Today we have a guest post by Glen Tate author of 299 days.

 

Why Prepper Novels are an Important Source of Survival Information

 

Preppers, especially Christian preppers like me, are hungry for information on survival topics.  We scour web sites, listen to podcasts, and buy non-fiction books.  We have first aid manuals and watch Youtube videos on food storage.  We might even have a prepper group and learn from them.

All of this good.  But incomplete.

Prepper novels contain vast quantities of survival information – and they’re entertaining.  Many of us have read the book Patriots, which has been described as a survival manual thinly veiled as a novel.   One Second After, another great prepper novel, contains magnificent information on everything from water treatment to bartering.  So does Lights Out.

But prepper novels have three advantages over non-fiction manuals that merely contain information.  And they are three very important advantages.

First, novels are about people so they portray information from the perspective of people.  Real people, like you and me.  People we can relate to.   Narratives from real people are a much more efficient information delivery system than something cold and impersonal like a chart of numbers.  If you had to choose between a chart of food shelf live or hearing a story about what happened to a friend, which would you choose?  And the story about your friend will leave you with a real-life lesson that a chart can’t.  Charts have their place and should be included in the information we use.  But we are people, so we naturally relate to other people.  We aren’t numbers on a chart.

The second advantage of prepper novels is their ability to persuade non-preppers.  We all know that we can’t make it by ourselves; the more people we have helping us, the better we will do.  Many of us have loved ones, sometimes spouses, who are not fully onboard with prepping.  Can that chart about how much bleach to use to purify water convince someone that they need to prep?  A story about someone who resisted prepping but then realized it was necessary can get that much-need person onboard.  Most of us would pay any price to have our loved ones convinced of the need to prep.

The third advantage, at least for us Christian preppers, is that prepper novels (at least Christian ones like mine, 299 Days) deliver information with God as a reference point.  How can you describe something without acknowledging the existence and active participation of the Creator of the universe?  For example, in 299 Days, the main character experiences an amazing series of “coincidences” pointing him toward prepping.   (These events actually happened to me.)  The main character knows that they can’t be “coincidences” and acts accordingly.  Divine direction happens in real life, especially when it comes to prepping, so any information about prepping should acknowledge the existence of this undeniable reality.  You can’t get that from a chart.

 For all these reasons, consider prepper novels as a legitimate – and, in some ways, superior – source of information.  And enjoy the story.

 

I tend to give a lot of credence to someone who is speaking through life experience. I have seen this article in the past, on several blogs and forums, and it shaped some of how I prepare. If I knew who the original author was I would give them credit and just link to their article. As I don’t, I am just going to post it here. UPDATE: Someone sent me the original authors site, you can find it here at SHTFSchool

There is a second piece that I want to link to, it is speculation on how a collapse may look in America. It has enough merit that I thought it worth sharing, it is long but worth the read. The name of the article is When The Music Stops – How America’s Cities May Explode In Violence
 
 

Life During a Collapse

 
I am from Bosnia. You know, between 1992 and 1995, it was hell. For one year, I lived and survived in a city with 6,000 people without water, electricity, gasoline, medical help, civil defense, distribution service, any kind of traditional service or centralized rule.

Our city was blockaded by the army; and for one year, life in the city turned into total crap. We had no army, no police. We only had armed groups; those armed protected their homes and families.

When it all started, some of us were better prepared. But most of the neighbors’ families had enough food only for a few days. Some had pistols; a few had AK-47s or shotguns.

After a month or two, gangs started operating, destroying everything. Hospitals, for example, turned into slaughterhouses. There was no more police. About 80 percent of the hospital staff were gone. I got lucky. My family at the time was fairly large (15 people in a large house, six pistols, three AKs), and we survived (most of us, at least).

The Americans dropped MREs every 10 days to help blockaded cities. This was never enough. Some — very few — had gardens. It took three months for the first rumors to spread of men dying from hunger and cold. We removed all the doors, the window frames from abandoned houses, ripped up the floors and burned the furniture for heat. Many died from diseases, especially from the water (two from my own family). We drank mostly rainwater, ate pigeons and even rats.

