Introduction<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
SurvivalBlog is now in its 20th calendar year. I began posting the blog in August, 2005.\u00a0 That was just a few weeks before Hurricane Katrina. Over the past two decades, I\u2019ve had many opportunities to write about what I generally term\u00a0The Survival Mindse<\/strong>t. The following is a mashup and updates to four brief blog essays that I wrote and posted in SurvivalBlog in November, 2005 and in April, 2006:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many of my recent consulting clients have mentioned the same feeling of unease about the coming years. Perhaps it is just the general predisposition of my consulting clientele, but they nearly all say things to the effect of \u201cI\u2019ve always been well prepared, but now I consider myself\u00a0under<\/em>-prepared, because I feel like something\u00a0big<\/em>\u00a0is coming.\u201d One American client summed it up best when he told me, \u201cI get the impression that I\u2019m living in September of 1929 or November of 1941. Something macro scale is approaching, and I want to be in the right place and to be well-provisioned when it happens.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Certainly, recent international events (Iran\u2019s posturing and threats, sectarian strife in Iraq, etc.) are cause for alarm, as is the mountain of debt (both public and private) that is looming. Gold is seen as a refuge in times of war or currency chaos, and the fact that gold and other commodities are soaring is indicative that a growing number of savvy investors see trouble coming\u2013especially for the dollar as a currency unit.<\/p> [Update for 2025:\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0When I wrote that in April, 2006, the spot price of gold was around $582 per Troy ounce. As I\u2019m writing this, spot gold is at $3,388.50.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether it will be just another economic head cold or whether it will be double pneumonia remains to be seen. Similarly, wars and major terrorist attacks are difficult to presage. I can\u2019t in good conscience make unfounded predictions. In fact, I cannot say anything with certainty other than that tomorrow will not be like today. We are living in turbulent times, so it is prudent to prepare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In person at gun shows. at public speaking engagements, in consulting phone calls, as well as in e-mail, I often have folks mention some of the odd, if not bizarre things that they have purchased for their survival preparations. They run the gamut:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ostentatious:<\/strong>\u00a0The reader who blew virtually his entire preparation budget on a brand new BMW 4\u00d74 SUV.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Impractical:<\/strong>\u00a0The gent who said that he owns just\u00a0one<\/em>\u00a0firearm: An AR-15 with five 100-round Beta C-MAGs, a rail-mounted white flashlight, a rail-mounted IR flashlight, PAQ-4 laser target designator, a Gen 3 PVS-4 starlight scope, bipod,\u00a0and<\/em>\u00a0a pseudo-M203 (37mm) flare launcher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Underachieving:<\/strong>\u00a0The man who had a whopping two cases of\u00a0MREs<\/a>\u00a0(24 meals)\u00a0en toto<\/em>\u00a0as his family\u2019s food storage supply. Not to worry. He said that he was \u201cplanning to get at least one more case.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hypochondriacal:<\/strong>\u00a0The lady who purchased more than $3,000 worth of vitamins and medications for herself and her husband\u2013far more than can be used before the end of their useful shelf lives. Her stockpile includes \u201cheart medicine, in case either of us ever develop a heart condition.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Absurd:<\/strong>\u00a0The reader who had accumulated hundreds of rolls of toilet paper, but complained: \u201cI lack room in my garage and my storage space for much storage food.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Clueless:<\/strong>\u00a0The man with more than 2,000 pounds of hard red winter wheat, but that didn\u2019t own a wheat grinder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I suggest a practical, well-balanced approach to preparedness. Here is my preparedness philosophy in a nutshell: You want to buy quality. You want things that will last. But why pay $5,000 for a Rolex Submariner watch, when an O&W Swiss watch that is built just as well will do the same thing, for far less than half as much money?\u00a0 The inverse corollary is just as important: Why buy a cheap set of low-grade \u201cMade in China\u201d tools that will break the first time that they are used instead of buying a set of Craftsman or Snap-On tools that\u00a0 will last a lifetime?\u00a0 You need to be realistic and strike a commonsense middle ground. Being a truly prepared individual takes wisdom, discernment, and dedication. Learn to objectively judge both the things that you buy and the people that you associate with. You will have to depend on both your logistics\u00a0and<\/em>\u00a0your survival team When the Schumer Hits The Fan (WTSHTF). Make plans and stick to them. Don\u2019t develop a plan that is so grand that you never get started. Start small and build on that success. Prioritize your purchases. Don\u2019t go overboard in one area (such as firearms\/accessories or commo gear) to the detriment of other important preparations. Rid yourself of non-essentials \u2014 like your Jet-Skis and your big screen plasma television.