Survival is all about creativity and low price.  All of our preps need to be minimal in cost since (for must of us) they are a luxury.  Most people don’t have the luxury of being able to set aside money for unknown disasters.  Today especially, families are barely making ends meet and therefore preparedness budgets are small if at all existent. 

Intrusion detection is a critical aspect of most prep plans. You must assume that you are going to operating in a no power situation or, if lucky, in a reduced power situation when running on solar, wind or generator power.  An ideal intrusion detection system is one that uses no power, has a low cost and a high reliability factor.  What is this security panacea you speak of SP?  Well, I will tell you.

Black Cat Snaps!  You know what I am talking about even if you don’t recognize the name.  They are those little white paper sacks filled with God-knows-what that “snap” when you throw them on the ground, step on them or if you are really brave, bite them!  They are $11.00 for 2,500!!  They are not reliant on power and I am assuming they have a long shelf life (if anyone has any data on this please post it in the comments)  They are available at cheaper than dirt at the above price as well as most convenience store’s counter displays (can you say “impulse buy”?) 

To set up your low tech intrusion detection system you spread them all over the floor in front of doors, windows, hallways or other access point into your retreat (works best on hard wood or thin carpet).  They can also be spread outside in front of doors and windows.  Downside to outdoor use that winds will blow them away eventually or immediately if the breeze is strong enough.  If you have a thick carpet you may wish to use some plywood to lay them on in front of windows etc.  Bad guys enter and step on the snaps…. SNAP… you are awaken and aware of the problem. 

Not perfect but it can be effective, it is low cost and if everything goes as planned you and kids and whip them at each other for fun!  No waster here!

-SP

We have all heard the famous saying in regards to the basics of preparedness; “Beans, Bullets and Bandaids”.  It stands for the proposition that the initial steps in preparation MUST include food/water, firearms/training and medical supplies/first aid know-how.  No one argues about the first layer.  It sufficiently covers the basics.   It will allow you to remain in your home/retreat fed, protected and cared for.  For those of you who are still on the road to a SPS (sufficient preparedness state) what comes next?  Level 2!

Level 2 in my opinion is the next step in preparedness. Below is a list of gear or skills that should be put together immediately after or concurrent to the level 1, beans, bullets and bandaids.

1. Lighting.  In the winter (and depending on your location) you maybe operating during low light conditions 50% of your day.  Lighting can be broken into three types.

a. High intensity lighting with short run times: This lighting is for use during tactical, rescue or other emergency situations.  You should have 25% of your overall lighting in this category.  My favorite is the Surefire G2.  It comes with a standard 65 lumens bulb for 60 minutes of runtime for only $36.  I have bought several different colors so I can tell them apart and each color has a different purpose.  You can also upgrade to a 120 lumen bulb but the run time is then cut to 20 minutes!  I have one of my G2s with this bulb and it is BRIGHT! 

If you are super cash baller go for the Surefire M6! It comes standard with a 250 lumen bulb and a 500 lumen bulb for retina searing light.  But, you are going to pay for this … $390!  If Bill Gates, Warren Buffet or any other billionaire is reading this then you guys can afford the supreme lighting solution … the BEAST.  2000 LUMENS at a bargain price of only $5,000!  Got a mounted .50 cal machine gun on your McMansion, then go with the HellFire!!

b. Low intensity with long run times: Definitely not as sexy as the high intensity lights but more important overall.  LED lights with low output should account for 75% of your lighting.  The reason?  Most of the time you are going to be performing relatively simple tasks that do not require insane lighting.  LEDs use less battery power and the LEDs themselves will outlast you!  I like the Mini-Maglight 2 AA LED.  It is simple and based on a time tested design.  They are a bit pricey though. 

c. EMP backup: Lightsticks, Lightsticks, Lightsticks.  They are a bit pricey and they only last a few years but you should have a few on hand.