Money soon became worthless. We returned to an exchange. For a tin can of tushonka (think Soviet spam), you could have a woman. (It is hard to speak of it, but it is true.) Most of the women who sold themselves were desperate mothers.

Arms, ammunition, candles, lighters, antibiotics, gasoline, batteries and food. We fought for these things like animals. In these situations, it all changes. Men become monsters. It was disgusting.

Strength was in numbers. A man living alone getting killed and robbed would be just a matter of time, even if he was armed.

Today, me and my family are well-prepared, I am well-armed. I have experience.
It does not matter what will happen: an earthquake, a war, a tsunami, aliens, terrorists, economic collapse, uprising. The important part is that something will happen.

Here’s my experience: You can’t make it on your own. Don’t stay apart from your family; prepare together, choose reliable friends.
 
 
How to move safely in a city

The city was divided into communities along streets. Our street (15 to 20 homes) had patrols (five armed men every week) to watch for gangs and for our enemies.

All the exchanges occurred in the street. About 5 kilometers away was an entire street for trading, all well-organized; but going there was too dangerous because of the snipers. You could also get robbed by bandits. I only went there twice, when I needed something really rare (list of medicine, mainly antibiotics, of the French original of the texts).

Nobody used automobiles in the city: The streets were blocked by wreckage and by abandoned cars. Gasoline was very expensive. If one needed to go somewhere, that was done at night. Never travel alone or in groups that were too big — always two to three men. All armed, travel swift, in the shadows, cross streets through ruins, not along open streets.

There were many gangs 10 to 15 men strong, some as large as 50 men. But there were also many normal men, like you and me, fathers and grandfathers, who killed and robbed. There were no “good” and “bad” men. Most were in the middle and ready for the worst.
 
 
What about wood? Your home city is surrounded by woods; why did you burn doors and furniture?

There were not that many woods around the city. It was very beautiful — restaurants, cinemas, schools, even an airport. Every tree in the city and in the city park was cut down for fuel in the first two months.

Without electricity for cooking and heat, we burned anything that burned. Furniture, doors, flooring: That wood burns swiftly. We had no suburbs or suburban farms. The enemy was in the suburbs. We were surrounded. Even in the city you never knew who was the enemy at any given point.
 
 
What knowledge was useful to you in that period?

To imagine the situation a bit better, you should know it was practically a return to the Stone Age.

For example, I had a container of cooking gas. But I did not use it for heat. That would be too expensive! I attached a nozzle to it I made myself and used to fill lighters. Lighters were precious. If a man brought an empty lighter, I would fill it; and he would give me a tin of food or a candle.

I was a paramedic. In these conditions, my knowledge was my wealth. Be curious and skilled. In these conditions, the ability to fix things is more valuable than gold.

Items and supplies will inevitably run out, but your skills will keep you fed. I wish to say this: Learn to fix things, shoes or people. My neighbor, for example, knew how to make kerosene for lamps. He never went hungry.
 
 
If you had three months to prepare now, what would you do?

Three months? Run away from the country? (joking)

Today, I know everything can collapse really fast. I have a stockpile of food, hygiene items, batteries — enough to last me for six months.

I live in a very secure flat and own a home with a shelter in a village 5 kilometers away. Another six-month supply there, too. That’s a small village; most people there are well-prepared. The war had taught them.

I have four weapons and 2,000 rounds for each.

I have a garden and have learned gardening. Also, I have a good instinct. You know, when everyone around you keeps telling you it’ll all be fine, but I know it will all collapse.

I have strength to do what I need to protect my family. Because when it all collapses, you must be ready to do “bad” things to keep your children alive and protect your family.

Surviving on your own is practically impossible. (That’s what I think.) Even you’re armed and ready, if you’re alone, you’ll die. I have seen that happen many times.

Families and groups, well-prepared, with skills and knowledge in various fields: That’s much better.
 
 
What should you stockpile?

That depends. If you plan to live by theft, all you need is weapons and ammo. Lots of ammo.

