Show #35: Surviving the End of the World (as we Know it)

[luke wilson]

Thinking practically here.

It starts snowing today outside my window. It doesn't stop - blizzard like snow. Within hours it's building up and building up. Before you know, it is a crisis.

How am I or anyone in my street meant to survive that?

We go out, the houses are starting to get buried in snow. They are collapsing due to the weight. Lets say I am lucky to somehow stay on top of the snow i.e. not get buried underneath. The temprature is falling sharply. Cars are rendered obsolete. No shelter - all buried. The trees are getting buried. No where to go, how far can my feet take me?

Excuse moi but how is anyone meant to survive that if not by sheer luck?

Ok, different scenario. Plague hits. It starts slow. Then all of a sudden everyone is getting sick. Let us say I am not sick yet. The scientists are fighting to understand it. I am surrounded by people, all sick, everywhere, sick people. They are dying horrendous deaths. Erhmm, I think it is safe to say that I shall soon be sick as well. How can I not be unless I am somehow immune which is just luck by genes.

Ok, economics collapse, this one is more survivable as it is man made compared to when nature decides to unleash her fury.

Against nature though, what chance do you have, really?

Think about your physical condition, how fit are you? how far can you walk? how much battering can your body endure? how can you get food when everything around you is dead, buried, all you see is a sea of snow. What about your family, what about the old ones who can barely walk, what about babies and small kids, what shall you do? Practically speaking, if stuff hits the fan, then I believe ultimately, you are just playing a game of russian roulette. You can run into someone who knows something, you might not, you could be in an area that gets evacuated by helicopters, you might not be, you could be in an area where the natural geology protects you, you might not. Luck, luck, luck will make up 99% of survivability. Even the Cs said it themselves, no way we are living through this if we are still here stuck on the ground as we know it. Though, I am not saying, give up, just being realistic.

 

[aragorn]

Also, here is the link to the book How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It: click

While looking up this and other related books I found one that also looks interesting:

David Morris: "Urban Survival Guide: Learn The Secrets Of Urban Survival To Keep You Alive After Man-Made Disasters, Natural Disasters, and Breakdowns In Civil Order"

Paperback: _ http://amzn.com/1450582230
Kindle edition: _http://amzn.com/B003IHW1KE

Since I haven't yet read it, I can't say for sure if it's any good. But what caught my attention was that in the table of contents we see some of the things mentioned in this latest SOTT radio episode (I've put in bold some of the interesting ones). There are some dubious aspects like 'Getting your church prepared' (not sure what that's all about), but I'll copy the index here more as a partial list of things we could keep in mind when a disaster occurs in an urban area.

Table of Contents

Introduction ii
Chapter 1. Overview 1

*Why Urban areas are a horrible place to be in a disaster
*Why staying in an Urban Area may be your best option
*Operational Security—How to avoid being a target for thieves now and looters later (part 1)
*First Steps To Get Your Family On Board

Chapter 2. The Will to Survive 11

*Why your survival depends more on your mindset than your skill set
*How to train your mind to become your most valuable survival tool
*What’ s worth surviving for?
*Communications after disasters (part 1)
*How cell phones could stop you from making contact with relatives during an emergency.
*Prioritized Buying List & A process to keep you from ending up with a garage full of survival stuff you can't use
*Your first exercise

Chapter 3. Current Potential Threats 25

*How to know the parts of your city that pose a threat to you and your loved ones and still sleep at night
*What areas will civil breakdowns affect most?
*Identifying choke points
*Assessing your survival strengths and weaknesses
*Basic supplies inventory

Chapter 4. The 72-Hour Kit 37

*The 6 criteria that every 72 hour kit should meet
*A systematic approach to stocking your car, home, and office kits.
*Hiding your 72 hour kits

Chapter 5. Flu and Pandemics 50

*History of influenza pandemics Tamiflu & Relenza
*Simple tips to avoid cytokine storms and organ liquefaction
*Cheap/free techniques to reduce your chances of getting the flu (Missing just one of these “obvious secrets”
will increase your chances of getting the flu by 89 percent!).
*Proven flu-fighting items to keep on hand if you get the flu and going to the doctor is not an option.

