The 4 basics

THESE ARE THE 4 BASICS - THE "BIG ONES" TO CONSIDER FIRST.

1. FOOD - Every person will need the basics: store up on long term foods (canned goods, freeze dried, MRE's) Start with a two week supply. Move up to a month's supply. Go up a month at a time until you have a year's supply. Some will want to buy a full year's supply of food all at once -it is not always beneficial to do that because pricing may change. If money is not an option, then by all means invest all at once. Try to keep everything as simple as possible.

2. WATER - Obviously, a person can live longer without food than they can water...so why is water number 2? This is important, but remember that water can still be found after an economic collapse, while food will not be as easy to locate. However, a 2 week water supply of your own is a very good idea.

3. SECURITY - Securing yourself and your property. Always have some kind of firearm at the ready and be fully trained and capable at using it. It would be preferable to have a concealable handgun or sub-machine gun so as not to be noticed. Do not dress like you still have plenty of money. Remove all noticeable name brand tags from clothing. Never travel alone if possible. Even though there may be an economic crisis, it does not mean police will be non-existent. This also means that they may not exactly be serving your best interests. Plan accordingly. Keep your home secure by permanently sealing off all entrances and exits save one for escape and one for routine use. You should make the one exit for escape something non-standard and possibly unexpected. For example: you block all doors except the rear because it has the best lighting and protection, while you choose the basement door as the escape because you can block the entrance with a light duty plywood and conceal the entrance entirely.

4. LONG TERM INVESTMENT - Gold, silver, and jewelry are all excellent methods to invest in sustainable wealth in the case of an economic disaster. Some people find it to be quite helpful since it keeps value no matter what the dollar is also valued at. One point to consider however, is a possible gold confiscation as was carried out in the 1930's. The risk involved with investing precious metals is for every person to consider on their own. Don't ever tell anybody that you have precious metals of any kind. Remember, if you do stockpile metals, you will probably want to protect that stockpile. If you barter with precious metals, be certain to tell everyone who sees it that it is the last of your holdings and you only recently acquired it. The second, and perhaps easiest for a bug-in, is to invest in various goods which can be bartered or resold later. These items can be almost anything ranging from soap, to long term foods, tools to generators, or even cigarettes and ammunition. Again, these items will have to be secured and protected as well. There is no guarantee that the items and goods you purchase will ever return a valuable payment to you.
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Additional important basics for survival depend upon the environment, and it is highly encouraged for the new prepper to invest time in understanding what these are: _____________________________________________________________________________


SHELTER: If you live in the northern United States, the winter months can easily cause you a great deal of problems, even death if you are caught unprepared. You must always be concerned with shelter in the northern climates, and this also includes procuring a heat source. However, if you reside in the south, you can go extended periods without shelter and heat, but some shelter is needed during the hottest portion of the day, especially in the desert. Therefore, depending upon your environment and time of year, every individual must seriously consider the role shelter plays in their survival.

TRAVEL: This is not the exact same as a planned "bug-out", although some of this information does apply. Any situation can turn bad at any moment. Nobody is immune from the dangers of the road or when on off-road adventure. Some may wish to prepare a vehicle that is rugged and dependable, has 4-wheel-drive, and is relatively decent on gas mileage. Storing extra water and food inside the vehicle is a good measure; you never know if you will have to leave in a hurry. Store maps and a compass in the glove compartment and possess the skill to use these items. Know at least one alternate route as a main escape channel; preferably a back road or utility power line access route. You may also pre-plan gasoline/diesel cache points along your intended route and refuel as you travel at each waypoint, saving you the energy spent looking for fuel. Finally, don't ever assume other people on the road may be friendly.

* Other areas to also consider are first aid, communications, sanitation, and long term food planting/harvesting/seed saving. (later post)

 

If I remember correctly, it was based on the Safehouse survival contest, and we were going to work in a collaborative way to try and get a basic presentation completed for new Monkey's. Of course, it never got finished. As I recall, I was just getting back from Iraq and attending college full time.

Here's the video I made:


Although this topic needs more work and the video I made will have to be remade if it's to be used, we could come up with a solid, streamlined beginner's guide.