2. Communications. 

a. Two-Way Radios:You will need communications gear.  You will eventually need to venture out of the McMansion for something and you will want to be in communication with your base of operations.  For the basics, really any radio will do.  Anything is better than nothing.  Pick up a set at Costco or Walmart.  I suggest you go with Motorola but that is just my preference.  I had 2 other non-motorolas before and they both failed on me… just died.  My Motorolas have been going strong for two years now.  Remember, the range they quote on the box is total BULL$HIT!  The ones I have are rated at 10 or 15 miles (I can’t remember) but in my small town I only get 1.25 - 1.5 miles.  Also, the hands-free kits are ESSENTIAL.  You do not want to be sneaking around town only to have your radio start screaming someone’s voice! 

b. Police Scanner:I am admittedly new to police scanners but they are an essential part of a preparedness plan.  Why?  You gotta know what is going on in YOUR location.  You must assume the internet is going to be down, the TV stations are no longer broadcasting and the radio stations are intermittent at best.  A scanner will allow you to legally eavesdrop on police, fire, air traffic, federal agencies etc. Once the SHTF, the scanner may be your only source of intel.  Get one, learn how to use it and find out the local broadcast frequencies for your police and fire. 

Good Luck and Keep Prepping!

-SP

I didn’t get the Sig… I picked up what I consider to be the Holy Grail of pistols for defense, survival and repelling zombie hoards … the Heckler and Koch, USP .45ACP Full Size (applause)

Look, I don’t want to get into the whole debate about what is the best end of the world gun, or do a top-ten list or open a poll or any of that!  This is my opinion, it happens to be the correct opinion and it is one I suggest you all adopt as your own!

The HK USP is arguably the toughest pistol on the planet.  I know a guy who “allegedly” has over 500,000 rounds through his.  His hasn’t cleaned it in a year and just to prove how tough it is, it took really (I mean really) hot load that another buddy wouldn’t even dare put in his XD slapped it in the USP and let it rip.  The report was unlike any other .45 I had heard and sparks came flying out but it fired and he was able to put a round ON TARGET!

Ok, they are like $950 out the door and that is a lot.  Maybe you can get a better deal where you are but they are close to it.  There are lot of other “less expensive” pistols out there.  Everyone is on the XD wagon which is similar to the Glock wagon from 10 years ago.  You gotta love successful marketing combined with a decent pistol!  So why the USP?  Here is why:

1. It is hands down the toughest pistol out there.  In a survival situation, your gun is your life.  You want your firearm as tough as possible.  We have all seen the torture tests and I want a gun that will survive conditions that will kill me first.
2. It can fire ANY round!  When ammo gets tight in a post-shtf scenario you will not be able to be picky with your ammo choices.  There is a good chance you are going to be buying reloads from some guy out of his trunk.  You may not have a clue what this guy is loading, but you will still need to trust that your gun can fire it reliably and accurately.
3. The .45ACP round is quite impressive.  The stopping power is second to none and the ammo is readily available.  It is a common caliber and therefore there is more of a chance it will be readily available after the collapse. 
4. It fits my hand PERFECTLY.  Get out and shoot the gun you are thinking about BEFORE you purchase.  The reason I didn’t get the SIG is it didn’t fit well in my hand.  The handle was too small and uncomfortable when firing.  This is where a premier gun store WITH a range is key.  If you are local to the Bay Area of CA, get over to Bullseye Indoor Range and Firearms Store.  They are hands down the best gun shop EVER!

Ok, now the negative.  It has that proprietary rail only HK makes.  There is an adapter but it is $40.  Not the end of the world but still lame.  Insight makes a light and laser/light combo designed for the USP rail but if you buy that then you cannot switch it to other guns with standard rails.

All in all I feel much better having my new hand cannon in the house.  I also picked up a locking holster from Blackhawk.  The Serpa system is great.  For about $100, you get the fitted locked holster, a belt attachment, a paddle attachment and a tactical thing rig.  All very tough plastic!

Keep buying guns!  The way I figure it we are in a downward spiral into some sort of disaster.  Check out the latest from Iran here. 

-SP

 I LOVE the Show Mega Disasters on the History Channel!  Here is a quick link to an upcoming episode about a BIG Quake in San Francisco.

