Prepper New Years Resolutions

Whether you are a Beginner just getting started, or an Advanced Prepper, there are some gaps in your plan or some critical needs that are high on your list. Your critical need may be your first gun, home defense gun, a handgun, or some Ammo.  Do you have the basics covered as recommended by the US Government?  Too often, our plans do not include the "most critical items" like Water.  Instead, we jump right into the food.  While a healthy food plan is essential, it is not the first priority.

As a part of your New Years Resolutions, visit our Step by Step Prepper plan and Table of Contents to see what you may be missing. Then fine-tune your plan and set out some specific goals for the new year.

For additional information see the following links: 
  Blog Table of Contents;
 

Or click on a label below for similar topics.

Top 10 Barter Goods

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During an economic meltdown, a wide spread Power Outage, Hurricane, Terrorist take over, or any other long term serious event, barter will be necessary.  With out electricity, credit and ATM cards are worthless.  The only reason a paper bill (dollar) has any value at all, is the confidence the public has in it; that it is worth more than the paper its printed on.  Isn't it a bit amazing how the same piece of paper with "20" printed on it is worth much more than with a "1" printed on it? The same paper and ink with just a slightly different image makes a huge difference in the perceived value. But what is true value?  Obviously things that are necessary to survive (see Rule of 3) like air, water, food, shelter and security are very import.

So what are the characteristics of ideal Barter Investments:

1. Low cost, but certain to increase in value after a collapse; essential to survive
2. Stable over a many years; made from stainless steel; long shelf life
3. Unlikely to flag you as a Prepper; secrecy is critical to avoid making you a target
4. Used in your every-day life so that they can be rotated like other stockpiled items
5. Contributes to (not threatens) you, such as seeds traded to a neighbor in exchange for a bushel of food as opposed to a gun or ammo that could be used to shoot you.

Here are some Top 10 items that should be valuable to barter with, listed in what I believe might offer the best return on investment. 

1. US Silver Coins - the most stable form of currency throughout history.  Gold is too valuable; what would you buy with a $10,000 bill if no one could make change?  A low cost alternative might be copper pennies, which they stopped making in 1982 because the copper in them was worth about 3-4 cents. One-gram gold might also be good for protecting wealth but for barter would be like having 100 bills where not many people could make change for them.
2. Ammo - there is debate here that you don't want to arm potential enemies and so you should not trade any ammo, but it will offer a substantial return on your investment being worth more than gold in a "Walking Dead" type break down. A counter to the argument is that arming your neighbors could serve and an outer layer of defense. A solution to this concern might be to barter a limited number of small caliber, short range ammunition like .22 LR (or 9mm) and not long range sniper rounds.  Barter individual rounds, not boxes of ammo. Some suggest popular magazines, which will be critical in the early stages, but not longer term as casualties mount and weapons are readily available.
3. Manual Can Openers - cans of food will be an important source of salvaged food, but you need to be able to open them with out injuring yourself. See our post on Salvaging Supplies.
4. Seeds  - one of the most valuable items long-term along with chickens and other livestock. Save low cost seeds of fast growing Prepper foods that can be preserved.  Short term, they are not worth much, but long term they would be priceless. See our posts on seeds for survival and gardening in the Blog Table of Contents.
5. Hand tools - shovels, hoes, rakes, post hole diggers, crescent wrench, pipe wrench, hand saws, hand drills, hand planer, axe, machete, water hoses, hand water pumps, sprinklers, etc.  A good garden hoe will be priceless when trying to grow your own food.
6. Handheld radios for communications  at $23 for 2, you can't afford not to have a set for you and a set or two for your neighbors to warn you if a threat is coming. Be sure to have rechargeable batteries and several $5 solar powered battery chargers. 
7. First Aid/Medical Supplies, bandages, disinfectants, hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, antibiotic creams, Listerine mouthwash - rotate them as they will expire over time (their Achilles heel). Have a still to make your own disinfectant and purify water.
8. Books of all types, but especially educational ones and those that teach basic skills like gardening, farming/ranching, food preservation, hunting, fishing, firearms, reloading, chemistry, carpenter, military experience, ham radio, bio fuels, medical care, the ability to fix broken mechanical devices, tying knots, teaching and other important skills. 
9. Maps, especially water proof ones are valuable during migrations and a good Silva compass. 
10. TBD - to be determined - I will complete this with your suggestions 

