Archive for Bugging Out

The 2019-nCoV Wuhan Novel Coronavirus: Where we stand, what is to come, and what should you do

February 24, 2020 Bugging Out, China, Department of State, Disaster Preparedness, economic collapse, News and Intelligence, Off Grid Living, Organization, Support, and Advice, Pandemic, Prepping, Self-Sufficiency, Social Unrest Comments Off on The 2019-nCoV Wuhan Novel Coronavirus: Where we stand, what is to come, and what should you do

By now, unless you are already off-grid, you know that a viral outbreak, which began in China, has now gone global. There should be no doubt this is going to cause massive disruptions across the globe, yet due to what many politely refer to as “normalcy bias,” Americans appear oblivious. Even those that are paying attention seem to be under an illusion that the government has a secret plan that will spare the United States from the chaos now spreading across China. Now, as the numbers of infected explode exponentially higher globally, the questions people should be asking are what should I do and when. This is no longer any question of “if” this virus is going to become a pandemic. This pandemic will be a game changer that cannot be averted. So now what?

What should we do is the question I hear most often? As we sit on the eve of a truly global catastrophe, I can’t help thinking that this has eerie similarities to how Americans ignored the warnings as Hurricane Katrina barreled toward the Gulf Coast. In spite of what were very clear warnings and indications Hurricane Katrina was going to cause massive damage, people chose to ignore the ugly reality. Instead of taking action, they found comfort in creating a false reality where nothing changed and everything was going to be okay. Those people died as the levies burst and Katrina’s storm surge poured into the low-lying neighborhoods of New Orleans. The normalcy bias is lethal and you must break free of it mentally. For what it’s worth, Wikipedia defines normalcy bias as “a tendency for people to believe that things will always function the way they have normally functioned and therefore underestimate both the likelihood of a disaster and its possible effects.” The site goes on to claim up to 70% of people display a normalcy bias during a disaster. Americans more than any other people seem to be taught from birth that they have a “right” to happiness and will willfully ignore reality. In fact, many Americans will simply refuse to listen to bad news if it doesn’t fit their created “reality.” Unfortunately for them, denial of reality has never made a person immune from the consequences of reality. As such, the first thing you need to do is realize the gravity of the situation.

How bad will it get is the natural follow-up question. The truth is no one totally knows, but we do have some good insights based on what is occurring in the rest of the world. No one should be under any illusion that people are going to be forced to stay home in mass quarantines of entire cities and regions. All public gatherings will be cancelled. All non-essential travel will be cancelled. Most if not all public transit will be shut down. Businesses and schools will be forced to close. Hospitals will be overrun. Supply shortages will become acute. The global economy will lose trillions. Social unrest is bound to break out and at least limited martial law may be imposed in some of our major cities. The cumulative effect will be big enough to shake up the global order of things. Further, remember disease is an equal opportunity killer and doesn’t discriminate based on your level of wealth. Without doubt, many older people will die. Some of these people will be elites. If you take the government’s numbers at face value, this virus kills approximately 2.2% of those infected. However, of those infected, it kills a much higher number of the elderly and people with pre-existing conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Take a look at our ruling elites around the world. How many fit that category. By time this is all over, many of them could be dead if a vaccine isn’t quickly developed.

At this point, you are already better off than 70% of the population if Wikipedia is to be believed because you now have internalized as fact, things are not going to be the same. You have overcome the normalcy bias. This is key because now you can properly appreciate the growing body of information to know what post outbreak life will be like. That hurdle is literally the most difficult mental jump for most Americans so congratulations. Now, with your eyes opened, you are ready to make a plan and take action. Let’s look more specifically at key areas and discuss what can be done.

The economic impact is going to be massive. There is just no avoiding this one. The stock market is going to crater so consider liquidating equities that aren’t long hold or gold related. After the markets dropped today, it may be too late to sell your stocks and you have to ride out the storm. For those savvy enough to trade options or short stocks you already know there is money to be made as the market goes down. At minimum, the best advice for most people is to simply start pulling out cash. Keep only what you need in your accounts. As the virus spreads, banks could quickly become insolvent. This will almost undoubtedly lead to banking holidays, freezes, and collapses.

Supply chain disruptions will also become common. Businesses will be forced to shut down operations. China to some degree can attempt to force workers to go back to work (doesn’t appear even in China this has been successful), but for liability reasons alone, forcing employees to come to work in the West is a non-starter. This will quickly lead to widespread supply shortages. Anything you think you will need to hunker down and wait out the storm, you should stock up on now. Based on China, one should prepare to go months, not weeks, without essential supplies if you want to avoid sick people. Further, do not rely on delivery services. As soon as the first stock worker at a fulfillment center falls ill, Amazon and others will be forced to reduce or suspend operations. At the top of your list should be essential medications and non-perishable food stuffs. You can tolerate a lot on a full belly, but once you become hungry, things get ugly fast. In particular, Americans simply do not know what it’s like to go without or starve. Expect people to be very angry if they can’t get their soymilk and beer.

Censorship and false information always go hand-and-hand with major disasters. Let’s start with the internet, news, and tech companies.  China has deleted all but a very few stories that were smuggled out.  Even the doctor that initially called attention to the virus was suppressed and ultimately died in China.  It’s not just China though.  In the West, a popular site called Zero Hedge was banned on Twitter for simply suggesting there could be a link between the virus and scientists in China that had worked on similar pathogens https://www.zerohedge.com/.  Most would not have even cared or noticed, but it was enough to send the censors into a frenzy.  Why not allow the readers to make up their own minds?  You see, during a crisis, the governments must control the narrative.  Truth has to be what they create or it will be censored.  We have words for this…propaganda, misinformation, and disinformation.  This isn’t good for you or society and certainly hasn’t helped us prepare for the pandemic.  We have already seen China manipulating data and outright lying about the severity of the outbreak. Further, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization (WHO) have been anything but candid. The WHO in particular seems to be parroting communist party lines and kowtowing China’s demands at the expense of sensitizing the rest of the world to the severity of the crisis. Back home, the CDC hasn’t done Americans any favors either and appears far more interested in suppressing the actual number of infected than preparing Americans. Remember, it is always in the government’s interest to attempt to maintain order to maintain their power. Their interest is status quo. If people get upset and unrest breaks-out, they are not there to help you.  They are there to control you. They are there to ensure they stay in power. In almost every case, this means you are the one that will have to suffer for the “greater good.”

Don’t plan on the government helping you. The government doesn’t have a magic bullet. They simply can’t help everyone. Further, they aren’t good at it as demonstrated by the Department of State’s botched medical evacuations of Americans from China and the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan. Instead of helping, expect the government to act in a broad heavy-handed fashion such as locking down entire cities irrespective of the interests of the citizens. Depending on where you happen to be, this may prevent you from escaping the pandemic. In fact, like the people quarantined to the cruise ship, the government’s actions put them at far greater risk. Partial and then full quarantines are almost a certainty and Americans are not going to like it. Also, the “government” isn’t some far off group of superhumans that are immune to this disease. We will be lucky if the garbage men show up to work in most areas. As soon as a soldier shows up on base or at the Pentagon with this virus, the whole place will be closed down. Congress is certainly not going to hold session in D.C. with a major pandemic spreading. Even the White House will be forced to shut its doors and move to an offsite location. Contractors and staffers definitely are not going to be there to support operations. The point is there will be very few people left at work to steer this ship and you are not going to be their priority.

Families are going to be forced to make tough decisions. I can’t make these decisions for you, but you should consider them now. Do you stay together because you or your spouse has an essential job or do you bug out separately? Do you avoid your parents because they are more susceptible to the virus? What about your kids? Who is going to stay home to take care of them? The first child that shows up sick in school will also cause an instant exodus. I doubt many school systems in the U.S. will be able to complete this year without a major disruption. How about pets? Do you have enough feed on-hand to sustain them through a long quarantine?

Where to from here? Is it time to bug out? You ultimately have to make the call. The virus can take weeks to show so by the time “everyone” is sick, it will be too late to bug out. If you are going to go, this week is probably getting close to check-out time if you live in any major city in the U.S. If you are solo or want to risk it, you may get another week, but quarantines can be enacted very rapidly. Now is the time to get things in order, check your gear, restock essentials, and make your plan. Very soon, it will be time to cash out, pack out, and get out.

