M.D. CREEKMORE

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Top Ten Ways Not To Survive TEOTWAWKI

1. Don’t Prepare: Many won’t prepare, putting their faith in a collapsing system – holding to the belief that someone, somewhere will fix the problem, before it gets too bad. Our “leaders” won’t let this happen after all this is America, not some third-world country, everything will work out, we’ll get back to normal, all we need is to pull the right political strings.

2. Investing In Gold, silver, diamonds, etc: These are based on perceived value, not actually need. Mainly an attempt by the wealthy to maintain their wealth after the collapse. Don’t get me wrong – Investing in gold and silver is not a bad thing, it just makes more sense to stockpile food, water-filters, first-aid supplies, ammo, etc. – these are needed items – isn’t this the reason you are investing in gold and silver, so you can barter for these items after the collapse?

3. Relying On One Food Source: This is a big mistake. What happens when your supplies are depleted, or you lose possession of those goods? Strive for at least three independent sources to fill your nutritional needs. Always have a backup plan AND ANOTHER PLAN TO BACK THAT PLAN UP.

4. Bugging Out: I’m not a fan of the head for the hills survival strategy. In most cases, your better off preparing to stay where you are. Having a grab and go bag is a good idea (click here to see what I have in my bug out bag), just don’t make bugging out your only plan or first priority. Remember; bugging out is just another word for becoming a refugee.

5.Too Many Guns: I would love to have an underground bunker overflowing with the latest weaponry, but it’s not going to happen. Nor is it necessary. You don’t need that many guns to survive. The biggest mistake made by most preppers is spending a fortune on an arsenal while neglecting their food storage and other supplies. A centerfire rifle and handgun, shotgun and a .22 rimfire rifle will cover everything you need a firearm for.

6. Gadgets: We’ve all heard the expression “he who dies with the most toys wins”, I’m still trying to figure out what the winning prize is. I have nothing against using the latest technology and gear – just don’t depend on it. Things break, get lost, stolen or don’t work as intended. Your best asset is between your ears – which brings us to my next point.

7. Lack Of Skills and Knowledge: Most books on survival and self-reliance are never read or put to use. They are bought, flipped through and put away – never tested or learned from. This is a mistake. Read the books, study and try it for yourself. This is the only way to learn and know what actually works, for you in real life.

8. Not Finding Your Own Path: Many survival authors try to force their plans and beliefs on readers. You need to find your own path – people are different with varying needs, skill levels, and backgrounds. There is no one way or course of action that will serve all purposes and individuals. Find what works best for you in your situation and plan accordingly.

9. Picking A Fight: A lot of survival types can’t wait for the collapse and eventual breakdown of law and order, they imagine one firefight after another, where they are the ultimate killing machine taking down the bad guys in a hail of gunfire.

Most won’t last long. You and your family/group are not expendable, if you go looking for a fight there will be casualty’s and there’s no guarantee they will be taken by your opponent. Don’t go looking for a fight, stay hidden and avoid confrontation.

10. Becoming A Raider: A few days ago I was at the local sporting goods store when a guy standing over the handgun display started a conversation. He seemed interesting enough, we talked about the usual; guns, ammo and gun control. Eventually, the conversation turned to world events the economy and the possibility of collapse followed by a lack of services, food shortages, and lawlessness.

To gauge his response, I suggested that we should put back some food just in case. His response was typical of the unprepared. His “plan” is to take what he needs; by force. This might work a few times but eventually, his luck will run out. Don’t plan on being a raider, prepare.

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Threats To Our Survival – What Do You Think?

Today I’d like to try something a little different on the blog and open up a topic for some discussion.

This one could cause some ‘energetic’ conversation but I’d love to do an informal poll on it anyway.

What do you think is the greatest threat to our survival – and why?

This can be anything from economic collapse, another civil war, and overpopulation to a plane falling from the sky, so long as you perceive it is a threat – I’d love to hear your opinion and some of the reasoning for your choice.

There’s no right or wrong ultimately (although I know some readers hold strong opinions) – but hopefully, in the discussion and reasons for your answer, we’ll have some good learning.

What My Chihuahua Can Teach Us About Prepping and Survival

I wrote this post way back in 2009. I hope that you find it interesting. Let me know what you think in the comments section below…

I found this little dog a few months ago near my place. Someone had apparently abandoned her mother before she had her puppies because I found her mother and the puppies up in under an old truckbed. It was December and only two puppies were still alive. I took all three home and took care of them.

