Still on Target

The big events are still coming up shortly although there hasn't been a lot to report on lately. All of the markers are pointing toward the second week of November for whatever is going to kick off the huge downturn. And then the economy and life as we know it will continue to head down for a long time afterwards.

I thought it was a good time to remind everyone to get their last minute preparations in place. You can find a lot of advice for preps in the past articles here and also at urbansurvival.com and halfpasthuman.com, the sites that outline the information regarding this, what is most likely to be a catastrophic period.

Some of the likely events may include any of the following, a combination of several of those, or something else entirely:

-increasing wars impacting the entire world;

-economic, including the death of the dollar and the corresponding economic depression

-electro magnetic pulsation (EMP) either man made or natural such as a coronal mass ejection (CME)

-another terrorist event or something made to look like a terrorist attack maybe including nuclear attacks.

Of course the preparations we make will be a little different for each of these events but many of them will be universal.

Examples of this would be that gas masks may be needed for nuclear attacks or nuclear power disruption due to natural disasters. Alternative power and/or protection of equipment would be needed in the case of an EMP or CME, including autos without electric parts. However, some supplies are more basic and would be good to have in most scenarios. Think of what we need to survive such as purifiers to clean water, food and heat. Then we need a way to protect what we have and barter items including precious metals in small denominations.

The frustrating part is that we don't know exactly what to expect and no one can prepare for every situation but if we have enough to barter with, we may be able to get what is needed. For example, pole shift may require us to have a sturdy boat but you may be able to trade for one. So do the best you can and good luck.

Jobless Recovery

Thanks to my friend Bartender Cabbie for the comment noticing my past post predicting the claiming of a jobless recovery. That, of course, is hogwash but none-the-less it is what is being claimed by many at this time. The delaying of the "crash" is only due to the stimulus money pumped into the economy and the plunge protection measures, which are only putting off the inevitable. Actually, this downturn is still going on, albeit in slow motion, so as not to be readily detectable by the general public.

The latest predictions out by the web bot program available at halfpasthuman.com shows a building tension period to start around the end of June increasing before the middle of July of this year. A large turning point to the downside will then occur in the first half of November with things getting worse after that for a sustained period of time. This is not to be used as advice but feel free to position yourself as you see fit.

Check back for updates as they become available. Good luck to all and be sure to prepare for the worst (it may be too bad to even imagine.) and don't count on government to help.

Contest

M. D. Creekmore over at The Survivalist Blog - a survival blog dedicated to helping others prepare for and survive disaster - with articles on bug out bag contents, survival knife choices and a wealth of other survival information is giving away a Go Berkey Water Filter System (A $139.00 value)! To enter, you just have to post about it on your blog. This is my entry. Visit The Survivalist Blog for the details.

Facing the Current Economic Depression

It seems like the economic depression that we are in is starting to get rolling along at an increased pace at this time. By mid summer it should be more obvious to a lot more people and by late fall be in full swing.

I, like a lot of ordinary folks, have not been able to prepare as well as I would like but am trying to make plans to do more as time and resources allow. I want to be sure to put our very limited funds into what will be most beneficial to the family here. Never knowing the exact nature of circumstances, full preparation is hard, if not impossible but I would like to cover the basics as a review due to the shortness of time, which is upon us.

Canned food is cheap and convenient but try to select food with a high protein content since other sources may be difficult to get. Canned meats will be the best but beans and peanut butter are also good. However, they should be combined with bread or a grain to form a complete protein that can be fully utilized by the body. Dried beans, peas, etc. are also economical but will require water, fire and time to be prepared.

Flour can be used to make pan bread. Whole wheat is good for nutrition if tolerable. Although you will also need water and fire, it only will take a few minutes to fry up if you have some oil and a pan. Just mix with water to a consistency of a thick liquid and pour into a heated pan with a small amount of oil and flip half way through.

It might be a good idea to have extra vitamins to supplement what might be a limited variety of foods available.

If you have a well you may be better off but a good filter should also be on hand. There are ways to purify water with bleach, iodine and even the sun so you may want to google and write down instructions for this. And don't forget to have plenty of stored water as a backup.

Propane heaters and extra tanks can come in handy for short term heating but replacement fuel may not be available so, if you are near wooded areas, a wood stove may be your best option for staying warm. Solar, pellet stoves with plenty of extra fuel and other's may also be options although expensive. To save fuel, block off a small section of your living quarters and only heat that area.

A wind up radio may serve as a source of information and be cheaper in the long run than batteries if we get cut off from power. Candles and oil lamps may be your only light source but also have some flashlights, either the self powered type or with extra batteries on hand.

There are many other items that can come in very handy such as tin foil, tarps, garbage bags, tools, etc. and don't forget to get your garden started for the most economical and healthy foods. (Have canning supplies for long term storage of your crops.) And don't forget the medical supplies. Get some survival books or print off material from the Internet and get other ideas for preparing from those.

Bugging out, or fleeing your home, may be necessary so have a gassed up vehicle, supplies and a place to go planned out. Now get going and good luck.