Ch 6. Chemical & Biological Attacks & Ghetto Medicine 62

*Brief overview of the terrorist threat
*History of chemical & biological attacks Recent chemical/biological attacks
*Your response to airborne incidents
*Your response to communicable pandemics Creating your safe room

Chapter 7. Building Your Own Team AKA – Mutual Aid 83

*How to build a team of likeminded people without compromising operational security
*Operational Security (Part II) – Don’ t share too much information
*7 point plan to vet people for your team
*9 places to find people for your team
*Tips for keeping your team together

“Gut Check” 83

*Self evaluate your progress to this point

Chapter 8. Hardening Your House 101

*Secrets to quickly and cheaply “harden” your home and protect it from forcible entry and armed attack without advertising yourself as a target
*FBI crime stats
*The illusion of security
*Using power tools without electricity
*Bullet penetration in various materials

Chapter 9. Economics of Survival 113

*Economic troubles on the horizon (doubling the money supply plus lower GDP = tough times ahead)
*Very simple food storage solutions that everyone in your family will buy into
*What to do about your financial obligations after a disaster
*Getting your family on board
*Operational Security (Part III) and food caches
*Using the water in your water heater without scalding yourself, drinking raw sewage, or having to drink brown water.
*Getting your Church prepared
*Dealing with neighbors after a disaster

Chapter 10. Alternative Means of Communication 127

*Texting, email, draft messages, and other alternative means of communication
*War Driving
*Two way radio communications
*Graffiti & hobo chalk codes?
*The math behind batteries, solar chargers, and hand crank chargers
*Why car batteries are horrible for survival situations

Chapter 11. Lessons Learned From Katrina 140

*Timing is everything
*Hungry/Thirsty people won’ t die if you don’ t give them your supplies
*Misinformation kills. (The media is not there to protect you)
*Centralized solutions fail
*Never trust a bureaucratic proposal in a disaster situation
*You’re on your own. Accept it and deal with it
*Why shelters may be your worst solution (NEVER become a refugee!)
*Some who have taken an oath to defend the Constitution are really a threat to it
*Thank God for Bubbas and Rednecks
*Withdrawal sucks...here’ s how to profit from it.
*Protect your first responders and their families

Chapter 12. Psychology for Survival Situations 159

*Burning ants with a magnifying glass
*Why you’re better off teaming up with a drunk than someone who hasn’ t slept in two days”
*Insider powerful napping secrets that can increase your effectiveness by over 82% in 3 days
*How to inoculate your mind to stress so you will react with speed and purpose when others are paralyzed by fear
*Simple tricks to turn poisonous worry into productive action

Chapter 13. Urban Movement After A Disaster 179

*Protect your body so your body can protect you
*Where to find free local maps after a disaster
*Scouting out gangs and community groups
*Be boring...it might keep you from getting shot
*When to carry a padlock and a livestock marker
*Surveillance detection and avoidance
*Field expedient disguises
*Barter items
*Don’ t look like the weak gazelle
*Money counting lessons from a blind man
*Group formations to avoid mugging
*Reuniting your family after a disaster
*“Smelling” danger in advance to gain a head start
*How to keep yourself “invisible” in plain sight

Conclusion 199

*Gain the peace of mind that comes from knowing that you and your family are prepared

Resources 200

 

[shijing]

First of all, I wanted to say thanks for the great show yesterday -- there was lots of useful information, and I think I'm going to listen to it again soon and take notes this time since I didn't do so the first time.

It starts snowing today outside my window. It doesn't stop - blizzard like snow. Within hours it's building up and building up. Before you know, it is a crisis.

How am I or anyone in my street meant to survive that? [...] Excuse moi but how is anyone meant to survive that if not by sheer luck?

In the scenario you describe, in all honesty you probably wouldn't survive. But I think there's a couple things to keep in mind. First, knowledge protects, and we have at least some idea of what to predict based on the previous ice age. If you know you live in a part of the world that is likely to get snowed in/iced over, that's practical knowledge you can use to decide if you think it might be a good idea to move ahead of time -- and if you do, to start looking for opportunities to do so, even if they might not be apparent at present.