I eventually, gave the mother and the other puppy away and kept the one in the photo above. She is 11-years old in the photo above and still in good health for a dog that age. No matter, I was lucky to find her.

Okay, the original article for 2009 starts below…

She is the most intelligent of my three dogs and her loyalty is uncanny. For instance; she is fine with me talking to someone as long as they stay their distance – get closer than four or five feet and the barking starts.

Touch me or make any kind of aggressive behavior and you’ll have 10 pounds of a psycho dog attacking you.

A few weeks ago the girlfriend and I were play fighting when she pulled her leg back to kick at me, the dog attacked, biting her inside the right thigh, leaving teeth marks that pierced the skin. Needless to say, my girlfriend wasn’t very happy.

So what can my pint-sized bodyguard teach us about survival?

Like most preppers, she is a sort of a hoarder. Most dogs have a natural instinct to hide food, but this one is the most proliferate hoarder that I’ve seen. She manages to hide at least 25% of the food that I put in her bowl.

She has dozens of food caches scattered around the area and she is smart enough to find hiding places that the bigger dogs can’t get into it. I mean this dog can fit through a 5-inch opening, places where the other dogs can’t start.

prepping for pets
Here she is watching the chickens at my old homestead. Notice she has no tail? She and her sister where both born that way.

We preppers would be wise to do the same. Having several caches of food and gear hidden around our area is a good idea and cheap insurance if we get cut off from our main food storage supplies for some reason. Things happen – remember Murphy’s Law?

Another thing we can learn from this little dog is to always be on alert for potential threats. She is always scanning the area, looking for intruders. Her detectors seem to always be turned on – anything out of the ordinary and she is alerted.

It seems humans have lost their alertness. Most people are so preoccupied with themselves that they have no idea of what is going on around them. They make themselves easy targets.

I’m not saying you should be in a state of constant red alert, the stress of such a lifestyle would probably kill you before an aggressor. What I am saying is, be more attuned to your surroundings, don’t get into the habit of walking around blind to what is going on around you.

Pay attention. Sometimes, something small can alert you to potential danger. For example, let’s say it’s been raining most of the day, you get home from work and notice the pattern of moister on the doorknob has been disturbed by someone turning the knob. Be like this little dog – pay attention. It could save your life.

Another thing I’ve noticed is that she isn’t afraid to run if the situation necessitates it. She will go after the biggest, meanest dog that wanders into her territory. But the thing is, she knows when to run. If the fight is too much and she has no chance of winning, she isn’t above running to me for help or hiding.

To many of us, the idea of running or hiding from danger is unthinkable. But sometimes it does make sense. No matter how well armed we are we can not win every battle. When it’s your family one casualty is too many.

Sometimes the best way to win a battle is to avoid the fight altogether. Other times it may be necessary to retreat to a better location offering a tactical advantage.

Take a lesson from this little Chihuahua – don’t be too brave –  avoid a fight that you know you can’t win.

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How I Made My Tiny Home Out of a Shipping Container

inside-container-home
The inside of my container home.

guest post by KR Prepper 

I like living frugally. There’s a certain power that comes from knowing that you don’t ‘have’ to spend money.

I used to run a recording studio. I saw the writing on the wall, that I wouldn’t be able to sustain my business long term (economy, local music market changes, burnout). I had been living in the office building that housed my recording studio, showering at the local gym.

I had recently read “Dirt Cheap Survival Retreat, by MD Creekmore and Travel Trailer Homesteading under $5000” Brian D. Kelling and begin praying about how to not be homeless (read this article on how to survive being homeless).

After searching for land. I found a place north of my studio right at 4800. It was a half-acre. It was the only place within my price range, so I met the guy. He and his wife were very friendly. Set up a contract for deed at 220 a month for a couple of years.

Then I looked at several options. I’m not a handyman, so I knew a self-build would be out of the question. My next glance was prefab, but I knew that music gigs would keep me away from my place for stretches at a time. So anything that could be burned, or broken into easily couldn’t work.

So I chose an 8′x20′ shipping container and made it home.

Here’s my setup process…

The Cost

My container came insulated, framed, and wired with lights with delivery for 3300 I could’ve done these things myself, but time being of the essence. This was the wisest option If you’re not near the coasts. I found that metal fabricators are the best place to get them, as they will customize them with doors, windows, and other stuff.

