All Over America, Government Officials Are Cracking Down On Preppers

Michael Snyder

Why would the government want to punish people that are just trying to work hard, become more self-sufficient and take care of their families?

There are approximately 3 million preppers in the United States today, and often they appear to be singled out for punishment by bureaucratic control freaks that are horrified at the thought that there are families out there that actually want to try to become less dependent on the system.

So if you use alternative methods to heat your home, or if you are not connected to the utility grid, or if you collect rainwater on your property, or if you believe that parents should have the ultimate say when it comes to health decisions for their children, you could become a target for overzealous government enforcers.

FEMA Pushes Prepping for Pets and Disabled

Message from FEMA: "Prepare as if nobody is coming to rescue you" and "microchip your pets".

Activist Post

FEMA just released two new videos encouraging pet owners and the disabled to prepare for disasters. FEMA refers to them as "Preparing Makes Sense" instructional videos.

The YouTube description for the Preparing Makes Sense for Pet Owners video reads, "A unique instructional video containing information for pet owners and suggestions for proactive pet emergency preparedness."

One of FEMA's strong recommendations for prepping with pets is to microchip them.

"Microchipping is a particularly effective way to identify pets separated from their owners in an emergency," Jordan Crump of the Humane Society claims in the video.

Rise Of The Preppers: 50 Of The Best Prepper Websites And Blogs On The Internet

Michael Snyder, Contributor

Are you preparing for the collapse of society?  If so, the truth is that you are definitely not alone.  The number of preppers in the U.S. has absolutely exploded in recent years.  It has been estimated that there are now approximately 3 million preppers in the United States, and Doomsday Preppers is currently the highest rated show on the National Geographic channel.  In fact, you could be living next to a prepper and never even know it.

All over America, families are transforming spare rooms into long-term food storage pantries, planting survival gardens, unplugging from the grid, converting their homes over to alternative sources of energy, taking self-defense courses and stocking up on just about everything that you can imagine.

The re-election of Barack Obama and other recent events seem to have given the prepper movement even more momentum.  For example, in January the U.S. Mint broke all kinds of records and sold nearly half a billion dollars worth of gold and silver coins to the public.  Not only that, Americans bought enough guns during the last two months of 2012 alone to supply the entire armies of China and India.  When it comes to prepping, nobody can match the passion that Americans put into it.

So what are all of these people prepping for?

Jimmy Lee Dykes: The Media’s New Poster Child for Those Crazy Preppers

Daisy Luther, Contributor

I’m genuinely curious about something.

Why is it socially unacceptable to generalize about certain groups of people, while it’s open season on others?

Why are some beliefs, religions and lifestyles protected by media watchdogs and special interest groups, while others are considered threatening and are openly vilified?

It’s estimated that there are over 3 million preppers (and growing) in the United States. Some are God-fearing Christians, some are political Libertarians, and others are peace-loving small farmers. We teach our children to think critically, we believe in preparing for events that could be detrimental to our survival and for the most part, we just want to be left alone to seek our happiness. We are resistant, by and large, to governmental intrusion and to the restriction of our natural rights - those rights bestowed upon all humanity that are not contingent upon the legal laws, customs, or beliefs of any culture or government – the rights that are universal and inalienable..

This reality is actually pretty boring, though. It doesn’t sell papers, get TV viewers, or more importantly, further the agenda of demonization by those who feel threatened by us.

So for those purposes, preppers are classified based on the errant behavior of people like Jimmy Lee Dykes, a mean, anti-social recluse whose neighbors feared him and who reportedly beat a dog to death with a lead pipe. After all, Dykes had a “bunker”, a supply of non-perishable food, guns and a dislike for the government. Therefore, Dykes is now being put forth by the media as the poster child for “survivalists”.

Top Survival Items At The Supermarket Besides Food

Activist Post

Previously we have written about the best survival foods found at your local grocery store. But food is not the only thing in supermarkets that can be useful for surviving potential crises. In fact, since large supermarkets have a huge selection besides food, they can provide most survival essentials outside of tools and weapons.

Here are just some of the important survival items to buy in bulk while grocery shopping.  Please add any items we missed into the comment section below.

First Aid Kit: Most grocery stores these days will have pre-made first aid kits which are usually worth buying because they're easy to store and have diverse items.  However, picking up extra bandages, antibiotic creams, band aids, bug spray, aloe, and other items will be helpful.

