[ChicagoBear]

itiswhatitis, on Dec 14 2009, 09:24 AM, said:

How does the avg American prepare themselves for complete destruction of everything they hold dear and true?

How has the avg Stoolie (if there is such a thing) prepare themselves?

This is probably not a topic for this forum. If anyone would like some ideas and links to resources, I'd be happy to offer what I know. Please PM me and we'll take it from there.

One of my favorite quotes: "Panic today and avoid the rush."

[itiswhatitis]

No one has responded. I guess they don't believe (or don't want to believe it is possible) but I have started to prepare by doing what needs to be done for any natural disaster. Will updated as I progress.

[Solax]

itiswhatitis, on 17 January 2010 - 10:25 PM, said:

No one has responded. I guess they don't believe (or don't want to believe it is possible) but I have started to prepare by doing what needs to be done for any natural disaster. Will updated as I progress.

I have made preperations but don't feel comfortable posting them on a public site. For a number of reasons. Mainly the gov't, their power is becoming scary and anybody that doesn't fully pull up to the teet will be considered an enemy of the state.

[ChicagoBear]

Here are some internet sites for those that are interested in preparedness:

I have 2 Big Berkeys and extra filters. I bought them from Lehmans, but you can get them from a lot of sites. I like supporting the Amish. They are the experts in self-sufficient living, and there’s a lot of good stuff on the website. Their tools are the highest quality anywhere.
Lehmans
http://www.lehmans.c...s___85415?Args=

Before anyone goes running off and spending a lot of money on freeze-dried storage food, recognize that you can build a stock of fresh foods that can carry you up to a year. Go to your Costco, Sams, or wherever, and just buy lots of canned and jarred goods. Canned tuna, corn, green beans, fruits, etc. along with spaghetti, jarred sauces, and lots of other stuff have expiration dates ranging from 6 months to over a year. You don’t have to buy freeze-dried stuff to have emergency food. If you’re a good shopper, then you can stock-up on lots of foods you already eat (just check the expirations before you buy). After that, all you need to do is rotate your stock as you eat and replenish it.

If you do want to buy long-term storage food, Safecastle and Emergency Essentials are great places. If you’re going to buy freeze-dried, I would wait for the sales (usually 25% off a/o free shipping) and then buy in large quantities. After trying a lot of foods, above all else, I like freeze-dried Mountain House foods in the #10 cans. They have lots of great entrée’s that only require water and heat. They store for 30 years. Buy it, store it, and forget about it. All you really need to know is that it’s there in an emergency.
Safecastle (requires a membership, but worth it in my opinion)
http://store.prepare...oodandprep.aspx
Emergency Essentials
http://beprepared.co...2=1273373552#10
Mountain House
http://www.mountainhouse.com/

If you really want to save some money and have the storage space available, the least expensive way to buy storage food is to buy it in 5 or 6 gallon buckets/pails from Walton Feed. You can save a lot by getting buckets of rice, beans, wheat, corn, potatoes, powdered milk etc. – the staples of emergency food. Check their “resources” tab to view storage life information.
Waltonfeed
http://www.waltonfeed.com/

Here are some additional sites for food and other preparedness items. I’ve bought stuff from all of them.
Nitro-pak
http://www.nitro-pak.com/
MREdepot
http://www.mredepot....vlet/StoreFront
Campingsurvival
http://www.campingsu....com/index.html
ReadyMadeResources
http://www.readymade...viewCat&catId=2

I would also recommend everyone keep a supply of rechargeable batteries on hand. You want NiHM types, and the Tenergy brand generally has the highest mAh of any battery. I’ve been using these for 2 years and they work great (especially in all the kids toys and game controllers = saving a bundle).
http://www.all-batte...hbatteries.aspx

Along the same line, this Sunlinq portable solar panel is also worth having around. You can recharge your batteries at no cost (or your cell phone or other small electronic devices), plus it’s always there if the power goes out.
http://www.batteryst...gers/PF12w.html

