Prepography
The Art & Study of Self-Reliance
Top 10 Preparedness Uses of WD-40 (2,105)
Snake Eater – How to Field Dress a Snake (661)
Prepping with Garage Sales (650)
OCOKA – A Key Survival Acronym (639)
Fan of the Ammo Can – Top 10 Uses (587)
Top 10 Preparedness Uses of Mineral Oil (574)
Top 10 Initial Steps to Preparation (500)
Don’t Be ‘That Prepper Guy’ (392)
Prepper SALUTE Report – An Observation and Reporting Tool (360)
Physical Security and the Forms of Protection (306)
Beware the Butt Bomb (273)
Situational Awareness – An Introduction (266)
Reader Question on Mark I Antidote Kits
Prepography reader Deanna wrote in to ask a question about purchasing a Mark I Antidote Kit for protection from nerve agents:
Deanna’s question was:
Is it possible to purchase a Mark I antidote kit containing both atropine and PAM and if so where would someone find such a thing? After watching the news this morning and hearing about the arrest of 5 men who planned to fly remote control planes over America and dispense sarin and other nerve agents, I think it’s time to look into antidotes.
Grossman on Sheep Wolves and Sheepdogs – Today’s Quote
If you are a warrior who is legally authorized to carry a weapon and you step outside without that weapon, then you become a sheep, pretending that the bad man will not come today. No one can be “on” 24/7 for a lifetime. Everyone needs down time. But if you are authorized to carry a weapon, and you walk outside without it, just take a deep breath, and say this to yourself… “Baa.”
Lieutenant Colonel (RET) Dave Grossman
Everybody Lives on A Floodplain
Floods are currently hitting parts of central Europe that haven’t been flooded in living memory…and then some. In fact, the water levels in Passau, Germany have topped the highest recorded flood levels ever recorded there…and that was in 1501. Just another reminder that you must plan for the unexpected and not put all your eggs in one basket…or preps all in one place.
Now I’m not saying that we’re all going to suffer a flood, but your preps may be vulnerable to fire, earthquake, theft, tornado or any manner of other trouble…just don’t let your trouble become a tragedy by relying on one location, stockpile or cache… spread your preps among several locations, enter into a prepper compact with a like minded family that’s lives a distance from you…or both. Of course if you read the Bible, the Torah or the Qur’an…everybody lives on a floodplain.
Sun Tzu on Preparation – Today’s Quote
Physical Security and the Principles of Protection
In Part One of this two article series we introduced Physical Security and Protection by discussing Physical Security Challenges, the similarities and differences between threats and hazards and the five Forms of Protection (Prevention, Deterrence, Passive Defense, Active Security and Mitigation). This topic has been adapted from the U.S. Army’s doctrine on Physical Security for application by the prepper, prepper family or preparedness group. Today we’ll expand our discussion to include the Principals of Protection.
As we discussed in Part One our goal in this series is to help you develop a cognitive model for assessing your own Physical Security in a continuum of security environments from today’s Rule of Law (ROL) environment (at least here in the U.S.) through increasingly degraded security environments, short term WROL situations and all the way to a full, long term, WROL environment.
Army doctrine teaches that successful protection is characterized by the integration of the five principles of protection and these principles can be used to counter a myriad of physical security challenges. Although these principals of protection are applied differently depending on your resources and environment they do provide the prepper, along with the Forms of Protection from Part One…a way to approach protection and improve your Physical Security situation no matter the security environment. Remember that your plan should be tailored not only to the hazards and threats you face, but also to the legal and political environment you face…and might face. It’s a sad testament to our society that a man or woman isn’t judged just by their actions but are also, often judged by how their actions are perceived through racial, gender, political affiliation or economic (class) charged lenses.
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A Study of History – Today’s Quote
The study of history is a powerful antidote to contemporary arrogance. It is humbling to discover how many of our glib assumptions, which seem to us novel and plausible, have been tested before, not once but many times and in innumerable guises; and discovered to be, at great human cost, wholly false.