Medicine: If you have prescriptions, it's best to have at least one month's worth on hand. Over-the-counter items like Ibuprofen or Tylenol, Benadryl and others are also wise to stock up on.

Vitamins: If you're in a deep survival situation, the selection of food will likely be less nutritious than you require. Therefore, to stave off illnesses and infections, having a good supply of multivitamins will come in real handy.

Building a DIY Rocket Stove

The Almost Free DIY Rocket Stove

Gaye Levy, Contributor

Rocket Stoves are pretty neat. Common among campers and backpacking enthusiasts, rocket stoves are relatively new to urban dwellers or those that do not spend a lot of time outdoors. But wait – here come the preppers who seek fuel efficient ways to cook outdoors when the grid goes down. Not to make light of the situation, five years ago I had no idea what a rocket stove was nor did I know how they worked.

How times have changed.

While there are many commercial rocket stoves (and I own two including the Solo Stove and the EcoZoom Versa) an efficient rocket stove can be had for as little as a couple of bucks if you are willing to do a bit of work.

But first, just what exactly is a rocket stove?

10 Best Survival Foods At Your Local Supermarket

Activist Post

As food prices continue to skyrocket, having a bulk supply of food is a great investment. But it also provides security and peace of mind against potential emergencies.

By now most people should be aware that grocery stores only have about 3 days of food in stock when crises strike. So if anything was to disrupt the food supply chain for an extended period of time, there would be untold chaos in most communities.

Any number of events could trigger mass disruption to a fragile food system, many of which are well documented and even predicted. Even NASA has warned its staff to prepare for potential disasters with survival foods and other precautions with their "Family Preparedness Program."

Prepping for disasters can seem overwhelming with so many aspects to be considered. However, for those just beginning to recognize how perilous these times are and are new to prepping, you can find many great survival foods at your local grocery store.

Preppers and the Transition Movement

James Gould

"Preppers" got their name from being prepared. They see very hard times ahead and have been working to be ready - with energy systems, tools, food, water, guns, toiletries, first aid, pet food, etc. Those in urban areas who are out of touch with how bad the economy is or how peculiar the government has been acting (to put a nice spin on things) may have been coached by corporate media to see preppers as fanatics.

 But to do so is to miss traditional wisdom - that wise families and communities should always being stocked up, storing surplus in good times to protect against shortages in lean times. And it is also to miss that the industrial food giants are in cahoots with the bankers, busily engineering food shortages for the sake of the mega-bucks that food riots generate.

In short, preppers have good sense; and people who don't have food stored for at least 6 months, would be wise to learn from them. It's just common sense to make sure that basic needs can always be met, even if electrical systems go down (and with it goes the water supply) or even if food is unavailable for a length of time.

But preppers, for all their foresight about the economic system's possible collapse, and their range of skills and wisdom on what is needed to get through, have gotten a couple of things wrong they might be very interested in (they didn't get so savvy by not thinking or by shutting out information from lots of places).

Survival Healthcare: 5 Things You Can Do Now to Promote Medical Self-Care

Gaye Levy, Contributor

Something not frequently addressed within the survival and prepping world is the importance of good health and medical self-care. What I am referring to is the importance of having the physical and mental wellness capacity to give you the stamina to to withstand adverse conditions, perhaps with minimal shelter, minimal water, minimal food stores, and minimal health care facilities.

Think about it. As much as we prep and do our best to store a years worth of food and supplies, how much attention do we actually pay to taking care of ourselves and staying informed of medical issues and topics? For most of us, I can pretty much guarantee that food and supplies come first, closely followed by bullets and band-aids.

In a very worst case scenario, would you have the stamina and health to leave the comforts of your home with only the clothes on your back, a bug-out-bag and whatever else you could physically carry? Answer honestly – are you healthy enough to do that? 

The Post-Collapse Realities of Your Survival Location

Max Velocity, Contributor

I wanted to put a few thoughts out there about the realities of your survival location. To read what is out there in terms of opinion and advice, it appears that to survive any coming apocalypse you need to be in a fortified self-sustaining retreat somewhere out in the boonies, with three years of food in the basement and the ability to grow food plus animals.

Good stuff; you will be really well positioned if that is where you are with your preparations. The reality for many is that they simply do not have that. For whatever reason, they may be in an urban or suburban environment. They may have nowhere else to realistically ‘bug out’ to. They may have a goal to achieve the retreat, but are not there yet, or have bug out land that is fairly basic and requires them to move to it following a collapse.

