Posts
It's been some time since I posted a blog entry here at SurvivalOutpost.com. As I reflect on it, my only excuse is that it has been a busy, and in many ways a brutal summer. Summer is the time for vacation, family get-togethers, a slow-down at work (usually!) and outdoor activities. Summer is supposed to be fun, and culturally we are programmed to look forward to it.
As far as the summer of 2009 is concerned, I can't wait for it to end... In fact, as of this writing, we have only 12 more days to autumn, but whose counting.
If you have been watching the weather channel, you are probably aware that central Texas is experiencing the second worst year in recorded history for days over 100 degrees (68 days and the record is 69; I'm sure we will break the record in the next 12 days). Many of those 68 miserable days were well over 105. I particularly remember one scorching day in July when my car's outside temperature gauge registered a balmy 118 degrees! There is no escaping heat like that, and it saps you of your energy like a kid sucking on a Slurpee...one long draw and its gone. It leaves you grumpy and miserable.
To throw insult upon injury, central Texas is simultaneously experiencing its worst drought in 50 years. Hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland have been abandoned, left to dry & die in the scorching heat. The ground looks like its been firebombed; a scorched earth reminiscent of some sci-fi movie of a fiery doomsday. Brown is the only color we see anymore as most people have given up on trying to keep their plants and lawns alive. In fact, most cities and counties don't allow watering anymore, and those that do have strict rationing rules in place, (including steep fines of $3000 dollars for the first violation, PLUS having your water turned off if you are caught in multiple violations!). The city fountains are dry and still, silent reminders of a time that seems forever ago when we used to get rain. Restaurants don't give you water unless you ask, and even then they ask couples to share.
This summer is perhaps best represented by my swimming pool which looks like one big festering open sore. The heat has been so intense for so long that the plaster on my pool has simply disintegrated under the stress, with huge swaths of Gunite concrete showing through the open wounds. The water itself is a hot bath and serves as a fomenting pool for algae growth and bacteria. Anything but refreshing. (A good friend's entire family got Giardia from swimming in his pool this summer...not once, but twice!)
So why am I talking about this on the SurvivalOutpost.com blogsite? Well, for one, because I'm miserably tired of this summer and misery likes company. But more important than that is the sobering reminder that this summer represents:
Water is more valuable than its weight in gold and almost universally we take it for granted.
Since I always proselytise about emergency preparedness, and actually practice what I preach, I was reasonably prepared for this dreadful summer. I know how to ration water in my home by washing dishes by hand, regulating toilet flushing, using rain-water storage for irrigation, only using the faucet when necessary (pay attention to what you do when you brush your teeth!), and water treatment practices. These skills came in handy as we tried to do our part to help our city cope with its water crisis. But I wonder, what if we run out? Then what?
And before you write this off as silly speculation, understand that most scholars on global warming have already predicted what is happening in central Texas, namely that natural patterns in climate will be amplified in our warming world. So if you are prone to floods, you will have floods in greater frequency and magnitude. If you are prone to droughts, the same principle applies. How many friends and relatives of yours (from all over the world) have commented that they are experiencing strange and record-breaking weather this season?
So, what if we have, say, two more years without any significant rain plus this brain-numbing summer heat? What will central Texas look like then? The ground is already dead and dying. Crops can't be grown. Livestock are being sent to the slaughter house because there is no grass to feed on.
Is this the new normal?
And if so, what should we do to prepare?
Perhaps that is an exercise you should consider as you get settled back into your non-summer routine. I know I am. I have no choice...
Stay Safe. Stay Informed. Be Prepared.
Kevin
SurvivalOutpost.com
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
You Can & Should Prepare for a Potential Swine Flu Pandemic!
With the Center for Disease Control warning of impending Swine flu deaths in the United States over the next several weeks, California declaring a state of emergency due to recent deaths in the Los Angeles area, President Obama requesting 1.5 billion to enhance capability for disease response and treatment, and Mexico battening down the hatches for a prolonged fight with the bug, reasonable people are becoming increasingly worried about what they should do to prepare for a potential life-threatening pandemic.
As you ask yourself what you should do to prepare for a potential swine flu emergency, please remember that a swine flu pandemic, or the outbreak of any infectious disease process, is really not that different from any other threat that we regularly face in life, such as earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, infrastructure disruptions and the like. Simply put, people should be prepared with emergency supplies and survival equipment to weather the storm in the safety of their own homes, and these preparations should be made well in advance of an actual emergency.
Interestingly, if you study history, you learn very quickly that pre-industrial societies were much better prepared, at least psychologically, to respond to a massive disease outbreak. They knew it was simply a matter of time before one would hit, and when it did they knew what to do – get out of town if possible, and if not, self-quarantine. Today, people aren’t prepared to do either…we are glued to our televisions hoping and praying that it doesn’t hit our neighborhood. But in our interconnected world, there is no predicting where a potential contagious disease may show up.
It could be on your hands right now…
Running to the grocery store or ordering products from SurvivalOutpost.com when there is a line out the emergency room door with infected patients is not the time to take steps to be prepared for a major emergency. Remember that a pandemic is no different from any other hazard, and it is one that reasonable people can be prepared for.
In fact, there is really no excuse for not being prepared for a potential pandemic, since they give you so much lead time to be prepared and take precautions; indeed, the so-called Swine Flu (perhaps a better name would be the Mexican Flu) is all the media is talking about right now so you can’t claim that you weren’t forewarned. Moreover, experts on global warming have been predicting massive disease outbreaks for years as we increasingly discover that our warmer planet is allowing pathogens to remain virulent for longer than normal periods of time, and our interconnected planet provides the vehicle for widespread infection.
You have been forewarned. So what should you do?