If not, more food, hygiene items, batteries, accumulators, little trading items (knives, lighters, flints, soap). Also, alcohol of a type that keeps well. The cheapest whiskey is a good trading item.

Many people died from insufficient hygiene. You’ll need simple items in great amounts. For example, garbage bags. Lots of them. And toilet papers. Non-reusable dishes and cups: You’ll need lots of them. I know that because we didn’t have any at all.

As for me, a supply of hygiene items is perhaps more important than food. You can shoot a pigeon. You can find a plant to eat. You can’t find or shoot any disinfectant.

Disinfectant, detergents, bleach, soap, gloves, masks.

First aid skills, washing wounds and burns. Perhaps you will find a doctor and will not be able to pay him. Learn to use antibiotics. It’s good to have a stockpile of them.

You should choose the simplest weapons. I carry a Glock .45. I like it, but it’s a rare gun here. So I have two TT pistols, too. (Everyone has them and ammo is common.)

I don’t like Kalashnikov’s, but again, same story. Everyone has them; so do I.

You must own small, unnoticeable items. For example, a generator is good, but 1,000 BIC lighters are better. A generator will attract attention if there’s any trouble, but 1,000 lighters are compact, cheap and can always be traded.

We usually collected rainwater into four large barrels and then boiled it. There was a small river, but the water in it became very dirty very fast.

It’s also important to have containers for water: barrels and buckets.
 
 
Was salt expensive?

Yes, but coffee and cigarettes were even more expensive. I had lots of alcohol and traded it without problems. Alcohol consumption grew over 10 times as compared to peacetime. Perhaps today, it’s more useful to keep a stock of cigarettes, lighters and batteries. They take up less space.

At this time, I was not a survivalist. We had no time to prepare — several days before the shit hit the fan. The politicians kept repeating over the TV that everything was going according to plan, there’s no reason to be concerned. When the sky fell on our heads, we took what we could.
 
 
Were gold and silver useful?
Yes. I personally traded all the gold in the house for ammunition.

Sometimes, we got our hands on money: dollars and Deutschmarks. We bought some things for them, but this was rare and prices were astronomical. For example, a can of beans cost $30 to $40. The local money quickly became worthless. Everything we needed we traded for through barter.
 
 
Was it difficult to purchase firearms? What did you trade for arms and ammunition?

After the war, we had guns in every house. The police confiscated lots of guns at the beginning of the war. But most of them we hid. Now I have one legal gun that I have a license for. Under the law, that’s called a temporary collection. If there is unrest, the government will seize all the registered guns. Never forget that.

You know, there are many people who have one legal gun, but also illegal guns if that one gets seized. If you have good trade goods, you might be able to get a gun in a tough situation. But remember, the most difficult time is the first days, and perhaps you won’t have enough time to find a weapon to protect your family. To be disarmed in a time of chaos and panic is a bad idea.

In my case, there was a man who needed a car battery for his radio. He had shotguns. I traded the accumulator for both of them. Sometimes, I traded ammunition for food, and a few weeks later traded food for ammunition. Never did the trade at home, never in great amounts.

Few people knew how much and what I keep at home.

The most important thing is to keep as many things as possible in terms of space and money. Eventually, you’ll understand what is more valuable.

Correction: I’ll always value weapons and ammunition the most. Second? Maybe gas masks and filters.
 
 
What about security?

Our defenses were very primitive. Again, we weren’t ready, and we used what we could. The windows were shattered, and the roofs in a horrible state after the bombings. The windows were blocked — some with sandbags, others with rocks.

I blocked the fence gate with wreckage and garbage, and used a ladder to get across the wall. When I came home, I asked someone inside to pass over the ladder. We had a fellow on our street that completely barricaded himself in his house. He broke a hole in the wall, creating a passage for himself into the ruins of the neighbor’s house — a sort of secret entrance.

Maybe this would seem strange, but the most protected houses were looted and destroyed first. In my area of the city, there were beautiful houses with walls, dogs, alarms and barred windows. People attacked them first. Some held out; others didn’t. It all depended how many hands and guns they had inside.

