In prepping we often prepare for major catastrophes like regional storms or earthquakes. But are you really prepared to lose your job or survive a financial crisis? In March of 2017, a claim was made that nearly ½ of Americans couldn’t write a check for $500. With the financial collapse and ensuing food shortages happening right now in Venezuela, it should make us in the prepper community think long and hard about our own finances. In this article, I’ll discuss the 7 laws you should follow to weather events like an economic collapse or an even more likely scenario of losing your job.

Budget prepping and just plain old budgeting go hand-in-hand. So let’s jump right in and discuss what I would consider 7 financial laws you’ll want to observe as a prepper.

Prepping has costs associated with it, gear and skills to acquire requiring you to budget and be a good steward of your finances. I’ve known preppers that have allowed fear to drive them to credit card debt only to regret it later when nothing happened. By having a level-headed approach and a control over your finances, you can much more intelligently navigate yourself financially in prepping. By setting yourself up for financial freedom in the future, you give yourself the ability to be in a better position financially if a catastrophe does strike. As we asked at the beginning of the article, how many preppers are prepared financially for common things like losing their job?

In this article, I’ll share my personal experience with finances and how it has impacted how I prep. I learned a lot by following the steps outlined in Dave Ramsey’s book, Financial Peace. I implemented the steps he outlined and it has put myself and my family on a path to financial security. Should there be an economical downturn in the economy, had a major unexpected expense or I lost my business, we would make it.

So here are the 7 immutable prepper financial laws that I personally live by and I hope to be of value to you.

1. Create a budget

A budget allows you to take control of your finances and gives you a full understanding of where every dollar is going. In prepping there are expenses in acquiring gear and other resources and for those that have a tight budget, making sure you can squeeze out every dollar from your paycheck is important. Without a budget, you won’t be able to effectively do this. The first step to creating a budget is very straight forward. The goal is to create a simple, zero-based budgeting approach.

Start by determining your household’s total take home pay after taxes. Then you simply document in a spreadsheet the regular monthly expenses you have like your mortgage, utilities, grocery bills, insurance, etc. I find it easy to look over my bank account and see all the expenses. Once you have all the numbers added up in a spreadsheet, you’ll want to define where every dollar goes. As a prepper, you’ll need to find a way to create a line item for prepping. How much you want to spend on a monthly basis on prepping is up to you and what you can afford. I spend around 2 to 4% of my monthly pay on prepping. At first sitting down and doing a budget might be a real eye opener when you see what you’re actually spending money on each month. Without a budget, it’s amazing how much money will slip through your fingers if you don’t actually stick to it.

By creating a budget, you’ll have a very clear picture of your finances. This would be a good time to make decisions about what you want to cut or reduce in pricing. Does spending $150 a month on cable really make sense if you’re having to cover expenses with a credit card? As you review your budget, find ways to cut spending. The goal is to increase the amount of money you can save so you can invest in the supplies you need to pick up.

And what do you do if you don’t have enough in your budget to prep? Get creative. Pick up a 2nd job or find another way to develop a revenue stream.

2. Get a $1000 emergency fund in place

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, The CEO of Assurant, Alan Colberg, made the remark that “Half of all Americans cannot afford to write a $500 check in an emergency,” on Bloomberg TV a few months ago.

When I first got serious about getting my finances in line about 10 years ago, this was the first step I took. It was difficult at first as I wasn’t used to saving money, but that first step was a huge psychological milestone on a path that has ultimately led me to a much more secure place financially. I would encourage you to do whatever it takes to get to this place. Whether that means having a garage sale or picking up side work, make this as a priority as once you have this amount in place, it gives you a small buffer to handle the unexpected things that come up in life.

Also, should there be a catastrophe in your area and the grid is down, you won’t be able to run to the ATM to withdraw cash and your credit cards will be no good if the store isn’t accepting card payments. Keep this money in a secure, safe place in your home. This isn’t investment money you keep at your bank, but rather it should be available at a moment’s notice.

3. Get out of debt

There’s a proverb that says this: “The wealthy rule over the poor, and anyone who borrows is a slave to the lender.” This saying is so true. When you owe someone money, you are essentially their slave. Ever been behind on a payment and have the debt collector call you and harass you? How fun is that? It will stress you out over time.

Some may argue why pay off debt if we’re heading to higher inflation if the economy may collapse? Well, you need to consider the reality that should there be an economic event, you could lose your job. Should this happen, you’re a much likely candidate to lose your home and belongings. Remember when the real estate bubble burst back in ‘07 and ‘08 here in the U.S.? I remember watching the local news every night and watching stories about people being forced out of their homes as they were foreclosed and being forced into tents and living in the back of their cars. Times were tough then and having debt hanging over your head will compound the problem. While you have a job and have the money, get rid of your debt so that should you lose your job later, you don’t end up on the streets. Also if you hold any debt that is an adjustable rate debt, be especially attentive to this and dump it ASAP as the banks will likely jack the rates high if the economy crashes.

When my wife and I got serious about paying off our debt years ago, we used a trick that worked extremely well for us. It’s called the debt snowball. It’s an approach that is outlined in the book Financial Peace mentioned earlier. It works like this. Line up your debts smallest to greatest and start on the smallest debt first. Now I know some may argue the best approach is to go after the debt with the highest interest rates, but there’s a motivation in paying off debt and then moving to the next debt. So you first pay off the smallest debt. Once that’s that is paid off, take the money from your budget you had to use to pay that small debt off and then roll that into your next debt. Once that next debt is paid off, then roll that combined money in your budget into the next debt and so on. The advantage of using this approach is that when you start knocking off the easier debts, you’ll see results and stay motivated to go after the larger debts. I call this approach a “trick” as there’s a psychological component to keep you motivated to attack the other debts.

Don’t try and leverage debt to gain gear or supplies. I’ve known preppers that have done this and when nothing ended up happening, the debt was very difficult to deal with.

4. Ditch credit and debit cards for cash

Getting off relying upon credit cards and debit cards was a huge first step for me years ago to not only get out of debt but to learn to control my spending. One of the stories told in the book Financial Peace is about how McDonald’s found that people spent 47% more when using credit instead of cash. When you pay cash, there’s a real connection that you can actually “feel” when you spend money. Not so much when using your credit or debit card. And they found that by installing the machines, their sales went up.

Again, in the context of prepping, we’re trying to lessen our financial expenditures and by getting off using plastic, we better our chances of having money left at the end of the month to spend on important preps. One system I have found very useful to keep our expenses in check on a monthly basis is the use the cash envelope system. What we do is create a line item for each expense each month in our budget and then on payday, we simply go to the bank, withdraw the money we need and then put the money in each envelope for that line item. So for example, if we have $400 in the budget for groceries, we put $400 in the envelope marked “Groceries”. By using this approach, we’re able to keep a very close eye on what we’re spending money on each month.

5. Get 3 to 6 months worth of savings in place

This is one of those things that you may think is really hard to do, but you’d be surprised how much momentum you’ll gain after you move through steps 1 through 3. Having 3 to 6 months worth of income in savings allows you to handle most catastrophes that may come up. Let’s say you lose your job. This is a scenario which is very possible and impacts people all the time. Again, in prepping, the goal is to not only prep for disasters like earthquakes or hurricanes but just things that can happen in everyday life. The loss of a job can be very catastrophic and having a 3 to 6-month cushion in savings will give you time to find a new job. Or you may have a large expense if your car’s transmission goes out. By having these savings in place, it keeps us from falling back into debt and having to rely on credit cards to get us through tough times. The feeling of security of having a cushion to fall on should a problem comes up is also a great feeling and helps remove a lot of stress.