 

By Guiles Hendrik
February 24, 2020

North Korea to use Chemical and Biological Weapons Against the US

April 18, 2017 Afghanistan, Bug Out Bags, Bugging Out, China, Danger Alerts!, Department of Defense, Disaster Preparedness, economic collapse, Exclusive Story, Global War, Iran, Iraq, Military, Military Industrial Complex, News and Intelligence, North Korea, Nuclear War, Pandemic, Prepping, Russia, Syria, Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures, Trump, Yemen Comments Off on North Korea to use Chemical and Biological Weapons Against the US

Too many Americans are completely detached from the horrors of war as the US has enjoyed an unprecedented period of peace within its continental borders.  The ability to not know war has been a precious luxury enjoyed for a generation in the US, but is now taken completely for granted.  For most, war is just another form of entertainment like sports games and movies.  In fact, to the average person, there is literally no distinction between the Hollywood war movies and reality.  Why would there be when roughly only four tenths of a percent of the US population is serving in the military and far less have actually fought its wars?  This makes it highly likely most Americans don’t even know a vet.  There are many problems with this disassociation.  However, the most detrimental has been that our nation has become so insulated from war they feel that we can kill with impunity around the globe.  Symptomatic of this condition is the apathy Americans demonstrate to our military intervention overseas.  We now allow our nation to blindly blunder into global conflict without even a debate.  Americans have forgotten the actual human costs and the horrors of what a war is like if it comes to our own shores.  This always ends badly and if a war with North Korea begins, we may very soon learn what it is like to see war again on American soil.

Currently, the Trump Administration has overtly entered or continued US involvement in wars in Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq without any debate, votes, or justification.  Literally, President Trump has picked a new fight every month he has been in office.  My fear is that President Trump is now setting the stage for an unavoidable conflict with North Korea making him five for five.  Let me be clear, I do not believe President Trump has many options left with North Korea.  However, I fear that he will not chose the best courses of action and it will cost the US an incredibly high price.  I don’t say this lightly.  Conflicts in Syria and Iraq have the potential to spread and end in a disaster for the US in large part because they will financially bankrupt our nation and lead to the wholesale slaughter of millions of innocent people.  However, the US has not fought a war since WWII where the adversary had the ability to attack the US mainland.  Am I suggesting North Korea has the ability to physically invade the US and pelt of with missiles?  No.  In fact, North Korea does not have that ability at all.  However, North Korea has the ability to asymmetrically attack the US with some of the most horrendous weapons known to man and you need to be prepared.

War with North Korea is looking more and more inevitable.  Neither side is willing to back down.  If there is to be war, even the best case is still horrible.  The best case would be a surprise US nuclear strike against the North Korean regime and its military installations ending the war quickly and with minimal US and allied casualties.  A far uglier picture emerges if the Trump Administration opted for, even if just initially, a conventional option.  Using conventional weapons would allow North Korea time to deploy not just its conventional weapons, but its chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons.  This would almost guarantee Seoul would be reduced to rubble and tens of thousands of American and South Korean casualties would be incurred within the first 24-48 hours of the conflict.  If the US and South Korean troops had to conventionally fight the entire war, we would be looking at close to a million casualties and our nation utterly bankrupted by the conflict.  Further, this is assuming China doesn’t enter the war, which would truly make it a WWIII endgame scenario and this isn’t at all unlikely.

However, irrespective of the financial cost and the massive loss of life associated with a war in North Korea, Americans, have in their comforts, become totally ignorant of the fact that North Korea has planned for and put in place numerous asymmetric means to attack the US.  To be blunt, North Korea is prepared to attack the US homeland in horrific ways should war break out.  In particular, over the course of time, North Korea is rumored to have smuggled via diplomatic pouches numerous biological and chemical weapons into the US through its United Nations mission in New York.  Disturbingly, once the technology to produce these types of weapons is achieved, and North Korea has achieved it, these weapons are relatively easy to smuggle and very difficult to track.  Adding to the problem is that a very small amount of these weapons can inflict large number of casualties.  If true, literally every city in the US could be simultaneously attacked with a full range of biological and chemical weapons.  In particular, North Korea is already believed to have smuggled VX nerve agent into a foreign country and used it to assassinate a political rival.  In larger quantities, VX could be dispersed over crowded areas to inflict large numbers of casualties and to create massive panic in cities like New York and Washington, DC.  If not bad enough, a far scarier threat exists.  North Korea is believed to have been mass producing anthrax and has likely mass produced other biological weapons such as smallpox, francisella tularensis, and hemorrhagic fever virus.  Any one of these agents could be released in densely populated areas and cause a massive number of deaths.  Finally, North Korea may have the ability to detonate a space based nuclear weapon over the US releasing an EMP capable of blacking out a large portion of the North American grid.  I consider this scenario less likely due to North Korea’s technological challenges and US countermeasures; however, if China becomes involved, the probability of this scenario is 100%.  Should that event occur, the US will effectively be destroyed.  Before the grid could be rebuilt, some congressional studies estimate that two-thirds of the US population or approximately 200,000,000 people would die.  Not even our grandchildren will live to see the US recover from this type of attack.  Let that sink in for a moment.  The war that President Trump is about to start has the potential to destroy the US.

If what I have just written didn’t scare the hell out of you, you are completely disassociated with reality and need professional help.  I am not trying to create panic and I do not subscribe to fear mongering.  Unfortunately, reality isn’t always pretty and as much as we would like to deny the uncomfortable, it is critical we recognize threats and dangers.  North Korea is a very big threat and far more dangerous than Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan combined.  Remember, President Bush believed Afghanistan was going to be a quick war against some illiterate savages, but over a decade and a half later, we are still mired in his war we have already strategically lost.  Iraq proved to be another example of Washington’s hubris and overly optimistic military predictions.  In fact, the history of warfare demonstrates that in nearly every case, wars prove to be much longer, tougher, and more costly than predicted.  Why would anyone think North Korea will be a war any less costly when all indicators say the exact opposite?  I am curious because as I type, no fewer than three American aircraft carrier battle groups are steaming towards the Korean Peninsula prepared for a military showdown and nearly no one aside from Ron Paul is urging restraint.  I think the answer is that Americans are living in ignorance and have no concept of the hell this war will most likely bring to our lives.  Again, war with North Korea may be unavoidable, but we need to have a national discussion and the homeland must be prepared for the consequences.

As with all articles, I don’t just point out the problems.  I offer solutions.  In this case, the truth is you and I aren’t going to change a damn thing.  All we can control is our actions and to a limited degree help those around us.  Ideally, now may be a good time to literally leave the US for an extended vacation that lasts until either the war is over or North Korea backs down.  I don’t make this recommendation lightly.  However, for those that can’t leave or opt to stay, you need to prep your chem/bio response kits.  Everyone in your group now should be at minimum carrying a protective mask with new filter in day bags.  If you have antidote kits for nerve agents and decon kits for blister agents, those should also be packed and make sure you know how to use them.  You should also have antibiotics ready for a biological attack involving a bacterial agent like anthrax.  However, if the bio weapon is viral, we are looking at an untreatable megadeath situation and the only real option is to completely isolate your group from all other people until the virus has burned itself out.  Wherever you plan to stay, make sure you have an area prepped with provisions and the ability to seal it from the outside with plastic and duct tape at minimum.  You also should have enough chem/bio suits prepared for everyone in your group to at least bug out from the hot zone.  If you are driving to work, you should have at least one complete suit in your vehicle and a contingency link up plan for everyone else in your group.  Listen to me; you need to do this immediately.  A war with North Korea is hopefully avoidable, but literally could be launched at any moment in the coming days to weeks.

As for preparations beyond immediate survival, you need to get as much cash on hand as you can withdraw from the banks.  If you have the ability to move money to overseas bank accounts, do it now.  If you are invested in stocks, you should consider taking profits now and holding them until this crisis passes.  Once the market crashes, feel free to re-enter the market and buy up the cheap stocks.  This will lead to a market shock and crash if a war breaks out.  However, some stocks will likely sky rocket in value.  I am personally seeking out companies that specialize in radiological decontamination and chem/bio defenses to invest in.  Call it Machiavellian, but a crisis always presents opportunities for those with the foresight to position themselves to seize it.  Make sure that person is you.  In the interim, please take some basic precautions.  I pray for the best, but will be preparing for the worst.  We will be very blessed indeed if we can get through this crisis with the homeland unscathed.

By Guiles Hendrik

April 17, 2017

Probability for the use of nuclear weapons during the next four years nears 80%

April 10, 2017 Bugging Out, China, Danger Alerts!, Department of Defense, Disaster Preparedness, Global War, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Military, Military Industrial Complex, Militia, New Cold War, News and Intelligence, North Korea, Nuclear War, Prepping, Putin, Russia, Syria, Trump Comments Off on Probability for the use of nuclear weapons during the next four years nears 80%

I hate to continually bring you doom and gloom, but in short, the probability that nuclear weapons will be used within the next four years has spiked to its highest levels since the Cuban Missile Crisis.  If you haven’t reviewed your contingency plans you should.  However, this article is not meant to provide you with detailed bug out plans…search our site for those…it is meant to highlight the growing nuclear risks.

