD of the gold… I think it is a wiser investment!

Or you can just get a gold Glock like this!!!  Haha!

SPECIAL BONUS SECTION —————

Check this out!!!!  This is the new KA-BAR Becker Tac Tool!!! This is a must have for us survivalist/prepper types!  From the site … “A design collaboration between Ethan Becker of BK&T and John Benner of TDI, the Tac Tool 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.”

Now don’t run out and pay $140 for this puppy.  A little searching and I found it for $72.92.  How else can you ride out the zombie apocalypse in style then with one of these!

-SP