Mine has a man door and 4 ventilation ducts and a metal floor. The metal floor is better, as off-gassing of pesticides and other things are less of a problem.

Prep: Before purchasing the container, I purchased everything that I needed inside FIRST. Because I knew I’d have a bill. I wanted to have all of my gear set up before I’d hunker down.

Heating/Cooking

Buddy Heater / 40# Propane tank. I use this to simply heat up the cabin quickly in the morning while the fire is building 1920 Estate Woodstove: I found this piece at a consignment store around the corner from my studio for $100 bucks. Spent a couple of bucks more on the stove pipe and done. 2 of my friends donated barbecue pits to me. One is gas with a burner, and one is charcoal/wood.

Sanitation/Water:

Coleman Camping Toilet. I wasn’t planning on humanure composting, so I filled the flush tank with bleach/water to help kill the odor. Ecotemp Portable On Demand Water Heater. I use this unit to provide running water Shurflo 3gpi RV pump (2) 55-gallon water tanks (4) 5-gallon water bottles this covers my water needs for 2-3 months.

I also have made it a habit to fill up my water cisterns every time I go into town for free. I hope to have a well drilled within the next year, but this saves money for now.

Lighting / Power:

 Sunforce 60w Solar Panel System with upgraded power controller and inverter 2 deep cycle batteries, Coleman CPX lanterns with power supply. The lights recharge via a drill type battery, so I’d be covered as long as the batteries hold up.

Refrigeration: I bought a used propane refrigerator for $50. Honestly. During the winter I put my coolers outside. Minnesota IS the freezer.

Storage: I salvaged a set of Kitchen Cabinets and a countertop for free. Just the cost of Driving to get it.

Cabin Setup: 1 I cleared a 10×25′ rectangle, and put cinder blocks/logs near where I wanted the cabin to be. My lot is narrow, so we had to take down trees to get everything in. Good. Free firewood.

Went to the distributor to pick from the containers that they had. This was in July. So I got to FEEL for myself the difference between the container that was insulated vs the one that was not. Without any fans or AC, the insulated container was bearable. The one that wasn’t felt like an oven.

I also had read up on some of the chemicals they put in them for travel. The ones with wood floors can pose health problems due to off-gassing. So mine was floored with metal. They had already installed a man door, lighting, and a power cable. (upon getting to my property. My system was insufficient to power them, no worries).

After purchasing the container… I set up a date to have it delivered. It arrives on the back of a flatbed trailer. They had to cut more trees to get the truck in and trailer to clear. Great! more firewood. The first night I slept on the metal floor with a packing blanket… It was the best night of sleep in a long time.. It was cold and hard, but MINE.

2: Cutting the hole for the woodstove.. A drill and a Sawzall.
3: Getting a twin mattress from Menards.

There have been several layers of improvements, but I believe this is one of the best ways to get cheap shelter.  Although I no longer live there full time… I miss this place so much. I’ll move back in a while.

The Quickest Way I Know To Get a Family of Four Prepped for The Coming Economic Collapse

 

The Quick-Start Guide to Survival & Preparedness for a family of Four

This morning as I was trying to catch up on my email (I get a massive amount of email each month), I opened a great one from John W. In a nutshell  John is new to prepping and hasn’t really done anything prep-wise yet, but he has been thinking and making plans.

John said that he has his home on two acres paid-off and that he has a job and works to support his wife and two children (one 6 and the other 9 years old). He said that he knows from all of the news and the tell-tell signs that something big is coming and that his main fear is a total economic collapse.

He said that he has $15,000 to spend on preps and that he wanted to be ready as quickly as possible, without all of the buying a can of food here and another can another day or a few extra cans each time he goes to the grocery store.

He also insists on long-term storage foods, with a shelf-life of 25 years or more, because he doesn’t want to be bothered with all of the rotating and other stuff involved when stockpiling perishable foods.

John’s question to me was, if you had nothing prep-wise, and just starting out and wanted to be ready within the next month and with a budget of $15,000 what would you do and buy to be prepared as quickly as possible?

I’ll answer that question below.

Six Month+ Food Storage for Four People

To start I would order the MEGA 1-Year Emergency Food Supply – the $3,189.95 might seem like a lot at first glance, but considering this package will provide 2,250 calories/day (for each person for three months) and will feed a family of four for three month, with a 25-year self-life it’s really a pretty good bargain, especially for those wanting to get prepared NOW.

