This is the second half of the post about thinking. You will find videos/podcasts, instructions, and other information about the subject for this week.
Videos/Podcasts:
Survival Podcast - What if Nothing Goes Wrong
http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/what-if-nothing-goes-wrong
Survival Podcast - Watch Out for Combined Threats
http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/watch-out-for-combined-threats
Today's Survival Show -
http://www.todayssurvival.com/?p=908
Instructions:
Getting Informed
FEMA has a book called "Are You Ready? It is a free book. You can download it for free or order a copy. FEMA even will send you multiple copies, for free, to give to your friends and family. Just call the FEMA publications warehouse at 1.800.480.2520 to order your copy/copies.
So, why did I tell you that?
Because the book has a section on identifying possible hazards you and your family might need to prepare for.
Links:
FEMA - Are you Ready?
FEMA - Are You Ready? Getting Informed
Remember last post when I wrote about people that have been getting prepared for a long time may not have the right answer. I am right, and I am wrong.
I am right because they aren't a single parent with two school-aged kids, live in Los Angeles, or stationed overseas with the military. In other words, they are not in your situation. But I am also wrong. These people have made mistakes, common mistakes, that you can avoid.
One of these mistakes is thinking guns are the answer. If you plan to take food from your neighbor, you are going to die.
I can say this with a reasonable amount of accuracy.
Do you know why? There is one gun for every man, women, and child in these United States of America. With 27 million adult Americans being veterans (trust me, they all know how to shoot. Some of them even know how to make War), you don't have a chance.
Still don't believe me.
Research about the Wild West. Everybody carried a gun, including preachers.
Don't forget posses.
Let government break down and people will step in. You screw with the neighbors; the other neighbors will step in, and they have guns. So should you.
Another mistake is thinking you can go this alone. You can't. There are too many skills and not enough life-time. That is the reason for waving to the neighbors. They may not prepare as much as you will, but you can tell them about the money you saved gardening this year. Then help them when they ask to borrow the tiller and learn about food storage.
Take the teenagers shooting and their moms and dads, too. Get them interested in guns and have your spouse talk to them about how better protected he/she feels with having a loaded gun in the house and the self defense course he/she just completed, so she/he can use it, too.
If you go hunting, take them along. Before you go, get the neighbors to buy some basic camping equipment. If not hunting then semi-primitive camping.
Suggest everybody, during Halloween, sit on the front porches to give out treats and watch over the neighborhood. If it works, then suggest having a neighborhood watch every other Friday night, next summer?
Don't preach, don't make jokes about it, use the soft sell.
And buy extra food for the neighbors, just in case.
Another common mistake, even made by the federal government, is the idea of "Surging." No, I am not talking about Iraq. I am talking about the concept of waiting to just before the emergency happens to do something about it.
We see this every time there is a winter storm, hurricane approaching or other "disaster." People rush to the grocery store to buy milk, eggs, and bread. Usually within 6 hours the store shelves are stripped bare of bread, eggs, and milk. It's called the "French Toast Phenomenon" by some preppers.
Surging doesn't work, except for the first few folks. Truthfully ask yourself, "Where am I, in line, during these past surges for basic supply?"
If you answered front, middle, or even the back, surging doesn't work for you. I say this because what happens when someone not in line wants the stuff someone in line has? If you're in line, how is your family being protected?
What do you do if there are no supplies for you? Some more things to think about, so I'll ...
See you next week!