Let’s start with the good news if there is such a thing.  Out of the most likely scenarios, only two involve nuclear weapons being used against the continental United States.  These are worst case scenarios and involve a nuclear exchange with Russia and or China.  The bad news is that the potential for nuclear war with both powers has sharply risen.  With respect to Russia, if the US continues to press for regime change in Syria and uses military force, it will force a military confrontation with Russia that could spiral out of control and involve nuclear weapons.  Respective of China, it is assessed as unlikely, but possible China would join forces with Russia and Iran against the US if a direct military confrontation breaks out in Syria.  However, far more likely is the probability China joins forces with North Korea if a war breaks out and that leads to a nuclear exchange.

Note that North Korea is not listed.  North Korea currently does not possess a viable capability to strike the United States.  They are rumored to have the ability to detonate a nuclear weapon in space to cause an EMP, but the likelihood of them successfully carrying out this type of attack is very low due to their technical problems and the ability of the US to counter any attack.  However, North Korea certainly has the ability to detonate a nuclear weapon on the Korean Peninsula and the chances of this are dramatically increasing.  In fact, many analysts believe China no longer has the ability to reign in North Korea and the opportunity to avert a war is now close to zero.  If true, there will be a war with North Korea within the next 24 months.  Also one must consider North Korea has a full range of chemical and biological weapons that they most likely would use in the event of war prompting a nuclear response by the US.  Adding to the danger is the fact any conventional land war in Korea could quickly cause over a million casualties.  The costs would be too high for the US to tolerate and the war would quickly go nuclear, if not from the onset, contrary to what many people in the US may believe.  As such, in the event of war with North Korea, it will be a nuclear war.  If China remains out of the conflict, we will be relatively safe in the US.  However, if China becomes involved, we will see many people die both abroad and domestically.

While everyone is distracted with their own problems, tensions are once again rising between Pakistan and India.  Both countries have nuclear weapons and events could flare into open conflict again and lead to the use of nuclear weapons.  However, the probability of this is low over the next four years.

Finally, Israel must be assessed.  Israel will not tolerate Iran developing a nuclear weapons capability.  Should Israel become convinced that Iran has continued with its weapons development, it will use tactical nuclear weapons to neutralize the program.  Fortunately, Israel and the US have once again moved closer and will likely coordinate on any war with Iran allowing the US time to de-escalate the situation or at least get out of the way before Israel launches an attack.  This is a wild card scenario because the probability is highly dependent upon other events across the world.  Should the US press with regime change in Syria, Iran will most likely use its 122,000 Shia militiamen in Iraq to overrun the Green Zone and attack US forces in Iraq and then Syria.  This could quickly force the US out of the Middle East leaving Israel to fend for itself increasing the probability of a war with Iran.  However, should the US destroy North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, it will greatly decrease the odds of war with Iran.  Most don’t realize this hidden fact, but Iran has off-shored its nuclear program to North Korea where it has been conducting its weapons development unabated.  Should North Korea be allowed to continue its program, Iran by default will gain a nuclear weapons capability.  Should North Korea be stopped, Iran will also be severely set back.

In conclusion, for the first time in decades, the probabilities for various scenarios where nuclear weapons are used are increasing dramatically across the board.  It is alarming and experts are taking note.  In fact, the odds are now so high, it is safe to assess that a nuclear device will most likely be used within the next four years.  If this conclusion doesn’t get your attention, there is probably nothing that can be said to wake you from your brain dead zombielike existence.  Now is the time to get your Plan B ready because events could spiral quickly out of control in the very near future.

By Guiles Hendrik

April 10, 2017

Prepper Relocation Part V: The True Best Places to Relocate

September 19, 2016 Big Banks, Bugging Out, Counterinsurgency, Disaster Preparedness, Earthquakes, economic collapse, Exclusive Story, Insurgency, Militia, News and Intelligence, Nuclear War, Off Grid Living, Organization, Support, and Advice, Police State, Prepper Organization, Prepping, Resistance to Tyranny, Second Amendment / Gun Control, Self-Sufficiency, Survival Gardening, Survival Skills 2 comments

Over the past two weeks, I have released a series on prepper relocation that completely changes the old conventional theories that drove prepper relocation strategies (See: http://www.lastminutesurvival.com/?s=prepper+relocation).  The key takeaway you learned from the research is that you do not need to relocate to a remote region to survive.  In fact, it is actually counterproductive to be too isolated.  Now that you know relocation to a place like Idaho is no longer necessary and even counterproductive, where are the best places to relocate?  The good news is that you have far greater options depending on what you are prepping for in light of the results of my research.  In today’s conclusion to the five part series, I will introduce you to both domestic and international options that are readily available to anyone looking for a thorough, full spectrum relocation strategy that will work even under the most extreme situations.  Read more

Prepper Relocation Part IV: The Fatal Error of Relocating to an Isolated Region

September 12, 2016 Afghanistan, Big Government, Bugging Out, Disaster Preparedness, Domestic Terrorism, economic collapse, Exclusive Story, Global War, Gun Confiscation, Liberty and Freedom, Militia, News and Intelligence, Nuclear War, Off Grid Living, Organization, Support, and Advice, Police State, Politics, Prepper Organization, Prepping, Resistance to Tyranny, Second Amendment / Gun Control, Self-Sufficiency, Surveillance State, Survival Skills, Syria, Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures, Taliban, Terrorism Comments Off on Prepper Relocation Part IV: The Fatal Error of Relocating to an Isolated Region

One of the single biggest mistakes preppers make is that they buy into the myth that relocating to a small region in the North West corner of the United States is their “best” chance of survival.  As you now know from my previous three articles in this series, this theory is inaccurate and is not based on any sound research.  Further, it causes people to unnecessarily incur significant additional costs and difficulties when developing their preparedness plans. However, what you still may not know is that there is a large body of empirical evidence that repeatedly demonstrates people living in isolated, remote areas are often at the greatest risk during wide spread social chaos and collapse.  Not coincidentally, these people also suffer some of the most hardships.  Therefore, with respect to our contemporary situation in the United States, preppers relocating to Idaho with the explicit intent to escape an oppressive government and or are planning to escape widespread instability during a systemic collapse of the system might very well be signing their death warrants.  Instead, contrary to contemporary prepping strategies, it would be better to be closer if not in the midst of a more densely populated area.

I understand what I just wrote probably sent many readers into anger and shock.  Nonetheless, it is far better to get the right information now then to continue along a misguided path to destruction.  No doubt, some readers will immediately discount what I am about to say because they are blinded by their own preconceived biases.  I cannot help those people.  Thankfully, the majority of my readers are intelligent thinking people that will quickly grasp the conclusions to be drawn from the evidence and modify their preparedness strategies accordingly.  In fact, don’t take my word alone, I invite everyone to conduct their own independent research into our prepping assumptions and disseminate their findings.

My theories seem counterintuitive to the premise that the farther from people you are, the farther from harm you are.  This is because the basic assumptions of this safety distance premise are flawed.  As the theory goes, in the event of a collapse or major catastrophe, being located away from people in a remote, self-sufficient redoubt is your best chance.  I have already discussed why the 300 mile rule is a useless metric and that the notion of a “Golden Horde” of refugees fleeing a city and destroying all in their wake is equally unfounded and completely untrue.  The last pillar of this theory is that being isolated conveys additional survival benefits.  To test it accurately, one must evaluate case studies from around the world and then correctly apply them to a realistic scenario domestically.  Read more

Prepper Relocation Part III: A Letter to the Prepper Community

September 3, 2016 Bugging Out, Disaster Preparedness, Domestic Terrorism, economic collapse, Exclusive Story, Global War, News and Intelligence, Nuclear War, Off Grid Living, Organization, Support, and Advice, Politics, Prepper Organization, Prepping, Resistance to Tyranny, Self-Sufficiency, Survival Skills, Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures Comments Off on Prepper Relocation Part III: A Letter to the Prepper Community

Before I post Part IV, I want to pause and recap the huge amount of ground already covered in parts one and two of this series (See links below to read and catch up).  Previously, I showed that the most common assumptions preppers base their relocation decisions on are completely false and actually counterproductive to outright dangerous.  The research I presented is groundbreaking within our community because it completely overturned the very foundation of what many have spent a lifetime basing their preps around.  Understandably, some people within the prepper community have received the new information as radical heresy and immediately took to the defense.  When new information is presented to any community, this visceral reaction is to be expected.  After all, it challenged their entire basis for their preps and in this case, proved that much of their foundational assumptions were based on bad information. Read more

Prepper Relocation Part II: The Myth of a 300 Mile Radius and the Golden Horde

September 2, 2016 Bugging Out, Disaster Preparedness, economic collapse, Exclusive Story, Global War, News and Intelligence, Off Grid Living, Prepper Organization, Prepping, Resistance to Tyranny, Self-Sufficiency, Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures 5 comments

In part one of our series on “Prepper Relocation,” I directly addressed a common false logic amongst preppers that led to bad conclusions regarding why one should relocate to Idaho.  Specifically, I challenged the idea that a bunker was a viable long term survival strategy for a major catastrophe many prep for such as nuclear war.  Simply establishing a second residence in a modern first world location like Santiago, Singapore, or New Zealand offer far better options for survival, both physically and economically, than hiding in a hole while a nuclear war is carried out above you.  Today, I continue the slaughter of the sacred cows and challenge the merits of relocating to a site far from other people.  As I previously discussed, relocation isn’t a subject to take lightly.  It may be the single most important decision a prepper makes and therefore any plan should be heavily vetted before time and money is invested in executing it.  Therefore, one must consider counter arguments to contemporary “expert” recommendations.  By leveraging the information in this series, you will be far better prepared to develop a personalized answer to what truly is you “best prepper place to relocate.”

