BASIC PREPPING GUIDE
2012 Version
Disaster planning and preparations for families
© 2011 Northern Raider / UKSG 1999/ Slistuk
Introduction
I hope the reason you are reading this booklet is to help you choose how best to plan and prepare to protect your family before, during and after a disaster or crisis.
This booklet is designed to make you more aware of your own options and how to adapt your lifestyle to meet the problems life throws up.
Disasters can be roughly defined as natural, political, environmental or social in origin. They can be triggered by natural disasters, terrorism, military and police actions, political and social unrest etc.
Though you can do little or nothing about these disasters occurring, you can through planning and preparation try to minimise the effects on your family. The main objectives are to survive the initial disaster then to continue to flourish after the event.
It is everyone's wish to survive, however the normal viewpoint from everyday society is to put their lives in the hands of the governments and hope the authorities will protect and care for them. (Even though in many cases it is the government that has caused the crisis in the first place).
Survivalists and Preppers are just ordinary people who decide to take as much control as they can over their own safety, security and continuity. Basically speaking they take out extra insurance in the form of survival plans and preparations to try and ensure their families safety.
Survivalists then tend to adapt their lifestyles and living arrangements to take into consideration their survival plans.
The object of this booklet is not to tell you how to survive this or that but to make you think a bit more about your everyday lifestyle choices and how can affect you.
Moving home, holidays, work, travel, food supplies, energy supplies, health issues, education etc are some of the things you make decisions about every day. What I wish to do is to make you consider the survival aspect of your decisions and perhaps modify your choice accordingly.
INDEX
(Introduction & Planning)
3 What sort of person becomes a prepper
4 You need a plan to work from
6 Prepping and the Internet
7 Living on the edge of the system
9 Lifestyle adjustments
10 Lifestyle choices
12 Joining the dots
14 Your home as your retreat
17 Retreat Logic Stay or Go
18 About Laying Low (Bugging in)
20 Flood protections
21 Safe storage of your property
23 Chances
24 A Safety for kid’s issue
25 What are the risks and threats we face?
26 Terrorism
26 What to do if a news story worries you
28 Reducing the risks to your family
29 Electro Magnetic Pulse
31 Intelligence Gathering
32 Mutual Support
32 Friends for Survival
34 Family bugging out by road vehicle
36 Selecting a bug out vehicle
36 Fitting out your BOV
38 Vehicle Jacks, Wheels and Braces
39 The case for diesel
41 Inflatable kayaks and similar craft
43 Intercontinental bugging out
44 Mapping and route planning
45 Recording useful resources
46 What is a bug out bag and what goes into it?
48 Every Day Carry & my EDC
49 Keeping your Bug out bag fresh
50 Clothing considerations after the crash
51 Fit Feel and Familiarity, getting to know your kit
52 Caching and Stockpiling
54 Simple methods of caching
55 Food Security, Is it time to…
57 Bulk buying and storing food
58 Food stockpile list
61 Food shelf life list
63 Hygiene protocols
64 Hygiene materials list
65 Basic medical kit
66 Winter prep check list
68 Basic clothing list
68 Products made from oil list
69 Book Reading list
74 Surviving Public Transport
77 Tactical walking tips for bugging out
80 Summary “How long can the UK continue like this?
What sort of person becomes a Prepper?
A fascinating question that people new to our community often ask me is what sort of people become preppers?
Well to begin with some people are preppers and they don’t even know it, millions of people take out Life Insurance, Car Insurance, Buildings insurance etc but they are not planning on dropping dead, crashing their car or burning their house down. They take out the insurance simply to be better prepared should the worst happen.
They are preppers by default.
I meet other people who have to travel frequently great distances around the country because of their work. They have extra insurance out in case their car breaks down which allows them to pick up a hire car within an hour, they have Satellite Navigation systems AND maps in their car so they can plan alternative routes in case of their primary route choice being closed due to bad weather, a crash etc. They keep notes about where they can get extra food and fuel if they find themselves away from home longer than expected. These are all hallmarks of someone who is PREPARED !!.
Prepping is simply common sense taking basic insurance to the next level, it could be a city based couple who start a family and require a safer, cleaner more secure home and environment to raise their children in when compared with their glitzy, glamorous but ultimately dangerously located city centre flat that is in a heavily polluted neighbourhood with poor schools.