Let me first say that this post is not so concerned with the kind of short-term natural disaster that would involve you bugging out with little choice -- perhaps a wildfire or earthquake or similar. What I am really concerned about here is a collapse of society, the veritable TEOTWAWKI, where it all goes to chaos, the SHTF, and we are all in a big mess surviving together.

Apocalyptic TV: Art Imitating Life or Predictive Programming?

Anthony Freda Art

Nicholas West

It is always a good idea to prepare for reasonably common events such as natural disasters, large climate events like drought, and generally to be as self-sufficient as possible. The natural world, coupled with the insanity of global banksters, should get us all prepping in a hurry.

Doomsday is another matter entirely. As 2012 approaches, we have doomsday coming in every stripe: World War III, religious rapture, Mayan prophecies, Nibiru, alien intervention, and even a zombie apocalypse: you name it. People are prepping like never before and even building their doomsday bunkers to ride it out. And all the while Hollywood is right there either to be a reflection of our concerns that can be capitalized upon, or to give a lending hand to global management who would like us to behave a certain way when the inevitable doomsday does arrive -- it's a technique known as predictive programming.

No matter your view, the flurry of apocalyptic television programming and major motion pictures should get our attention, as we are being shown how "entertaining" the end of the world can be.

How "Crazy Survivalists" Make The World A Better Place

Brandon Smith, Contributor

I was recently interviewed by a journalist for a local newspaper who was developing a story on the exponential rise of the “prepper lifestyle” in America, most especially in Western Montana. Being an outsider to the Liberty Movement, she was naturally curious as to what motivated us to make what some in our culture would see as a drastic and bewildering leap away from the mainstream. She was equally fascinated with our willingness to travel great distances and make substantial sacrifices to live in regions like the American Redoubt. 

I will not deny, Montana has indeed become a “hotbed” of survivalism and Constitutionalism, or what the Southern Poverty Law Center would call “extremism and domestic terrorism”. I lived in Pittsburgh for years while writing for Neithercorp and Alt-Market and rarely ran into like minded individuals aware of the tenuous status of our society. Within days of moving to Montana, I was being recognized by complete strangers in supermarkets excited to discuss the inner workings of Keynesian monetary corruption, precious metals investment, and Alinsky disinformation tactics. Yeah…I know…it’s weird.

8 Reasons Why No One Should Ignore the Coming Economic Collapse

Anthony Freda Art

Michael Snyder, Contributor

Most people just assume that since things have always been a certain way that they will always be that way in the future. Most people just have blind faith that the people running our government and our financial system know exactly what they are doing and that they are doing their best to take care of us.

In fact, once upon a time I was fully convinced of that. When I was a kid I quickly realized that my elementary school teachers really didn't have the answers, but I had total faith that those running society at the highest levels were "experts" who were looking out for our best interests. As time went on I kept progressing in my education, and by the time I was finished with law school I came to understand that none of our "experts" really know what they are doing, and they are definitely not looking out for our best interests.

The blind are leading the blind and we all need to finally admit that the emperor is not wearing any clothes. Unfortunately, most Americans will repeat the mantra of "if that was true I would have heard about it on the news" until it is way too late. Most people are waiting for the "authorities" to tell them what to do instead of thinking for themselves. Sadly, time is rapidly running out and a lot of people are going to end up getting totally blindsided by what is coming.

FEMA requests even more emergency food

James Smith, Contributor

On the 31st of August, 2012,  FEMA requested 1.1 Million low sodium MRE’s to help with the demands from Hurricane Isaac. They needed to be shipped on September 1st.

On September 1st, at 10:18 PM ET, FEMA transmitted another solicitation for MRE’s. This time, the standard “Commercial Meal” MRE for those not on a restricted diet.

This Request for Quote is for a commercial Meals Buy and does not include reduced-sodium meals. The purpose of this RFQ is to request for unit prices of commercial meals only, and all other related costs like frieght (sic) costs will be determined at the time of order.

The response deadline on this RFQ is 2 September 2012, no later than 4.00 PM ET, less than 18 hours after the request was made.

What are commercial meals? According to associated document, they are meals that fall under the following guidelines:

FEMA needs another 1 Million MRE’s due to Hurricane Isaac – tomorrow

James Smith, Contributor

Due to Hurricane Isaac landfall and subsequent stalling, the Department of Homeland Security finds that they need 1,100,000 low sodium MRE’s to cope with the sudden demand.