If any of you ever get really serious about preparedness/survivalism, below are two websites that are great references to read. Just to get the terminology straight, a prepper is anyone who gathers resources in order to survive a temporary disruption to everyday life. A survivalist is anyone who is interested in becoming as self-sufficient as possible, enabling them not only to survive temporary disruptions, but also long-term ones where food distribution, utilities, public services, etc. are all gone completely. I only point this out because if you delve into these sites, it’s easy to get confused by where other people are coming from. Decide for yourself if you want to insure you and your family from temporary problems or perpetual ones.
AmericanPreppersNetwork
http://www.americanp...ersnetwork.com/
Survivalblog (great resource for advice from survivalists around the world. Click on the archives and read about any subject you want to learn about)
http://www.survivalblog.com/

It should go without saying, but after traveling down this road, it amazes me that I never gave the time or effort to build an insurance policy in the first place. Whether you’re single, and especially if you have a spouse and kids that are dependent on you, you should be prepared to some extent simply because you never know what life may throw at you. Whether it is losing your job, a natural disaster (e.g. hurricane, tornado, earthquake), a terrorist attack, or social unrest (for whatever reason), etc. etc., you owe it to yourself and your family to have resources available. Today, I simply cannot accept not being prepared and able to provide for my family, especially knowing what I do about our financial system. I also like knowing that I will be in a position to help my community in any emergency, especially since most people are not prepared for anything.

Good quotes to think about:
Hope for the best; prepare for the worst.
It’s better to have and not need than to need and not have.
If you fail to plan, then you’ve planned to fail.
Panic now and avoid the rush.
It wasn’t raining when Noah built the Ark.

[itiswhatitis]

http://cbs2.com/loca....2.1699568.html

May 18, 2010 6:29 am US/Pacific
Man Selling Spots In Hidden Bunker As Last Hope

Where would you go in the event of a catastrophe? For $50,000, one man says he will guarantee your family's security in the event of a nuclear blast, tsunami, earthquake or other disaster.

"That whole upper structure can be blown away, debris could fall in here -- doesn't matter, [it] won't get inside," said Robert Vicino, a San Diego inventor and real estate entrepreneur.

Vicino's master plan is to build a self-contained shelter to be a safe haven in the case of a catastrophe.

"Would you want to survive or would you want to sit on the porch with chardonnay or Jack Daniels and watch the show," Vicino asked.

Vicino is the man behind Vivos and his vision is a nationwide network of underground shelters for survival.

"There will be double layers and razor wire. This will be an impenetrable compound when we're done," Vicino said while giving me a tour of the site at an undisclosed location in the middle of the desert, halfway between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

Vicino plans to offer a solution that he calls the ultimate life insurance policy. He says his complex will sustain life in the event of an Armageddon-like disaster, such as a nuclear blast, natural disaster, chemical and biological attacks or even the predicted end of the world according to the Mayans -- 2012. It is a scenario that has often been played out on the big screen and chronicled in newsmagazines.

"It's kind of like this. You buy an extinguisher for your office or your home, hoping to never have to use it. But you get it well in advance of a fire," Vicino explained.

Yes, he did say "buy." Think of it like fractional ownership for the end of the world.

"The only safe place to be will be underground," Vicino said.

So for a price, you can be one of the "chosen" survivors?

"If you can afford it... And, you know what, at the price we're charging $50,000, it's just a matter of choice," Vicino said.

The first is being built here in the Southland this summer, converting an old blast-proof Cold War relic, which was designed to keep copper phone lines alive.

Think the plan is crazy? Vicino said he gets that all the time, but he disagrees.

"Crazy like a fox," Vicino said lightheartedly. "We're not crazy, we're just preparing. We're open minded enough to prepare."

Vicino took me inside, where he plans to spend $10 million convert the old bunker into what appears in drawings to be a modern-day lounge.