Second, a lot depends on your attitude and intent. Laura has mentioned more than once that if we decide to make ourselves available and useful to the universe (and those around us), it can have a nonlinear effect. And as was mentioned on the show yesterday, trying to prepare with an attitude of exploration and learning rather than fear will probably facilitate that -- unexpected things will undoubtedly happen, but if we try to align with the universe in a positive way -- with the intent to help others and not just save our own skins -- it may open the door for opportunities that we can't presently anticipate.

Ok, different scenario. Plague hits. It starts slow. Then all of a sudden everyone is getting sick. Let us say I am not sick yet. The scientists are fighting to understand it. I am surrounded by people, all sick, everywhere, sick people. They are dying horrendous deaths. Erhmm, I think it is safe to say that I shall soon be sick as well. How can I not be unless I am somehow immune which is just luck by genes.

Again, knowledge protects -- did you get the part about diet, and how fat helps to myelinate our cells and protect against infection? And about how bone broth can assist us immunologically? We can't completely control what will happen if and when plague strikes, but we can take reasonable steps to protect ourselves by doing things like increasing our fat intake and eliminating sugar, which cancer and pathogens of all types seem to love.

 

[Laura]

Thinking practically here.

It starts snowing today outside my window. It doesn't stop - blizzard like snow. Within hours it's building up and building up. Before you know, it is a crisis.

How am I or anyone in my street meant to survive that?

We go out, the houses are starting to get buried in snow. They are collapsing due to the weight. Lets say I am lucky to somehow stay on top of the snow i.e. not get buried underneath. The temprature is falling sharply. Cars are rendered obsolete. No shelter - all buried. The trees are getting buried. No where to go, how far can my feet take me?

Excuse moi but how is anyone meant to survive that if not by sheer luck?

Do you live in an area that could, conceivably, be buried in snow? How long have you been aware that this is a possibility? Do you have any prospects of relocating? If not, do you have any ideas how you could create such prospects?

Ok, different scenario. Plague hits. It starts slow. Then all of a sudden everyone is getting sick. Let us say I am not sick yet. The scientists are fighting to understand it. I am surrounded by people, all sick, everywhere, sick people. They are dying horrendous deaths. Erhmm, I think it is safe to say that I shall soon be sick as well. How can I not be unless I am somehow immune which is just luck by genes.

Have you read our threads on diet and health and how a paleo diet appears, in the historical records and some medical studies, to confer certain protection? Are you on such a diet?

Ok, economics collapse, this one is more survivable as it is man made compared to when nature decides to unleash her fury.

Against nature though, what chance do you have, really?

Think about your physical condition, how fit are you? how far can you walk? how much battering can your body endure? how can you get food when everything around you is dead, buried, all you see is a sea of snow. What about your family, what about the old ones who can barely walk, what about babies and small kids, what shall you do? Practically speaking, if stuff hits the fan, then I believe ultimately, you are just playing a game of russian roulette. You can run into someone who knows something, you might not, you could be in an area that gets evacuated by helicopters, you might not be, you could be in an area where the natural geology protects you, you might not. Luck, luck, luck will make up 99% of survivability. Even the Cs said it themselves, no way we are living through this if we are still here stuck on the ground as we know it. Though, I am not saying, give up, just being realistic.

As the Cs say repeatedly, knowledge protects and networking works. We've been saying all this stuff about what's coming for years now and mentioning doing this or that for years. Only now, it's becoming real. What stops people from acting in their own best interests when they have the ability to do the research and assess the probabilities? "Normalizing Bias"? But we study that and discuss it. Knowledge protects. But only when it is applied.

 

[Laura]

I just noticed that Shijing and I posted almost identical responses just a few seconds apart. Interesting.

 

[WIN 52]

It is not clear, but soap may not be high on the priority list.

Having been around winter bush camps it seems that body washing is a low priority. I have heard of some trappers going months without washing their bodies or clothes with soap. This is as recent as 40 years ago.

The information is good to have though, for a warm day!