It could be someone who has been failed in time of need by the government and emergency services when the long promised flood defences were never built, local civil defence plans never fully funded and a second once in a century storm floods their home for the second time in five years. This individual may move home to higher less flood prone land, or he may fund his own flood defences to surround his home.
It could just as easily be someone who has experienced food shortages or had a close shave with one of the multiple food safety scandals that have shocked our nation in recent years. These events cause this person to want to be self-sufficient in food as much as possible, but this also requires him to address the security issues involved in keeping hold of the healthy food he produces.
Then there is the politically aware prepper who realises just how vulnerable modern society is with its utterly interconnected and interdependent systems, food being mainly imported fuel travelling thousands of miles via pipelines in hostile countries. Power distribution systems that are life expired and over taxed and utterly vulnerable to terrorist attack. He or she may have noticed his national governments ever more draconian restrictions on freedoms and liberties under the excuse of fighting terrorism. This person realises the very last place he needs to be living is at the very end of the interconnected logistics and utility systems IE Cities where everything is so vulnerable to disruption and so attractive to both terrorists and totalitarian governments.
All these peoples are preppers whether they know it or not, all it takes is an enquiring mind and a desire to be as self-reliant and secure as possible.
You need a Plan to work from
Many people drawn to prepping and survivalism may be able to muddle through for a while but eventually you will need to develop a working plan to follow that will help you get more prepared and with the right kit, facilities and in the right place.
First you need to consider your LOCATION! Are you going to.
STAY WHERE YOU ARE and adapt your present home
STAY WHERE YOU ARE whilst developing a bug out location
RELOCATE ASAP to a more suitable location
PLAN ON RELOCATING in the future
Or perhaps choice a mix of the choices above, it is your choice but either way you need to have a working plan with options.
What are you preparing for?
Terrorism
Natural Disaster
Social Collapse
Recession
Ethnic Unrest
Extremist Government
Power Cuts
War
You may be planning on surviving a specific threat and base your plans around that threat. Let’s say just for example you plan to survive in your present home from a risk from a massive terrorist attack. You focus all your attention and resources on protecting yourself but before a terror attack occurs a natural disaster hits your country. Many of your anti-terror preps may be wasted because you find the disaster overtakes you and you don’t have the resources available to deal with it if they are to specifically designed only to deal with one type of threat.
You really need to focus your preps in a general manner but with a focus or bias towards a specific threat you foresee affecting your family. Make your plans more generic and flexible so you can rapidly adapt to as many threats and risks as possible. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket or all your survival supplies in one location.
Resources
The logistical aspects of prepping can be very complicated but roughly speaking you need to consider the following.
What do you want?
What do you need?
What have you already got?
What can you adapt?
Where are you going to keep it?
Where can you get it from?
How long do you want it to last?
How long will it actually last?
Where will you get more from?
Can you make some more?
Does it do what you need it to do?
Can you get something better suited to do the job?
Can you afford it and can you afford NOT to have it?
Will it do the job you want it to?
How can I make it work better for you?
Is it in the right location(s)?
Is it safe and secure?
Is it legal?
Can you get to it in a hurry?
Who else knows you have it?
So what do you need?
A safe place to live so HOME / RETREAT is normally the first item, be it a house or apartment in the town or the countryside, how can you make it safer, more secure and more self-reliant or do you need to move home?
Once you have gotten as far as you can in the property choice department you need to consider.
Food supplies (and food production if you deem it necessary)
Water supplies, purity, filtering, storage and security
Medical supplies including prescription medicines
Heaters, Cookers and Lights plus fuel supplies to provide heat and light and hot water, you need a heating and lighting system that is independent of the mains utilities and supplies / stores of fuels kept safely and securely to power the cookers, heaters and lights.
Clothing, you need suitable clothing of suitable quality and durability to keep you warm and protected from the worst weather your region can throw at you.
Tools and Materials to help you repair maintain and keep secure your home after the disaster strikes. You will need everything from flashlights to shovels, prybars to weapons to help sustain your family. You may also require tools and materials to allow you to start producing your own food supplies if the crisis is prolonged.