Just a side note: this money is not to be used for investment purposes tied up in some type of investment account that you can not immediately access, but rather you should keep this in a well-established credit union or small bank.

6. Diversify what you spend money on

When I first got into prepping, I found myself wanting to get all the cool gear, gadgets, bug out bag items, firearms and other items I felt were so important (or at least the items that were being marketed to me so heavily in the prepping community). If I could go back and start all over, I would have focused on more important things for survival instead of the tacti-cool products. For example, if you have $100 in your monthly budget, I’d start by picking up a $20 mini-sawyer water filter, some water containers, basic flashlight, cans of food to stock in my pantry and a simple medical kit. Does that sound exciting? No, not really, but if there were an emergency that hit my area, having these on hand would be far more valuable than a cool EDC bag. Don’t get heavy into one area when spending money on your preps but rather spread the money out over the basics. My budget priority is broken down in this order:

• Water.  If you’re new to prepping, focus on getting a 2 week supply built up. I cover this more in a video titled “7 steps for emergency water preparation”.
• Food.  Start by getting a 2 week supply built. You can watch my video, “How to easily build a 2-week emergency food supply” to get more information.
• Medical.  Get some basic medical kits or build your own. A great resource is the Doom and Bloom Youtube channel where Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy discuss medical preparation and survival. Highly recommend you check out their channel to learn more.
• Mobility.  Being able to move on a moment’s notice and survive while being mobile is important. I’ve done an article on building bug out bags for yourself and the family. Just a fair warning, don’t get caught up in thinking you need to buy a lot of expensive gear.
• Security and Firearms.  For some, this is on the top of their list of things to budget for, but I’ll leave that up to you to decide. If you’re looking for affordable options for firearms to get you started, you might want to take a look at the Maverick 88 12 gauge shotgun. Again, no need to run out and buy a tricked out a battle rifle that can cost you thousands of dollars.
• Precious metals.  I put this last on my list as this is a long game approach and in my opinion should be last on your list. Again, you might have a different opinion and would love your feedback in the comment section. In the event of a catastrophe, people aren’t going to be excited to get a piece of silver from you if they’re trying to feed their family and need food or some other important barter item.

7. Invest in education to gain skills and knowledge

Skills and knowledge are invaluable. Whenever you can the opportunity to gain an education from an expert, invest in it. Whether that means picking up books on learning how to operate a HAM radio, gardening or medical skills or taking a firearms safety course, I recommend investing in good books or classes. Gear is great to have, but knowledge is far more valuable. Investing in some good books serve a number of purposes in the event of a catastrophe. Having a physical book containing information when the internet is down will be so important. I’m in the process of building my own prepper library and having books on gardening and first aid are a great start in my opinion. Obviously, there’s tons of free information on Youtube, but again, having that physical hard copy should the grid go down will be invaluable. Learn now how to suture a laceration or how to grow a garden. I invested in learning material for gardening and while I’m having some success at the moment, there’s still a lot more I need to learn and I’m glad I’ve invested in this knowledge and am taking the time to apply these skills now before a catastrophe when it will be too late to learn.

Any opportunity you can find to educate yourself even if it requires spending money, do it.

But what about long-term financial prepping like Roth IRA’s and 401K’s?

While I personally invest in Roth IRA’s, I do realize that there are no “safe” investments and will leave that up to the viewer to decide what approach they’ll want to take for long-term investments. I’ve watched the stock market rise and fall over the last 16 years and am pretty sure we’re in another bubble. Land is taxed and you can get hit with eminent domain. I had a close friend who heavily invested in precious metals only to have someone break into his home and steal it all. There are no guarantees. I try to do the best with the money I have and am not looking for anyone to take care of my life for me. This is the life of a prepper. Move toward self-sufficiency. Look down the road a little further than most people are comfortable doing even if it means realizing you may have to make sacrifices now to ensure you and your family have a much greater chance of weathering a storm financially.

Thanks again for taking the time to read this article. As always, I enjoy feedback from the prepper community as you guys teach me a lot. If you have any insight into anything I didn’t cover or you have a different view on any of the items we discussed, please comment below. Also, if you enjoyed this article, please feel free to like or share on social media.

As always, be safe out there!

Whenever we think about natural disasters, the subject of looting is not far behind. Looting does indeed occur in the wake of disasters, but the truth is, that it is not nearly as widespread as we are lead to believe.

That being said, in the event of a total failure of the grid, economic collapse, large-scale civil unrest, or nationwide national disasters, the prospect of no help on the horizon will drive a lot of people to take to looting as a way to get the supplies they need to survive.

What follows is a list I have compiled of the places where I believe you will see looters strike when SHTF.

Hardware Stores And Big Box Stores

If the lights go out permanently, everyone will be looking for a generator to power their fridge and freezers. A store that sells generators of any size will be a target for looters.

Big box stores will also see their fair share of looting because they are one-stop shops for many consumer goods and food products, making them tempting targets.

Hardware stores will also be targets not only for the generators but for supplies and equipment that would be useful in securing homes.

Grocery Stores

If the COVID-19 pandemic taught us anything, it is that so many people do not have sufficient stores of staple food products such as rice and flour but also other products like toilet paper.

The pandemic caused supply chain disruptions that were made worse through panic buying.

In the event of an SHTF situation, where the supply chain is permanently cut off, the same people who were panic buying will have to resort to looting the local grocery store to feed their families.

Organized gangs of thugs will inevitably also target these stores to re-sell their ill-gotten gains on the black market.

Hospitals/ Clinics/ Doctors Offices/ Veterinary Clinics/ Pharmacies

Ask yourself what you would do if disaster struck and you or a family member needed medication to survive. Would you steal it?

Millions of people require prescriptions daily; if the supply chain is cut off, they will have to find these drugs through other means. One of these may be to loot the required medicines.

Another group you will see looting these locations are those addicted to drugs and in desperate need of their next fix.

Also, people with injured family members at home may decide that boosting some medical supplies is better than waiting in a post-SHTF triage center.

Outdoors And Sporting Goods Stores

Most people involved in the survivalist/prepping community have a wide selection of outdoor and camping gear, which would be invaluable in an SHTF scenario.

Those who haven’t prepared will head to the local outdoor store to stock up on the essential equipment.

These stores will also have ammunition and firearms and staff that would hardly risk injury or death defending their employer’s inventory.

Private Homes

It would not take a sizable force of hoodlums to effectively force their way into and loot most private dwellings. This is where operational security (OPSEC) is crucial to keeping your home off the local criminal element’s radar.

The problem with a lot of preppers and survivalists is that they often spend far too much time talking about their preparations.

Many of us have heard the phrase ‘I’ll just come to your place.” If too many people know about the extent of your preps, you can expect that some of them will come knocking and won’t take no for an answer.

Convenience Stores

The corner mom-and-pop convenience store may not seem like a prime target for looters, but the inventory they carry on their shelves is invaluable after SHTF.

The real problem with looting these stores is that they are usually the sole income provider for a family and, therefore, will be well defended.

Often, the families running the local convenience store will live directly above or adjacent to it and defend it as they would their own home.

Warehouses Or Distribution Centers

There is an Amazon distribution center a couple of kilometers from my home. Every time I drive by it, I think about what a prime target it would be. Yes, that pun was intended.

