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Preparing Your Body for Disaster

Advocates of preparedness carry on at great length about self-reliability; extol the virtue of knowing how to build a house or treat a wound by yourself; talk about food stores and shelters until they are blue in the face.  And certainly all these things are important aspects of being prepared for a social or natural disaster, but one aspect of preparedness that is often overlooked is physical preparedness. 

The idea that motivates most preppers to store food and learn skills that would better their chances of survival in a post-disaster environment is that if an event occurred that was catastrophic enough to dismantle society as we know it, people would revert to tribal, even animalistic, behavior to survive. 

In that kind of society, the man who could build a fort to protect his tribe, find his own food, and sustain a small number of people would be king. 

However, in that kind of society the king would have to be extremely healthy and fit, as members of pre-civilized society were. 

Admittedly, many preppers are not the paragon of physical fitness.  And while they might be able to protect themselves with guns and other defenses, there will definitely be times when being able to run faster and farther, and lift and carry heavier objects, will be the key to survival. 

In a post-disaster situation, you should be able to:

• Lift at least 100 pounds,  and;
• Carry that weight ten or more feet without resting;
• Sprint for two minutes without stopping
• Jog for 20 minutes at a brisk pace after sprinting
• Hike 20 miles in one day, carrying a 30 pound pack, over any terrain

With that in mind, there are two areas in which you can train your body to be as prepared as your house and your mind are, in the event of a disaster.

Strength

To increase your strength (without spending money on weights, which are effective, but also expensive), start by adding push-ups, pull-ups, and sit-ups to your daily routine.  For some, this might mean 20 of each; for others, it could be 2 of each.  Do what you can handle without killing yourself, but also train hard and push yourself.  As your repetitions become easier, add more of each exercise.  Isolated exercises like these will help increase the strength of your arms, abs, and back, so that you can lift when it counts.

 Endurance

Run.  Run.  Run.  Running is the most natural form of exercise there is, and if a catastrophe ever strikes, you will be doing a lot of it.  As with the strength exercises, it may be daunting to some to start running, but if you set small goals and continually strive to improve, you will be fitter physically, and better suited to a disaster environment.  Make sure to include sprints in your runs as well.  And keep making the jog and sprint portions of your runs longer.

As important as supplies are, your body is a supply too, and the most important one of all.  Don’t let your physical fitness become secondary to foraging or building, or you might find yourself bested by someone who can run faster or lift more, and all of your prepping will have been for nothing.

By-line:

Alvina Lopez is a freelance writer and blog junkie, who blogs about accredited online colleges. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: alvina.lopez @gmail.com. 

Thanks.

Let’s remember to be realistic about prepping. Prepping is an insurance plan – plain and simple. It is not supposed to consume your life. Life must be about balance – sure you need to plan for the future but you also need to live in the now. If you are spending your days scouring for preps you are missing out on life. You may prep your whole life never to see a disaster – then where are you?  You’ll be a lonely soul surrounded by #10 cans, ammo and sand bags. Keep it in perspective people. And don’t want a disaster to come – pray that it doesn’t (but always be ready if it does!)

Keeping Prepping and Thanks for Reading!

-SP

Let me bring you up to speed with some random thoughts:

1. Austerity.  It is an evil word that no  one the meaning of 2 years ago.  Now – everyone knows what it is.  But just in case YOU don’t, here is the definition “reduced availability of luxuries and consumer goods, esp when brought about by government policy“.  Now you know (feel free to use this at a cocktail party – you’ll look smart!).  We need to accept the fact that austerity is coming to the USA sometime in the next 2 to 10 years.  Why?  We cannot afford all the entitlement programs we are currently funding… it just can’t be done.  I have some experience with very low socio-economic demographics in my profession.  The only things keeping this part of our society from rioting, looting and just causing general mayhem are the US entitlement programs such as food stamps, General assistance (welfare) and SSI.  When these programs are eliminated things are going to get violent!  Hungry and desparate people do horrible and desparate things!
2. Occupy New York.  I support this movement as someone needs to tell Washington that they have failed the American people by lining their own pockets.  Barak Obama you are a bad president and you lied to get elected just like every other polictician currently serving.  The US government is broken and it is time for revolution. 
3. Prepping.  I am reading Jim Rawles’ new book “survivors”.  So far it is not bad.  I am not a big fan of the bible thumping but Mr. Rawles is a devoutly religious man and a respect his right to be so.  I also feel that the scenarios he is setting up are somewhat unrealistic but for the sake of a good story… I’ll go with it.  Where was I?  Oh yeah… so I am reading the part where the couple are stocking up on bartering goods and all I could think of was… duh?  Food is the ultimate barter!  JUST KEEP BUYING FOOD.  If you are a prepper and you think the shit is going down then you need to fill your storage space with food!  I am very confident that 2 months into the crunch or whatever we’re calling it these days, that I will have every gun on my block in my safe because everyone will trade me for my food.  (Caveat… I am not that big of a jerk to unarm a family especially in my own neighborhood but you get my drift).
4. Terrorism.  Now more than ever I fear for terrorist attack.  I don’t think it will be violent, I don’t think it is China – afterall, would a lender attack their creditor thus jeopordizing repayment?  NO! – I think it will be a electronic or internet based attack on the wall street, the electrical grid or other necessary utility.  This sort of attack is serious, harmful and those responsible can remain anonymous.  Or perhaps one of the 20,000 (yes that is correct – 20-f’ing-thousand) stinger missles that went missing in Libya might start showing up and taking out civilian aircraft.  See it here.
5. EMP. I am less worried about EMPs these days.  It seems like terrorists could take down our power grid with a well coordinated internet or cyber attack which is infinitely easier than shooting a NUKE off over the CONUS.  Just my thought.
6. Power in General.  Get generators, get solar, get ready – I think the sensitive and vulnerable power grid is the next target (as I said earlier.  Check out this company for solar - they look like they have well reviewed and solid products.
7. Gold.  Ok, I like gold it is shiny and cool – but we will we have to be pretty deep in a shit storm to be using gold for currency.  I suggest guns, food and medical supplies.  They will be valuable WAAAAY before gold is and you could actually use them too.  I would be pretty hard pressed to trade you my food for some worthless metal.  Right now you can get THREE glocks and 50 rounds of 9mm for each for the price of ONE ounce of gold.  That is a no brainer.

KEEP PREPPING!!!

Pastor Steven Sumner told KTVU the tough economic climate is partly to blame: “I believe more young people are out of work; there is a survival mode.” Sumner is on a committee of faith-based leaders who meet monthly with police to find solutions to the violence.

Remember those words - YOUNG PEOPLE ARE OUT OF WORK AND THERE IS A SURVIVAL MODE

This is going to get worse before it gets better.  Don’t be surprised when your neighbor – who has been cordial and friendly for years – turns on you to feed his family.  I suggest reviewing your home’s safety and security measures.  I recently installed additional motion sensing lights around my perimeter and cameras are next.

PREP HARD – PREP FAST!

-SP

 Shopping frenzy
In Tokyo, canned goods, batteries, bread and bottled water vanished from store shelves and long lines of cars circled gas stations as the nuclear crisis set off panic-buying.



Far outside the disaster zone, stores were running out of necessities, raising government fears that hoarding may hurt the delivery of emergency food aid to those who really need it.

The frenzied buying has compounded supply problems from damaged and congested roads, stalled factories, reduced train service and other disruptions caused by Friday’s earthquake and tsunami.

Tourists such as Christy Niver, of Egan, Minn., said they had had enough and were leaving. Her 10-year-old daughter, Lucy, was more emphatic. “I’m scared. I’m so scared I would rather be in the eye of a tornado,” she said. “I want to leave.”

Even in the western city of Hiroshima, which was untouched by the disaster, stores are running out of batteries and the media was warning people not to hoard, a local government official said. 

 See the whole article HERE. 