Contemporary prepper logic states that the farther your relocation site is from dense centers of population, the better.  In fact, the magic number often touted is that you must be at least 300 miles from any major population center.  However, is this really the case?  This is very important because if 300 miles is accurate, it severely constrains your relocation options.  If it is not a valid constraint, then suddenly you have many good options for relocation depending on the specific scenario you are prepping for.  As such, let’s examine what that conclusion is premised upon.  Breaking the theory down, you have two main hypotheses to vet.  The first is that 300 miles provides a necessary and adequate buffer from an urban center.  The second is that from said urban area a horde of starving refugees will emerge and overrun your redoubt.

Let me be the first to tell you neither hypothesis constituting this prepper theory, which to date has been held up as prepper law, is valid.  Read more

Prepper Relocation Part I: Questioning the Common Logic

September 1, 2016 Big Government, Bugging Out, China, Disaster Preparedness, Earthquakes, economic collapse, Exclusive Story, Nuclear War, Off Grid Living, Organization, Support, and Advice, Police State, Prepper Organization, Prepping, Resistance to Tyranny, Self-Sufficiency, Surveillance State, Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures 8 comments

I routinely read articles online where individuals pontificate about where the best places for preppers to live or relocate too are.  What I don’t usually see is any real cognitive effort to do a realistic analysis and assessment. This should be a red flag.  Selecting your relocation site is one of the most important decisions a prepper must make.  It is too important to be made on hearsay and opinions.  Therefore, I am going to question that contemporary prepper relocation logic.  I am going to debunk common myths and offer better alternatives that will help you develop a personalized answer to what truly is you “best prepper place to relocate.”  When this series is complete, you will be armed with critical information necessary for identifying your ideal relocation spot.  Don’t be surprised if after this eye opening series your philosophy on how you previously evaluated and envisioned your relocation site looks completely different.

Most preparedness “experts” would define the common prepper relocation logic is to find a place as far as possible from other people in an area still suitable for an off-grid, self-sustaining lifestyle.  This implies the location has ample water, good soil, and a good growing season.  Add a couple wild card factors like being outside the blast radius and fallout pattern of a nuclear detonation and avoiding known earthquake prone areas and most preppers conclude that Idaho is the choice destination.  James Wesley Rawles, a man well known and respected throughout the prepper community and a recognized expert on the field is a big advocate of this relocation option.  In Rawles’ defense, Idaho may indeed be a good location for some preppers for some reasons.  However, Rawles and many others are basing many of their primary assumptions on outdated information, obsolete tactics and techniques, and generally old school logic that when tested in real world scenarios, fails.  I don’t take this indictment lightly.  If we get this wrong, we die and that is why it is so important we first question some of the fundamental assumptions the conventional prepper relocation plan is based upon.  Read more

Are you prepared for the “Day of Rage?”

July 14, 2016 Bugging Out, Danger Alerts!, Disaster Preparedness, Domestic Terrorism, Leftist Communists, Liberty and Freedom, News and Intelligence, Organization, Support, and Advice, Police State, Politics, Prepper Organization, Prepping, Resistance to Tyranny, Self-Sufficiency, Special Skills, Survival Skills, Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures Comments Off on Are you prepared for the “Day of Rage?”

Tomorrow, Friday July 15th has been announced as a “day of rage” to protest perceived social injustices across the nation.  Most major metropolitan areas have been identified as areas targeted by possible protests.  Now, just because a day of rage is called for online, it doesn’t mean anyone will turn out.  However, based on past Black Lives Matter (BLM) events that turned violent, it would be wise to take precautions out of an abundance of caution.  So what should you do if you happen to live, work, or pass through these named areas?

I have written many pieces over the years explaining how to prepare for the mobs rioting and burning our cities during times of social unrest.  Per my piece in June, I detailed how to defend against fire, which may be your most pressing threat during a riot.  (See: http://www.lastminutesurvival.com/2016/06/06/how-to-protect-your-home-from-rioting-mobs-using-fire-as-a-weapon/ )  I also have discussed in detail how to organize your community into a common defense since private citizens, NOT law enforcement have proven time and again to be your best defense for life and property against the mob.  (See stories listed at: http://www.lastminutesurvival.com/?s=ferguson)  For extremely bad situations, we have also put together the Civilian Response Force composed of volunteer citizens from across to the nation willing to help those located in high threat or disaster areas.  (See: http://www.lastminutesurvival.com/2015/01/21/lms-civilian-response-team-ferguson-conundrum-solved-by-community-security/)  All of these articles present a coherent comprehensive strategy for the defense of you and your community and should be reviewed in detail.

Specific to those needing to make “last minute” preparations for tomorrow’s planned “day of rage” touted as a “peaceful” event, I would recommend the following.

Family:  Get any non-essential family members out of the danger area.  If you can, have them stay with family or friends until you know it is safe to return.  Before parting ways, make sure everyone knows your plan in the event you need to bug out and ensure that includes a “no-comms” plan.

Fire:  Go to Costco or similar store and make a bulk purchase of fire extinguishers.  Chemical extinguishers that work on gasoline/petroleum and electrical fires are optimum.  Place these extinguishers in easy to access locations close to any windows and doors of your home and on all levels of your home.  If you have any combustible material around your house, remove it.  Be especially vigilant to get rid of gas cans and such in easily accessible locations like sheds and outbuildings that a rioting mob could easily access.

Preparations for Defense:  Prep your kit for either bugging out or the defense.  Weapons, ammunition, and any other associated items like body armor should be staged and ready if the situation deteriorates and dictates the need to defend your home and family.  If the situation becomes hopeless (block is engulfed in fire, overrun, etc.) be prepared to bug out.  Have a go bag staged and multiple evacuation routes and options ready for execution.  Make sure you let at least one other trusted person know your whereabouts and plans should you need to execute a bug out.

Medical:  Inventory, update, prep, and stage any medical equipment you have or intend to use in a casualty collection point.  This should be somewhere safe in your home and could be a safe room, basement, or internal room with no windows and doors.  The most critical items such as tourniquets should be staged and at the ready.

Vehicles:  Any vehicles that you cannot store inside a locked garage should be driven and stored outside of the area of disorder.  Vehicles left along streets are likely to be vandalized, stolen, or torched during riots.  If you chose to keep a vehicle at your residence, make sure it is prepared to be used to bug out on short order.  That means any tools, extraction equipment, and hardening should be complete.  Any maintenance should be done.  Make sure the vehicle is fully gassed.  Also make sure your spare tire(s) are easily accessible and your tire change equipment is staged if you don’t use run flat tires.

Community:  Now is a good time to coordinate your plans with likeminded individuals in your neighborhood.  Optimally, there are at least a few other people on your block that will be prepared and ready to react if your area is targeted by the mob.  Have a plan to communicate, react, and provide mutual support.  If you are short on manpower, access your prepper network for friends from out of town willing to come into town and establish security at and around your home.  Respective of the rest of the neighborhood, assume they are sympathetic to other causes and even possibly hostile to anyone bearing arms in defense of their homes and family so keep a low profile unless the situation dictates.

Travel/Business:  If you do not live in said high threat area, but must travel through it or work in the immediate area, you must also take precautions.  Make sure you have your bug out bag with you and your primary, alternative, and emergency evacuation plans are made and ready to execute.  Monitor the radio for signs of trouble and have your cell phone with a backup battery ready.  Make sure you dress appropriately and assume you may have to move miles on foot.

Be safe by being prepared.