Terrorism Strikes Home Again
Terrorism strikes home again! Although early reports from traumatic and violent events are often incorrect the location, timing and fact that there were two explosions targeting the finish line of the 117 year old Boston Marathon seem to confirm that it was a terror attack and not a gas explosion or other type of accident. Having experienced the horror of improvised explosive devices (IED’s) and rocket attacks my heart goes out to those who were victimized by or had loved ones victimized by this cowardly attack. Please keep the victims and the victim’s families in your thoughts and prayers as well.
Yesterday’s attack was a sad reminder that terror can strike here as it has so many times before. Consider this partial list of attacks on U.S. soil from InfoPlease:
E. Roosevelt on Planning – Today’s Quote
It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan.
Hodgson on Belief – Today’s Quote
Some things have to be believed to be seen.
The Real North Korean Threat
Frequent Prepography contributor Roger Reality wrote in to ask that I remind our readers that the 27 year old Leader of North Korea, Kim Jung-un just scrapped the 1953 Armistice that ended…really just hit the ‘pause button’ on the Korean War. His declaration technically returns us to state of open warfare with the Stalinist state.
This puts us in a state of war with another nuclear armed nation…the first time this has ever happened. I should also mention that this nuclear armed nation has also successfully launched a satellite into orbit demonstrating what is essentially an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capability. Put together ICBM and nuclear capabilities and we’ve got a whole new kind of threat to worry about…and it likely isn’t the one you’re thinking about right now. Continue reading
Don’t Be ‘That Prepper Guy’
Every workplace, club, school, group and even families have their own version of ‘that guy.’ ‘That guy’ is the one who ducks out when it’s time to work, shoots down every idea without offering alternative solutions, makes the obscene gesture whenever a picture is snapped and generally makes a nuisance of him or herself. Because obnoxious is equal opportunity…that guy can even be a girl. In today’s article we examine the Top 10 That Prepper Guys you don’t want to be.
1. Doom & Gloom Prepper Guy: This is the guy that goes around telling everyone everything bad that’s going on and how everything good is about to end. ‘The end is near’ is his mantra and it may well be…but then again maybe not…this guy needs to learn to balance his/her preparedness efforts within a rewarding life…and not live for the ‘end.’
2. Overly Focused Prepper Guy: This guy geeks on just one of the ten preparedness foundations of Full Spectrum Preparedness (or a subset of one foundation. He’s a wealth of knowledge on his topic of choice but will become an annoyance when he/she needs your help because there are holes in his/her preps that you could drive a deuce and a half through.
3. No Focus Prepper Guy: Long before I developed the Full Spectrum Preparedness doctrine this was me. I had all the water I needed but no hygiene items or a hundred toothbrushes without any toothpaste because I got a good deal. I’m not opposed to good deals but without a balanced approach to prepping this guy will become annoying when he needs your help because he didn’t balance his preps…at least he’ll have toothbrushes to trade!
4. Lazy Prepper Guy: If you’ve ever been in any kind of group then you know who that (lazy) guy is. Now picture having that guy in your preparedness group after life becomes more difficult, people are more stressed and the work product means the difference between survival or not. Beware Lazy Prepper Guy.
5. Scary Prepper Guy: Continue reading
Situational Awareness – An Introduction
How aware are you about your surroundings? I’ll bet that everyone that reads this will claim that they are very aware of what goes on around them. Really? By my very nature (Andrew’s Note: check out Infidel’s biography) I put everyone on the defense. Why? Because I’m very good at getting inside your OODA Loop (observe, orient, decide, and act). This keeps me on the offensive…keeps me a step ahead of the opposition. Now… do I do this all the time? No, because sometimes the body has to mentally relax to recharge the batteries. You need to know when it’s time to relax and when to maintain heightened situational awareness.
The four levels of awareness that are taught by most personal defense instructors now are the famous ones that originated with LT COL Jeff Cooper, the originator of Gunsite Training Academy. Cooper’s levels are White, Yellow, Orange and Red. The goal is to pick the appropriate safety awareness level for your surroundings and situation. This situational awareness continuum helps you to react accordingly to threats and potential threats to your safety. A full discussion of this situational awareness model will be discussed at a later time but I mention it here as a brief introduction.
Now, back to our discussion of surroundings…how many of you have observed someone breaking into a car, shoplifting, or actually making a drug deal?