In addition to the basics of personal hygiene and prevention – such as respiratory protection, regular anti-bacterial hand washing, and avoiding crowded places – SurvivalOutpost.com advises that individuals, families and businesses take reasonable precautions to store necessary emergency supplies at home in the rare, but possible, event that the bug becomes so widespread people will want to self-quarantine. Such supplies include nonperishable food storage such as Honeyville dehydrated foods, MRE’s or canned meats; hygiene & first aid supplies including surgical masks, gloves, hand sanitizing lotion and necessary medications; and basic survival equipment such as water filtration (in the event that the pandemic affects support and supply networks, which it certainly can do if the rate of spread is significant), stoves, fuel, etc.
Remember that Swine Flu and other disease pandemics should be approached like any other natural hazard, disaster or emergency, and people should be prepared with Emergency Preparedness Supplies, Emergency Food Storage, and First Aid Supplies.
Stay Safe. Stay Informed. Be Prepared.
SurvivalOutpost.com
As you ask yourself what you should do to prepare for a potential swine flu emergency, please remember that a swine flu pandemic, or the outbreak of any infectious disease process, is really not that different from any other threat that we regularly face in life, such as earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, infrastructure disruptions and the like. Simply put, people should be prepared with emergency supplies and survival equipment to weather the storm in the safety of their own homes, and these preparations should be made well in advance of an actual emergency.
Interestingly, if you study history, you learn very quickly that pre-industrial societies were much better prepared, at least psychologically, to respond to a massive disease outbreak. They knew it was simply a matter of time before one would hit, and when it did they knew what to do – get out of town if possible, and if not, self-quarantine. Today, people aren’t prepared to do either…we are glued to our televisions hoping and praying that it doesn’t hit our neighborhood. But in our interconnected world, there is no predicting where a potential contagious disease may show up.
It could be on your hands right now…
Running to the grocery store or ordering products from SurvivalOutpost.com when there is a line out the emergency room door with infected patients is not the time to take steps to be prepared for a major emergency. Remember that a pandemic is no different from any other hazard, and it is one that reasonable people can be prepared for.
In fact, there is really no excuse for not being prepared for a potential pandemic, since they give you so much lead time to be prepared and take precautions; indeed, the so-called Swine Flu (perhaps a better name would be the Mexican Flu) is all the media is talking about right now so you can’t claim that you weren’t forewarned. Moreover, experts on global warming have been predicting massive disease outbreaks for years as we increasingly discover that our warmer planet is allowing pathogens to remain virulent for longer than normal periods of time, and our interconnected planet provides the vehicle for widespread infection.
You have been forewarned. So what should you do?
In addition to the basics of personal hygiene and prevention – such as respiratory protection, regular anti-bacterial hand washing, and avoiding crowded places – SurvivalOutpost.com advises that individuals, families and businesses take reasonable precautions to store necessary emergency supplies at home in the rare, but possible, event that the bug becomes so widespread people will want to self-quarantine. Such supplies include nonperishable food storage such as Honeyville dehydrated foods, MRE’s or canned meats; hygiene & first aid supplies including surgical masks, gloves, hand sanitizing lotion and necessary medications; and basic survival equipment such as water filtration (in the event that the pandemic affects support and supply networks, which it certainly can do if the rate of spread is significant), stoves, fuel, etc.
Remember that Swine Flu and other disease pandemics should be approached like any other natural hazard, disaster or emergency, and people should be prepared with Emergency Preparedness Supplies, Emergency Food Storage, and First Aid Supplies.
Stay Safe. Stay Informed. Be Prepared.
SurvivalOutpost.com
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Buying Gold in This Economy is Wise But Remember You Can't Eat It!
When I think of gold, I am reminded of the cheesy 1970's and early 80's -- the day of big hair bands, platform shoes, disco dancing, and cheap salesmen with gold teeth, gold necklaces, gold bracelets, chains, ropes, and gold-inlaid plaid jackets. "Have I got a deal for you!" the salesman would say as he flashed his gold tooth and winked, both fingers pointed at you like a couple of six-shooters.
Pretty Cheesy.
I have to admit it though, cheesy or not, I was part of the gold culture (weren't you?). In fact, I still have my gold rope chain and arrowhead nugget in my dresser drawer; I know because I just spent an hour looking for it. Its funny, in today's world of bead necklaces and tattoos, grunge dressing and pants-that-are-falling-off-to-look-cool-but-just-makes-you-look-like-an-idiot fashion, nobody seems to appreciate gold anymore, at least not as an adornment. It's rare that you see somebody wearing yellow gold nowadays (and if you do, odds are they are in their 40's or better).
But Mr. T. may have been clairvoyant after all, or at least he was on to something. Why? Because even though people don't wear much gold anymore, they are certainly buying it in unprecedented amounts today.
But they aren't wearing it, they're hoarding it. This gold is for safes, not for teeth.
According to Reuters, consumer demand for gold is off the charts ("Mints coin it as consumers scramble for gold," March 31st.) "Gold coin production is being cranked up in mints around the world to satisfy customers believing the assets may be immune to the global financial crisis," note Reuters, citing that demand for the American one-ounce Golden Eagle was up 400 percent in 2008!
"The demand for gold and silver has been unprecedented," said Carla Coolman, a spokeswoman at the US Mint. And according to most experts in the field, the demand for gold, which is teasing the $1000.00 per ounce threshold, will continue to rise at hair raising levels in 2009. Most mints admit that they are struggling to keep production at a level where it can meet the ever burgeoning demand. Indeed, Gerald Celente, an iconoclast and futurist with an impressive track record of seeing into the future, is betting the farm that gold will reach $2000.00 per ounce by 2012, (see Trends Journal 2009).
Why the sudden interest, (read obsession) for gold and silver? Well, obviously people are scared; they are scared that the economy will continue to spiral downward, inflation will continue to rise and devalue the dollar (as well as their savings), banks will fail and take their money with them, and so on. People just flat don't seem to trust institutions like they once did, and they are converting their hard-earned dollars into commodities of real and enduring value -- gold and silver -- and keeping it in safekeeping. (What they intend to do with this gold should the economy really collapse has yet to be clearly defined).
