Posted on
by

Here’s a challenge to anybody reading this post, get off the fence and make some decisions!  All are simple but not easy, they represent the choices we have to make as we embark on a journey towards greater preparedness.  Think about these choices and determine where you are right now.

  • Preparation or Panic?
  • Fitness of Flab?
  • Reality or Dreams?
  • Self-reliance or Dependence?
  • Strength or Weakness?
  • Independence of Servitude?
  • Health or Sickness?
  • Overcome or Acquiesce?
  • Responsibility or Dereliction of duty?
  • Are you an Asset or a Liability?

These are some of the decisions you will need to make.  What are your answers?

Posted on
by

In Oakland, CA, private security firms are taking over neighborhood patrols as city services are reduced and crime increases.  Tax revenues can’t keep up with ballooning pension, wage, and healthcare costs so government services get reduced.  This is especially acute in high-tax states like California, but municipalities across the US are feeling the combined affects of lavish benefits coupled with falling revenues.  According to the executive director of the National Association of Security Contractors:

Municipal governments and cities are really getting strapped in terms of their resources, and when a police department cuts 100 officers obviously they are going to respond to less crimes.

The bad news is in many cash-strapped cities, there will be fewer law enforcement resources which could result in increased crime rates.  There will be fewer patrols to deter crime, fewer officers to respond to crime (thereby increasing response times), and fewer staff to investigate crimes.  District Attorneys, Prosecutors, and other Judicial staff are also going to look for ways to reduce their caseload by having fewer trials.  Prisons won’t have room to house more inmates too.  All this paints a bleak picture for the immediate future.

The good news is that some communities are stepping up to fill in the gaps through private policing and other services when governments reduces their commitments.  This is likely to continue but not be widespread, after all hiring private security contractors costs money that not all communities have right now.  It also shows that where there is a market, somebody will step up to serve it.  In other words, there is opportunity even in difficult times.

Rather than relying upon (morally and fiscally) bankrupt governments or moving to exclusive, wealthy neighborhoods, you can take steps now to protect yourself.  As I wrote in a recent post, there are some steps you can take today that will both deter crime and lessen your dependence on local law enforcement.  Consider the following:

  • Get firearms, ammunition, and training
  • Reinforce your external doors with multiple high-quality locks and jamb reinforcement
  • Get an alarm system installed and post signs/stickers indicating that you have done so
  • Install both internal and external lights
  • Secure your windows with locks
  • Install heavy drapes and keep them closed when you aren’t home
  • Get to know your neighbors!

Relying upon over-worked and under-funded law enforcement to protect your and your home is foolish.  The only person you can rely upon to secure your property is…you.  That’s good news because there is a lot you can do that will enhance the safety of your home and deter crime.  Get started now because every step you take is an additional layer of protection that keeps the bad guys away.

Posted on
by

Quick question, who is better equipped to handle a stressful situation?

This fella?

Or this guy?

With that in mind, which one are you closer to right now?

Be honest with yourself…

If you are out of shape, overweight, in poor cardiovascular condition, have high blood pressure, or have other diseases of affluence, you need to change that.  Your body is a tool that will enable you to survive a wide range of stressful situations.  However, if that tool is dull (ex. obese) then its much more difficult to overcome adverse conditions.  You can have the best preparation plan out there but if your body isn’t able to execute, it won’t do you any good.

Some quick and easy steps to improve you preparation fitness are to reduce or eliminate eating fast food, packaged meals, and sugary drinks.  All of those harm your body and hamper your fitness efforts.  Just look at the label on a typical frozen meal, if you have difficulty pronouncing the myriad of synthetic ingredients and additives in it, you probably should not be putting it into your body.  Ditto for fast food, it may taste good but most of those “meals” are full of sodium, saturated fats, and artificial ingredients that don’t offer your body the nourishment that it needs.  And unless you are a hummingbird, your body does not need the empty calories of a sugary drink.  Reduce these unhealthy inputs and you will loose fat and gain fitness.

You can start getting into shape by simple physical activities like walking, riding a bike, or climbing stairs.  Getting in shape does not mean an extreme exercise regimen, the best fitness activities are the ones you can do for the rest of your life.  The main objective is to get off your butt and move.  Before you start any fitness program though, talk with your doctor and discuss options to find the right activities for your situation.  Everybody is different and is starting from a different fitness level, make sure you take this into account when creating a fitness plan that compliments your preparation plans.  Increase healthy outputs and your fitness level will improve, making your body a more effective tool.