 

By Guiles Hendrik

July 14, 2016

 

More reading:  http://www.lastminutesurvival.com/2013/12/02/overcoming-the-greatest-prepper-weakness-the-individual-versus-the-community-and-a-plan-for-the-future/

Preppers are waking up to the survival myth of the “solo prepper”

July 12, 2016 Bugging Out, Disaster Preparedness, Exclusive Story, Liberty and Freedom, News and Intelligence, Off Grid Living, Organization, Support, and Advice, Prepper Organization, Prepping, Resistance to Tyranny, Self-Sufficiency, Survival Skills Comments Off on Preppers are waking up to the survival myth of the “solo prepper”

This week I read a piece by “Mac” MacWelch of Advanced Survival Training (http://www.advancedsurvivaltraining.com/).  In it he argues that the lone wolf survivor is a myth.  Unless preppers set aside small differences and organize your chances of surviving a true chaos event is small.  I am glad to see his article and completely agree.  I have been working for years to educate people on this exact subject and I am very happy to see attitudes and minds within the greater prepper community have finally begun to embrace this very basic, but very critical aspect of survival.  I don’t want to understate the importance of this survival attitude gaining traction.  Once “preppers” start to see themselves as a part of a greater community instead of independent and fearful of the community, we will make significant progress toward free, safe, and independent lives.

I want to reference my article from 2013 on the “Greatest Prepper Weakness.”  (See:  http://www.lastminutesurvival.com/2013/12/02/overcoming-the-greatest-prepper-weakness-the-individual-versus-the-community-and-a-plan-for-the-future/) The article garnered quite a bit of response from individuals across the US, but it was clear that it woke people up.  I ask all of you to read it and ponder what is being proposed.  Like Mac, I argue that preppers must erase the walk away and hide till it’s over mentality because it isn’t a viable survival strategy. This isn’t just my opinion.  It is based on learned real life experience and what I practice.  (See:  http://www.lastminutesurvival.com/2015/01/27/when-the-shtf-you-can-come-to-my-placeseriously/)  I have witnessed nations in all stages of chaos and in every single place the people that were doing the best were the ones that stuck together in big groups.  Those of you that still feel that you can run to the mountains and lock yourself in your bunker I applaud your preparations, but ask you to reconsider your actual survival odds versus uniting with other like-minded people with diverse and useful skillsets.  If you really feel your preps are sufficient, please write me and we can discuss hundreds of real world examples that prove beyond any doubt the strategy does not work beyond a very short term.  The articles provide a plan of action and not just arguments about how best to prep.  Only by uniting, putting aside petty differences, and working toward the greater good will we come out of this in good order.  Feel free to contact me with questions, but for now, I wish you all the best of luck and hope to see you in my community someday.

 

By Guiles Hendrik

July 12, 2016

Age of the Super Bug has dawned: Are you ready for a bio-catastrophe?

June 10, 2016 Bugging Out, Department of Defense, Disaster Preparedness, Health, Medical Information, News and Intelligence, Organization, Support, and Advice, Pandemic, Prepping, Socialized Healthcare One comment

Why should you care about what I am writing about today?  “Each year in the United States, at least 2 million people become infected with bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics and at least 23,000 people die each year as a direct result of these infections.” (Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)  This is about to get potentially unimaginably worse.

Back in 2013, I wrote an article entitled, “Head of CDC Says It’s Time to Sound the Alarm on Antibiotic Resistant Superbugs” http://www.lastminutesurvival.com/tag/incurable/.  In it, I explained that we were reaching a point where the spread of antibiotic resistant diseases would fundamentally alter our lives.  In a world of resistant bacteria, even simple infections from cuts and scrapes will be deadly.  Modern surgical medicine will be highly risky to impossible because of the untreatable bacterial infections.  Perhaps most terrifying, the resistance will spread to previously eliminated diseases like Tuberculosis and allow for them to reemerge in a much more lethal form.  I warned that if new antibiotics were not developed, we could soon be facing a time where cities become nothing more than death zones.  Now, only three years later, we have crossed a major milestone of the worst case with the confirmed emergence of bacteria in the US resistant to the last resort antibiotic treatments.

Let me be clear.  The US government is in panic mode behind the scenes.  Although, government officials are sounding the “stay calm,” doctors and infectious disease specialists are much blunter about the dire implications of bacteria that are totally resistant to our treatments of last resort.  Lena H. Sun writes in the Washington Post; “For infectious-disease experts, the nightmare scenario is for the gene to spread to bacteria that are now susceptible only to colistin.  That would make them invincible to any antibiotic, unstoppable by the most lifesaving drugs of modern medicine.” (Source:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/how-these-biomedical-detectives-identified-the-dreaded-new-superbug-in-us/2016/06/06/96ac8922-2bda-11e6-9de3-6e6e7a14000c_story.html?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_most-draw6)  As soon as the resistance is spread to other bacteria and they become more wide spread, the consequences could be catastrophic.  It is so serious; it isn’t a coincidence the discovery was made by the Department of Defense (DoD).  The DoD has conducted research into biological weapons for decades and views the development of last resort resistant bacteria in the US like a nuclear weapon about to be unleashed.  In fact, it actually could be far worse.  Read more

How to protect your home from rioting mobs using fire as a weapon

June 6, 2016 Bugging Out, Disaster Preparedness, Domestic Terrorism, Leftist Communists, Liberty and Freedom, Organization, Support, and Advice, Police State, Politics, Prepper Organization, Prepping, Resistance to Tyranny, Special Skills, Survival Skills, Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures 6 comments
Fire at the US Consulate, Benghazi, Libya. Source: www.aljazeera.com

Fire at the US Consulate, Benghazi, Libya. Source: www.aljazeera.com

As the presidential political landscape takes shape, even a passive observer can tell it is looking like a violent year.  I have been taking careful notes on these developments and it should have you worried if you live in an urban area.  In particular, it has caused me to review preparations to counter fire dangers.  I have seen firsthand how fire can be used as a weapon either intentionally or inadvertently and it has awesome destructive force.  More specifically, in an urban setting, out of control fires can quickly spread and consume entire blocks in firestorms.  Now, think about your home.  How well is it protected and how prepared are you if fire is used directly or indirectly against your home?  More specifically, if the fire department can’t or won’t respond to your home because of riots and anarchy, will you be able to prevent fire from destroying it?

If you are like most people, you never put much thought into the question I pose.  If not, now is the time.  It is especially important if you live in an urban area and your home is connected or a part of other buildings.  Beginning this summer, the radical extremist foot soldiers of the Left are being marshaled for wide spread violence against civilian targets.  Read more

Massive and devastating escalation of War in Syria looms as Syrian Forces backed by Russia are poised to retake Aleppo: Saudi Arabia and Turkey prepare to deploy armies to Syria in response

February 5, 2016 Bugging Out, Danger Alerts!, Department of Defense, Department of State, Disaster Preparedness, Domestic Terrorism, Energy Security, Exclusive Story, Global War, Iran, ISIL, ISIL/ISIS/IS, Israel, New Cold War, News and Intelligence, Organization, Support, and Advice, Politics, Putin, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Terrorism One comment

This is an alert to all of my readers of a potentially imminent global crisis. We are not at the point of a full blown crisis yet, but I am telling everyone they need to not get, but, BE ready for things rapidly to turn very bad within 30-60 days.  I will be closely monitoring this situation and will provide updates as necessary.

While most Americans are distracted by the Super Bowl and the disgusting Jerry Springeresque political theater we call an election process, the world is rapidly descending toward a major, devastating war that will ultimately involve more Americans than both Afghanistan and Iraq combined. Make no mistake, the situation developing in the Middle East is extremely grave and the US government has lost all control. I have warned repeatedly about ignoring the last off ramps to peace in the Middle East and what the result would be. Well, now another prediction has come to pass as Russian backed Syrian troops are poised to retake Aleppo from the murderous Islamic savages and Saudi Arabia and Turkey prepare to militarily join the fight.