Transport, you may find that you need to maintain some sort of transport to enable you to bring in more food, fuel or supplies, and also be able to use it to escape in if your homes security becomes unsustainable. You will also need fuel for your transport be it petrol for your car or hay for your horse, and a goodly selection of spares as well from fuses, bulbs, belts and tyres, to reins, tack and harnesses.
Communications, you most certainly need a few multi power sourced AM / FM/SW radios to listen for news broadcasts from the authorities or other survivors.
Books and Manuals on various subjects from improvised medicine to DIY repairs to growing your own food.
Start now and make yourself a plan of action.
PREPAREDNESS AND THE INTERNET
In recent years the internet has provide priceless access to information about preparedness, people, places, plans, equipment, finding people with similar politics to yourself etc. The prepper and self-reliance communities have made huge steps forward in sharing information by accessing the Internet.
One problem faced when using the internet is accessing information, contacts and intelligence that are of interest to you that is free from unwanted or obscene material and malicious software.
On public news groups such as Misc Survivalism one can find very enlightened and useful material, but you also become exposed to Trolls, Flamers, Virus attacks, Spam, and people with questionable morals and intentions.
This is all too common an experience for people new to the world of prepping and it has caused many of them to give up trying to make useful contacts or to access the information they need. Fortunately for us a few valiant souls have taken on the role of setting up and running superb moderated news groups and survival forums.
Preppers!
I am of course referring to the ‘Prepper’ movement, Prepper being a play on “Preparednessâ€Â. More and more people across the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UK and Europe have reacted in response to the huge increase in global terrorism, natural disasters, and the massive economic and social instability affecting the world.
These people are not Gung-ho gun toting maniacs living in remote forests. Today they are just ordinary every day families, individuals and groups seeking to better insulate and protect themselves from the problems the world faces now faces with ever growing alarm and uncertainty.
Out of this trend a ‘Preppers’ Network evolved, first as is so often the case in the USA, Then expanding into Canada, the UK etc. Internet communities or hubs of preppers have flourished in the last five years you can find out more or join up with them using the links below.
http://www.internationalpreppersnetwork.com/
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.com/
A second group on the Yahoo Groups Forum is the rapidly growing SURVIVAL RETREAT & SECURE HOME news group ran by a chap called Rourke. This popular group concentrates on the core survival issues of Survival Retreats and Secure Homes, Hot topic debates, and topic of the week issues ensure this group keeps boiling with ideas, concepts and debate on all things survival oriented, current membership exceeds 1650 and the quality of debate and subject matter is very high.
I can recommend this group to all considering the issues around maintaining a secure home or retreat, Contact survivalretreatowner@yahoogroups.com for more information.
Then of course there is the hugely successful and professional
http://WWW.survivalistboards.com a fantastic multinational forum with sections for various nations own interests.
I also like the UK forum called
http://forum.survivaluk.net/
I have to get a plug in for my own very little UK based forum, it’s called PreppersUK and can be found at
http://preppersuk.freeforums.org
Living on the edge of the System
A Grey man approach
Without wishing to come across as overly paranoid I think on a certain level it would be beneficial for preppers to minimise (sensibly) their exposure to main stream society, and some of the risks involved with that society. No of course it’s not possible nor desirable to live a completely separate lifestyle from the rest of society unless you fancy living like a hermit or trapist monk, but keeping a lower profile is definitely a prudent step for serious preppers.
I think this may become more relevant as a crisis develops and the way the global economy and political unrest is growing at the moment across the world is a good focal point.
But you can with some consideration and planning lower your radar signature visible to the authorities and those who may realise that you are a prepper and are likely to have supplies and equipment that they can steal or confiscate.
I don’t have any loyalty cards for shops so they can’t keep track of my buying, I frequently pay for much of my shopping with cash and I also vary which supermarkets I visit. When buying prepper specific kit such as bulk food purchases, survival kit, etc I make sure that no one I know personally is around when I’m paying. I don’t want my neighbour to know any more about my survival supplies than I want him to know I have some new Ҡborrowableâ€Â†power tools.
On the internet I often rotate and change my avatar, contact E mail and online name, indeed I even often build up a completely fabricated identity for web sites personal details files.
When travelling 99% of the time I use my own vehicle and rarely use the same route 2 days in a row, I keep my vehicle clean and without bling or anything that may interest a traffic cop. When using public transport I always try to board trains at minor stations not larger stations that are more heavily policed or covered by CCTV systems, I try when possible not to alight at journeys end at main stream stations either. I try NEVER to fly if at all possible.