I think defense is very important, but it must be carried out unobtrusively. If you are in a city and SHTF comes, you need a simple, non-flashy place, with lots of guns and ammo.

How much ammo? As much as possible.

Make your house as unattractive as you can.

Right now, I own a steel door, but that’s just against the first wave of chaos. After that passes, I will leave the city to rejoin a larger group of people, my friends and family.

There were some situations during the war. There’s no need for details, but we always had superior firepower and a brick wall on our side.

We also constantly kept someone watching the streets. Quality organization is paramount in case of gang attacks.

Shooting was constantly heard in the city.

Our perimeter was defended primitively. All the exits were barricaded and had little firing slits. Inside we had at least five family members ready for battle at any time and one man in the street, hidden in a shelter.

We stayed home through the day to avoid sniper fire.

At first, the weak perish. Then, the rest fight.

During the day, the streets were practically empty due to sniper fire. Defenses were oriented toward short-range combat alone. Many died if they went out to gather information, for example. It’s important to remember we had no information, no radio, no TV — only rumors and nothing else.

There was no organized army; every man fought. We had no choice. Everybody was armed, ready to defend themselves.

You should not wear quality items in the city; someone will murder you and take them. Don’t even carry a “pretty” long arm, it will attract attention.

Let me tell you something: If SHTF starts tomorrow, I’ll be humble. I’ll look like everyone else. Desperate, fearful. Maybe I’ll even shout and cry a little bit.

Pretty clothing is excluded altogether. I will not go out in my new tactical outfit to shout: “I have come! You’re doomed, bad guys!” No, I’ll stay aside, well-armed, well-prepared, waiting and evaluating my possibilities, with my best friend or brother.

Super-defenses, super-guns are meaningless. If people think they should steal your things, that you’re profitable, they will. It’s only a question of time and the amount of guns and hands.
 
 
How was the situation with toilets?

We used shovels and a patch of earth near the house. Does it seem dirty? It was. We washed with rainwater or in the river, but most of the time the latter was too dangerous. We had no toilet paper; and if we had any, I would have traded it away.

It was a “dirty” business.

Let me give you a piece of advice: You need guns and ammo first — and second, everything else. Literally everything! All depends on the space and money you have.

If you forget something, there will always be someone to trade with for it. But if you forget weapons and ammo, there will be no access to trading for you.

I don’t think big families are extra mouths. Big families means both more guns and strength — and from there, everyone prepares on his own.
 
 
How did people treat the sick and the injured?

Most injuries were from gunfire. Without a specialist and without equipment, if an injured man found a doctor somewhere, he had about a 30 percent chance of survival.

It ain’t the movie. People died. Many died from infections of superficial wounds. I had antibiotics for three to four uses — for the family, of course.

People died foolishly quite often. Simple diarrhea will kill you in a few days without medicine, with limited amounts of water.

There were many skin diseases and food poisonings… nothing to it.

Many used local plants and pure alcohol — enough for the short-term, but useless in the long term.

Hygiene is very important, as well as having as much medicine as possible — especially antibiotics.
 
 
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Today we have a guest post from Lee Flynn.

 

What to do When a Disaster Strikes Away from Home

Since 9/11, government agencies have been advising us on just how important it is to be prepared for any kind of emergency. And because the risk of terrorism has increased in recent years, as well as the frequency of natural disasters, and the promise economic decline, there is a better chance than ever before of each of us experiencing at least some kind of disaster sometime in the next few years. As a result, many people have taken to keeping emergency supplies such as food, water, and medicine in their homes. But what happens if a disaster strikes when you are not at home? Here are some tips for whatever situation you might find yourself in.

 

General Advice

When disaster strikes, all you want to do is stay safe in your home. But that does not mean that it is necessarily the safest place to be. Create a plan for your family that includes a meeting point. Make sure that such a place will be safe and open, and suitable to protect you from any disaster. If you don’t know where to start, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has created a pdf emergency plan that you can download and fill in. It is available from their website.