Mega Disasters: San Francisco Earthquake

Warning: Not for any of you cave dwellers stick stuck on dial up!!! Lots of graphics and ads.

Oh, One final note for the day.  BEWARE OF ONLINE CAMERA RETAILERS WITH SEEMINGLY LOW PRICES.  As preppers we order a lot of gear online as it is mostly specialty type gear that is not available in brick-and-mortar stores.  Please beware.  I almost got burned just today on a “too good to be true price” … guess what?  It was.  Be VERY leery of those online price comparison sites as well.  Most of them are owned by the very companies they are listing as the low price choice with a high customer rating!  Before you buy from one, google the website and see what pops up.  I did, and I was unpleasantly surprised to see the number of people scammed by the site I had just placed an order with.  Luckily, I cancelled it in time. 

-SP

It is a great time to a be a preparedness or survival blogger!  There is so much $hit hitting the fan right now, I just wish I had more time to blog!!

Here is the list of things happening that has caused me to order several new cases of Mountain House and Provident Pantry #10 cans from www.beprepared.com, pick up a new SIG, stock up a few hundred more rounds of ammo, finally buy a police scanner and generally fear for the future:

Oil prices.  Is this peak oil?  No one knows.  But supply and demand economics are certainly telling us something.  How can we not be there?  These high prices are here to stay and that means a faltering economy and higher prices for EVERYTHING else.  High prices drive the crime rate up and that threatens you and me!

Iran: WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON THERE?  Check out this story where it was leaked that Bush has been carrying out covert operations against Iran for a while now!  Three wars is three too many with the economic problems we have here at home!  If we even think of attacking Iran the world economy will CRASH and CRASH HARD because of the worries over oil supply.  Not only that, but the rest of the world will freak out when Iran (who we all know is totally crazy) retaliates against the US and our allies, namely Israel.  Then Israel will retaliate against Iran (because Israel is hard-core and they live in a tough “neighborhood”), can you say thermonuclear war? 

Economy: Look, I am a reasonably intelligent and informed individual.  Everyone in the world has their own opinion about when the credit crisis is going to end, what is going on with the whole derivatives game and what inflation is doing.  This is what I ABSOLUTELY KNOW ABOUT THE ECONOMY: (1) Know one knows a damn thing for sure, (2) Things have gotten way out of line due to lack of government regulation on things they don’t understand (how can you draft legislation about derivatives if you don’t know what the hell they are?) (3) There is a very good chance that a major piece of $hit is headed for the very large fan centered on wall street.  If the jobs figures keep coming out and looking bad, you can expect the market to drop even further.  I am personally invested in the market and I am starting to worry.  I am worrying about all these stories of banks having to sell stock to raise the required minimum capital required by the banking regulators.  I am definitely keeping more cash around the house than normal.  I look at Bank of America and see that their dividend yield is over 10%!!!!  With interest rates paying around 2% why aren’t professional money managers jumping all over this and buying every bit they can get their hands on?  I don’t know the answer, but I do know that if a 10% yield from one of the oldest banks in the country isn’t enough to get you excited then I don’t know what is!!!!   [I offer you no financial advice and you should not rely on my statements as financial advice.  Always consult a certified financial adviser for investment decisions and do not rely on the misinformed rants of an Internet blogger].

Terrorist Attacks: Remember those guys?  Not really huh?  And that is exactly when they show up.  You think they forgot all about how much they hate us, no no my friend!  They know that the best time to attack is when your adversary is weak.  The US hasn’t been this weak in a long time.  Just my thoughts guys. 

It cannot hurt to get some extra food, water and personal protection squared away because the coming months or years may be rocky.  Even a small disaster can cause major supply interruption.  In my neck of the woods the biggest single threat is a large earthquake.  A large quake could shut down power, water and supply distribution quite quickly. 

Don’t trust 911 to save your family from a criminal, don’t trust FEMA to feed your family after a natural disaster and don’t trust our government to make wise decisions. 

-SP

Fire! Fire! Fire!