Here are some additional items that are good to have and valuable for barter, but are not necessarily a good investment because they don't meet our criteria, so they didn't make the top 10 list: 

1.  Items like tobacco, alcohol/whiskey, chocolate; too expensive and not essential, however for people who are addicted, these are important.
2. Cross Bow or Bow and Arrows for long term for stealth and security after, ammo runs.
3. Bicycles with trailers, padlocks, chain and parts for them (along with horses) will be essential for travel. But these are far too expensive to invest in for Barter, unlike can openers.
4. BB Guns (higher powered) and lots of BB's for hunting birds and small game but which also do not represent a security threat to you like trading ammo does.
5. Rolls of heavy PE film (black & clear)
6. Pesticides for gardening and insect repellent for security watch (short term) but develop natural sustainable sources for long term needs.
7. Fly Swatters, old fashion pest control before other means were available.
8. Lanterns, candles and matches, especially waterproof ones.
9. Pencils, paper, and a sharpener.
10. Smokers for preserving foods
11. Mason canning jars & lids.
12. Fishing line, hooks and nets.
13. Duct tape, glue, screws and nails
14. Camping, travel supplies, and collapsible water containers.
15. LED flashlights, both battery and crank dynamo powered.
16. Para cord
17. Salt
18. 12-volt electrical components, LED bulbs, AC inverters & Solar Panels
19. Your suggestions? 

Credit/ATM cards and paper money will be worthless.  There will be swap events, traveling salvagers/traders and resale shops along with fix-it shops that will be popular.  No nail salons, gyms or video games.  Only Silver and Barter are sustainable over time.  Our post on Investing for Preppers talks about the value of goods in terms of silver coin.

By this time, it obvious to the few who have survived that things have changed, reset you might say, from an era of stupidity and laziness.  The degree of the break down will largely determine the length and slope of the recovery. Foreign "help" (a.k.a invasion) is likely, whether wanted or not. Not only will we have to fight to survive, we will have to fight to keep our freedom from Communist China, Socialist Europe or the Muslim Middle East. But that is a topic for another post.

For additional information see the following links: 
Blog Table of Contents;

Top 10 List of Prepper info
Top Rated Prepper Handbook Posts of all time
Top Rated Prepper Website

Or click on a label below for similar topics.

PVC Survival Tube

Using a short piece of PVC pipe with some end caps, you can make your own PVC burial tube to store a host of supplies (list below).  The end caps glue on one end and press/screw on the other end for easy removal, OR glue on both ends for the most secure long term water tight seal.

Using a 6 inch (or larger) diameter PVC pipe sized to fit your stainless steel guns, you can use two of these low cost flexible PVC caps to cover the ends: http://www.amazon.com/Fernco-Inc-PQC-106-6-Inch-Qwik/dp/B000VZPZNG?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_2&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

 

An advantage, or possible disadvantage of this model is that the metal hose clamp would be easily found with a metal detector.  It could also rust and be hard to get off or even break and fall off over time making it ineffective.  So I might limit this to a shorter term, lower cost alternative.

Another alternative are these slip/glue on caps that can be used on one or both ends:  http://www.amazon.com/Genova-40156-Cap-Sewer-Drain/dp/B000BQPAJ4?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_1&smid=A1SV1BYDTUK2Z5

A more expensive alternative is to use on of the above glue on caps on one end, and these two items on the other end for a screw on/off access: 
http://www.amazon.com/Spears-Series-Fitting-Cleanout-Adapter/dp/B009H4245Y/ref=pd_bxgy_328_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1FZAXFPZTXCND1PZ7QXJ

AND

http://www.amazon.com/Spears-P106-Series-Fitting-Cleanout/dp/B009H41U1S?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_3&smid=A2LMF55FDXFV7T

These two combined look like a common sewer clean out port and can be installed in plain sight and still look normal.  They are also likely to last the longest.

There are also off the shelf Burial Tubes for firearms that are available like this one, but remember that PVC has been used for underground pipes for many years because it lasts the longest.

Including some desiccant to absorb moisture along with some of the long term storage bags might be a good idea. Be sure to bury them in a location that you will be able to find them for many years to come, and share one but not all of your locations with different trusted family &/or friends.  Keep a record of who you shared each one with for obvious reasons.

