I was once asked, “What are you going to do when the welfare checks stop coming?”
For too long now we have found ourselves relying on our government to solve our problems, especially when it comes to emergency preparedness. Does FEMA ring a bell? Just think of what it would be like without electricity, running water, food or even a way to cook it.
Gangs running wild, emergency services overwhelmed with calls. Look at what happened with Katrina. What about 9/11?
With political turmoil, gangs targeting cops, terrorist attacks, financial melt-ups, and natural disasters it’s just a matter of when and how we find ourselves thrown into an out of control situation with no outside help. So what’s the answer, how can we stop this? Prepare! Here are a few tips.
Emergency Preparedness Tip # 1 for surviving any catastrophic event is: Know Thy Neighbor
The sooner ya'll start bonding the better you will work together during an event.
We in the big NC are blessed with a curse…Hurricanes! As a kid, I remember several hurricanes hitting North Carolina. Fran, Floyd, Bertha I and II, Denise…the list goes on.
I also remember going weeks without electricity and running water. But what I remember the most was that it wasn’t FEMA that came and rescued everyone. It was our neighbors.
I remember going to my Aunt's house and every other house on the road (which was like 5 houses total) and picking up limbs with my older brother cutting down trees. My father getting generators running and driving his old diesel truck loaded with fuel around asking who needed any.
Meanwhile, my mother and sister were taking food around and checking on the welfare of our older neighbors. It was a community effort. We got so used to it we never conceived the idea of outside help.
Furthermore, we used - and still do use, tricks the old timers taught us - to store food and utilities. You would be surprised how important a roll of toilet paper or a pack of baby wipes are. Because of our repeated attacks and damage from hurricanes, we as a community grew stronger and closer. We know who can be relied upon and who is the best at what.
Emergency Preparedness Tip #2: Two Years of Food Storage
Food storage is so crucial it’s not even funny. You can’t even begin to imagine what a starving human would do for food. Talk about your “Zombie Apocalypse”. If you want a few ideas then research what happened to the Jews in Germany, read Red Famine, heck just look at what’s happening in Venezuela.
And if you think it can’t happen here, then you’re forgetting the great depression. My wife and I like to cook more than what we need for each meal and then can the left overs. You would be surprised how fast you can fill a pantry with food already cooked and ready to eat.
I hear the advertisements for gold and silver all the time. But I think it was best put, “You can’t eat gold or silver. And how do I know what that supposed 24K ring is really worth or if it’s even real?”
However, I bet you can always trade for a good meal, even now. And what if I’m wrong? Well, think of it like this, you won't have to go grocery shopping for a while. But how much is the right amount? Honestly, I don’t know. I do, however, know that my church is huge on food storage and recommends a 2 year supply.
Emergency Preparedness Tip # 3: Quench Thy Thirst
Water is something you seriously can’t live without. When I was in Wilderness Survival School we learned that the human body can only survive an average of 3 days without water. We also learned a crap ton of ways to retrieve water. So with that in mind here are a few ideas for water retrieval.
- Solar still: They’re simple and easy. Basically, you’re sucking the water right out of the ground and using the sun to do it.
- Rain Catcher: a little more elaborate and expensive but it can retrieve more water at once. Store the rain barrels in a cool dark place with no sunlight.
- Life Straw: I carry one in my Flick and on my Plate carrier. It’s a part of my survival kit. When you’re on the run it’s the best thing to have. I would rather have that before a fire starter any day of the week.
Finally, a good canteen and canteen cup: I keep one on my pack at all times. More useful for longer stays in the brush, I find a canteen is better than a camelback for two reasons.
- it’s easier to clean
- you can’t pure boiling hot water into a camelback
A good canteen, on the other hand, you can. The cup is very usable. Use it to make soup, boil water to purify it, make tea from pine needles or sassafras, etc. And if you get one like the military issues the canteen cup fits over the bottom of the canteen and into the pouch. You never even know it’s there.
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Emergency Preparedness Tip # 4: Arm Thy Self
Now, of course, I’m a soldier and Tackleberry Solutions prides itself on training updated military tactics to citizens. But seriously, I don’t care if you get your training from me or someone else. Please learn the right way to use a weapon and prepare for the worst. Many years ago I went before a promotion board. The senior NCO (my CSM) asked me a straightforward question. “What do we do during peacetime?”
I was dumbfounded. That question wasn’t in my study guide and as we had been at war the whole time I was in the Army I didn’t know. The answer still rings in my ears today:
“Prepare for war!” That old crusty CSM with 30 plus years of Army experience knew all too well that the time to prepare for war was before it ever happened. Not in the middle of it. So I took that knowledge and applied it in almost every aspect of my life and career.
Weaponry
- First is the knowledge of how to use a weapon. A gun is a multi-purpose tool. As my brother once said, “It’s the gift that keeps on giving.” It can feed you, clothe you, and protect you. But you have to know how to make it do all those things.
- Second, buy the right weapon. Contrary to popular belief there’s only been three weapons ever made that anyone can pick up and use with extreme proficiency: the AR-15, the Colt single action, and the 1911. See, the weapon chooses the shooter, not the other way around. It will take a lot of experience before you see or understand what I mean. But I promise there is a weapon out there that you can hit whatever you aim at, and run faster than the others. Mine just happens to be a Glock.
- Lastly, be sure you get the right caliber. There are so many arguments on what is the best caliber. I love my 45, its like hulking volts wagons at my target. But the 9mm is the most popular caliber hands down. All over the world, I have seen more cops and armies using a Glock 9mm than any other weapon or caliber.
How Much Ammo can You Carry On the Run?
Storing ammo is important, but being able to pick up ammo off your enemy is just as important. Think of it like this… You stored 1,000 rounds of ammo. Your position gets overran or you just simply have to leave. Now you’re stuck with lugging those 1,000 rounds. However, if your weapon is a 9mm, there’s a better than average chance you will come across someone with that same caliber and ammo.
No matter what the catastrophe, following these 4 guidelines can help you have a much easier time of it. Just know that the time to prepare is now while everything is good. Waiting till everything goes south is a fatal mistake. But I’ve got one more tip for ya'll. It’s one I was taught in Recon school.
The four fundamental of Reconnaissance:
Always Maintain the Freedom to Maneuver
Basically don’t get yourself into anything you can’t get out of and always have a back door you can run out of when things get too hot.
Here at Tackleberry Solutions, we thank you for reading this article and strongly urge you to prepare for harsh times. No matter if it’s buying food storage, ammo, or spending some of your hard earned money on training with us, we welcome the opportunity to assist you in any way.
Thoughts?
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