While it is well beyond my expertise to give financial advice to SurvivalOutpost readers and customers, and I certainly do support any effort to invest money in commodities of real value, I do want to throw a dash of cold water onto the gold fever for a minute...
Why would I want to put the kabosh on gold and silver?
Because, quite frankly, you can't eat, nor can you drink, precious metals. You can just look at them...
As people take measures to become reasonably prepared for our uncertain future, and there are a lot of reasons why we should be taking preparation seriously (See Top 5 Trends You Can't Escape!), it is important that we think first about the emergency supplies we should have, and then think about the supplies we could have. Hedging your bets on a devaluing dollar is one thing; starving because you have no food or water stored away in a significant depression is quite another.
When I was in the fire service (21 years as a professional firefighter), we used to break complex tasks into acronyms of order, this made them easy to remember and simple to apply. For example, at a medical call, every paramedic is trained to follow the ABC's as their initial triage order: A-Airway, is it open and is the patient breathing; B-Breathing, is the patient moving air and does he need supplemental oxygen; and C- Circulation, is the blood moving and the heart working, because no amount of oxygen is going to help if the heart isn't pumping it around. It's tempting to walk up to a patient with a major fracture of the femur (the long bone of the leg and a serious injury), and immediately begin bandaging and splinting. However, if the airway is closed and the patient isn't breathing, it doesn't matter that you controlled bleeding of the leg, the patient is still going to die.
Why the fire service analogy? Because your limited financial resources should be put through the ABC's of emergency preparedness before you begin buying gold and sliver. If you don't your patient likely will not make it...but in this case, the patient is you (or your family).
Here are the ABC's of Emergency Preparedness in these extremely uncertain times and what you should be thinking about before you spend your money on gold and silver:
A: Non-perishable food supplies and water storage and treatment capabilities.
B: First Aid Kits and Hygiene Products.
C: Survival Equipment and Off-The-Grid Supplies.
(For a detailed description of the ABC's of Emergency Preparedness, see 3 Things You Can Do Right Now! )
For the price of two ounces of gold, you can purchase enough ABC's of Emergency Preparedness to equip you and a family of 4 for one year! That's one year of food, water storage and treatment capability, necessary survival equipment and off-the-grid supplies. One Year! That's a lot of insurance for the price of a coin or two...
Never forget Maslow's Hierarchy of needs: need Number One is always survival -- food, water, shelter. The human body can only last a few days without water; a few weeks without food; a few weeks without shelter; a few months without equipment and supplies.
But the human body can last a lifetime without gold or silver....
Now there is something to think about as you watch the Monex ticker.
Stay Safe. Stay Informed. Stay Prepared.
KBaum
Pretty Cheesy.
I have to admit it though, cheesy or not, I was part of the gold culture (weren't you?). In fact, I still have my gold rope chain and arrowhead nugget in my dresser drawer; I know because I just spent an hour looking for it. Its funny, in today's world of bead necklaces and tattoos, grunge dressing and pants-that-are-falling-off-to-look-cool-but-just-makes-you-look-like-an-idiot fashion, nobody seems to appreciate gold anymore, at least not as an adornment. It's rare that you see somebody wearing yellow gold nowadays (and if you do, odds are they are in their 40's or better).
But Mr. T. may have been clairvoyant after all, or at least he was on to something. Why? Because even though people don't wear much gold anymore, they are certainly buying it in unprecedented amounts today.
But they aren't wearing it, they're hoarding it. This gold is for safes, not for teeth.
According to Reuters, consumer demand for gold is off the charts ("Mints coin it as consumers scramble for gold," March 31st.) "Gold coin production is being cranked up in mints around the world to satisfy customers believing the assets may be immune to the global financial crisis," note Reuters, citing that demand for the American one-ounce Golden Eagle was up 400 percent in 2008!
"The demand for gold and silver has been unprecedented," said Carla Coolman, a spokeswoman at the US Mint. And according to most experts in the field, the demand for gold, which is teasing the $1000.00 per ounce threshold, will continue to rise at hair raising levels in 2009. Most mints admit that they are struggling to keep production at a level where it can meet the ever burgeoning demand. Indeed, Gerald Celente, an iconoclast and futurist with an impressive track record of seeing into the future, is betting the farm that gold will reach $2000.00 per ounce by 2012, (see Trends Journal 2009).
Why the sudden interest, (read obsession) for gold and silver? Well, obviously people are scared; they are scared that the economy will continue to spiral downward, inflation will continue to rise and devalue the dollar (as well as their savings), banks will fail and take their money with them, and so on. People just flat don't seem to trust institutions like they once did, and they are converting their hard-earned dollars into commodities of real and enduring value -- gold and silver -- and keeping it in safekeeping. (What they intend to do with this gold should the economy really collapse has yet to be clearly defined).
While it is well beyond my expertise to give financial advice to SurvivalOutpost readers and customers, and I certainly do support any effort to invest money in commodities of real value, I do want to throw a dash of cold water onto the gold fever for a minute...
Why would I want to put the kabosh on gold and silver?
Because, quite frankly, you can't eat, nor can you drink, precious metals. You can just look at them...
As people take measures to become reasonably prepared for our uncertain future, and there are a lot of reasons why we should be taking preparation seriously (See Top 5 Trends You Can't Escape!), it is important that we think first about the emergency supplies we should have, and then think about the supplies we could have. Hedging your bets on a devaluing dollar is one thing; starving because you have no food or water stored away in a significant depression is quite another.
When I was in the fire service (21 years as a professional firefighter), we used to break complex tasks into acronyms of order, this made them easy to remember and simple to apply. For example, at a medical call, every paramedic is trained to follow the ABC's as their initial triage order: A-Airway, is it open and is the patient breathing; B-Breathing, is the patient moving air and does he need supplemental oxygen; and C- Circulation, is the blood moving and the heart working, because no amount of oxygen is going to help if the heart isn't pumping it around. It's tempting to walk up to a patient with a major fracture of the femur (the long bone of the leg and a serious injury), and immediately begin bandaging and splinting. However, if the airway is closed and the patient isn't breathing, it doesn't matter that you controlled bleeding of the leg, the patient is still going to die.