 

While on Vacation

The good thing, if there are any positives in such a situation, is that while you are on vacation, you are often in possession of many of your most important documents. For things such as birth certificates, insurance details, and other important information, it can be a good idea to store them somewhere other than your home. Your car or a neighbor’s house can be good alternatives. If the disaster is one that is affecting your home, be thankful that you happened to be away when it struck. Bring some extra money in case you need to extend your stay in wherever you are. If the disaster is happening wherever you are on vacation, bring extra money in case you need to book an immediate flight or other means to travel home.

 

At the Office

Similar instructions also apply to times when disaster might hit when you are at work. If you drive to work, make sure that your car always has at least a quarter tank of gas in it, in case a quick getaway is needed. Keep a few essential supplies in your car, such as food (something that will last, won’t melt, and does not need cooking), water, first aid supplies, and a few blankets, in case you need to sleep in your car for a night. It might be worth getting an office survival kit, especially if you are the manager of a group of employees. If you are the person responsible, you can purchase ready made survival kits that are good for two, four, or even 10 people.

 

At School

Schools often have strict procedures in place for most emergency situations, so if you are a student or employee at a school, you may be in the best position to deal with an emergency. If you are a teacher or in a leadership role, you might consider getting school survival kits for your classrooms. You can also buy these ready made for 30 people.

Lee Flynn is an authority on emergency preparedness, food storage, survival kits, survivalism, and sustainability.

 

Here are 15 documents that I think are well worth downloading, some you may want to print sections of to have a hard copy.  Oh yeah and they’re all free!

 

FM 3-05.70 Army Survival Manual

This manual explains how to provide the five basic needs for survival, food, water, shelter, energy and security in multiple climates. 

 

SH 21-76 Army Ranger Handbook

This manual has a lot of information relating to battle drills, building clearing techniques.  I added it because if things really get bad, this information can be useful to share with our neighbors to protect the neighborhood.

 

FM4-25.11 Army First Aid Manual

I believe everyone should have basic first aid training, but this is a good book to use as a reference.

 

Where there is no Doctor And Where there is no Dentist

Both of these books are worth downloading, lots of great medical and dental information, would be great to have if 911 isn’t coming.  Hesperian the company that gives away free PDF copies has asked no one post the books on their own site.  You can still get these two plus many more free ebooks be clicking one of the links above.  I actually like these books so much I bought hard copies of several.

 

Survival and Austere Medicine

This is another good resource for medical information.

 

1881 Household Cyclopedia

This book list a huge amount of information that has been lost in current society.  This would be great info if the grid did fail, so printing off sections might be a good idea.

 

Introduction to Permaculture

This is a great resource that can help you begin to create your own food forest.

 

Vegetable Gardening in Containers

I picked this book because not everyone has land available to plant a garden, but even if you live in an apartment you should be able to grow something in a container.  If you do have land to plant a garden, much of the information will still apply.

 

Everything you always wanted to know about composting

Learn how to create your own compost, one of the best things for a garden.

 

USDA Principles of Home Canning

Knowing how to preserve food is a must, this pdf is full of practical information.

 

Home Canning Meat Poultry, Red Meats, Game and Seafood

Knowing how to preserve meats is also great info to have, that not many of us know.

 

Preserving Food: Drying Fruits and Vegetables

There are other ways to preserve fruits and vegetables besides canning.

 

Are You Ready? An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness

FEMA document that is comprehensive, covering multiple types of disasters that will help the individual, family and community prepare.

 

Abundaculture; Pathways to God’s Abundance

Christian Homesteader that created a document on living off grid. He covers solar, composting, composting toilet among other things 170+ pages.

 

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I try to support local businesses whenever possible. I like that I can get to know them and their history in the area. I also like that they are a part of the community and often support it in various ways. As an extension of this kind of thinking, I like to find out about the sites on the Internet that I do business with as well. Because the Internet can make things feel more impersonal, I often research potential companies before I spend my money there.

I do the same for companies that would like me to advertise their site or give a discount to the Preparedness Club. I’m not saying I have to know them well, but I try to find out if they’re shady and how they treat their customers. Because of this, I have decided that I would give companies who advertise on the site or support the Preparedness Club the chance to let you get to know them a little better. To do this, I will make a post from time to time, giving them the chance to do a little question and answer session with me.