The My Patriot Supply products make up the bulk of my long-term food storage and I can attest to the quality and taste of their products, their Traveler’s Stew is absolutely delicious!

I would then order four of the Survive2thrive 100% USDA Organic 40-day Nutrition Emergency Food Supply Buckets, then I would top it all of with eight gallons of cooking oil (store it frozen and it will last a long time), 32 pounds of salt, yes that sounds like a lot, however, salt is cheap and has so many uses you can’t have too much.

Add 15 to 20 pounds of sugar, and an extra 48 cans of Augason Farms Country Fresh 100% Real Instant Nonfat Dry Milk in the #10 can it has a 20-year shelf-life. Then I would add an assortment of herbs and spices for cooking and about 10 pounds of assorted hard candies for threats for the kids (and yourself).

I would also add 12 large jars of peanut butter, 24 cans of SPAM and 12 canned hams.

If you drink coffee be sure to add that in the amounts you normally consume over a 12 month period. And don’t forget multivitamins and extra vitamin C.

Total Cost of approximately five to six thousand dollars…

And be sure to add store bought canned fruits, vegetables, soups, and stews as mush and as often as possible and use on a first in first out rotation.

Protection and Foraging

If I had no firearms now (get training) I would buy a Mossberg  500 Combo package and 100 rounds of 00 buckshot, 50 rifled slugs and 200 bird-shot (preferably #6 shot), then I would buy a Ruger 10/22, 1,000 rounds of .22 ammo and five of the Ruger factory 25 round BX 25 magazines.

Total Cost around $750

Water Storage and Purification

I would store as much tap-water as possible (limited by space) in every suitable (but free container – avoid the plastic milk jugs, they are weak and fall apart after a few months) that I could find. Then I would order a ProOne Water Filter and a set of extra elements.

Total Cost Around $350

Food Production

John said that he had two acres of paid-off property, so I would find the best place (most level, sun exposure, and best soil) and have the largest area that I could work tilled and add as much free organic matter that I could get, check with any local large production chicken, horse or dairy farmers in your area, most of the time they will give you all of the manure that you need if you’ll haul it away.

gardening on the homestead

Spread this on your newly tilled garden plot and till again, now cover this all with about six inches of straw and throw some old lumber on top to keep the straw in place. Leave it to compost in the ground over the fall, winter and into spring. When it’s time to plant in late spring, till it all up (including the straw) again and plant.

If I did not already have gardening tools on hand, I would get a good quality shovel, hoe, and a bow rake, spading fork,  a big box of  Miracle-Gro all-purpose plant food and a copy of Gardening When it Counts.

Then I would build a small chicken coop from mostly scrounged building material and buy 8-10 six-month to one-year-old chickens or ducks. Then I would build rabbit hutches along one of the sidewalls of the coop and buy two does and one buck for breeding stock.

I would also plant fruit and nut trees everywhere that I have space on my property…

Total Cost Under $650

Power Production

I would order a OUPES 2400W Solar Generator with 2pc 240W Panels, and a gas-powered portable generator. Then I would get five-5 gallon fuel cans and fill with gasoline, add STA-BIL fuel stabilizer, then rotate every year.

Total Cost Around $4,400

Random Items

Two hundred and sixty-five rolls of toilet paper, (more if you have room), 24 tubes of toothpaste, 48 toothbrushes, feminine hygiene products (ladies you know how much you’ll need for a year – I stay as far away as possible during that time), 24 bars of soap for bathing, 24 56 FL OZ bottles of dish-washing liquid, (can also be used for hand-washing of clothing.

A good first-aid medical kit (get training if you need it and include any personal medications), download free copies of Where There is No Doctor and Where There is No Dentist and print them to paper or just buy copies from Amazon.com.

Then while on Amazon.com, I would order a Zoom Versa Stove, a Kaito Voyager Pro KA600 Digital Solar/Dynamo AM/FM/LW/SW & NOAA Weather Emergency Radio and two sets of Motorola MR350R 35-Mile Range 22-Channel FRS/GMRS Two-Way Radios for family communications when separated from family members.

Cold weather sleeping bags for every family member.