There are also many warehouses and other distribution centers that are full of useful food and supplies along with security that will be nonexistent in an SHTF scenario.

I for one, fully expect angry mobs to descend on these buildings when the grid fails, and law and order break down.

Gas Stations

Even if the power is out, there will still be ways to extract the fuel from the underground storage tanks at your local gas station.

I would wager good money that if an SHTF situation befalls us, there will be a lot of organized groups of looters looking to control this critical resource.

We have seen it time and time again that in the leadup to hurricanes, the exodus of people sucks the tanks dry at all the gas stations in the area, but if the lights suddenly went out, it would be a different story. There would be thousands of gallons of fuel waiting for someone with a bit of ingenuity to extract it.

Gun Stores

There is a saying that I heard a long time ago that goes, ‘One gun can get you more.’ While it may seem suicidal to loot a gun store, the reality is that the staff in these stores do not stand a chance against a mob of already armed looters. People will want to defend themselves, and raiding the local gun shop will be one way they will go about it.

During localized disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, tornados, etc. there will always be some looting. Usually, this kind of looting will be conducted by the criminal element who are primarily driven by profiting from the disaster.

When the disaster is on a national or global scale, and help is not coming, we can expect the looting to be widespread and involve people who would, under normal circumstances, be law-abiding good people.

Knowing where these looters may strike gives you the ability to avoid these hotspots and stay safe during a disaster.

The blood oath is fundamental.  Biden and most of his cabinet and most courts and congress have probably taken it. That’s why they are excluded from mandatory vaccines. 
These people swore an oath or to represent citizens, but their true loyalty is to Satan (Communism.).They are traitors and should be treated as such.

Worldwide the vaccine passports is leading to a Chinese Communist social credit system where your every word and move are monitored for political correctness.

Like our “leaders,” the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)are Satanists.
We now face persecution from this evil red dragon in the form of medical tyranny.We’re dealing with PURE EVIL. 

The Final Choice is Good or Evil. What Choice Will Those with a Blood Oath Make?

The ultimate and final choice is between Good and Evil.

The Chinese say, “you can’t stand in two boats”; as the boats move apart, you will be forced to choose one boat or fall into the water. Those who have taken a blood oath are conflicted between doing what is Good or following a path that stops at no Evil. 

The way to discern good or evil is to evaluate it against Truth, Compassion and Tolerance; this is the characteristic of the cosmos. Those who adhere to these universal principles are good. The ones who deviate from Truth, Compassion and Tolerance are wicked.

Karl Marx signalling the “hidden hand”, indicating the real power of the world from behind the scenes controls him and he has taken a Blood Oath.

In the Communist Manifesto (Chapter 2), Karl Marx spells out that communism is Satanism:

“There are, besides, eternal truths, such as Freedom,, etc., that are common to all states of society. But Communism abolishes eternal truths, it abolishes all religion, and all morality, instead of constituting them on a new basis; it therefore acts in contradiction to all past historical experience.”

Because communism is opposed to Truth and it abolishes all morality; therefore it is easy to see communism is evil.

Communism was created by evil and it is spread by evil people, hidden in the top layers of society with dual loyalties.

Today, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is playing the leading role to establish global communism.

The CCP requires a blood oath to join; it has brutally persecuted many groups in China since coming to power in 1949, killing an estimated 60-80m people who were opposed to communism.

This genocide in China has continued until today, because the CCP is always persecuting someone. One noteworthy group is Falun Gong, a peaceful meditation practice that was brought to the public in May, 1992. It was very popular in China, with over 100m people taking up the practice. The practice has five slow moving qigong exercises and a series of lectures that help people improve themselves to their very core.

Because Falun Gong practices Truth, Compassion and Tolerance, the CCP has persecuted them since July 20, 1999. Practitioners were detained, arrested, put to forced labor, imprisoned, tortured and had live organ harvesting (faluninfo.net).

 The CCP is against Truth, Compassion and Tolerance. Now, the CCP and those aligned with it are utilizing every means at their disposal to persecute the entire world. Good people everywhere now face persecution from this evil red dragon in the form of medical tyranny.

COMMUNIST AGENTS

The CCP goal is the destruction of the USA and imposition of The Great Reset — worldwide communism. People are recruited because they hold positions of status or influence in society, and they are able to maintain their positions, while at the same time, secretly pledging their loyalty to something else.

The CCP requires a blood oath to become a member with these words:

“… ready at all times to sacrifice my all for the Party…”

“…both parties stop and swear unto death while standing in the midst of the blood, swearing by G-d (thus making G-d their 3rd party) to kill the covenant breaker and his seed after him if the terms of the covenant are breached.”

Traitor VP Mike Pence received this “token of appreciation” immediately after voting against Pres. Trump on Jan 6th, 2021. It’s rare to see high level secret society ceremonies in a public setting.

“All this I most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear, with a firm and steadfast resolution to keep and perform the same, without the least equivocation, mental reservation, or self-evasion whatsoever, binding myself under no less a penalty than that of having my body severed in twain, my bowels taken thence and burned to ashes, and these scattered by the four winds of heaven, that no more remembrance may be had among men or Masons of so vile a wretch as I should be, should I, in the least, knowingly or wittingly, violate or transgress this my Master Mason’s Obligation. So help me God and keep me steadfast.”

The Jesuit oath (from 1533 Jesuit oath):

“In confirmation of which I hereby dedicate my life, soul and all corporeal powers, and with the dagger which I now receive, I will subscribe my name, written in my blood in testimony thereof; and should I prove false or shaken in my determination, may my brethren and fellow soldiers of the militia of the Pope cut off my head and my feet and my throat from ear to ear, my belly opened and sulphur burned therein with all the punishment that can be inflicted upon me by demons in eternal hell forever.”

Finally, the Mafia also has a blood oath (related by Joe Valachi in testimony to Congress):

“I sit down at the table. There is wine. Someone put a gun and a knife in front of me. The gun was a .38 and the knife was what we call a dagger. Maranzano [the boss] motions us up and we say some words in Italian. Then Joe Bonanno pricks my finger with a pin and squeezes until the blood comes out. What then happens, Mr. Maranzano says, ‘This blood means that we are now one Family. You live by the gun and the knife and you die by the gun and the knife.’

Those swearing a blood oath are often required to spy and commit crimes for these groups. Their blood oath has priority over any other oath, they literally pledge their lives to these groups and must keep this secret. Their feet are more firmly planted in the evil boat, but they still have a chance until the end to make a better choice.

Dr. Fauci is Jesuit trained and a Deep State operative through six administrations. Watch his signals to know where his loyalties lie.

DUAL LOYALTIES

People who have taken a blood oath can be found throughout society in positions of authority and power in nearly every corner of the globe.

Many have literally “sold their souls” for wealth and other benefits. People who take a blood oath are recruited in, no one can “apply” to join and membership often follows family lines. The secret organizations see the power the person has access to, they can also “direct” things to make a person gain even more power, even becoming president of the United States.

Is it a surprise the “hidden hand” has guided events and created history in this manner? The large scale ritual sacrifices are now on a grand scale: two World Wars, the Holocaust (which means “burnt offering), 9/11 and now the biggest of all…the COVID/CCP Virus. All of these events were perpetrated by people with dual loyalties, whose feet are in two boats.

We tend to think that stockpiling food and supplies for an emergency is a modern invention. But it’s not. It actually started thousands of years ago, with people stockpiling food for a snowy day. Those ancestors of ours knew something that most of us today have forgotten: the fact that winter comes every year and you can’t grow crops or hunt game very effectively when the freeze hits.