It might be better to have a few jars of lard on hand for eating. Food is and always has been at the top of the priority list. One bonus is that most of the food scroungers likely would overlook this as an option for food, at least in the near future.

I respectfully disagree with you, WIN52. Making soaps, and with essential oils, may be on a high priority list, if someone suddenly finds himself/herself in the wilderness.

I'm sure, you know this English language idiom: "Cleanliness is next to godliness."

The Eskimo culture survived through several Ice Ages, it seems. There is no washing when exposed skin freezes in seconds. They wore animal skins for warmth because they dominated the land, taking what they needed for survival. Though the arrival of the washed masses and civilization has taken away much of their former lifestyle leaving them at the mercy of psychopaths, who is to say which way is better?

A person may find shelter with a group of godless stinky people just to survive, at some point in time.

It does say "good information to have"! No point beating that horse any longer.

It has never been a high priority of mine, to be concerned about having most things or not. The more worldly things you have, the harder the psychos will try to strip them away from you. Have nothing they want, even if it is food.

What is it to be prepared?
This has nothing to do with physical preparedness but rather the manner in which you go about your day to day activities here and now. This can prepare you for a bright future or destruction. The physical life we enjoy today can be over at any time. Are you prepared?

 

[trendsetter37]

So in reference to canning, I noticed that they didn't necessarily advocate putting water in with the meat. I've been cooking it, adding salt, then filling it with water but with headspace. Most of the youtube videos show them adding water but is this not necessary or even detrimental?

Edit: I guess I should clarify why I asked this question. Many post online (not here) are obsessed with getting botulism from home canned meat. Consequently, that prompted me to do a bit of research on the bacteria and the toxin it produces. However, I'm not sure if i'm missing something as I wouldn't want to have a closet full of botulistic (pretty sure that's not even a word) meat.

 

[Laura]

The Eskimo culture survived through several Ice Ages, it seems. There is no washing when exposed skin freezes in seconds.

An ice age lasts about 90K years. That's 90,000. We've only been out of the last one for about 11K years. Modern man only appeared about 40K years ago (70K if you take the Cs figure). Bottom line is, eskimos have not "survived through several ice ages" though they certainly have thrived in an icy environment.

You might enjoy watching the film "Fast Runner" for up close and personal depiction of the eskimo lifestyle.

 

[Cosmos]

So in reference to canning, I noticed that they didn't necessarily advocate putting water in with the meat. I've been cooking it, adding salt, then filling it with water but with headspace. Most of the youtube videos show them adding water but is this not necessary or even detrimental?

Edit: I guess I should clarify why I asked this question. Many post online (not here) are obsessed with getting botulism from home canned meat. Consequently, that prompted me to do a bit of research on the bacteria and the toxin it produces. However, I'm not sure if i'm missing something as I wouldn't want to have a closet full of botulistic (pretty sure that's not even a word) meat.

No, you do not need to put water into the can...

Have a look at this thread for further information on canning:
https://cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php/topic,28712.0.html

 

[Cosmos]

As I mentioned in the chat room during the show, I came across the work of Tom Brown Jr. a while ago and found his technics and way to describe of how to survive most helpful. I haven't yet looked further into his work, but it seems to me that he is a really experienced guy who knows of what he is talking about.

Here are some of his books that are mentioned on wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Brown_(naturalist)#Books_and_film)

Tom Brown's Field Guide to Nature Observation and Tracking, 1986
Tom Brown's Field Guide to Living with the Earth, 1986
Tom Brown's Field Guide to City and Suburban Survival, 1986
Tom Brown's Field Guide to Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants, 1986
Tom Brown's Field Guide to Wilderness Survival, 1987
Tom Brown's Field Guide to the Forgotten Wilderness, 1987
Tom Brown's Guide to Nature and Survival for Children, 1989
The Science and Art of Tracking, 1999


The Tracker, 1986
The Vision, 1988
The Journey, 1992
Awakening Spirits, 1994
The Way of the Scout, 1997
Grandfather, 2001
The Quest, 1991
The Search, 2001
Conversations with Grandfather, 2008-9
Case Files of the Tracker, 2003

From what little I've seen and heard from his approach on survival I think his work sounds quite promising and valuable...