Yes, Fire is your single biggest SHTF threat.  All the planning in the world cannot stop your retreat from being engulfed in a blazing inferno.  In California we are getting SLAMMED by fires.  I am about 50 miles away from the closest fire but the air is still brown and smokey and you can smell it everywhere.

The one by me was started by a good ole-fashion, mother-nature-supplied lighting storm!  But during a disaster the possible sources of serious fires increase exponentially!!!  Burst gas pipes or mains, blown transformers, power poles being knocked down, riots, people burning anything to stay warm and even general mischief can cause out of control fires.  They can sweep through cities and towns as well as wooded isolated retreats. 

There isn’t much you can do about post-apocalyptic fire.  You need to be able to move out at a moments notice.  Have back up locations set.  They don’t need to be stocked but KNOW where you are going in advance.  Keep the bug-out bags stocked and be ready to roll.

To help save your house you may want to try to form a make-shift local fire brigade.  Everyone in the neighborhood agrees that no matter who’s house is hit you all band together to fight it because ultimately you are preventing the fire from spreading to their house too!  You can form a standard bucket brigade, that is assuming that the water is still running, of course or someone has a pool that hasn’t been drained.  You can check out this site on Home Firefighting.  Some systems use pools and lakes.  Pretty cool stuff but at a couple grand only the best equipped and well funded groups can afford them.   

Never under estimate the power of fire!

-SP

Today’s article comes to us from RB.  She details ideas on alternative forms of healing and treatment. 

Remember that survival blogs and preparedness blogs are here to help you get IDEAS that you can apply to your own unique preparedness situations.  This article is a perfect example.  At first I was admittedly sceptical about alternative forms of medical treatment.  However, after reading RB’s article I found IDEAS that are very applicable to my own unique situation.  I believe that if there is a major disruption in services do to a SHTF event, medical care is going to be the most serious.  When faced with a medical need and there is no one else to help you alternative forms of treatment may be VERY valuable.  Thank you to RB for taking the time to write for us.

As our economy worsens and food, gas, and health care become more unaffordable, we need to begin taking our own health into our own hands.  We won’t be able to do our own heart surgeries but there are alternative medicine/health practices that are easy to learn and do from which we can reap great benefits for health.  I would like to mention three in particular.
  Reflexology:  there are books and videos available anywhere.  I found a great video at the Goodwill store for less than $3 and a book at a used book seller for $6.  This is easy to do, once you have the technique down.  I can do reflexology on my husband’s feet while we sit and watch a movie (takes about 45-60 minutes) and bring his blood pressure down by as much as 15 points.  It’s usually closer to a 10 point drop, but for a borderline/mild hypertensive person that can be significant.
  EFT:  emotional freedom technique.  There is a website that explains EFT and gives a free book you can download to get you started.  It is tapping on acupressure points to balance your energy zones.  It is easy to do, it is painless, and can show rapid results.  They also have DVDs that you can purchase and an email newsletter that you can receive for free.  The website is www.emofree.com.
  Ki-iki-jitsu (I think that is the proper name for it) better known as KI:  this is also a technique that balances energy zones.  They have a GREAT book of emergency techniques for things like how to stop bleeding, how to stop a reaction from a bug bite, how to stop a heart attack, how to stop a seizure.  These emergency techniques are super easy.  For instance, to stop any type of bleeding simply place your right hand over the area that is bleeding, place your left hand on top of your right, at right angles, and hold it there until the bleeding stops.  You don’t even have to put pressure on it.  The website offers books and videos/dvds to learn the techniques.  They also offer classes that you can take.  The website is www.kinginstitute.org.

Please keep the content coming.  So far I have had a very positive response from you readers.  I appreciate your time as I know how difficult it is to make the time to write.

-SP

The one single issue I feel strongest about is out of control government spending and general fiscal irresponsibility by our government officials.  It makes me sick to see how weak our country’s finances are when they could be strong and mighty.

Please check out Mr. Perot’s new site and support the movement that the government’s runaway spending is going to seriously effect our children’s and grandchildren’s quality of life if it doesn’t destroy the country completely. 

