This is a question in which my answer has transformed dramatically over the last year. Had you asked me this question a year and a half ago, I would have given you some very logical answers that include conventional wisdom, love of family, hoping for the best but preparing for the worst, distrust of the government’s hand in the future of our nation and world, and so forth. My answer now is more precise and based on an evolved perception of the fragility of life. The single most pertinent factor that now motivates me to be a devoted prepper is a new understanding of my mortality. Life forced me to take an up close and personal look at just how rapidly circumstances can change, and
What Motivates You To Take Emergency Survival Prepping Seriously?
- survivalist
- 15th May 2016
- off
In 2013 in the United Kingdom there were 505 reported power outages. More than 2 million people were affected. Since 2010, there have been more than 30 major floods around the world, impacting more than 500 million people. There are thousands of hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, flash floods and other man-made or natural disasters each and every year. Economic crashes and simple job losses can change the way you look at life literally overnight. The lesson here?
Consider the following common daily scenarios. You are experiencing another normal day at work. You are attending a crowded outdoor festival. You are trying to keep from falling asleep during an especially boring class at school. Those are 3 things that happen all the time, aren’t they? Unfortunately, those are 3 environments where terrorists, thrill killers and psychologically unbalanced gunmen attack.
Tornadoes can be scary and unpredictable, but having your home hit by a tornado does not have to be the end of the world. If you are prepared, you may be able to keep yourself and your loved ones safe. You may also be able to minimize the damage to your home and belongings.
Situational awareness is being aware of your surroundings, no matter what situation you find yourself in. Because of your natural fight or flight reflex, your senses are heightened whenever you are put into a stressful situation. Your hearing and vision become sharper. Your mental ability to discern between potentially harmful and neutral factors improves instantly.
The “Gray Man” (alt: grey man) concept is based on the natural lack of attention that the color gray draws to itself. By becoming a gray man (or woman) you camouflage yourself by hiding in plain sight. This is one of the most effective disguises you can ever wear, and is practiced by accomplished spies and espionage professionals.
In a survival situation you are going to need to build a fire. You need to be able to do so quickly, with minimal resources available. Fire can provide warmth and is used for cooking. It is also great for repelling mother nature’s predators. The 
Ask a veteran prepper what happens after a solar flare and you will get an in-depth explanation. Want to know how to prepare for and survive an EMP blast? Most preppers can answer that question for you. The same is true for terrorist attracts, the New Madrid earthquake, World War III, civil unrest and financial collapse. Unfortunately however, one of the most common “real-world” scenarios that you may have to survive one day is flying dangerously under the radar in the survivalist and prepper communities.
Dear disaster preparedness aficionados, you need to read channel your efforts and change the way you are thinking. Yes, an EMP could wipe out all electrical and communications grids and systems. A massive solar flare could potentially do the same thing. A huge asteroid or comet could strike planet Earth, sending most human beings the way of the dinosaur. The Yellowstone super volcano, New Madrid earthquake, dirty bombs, biological agents, deadly viruses, terrorists, World War III and nuclear war – all of those catastrophes have the 
Odds are, you are making at least 1 or 2 of the following 3 prepper mistakes that are wasting your time, effort and hard earned money. I don’t know your level of disaster preparedness, whether you are a newbie or a veteran. But as an occasional gambler, and usually a profitable one, I usually try not to buck the odds. That means that the following information dictates you may be making some common emergency preparedness mistakes.
It may be a real pain in the “you know what” to evacuate your entire family from your current living quarters should disaster strike. However, that may be your only chance at survival. If you live in a heavily populated area, the fact that 99% of US citizens are not preparing in any way for a disaster scenario could spell doom for you and your family. 
Your smartphone can save your life in a disaster situation in a number of ways. You can use it as a signaling mirror, send out an emergency asking for help, and search and rescue teams can track you down because of the GPS device inside your phone. If you can receive a signal you can just downright call for help, and even smartphones without a contract or service plan can place 911 calls. In a pinch, your phone could even be used as a weapon in a hand-to-hand combat situation. But in most cases, your smartphone is useless in a survival situation if it doesn’t have a charge.