Here is a short interview series from some years back:

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[Laura]

Edit: I guess I should clarify why I asked this question. Many post online (not here) are obsessed with getting botulism from home canned meat. Consequently, that prompted me to do a bit of research on the bacteria and the toxin it produces. However, I'm not sure if i'm missing something as I wouldn't want to have a closet full of botulistic (pretty sure that's not even a word) meat.

My thought is that home canned meat if it is done right, is much safer than anything you buy from a store. But, having said that, I think that if there is an instant of doubt, or you just want to make sure, when you open the jar to use the meat, just plop it in the pressure cooker and bring up the pressure and re-cook that way for at least five minutes. That should do it.

 

[trendsetter37]

Ah OK thank you Laura ! And pashalis that's a great thread. I feel behind right now as I only have one can done. I know pathetic.

However, my in-laws do have a sheep farm out in the suburbs/country but I'm aware that there are no guarantees when prepping for unknown circumstances. So I guess the only thing I can do at this point is to continue to slowly build up our can supply as long as our finances continue to allow this.

 

[Aliana]

First of all, I wanted to say thanks for the great show yesterday -- there was lots of useful information, and I think I'm going to listen to it again soon and take notes this time since I didn't do so the first time.

[...]

Second, a lot depends on your attitude and intent. Laura has mentioned more than once that if we decide to make ourselves available and useful to the universe (and those around us), it can have a nonlinear effect. And as was mentioned on the show yesterday, trying to prepare with an attitude of exploration and learning rather than fear will probably facilitate that -- unexpected things will undoubtedly happen, but if we try to align with the universe in a positive way -- with the intent to help others and not just save our own skins -- it may open the door for opportunities that we can't presently anticipate.

Yes - really great show with lots of information, plan to listen again myself.

Thanks for that very helpful reminder, Shijing. When I started to think of all the things that need to be done to get prepared I felt myself get a bit panicky, because it seems like such an enormous task - and some things are really beyond me. But when I began to read the list of 100 things that disappear - I realized a lot of these are inexpensive (now) and can be gathered a bit at a time. Also - as Belibaste said in the show, it is good to learn skills. And i do enjoy learning new things...so that is a much better way to think about things - it changes the perspective entirely.

So - there are quite a number of things we can all do now, even on small budgets. And perhaps continuing to do these things in a spirit of exploration and learning, will have an effect that we cannot now contemplate. And this may make all the difference in what lies in store.

 

[luke wilson]

My post was very negative.

Oh yes, I am on the Paleo diet, I eat a lot of fat, always have as part of my native diet.

Regarding location, I am to far north and in a country that will surely get pummeled beyond all recognition - The UK. Over 60 million people on a small Island. Bad recipe. I think the best place for ice age would be further south. If transportation breaks down, then we might be stuck and the geology around here is rather boring, I doubt it'll offer much protection. The cars aren't built for tough environments, rather for nice easy living. There isn't much in the way of food, most of it is imported. It's horrendous. Basically, I think in any major cataclysm, the first order of business would be to get out, go south, preferably somewhere where the local population knows how to live with minimal power & modern amenities, government sponsored systems etc. I have a second home, east africa sat nicely on top of he equator, but that is rather far away from where I am now. What are the chances of getting there? Well it depends on if the airports would be working and how long they would take to shut down, otherwise mainland europe would be the next best step or maybe eastern europe.

Furthermore, I believe the people around here won't take kindly to all the modern amenities being turned off in essentially one swoop - no supermarkets, no gas stations, no Mcdonalds, no motorways, no government to tell you what to do, no integrated communication system. This is all a recipe for disaster. I need to go somewhere south but I can't do that, that is just ridiculous. I have to wait.

 

[Pierre]

Luck, luck, luck will make up 99% of survivability.

Luck is certainly one factor but it doesn't mean that sheer luck is the only thing that will determine what happens to you. As Pasteur said "Chance favors the prepared mind".

So the best way is probably to focus on things we can change (improvement of our skills, development of a network, psychological preparedness, material preparedness) and then be ready for whatever happens.