And they literally need them tomorrow.

The shipment date is set for 1 September 2012. From the solicitation: 

Is Going Off the Grid Practical?

SARTRE, Contributor

The technological miracle that transformed the 20th century into an engine of wealth creation was based upon cheap energy. The role of the electric grid cannot be understated when it comes to enhancing the quality of life for the greatest number of people. The advance of civilization often seems to go in reverse gear. However, the innovation of labor-saving devices and productive machinery usually rely upon running on the stream from electric generation.

Even with this laudable accomplishment, the electric grid has fundamental flaws and distribution shortcomings. The challenge for the 21th century requires a re-invention of thinking as much as a technological replacement of the alternative current system of connection to the electric grid. Peter Fairley reveals an important trend in Edison's Revenge: The Rise of DC Power...

New Orleans is braced for Isaac

Rady Ananda

New Orleans has battened down the hatches, filled the gas tanks, and stocked up on survival gear in preparation for Tropical Storm (soon-to-be Hurricane) Isaac, which is expected to make landfall Tuesday afternoon or evening, one day shy of the 7th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

Still emotionally shocked from that August 29, 2005 disaster, talk of “the flood” finds its way into the first or second conversation with any local. People are still processing that event, so when Isaac began posing a threat, folks here took it seriously and immediately began preparing.

To get a sense of New Orleans wit, even amid a potentially lethal event, a local radio station (WWOZ 90.7 FM) queued a long set of flood songs on Monday, including Led Zeppelin’s When the Levee Breaks. I couldn’t help but enjoy the morbid humor as I drove around town buying supplies.

New Orleans is braced for Isaac

Rady Ananda

New Orleans has battened down the hatches, filled the gas tanks, and stocked up on survival gear in preparation for Tropical Storm (soon-to-be Hurricane) Isaac, which isexpected to make landfall Tuesday afternoon or evening, one day shy of the 7th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

Still emotionally shocked from that August 29, 2005 disaster, talk of “the flood” finds its way into the first or second conversation with any local. People are still processing that event, so when Isaac began posing a threat, folks here took it seriously and immediately began preparing.

To get a sense of New Orleans wit, even amid a potentially lethal event, a local radio station (WWOZ 90.7 FM) queued a long set of flood songs on Monday, including Led Zeppelin’s When the Levee Breaks. I couldn’t help but enjoy the morbid humor as I drove around town buying supplies.

7 Reasons to Consider Off-the-Grid Independent Living

image source

Activist Post

Going off grid should not be a spontaneous decision; it can be exceedingly difficult, costly, and fraught with unexpected problems if one has not done the proper research, nor acquired the requisite skills. This article will not be about how to go off the grid, but rather why one should strongly consider doing whatever it takes learn all they can about this option as soon as possible.

Once the mental commitment has been made, it helps to begin talking to others of like mind who might consider a joint venture to create an independent set-up free from the bureaucracy and the intrusions of a collapsing economy and society. 

This also will not be an article about what locations might be best, or if it might be necessary for one to leave their country of birth to find independence. Those are separate considerations that have received thorough treatment from experts, and we have provided links at the end of the article for some of the best resources to help in those practical areas.

By every measure, the popularity of off-the-grid living is rising in the U.S. as the declining economy and social structure drive people toward solutions. Americans desperately need to get prepared to encounter potential imminent Third World conditions.

Here are the 7 fundamental reasons why one should consider an off-the-grid independent lifestyle:

Tips For Hurricane Survival

Dr. Bones, Contributor

As we speak, a hurricane is slowly churning its way in the Caribbean over to the state of Florida. Soon, it’ll be time to bring the alligators and pythons inside and batten down the hatches. The last major hurricane to whack the U.S. was Hurricane Ike, which hit Texas in 2008. Even down here in sunny Florida, most people are completely unprepared for the severe rain, winds, flooding, and general mayhem that these storms can cause.

Certainly, these storms can be severe, but they don’t have to be life-threatening. Unlike tornadoes, which can pop up suddenly, hurricanes are first identified when they are hundreds, if not thousands of miles away. We can watch their development and have a good idea of how bad it might get and how much time we have to get ready. Your family has to put together an effective plan of action with regards to shelter, food, power, and other important issues. If you do, even a Category 5 storm can be just a bump in the road and not the end of the road.