One quick look at a map will demonstrate the strategic significance of Aleppo for rebels fighting in Syria. Most critical to the mix of rebel elements still holding Aleppo is that it provides access to key supply lines originating in Turkey. If Aleppo falls, the primary rebel supply line will be cut and the rebels will face a near imminent defeat. Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Qatar are the primary backers of rebel forces in Syria and know this means their policy is about to collapse and Shia Iran will become the region’s hegemon. This also petrifies countries like Israel that have remained mostly quiet about the civil war even though they too are deeply involved. As a result, these countries are preparing to commit military forces to prevent Aleppo’s fall. As I have repeatedly warned, this will escalate the conflict significantly and rapidly. See: http://www.lastminutesurvival.com/?s=syria

Make no mistake; the US has been on the wrong side of this war. I welcome the advance of Russian backed Syrian forces smashing the rebel forces, which are primarily composed of radical Islamic extremists that have been brutally murdering thousands of innocent people to include Christians. However, as I have repeatedly predicted, if one side in the proxy war primarily between Iran and Saudi Arabia gains a decisive advantage, it would force the other to quadruple down (they have already doubled and tripled) on their policy. At this point, that means putting their troops in actually face to face battle. As I warned for years and literally predicted, Saudi Arabia has now announced it is preparing to deploy its troops to Syria. See: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/02/general-saudi-arabia-set-deploy-troops-syria-160205042542486.html

The arrival of Gulf Arab armies in Syria will be in a single word, catastrophic. The US long ago lost effective control of the conflict it in large part created, but MUST stop this deployment or risk the outbreak of a full scale regional and possibly world war. The notion that an alliance of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, and Kuwait, the same countries that have collectively spent billions arming and supporting ISIL, will now move to destroy ISIL defies all logic. In fact, it is so politically ridiculous that it is in fact a thinly veiled lie. Instead, Saudi Arabia and Turkey will lead an army into Syria with only one goal and that is to overthrow President Assad. Rather than fighting the radical terrorist elements such as ISIL, they will back them by recasting them as “moderate rebels.” Russia, Iraq, Iran, and Hezbollah will not be fooled by this and proportionally escalate. This sets the stage for a massive and devastating escalation. Read more

Danger Alerts: Risk of war with China and North Korea dramatically increasing

August 21, 2015 Bugging Out, China, Danger Alerts!, Economy, Global War, Military, New Cold War, North Korea Comments Off on Danger Alerts: Risk of war with China and North Korea dramatically increasing

Historically, North Korean threats were nothing more than sabre rattling akin to a young child acting out for attention. However, North Korea today is more unstable than ever. Its people are starving, its economy is virtually non-existent, and it now has nuclear weapons (thanks to the last 3 US Presidents). Worse yet, Kim Jong Un, the nutcase boy “leader” that makes Caligula look like a decent guy, has his finger on the trigger ready to initiate a major war. So what makes this escalation by North Korea something we should take more serious than the countless previous flare-ups on the peninsula? In short, North Korea isn’t the issue, but its puppet master China is the game changer. China is in trouble and could use this latest escalation to turn the skirmish into a hot war. The probability of this is higher than it has been in since the end of the Cold War and it is making analysts take the threats far more seriously. Read more

5 Things Preppers Forget to Stock

June 2, 2015 Bug Out Bags, Bugging Out, Disaster Preparedness, Organization, Support, and Advice, Prepping, Self-Sufficiency, Survival Skills 6 comments

Recently, there has been so much going on politically it has been easy to overlook writing on core survival/prepper subjects.  To make sure our prepper followers don’t think I have forgotten about them, I wanted to note five preps that I see overlooked quite often.  These preps aren’t vital like water and food or something like antibiotics that have been discussed repeatedly.  These are preps that are important, but easy to forget when preparing for a long term post-SHTF world.  By no means is this list all inclusive, but it does touch on some key items we take for granted.  The following items should be a part of your stocked supplies and are listed in no particular order. Read more

When the SHTF, You Can Come to My Place…Seriously

January 27, 2015 Bugging Out, Disaster Preparedness, Organization, Support, and Advice, Prepper Organization, Prepping, Self-Sufficiency 3 comments

How often have you been talking with friends and they joke that if the SHTF, they are coming to your place?  Most of us quietly are saying in our heads, “you are out of your damn mind if you think you are coming to my place.”  In fact, for those that spend zero time preparing, training, or putting even the smallest amount of effort into their own survival insurance, I would agree, I have no sympathy.  However, the mere fact you are reading this right now tells me you have taken a step in the right direction and are in fact interested in insuring the continued existence of yourself and your family.  You are actively trying to take positive steps.  For those of you out there, I would suggest established preppers consider opening their door and taking you in under the right conditions.  Unlike the billionaires creating much of the havoc in our world, very few of us will ever have the funds to buy our own private island or renovated missile silo protected by a first rate mercenary army so it is best we start working together.  In today’s article, I will deviate from what I consider dated prepper logic and argue why inviting others to your bug out location is in all of our interests.    Read more

Heavy rains in California put LMS SoCal Bug Out post to immediate use

December 3, 2014 Bug Out Bags, Bugging Out, Disaster Preparedness, Extreme Weather, Prepping Comments Off on Heavy rains in California put LMS SoCal Bug Out post to immediate use

I wanted to take a moment to simply say, “your welcome” to the good people that took the time to write and thank us for our Bug Out Part 2 – Los Angeles/Southern California.  Although we did not plan to release the post just before the heavy rain storms that are causing wide spread damage across California, it indeed proved to be timely.  I hope every one of you were adequately prepared for the rains, flooding, and mudslides that are currently affecting California.  Please stay safe.

We hope that our posts help our readers and we will continue to release future Bug Out specific editions over the coming weeks.

Best regards,

Guiles Hendrik

Bug Out Part 2 – Los Angeles/Southern California

December 1, 2014 Bug Out Bags, Bugging Out, Disaster Preparedness, Earthquakes, Prepping, Self-Sufficiency, Survival Skills, Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures Comments Off on Bug Out Part 2 – Los Angeles/Southern California
Bugging out of SoCal via the Mojave Desert

Bugging out of SoCal via the Mojave Desert

Continuing with our series of area specific bug out planning, we focus on Southern California (SoCal) where a host of unique challenges will face anyone attempting to bug out.  First of all, Los Angeles (LA) and the surrounding region of SoCal contains over 22 million people densely packed at a density of over 5,000 people per square mile in many areas.  This makes it one of the most populous regions of the United States.   If you have to bug out of LA and its surrounding areas, you better be one step ahead of everyone else.  Second, the most densely populated areas of SoCal are locked between the Pacific Ocean to the west and the towering Sierra Nevada mountains to the east creating a serious geographical bottleneck.  To the north are more mountains, the Great Valley, and more densely populated areas.  To the south is Mexico.  If you choose to go east and got across the mountains, then you are faced with surviving in one of the hottest and driest locations in the US, Death Valley and the surrounding desert.  If you go west, you need a boat fully sea worthy and supplied with everything you will need for a long duration voyage.  Going north or south just runs you into more people fleeing disaster and won’t help your situation.  Third, SoCal plays host to regular earthquakes and at any given time the “Big One” could hit.  Further, being coastal, much of the SoCal coastline is vulnerable to the effects of a major tsunami.  Finally, but by no means all inclusive, SoCal also has some very precarious infrastructure such as the leaking San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station that may be permanently shut down and Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, which straddles two active faults.  Without doubt, the challenges of ‘getting out of town’ are mile high in this part of California, but with simple planning, you and your loved can safely and effectively bug and stay alive.

Optimally, you are using all of your resources to remain situational aware and bug out before the mob.  However, events like major earthquakes, tsunamis, and grid collapses happen with little or no warning.  As a typical SoCal citizen you drive 20+ miles per workday and use multiple high volume interstates and or state highways.  As such, there is a high likelihood of being put into a position where your bug out begins during a commute.  Do to this likely event; we begin our bug out discussion in rush hour traffic and discuss one of the more likely bug out scenarios, a major quake.

Your day begins as most in SoCal.  It is sunny and warm and you are looking forward to getting home from work.  You begin your commute as any other day and are quickly weaving through traffic when disaster strikes.  A major earthquake strikes SoCal damaging nuclear reactors, severing communications, destroying infrastructure, and sparking massive fires as gas pipe lines are ruptured.  You pull over and get out of your car until the major shaking has ceased.  At this point, you know there has been a major quake, but you don’t know the extent.  You get back into your car and try to continue to your home as the radio begins to broadcast a steady stream of damage reports.  As you continue, traffic grinds to a halt on the major highways, which have sustained massive damage.  You attempt to call your wife on your cell phone, but the few operable towers are overwhelmed and you have no service.  Nonetheless, you immediately type out a text message with critical information and hit send hoping to slip the message out across some free bandwidth.

Now, having previously memorized alternative routes through various neighborhoods, you opt for the side streets as your only available option.  These roads maze you through inner city neighborhoods, downtown areas, and residential zones.  These locations can pose a threat just as dangerous as getting stuck on the 101.  Specifically, you may come across many individuals on foot.  The random man or woman crossing a street ahead of you may not be an issue, but that mob of 15+ men at an ad hoc roadblock with bats can certainly be a serious threat if you are forced from your vehicle.  Keep the LA riots of the past in mind.