Why the fire service analogy? Because your limited financial resources should be put through the ABC's of emergency preparedness before you begin buying gold and sliver. If you don't your patient likely will not make it...but in this case, the patient is you (or your family).
Here are the ABC's of Emergency Preparedness in these extremely uncertain times and what you should be thinking about before you spend your money on gold and silver:
A: Non-perishable food supplies and water storage and treatment capabilities.
B: First Aid Kits and Hygiene Products.
C: Survival Equipment and Off-The-Grid Supplies.
(For a detailed description of the ABC's of Emergency Preparedness, see 3 Things You Can Do Right Now! )
For the price of two ounces of gold, you can purchase enough ABC's of Emergency Preparedness to equip you and a family of 4 for one year! That's one year of food, water storage and treatment capability, necessary survival equipment and off-the-grid supplies. One Year! That's a lot of insurance for the price of a coin or two...
Never forget Maslow's Hierarchy of needs: need Number One is always survival -- food, water, shelter. The human body can only last a few days without water; a few weeks without food; a few weeks without shelter; a few months without equipment and supplies.
But the human body can last a lifetime without gold or silver....
Now there is something to think about as you watch the Monex ticker.
Stay Safe. Stay Informed. Stay Prepared.
KBaum
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Disaster Preparedness & Survival: Why Sanitation is So Important!
If I were to ask you to identify the most significant medical breakthrough in the past 150 years, how would you answer? For most of us we immediately think of high-profile medical advances, such as the discovery of penicillin and antibiotics, or the invention of the X-ray, the realization that we are products of a basic structure called DNA, the elimination of major disease processes such as smallpox, plague, and others, or the incredible life-saving virtues of automatic de-fibrillation, transplants, and others. In fact, if you were to Google 'Nobel Prize Winning Medical Advances' you will find a host of incredible achievements, all that have improved longevity and quality of life.
And yet, none of them win the prize for being the most significant medical advancement of the past 150 years. The winner may surprise you...
The British Medical Journal recently surveyed more than 11,000 readers, mostly physicians, and asked them the exact same question we asked you: What was the most significant medical breakthrough in the past 150 years?
The winner: Sanitation.
Perhaps the Indianapolis Star said it best, "How can it be that seemingly mundane, homely sanitation -- including sewage, reliably clean water, decent housing -- could possibly earn more votes than Nobel Prise-winning advances? Because the best measure of a medical advance is not its complexity, but what it does for the length and quality of our lives."
Proper sanitation and hygiene eliminated deadly diseases such as cholera and infection, and paved the way for the creation of a large and sophisticated network of structures and infrastructures that have revolutionized our lives. Today we simply turn on the faucet or flush the commode and viola' we have water to drink and waste water to flush. Today we benefit from a public health system that stands as a constant watch dog to ensure that our sanitation, living and hygiene needs are met.
But what if I were to remove all these conveniences. No running water. No flushing toilets. No structures, institutions or infrastructure for you to rely upon for sanitation and proper hygiene. What would your life look like?
The hidden danger in natural and man-made disasters is not so much in the actual events, (which is usually what gets all the news), but in the consequences of those events. The most significant of these consequences is disruptions in sanitation and personal hygiene, consequences that transport us back to a time when lack of sanitation was a leading cause of disease and death. Don't take my opinion on it, believe the 11,000 readers of the British Medical Journal.
So, how should a reasonable person prepare for a disruption in structures and infrastructures that support our system of sanitation? Here are three things you should be thinking about to prepare for the big one should it wash up on your shores:
1) Clean water for drinking and washing. Most experts agree that the average person requires two gallons a day of water for cleaning and drinking. This includes water for washing as well as removing waste, (don't forget that most toilets require 3 gallons to flush). SurvivalOutpost.com recommends that you keep a minimum of 7 days water storage for your family, (7 days times 2 gallons times the number of people in your family). A 30-day supply is even better.
2) Emergency Preparedness Kit. Individuals, families and businesses should keep Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Survival Kits on hand that include the necessary sanitation, hygiene, and survival tools and equipment to help you maintain a safe quality of living should you be required to live 'off the grid' for an extended period of time. Most standard Disaster Survival Kits include toilets, toilet bags, antibacterial gels, sanitation wipes, soaps and other sanitation/hygiene necessities.
3) Non-perishable food. Keep in mind, a component of proper sanitation and hygiene is food that does not spoil and expose us to the risk of deadly food-borne diseases. The best foods for long-term storage and emergency preparedness are those that are 'ready to eat' and do not require refrigeration, such as dehydrated foods, military Meals Ready To Eat, canned meats, power bars, etc. As before, we recommend a minimum 7 day supply of nutritious, healthy, high protein foods in your supply.
Remember Occam's Razor: the simplest explanation is almost always the best. It wasn't the incredibly complex medical advances that won the day, it was simple sanitation and hygiene, two things that are well within your control and ability to prepare for.
Stay informed. Stay prepared. Stay safe.
SurvivalOutpost.com
And yet, none of them win the prize for being the most significant medical advancement of the past 150 years. The winner may surprise you...
The British Medical Journal recently surveyed more than 11,000 readers, mostly physicians, and asked them the exact same question we asked you: What was the most significant medical breakthrough in the past 150 years?
The winner: Sanitation.
Perhaps the Indianapolis Star said it best, "How can it be that seemingly mundane, homely sanitation -- including sewage, reliably clean water, decent housing -- could possibly earn more votes than Nobel Prise-winning advances? Because the best measure of a medical advance is not its complexity, but what it does for the length and quality of our lives."