-SP

Readers,

As many of you have noticed I have not been posting with a steady frequency.  The truth is that gas prices, food prices and the general state of the stock market have forced me to sell my computer, cancel my ISP and forced me into bankruptcy. 

Well, actually that has not happened YET!!! Like many of you I am really starting to feel the pinch of a failing America.  I am sad to report that many of my fellow preppers, friends and family are in the same predicament.  I have no answers, no witty comments and no advice for you. 

Here is what I am doing to stay above water and prepare for what I believe is a very hard landing.  I am stocking up on food, water and ammo.  Surprised?  You shouldn’t be. 

Food: I am worried that even IF we have enough food to go around and are not subjected to real shortages there is going to be no way to get the food from the fields to my table.  Food (as well as everything else in this country) is shipped via trucks. Large trucks that get very little miles per gallon and which use diesel fuel.  You know, the fuel that is over $5.00 per gallon right now!!  There are trucker strikes in Europe right now and they are getting ugly.  Check it out here.  There is a lot of talk about truckers simply refusing to haul freight because they can longer make a profit.  Without those trucks… the US economy is in deep $hit!!!

Water: California is coming into a serious drought. Southern California is hardest hit because they import all their water.  When supplies of a precious commodity such as water are so tight we are very susceptible to a serious problem developing from a minor interruption of service.  A small earthquake that damages the California Aqua duct would be disastrous.  Any sort of earthquake activity in California can seriously disrupt the flow of what the Romans called the “nectar of the Gods”.  Why?  Because you can’t live without it! 

Ammo:  Well, this stems from a general deterioration of the US.  We are making enemies faster than we can count.  Those enemies are forming together against us.  There are reports that Russia is behind the latest computer attacks on our legislature.  Don’t ever forget how pissed off Russia is at us for winning the cold war.  If you were in a serious long term rivalry with another person or family and they “won” … you would never forget it!  You would be constantly waiting for your time to seek revenge.  Russia has nukes huh? 

With food prices on the rise there is also a rise in welfare and food stamp claims.  What does that mean?  More people are hungry and desperate.  When they get to starving, they will do ANYTHING to feed themselves or their families.  Crime is going to rise seriously. 

I try to remain as impersonal as I can while blogging.  However, I feel that those of you who continue to visit my site deserve to know why I have not been getting to writing.  I am currently studying to take the California State Bar exam to become a licensed attorney.  That means that I not only have little or no time… I have NEGATIVE time.  I have more things to do than I have time.  So sadly enough, the blog had to suffer.  I am truly sorry for that. 

I have been resisting this for a while but in the interest of keeping the blog going I want to send out a signal flare.  By that I mean I want YOUR help.  There have been many fantastic comments posted.  Some thoughts are far more insightful than my own.  SO I would like to ask for your help in getting good content for posting.  (Yes, I realize that is what Rawles does and I am not happy about having to do it). 

Send your posts or ideas to suburbanprepper @ gmail.com and I will gladly put them up.  No prizes or anything like survivalblog.  But you do get the satisfaction of contributing to the survival/prepping community and seeing your name in lights (sort of)

Thanks for all your support.  As soon as the Bar is over, I will have a lot more time to devote to the site.  Not only that, but by that time the world will be in so much crap there will be plenty to write about!

-SP

Well, for a while it looked like the subprime mess was going to sink the US economy, spread to the rest of the world and sink the planet into a global recession or depression.  In my opinion that was a little over the top. 

I call the US the “teenage girl” of the global economy.  We buy everything and do nothing.  The only thing that keeps us going is an influx of cash for no substantial reason.  For teenage girls it is mommy & daddy and for the US it is foreign investments.  Either way it can’t last forever and eventually that teenage girl has to suck it up get a job and do SOMETHING to actually EARN rather than live off someone else.  The US needs to get off its A$$ and EARN some money (at least more than it spends!).  Otherwise, we are going to have to resort to some pretty unpleasant alternatives to keep this country moving.  Astronomical tax rates and extreme cuts in benefits are likely.  The analogy is akin to that teenage girl stripping at the local “gentleman’s club”.  She doesn’t want to actually do ANYTHING about her spending too much but has no other choice to keep herself in Coach purses and BMWs.  Stripping sucks but living without tangible goodies it WAY WORSE.