In fact, the earliest recorded instance of stockpiling is in Chapter 41 of Genesis, in the Bible. Joseph, a son of Abraham, correctly interpreted Pharaoh’s dream and instituted a system of stockpiling grain in preparation for the seven years of famine.

To the pioneers, stockpiling had to be a way of life. When Old Man Winter came to call, the only thing that would keep them alive was the food and fuel they had stored. If they were not ready, chances were that they wouldn’t make it through the winter.

Those who stockpile are returning back to the roots that our pioneering ancestors established, taking matters into their own hands.

So what sorts of things did the pioneers stockpile — and why did they stockpile them?

We can really break down the pioneer’s stockpiling into two categories — things that they bought and things that they raised, hunted, preserved or prepared themselves. The things from the store were precious to many of these people, as they didn’t have much cash money to spend. It was only when they sold a cash crop that they were actually able to pay off their account at the local general store and buy themselves a few new items.

Things the Pioneers Bought and Stockpiled

A trip to the general store was a big deal in those days and something that a pioneer might only do once a month, or less. It might be an all-day affair, which took time away from working the farm. Nevertheless, they had to make it to town once in a while for supplies, or they were stuck with living solely off the land.

1. Wheat flour and other grains

While many farmers raised grain, they usually didn’t eat their own. Their grain would be sold and then they’d turn around and buy flour and other ground grains from the general store. A few people would have their own hand-operated mills for grinding grains, but those were for grinding cornmeal, rather than flour.

Going back in history, we find that grinding grain was a major part of a woman’s housework. In Medieval times, a woman might spend as many as six hours per day grinding grain so that she could make the bread of the day. Being able to buy ground wheat was one of the first true kitchen conveniences.

Bread was an important staple in the diet. It was a great source of carbohydrates, giving them the energy they needed to burn during the day. Of course, the breads they ate back then were very different than today’s, being much harder and heartier than our modern bread.

2. Baking soda

You couldn’t bake bread without baking soda, unless you happened to have yeast. Of course, many people made sourdough bread, always saving a bit of the dough to act as a starter for the next batch. But sourdough starter doesn’t work for biscuits, pies or bear sign (what they called donuts). So a stock of baking soda gave them much more variety in their diet.

3. Salt

Salt has always been highly valued. In fact, in the Roman Empire part of a soldier’s pay was given in salt. That became the root of the word “salary.” We need salt in our diets to survive, as well as to preserve meats. While some pioneers would harvest it themselves from salt licks, that only worked for those who had a natural salt lick on their property.

4. Sugar

While not an absolute necessity, sugar was an important item to stockpile. Not only is it used as part of the process of canning fruit, but even the toughest of cowboys and miners wanted a sweet treat every now and then.

5. Rice

Like grains, rice was an important staple for many people. But it wasn’t grown in many parts of the country, making it an item pioneers picked up at the general store.

6. Bacon

Bacon managed to become the default travel meat of choice in pioneering days. Cowboys would carry a chunk of bacon in their saddlebags, wagon trains carried it, and most families had a few slabs on hand. If you had bacon, you had meat to eat.

7. Coffee and tea

Who doesn’t like a good cup of coffee? Actually, coffee drinking in this country started with the Revolutionary War, in response to the Stamp Tax. Rather than pay the tax for British imported teas, many people switched over to coffee. Whereas before the revolution most people drank tea, after it the nation switched to coffee. By the time of the revolution, tea was mostly drunk only by the wealthy.

8. Dried beans

Just as it is for the average homesteader today, dried beans were a favorite staple for the pioneers. Chili con carne became a popular dish, starting in Texas and then moving north along the cow trails. Eventually, it was eaten all across the west.

Beans also could be eaten alone, or with tortillas. The Southwest culture had a strong Mexican influence, including the eating of refried beans as a staple. Many a meal was beans and biscuits or beans and bread. Even when they had meat, beans were often served on the side.

9. Dried and canned fruit

Some people grew fruit. When they did, they’d can it or dry it. But not all kinds of fruit can be grown in all parts of the country. Besides that, not everyone was a farmer. The general store would stock dried and canned fruit, making it possible for people to buy these foods.

Since it kept well, dried fruit was another popular trail food, both for wagon trains and for drifting cowboys. It helped give variety to an otherwise dull diet, as well as providing them something sweet to eat.

Things the Pioneers Grew, Hunted, Preserved and Prepared

Many pioneers were involved in farming and ranching. Those who were grew as much of what they ate as they could. Since cash money was so rare, being able to hunt, gather or grow your own food was a real advantage. Even townspeople would have a garden patch behind their homes, growing their own vegetables and herbs.

10. Smoked meats

One of the signs that you’d “made it” was to have a smokehouse on your property. While the ability to smoke your own meats was incredibly useful, not everyone could afford the time or expense to build one. Those who could were usually well-established families who already had their homes and barns built. By then, they were producing enough that it was worthwhile to be able to smoke meats when it was time to slaughter a cow or pig.

11. Jerky

The pioneers learned how to make jerky from the Native Americans. While smoking was great, not everyone had a smokehouse. Plus, jerky lasts longer than smoked meats and is much more portable. Drifting cowboys and other travelers would often take jerky along just to ensure they had some meat to eat. A few strips of jerky and a couple of campfire biscuits made a pretty good lunch in the saddle.

12. Corn

Many pioneers grew their own corn, even if it was just enough for their family. They might grow wheat or some other grain for sale, but they’d put in a small patch of corn, as well. That corn was usually dried and kept for making cornmeal.

13. Vegetables

A vegetable garden alongside or behind the house was almost a requirement for pioneer families. Without it, their food would be bland and repetitive. Not only did they grow their own veggies, but their own herbs, as well.

Most vegetables were harvested and kept in a root cellar, not canned. Canning required owning a goodly supply of canning jars, something that most people didn’t have. It wasn’t until later, when towns were well-established and trade was more regular, that canning jars became common in the west.

14. Feed for the animals

Anyone who had animals had to consider their needs. Whether horses, cows or chickens, they were a valuable part of the homestead and needed to eat. Just like the family would stockpile food to get themselves through the winter, they’d stack hay and other feed for their farm animals.

Most hay was cut from wild grass growing near the farm. It would be cut by hand with a scythe and stacked in towering haystacks for the winter months. Some farmers who had larger barns with lofts would stack the hay in the loft. But that required hay bales, which meant having the equipment for baling hay. So that only happened in well-established areas on well-established farms.

15. Firewood

The only heat that most homes had was from the fireplace or wood-burning stove. That created the need for a wood pile, which was started in the spring so the wood could dry through the hot summer. In some places, they would stack their wood to act as a defensive breastwork for the home, giving themselves a good firing position for any attacks from Native Americans.

A disaster strikes in your city so severe that military, law enforcement, and major emergency response forces such as FEMA are deployed to handle the situation.

But then, to your surprise, you have FEMA personnel and law enforcement agents knocking on your door…and they demand to enter and see and take all the food, water, and supplies that you have on hand.

When deployed, FEMA provides disaster-relief experts to assist with the efforts of state and local governments, deploys personnel and equipment to assist with disaster-relief efforts and recovery, and offers funding to help support the rebuilding phase after the disaster has ended.

In a nutshell, FEMA is an agency designed to help handle and coordinate responses to major disasters. When they come it’s ‘to help’ right?

That’s what you may think until the FEMA personnel come knocking on your front door and demanding to take what you have.