The Outlook for Central and South America
Andrew’s Note: I’ve been watching with interest the developments in Argentina where the Socialist government has imposed price controls in a futile attempt to control inflation created by social (or should I say Socialist) engineering masquerading as economic policy…President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner’s administration has now gone so far as to ban advertising. The arrogance of a government expecting private businesses and individuals (and farmers) to continue to produce when their goods cost more to produce than they are allowed to sell them for defies belief…but it wasn’t so long ago that we tried such schemes as well. During the Nixon administration we exercised price controls on a national level and some cities still cling to anachronistic rent control schemes. Luckily we no longer impose price controls on a national level…now we just legislate how much profit private industries can make…Lord save us from misguided but well intended politicians and Socialists…so what’s the more general outlook for Central and South America look like…let’s return to the JOE.
The JOE is our crystal ball…or at least the closest thing that the Department of Defense (DOD) has to it…namely the Joint Operating Environment (JOE) 2010. The JOE is the DOD’s keystone document used to project the world in which it will operate up to 25 years into the future. As I’ve mentioned previously, it’s a sobering read for the prepper and likely to turn the non-prepper into one. Read on to learn what the Department of Defense thinks about the outlook for Central and South America:
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Four New Online Resources
Listed below are four new online resources that have been added to our Online Preparedness Tools & Resources Page. If you see something, say something…no I’m not talking about the Department of Homeland Security’s anti-terror campaign…I’m talking about if you see a great online preparedness tool…say something to me though my Contact Page so I can include it in the Online Preparedness Tools & Resources Page.
- NOAA Magnetic Declination Calculator: North isn’t really North so this tool from the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration helps you calculate the difference (declination) between Magnetic North and True North. Thanks to Survivalblog for the link.
- Reloading Skill Videos from RCBS
- National Rifle Association (NRA) Classes: Find classes in your area on Range Safety, Reloading, Shooting (Rifle, Pistol, Shotgun, Muzzleloading), Instructor Certifications and ‘Refuse to Be A Victim’
- Free Survival Library from Lighthouse Survival: There are all kinds of files here…there’s even a railroad section for all those railroad survivalists out there
Top 10 Prepper Mistakes
The bad news is that I’ve made most of these prepper mistakes…the good news is that you can learn from my mistakes:
- Focusing On Just One Type of SHTF Event: Admit it…you have a prejudice towards one or two types of SHTF events. For some it’s economic collapse or Civil War II…for me it was electromagnetic pulse (EMP) or coronal mass ejection (CME). If you focus just on one type of event in your preps it may leave you more vulnerable if you guess wrong…as in if you prep for a two week power outage and experience a 24 month period of unemployment. If you guess wrong you also run the risk of overwhelming yourself…take my CME example…if I focus on prepping for a CME the level of preparedness required stretches out to years… if you get it into your head that you have to prep for years then you’ll become depressed if you’ve only achieved months of preparation. You should celebrate each prepping milestone, not beat yourself up because you haven’t achieved everything you want based on your pet scenario…keep building to years but do it as you can and don’t beat yourself up…every little bit counts.
- Focusing On Just One Type of Prep: New preppers and fair weather preppers often focus on just one type of prep. By far the worse culprit for the type of prep many focus on is Security. There’s something addicting and exciting about firearms and firearm accessories in particular. Think of the Full Spectrum Foundations as links in your preparedness chain. Some preps are definitely more important than others but unless your entire ‘chain’ is strong the weak link will bring you down. I’ve heard otherwise intelligent (and I thought moral) individuals proclaim “I don’t need food, water, etc. because I’ve got guns and ammo so my family won’t have to go without.” Moral arguments aside if you think you’re a tactical ninja and can take what you need by force all you have to do is look at what happened recently to the battle tested former U.S. Navy Seal Chris Kyle…combat ready doesn’t mean invincible. Conversely, if you focus all your energies on your Food preps and neglect Security then you won’t be able to protect yourself, your family or your preps from even the most unseasoned, but armed hooligans.