Here are some of the things you can store in a PVC Burial Tube:

1. Take down Stainless Steel 22 caliber survival rife (Marlin or Ruger).
2. Stainless Steel Revolver
3. Ammo with Chrome/Nickle plated casings if possible.
4. Gun oil
5. Old US silver quarters and dimes
6. Magnesium fire starter
7. Water straw filter
8. Para cord
9. Stainless Steel Knife & saw
10. Fish hooks (plated), steel leaders and braided fishing string.
11. Candles
12. Compass
13. Small survival blanket

Remember buried storage items are likely long term which is why stainless steel and other more durable goods are suggested like a filter straw instead of tablets for treating water, or a Magnesium fire started instead of matches. Putting perishable items like batteries could age, corrode and damage many of the other goods in your tube so caution is advisable.  Water containers could leak, so avoid including water (and other liquids), but rather add a water filter.

For some additional ideas on what to pack see the following video:  Wilderness Survival Pack
For additional information see the following links:

Blog Table of Contents

Here are some additional links for building a PVC burial tube:

http://preppers.org/pvc-survival-time-capsule-make-one/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe_vXdMrHHseZ_esYUskSBw

New Years Resolution

Happy New Year! As a New Years resolution, lets pledge to protect our families against common disasters for our area. Events like earthquakes or severe weather such as hurricanes, tornadoes, winter storms, freezing cold and whatever other disasters that are likely to occur over the next few years. With all the rioting going on, we should include that too.  At the very least, put a plan in place. 

The following is an excerpt from the Prepper Handbook that can be previewed for free on Amazon.

Prepper Incremental Strategy
Now let’s talk about common sense prepping. Not going overboard or becoming obsessed, but rather build your preparations slowly over time. Few of us have unlimited funds to go out and buy everything we need at once. Therefore, we must organize, prioritize, and develop our preparations over time. I call this our Incremental Strategy Plan. As you read this book, you should develop your own plan. The following table is an excellent example to follow and can be tailored to meet your specific needs.

This table gives you several columns that represent the approximate times that you might be able to survive with no outside support. The columns and rows are in order of priority. Starting on the left is the minimum level of preparations that you should have. Start at the top row of the first column and work down. Once you achieve the first column level titled “0 – 25%, 7 days” then it is time to move across and start securing the second column of preparations titled “26 – 50%, 30 days.”  Continue this process until you are comfortable with your level of preparation.

You will notice the first item shown in the first column and first row is Ammo and at least one firearm. It doesn’t matter what preparations you have in place; you won’t be able to keep them unless you are armed.