As you slowly make your way toward your home, it is clear the damage is getting more serious.  Buildings have been turned to rubble, the road is impassible, fires are burning out of control, and people are in the streets.  As you try to progress, your drivable routes are closed off.  Now with no chance to back out of the gridlock and no way to go forward, you notice tempers flaring and panic setting into the public.  Someone passes your vehicle and starts demanding a ride, you hear glass break to your rear, then suddenly you hear unnerving pops some distance ahead of you.  You have no choice but to abandon your vehicle and continue on foot.  Thankfully, even though your car’s GPS is no longer useful and can’t go with you, it isn’t a problem because you kept a good map in your vehicle bug out kit.

Grabbing your vehicle bug out kit, you make your way to your rendezvous point with your family, resupply, and assess your situation.  The area is utterly destroyed, looting is already rampant, fires are raging unchecked, thousands are dead or injured, there is word one of the nuclear reactors may be leaking radiation, phones are not working, and all utilities are down.  Seeing no good options for bugging in, you make the decision to bug out.  Now let’s look at the challenges you will face and the preps you will need to make in order to be a Last Minute Survivor.

To begin, any plan to bug out of SoCal has to take into account your ever present enemy… CARRMAGEDON!  Imagine the vehicle madness of the I-405 and US-101 intersection at a standstill.  Then apply the same sea of gridlocked cars and trucks to all the major roadways between Santa Monica and Redlands.  The end result is a highway system that is overloaded and frozen.  In the panic following the event that initiated your bug out, there will be countless auto accidents, gridlock, and cars abandoned after running out of gas while idling in stalled traffic.  These events will combine to turn SoCal into one giant multilane roadblock.  If your plan includes the need to drive anywhere, be it home from work or to the marina, you must plan to be stuck in this sea of angry, afraid, and possibly violent drivers.  So what’s the solution?  It’s actually basic.  You need to know of another way home and drive it enough to commit the route and neighborhoods to memory because you may need to hike it by foot.  Keep in mind that your daytime commute will look drastically different if you travel it at night or vice versa.  Further, make sure you have a good map of the area in the event GPS is not working.  You may also opt for adding a mountain bike to your vehicle bug out bag, which would allow you to continue quickly along jammed highways.  It is nice to have a small, fuel efficient car to zip around the city, but the ability of your vehicle to get over typical obstacles will be critical during a disaster.  In the event of an earthquake, obstacles can range from fallen telephone poles and debris like bricks to buckled streets to curbs, medians, and other vehicles.  Would your car be able to drive down the side slope of an intestate or highway or jump the median to do a U-turn?  You might have to.  A basic Jeep Wrangler can do this and get over the said obstacles, but your sedan with its low clearance and two wheel drive will get stuck.  Getting stuck brings us to the next problem…If you have to abandon your vehicle, pull it well off the road and try to park it in a secure location that is less visible from the main road.  Make sure nothing is visible that would draw the attention of a thief.  Further, disable your car by disconnecting your battery cables at minimum.  Critical to your vehicle bug out kit will be appropriate seasonal attire to include good shoes, water, a water purifier, and something to carry a minimum of two quarts of water per person in your car.  For SoCal, in addition to our standard items we recommend in your bug out kit (See: http://www.lastminutesurvival.com/2014/10/13/location-specific-bug-out-bags-part-i/), you should also include the following items:

  • Potassium Iodide tablets (http://www.bt.cdc.gov/radiation/ki.asp)
  • Additional means of carrying water on the go such as a backpack with an integral hydration bladder
  • Fire extinguisher (capable of extinguishing chemical fires)
  • Climbing rope, harness/seat, carabiners, leather gloves, Figure 8 or other descender device
  • Low profile body armor capable of stopping handgun rounds
  • Fishing tackle
  • Addition of anti-nausea medication to your first aid kit if you plan to escape via the Pacific Ocean

As you progress with your bug out, you will likely have to ditch your car and make your way by foot or other means, you may well be confronted by and angry mob.  So, what to do about a violent mob ahead of you?  Go the opposite way quickly and avoid them if at all possible.  It is better to add time and distance to your route than to be beaten and robbed by a mob or gang.  I caution against a gun fight unless it is a last resort.  Mobs carry guns, maybe even many guns, so even with your superior shooting skills, you could be outgunned in a close gunfight.  If you have to shoot it out, get as much distance as you can from your threat to maximize your marksmanship, get behind cover that will stop a bullet, and return well aimed fire at the most pressing threats first.  Further, if you face multiple threats, try to maneuver them so they are “stacked” in a line, which allows you to take them on one at a time versus all at once.  If you can’t carry or are unwilling to arm yourself then your best bet is a heavy duty can of pepper spray for bears, a good pair of running shoes, and a walking stick that doubles as a club.

If you can effectively avoid the mob, your next big challenge will not be what is missing from your bug out bag, but your physical condition.  The military wouldn’t waste time to conduct daily physical training if it wasn’t essential, yet all too many preppers forego this most basic and essential of preps.  Are you in decent enough shape to walk home with a moderate load on your back?  Most Americans are not.  That 20 mile/40 minute commute that you have to walk might as well be Mount Everest if you get tired after one block of walking.  Stack the odds in your favor.  Go for more walks, try short hikes with friends or family, and consider a lighter “Get Home Bag” for this situation.  One thing I’ve taken from my hiking experience is an admiration for ‘ultra-light’ hikers.  They buy lighter gear, carry less gear, and therefore have the option of covering more terrain with greater ease.  You don’t have to be an ultra-marathon champion, but you should be able to cover at least 20 miles on foot with your gear and not die of a heart attack.  Mentally and physically preparing yourself for this will put you one step ahead, no pun intended.

What is likely to go wrong after setting off on your long walk home?  Although we have discussed this issue previously, it is worth repeating because it is so important.  Don’t be in a position where you look down at your penny loafers or two inch heels and saying ‘oh crap.’  The solution is again simple.  At minimum, put some running shoes or lightweight hiking boots in your car and leave them there.  Beware of buying expensive combat boots or stiff hiking boots for this purpose.  If you haven’t broken them in before that long walk it will cause painful blisters that could get infected and slow or stop your movement.  Further, you will need boots that can handle steep mountains, keep out sand, protect your feet from thorns, and still let your feet breath.  There are a variety of shoes and boots that can meet these requirements so find a pair that works for you and make sure you are wearing them or have them with you.

If things really go sour you will have less than a day to get home before we all start turning into metaphorical zombies and chasing you down the street.  You don’t want to be the person caught on the street that starts attracting unwanted attention.  Get to where you are going before people start to realize you have gear they need.  The scenarios are endless and point to one main point.  Get up, get moving, and don’t stop.  Here’s why, American grocery stores operate on a system long ago borrowed from Japan called “Just in time.”  This eliminates a grocer’s need to store large amounts of perishables that will expire and cause a financial loss if not sold.  As such, stores don’t stock more than three days’ worth of food at any time.  The semi-trucks we see are critical to that logistics supply chain.  In the event of a crisis, we have witnessed over and over that once the trucks stop rolling, the three days of supplies disappear within about one to two hours.  If the crisis persists and is wide spread, unprepared people we will grow hungry.  That’s when mom says to dad, “little Joe is hungry and so am I.”  Mom and pop will hold back from theft and other crimes for a while, but will eventually do what they must to stay alive.  Situations like this happened when Katrina hit New Orleans, and it can happen anywhere.  Your job is to get out before this happens.

As discussed, getting out of the SoCal area won’t be a walk in the park but can be done.  From the beginning though, you need to have identified and prepped for where you will go.  If you don’t have a destination then you are wandering and likely to become another statistic.  Having a PRE-planned destination is vital, see the bug out of DC article for more details (http://www.lastminutesurvival.com/2014/10/17/bug-out-bags-part-ii-washington-dc/).  The most difficult area to bug out of is the concrete and asphalt triangle covering all of the area within Santa Monica to Pasadena to Anaheim.  Options out to the North are US-101 aka the “101” and I-5.  Everyone and their brother will likely be on those roads so expect pain and misery.  These two roads are literally the main entrances to the LA area and will be no easy task to navigate.  Another option out towards the North is Highway-1 along the Malibu coast where your ocean views will be great, but the narrow road could easily become jammed, cutoff, or destroyed by rock/mudslides in the event of a quake.  It would also be vulnerable to a tsunami and radiation from a damaged coastal reactor.  Remember that bugging out doesn’t require a paved road.  If you can make it to Burbank you can drive along the rail road at Burbank Town Center and follow it to Chatsworth, but don’t be stupid and get smacked by a train.  From there you have easier access to Highway 118 and can easily reach Simi Valley, Moorpark, Santa Paula, and Ventura via back roads (if you have a map).  Note, the railroad that gets you to Burbank also connects to Union Station in LA.