Just about everyone knows that the creamy gel of an Aloe Vera plant is great for providing relief from sunburn. But it is also an extremely versatile gift from mother nature that every outdoor enthusiast, prepper and survivalist needs to know more about. It can provide help and relief in a number of ways. Did you know that the Aloe Vera plant can …
Could you survive a zombie apocalypse? Or would you quickly become just another member of the undead masses, fueled by a desire to eat human brains? There are 20 children aged 8 to 12 that know the answers to those questions due to a recent harrowing experience they underwent at the hands of a few survival camp staffers. The Chicago children learned how to ration food and protect themselves in a survival situation while fending off brain munchers at the Burr Ridge Park District’s Zombie Adventure Camp.
It was supposed to be the perfect getaway. But what started out as an idyllic kayaking trip among 3 friends from Arizona went horribly wrong rather quickly. Only a few hours into a river outing that was up until then beautiful and enjoyable, the inflatable kayaks the trio were using were slashed beyond repair by jagged river rocks and submerged tree limbs.
The most powerful nation in the world can do nothing to stop the increased frequency of major cyber attacks. United States energy secretary Ernest Moniz recently reported that it is becoming more and more difficult for USA’s cyber cops to “stay ahead of the bad guys.” In an interview with the Christian Science Monitor, Moniz revealed startling details about the vulnerability of United States natural gas pipelines.
Solar flares are one of the events that many disaster preppers have on their radar. There are 3 good reasons why this potentially disastrous natural effect worries so many in the disaster preparedness community.
Sure, everyone knows that hiking helps you keep in shape. That obviously can positively affect anything that you do, including your disaster preparedness efforts. There are definitely some “no-brainer” ways that hiking helps you become a better proper. But there are also some lesser-known areas where hiking promotes your mental and physical prepping efforts. Check out the following 7 hidden benefits of hiking for preppers and survivalists, and get out on the trail today.
The most powerful nation in the world can do nothing to stop the increased frequency of major cyber attacks. United States energy secretary Ernest Moniz recently reported that it is becoming more and more difficult for USA’s cyber cops to “stay ahead of the bad guys.” In an 
The banks are coming after your cash, and the government is helping them do it. J.P. Morgan Chase is one of the largest banking conglomerates on planet Earth. In early 2015, they began advising their customers they would no longer allow them to store cash in their safety deposit box. That is right, the safety deposit box that you paid for is not safe anymore … you can’t even keep what you want in it.
Are you a single prepper? When you mention your disaster preparedness interests to prospective dates, do they get that look in their eye like they are thinking, “Okay, crazy person here!” Well, your days of preparing for nuclear fallout, civil unrest, economic collapse or a doomsday apocalypse all on your lonesome are over for good. Introducing … disaster preparedness dating services.
I recently ran across a wonderful quote made by a well-known survivalist. He said that, “Knowledge weighs nothing.” How true that is. Whether you fill your head with garbage from a constant dose of brain-sucking reality television or proven survival tactics and strategies, that information does not restrict your movement with a weight requirement. Except, of course, the extra pounds of fat you put on if you are constantly sitting on your butt staring at your electronic idiot box while wolfing down pizza and potato chips, cheeseburgers and fries, ice cream and other wonderfully healthy foods.
“The check’s in the mail.” “My word is my bond.” “I can guarantee it.” “Trust me.” No doubt you have been on the receiving end of one or more of those empty promises at some time or another. Some things you simply cannot afford to believe. That is especially true with the following 5 disaster preparedness and emergency survival myths, which could have uncomfortable and even deadly repercussions if you believe them.
USA Freedom Act 338-88 is anything but that. If you live in the US and own a cell phone (more than 200 million adults do), you need to be scared. If you are one of the millions of households with a land-line telephone (a recommended emergency preparedness tool, by the way), the United States government now has a legal one-way listening device installed in your home.
Women are finding empowerment and independence in the great outdoors. The last few years have seen women hit the backpacking and hiking trails in huge numbers. The disaster preparedness and survivalist communities have also benefited by a wave of single women, wives and single moms that want to create independence for themselves and their families by training and preparing for short and long-term emergency situations. More and more women are involved in the decision making and securing of supplies, such as 
The Iranian military has formalized plans for attacking America’s electrical and technology grid systems with a massive nuclear electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack. This is not just theory. American officials have obtained an Iranian military handbook which outlines Iran’s intentions of delivering a massive blow to the American way of life.
Your attitude, your mindset, is everything in life. You may have all the skills in the world in some area of expertise, but if your head is not in the right place, your lifetime of specialized knowledge can be rendered worthless. As someone preparing for any disaster scenario, either short or long-term, you understand that human beings need to establish or access shelter, water, fire and food, in that order, in an emergency situation.