The principle is simple, tune-up your body so it can be ready when things go wrong.  Being fit and healthy will enable you to perform your best and increase your odds of success in all situations.  Better health will translate into better performance at your job, on the playing field, and around the home with your family.  So get healthy now, its a critical component of your preparations!

Posted on
by

Want to know how to improve your home’s security?  Read this article from No Nonsense Self Defense and begin applying the tips today.

The twenty-two home safety tips in that article represent a range of products and practices that will help make your home more secure.  In fact, you may have already applied some of them!  My suggestion is to read through the article a few times and carefully think about which steps you can take in the coming days and weeks.  Many of these tips aren’t very expensive but offer a massive benefit in terms of increasing security.

The takeaway from the post:

The enemies of the burglar are time and attention. The longer it takes to enter and the more noise he makes increase his chances of being seen and caught. Homes not easily and quickly broken into are most often bypassed for easier targets.

Use this information as a guide to preparing your home.  Every layer of security you add to your home makes it more difficult for a criminal to enter it, which deters crime.  See what layers you can start adding and increase your home’s safety.

Posted on
by

Over at Team Gun Blogger, Kevin posted an article on safe rooms that you should read.  In essence, a safe room is a secure location where you can take refuge during a home invasion.  The article goes into a lot of useful detail but the key takeaway phrase is this:

A safe room is to personal protection what a home fire escape plan is to fire prevention.

Protect yourself from violence, take steps TODAY to create a safe room in your home!

Posted on
by

What happens when a municipality can’t pay its bills?

Just like in regular Bankruptcy Court, lawyers on both sides will go before a judge and argue their case.  Without a settlement, a judge will render a decision that both plaintiff and defendant will have to comply with.  The difference with a municipal bankruptcy ruling is taxes and city services will be impacted by decision.  Today’s decision that allows Stockton, CA to enter bankruptcy protection is a part of a growing trend of municipal default both in the US and overseas.  This trend will continue and accelerate as more cities, counties, and states confront their finances.  The economic reality of low revenues and high expenditures (ex. pensions, health care costs, wages) will force governments at all levels to adjust their commitments.

So what does this mean regarding preparation?

The result will be less government services.  There will be fewer garbage trucks to pick up the trash, fewer maintenance crews to repair the roads, fewer fire fighters to respond to emergencies, and fewer police units to respond to crimes.  The remaining government employees will have higher workloads and be under more stress too as they are forced to do more work with fewer resources.

In an emergency situation, it will mean longer response times when you call 9-1-1.  Individuals will need to be more self-reliant when it comes to both protecting themselves and taking care of their needs when things go wrong.  This means taking steps like:

  • Owning firearms and learning how to use them
  • Learning First Aid and having supplies on-hand
  • Having tools ready to make emergency repairs
  • Storing additional food and water for emergency use
  • Working with your friends and neighbors to help them get prepared

The key concept is increasing self-reliance as a bulwark against the unexpected.  Bad things are going to happen regardless of your city’s financial situation, its wise to not rely upon municipalities that are in default for salvation during an emergency.  Think about what you can do TODAY that will make you more resilient in the face of adversity tomorrow.

Posted on
by

Even though today is April 1st, heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula are no joke.

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK or “North Korea”) is making noises again, which is causing concern not only in South Korea but Japan as well.  An isolated, communist country armed with nuclear weapons and millions of starving citizens is inherently dangerous.  The DPRK’s latest sabre-rattling has caused the US to increase its military presence in both South Korea and Japan as a show of force.  If history is any guide, not much will happen but the world will be on edge for a while.

Now what does this have to do with preparation?

Let’s face it, wars happen and they are brutal events for all involved.  Military forces are trained and equipped to handle protracted periods of conflict in a wide range of conditions.  However, civilians usually lack the resources that armed forces have.  As we have seen in Syria, this means widespread suffering on a wide scale.  In the event of armed conflict (civil war, insurgency, revolution, warfare between nation-states, etc.) its in your interest to prepare in order to survive.