AND Check THIS Out - A simply amazing display by the New York Times with Before and After.  There is a little slider on the picture that you move side to side for before and after – simply unbelievable devastation.

Please – Give to the Red Cross - DONATE HERE -  Japan is going to need your help.  This will need to be a GLOBAL effort in order to help Japan recover. 

PREP MY FRIENDS! 

“People are surviving on little food and water. Things are simply not coming,” (emphasis added) said Hajime Sato, a government official in Iwate prefecture, one of the three hardest hit.

See the whole article HERE.  The name of the article “Tide of 1,000 bodies overwhelms quake-hit Japan”.

Check out this post at Gizmodo.com (great sight BTW) showing first person video of the tsunami.  It is six minutes long and worth the time.  Watch water rises and rises and at first the buildigs look fine – but then…

 Still vigilent Preppers – PREP HARD!

Earthquakes strike without warning.  If you live in an earthquake-prone area of the world, like I do, it is better to be ready for the big one and never need your preps than have the big one hit while you still have a ‘to-do’ list!

PREP NOW – PREP WELL – PREP RIGHT!

-SP

My wife and I live within our means. We have old cars and a smaller home than most and NO CREDIT CARD DEBT! With no credit card debt I am relatively prepared (yes, there it is) for these unexpected bills. If necessary, I can live off them (credit cards) while I pay for this medical disaster. If I was carrying a balance, I may not have them as a back up.  So, just like getting your other ducks in a row (firearm training, medical response training) you need to get your finances in order too. Sub Prep – where is this going? GUEST POST TIME!!!!!

Catching Runaway Credit Card Debt

If you’ve accumulated several thousand dollars in credit card debt, it may be good to know that you’re not alone. Across the US, millions of people have managed to do the same, and are now facing years of hard work to get back on track. So, put on your running shoes, grab your budget, and let’s start the race toward eliminating this burden.

First of all, you need to realize that you’re running a marathon, not a sprint. Chances are, it took years to get to this point; don’t expect to be debt-free in a matter of weeks (or even months). Like any long race, you need training and a race plan, or you could easily end up on the side of the road – frustrated, out of breath, and unable to finish.

The first step is to put the credit cards away – in a safe, sock drawer, file cabinet, or any other place where you aren’t inclined to use them for impulsive purchases. Chances are that you’ve tried several times to beat your debt down, only to find it inching higher. The basic fact is that it won’t go away on its own; you have to stop spending and adding to the debt, in order to move closer to the ultimate finish line of no more credit card debt.

Secondly, you need to look at your budget, and make necessary lifestyle changes. This task is going to require endurance, so you need to ensure you are making healthy financial choices and avoiding “fatty,” meaningless expenses. Remember, the hardest part of training for anything is acknowledging and adhering to the sacrifices required; giving up the comfort of old spending habits will be hard, but this change will get easier as time goes on. You are developing a regimen of healthy habits that will ultimately give you the skills and endurance required to win this race. It will take time for this new regimen to feel natural, so remember the end goal and keep focused on it.

Finally, make a race plan. With your newly acquired financial skills and habits, you are ready to tackle this challenge. While there are several ways to eliminate credit card debt, you need to pick a plan that works for you. The two most common plans are:

1. Pay off the card with the highest APR first. This will ensure that you pay the minimum in interest and charges while you catch up. In the long run, this allows more money to go toward your balance, and less toward interest.

2. Pay off the card with the smallest balance first. There is an inherently good feeling when you reach a goal, such as paying off a credit card. By paying the smallest balance off first, you build momentum and see results more quickly.

Whichever plan you use, don’t forget that you need to pay the minimum balance on the other cards to avoid late fees, increased interest rates, and lower credit scores.

In short, credit card debt can be beaten. It will take planning, endurance, and persistence, but the reward in the end is well worth the effort. So, are you ready to pick up your race number and take your first step toward financial freedom? READY, SET, START!

For advice about debt consolidation, check out CareOne.  As with any vendor referred to on this site, please check them out on your own first to be sure they are right for you and your situation. 

-SP