Proper sanitation and hygiene eliminated deadly diseases such as cholera and infection, and paved the way for the creation of a large and sophisticated network of structures and infrastructures that have revolutionized our lives. Today we simply turn on the faucet or flush the commode and viola' we have water to drink and waste water to flush. Today we benefit from a public health system that stands as a constant watch dog to ensure that our sanitation, living and hygiene needs are met.
But what if I were to remove all these conveniences. No running water. No flushing toilets. No structures, institutions or infrastructure for you to rely upon for sanitation and proper hygiene. What would your life look like?
The hidden danger in natural and man-made disasters is not so much in the actual events, (which is usually what gets all the news), but in the consequences of those events. The most significant of these consequences is disruptions in sanitation and personal hygiene, consequences that transport us back to a time when lack of sanitation was a leading cause of disease and death. Don't take my opinion on it, believe the 11,000 readers of the British Medical Journal.
So, how should a reasonable person prepare for a disruption in structures and infrastructures that support our system of sanitation? Here are three things you should be thinking about to prepare for the big one should it wash up on your shores:
1) Clean water for drinking and washing. Most experts agree that the average person requires two gallons a day of water for cleaning and drinking. This includes water for washing as well as removing waste, (don't forget that most toilets require 3 gallons to flush). SurvivalOutpost.com recommends that you keep a minimum of 7 days water storage for your family, (7 days times 2 gallons times the number of people in your family). A 30-day supply is even better.
2) Emergency Preparedness Kit. Individuals, families and businesses should keep Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Survival Kits on hand that include the necessary sanitation, hygiene, and survival tools and equipment to help you maintain a safe quality of living should you be required to live 'off the grid' for an extended period of time. Most standard Disaster Survival Kits include toilets, toilet bags, antibacterial gels, sanitation wipes, soaps and other sanitation/hygiene necessities.
3) Non-perishable food. Keep in mind, a component of proper sanitation and hygiene is food that does not spoil and expose us to the risk of deadly food-borne diseases. The best foods for long-term storage and emergency preparedness are those that are 'ready to eat' and do not require refrigeration, such as dehydrated foods, military Meals Ready To Eat, canned meats, power bars, etc. As before, we recommend a minimum 7 day supply of nutritious, healthy, high protein foods in your supply.
Remember Occam's Razor: the simplest explanation is almost always the best. It wasn't the incredibly complex medical advances that won the day, it was simple sanitation and hygiene, two things that are well within your control and ability to prepare for.
Stay informed. Stay prepared. Stay safe.
SurvivalOutpost.com
Friday, February 6, 2009
Supplies Vanish From Stores When Disaster Strikes
Friends, family and customers frequently ask us which supplies they should purchase before a disaster or emergency strikes. The answer can vary depending on where you live and the types of emergencies you may face. In general, the twelve product categories below should be covered, although you may not need every product in all categories. For example, you may not need MREs and freeze-dried food, but having both will offer more variety.
1. Generators and Fuel (gas, diesel, propane, lighter fluid, heating oil, stove fuels)
2. Water Supplies (purifiers, filters, containers, preserver, pumps)
3. Portable Toilets (buckets, seats, toilet paper, etc.)
4. Seasoned Firewood
5. Light Generating Products (candles, flashlights, batteries, lanterns)
6. Guns, Knives, Ammo
7. Long Shelf-Life Food (MREs, Freeze-Dried, Canned, etc.)
8. Honey, Syrups, Sugars
9. Rice, Beans, Wheat / Grains
10. Vegetable Oil
11. First-Aid Supplies
12. Survival Books / Preparedness Guides
SurvivalOutpost.com Emergency Preparedness Kits and Survival Equipment
1. Generators and Fuel (gas, diesel, propane, lighter fluid, heating oil, stove fuels)
2. Water Supplies (purifiers, filters, containers, preserver, pumps)
3. Portable Toilets (buckets, seats, toilet paper, etc.)
4. Seasoned Firewood
5. Light Generating Products (candles, flashlights, batteries, lanterns)
6. Guns, Knives, Ammo
7. Long Shelf-Life Food (MREs, Freeze-Dried, Canned, etc.)
8. Honey, Syrups, Sugars
9. Rice, Beans, Wheat / Grains
10. Vegetable Oil
11. First-Aid Supplies
12. Survival Books / Preparedness Guides
SurvivalOutpost.com Emergency Preparedness Kits and Survival Equipment
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
"Gathering Clouds & Rising Storms"
Like millions of people across the planet, I watched in fascination today as President-Elect Obama was sworn in to become President-In-Fact of the United States of America. Mark the day on your calendar and write about it in your journal - January 20, 2009 - because this day marks what will become one of those "where were you when..." events that people reminisce about in future years.
And that begs the obvious question: what will that future look like?
Nobody can answer this question, of course; the only thing we can say with certainty right now is that many of us feel a certain level of anxiety about the future. Read the newspaper -- there is a lot going on in the world right now that we should be worried about.
And I think it is this deep uncertainty about the future that makes President Obama's achievement so bitter-sweet. Like a surprise 40th birthday party when you realize that you have a large group of family and friends that care about you, only to wake up the next morning to the reality that half of your life is over, Obama's presidency is overshadowed with mounting anxiety and despair about the future of this country in particular, and the world in general.
Welcome to your new job, Mr. President.
Indeed, within the first minute or so of his inaugural speech, President Obama noted that "..there are gathering clouds and rising storms...." in our future. Every one of the speakers to the day's events made reference to the incredible challenges and difficulties we must collectively face as we move into the next decade of the 21st Century. Its almost as if they were purposefully dashing cold water onto the hopes and dreams of an increasingly expectant populace.
And in fact, I would wager your dwindling salary that they were doing exactly that (assuming you have a job).
Managing expectations is a mandate in a world that is looking for a savior.