But why would FEMA try to requisition your stockpile of food and supplies in the first place? Could they get away with it? If so, how should you react? We’ll attempt to answer those questions in this article.

Why Would FEMA Requisition Your Stockpile?

One scenario in which FEMA could requisition your possessions, including your stockpile, is if martial law were to be declared.

Martial law is the complete suspension of current laws enacted by the civilian government in favor of laws set by military authorities. Usually invoked during times of emergency, such as war or natural disaster, the purpose of martial law is to give the local authorities unlimited authority to create and enforce laws.

In other words, when martial law is declared, all existing laws on the books would effectively go out the window. Forget about having freedom of speech or the right to own your property. If the authorities were to decree in a martial law that they can come onto your property and take anything they want, there would be nothing to stop them from doing so.

That’s because when martial law is declared, it will be a top priority of the authorities to maintain strict control over the local population.

This will involve four major steps:

1. Controlling the movements of the population and ensuring no one can leave (unless if the affected area needs to be evacuated)
2. Controlling speech and propaganda
3. Disarming the population to ensure they can’t fight back
4. Making the population dependent on the authorities for food, water, and medication

After Hurricane Katrina, police units literally went door-to-door to confiscate firearms from legal gun owners.

In a longer term situation, the government could do the same thing, only they would take food, water, medicine, and other necessities. FEMA, with support from deployed law enforcement or military units, is an agency that would be among the most likely to carry this out.

The purpose of doing so would be to ensure that people can’t be self-sufficient. The authorities could then create bread lines to force people to stand in line for food. In other words, people will only be able to eat when and where the authorities would decree. They could withhold food.

How Should You React and Prepare?

A major disaster that involves government agencies confiscating necessities and supplies from the local population may seem unlikely, but it’s not at all outside the realm of probability. That’s why it’s a potential scenario that you need to be ready for.

There are three primary things you should do to react to this kind of situation:

Hide Your Stockpile

Think about extra hidden rooms in the home where you could store food, water, medicine, and other items.

If no such room exists in your home, consider making one.

For example, would it be possible to build a storage area into a wall?

Or what if you built an underground storage place outside?

The point is to make sure that not all of your preps are clearly obvious. When the FEMA personnel come stomping through your house, you want to make sure it’s difficult for them to detect your stockpile.

They’ll likely check the kitchen, pantry, and garage first; whether they give the rest of the house and property a closer inspection likely depends on how strictly they’ve been ordered to remove the food and water supplies from the local population.

For an added tip, consider having multiple secret rooms or storage areas. In the event the FEMA personnel find and requisition one stockpile, they’ll hopefully be satisfied and move onto the next house.

Don’t Resist The Authorities

Secondly, make sure that you don’t resist the authorities when the time comes. Whether you like it or not, if FEMA and police are at your door you’re not going to be able to resist them, and if you do, you’ll be arrested and your items will be confiscated anyway.

Play it safe, and don’t resist while ensuring that much of your preps are kept a secret. Besides food, water, and medicine, the same goes for your firearms, ammunition, and other valuables as well.

Anything you think the government would want to confiscate from you, you’ll want to keep hidden in the event of a large-scale disaster happening.

Don’t Make It Obvious That You’re A Prepper

Additionally, you won’t want to announce to the rest of the world that you’re a prepper either. It’s always smart to keep your preps under-the-radar and only to inform those close to you within your circle of trust about your preparations.

This is one more reason why it’s smart to have your stockpiles hidden and not so obvious. If you have guests over at your house, for instance, they may not think twice about your preparations now but they definitely will remember after disaster strikes.

The last thing you’d want is for your neighbors to come knocking on your door after a disaster demanding you share your food, or otherwise for them to alert FEMA personnel that you have

In the event of a major natural disaster or emergency that brings on a massive government response, be prepared to have government forces coming to your door for your stockpile. The best way to get around this to ensure you won’t be dependent on the upcoming breadlines is to keep part of your stockpile hidden and secret.

Where are some hidden places in your home or property where you could safely stockpile food and water? This is something you’ll want to start thinking about if you haven’t already.

Who really has their pulse on the conditions of the market and the economy? Every day we get “flash signs” of things to come. Jobless claims go up, consumer confidence goes down and economists toss the economic crisis ball back and forth.

Shipping volume has fallen, and everything is lining up with the numbers of 2008.

This is the messaging we get on a daily basis. I think most economists and financial bloggers are doing their best to keep us ahead of another crash like in 2008. However, the next economic crisis isn’t going to look anything like 2008

When you take an armed nation that has so overspent itself for the last 50 years and threaten a situation like economic collapse, it doesn’t get any worse. We have clear modern-day examples of what an economic crash can look like. See Venezuela. However, history knows nothing about what the American economic crisis will look like.

The numbers of those dead will look, to historians, like the greatest war ever waged on Earth’s soil. We are a nation divided that seems to be looking for a reason to get at each other’s throats. With the onset of things like resource scarcity and inflation, your life will be at risk.

So how will you die in during an economic crisis?

#1. Early Stage Riots

The early days of the economic crisis will be calm in comparison to what is to come. We will see national riots that encompass every major city across the nation. These riots will be brought on by massive job loss, bank runs, exorbitant cost of goods and the rebellious nature of the American people.

These will be violent, bloody riots that are much different than anything we have seen in this nation. If you get swept up into one of these riots it could be your life. However, this is just the beginning.

#2. Robbery

While riots may satisfy the desperate and the unprepared during the daytime hours, they will get hungry and even more angry at night. Just as with any disaster we will see robbery after the collapse of the economy. However, robbery and the murder associated with it will be at such a massive scale, as people scrounge for food, cash and valuables, local authorities will be overwhelmed.

You might die at the hands of a robber. Or you might die at the hands of a home owner. Remember, it only takes one robbery while you are at work to steal all your stored food and supplies. Then you will be one of the desperate, as well.

#3. Ransom

Another hot new market will be kidnapping. If you have any money or influence you can bet you are going to be targeted for ransom. Kidnapping for ransom is a popular practice in places like Mexico. It’s a tool of the cartels. The radical Mideast and African Muslims also use it to fund their failing Jihad.

There is no telling just how bad life can get for you if you get kidnapped and your family does not have the money to pay the ransom. It won’t be a fun way to go.

#4. Disease

As the nation dives deeper into collapse, we will see important infrastructure fall along with it. Trash collection, water treatment and waste management in general will come to a halt. The pests and disease that will come next will undoubtedly be the biggest killer of all.

Human waste and pests will spread disease like wild fire and there will be no doctors to help.

#5. Starvation

Large scale agriculture will stop. Farmers are already shutting down operations left and right due to the low profit margins. If government subsidies stopped, it would literally be impossible to afford. That means the world would face widespread starvation or the American heartland might even be occupied by foreign nations that handle food production.

#6. Hospital Blackout

The high-risk population of those hooked up to machines at the hospital will also be in grave danger. While hospitals have backup generators, they run on fuel and when that fuel runs out all those machines will go out.

A hospital blackout, for those in places like the ICU is a certain death sentence. It’s scary but it’s a very real situation that could come from the blackouts associated with an economic crisis.

#7. Desperate Hordes

Those who survive will be nothing but desperate, starving people who have seen and done most anything to stay alive. These people will be very different from the early rioters. They will do whatever it takes to stay alive.