Every day I am swayed more that the US is headed for disaster.  Not a quick “you can live off your preps until the dust settles” type but a “forever changing oh my God how did we NOT see this coming” type disaster.  The US has had its time at the top and now it is someone else’s turn.  All great civilizations fall!  That is guaranteed.  It wasn’t IF the US would eventually fall to ruin it was WHEN.  I personally was hoping that I would see my grandchildren live the American Dream that I am living but there may not be enough time!  I LOVE this country!  I am a true patriot and I am very PROUD of the American Spirit.  I am sure the founders of this great nation are rolling in their graves to see what has become of it.  Career politicians, out of control spending, dependence of foreign energy, immigration policies with no rhyme or reason and a faltering economy.

I see three main “snakes in the wood pile” that may individually or collectively bring us down:

1) Economy: I do NOT mean the subprime mess.  The conditions during the great depression were far worse and we got through that in a few decades.  I mean the spending more than we make fiasco!  Nothing makes a Nation weaker than owing other people money.  Strong nations have their bank accounts overflowing!  We are not borrowing money because we have to, we are doing it because our political system is so BROKEN politicians feel that need to BUY votes and don’t have the BALLS to make budget cuts!!  If we don’t make a change soon the interest on the national debt will eat up the budget which will force a drastic increase in taxes.  This will KILL the US consumer, start a recession/depression, which will drive down wages which will in turn decrease tax revenues and then the government won’t even have the ABILITY to raise money.  The debt gets called in and we have to send stealth bombers to “settle” the debt thus starting WWIII. 

2) Immigration: What an ingenious idea!!! As of today Mexico cannot defeat the US with a concentrated military attack, but what about a slow assault via population shift?  Flood California, New Mexico, Nevada and Arizona with Mexicans and let them vote!!!  Brilliant!  That way they elect officials who are sensitive to immigration thus loosening the restrictions and the problem becomes exponential!  Tell me, what would stop a Mexican population from electing a Mexican President?  When they control the numbers, the US is theirs!  In MANY states there are bilingual menus, billboards and street signs.  In my town, private schools are overflowing because public school classes are taught in Spanish and English.  How efficient can that learning experience be if every direction is given TWICE!   Also, what is the influx of illegals doing to the budgets of towns, cities and states?  It is killing it!  Schools are overcrowded, medicare is taxed out and Mary & Joe Taxpayer are the ones footing the bill!!!  Eventually it will force local governments into bankruptcy!  Oh, wait… it already did!   (FYI, I am not a racist.  I am not anti-Mexican.  I am PRO LEGAL IMMIGRATION!!! If you want to come here, you must jump through all the legal hoops like everyone else!  If you want to live in the US, then learn our language, pay your taxes and become a contributing member of our society and not that unwanted house guest that eats all your food, invites his friends over and complains about everything!) 

3) Foreign Oil Dependence:  Well this is the big one.  There is no shortage of info on peak oil and foreign oil dependence, but just know that this is serious!  The US is either going to have to go cold turkey on oil (by that I mean give it up for civilian use) or we are going to have to bend over and take it “you know where” for a long time, because we don’t have it and will pay anything for it!!!  Just think how powerful those “desert” nations are becoming!  If they wise up and stop living like Gods on earth with palaces and gold toothbrushes and start investing in armies and educations for their populations, they are going to be the next Superpower!  And the little US will be like a crackhead begging for another fix of oil! 

I am soooo sad to say this, but there is a good chance in the next 20 to 30 years that I will move out of the US!  I hope it doesn’t come to that but I refuse to pay $25 a gallon for gas, I refuse to learn Spanish and I refuse to pay 75% of my earnings to the government.  Sadly, I think that is where we are headed.

COME ON US, GET IT TOGETHER! 

-SP