Prepper Incremental Strategy Table

        Column 1^st priority         2^nd priority      3^rd priority      4^th priority

Prep Level &Period of time: →	0–25%7 days	26– 50%30 days	51 – 75%6 Months	76 – 98%1 Year +
Comment on potential cause, symptoms and consequences	Flu, hurricane, tornado, earthquake, chemical leak, wildfire. Power / water out a few days. Minor looting. Less than 1% population loss	Serious pandemic, massive chemical or radiation leak, wildfire, rioting & gang looting.Power / water out for weeks.Single digit population loss.	Social upheaval, terrorist or limited nuke attack, large organized gang looting. Indefinite power outage. Double digit population loss.	EMP, Economic Meltdown, hyperinflation,Organized Militia, possibly foreign “help imposing order”, confiscating weapons & supplies for the common good. 50+% population losses.
Security(1st priority row)	200 rounds of Ammo & at least one personal protection firearm. Solar Powered Lawn Lights that use AA Batteries.Crank radio & flash lights.Whistles for emergency communication.	Increase to 500 rounds of Ammo per firearm & at least 1 pistol & rifle.Add: Solar Powered Motion detection alarms (Home Brite) and Walkie Talkie Radios, CB, ham radios, trip wire, guard dog.	Increase to 1,000 rounds of Ammo per firearm.Add: at least 1 pistol & rifle per adult; Gen 3 Night Vision & a bullet proof vest for every 2 – 3 adults.	Increase to 5,000 rounds of Ammo per firearm.Add Bow & 24 Arrows for each adult; Black Powder Flintlock rifle & bullet mold.Also one Ruger or Marlin Stainless Steel .22 Rifle per Teenager.Gen 3 Night Vision (2).
Watch(2nd priority row)	Radio, TV, daily scouting in pairs / visit neighbors. Sleep with 1 eye open.	Night watchman	24 – 7 Armed Security Watch	Community Organized Constitutional law enforcement.
Air(3rd priority row)	Gas Mask per person. Recall smoke inhalation kills, not the house fire.	Add: Gas Mask for each vehicle & extra set of filters per family member.	Add: 2 NBC (Nuclear, Biological & Chemical) Suits.	Add: another extra set of filters and 2 NBC Suits.
Shelter(4th priority)	Stocked primary residence & backup tent. Outdoor barking dogs.	Add: Get out of Dodge (GOOD) pack; Neighborhood organized.	Add: remote retreat with underground shelter & sufficient fuel to get there.	Add: Security posts for community watch with good cover & communications. Restore utility services.
Water(5th priority)	1 gallon of unscented bleach per family and 7 gallons of stored water per person.	Increase to 30 gallons of stored water per person.Add: Water filtration.	Increase to two (2) gallons of bleach.Add:  renewal water source – creek, pond.	Increase to four (4) gallons of unscented bleach.Add: water distillation.
Food(6th priority)	Kitchen pantry & cabinets well stocked with your normal foods, especially dried goods and those with long shelf lives. Have a small “practice” garden and a few hand tools.	Add:  Freezer stocked with ¼ to ½ beef & commonly used frozen foods. Electric Generator and gas to run freezer. Canning book(s), water pump, matches & fire starters. Larger garden.	Add: 6 month supply of dried food for each person. 1,000 canning Jars & extra lidsGarden Seeds. Chickens & Incubator for eggs & meat. Rabbits	Increase vitamins & food supply to 12 months.Add:   Heirloom seeds & hand / garden tools for extended food production.Cows, goats, sheep, horses.
Health & Safety(7th priority)	Advanced First aid Kit.Keep plenty of vitamins & medicines. Fire protection	Add: Extra First Aid supplies like alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, triple Antibiotic cream, acetaminophen, ibuprofen & Vitamins.	Add Books – When there is no Doctor & When there is no Dentist. Expand fire protection.	Group Doctor or nurse. Trauma & surgery first aid kit. Books on nutrition.
Barter / Share(8th priority)	Cash, Water & dried foods. Extra First Aid kit(s). Extra Batteries & LED head lights  Basic first aide kits	Add: Extra first aid supplies Basic Skills, Survival & Medical Books, Bibles. Rechargeable batteries.	Add:  Extra ammo in common calibers.Extra Stainless Steel 22 Rifles to arm trusted neighbors.	Add: US Silver &/or Gold coins. Organized weekly community barter & swap events.Extra Hand & Gardening Tools.
Extras(9th priority)	Quality AC inverter (120 volt Plug) for your car(s). Police Scanner, can openers. Pet food.	Several 5 Gal Cans of Gas & maps. Propane (long shelf life), Kerosene & Lamps. Para Cord (Mil Std 8 ply).	Solar power system,  hand water pump, rain water collection, grain grinder,	Trauma and Surgical Kit, home school books, encyclopedia, fish nets, and Alternate resort off site stores cached for retreat plan.

This table is an example to present the incremental strategy concept. The actual priorities may vary depending on your situation. If you live near a nuclear power plant, NBC (Nuclear, Biological & Chemical) Suits are a higher priority. If you live near a chemical plant, refinery, or areas with frequent wild fires, then Gas Masks & extra filters become a higher priority. If you live in a crowded area with no place to go (Bug Out), then you need more security and motion detection, community organization and weapons to share with neighbors for strength in numbers.  See the post Urban Survival Plan

For additional information see the following links:

Blog Table of Contents

Prepper Handbook Table of Contents

Over 500 Pages of a detailed step by step guide, taking you from Beginner to Advanced Prepping.  It includes a Sustainable Living Model and Security Plans along with much more.
Why we are all Preppers	7
US GOVERNMENT Recommended Preparations	8
Prepper Incremental Strategy	11
Prepper Incremental Strategy Table	12
Bug in or Bug Out:	15
Red Flag warnings it’s time to Bug Out to a safe retreat	18
TEOTWAWKI	19
How Much Ammo is needed	22
Sustainable Living	25
Stealth Preparations	26
SECURITY PLAN	33
Passive and Active defense	33
Smaller Group Security	38
How to set up an LP or Listening Post:	39
Team Members	40
Night Vision	41
Charity	43
Personal Supplies	44
Medical Supplies	44
Leadership Council	45
Group members	45
Alert Codes	47
Potential Social Breakdown levels:	48
Rules of Engagement (ROE)	51
Prisoner Policy	54
Hostage Policy	55
Code / Alert / Pass words	55
Leap Frog Retreat	56
International Morse Code	58
GROUP SECURITY DRILLS	59
COMMUNITY ACTION PLAN	60
Historical Lessons:	65
Dark Ages	66
Standing Rules of Rogers’ Rangers:	67
Scout Backpack	69
Post SHTF Scouting Rules	72
Hand Signals	74
Misleading Media (and a grain of salt)	77
Wilderness Survival	80
Trapping for food	81
SUSTAINABLE LIVING MODEL	88
Garden	88
Livestock	91
Chickens for Eggs	93
Chickens for meat	94
Goats for meat & milk	95
Rabbits	96
Cows	96
Fish	97
Pigs	99
Pigeons	101
Grain for Feed	102
Bees	102
Meal Plan Summary	103
Food Preservation	104
Packaging and Storing Dried Foods	109
Cheese	110
Canning	113
Shelf Life	113
Root Cellar	115
INVESTING FOR PREPPERS	116
Economic Trade	117
Value of Silver Coins in 1960's	118
Re-Population Consideration	121
APPENDIX	122
Recommended Resources	123
Vegetable Variety Days to Harvest	129
Constitutional Clarifications	136
Declaration of Orders We Will NOT Obey	136
GOVERNMENT RECOMMENDED DISASTER PREPARATIONS	142
TERRORIST HAZARDS	142
Biological Threats	142
Chemical Threats	143
Cyber Attack	145
Cyber Security	147
Explosions	148
Nuclear Blast	149
Radiological Dispersion Device (RDD)	151
NATURAL DISASTERS	155
Drought	155
Earthquakes	157
Extreme Heat	160
Floods	162
Home Fires	167
Hurricanes	169
Landslides & Debris Flow	173
Severe Weather	175
Space Weather	177
Thunderstorms & Lightning	179
Tornadoes	182
Tsunamis	184
Volcanoes	186
Wildfires	188
TECHNOLOGICAL & ACCIDENTAL HAZARDS	192
Blackouts	192
Hazardous Materials Incidents	193
Household Chemical Emergencies	196
Nuclear Power Plants	199
Community and Other Plans	201
Pandemic	202
Shelter	203
Emergency Alerts	205
Evacuating Yourself and Your Family	206
NRA Guns Safety Rules	209
Appendix A Army Branches and Tactical Echelons	212
Appendix B Tactical Mission Tasks	227
Appendix C Airborne and Air Assault Operations	242
Appendix D Encirclement Operations	253
Chapter 1 PART ONE Tactical Fundamentals	267
Chapter 3 PART TWO Offensive Operations	301
Chapter 8 PART THREE Defensive Operations	394
Chapter 12 PART FOUR Tactical Enabling Operations	468

F

For additional information see the following links:

Introduction

Prepper Handbook Table of Contents

Blog Table of Contents

Beginners:

Beginner Prepper List

The Rule of 3 (set priorities by this)

US Government Recommended Preparations

Why we are ALL Preppers (for skeptics)

Investing for Preppers

Advanced Prepper Resource

Prepper Handbook Table of Contents

Oath Keepers, true protectors of freedom

Group Security Drills

Bees for Prepping

Food and water:

Building your food stores the right way

Getting Started (Water)

Green House for year-round food supply

Prepper Handbook  

Gardening101 – Soil Basics

Best Prepper Chicken Breed

Bees for Prepping

Edible Wild Plants:

Chickweed & Hackberries

Natural Disaster Preparations

Natural & Man Made Disaster Preparations  

Hurricanes

Firearms and security:

NRA Gun Safety Rules

Beginner Prepper List

Survival Pack

Passive Layered Security

Night Vision

Red flag warnings its time to Bug Out

Bug Out Warning

Investing for Preppers (Financial Security)

The Best Gun

Group Security Drills

Urban Survival Perspective

Shelter:

Concrete Bunker Plans

Wilderness Survival:

Survival Pack (Security Patrol or Bug Out pack)

Wilderness Survival Pack (Video) 

Wilderness Survival