#8. On The Bugout

Maybe you were one of the smart people who saw all this coming. You could have escaped to a remote bugout location that was stocked with food, water and resources to start a life of self-sufficiency. You might exist in peace, for a while, till some people start to notice your situation. The thing we all worry about in the remote bugout is that you can be quickly overpowered by a larger group and there is no one out there to help you.

#9. Martial Law

If the government or, worse, the international community tries to regain order, they will create some form of martial law. They will try to instill curfew, order and confiscate guns. If this happens late in the game, it will basically be a war between those imposing order and those unwilling to comply.

Even if you aren’t fighting in this war you could become a civilian casualty.

#10. Lack of Medications

A large percentage of Americans are on meds that they take daily. Things like blood pressure meds to insulin for controlling blood sugar levels. What about all those people on bi polar, anti-schizophrenics and anti-depressants.

During an economic collapse the movement and production of medications will come to a halt. That means all those who need that kind of help will have to self-medicate however they can or die. Are you one of those Americans on medications? Is there someone you love who is?

When Does It All Begin?

The answer is: Now.

Maybe the riots don’t start now. Maybe the markets don’t completely crash, right now. However, you can start preparing right now.

Forget about everything else and focus on preparedness. Take small steps each week or month to get yourself in a better position. Food, water, backup power, security, first aid and evacuation are some great places to start.

Maybe its economic collapse or maybe its something else. The reality is, we cannot live on eternal prosperity. What you prepare for today will decide how you survive the future.

Even some of our brightest scientific minds are projecting that there is absolutely no positive future for our civilization if we stay on our current course.  Perhaps one of the reasons why our society has become so obsessed with short-term results is because most of us can’t bear to think about the long-term consequences of our actions.  I have a website that focuses on “economic collapse”, but it isn’t just the economy that is headed for catastrophe.  Virtually every aspect of our society is coming apart at the seams all around us, and the era that we are moving into will be more nightmarish than most people would dare to imagine.  But our political leaders continue to insist that everything is going to work out just fine somehow, and most people choose to believe them.

This week, an old MIT study from 1972 that projected that our civilization will collapse at some point during the 21st century made headlines on several major news sites…

In 1972, a team of MIT scientists got together to study the risks of civilizational collapse. Their system dynamics model published by the Club of Rome identified impending ‘limits to growth’ (LtG) that meant industrial civilization was on track to collapse sometime within the 21st century, due to overexploitation of planetary resources.

In particular, the study identified a period of time “around 2040” when societal collapse would be very likely…

The study was published in the Yale Journal of Industrial Ecology in November 2020 and is available on the KPMG website. It concludes that the current business-as-usual trajectory of global civilization is heading toward the terminal decline of economic growth within the coming decade—and at worst, could trigger societal collapse by around 2040.

Of course events are not going to transpire exactly as they foresaw, but as far as the big picture is concerned they were right on the money.

Our society is now in the process of collapsing all around us, and you can see evidence of this everywhere that you look.

This week, civil unrest is causing widespread chaos in the streets in Cuba, South Africa, Beirut and Paris.  We have entered a period of time when it seems like people are perpetually angry, and the wild scenes that are playing out around the globe are absolutely shocking.

Here in the United States, we are in the midst of a crazy crime wave.  Murder rates in our major cities rose by an average of 30 percent in 2020, and they are up another 24 percent so far in 2024.  Extreme violence has become a way of life in many of our largest metropolitan areas, and this is particularly true in the city of Chicago…

A Chicago rapper died after suffering as many as 64 bullet wounds to his head and other parts of his body in what police are calling an ambush shooting just as he was released from jail.

Londre Sylvester, 31, who is known by his stage name KTS Dre, was one of three people who were shot just outside Cook County Jail in the Little Village section of Chicago on Saturday.

Chicago police seem powerless to stop the endless violence, but of course the same could be said about many other police departments around the country.

The streets of our biggest cities are becoming war zones, and what we have experienced so far is just the beginning.

Meanwhile, we are dealing with the worst epidemic of illegal drugs in our history.  If you can believe it, drug overdose deaths were up nearly 30 percent last year…

Drug-overdose deaths in the U.S. surged nearly 30% in 2020, the tragic result of a deadlier supply and the destabilizing effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to preliminary federal data and public health officials.

The estimated 93,331 deaths from drug overdoses last year, a record high, represent the sharpest annual increase in at least three decades, and compare with an estimated toll of 72,151 deaths in 2019, according to provisional overdose-drug data released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Drug overdose deaths were already at an all-time high coming into 2020.

So for the number of deaths to rise 30 percent above that level in just one year is really, really tragic.

At the same time, our system of public education continues to rapidly deteriorate.

Earlier today, I was shocked to learn that 41 percent of all high school students in Baltimore have a grade point average that is below 1.0…

Project Baltimore obtained a chart assembled by Baltimore City Schools. The chart shows the average GPA for every high school grade in the city – freshman through senior. In the first three quarters of this past school year, according to the chart, 41% of all Baltimore City high school students, earned below a 1.0 grade point average. In other words, nearly half of the 20,500 public high school students in Baltimore earned less than a D average.

“It’s heartbreaking,” said Patterson. “If almost half of our kids are failing, what options do they have after high school? This is really disheartening. It’s sad to see this.”

I don’t just want to single out Baltimore, because that isn’t fair.

All across this once great country of ours, public schools are completely and utterly failing our kids.  The vast majority of our high school graduates cannot read, write or speak coherently, and that simply should not be happening in the wealthiest nation on the entire planet.

Switching gears, authorities up in Canada are dealing with a different form of social decay.  For years, I have been warning that Christians in the western world would soon face the same sort of extreme persecution that Christians in other parts of the globe are forced to endure, and now it is starting to happen.

In recent weeks, individuals that are apparently motivated by a deep hatred for Christians have been setting churches on fire all over Canada…

Terrorists are attacking and burning down churches across Canada with impunity.

It’s a reality most Canadians only thought possible for Middle Eastern countries like Syria, where ISIS has bombarded and razed dozens of Christian heritage sites in the name of Islam.

We haven’t seen anything quite like this before.  According to Keean Bexte, a total of 45 Canadian churches have been burned just since the beginning of June…

The Counter Signal has kept a close eye on these terrorist attacks, reporting on the scene just hours after a fire in a refugee church.

Our information shows that since June, there have been 45 attacks on Christian and mainly Roman Catholic congregations. Of those, 17 of them have been scorched or burnt to a crisp in suspicious circumstances.

The corporate media should accept responsibility for their role in provoking these attacks.

For years, the corporate media has been relentlessly demonizing conservative Christians, and churches are the most visible symbols of conservative Christian culture in our society.

As the corporate media continues to blame conservative Christians for society’s ills, it is inevitable that there will be more attacks on churches in the future.

But of course there will be more violence everywhere around us as our society continues to steadily unravel.

I have never seen as much anger, frustration and hate as I am seeing right now, and there is no future for a society in which virtually everyone is filled with rage.

The years ahead are going to be extremely chaotic, and I would suggest that you plan accordingly.

If you have any dissatisfaction with my content, you can tell me here and I will fix the problem, because I care about every reader and even more so about your opinion!

While modern society likes to pretend we are somehow more advanced than previous generations, I believe we lack the knowledge, and many of the skills that helped past generations not only survive, but thrive.

What does the Bible say about Prepping?

The foundation of preparedness goes back to the beginning of time; its principles are found throughout the Bible, with numerous passages dedicated to preparedness, planning, and survival. For those that are Christian, many of these passages might sound familiar; for those that aren’t, there are still many truths that can be discovered by reading them.