- Not Fully Integrating Your Family into Your Preparedness Activities: This can be tough…and depends primarily on the foresight, moral strength and awareness of your spouse. Many, including prepper spouses just aren’t ready to confront the reality of our current lifestyle’s fragility. If your husband or wife is tolerant you’re lucky, if they’re an active participant…count your blessings. Integrate your family into your preparedness activities (or dual use hobbies) to the greatest extent possible without sacrificing your relationships. I’ve seen prepping tear families apart and I’ve seen it bring families even closer together…it’s all up to you….that is you and your family.
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A Nuclear Axis of Evil
As I listened to the President’s State of the Union address last night I couldn’t help but remember the same speech eleven years ago when another President described the ‘Axis of Evil.’ If you’ll recall the Axis included Iraq, Iran and North Korea. The only thing worse than an Axis of Evil is a Nuclear Axis of Evil.
In case you’ve been on a low information diet this week… North Korea apparently detonated another nuclear weapon amid a blitz of anti-U.S. rhetoric.
Prepper Blood Chit
One of the scarier situations for a prepper is when the family is scattered to the wind. When everyone is close to home it’s easier to keep them safe and secure but what is a prepper to do when the chicks start leaving the nest? Two of my three kids are no longer living at home. Daughter #1 and Air Force son-in-law husband live just outside a major military base, have good heads on their shoulders and are financially secure enough take care of their own preps…not to mention that Uncle Sugar takes care of his own. What to do with Daughter #2 though…she’s away at college, lives a distance from future son-in-law who’s also in college and they don’t have the storage capabilities, financial resources or experience to go it alone. If a situation comes along that puts Daughter #2′s security or wellness in jeopardy then I’ve got to get her home safe and sound. I’ve equipped her (mentally and materially) with what she needs to get home but the best laid plans can go awry so I’ve come up with a Plan B…the Prepper Blood Chit.
What is a Blood Chit:
Despite its ominous sounding name, a Blood Chit is nothing more than a notice, usually written in several languages that’s carried by Aircrews, Soldiers, Marines and others forced to operate in or over dangerous territory. When the crew is shot down or individual gets separated from their unit then the Blood Chit helps the person seek aid form locals in order to make their way safely back to friendly lines or a safe location.
Huge Mistake at the Range
Beretta 92
I made a huge mistake at the range recently…I used a Beretta 92 magazine in my Sig Sauer 229. The good news is that I wasn’t hurt and my weapon wasn’t damaged!
Aside: Uncle Sugar calls the Beretta 92F an M-9 and the Sig Sauer 229 is called an M-11. Both are current service pistols in the U.S. inventory.
I’ve been shooting a lot more lately as I’ve decided to make regular practice a part of my monthly routine instead of quarterly last year or even less often the year before. I want to maintain and improve my marksmanship and frankly exercise a right that has seemed a little in jeopardy lately. If I keep up at this pace though I’m going to have to order .22 caliber adapters for some of my favorite guns… I know the AR-15 adapters work well (Infidel has let me try his) and Sig Sauer makes one for my Sig 229 as well.
Anyway…back to my huge mistake at the range…
Building a Bug Out Bag – Part XI, Conclusion
Today we finish up the longest article series in the history of Prepography…but ‘Building a Bug Out Bag’ is an important topic and a great place to start if you’re new to prepping and something to circle back to periodically if you’re an advanced prepper.
Let’s begin with a quick review of where we’ve been on this topic. In Building a Bug Out Bag Part I we discussed why building a Bug Out Bag is important and what type of bag to select. In Part II we discussed the Transportation Items to consider, in Part III it was Water preparedness, in Part IV it was Food preparedness, in Part V we tackled Shelter, Clothing and Protection from the elements, in Part VI we considered Communications options, in Part VII we discussed Security Preparedness, in Part VIII we explored Financial & Identity preparedness, in Part IX we covered Health & Medical considerations for your Bug Out Bag and most recently in Part X we discussed Family & Community Support while building a Bug Out Bag.
Today we’ll briefly review Cognitive Preparedness as well as some of my favorite multi-use items and just as important…some items commonly recommended for Bug Out Bags that I suggest you leave behind. As always, remember that when we discuss a Bug Out Bag we’re talking about your last ditch, carry on your back, walk away from trouble Bug Out Bag…not what you hope you can get to your bug out location if your car, SUV, or Landmaster makes it.
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Shakespeare on Readiness – Today’s Quote
All things are ready, if our minds be so.