To expect one man to turn this country and world around is no more realistic, nor fair, than to blame one man for all of its ills. It took us years to get here and it will take us years to get out. While it is great to have a president that inspires us, moves us to tears, challenges us to engage, and takes on the institutions of the elite; it is something entirely different to alter the run-away inertia of a species that can't seem to live in harmony with the planet that gives them their very life, or with each other. One man can't change the primal programming of a species...
Global population has doubled in the past 40 years.
The majority of the planet lives in poverty.
Food & Water supplies are dwindling.
Global Warming is changing the weather in radical ways, threatening coastal cities.
Deforestation is killing the planet's lungs...its mechanism for breathing and cleaning the air.
Biodiversity is threatened by increasing numbers of species extinctions.
Religious fanaticism is on the rise.
And, oh yea, 2012 with all its attendant predictions is right around the corner.
This isn't gloom-mongering. Its reality, and, I might add, an incomplete list.
So, I think the coded message in today's speeches was actually fairly clear for those with ears to hear: It will likely get much worse before it gets better.
So my question to you is simple: Are you Prepared for the 'worst' part of that story? If not, perhaps you should begin preparing today.
Chance favors the prepared mind.
Kevin Baum
SurvivalOutpost.com Emergency Preparedness Kits and Survival Equipment
And that begs the obvious question: what will that future look like?
Nobody can answer this question, of course; the only thing we can say with certainty right now is that many of us feel a certain level of anxiety about the future. Read the newspaper -- there is a lot going on in the world right now that we should be worried about.
And I think it is this deep uncertainty about the future that makes President Obama's achievement so bitter-sweet. Like a surprise 40th birthday party when you realize that you have a large group of family and friends that care about you, only to wake up the next morning to the reality that half of your life is over, Obama's presidency is overshadowed with mounting anxiety and despair about the future of this country in particular, and the world in general.
Welcome to your new job, Mr. President.
Indeed, within the first minute or so of his inaugural speech, President Obama noted that "..there are gathering clouds and rising storms...." in our future. Every one of the speakers to the day's events made reference to the incredible challenges and difficulties we must collectively face as we move into the next decade of the 21st Century. Its almost as if they were purposefully dashing cold water onto the hopes and dreams of an increasingly expectant populace.
And in fact, I would wager your dwindling salary that they were doing exactly that (assuming you have a job).
Managing expectations is a mandate in a world that is looking for a savior.
To expect one man to turn this country and world around is no more realistic, nor fair, than to blame one man for all of its ills. It took us years to get here and it will take us years to get out. While it is great to have a president that inspires us, moves us to tears, challenges us to engage, and takes on the institutions of the elite; it is something entirely different to alter the run-away inertia of a species that can't seem to live in harmony with the planet that gives them their very life, or with each other. One man can't change the primal programming of a species...
Global population has doubled in the past 40 years.
The majority of the planet lives in poverty.
Food & Water supplies are dwindling.
Global Warming is changing the weather in radical ways, threatening coastal cities.
Deforestation is killing the planet's lungs...its mechanism for breathing and cleaning the air.
Biodiversity is threatened by increasing numbers of species extinctions.
Religious fanaticism is on the rise.
And, oh yea, 2012 with all its attendant predictions is right around the corner.
This isn't gloom-mongering. Its reality, and, I might add, an incomplete list.
So, I think the coded message in today's speeches was actually fairly clear for those with ears to hear: It will likely get much worse before it gets better.
So my question to you is simple: Are you Prepared for the 'worst' part of that story? If not, perhaps you should begin preparing today.
Chance favors the prepared mind.
Kevin Baum
SurvivalOutpost.com Emergency Preparedness Kits and Survival Equipment
Monday, January 5, 2009
2012, Nostradamus, End of the Mayan Long Count...Oh My!
When I hear or read about 2012 and the hype, hysteria and hilarity that increasingly surrounds that ominous year, I can't help but to remember the famous and funny line uttered by the Scarecrow and Dorothy as they meander along the Yellow Brick Road in the Wizard of Oz, "Lions, Tigers and Bears, Oh My!"
We soon find out the the Lion is cowardly, the Tin Man is rusted, and all that awaits them on their journey is a bunch of singing pigmies wearing rainbow-colored outfits. Their fear of the forest, of course, was of their own creation. And in the ending we ultimately discover it all was but a dream anyway... "And you were in it too...!"
Even though our customers frequently ask us if they should be concerned about 2012, at SurvivalOutpost.com we have conveniently skirted the issue by telling them to research the facts, read the relevant books, stay away from the obvious scams, and make up their own minds on whether they should be concerned, or not. Until now, we have not officially positioned ourselves regarding this rapidly approaching date.
Why? Because our philosophy is to balance reason with readiness, and to avoid at all costs peddling fear as a means to increase product sales. We believe that Americans are tired of being told to be afraid anyway, and are suffering their own form of crisis fatigue. Why make it worse with a bunch of 2012 propaganda?
As if we don't have enough to worry about already...
And yet, (and you knew this was coming), the year 2012 does present a strange and unique confluence of multiple predictions, events, prophecies, mythologies, and cosmologies. Indeed, it is arguable that no other time in history has seen such a bizarre merging of so many different, and wildly diverse, belief systems and predictions. From the end of the Mayan Long Count Calendar to religious predictions of End Times...from the Solar Maximum and deadly Coronal Mass Ejections (CME's) to the I Ching and Timewave Zero...from the so called Galactic Alignment to the Precession of the Equinoxes and the Age of Aquarius, 2012 has become the sine qua non of futurist obsessions.
Indeed, 2012 is rapidly becoming Y2K on steroids.
Even a true-blue skeptic has to stop and scratch his head and ask if there is anything to all this 2012-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it stuff. There is just too much out there on 2012 to ignore (and I bet your entire 2009 salary -- dwindling though it may be -- that the media is going to pick up on the 2012 conversation soon and elevate it by an order of magnitude, with the History Channel taking the lead).