In the grand scheme of things, the threat of war is less probable than severe weather, power outages, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, or other calamities.  If the DPRK ever used nuclear weapons, their country would suffer ruin as the US and its allies would rain destruction (in the form of nuclear weapons) upon their nation.  China would also cut off the oil supply to North Korea meaning millions would die of radiation poisoning, in the cold, in darkness, whilst starving.  This would represent the end of Kim Jong-Un and the military that keeps him in power, which is why I don’t think the NORKs would risk everything in a futile attempt at militarily defeating South Korea.

While I don’t believe much will come of the latest events in Korea, I am preparing for the worst.  We will hear of wars and rumors of war until the end of time, its a part of the human condition.  Take some time today though to make sure you have food, water, light, shelter, and medicine to get through an unexpected event.  Anything steps you take now will make a bad situation less traumatic and enable you to recover faster from it.  The bad news is that there will always be aggressive nation-states like the North Korea around, the good news is you can mitigate the threat they pose by being ready.  Preparation fosters confidence and confidence produces calm, so get ready and know that you are taking active measure to ensure your future.

Posted on
by

Having a reliable light source is important during an emergency or a power outage.  In previous posts, I have reviewed flashlights, emergency lights, and headlamps.  In this post, I’ll review a larger light that you will want to have in your home.

The Energizer Weather Ready LED Night Light is a hand-held lantern that has multiple lighting modes that can be used depending upon the situation.  It can fold open and provide 360º illumination or it can remain folded and offer more directional lighting.  It has a night light which uses very little power along with a two multi-mode LED lights that have two brightness settings.  According to the manufacturer, this unit can provide 135 hours of operation on one set (4x D-cells) of batteries.  This is a long time and will come in handy during extended power outages.

I’ve had a pair of these for several years now and really like them.  They are rugged and have worked well during the last few power outages.  Lanterns like this complement the other flashlights and emergency lights I keep around the house, so I am glad I have these.  Normally, I keep one in the kitchen and one in my closet although you could also carry one of these in your car or keep one in your office.

Next time you see one of these online or at a local retailer, pick one up and see what I am talking about.  Small, compact lights are great to have but sometimes, you need a big lantern like this to really light things up.

Overall Rating:  7/10

Click here to order your Energizer Weather Ready LED Night Light

Posted on
by

A while back, I discovered how useful headlamps were.  They are a lot easier to work with than carrying a flashlight and whatever they lack in light output, they more than make up for with hands-free operation.  So I purchased a Petzl Tikka Plus several years ago at REI and LOVE IT!  Its one of the best purchases I have made, so I got another one for my Bug Out Bag.

Why do I like it so much?  The four LEDs put out a good amount of light and have multiple modes (three brightness settings plus strobe function) you can use.  It weighs less than 3 ounces and has a comfortable, adjustable headband that is just the right thickness for adult human heads.  I’ve used mine on camping trips for many years and don’t know how I lived without one.

Petzl makes a wide range of other quality products like this one.  If you are looking for a headlamp, this one is hard to beat.

Overall Rating:  9/10

Click here to purchase a Petzl Tikka LED Headlamp, Storm Gray

Posted on
by

When the starting gun goes off, will you be ready?

When you get started in your preparations, you don’t have to be perfect.  Preparation is an ongoing process and you won’t get everything right at the beginning.  It’s ok, just getting started and making a commitment to be prepared will make you better able to handle adversity.  Imperfect preparation today trumps perfect preparation tomorrow.

Here are some questions that can help you get started.  Think about how you can take action TODAY and incrementally improve your preparation.

  • Do you have flashlights and batteries for when the power goes out?
  • How much fresh water do you have?
  • Does your home have several fire extinguishers to put out small fires?
  • What canned or dry foods do you have in your pantry?
  • Do you have a safe place to take shelter in the event of a storm?
  • Have you taken a CPR class over the last three years?
  • When was the last time you checked your home first aid kit?
  • What weapons do you have that can protect yourself and your family from criminals?
  • Do you have emergency numbers written down and handy?
  • How secure is your house?
  • Do you have any emergency shelter items ready?
  • Is your battery-powered radio in good working order?
  • What skills do you have that can assist your community during a disaster?

Remember, these activities don’t have to cost a lot of money or involve a lot of time.  Think about how people eat pepperoni.  Its enjoyed one slice at a time on pizza and sandwiches, not by eating the whole sausage at once!  Think about preparation the same way, take it one slice at a time.

Don’t put this off, make a commitment to getting started with preparedness!