Rather than rock the boat at my son’s school when the subject matter being taught is an unacceptable version to me, I simply explain to him my version on that subject in comparison with the schools rather that make a complaint. Or if the subject matter is beyond my limited educational capability we involve him in private tutorage and home schooling groups to get a broader education. Its better if more expensive to see your child educated the way YOU choose than for you to attract the attention of local authorities and social workers who do hold completely different beliefs to your own.
You for example may feel very strongly about gun control and are a strong advocate of the right to be armed for self-defence. So accordingly you join your nation’s gun ownership advocacy lobby group. But as soon as you do the guys in charge will make a note of this fact and then you are in the system. Then perhaps after the next election a party that is totalitarian and rabidly anti-gun ownership comes to power, by joining the lobby group you have just told your worst enemies who you are and where you are. What a disaster for your personal security you would have better served your cause by simply sending them a donation and remained anonymous.
It’s one thing being patriotic but it’s another thing painting a target saying “Here I am“.
I don’t even have a library card and when buying books on the major prepping subjects I tend to buy them in book shops and pay cash for them, I have an extensive library of survivalist and prepper books dating back to the 1970s, many of which in 2011 are probably no longer socially acceptable or politically correct.
Cash is your friend it leaves almost no trail for anyone to trace, this certainly will be of much greater importance if a major incident occurs and say food or fuel availability becomes an issue.
You don’t want the authorities to find a trail of credit card slips showing you have bought over 300 gallons of fuel in the weeks leading up to the crisis happening.
I reduce the risk of being a victim of terrorism by ceaselessly making as much effort as possible in NOT going into large cities and towns, I try where possible to attend meetings away from large conurbations, So be it a meeting with a friend, an RZ with another prepper or perhaps wanting to attend a concert I try to go to the least attractive venue possible usually in some smaller regional town, but never the Capital.
I may have very strong political, religious and cultural beliefs but I don’t not advertise my position by joining a political party, attending protests or rallies, you can be 100% sure the authorities have access to every membership list going and we are all more than aware just how many cameras are deployed at every public gathering these days.
In today’s electronic everything era Big Brother is indeed watching us and recording all our buy habits and political affiliations. Big brother can access your shopping habits just easily as your political activities and your travel habits. At the moment you may be of no interest to the authorities but it does not take much for you suddenly to become a person of interest, which is why you need to keep your identity signature as low as possible.
LIFESTYLE ADJUSTMENTS
As an individual you will need at some point in time to assess your personal level of readiness, you will become acutely aware of your local environment and begin to realise that you must make some adjustments to your lifestyle to give you the best chance of surviving.
To achieve this is not as traumatic as you think it simply means adding another consideration to your day to day living decisions, A few examples are listed below.
If you are moving house as well as the normal considerations such as price and room sizes / local amenities / schools etc add to your list like has it got a cellar for your stockpile? Is the garden large enough to provide space to grow food? Is the water supply gravity fed or pumped? Does it present to you a sustainable position? Is it unobtrusive? Can you bug out from it quickly without having to fight your way through heavy traffic or refugee columns?
Career decisions are also important and financial reward is usually paramount in your decision making, but at some point if you take preparedness seriously you may have to trade off a big juicy salary against a more modest one but be in a position where upon you are not going to be stuck in the middle of a large city when trouble strikes.
Independence from the system and the ability to have alternatives available for you to choose from must be realised, Yes you may be making a huge salary in the city but if trouble happens (as it does) your money is going to be worthless if you are stuck in Westminster or Washington and your kids (who are worth more than any job) are across town 10 miles away on their own, stuck in a school with no support from you. Meanwhile your partner is 8 miles in the other direction wondering why the lights and elevators are not working and why are all those people ransacking the shops down in the street.
You always have a choice and most of us will make some wrong ones when it comes to living our lives, You say for example "I have to work in the city" for any amount of reasons, I respect your decision as its yours to make but it is you that has to live (or die) by that decision not me. Try asking yourselves why has MR A moved to the outskirts of town or why MR B has moved out to the countryside, what prompted Colin from admin to buy a 4 WD RV and spends all his free time out of town. You hear comments like "I wonder what got into Claire from planning to fit solar panels to her house roof and her friend Sandy has just fitted a composting toilet system to her bungalow". It’s your choice but money is a poor substitute for wisdom.