And so, that's what I did, I stopped and asked if there was anything to all this hype and threw myself into the relevant literature and blog sphere to explore and hopefully acquire a coherent understanding of this emerging 2012 collective obsession. To date, I've read most, if not all contemporary texts on the subject, and have thoroughly explored the electronic media, with daily doses of blog sphere research.
What I discovered both amazed and confused me. And I am concerned too. Lets look at each in turn.
Amazed: Any attempt to research 2012 has to begin, and I would argue end, with the Mayan Long Count Calendar. The Mayans truly were (and are) brilliant mathematicians, astronomers, and time keepers. Their calendric system, which is based in large part on celestial observances, possesses a degree of accuracy and a depth of symbology that makes our Gregorian system seem sophomoric in comparison.
It is way too ambitious to examine their calendar in detail in this short piece, although I do encourage you to look into it (fascinating reading). But what shocked me, and what is truly amazing is that the Mayan religion and mythology, their systems for keeping time, and even their architecture & hieroglyphs, are very similar to those of other ancient civilizations (Egyptian, for example), with whom they could have had no contact.
This strange synchronicity is difficult to explain, unless you consider the one thing that each had in common -- the sky. Is it possible that multiple cultures and civilizations, separated by both distance and time, can draw the same divination and conclusions from the same celestial observances? And if so, does this lend greater credibility to their time keeping system and its inner meanings?
Fact: the Mayan long count calendar does end on the winter solstice on December 21, 2012, and it does coincide with a rare alignment of our rising sun in the center of the Milky Way galaxy, and each of these occur in the time of the Precessional transfer from the age of Pisces to the age of Aquarius, an event that only happens every 26000 years. (This 'alignment' is particularly interesting when you consider that the center of the Milky Way galaxy, frequently referred to as the 'great rift' is framed by four prominent stars that form an upside down cross; so, on the winter solstice 2012 the 'sun' will be 'hung' on a 'cross' as it aligns with the center of the galaxy, each rising and setting together. Now there is some symbolism to keep you awake at night.)
What does all this mean?
Well, it depends upon who you ask. Enter Confusion.
A good friend of mine, who is a very successful Hollywood actor in day time drama, once took a trip to the orient where he was introduced to a meal called 'Jambots'. Jambots is a combination of several favorite dishes all thrown into one pot and turned into a stew. The logic is simple -- if we take all our favorite dishes and combine them, the outcome must be a supremely tasty combination. How could it not be so?
"How did it taste?" was my obvious inquiry to my good friend. "Like shit." was his sober reply.
2012 has become, in my opinion, the modern day, End-of-Times Jambots. There are so many different, but favorite religious beliefs, ancient (and poorly understood) mythologies, conspiracy theories, belief systems, fears, pseudo-scientific conclusions, and just wishful thinking, all being thrown into the 2012 boiling pot, that the true significance of this date, if there is one, has been completely lost in the stew...its been boiled away. It's as if every doom's day theory is being force-linked to this single year.
The Mayans MUST have been onto something, so...let's review Nostradamus' sutras to find a clear linkage to the date. Surely there are some biblical passages that we can link to the Mayan's wisdom and therefore declare that the rapture is imminent. Isn't there a rogue star out there (Planet X) that should make a pole-reversing, 1000-foot wave-creating fly by of the earth...and couldn't that be in 2012?? Isn't the aliens' next visit overdue, you know, the ones that seeded humanity? And finally, and my favorite, aren't we all about to transform into enlightened beings with the power of levitation and telepathy (flying could be cool).
Wondering what I'm talking about? These are all 2012 predictions. Seriously...I didn't make them up.
Jambots!
But here is why I am concerned, and why you should be prepared.
There is an ancient zen proverb that I love, and it is simple: That which you are seeking, is always seeking you. This proverb is, in my opinion, a beautiful salutation to human capability and inventiveness, and communicates that if you hold to a vision, you can make that vision a reality. How very cool.
And how very dangerous...especially if so many people, indeed MILLIONS OF THEM, are holding to the vision that the world will end in 2012. There is an emerging awareness in both the scientific and new age literature that groups of people can influence events simply through collective 'willfulness.' The phenomenon is referred to as 'collective manifestation.' Simply put, if enough people believe in a thing, whatever that thing is, they will influence the probability that that thing will likely occur.
For example, if the bible says that the Temple Mount has to fall before Christ will return, and millions believe that he will return in the age of 2012; well, then somebody has to go out there and destroy that darn Temple. Collective beliefs, especially if they are unreasonable and fanatic, foment action.
In other words, if enough people believe that 2012 = catastrophe, they can make it so.
That's disturbing...
Lions, Tigers and Bears, Oh My!
So what do we do?
Let me answer this question by ending with where I began...the Wizard of Oz. Even if Dorothy's story was just a dream, she still should have been in the storm shelter before the tornado hit.
It's always best to remain prepared.
Kevin Baum
SurvivalOutpost.com Emergency Preparedness Kits and Survival Equipment
We soon find out the the Lion is cowardly, the Tin Man is rusted, and all that awaits them on their journey is a bunch of singing pigmies wearing rainbow-colored outfits. Their fear of the forest, of course, was of their own creation. And in the ending we ultimately discover it all was but a dream anyway... "And you were in it too...!"
Even though our customers frequently ask us if they should be concerned about 2012, at SurvivalOutpost.com we have conveniently skirted the issue by telling them to research the facts, read the relevant books, stay away from the obvious scams, and make up their own minds on whether they should be concerned, or not. Until now, we have not officially positioned ourselves regarding this rapidly approaching date.
Why? Because our philosophy is to balance reason with readiness, and to avoid at all costs peddling fear as a means to increase product sales. We believe that Americans are tired of being told to be afraid anyway, and are suffering their own form of crisis fatigue. Why make it worse with a bunch of 2012 propaganda?
As if we don't have enough to worry about already...