Before I get to the Q/A session, I wanted to just say that I did research LPC Survival and purchased my Berkey from him as well as a Berkey sport bottle for each BOB. I want to thank Jeff for his support of Prepared Christian and of the Preparedness Club.
 

 

1. How did your company get started and what was its main goal?
We started over 7 1/2 years ago, and started offering Berkey Water Purification Systems & our main goal is to help people prepare while time is on their side.

2. What major changes have you seen since then?
People are more interested in prepping and survival then when we first started.

3. What would you like people to know about your company?
We have helped thousands of people get better prepared, and look forward to helping people for years to come.

4. How can your company help people to be better prepared?
We offer Berkey Water purification Systems, which help people have purified water using gravity only. We also offer many other products that help people prepare for whatever may happen.

Preparedness Club members save 7% on all purchases at LPC Survival. On a Big Berkey, that could be almost $20!

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I posted last week that our son rolled one of our cars.  He was wearing his seatbelt and was entirely unharmed.  Praise God he came out more than fine!  He was only a little sore the next day.  Thanks to all who prayed and gave well wishes from the other post.  Trudee and I went to the scene that night and I removed some items from the car.  I went to the impound lot the next day to get the rest.  I learned a few things and thought I would share them with you.

 

Passing Down Knowledge

I’m a bit embarrassed to say I don’t think we did a good enough job explaining to Logan what needs to be done after a car accident; how to get and use the escape tool (not that he could have reached the old one), how to cut the seat belt, how to break the glass, how to get into the trunk to get blankets or flares, if needed.  We didn’t explain that we call police first and then parents and we didn’t go over how to contact AAA.  Thankfully, a police officer from one town over was driving by at the time and saw the entire accident.  He contacted local police.

 

Car Kit

I keep a fair amount of supplies in the trunk.  There was damage to the trunk from the accident and it wouldn’t open.  The back window was blown out and I didn’t want to leave my gear in the car.  Luckily my back seats fold down to allow trunk access.  The accident happened very close to home.  If it had been more remote, it could have been longer for the police to arrive.  Knowing the kit that contains warm blankets (it’s still 30 degrees here) was there was a comfort.  As I mentioned, I don’t know that I have shown Logan how to get into the trunk that way.  You can bet I will now.

 

Topsy Turvey

We have the rescue tools shown below in the side pockets of the driver doors on both vehicles.  They will cut seatbelts, smash a side window and have a few other features.  We kept them in the pocket so that if we needed them, they would be within reach.  I hadn’t considered a rollover; I found the rescue tool in the back seat, well out of reach from the driver.  I have since replaced it with the ResQMe Car Escape Tool.  It is very light weight and fits on a key chain, so it WILL be within reach if needed.  It is designed so you can just pull it down to separate it from the keys.  You can then cut diagonally through the seatbelt.  To break the car window you just push one side of it into the window and a spring loaded pin will shatter the glass.

Old Rescue tool

ResQMe Car Escape Tool

Final Thoughts

Things could have been so much worse.  I know God was watching over the entire scene.  I am glad we had the opportunity to learn these lessons now, to have the chance to make changes that could make a big difference in the future.

 

Here is another resource with some more information on how to prepare ahead of time for an accident, by Car Insurance.org

A quick update on the Preparedness Club; I had a software meltdown, leading to uninstallation and the purchase another product. Which led to me being locked out of the blog for almost 24 hours. There is a good chance I’ll be ready to launch on Monday but it might be later next week.

Have a great weekend,

Chris
 
 
The First Things To Disappear

 

 

I did a post last year called ”The First 100 Things to Disappear. It’s a list someone else came up with. I just added my $.02. Camping Survival recently came up with a list called The Top 50 Things to Disappear from Store Shelves during an Emergency”. For theirs, they asked their facebook fans what they thought were the emergency supplies that stores were most likely to run out of when people start to panic. They then compiled and shared them.”

I think both lists are useful for finding things you hadn’t thought of. Take a look and see if you have any holes in your preps.
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