Total Cost Around $900

Conclusion

As you get more money put in a wood stove if possible, or at the least a propane wall heater and enough propane to last through a rough winter. Having both a wood-stove and propane is a better and more flexible solution.

Then add a good handgun or two (I suggest the Glock model 19 and a Browning Buckmark) extra magazines and ammo. Then look into buying a center-fire rifle, this can be something like an AR-15 or even a 30.30 lever action.

And get all of the training possible. Not only firearms training but, medical, auto mechanics canning, wood-shop, sewing, etc. you can never know too much.

Add some non-hybrid garden seed.

So there you have it, folks – how to get a family of four quickly prepped to survive for a period of six months or longer – in the easiest way possible… and at a total cost of $10,000 to $13,000 (approximately, depending on inflation)…

Five Reasons You Need a Dog in Your Prepper Group

German Shepherd Dogby Alice P

In a world where terrorist acts, cyber hacks, and violent threats are becoming ever imminent, the challenges faced by security teams are becoming increasingly complex and difficult. Security dogs, detection dogs, and their handlers and trainers play an increasingly vital role in the multitude of security issues, ranging from deterring criminals from large infrastructure sites to fighting organized crime and terrorist acts.

A security dog is vital to a team, as unlike any security camera or device, which can be disabled and cut off, a security dog is a constant physical presence, that can sense threats and act in real-time. In the security sector, there are currently over 5,000 dogs in service, here are 5 of the reasons why so many companies choose to include a dog on their security team.

1. Heightened Senses:

Security dogs can be extremely useful to any security team, as they are able to smell, see and hear a hidden intruder much quicker than any human. These K9s have around 200 million sensitive cells in their nose, which makes their sense roughly 40 times more sensitive than the human nose.

A little-known fact is that dogs can actually taste their smells, so professionally trained dogs can easily detect smells from the source of the intruder, or from residual smells of the area where an intruder once was. It is said that a security dog and its handler have the ability and strength equivalent to 8 security guards.

2. Rigorous Training:

In order to successfully train a security dog, the handler must tap into their ‘internal play drive’, which means that they must reward the animal for any successful completion of a task. Dogs respond well to positive reinforcement and this must remain a constant throughout the process to instill loyalty and obedience into their being.

Repetitive exercises between the dog and the handler may seem like a simple task to complete and may seem unnecessary when in reality, the dog is being trained on how to successfully sniff/ detect a bomb in an instant, which could potentially save hundreds of lives.

3. Deterrence:

Whether you own a shop, nightclub, infrastructure site or nightclub, some level of security is vital. For example, if you’re a nightclub owner, it is necessary to have a security guard at the door, drug detection dogs and potentially security guards dotted around the club.

For infrastructure sites, owners may have K9 protection units put into place. However effective these dogs may be in a real-time situation, it is believed that 74% of criminal acts can be prevented by the threat of the repercussion itself. So if a vandal tries to enter an infrastructure site, they are more likely to turn back if they see a guard dog at the gates. The appearance of threat is essentially just http://web.archive.org/web/20170606142647/http://www.global-support.org/what-we-do/protection-dogs/as effective as the actual threat.

4. Drug and Explosive Detection:

Canines are particularly useful for the detection of abnormal or illegal loads. Their heightened senses and the training they receive have resulted in the detection of illegal drugs, immigrants and other objects being transported either in the back of vans, in baggage at the airport or even across the border in cars.

When it comes to high-profile events, organizers need to conduct thorough explosive searches before during and after the event, which means that there can be no room for error or miscalculation.

Security dogs are essentially the initial contact or detection with bombs or illegal substances. The initial detection by a security dog is supplemented by an extensive confirmation process, but without them on a security team, many fatalities could have occurred.

5. Loyalty and Obedience:

Guard dogs get pleasure and positive reinforcement from patrolling and defending their territory. Their rigorous training means that they will be alert, quick, strong and highly territorial, but will not be aggressive until instructed to be so.

The standard for dog handling and training have recently been revised, on how dog handlers should professionally look after their dog on a day to day basis. This best practice and advice means that a security dog will have all of the correct training and obedience, to ensure safety and safe practice for the security team and those in the operating area.

Security dogs are a vital addition to any security team, they offer a new perspective and set of skills on the ongoing issues of the 21st century. The threat of violent acts and terrorism may never go away, so new solutions need to be added into the mix to ensure the safeguarding of businesses and of potential victims.

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