And yet, (and you knew this was coming), the year 2012 does present a strange and unique confluence of multiple predictions, events, prophecies, mythologies, and cosmologies. Indeed, it is arguable that no other time in history has seen such a bizarre merging of so many different, and wildly diverse, belief systems and predictions. From the end of the Mayan Long Count Calendar to religious predictions of End Times...from the Solar Maximum and deadly Coronal Mass Ejections (CME's) to the I Ching and Timewave Zero...from the so called Galactic Alignment to the Precession of the Equinoxes and the Age of Aquarius, 2012 has become the sine qua non of futurist obsessions.
Indeed, 2012 is rapidly becoming Y2K on steroids.
Even a true-blue skeptic has to stop and scratch his head and ask if there is anything to all this 2012-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it stuff. There is just too much out there on 2012 to ignore (and I bet your entire 2009 salary -- dwindling though it may be -- that the media is going to pick up on the 2012 conversation soon and elevate it by an order of magnitude, with the History Channel taking the lead).
And so, that's what I did, I stopped and asked if there was anything to all this hype and threw myself into the relevant literature and blog sphere to explore and hopefully acquire a coherent understanding of this emerging 2012 collective obsession. To date, I've read most, if not all contemporary texts on the subject, and have thoroughly explored the electronic media, with daily doses of blog sphere research.
What I discovered both amazed and confused me. And I am concerned too. Lets look at each in turn.
Amazed: Any attempt to research 2012 has to begin, and I would argue end, with the Mayan Long Count Calendar. The Mayans truly were (and are) brilliant mathematicians, astronomers, and time keepers. Their calendric system, which is based in large part on celestial observances, possesses a degree of accuracy and a depth of symbology that makes our Gregorian system seem sophomoric in comparison.
It is way too ambitious to examine their calendar in detail in this short piece, although I do encourage you to look into it (fascinating reading). But what shocked me, and what is truly amazing is that the Mayan religion and mythology, their systems for keeping time, and even their architecture & hieroglyphs, are very similar to those of other ancient civilizations (Egyptian, for example), with whom they could have had no contact.
This strange synchronicity is difficult to explain, unless you consider the one thing that each had in common -- the sky. Is it possible that multiple cultures and civilizations, separated by both distance and time, can draw the same divination and conclusions from the same celestial observances? And if so, does this lend greater credibility to their time keeping system and its inner meanings?
Fact: the Mayan long count calendar does end on the winter solstice on December 21, 2012, and it does coincide with a rare alignment of our rising sun in the center of the Milky Way galaxy, and each of these occur in the time of the Precessional transfer from the age of Pisces to the age of Aquarius, an event that only happens every 26000 years. (This 'alignment' is particularly interesting when you consider that the center of the Milky Way galaxy, frequently referred to as the 'great rift' is framed by four prominent stars that form an upside down cross; so, on the winter solstice 2012 the 'sun' will be 'hung' on a 'cross' as it aligns with the center of the galaxy, each rising and setting together. Now there is some symbolism to keep you awake at night.)
What does all this mean?
Well, it depends upon who you ask. Enter Confusion.
A good friend of mine, who is a very successful Hollywood actor in day time drama, once took a trip to the orient where he was introduced to a meal called 'Jambots'. Jambots is a combination of several favorite dishes all thrown into one pot and turned into a stew. The logic is simple -- if we take all our favorite dishes and combine them, the outcome must be a supremely tasty combination. How could it not be so?
"How did it taste?" was my obvious inquiry to my good friend. "Like shit." was his sober reply.
2012 has become, in my opinion, the modern day, End-of-Times Jambots. There are so many different, but favorite religious beliefs, ancient (and poorly understood) mythologies, conspiracy theories, belief systems, fears, pseudo-scientific conclusions, and just wishful thinking, all being thrown into the 2012 boiling pot, that the true significance of this date, if there is one, has been completely lost in the stew...its been boiled away. It's as if every doom's day theory is being force-linked to this single year.
The Mayans MUST have been onto something, so...let's review Nostradamus' sutras to find a clear linkage to the date. Surely there are some biblical passages that we can link to the Mayan's wisdom and therefore declare that the rapture is imminent. Isn't there a rogue star out there (Planet X) that should make a pole-reversing, 1000-foot wave-creating fly by of the earth...and couldn't that be in 2012?? Isn't the aliens' next visit overdue, you know, the ones that seeded humanity? And finally, and my favorite, aren't we all about to transform into enlightened beings with the power of levitation and telepathy (flying could be cool).
Wondering what I'm talking about? These are all 2012 predictions. Seriously...I didn't make them up.
Jambots!
But here is why I am concerned, and why you should be prepared.
There is an ancient zen proverb that I love, and it is simple: That which you are seeking, is always seeking you. This proverb is, in my opinion, a beautiful salutation to human capability and inventiveness, and communicates that if you hold to a vision, you can make that vision a reality. How very cool.
And how very dangerous...especially if so many people, indeed MILLIONS OF THEM, are holding to the vision that the world will end in 2012. There is an emerging awareness in both the scientific and new age literature that groups of people can influence events simply through collective 'willfulness.' The phenomenon is referred to as 'collective manifestation.' Simply put, if enough people believe in a thing, whatever that thing is, they will influence the probability that that thing will likely occur.
For example, if the bible says that the Temple Mount has to fall before Christ will return, and millions believe that he will return in the age of 2012; well, then somebody has to go out there and destroy that darn Temple. Collective beliefs, especially if they are unreasonable and fanatic, foment action.
In other words, if enough people believe that 2012 = catastrophe, they can make it so.
That's disturbing...
Lions, Tigers and Bears, Oh My!
So what do we do?
Let me answer this question by ending with where I began...the Wizard of Oz. Even if Dorothy's story was just a dream, she still should have been in the storm shelter before the tornado hit.
It's always best to remain prepared.
Kevin Baum
SurvivalOutpost.com Emergency Preparedness Kits and Survival Equipment
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