Getting out of town to the Northeast is similarly challenging.  They are Highway-14 towards Palmdale, I-15 towards Barstow, and the “2” through Angeles National Forest if you are alright with ultra-winding roads and contending with Bigfoot and his keepers.  Keep in mind that the ‘High Desert’ between the “14” and I-15 is not a friendly environment.  It’s a desert…therefore, it is hot, it is dry, it gets cold at night, the plants stick you and the animals bite you.  It is unforgiving and if you are not prepared for it, it is best to be avoided if you are on foot or could end up on foot.  It’s also home to a relatively conservative population, an armed population.  Criminals beware.  Those of us amongst the liberal crowd would likely be better suited taking the 101 towards lovely Santa Barbara and San Francisco.

Other options to the Northeast and East can be considered but have many cons.  The “18” towards Big Bear takes you into gorgeous countryside, but rumors indicate local residents plan on blockading inbound roads to keep the rest of us out.  I don’t blame them.  The same can be assumed of isolated communities throughout the region.  The “38”east of Redlands is a good option into the San Bernardino National Forest if you need to go that way.  I’ve personally hiked this area and know it contains various creeks to keep your water topped off.  Interstate-10 is the main way out eastbound.  Its extra lanes East of Banning would facilitate your exit, but take you into miserable terrain as does the I-15 into the Mojave Desert.  Again, if you aren’t familiar with the desert, stay far away from the Mojave.  If you must go into the desert, have plenty of water and make sure you have marked all the natural springs on your map and checked them out ahead of time.  Some of them are hot springs, some are seasonal, and some have water not safe to drink due to mining contaminants like mercury.  Further, if you are on foot, travel between the hours just before sunset to just after sun rise when temperatures are the coolest.  During the day you should seek shade and shelter from the sun.  Rock outcroppings are good for this, but also play host to a lot of venomous snakes so be cautious.  Keep as cool as you can and never waste water or energy during the heat of the day.  Getting above or below the ground will be where it stays the coolest.  Wear loose fitting, light colored clothes, a wide brim hat, and sunglasses.  Sunscreen is good for your face, neck, and ears, but covering up with clothing is far better.  Remember, distances in the desert are very deceiving.  What looks like only a short walk could be 20 or more miles.

If you plan to head east and tackle the mountains, you will also need to know what you are doing to survive.  Any attempt to cross the Sierra’s will dictate a bug out plan by foot that has been well rehearsed.  Just like the desert, the mountains are brutal and unforgiving.  You must be prepared for extremely cold, wet, and windy weather if you plan on successfully crossing or holding out in the Sierras.  Blizzard conditions even in the summer at altitude are not uncommon.  Further, you have avalanches, rock slides, raging streams, cliffs, high altitude, lightening, ice fields and crevasses, cougars, and well-armed locals to contend with.  If you are not in peak physical condition, properly trained, or in possession of the right equipment for the alpine environment, the mountains will prove insurmountable; especially, at high altitude.  During the winter, crossing the mountains simply may not be an option due to the deep snow and brutal storms, even for experienced mountaineers.  Winter storms above the treeline can drop temperatures below zero, pack hurricane force winds, and diminish visibility to zero.  However, in the summer, the extremely rugged terrain gives the experienced climber and mountaineer the advantage of being able to go where the masses can’t or won’t.  If you do select the mountains as your bug out location, you will have ample water, will not have to contend with as many people, and can find many hide spots suitable to overnight and longer term bugging out.  Nonetheless, your kit will be heavier and must have the right equipment to include crampons, ice axe, climbing rope and gear, extreme cold weather gear, mountain rated sleeping bag and pad, mountaineering/4-season tent, tough hiking boots, backpacking stove (for areas of no vegetation above the treeline), maps and compass, and possibly snowshoes.  If you read the specialized gear list and said, “What’s that?” and or haven’t been trained to use that gear, going into the alpine region could be lethal for you and should be avoided.  In the interim, use your time to get familiar with the gear, take some classes, and become comfortable operating in the alpine region because you may just get forced into it.

I don’t recommend a southbound bug out because of the likely mass migration from Mexico during a grid-down all out national catastrophe.  The current and common place violence just across the border is likely to spill over when the “troubles” begin.  I wouldn’t expect our border guards to work for free and forsake their families at home; therefore, the border may end up “open” and precipitate a population surge along the border.  Further, an area with a large population density isn’t in concert with my bug out philosophy.  The saving grace for those of us in the San Diego and Oceanside is just East.  The area between Palomar Mountain State Park and the Cleveland National Forest would make a great initial bug out retreat, which is in close proximity.  Its various lakes, available game, and lower population density make it very bug out attractive.  However, like the Poconos for New Yorkers, many people will also plan to head to this area so it is less attractive as a long term bug out site unless you have land and a developed, defendable retreat in that area.

Finally, there is the westerly option known as a boat.  Certainly, this option isn’t available to many of us, but if your connections or finances allow for it, an escape by sea is one of your better options for SoCal.  The Pacific Ocean can certainly become a refuge if you have a stocked boat that is accessible, sea worthy, and you are a capable captain.  Even if you do not have a large ocean worthy boat, using a smaller boat and hugging the coastline will allow you to travel a significant distance from the immediate danger, insulate yourself from the chaos on land, and even bug out to another country if necessary.  If the seas get to rough, you can bring your ship into a sheltered inlet or even dock it and continue by land from a preplanned rendezvous location.  Make sure that you add anti-nausea medication to your kit if you plan to head out to sea.  Even if you have never been motion sick before, presented with the right conditions, you could become incapacitated with nausea and vomiting during rough seas.  The sea also provides you with ample food in the form of fish if you are prepared to catch them.  Make sure you have fishing tackle to include nets if you head to sea and practice with it.  A decent fisherman will be able to provide long term sustenance in a bug out by boat scenario.  Also, with the right equipment, you can desalinate water to provide long term critical hydration.  If your boat is capable of running under sail, you also have an indefinite range.

All considered SoCal doesn’t have a host of good options for bugging out.  Your best bet is to be prepared and ready to act.  This puts you ahead of the zombie masses and makes your chances of a successful bug out far higher.  However, even if you are the first out of the immediate metropolitan areas, you still will be faced with some very technical survival environments that include rugged mountains, scorching hot deserts, or the vast ocean.  As such, it is critical to plan, prepare, and rehearse your bug out ahead of time.  For example, if you plan to head to the hills, spend your weekends hiking the trails, familiarizing yourself to the terrain, acquiring any necessary specialized gear, and learning the skills necessary to thrive in that environment.  Success in SoCal demands you put in the time so start now and be a Last Minute Survivor.

 

By Guiles Hendrik and Sgt G.
December 1, 2014

HOCL: Secret chemical the military is buying right now for Ebola decontamination

October 30, 2014 Bugging Out, Department of Defense, Disaster Preparedness, Ebola, Equipment Reviews, Exclusive Story, Medical Information, Military, Military Industrial Complex, Pandemic Comments Off on HOCL: Secret chemical the military is buying right now for Ebola decontamination
Decon Shower

Decon Shower

The public is being provided very little information regarding the military’s response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.  If large numbers of Americans become infected with Ebola, it will be critical to know what works and doesn’t work to protect and decontaminate yourself from Ebola.  As such, one of the most critical pieces of information to know is what the US military is currently using as a decontamination agent for Ebola.  The public may know about bleach and UV decontamination, but are being told nothing about the military’s latest frontline chemical agent against Ebola.  The Department of Defense (DoD) is currently buying this chemical by the tanker.  In fact, the DoD has essentially bought up the world’s market of this highly effective chemical and yet, you have probably never heard of HOCL. If you haven’t heard of HOCL, you need to.  Read more

“I’ll Come To Your Place When SHTF” – No You Won’t

October 23, 2014 Bugging Out, Disaster Preparedness, Organization, Support, and Advice, Prepper Organization, Prepping, Second Amendment / Gun Control, Self-Sufficiency, Survival Skills, Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures Comments Off on “I’ll Come To Your Place When SHTF” – No You Won’t

Editor’s note:  Sometimes things are already best said and all you can do is cut and paste.  Thanks for the article Glen and for posting Mac.

Guiles Hendrik

“I’ll Come To Your Place When SHTF” – No You Won’t By Glen Tate | 299 Days

(This post is something you can send to your friends or print out and hand to them when SHTF.)

Dear Friend:

I love my friends, but I will shoot you if I have to.  I’m serious.  Here’s why.

I tried to persuade you to prepare for what’s coming and, in the process, revealed that to you that I’m preparing.  You realized that I have food, guns, etc., and ended up saying, half kidding but half serious, “I’ll come to your place when SHTF.”

No you won’t.  I will shoot you.  If you threaten me and my family, I will use force to defend against any threat.  And showing up at my place hungry and unprepared is a threat to me.  You will eat my food and use up my medical supplies, generator, firewood, etc.  That’s less of these life-saving things for me and my family.  That’s a threat. Read more

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