Noah didn’t wait until it started raining to build the ark

Unfortunately, this is how most people live today, waiting until the last possible moment to prepare for what’s coming. On a small scale, this can be seen at your local grocery store every time a natural disaster warning is issued. Time after time, the unprepared masses descend on local supermarkets like locust, only to find the store has already been wiped clean by other unprepared people before them.

Genesis 6:21 (KJV)
And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them.

The wise prepare, the fool goes blindly ahead to suffer the consequences

This concept of preparedness is nothing new; in fact, long before the word Prepper or survivalist became part of the modern lexicon, the Bible encouraged the wise man to study the dangers ahead, and then take precautions to protect themselves and their family from those threats.

Proverbs 27:12 (KJV)
A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.

The Wise man takes food storage seriously

Even during short-term disasters, food supplies can be cutoff in an instant. If that happens, you’re going to have to live off the supplies you currently have on hand in your home for weeks, maybe longer. During a long-term disaster, your food supplies, and your ability to acquire and preserve new supplies are going to be determining factors in whether or not you make it through the crisis.

Proverbs 21:20
The wise store up choice food and olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down.

Be Strong, and Stand Strong in the Faith

We live in a time where being a man and standing strong are frowned upon. Day after day our young boys are being brainwashed into thinking being a man is something to be ashamed of.

Our girls are told they don’t need men. They are told manly behavior is old-fashioned and outdated; they are bombarded with propaganda like “toxic masculinity” and other buzzwords in the media designed to make you think being a man is somehow evil.

Even our military has been assaulted with the idea that there’s no difference between men and women, as physical training requirements are constantly cutback so women can be included in the Special Forces – something that will have disastrous consequences.

I believe this perversion in teaching is a dangerous precedent that sets everyone up for disaster. We need Strong Men who want to love and protect the women in our society; to teach otherwise does nothing to ensure our survival.

1 Corinthians 16:13
Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.

You need to be alert and don’t let society dull your senses

We have a huge problem in today’s society;. People have allowed modern culture turn them into walking zombies; blindly chasing immorality and worldly passions, while totally checking out of the real world. People have become so blinded by their lust and greed for worldly possessions that they have become blind to the very real dangers that are out there.

I’m often asked why I cover the news on a survival site. The reason we focus on current events and news is because we need to be alert.

We need to be awake and on guard to fight back against those that wish to destroy life and take our freedoms. We need to be prepared to protect our families and guide them through times of crisis. We need to stand watch!

We can’t blindly follow the zombies into the pits of hell; we must be alert, and ready for the very real evils that are out there.

1 Thessalonians 5:6
Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.

While I’m sure there are going to be a number of people who may not agree with the topic, I wanted to talk about it because when it comes to preparedness and survival, I think salvation is the most important survival topic we can talk about. In the end, if Christians are right, it’s the only way one can ensure their ultimate survival.

If you have any dissatisfaction with my content, you can tell me here and I will fix the problem, because I care about every reader and even more so about your opinion!

Your weapon of choice could mean the difference between life and death when the shit hits the fan. Having the ability to protect yourself and put food on the table whether it’s the next hurricane Katrina, terrorist strike, or zombie apocalypse, is one of the most important considerations for any survivalist.

Whether you’re new to survival or are a seasoned prepping expert, you may not know what to look for in a survival gun. The best firearms for survival have the capability to serve multiple purposes, so try to keep that in mind going forward.

When looking at the best survival guns for when SHTF, it’s important to keep a few things in mind. First, your guns need to be low maintenance with the ability to run dirty if necessary. If I have to clean my gun after each use, it’s not worthy for my survival stash.

Second, how popular is the ammunition? Owning guns in popular cartridges is an important aspect to consider. If you can’t find ammo for it, it’ll be useless for you. It’s really only necessary to have so many survival guns, because you’ll only fit so many in you bug out bag. If none of them are in the calibers we’re about to discuss, chances are good that you may find yourself up that paddless creek.

Finally, what is the purpose of the gun? Each survival firearm you have should serve you in some way. Is it good for hunting? Home protection? Patrolling? All three? You need to have a solid understanding of this, going forward.

We’ve broken this short list of the best survival guns down into main caliber categories, with a few sub-categories where actual guns are listed. I do feel like I need to say that you don’t need to run out and buy all of these, but one or two of them should suffice. Then again, buying all of them sounds like a good idea, too.

Also, this is a list of suggestions. You may substitute as you feel necessary. Here are some of the best survival guns on the market:

.22:

The .22 Long Rifle is one of, if not the most, abundant cartridges in these United States. Why? Because everyone and their uncle owns one. And, chances are already good that you own at least one firearm chambered in this fun to shoot caliber, too.

Make no mistake about it, the .22 is nothing to sneeze at and is more capable than you might realize.

A good friend of mine put a deer down with a well-placed shot from a Ruger 10/22 rifle. While not ideal to hunt big game or in self-defense, the guns chambered in .22 will suffice if it is what you have. Furthermore, they are excellent for taking small game, and the ammo is insanely easy to stockpile, even at inflated prices like we’ve been seeing in past years.

I have also listed a gun chambered in .22 Magnum, as well, hopefully for obvious reasons. While .22 WMR is harder to find because it isn’t as popular, it has its own unique benefits, which is why I chose to include it, here.

Ruger 10/22 —

This is currently one of the most abundant .22 rifles out there, and with good reason. It’s accurate, easy to shoot, inexpensive, and even comes in a model that breaks down into a backpack. This rifle is a great pick for teaching younger shooters how to plink around, learn the mechanics of shooting, and build confidence.

Henry Lever Action —

It doesn’t get any more basic than a lever action firearm. And, one chambered in .22LR is perfect for many applications. Once again, this is a good firearm for teaching a newer shooter the basic mechanics, and building confidence. In fact, my 9-year-old girl has one in our gun safe that she’s currently learning on right now.

Ruger SP101 —

A lot of people automatically allow their minds to drift to the rifle platform when thinking of the .22LR cartridge. There is so much more to it than that, though. One platform that comes to my mind, is a .22 revolver. These, once again, are great for teaching mechanics to newer shooters in your prepping community, and are also fine for taking smaller game at shorter distances. These revolvers have an 8-round capacity, so that leaves a lot to be desired when compared with the next gun on the list …

Kel Tec PMR 30 —

I suspect some of you to be rolling your eyes right now, thinking, how does this guy include a Kel Tec with the likes of Henry and Ruger? It’s simple, really. When was the last time you held a factory 30-round handgun? Another thing you have to remember, is that sometimes you need a shorter gun that’s easily maneuvered through the house, by someone who is recoil sensitive. The .22 Magnum chambered PMR 30 is great for people newer to shooting who still want protection, or those who are unable to handle the recoil of a bigger cartridge. Oh, and they’ve got 30 rounds to put holes into bad guys with, and target re-acquisition is easy as hell with this one.

9mm:

Moving on to 9mm, if for no other reason than the abundance of the cartridge. Think about it–some police units use it, the military use it, and the FBI just switched to it. 9mm is also one of the most carried cartridges available today. Therefore, if you don’t have at least one gun in 9mm, you need to. It’s also cheap enough to stock up on, so you’ve got some for when it counts.

Glock, Springfield, and Sig … Oh my!

If you weren’t sure by the cheesy throwback to the Wizard Of Oz in the subheading above, all it’s saying is that it doesn’t really matter what kind of 9mm pistol you have, as long as you have one. Oh, it should also be reliable and not need to be insanely clean all the time.