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Concentrate on things that work. Concentrate on\u00a0friends<\/em>\u00a0who work\u2013not those who just\u00a0talk<\/em>. Buy in bulk. Buy without a paper trail. Don\u2019t put all of your eggs in one basket. Pre-position key logistics at your retreat. Don\u2019t scrimp on\u00a0protecting<\/em>\u00a0what you\u2019ve bought from rust, rot, moths, and critters. (This means getting proper airtight storage containers, a locking CONEX, a gun vault, Golden Rod Dehumidifiers, 02<\/sub>\u00a0absorbing packets, diatomaceous earth, et cetera.) Buy\u00a0extra<\/em>\u00a0for barter and more importantly for charity. Be circumspect about your preparations. (The whole town doesn\u2019t need to know that you have a three-year food supply and 100K rounds of ammo.) Recognize potential threats, but\u00a0don\u2019t panic<\/strong>. Instead, plan methodically. Most importantly: pray first, then prepare, and always live by The Golden Rule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When I meet new folks, they typically ask what I do for a living. I mention SurvivalBlog and then the topic of survivalism inevitably comes up. A few ask: \u201cHow can you\u00a0sleep at night<\/em>, worrying about all of that?\u201d My reply is: \u201d I sleep very well, knowing that I have done my best to ensure the nourishment, health, and safety of my family. I would only lose sleep if I went to bed knowing that I was under-prepared.\u201d I am tempted ask them in turn (but being diplomatic in polite society, I generally refrain): \u201cHow can\u00a0you<\/em>\u00a0sleep well at night, with at most a week or two food in your pantry, minimal first aid supplies, no stored fuel or backup method to heat your home, no communications gear, no alternative lighting method beyond candles to last a day or two, no method to transport or treat water from a nearby pond, and no means to defend your life and property?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Being\u00a0animis opibusque parati<\/em>\u00a0(prepared in mind and resources) is not a source of anxiety. Rather, effective preparedness\u00a0relieves<\/em>\u00a0anxiety. Just don\u2019t make the mistake of dwelling constantly on every potential cataclysm. That is a trap that will indeed cause you to lose sleep. Here is my outlook\/approach in a nutshell: Trust in God. Prepare the best that your resources allow. Carry on with your normal day-to-day life. You\u2019ll sleep well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I have recently been pondering the far-reaching implications of a grid-down economic collapse situation\u2013commonly called The End of the World as We Know It (TEOTWAWKI) in survivalist circles. One of the under-emphasized implications of TEOTWAWKI will be the psychological stress of the situation\u2013both upon you and upon your neighbors. For many years, psychologists have used the\u00a0Holmes-Rahe Social Adjustment Scale<\/a>\u00a0(also commonly called the \u201cLife Events Stress Scale\u201d) to gauge the level of stress that their patients are experiencing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I can foresee that a TEOTWAWKI situation will be\u00a0off the scale<\/strong>\u00a0for any of your neighbors that are not prepared. In short, a lot of them are going to come\u00a0unglued<\/em>. If you live in a city or suburb, expect to see a lot of your neighbors become so profoundly stressed that they will develop manias, phobias, and compulsions. You can also expect a good portion of them to commit irrational and criminal acts. With both the landline and cellular phone systems down, even\u00a0if<\/em>\u00a0the police are still on duty, they will not know where to respond. I anticipate that the stress level will be lower in rural areas, but still profound. Just the loss of access to the mass media and a functioning cell phone will cause stress in lots of individuals. Think back to the emotional trauma that the survivors of\u00a0 Hurricane Katrina went through. Now imagine a nationwide crisis, with\u00a0no relief in sight<\/strong><\/em>. It will be \u201cYOYO<\/a>\u201d (You\u2019re on Your Own) time, and it won\u2019t be pretty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Life Events Stress Scale is a useful tool for characterizing the stress that an individual is experiencing. You\u2019ve probably seen this scale presented in a high school or college course. Looking at this scale, can you imagine the cumulative level of stress that\u00a0you will feel when the power grid goes down and the 18-wheelers stop rolling? Now picture yourself as one of your \u201cJoe Sixpack\u201d neighbors. Typically, he has:\u00a0no<\/strong>\u00a0food storage plan,\u00a0no<\/strong>\u00a0alternative home heating plan,\u00a0no<\/strong>\u00a0alternative power system,\u00a0no<\/strong>\u00a0stored fuel for his vehicles,\u00a0no<\/strong>\u00a0method for treating pond water (when water stops miraculously pouring from the faucet.)\u00a0 Talk about stress!<\/p>\n\n\n\nPrepper Angst<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
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<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\nCONEXes, Not Rolexes<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Peace of Mind in Turbulent Times<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
TEOTWAWKI and the Life Events Stress Scale<\/h5>\n\n\n\n