"The whole theme here is comfort," Vicino said.

There is a 3,000-pound blast-proof door.

"You disrobe here," Vicino said referring to a decontamination room.

Beyond that, spring-mounted equipment protects in the event of an earthquake.

The entire 14,000 square-foot facility is lined with vents, but a gamma-ray detector outside can trigger them to close up in a nanosecond to keep radiation out.

Vicino said each facility will have food, clothing and supplies for a year for nearly 200 people. He claims that hundreds have already applied ranging from young to old with backgrounds from doctors to plumbers.

"There is no prejudice. There is no affinity with any religion. There is no dogma and there is no ego. You check your ego at the door," Vicino said.

Plans even show a detention facility and exercise equipment.

In the event of a disaster, Vicino said owners would meet at rendezvous points and could be escorted in by helicopters before the facilities would be secured.

I asked Vicino if his plan was to drive them into his business by perpetuating fear.

"Not at all, in fact our Web site is very careful not to promote fear, but just to provide an education about all the things that are already out there," Vicino said.

Vicino stressed that the idea of a shelter is nothing new; in fact he claims the government has top-secret shelters for the elite. He said it's not the problem he is creating, but rather a solution.

"You know, I've had a lot of people say, 'I don't know if I want to be around after something like that happens,'" Vicino said adding, "Why? It could be a nuclear blast, you need shelter, but the rest of the world might be fine. Who is to say that the world won't be fine afterwards? Might have a lot less population, but it could be very nice world."

[ChicagoBear]

As posted above, I bought mine from Lehman's.
http://www.lehmans.c...s___85415?Args=
It's probably not the best price on the internet, but I appreciate their customer service. They answered all my questions about the different filters and their usage.

Plus, Lehman's has lots of other quality items on their website. A lot of it is high quality Amish-made merchandise - the kind of quality that's lacking from the big-box chinese-import stores. I'm currently looking to buy one of their wood/coal stoves for back-up cooking and heat.
http://www.lehmans.c...ve___PMRC?Args=

Back-up water supply = rain water collection system + Berkey filters
Back-up cooking & heat = wood/coal stove
Back-up electrical = solar system and batteries

I'm glad the tornados missed your area. We've had several bad storms in the past 2 weeks that have knocked-out power around the city. Last Friday the tornado sirens were triggered for the first time since I can remember. Lots of people I know have been without power, and everyone has stories about someone they know who lost power. Lots of lost food due to no refrigeration. We never lost power, but I was prepared. This past winter I installed a back-up battery system with solar power that can run my two fridge/freezer combo's and a stand alone freezer. It won't pay for itself through electrical savings (about $150 p/yr). The cost will be justified the first time the power goes out and we don't lose all our food.

Just some food for thought.

Be prepared!

[ChicagoBear]

I have decided to call it quits for both the WSE and Capitalstool. Hostility and censorship are the bane. I just wanted to place one last thought on this thread because I care about the readers. I was glad to know that several of you have taken personal safety and preparations seriously, and hope more will consider it. While I can’t say for sure that there is social unrest in our future, everything I see indicates we are heading there. As we watch the financial system spiraling out of control, and the depression running its course, your mantra needs to be “hope for the best; prepare for the worst.”

To the extent that you are dependent on the government and technology to provide for you, you’re at risk. Ask yourself: how long could you go if all the stores were closed, with just what you have under your roof? Start building your larder from there. Realize that prepping isn’t something that can be accomplished overnight – it takes time and money. It is also more than just stockpiling a bunch of stuff. It’s about training and developing skills. The sooner you get serious, the better off you’ll be. There are lots of websites and lots of resources out there to help. Get going!

I wish the people on these boards all the best. I thank you for the analysis you openly shared. I also appreciated all the lively discussions that arose, even when there were differences of opinion. When people express themselves in civil tongues, even disagreements can be entertaining and informative. Good luck. Be prepared!