You know disaster survival is all about preparation. The more prepared you are, the better your chances of survival. One other prime rule of disaster preparedness and survival is to stock up on items which do double or triple duty. For instance, honey is a food item which can also be used to heal wounds and treat acne. Its incredible shelf life combines with this versatility to make it a top bartering item for disaster survival. Start stocking up on honey and these top 7 disaster barter items and you will always be able to trade for what you need.
Impoverished people can teach you a lot about disaster survival. With so few resources and little to no money available, enterprising human beings in poor countries around the world make great teachers of disaster preparedness. They don’t always have the option to purchase supplies from the 
More than 69% of US citizens plan on staying with relatives or friends in case of an emergency or disaster situation which calls for evacuation. Just over 18% plan to stay in a motel or hotel, and a little over 4% plan to rely on public shelters. Only 27 out of every 1,000 US citizens polled by the Census Bureau have built or are currently building an 
Awesome. You’ve stocked up 
Access to an 
Why are coffee filters perfect for long-term survival after an emergency or disaster? Because they are extremely versatile, virtually weightless, portable and don’t cost much. The following 14 survival uses for coffee filters highlight some of the many ways this top survival barter item can make your life easier if a catastrophe puts you in a survival situation.
Bear Grylls is looking for the next Bear Grylls, and he wants you to come to his island to see if you have what it takes. “The Island with Bear Grylls” began airing Season 2 in March of 2015, with the famous survivalist, UK military man, skydiver and mountain climber pitting 14 men against 14 women in an island survival contest.
Quick! Which major United States city is the most prepared? In other words, what city shows the highest percentage of households with a home emergency kit already in place? Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock … Time’s up! And the winner for the most disaster prepared city in the United States is …
Banning, Ca. will host its 10th annual Disaster Survival Exposition on Saturday, April 25 from 10 am to 2 pm. The free disaster preparedness education event will be held at the Community Center located at 789 N. San Gorgonio Avenue. Appropriately enough, April is Earthquake Preparedness Month. California is home to more earthquakes than any other state in the US every year, making the timing of the expo perfect for all Californians. However, event organizers stated that the agencies putting on the exposition will focus on your need to prepare for all types of disaster.
You know you need 72 hours worth of food and water in your bug out bag. You also understand you should have some type of emergency communications device, some cash, and some standard of personal defense. A flashlight and some way to start fire are also crucial items to have in an emergency situation. But the following items, though they could be essential to saving your life, are not usually added to a bug out bag. Add these 9 survival items to your BOB today, and they may just save your life tomorrow.
Preparing for disaster is something that you subconsciously do. All humans have an inherent survival instinct. That means that you are hardwired with a will to survive, and you might be surprised at what you can really do when your life is on the line. Unfortunately, there are several dangerous and even deadly man-made and natural trends which are on the drastic rise in the early 21st century. Prepare for the following 5 situations, and the potential dangers they could deliver, because they appear to be increasing in regularity and severity.
On an otherwise normal day in late February of 2015, a single fiber optics cable was cut in Northern Arizona. The result? Thousands of residents from just north of Phoenix all the way to Flagstaff, 100 miles away, got a harsh lesson in preparing for disaster situations. What’s that you say? Losing access to the Internet is no big deal? Think again.
Obama certainly doesn’t like preppers and survivalists. That much is evident. And he obviously is not smart enough to heed the wisdom of Zig Ziglar, one of the greatest salesman, marketer and sales coaches of all time. Ziglar would frequently remark that, “You can get everything you want, if you just help others get what they want.” Obama must believe the opposite, that he can get his way by disallowing you the ability to get the ammunition you want.
Well, it finally happened. The government’s secret viral research has turned on humanity, and the Zombie Apocalypse is at hand. You suddenly realize that years of watching The Walking Dead television series might not be enough to help you survive scores of brain munching undead. Your city has been overrun. You know you have to leave. But where do you go?
Imagine this. You are returning home from a New Year’s celebration with your family. Your sister, cousin, mother and dad are in your father’s plane. Everyone is happy and having a good time … until your father announces there is something wrong with the engine. The plane crashes, and everyone onboard dies except you. You are strapped into your seat, hanging upside down, cold night is approaching and you do not know where you are.