As a side note, I don’t own a gun unless it runs dirty. After all, I may not always have access to gun cleaning gear, but will always need my guns to work flawlessly in case I need to use them.

Beretta CX4 Storm —

One thing that many people don’t think of the 9mm as is a hunting cartridge. Well, that’s likely because it isn’t actually a hunting caliber. But, a 9mm carbine can be used in a pinch if you’re starving. Oh, they’re also great tactical weapons, and the longer barrel does a good job of pushing an already fast-moving projectile even faster. Good for home-defense and patrols–and okay for hunting up to medium sized game with a well-placed shot, even though there will be associated meat damage.

5.56/.223:

The 5.56 NATO cartridge has come under a lot of scrutiny over the last few years. After the latest wars, many have said it’s insufficient to stop a charging man. As someone who was an active duty Marine for 4 years, I’m still forming my opinion. One thing I can say, however, is that ammunition will be abundant, and is relatively cheap. Plus, the rifles are easily cared for, accurate, and don’t beat the hell out of your shoulder.

AR-15 —

I feel like this should be a no-brainer at this point. If you don’t have at least one AR-15 style firearm you’re behind the curve. The main idea, is that these are popular firearms so if yours breaks, you can find parts to fix it, or locate a different one altogether. Plus, ammunition is widely available for it, because police and military use 5.56 NATO rifle cartridges, and so do most gun owners. As a bonus, an AR-15 can be used for patrols, self-defense, home-defense, and hunting. This is one of the most versatile weapons you can ever own. As a bonus, they can be highly customized to your heart’s content.

7.62X39:

When SHTF, one of the most abundant rifle cartridges will be 7.62X39, simply because of how cheap it currently is, and the AK’s recent spike in popularity. As a bonus, it’s a hard-hitting rifle cartridge that you can hunt with, do patrols, home-defense, etc.

AK-47–

The AK, or Automatic Kalashnikov, or Avtomat Kalashnikova, are abundant, suitable for hunting out to 50-75 yards, and are easy to fix in the rare occurrence one breaks. As an added bonus, they field-strip easily and can be dropped in the mud with the ability to still fire because of how they’re built.

PTR32–

This is a personal pick for me, because I like roller lock, delayed blowback firearms. The one I’ve got is actually a braced pistol, and it is accurate out to 150 yards. As a bonus, I’ve never had a malfunction with it in almost two years of abuse. As a downside, finding parts for something like this would not be easy to do, so keep that in mind.

12 Gauge:

A 12 gauge is great for just about anything you can think of. I own several: one for home defense, one for hunting, and a few for giggles … hehe. Anyway, the 12 gauge is a versatile weapon because they can shoot many different kinds of ammunition from bird and target shot, up to buck and slug. As a bonus, you can literally pick up a used Mossy 500 for about 300 bucks. Not too shabby.

Mossberg 500 or Remington 870–

Both of these are great choices, but I wouldn’t discount a pump or semi-auto 12 gauge from any known manufacturer.

Bonus:

I wanted to include a bonus, simply because of its versatility to shoot more than one type of cartridge, that is semi-popular among revolver enthusiasts. The .357 magnum revolver can shoot both .38 SPC and .357 Magnum. Both cartridges are fairly popular, and many gun owners own some ammo for one of them. They can be used for hunting and defense, but the ammo and guns can be expensive.

S&W 686–

These revolvers come in different sizes and barrel lengths, and one or two of them even come with a 7-round capacity. And hey, the ability to send more rounds downrange is always a good thing, in my opinion. These can be expensive, though, so keep that in mind.

Henry Big Boy–

I’ve got one of these, in brass, and it’s a blast to shoot. It’s a lever action rifle capable of shooting .38 or .357, and can be used for hunting and just about anything else you feel like. The one I’ve got is accurate at 100 yards, though the shiny receiver isn’t likely the best for survival situations where you need to stay hidden. To combat this, they do offer steel ones, as well.

Conclusion:

The best gun is always the one you have. Even if you don’t own a single gun from this list, but you’ve got something, you’re already ahead of those who don’t. Preparing is more than just stockpiling food. You also need to be able to protect it, and have the ability to bring more food home, as well. If you didn’t know where to start, this list of the best survival guns should hopefully help you on your journey to be more prepared.

If you have any dissatisfaction with my content, you can tell me here and I will fix the problem, because I care about every reader and even more so about your opinion!

First take a look at one of the most shocking videos in the world! This video actually shows us what the secret of the Trump family is related to their expressive health!!! –FULL VIDEO HERE

Here is a 1990 FEMA prediction, the last one FEMA made during the Cold War.

Could parts of the USA survive a nuclear war?

Not just ‘could,’ parts of the country would. Allen E Hall’s answer shows the destructive capability from Russia’s current arsenal.

In 1990, a FEMA analysis of a 6,139 nuclear strike on the United States (about 3 times Russia’s current arsenal) had more than half of the country’s population not only experiencing less than a fatal shockwave, but experiencing low radiation fallout.

I am copying part of my reiteration of the report from here:

Brian Collins’s answer to What would the world be like after a nuclear war?

Here are screenshots from the report. About half the of the US had a medium to very high fallout risk:

So basically, half of the US population would need to take shelter for a few days to 2 weeks, or risk radiation exposure in a 6,000 warhead strike.

In the high fallout areas, where deadly radiation would be hitting people for more than a week, this is what fatality rates would look like:

The Very High Fallout Risk Areas consist of places like New Jersey, Colorado, Massachusetts, New York City, as well as some rural states with silos or downwind from silos like Nebraska, Montana, North Dakota.

In medium risk areas, the estimate looked like this:

Half of the US population is at risk of a blast of 2 pounds per square inch, a potentially fatal shock wave:

Some segment of the US population within the 2 PSI risk area will die. 50% was about 26% of the 1990s US population.

Today, the percentage would maybe be 10% higher, because the US is a bit more urban now than it was in 1990s, however Russia also has 4,000 fewer nukes than the 6,000 warhead estimate. I think blast casualties would be more than 10–15% of the US population, though much lower at night.

In American cities, most of the population is a daytime working population. Most Americans live at least 10 miles from where they work, with almost 10% of the population living more than 35 miles from work:

FEMA went off of 6,139 nuclear strikes in their estimate for the first strike.

After this strike, FEMA estimates the next generation of Americans born in very high radiation areas would look like this:

And in Medium Risk areas:

You can find the original documents here:

Originally FEMA made a collection of maps based on each state. I will try to turn this into a map someday, but for now… Here’s a graphic based on it:

A city like Los Angeles might experience multiple nuclear explosions, as one might hit the a government office, then another might hit the LA Air Force Base. The area around New York would also be hit multiple times: probably one in New York city and then several in New Jersey US military bases.

Most of the country though would not be hit with a saturated attack like that. My home state of Washington would probably be have been hit like this in 1990s:

Here’s what the fallout would look like:

And here’s California:

and here’s the fallout:

So, even if Russia had 6,134 nukes (instead of 1,800), and launched a counter value attack which deliberately targeted civilian areas, some parts of the country would survive.

Divide the number of nuke strikes in Washington and California by 3, and you are basically left with nothing but military bases, dams, and a few chemical plants (some military bases are in the middle of a city) being hit directly. Assuming Russia hit the city centres, the suburbs still survive.

If you have any dissatisfaction with my content, you can tell me here and I will fix the problem, because I care about every reader and even more so about your opinion!