Can you come to some agreement with your boss allowing you to become a home office worker? Can you relocate to one of the smaller regional offices, stores or departments? Every bit helps swing the pendulum in your favour.
Who can you contact to get help and support if you want to improve my odds in a crisis? Is there a place your family can escape to if you have to get out of town fast? Is there anyone else out there who feels the same as you? Where can you learn more about self-reliance? What do you do NOW?
This is why you need to set up or join a MUTUAL SUPPORT Group or FORUM so that like minded people can get together for their own benefit, Without anyone forcing their opinions, values and beliefs upon you, NO religion No politics, without you soliciting those opinions first. That's what you could do, it won’t be perfect but what is, all that matters is there are other people out there who don't like the way society is going or trust the system to protect them.
LIFESTYLE CHOICES
Common sense dictates that your normal everyday life and your survival plans will coexist in harmony after a while. The route to this can be smoothed over by trying to make things as multi-functional or dual purposed as possible by making enlightened choices when buying things.
MAKING THE BEST OF YOUR HOME
Many people at some point will choose to move home for one reason or another this gives them a golden opportunity to make some of those lifestyle adjustments, You don’t need to go looking for a 5 bed detached farmhouse next to a river to improve your chances as some people believe.
Most people involved in survivalism and preparedness cannot afford to go for the "Ideal" place, it’s always a compromise of costs, work, schools, transport etc that have to be a balancing factor in your choice, but if you consider a few of the following tips and perhaps achieve even one of them then you will improve your survival odds as well as improving your lifestyle.
Don't go for a property that is on a main road or is likely to be used as a shortcut to a main road, avoid where possible the large dormitory estates that are springing up all over the country. You certainly don’t want to be along the chosen route that the panicked hoards of refugees use to flee the cities.
Don't buy property near substations, telephone exchanges, TA centres, motorway junctions, railway facilities, hospitals, industrial or retail units or shopping malls, (The local shops are OK). Basically avoid things that will attract refugees or police / military attention during a crisis.
Try to find property that is nondescript, out of view from the main thoroughfares, shielded from prying eyes by hedges or walls. Make sure it’s not prone to flooding.
Try to find property in low population centres if at all possible, is this the time to ask the boss if you can work from home or transfer to the smaller regional office?, American thinking on this point suggests living in a community that is small enough to not be affected by the problems in the cities but big enough to have a full skills base and be able to go self-sufficient.
Older properties have more useful facilities than newer ones such as cellars, out houses, workshops, old but still useable wells, larger gardens, established fruit trees, places that could be used to keep food animals. Can the property take a wood or coal range or Aga type cooker in the kitchen? Does it have functional chimneys and flues so a wood or coal fireplace can be fitted if necessary?
Consider the aspect of the property, take a compass with you, the best properties have south facing gardens to get the most sunlight, can you add solar panels and or a wind turbine discreetly, is it windy enough for a turbine?
Perhaps enough space for a big greenhouse?
Does the property have sufficient storage space for an office / storeroom/ shelter / workshop / bunkroom? (If you think you need them?)
Is the property in a low crime area? Does it have easy access to the schools and your works if you have to grab the kids and partner to bug out in a hurry? Is there a choice of bug out routes by foot / bike / car / water/ etc that are separate from the main public routes? Are there fields close by that provide the kids room to learn and play safely whilst also being suitable for growing food on. Is there an independent source of fuel available such as trees, open-cast coal / sea coal / peat etc in the area?
Can you get your vehicles off the road and out of sight at the new property, are the vehicles going to be secure when not in use, can you load and unload bug out kits, food or fuel without your neighbours seeing what you’re up to?
Can you get good radio reception (SW/FM) in the area so you can communicate with others in your group?
ARE YOU WILLING TO SPEND THE REST OF YOUR LIVES THERE IF YOU HAVE TO?
If failing all else and you end up with a three bed semi that relies on mains gas and electric power you need to ensure that its fully insulated and you get at least 2 large Calor gas type bottles* a camping cooker / heater and gas powered light source, add portable camping toilet, you should also consider investing in a portable generator and a large quantity of preserved fuel for it.
*An absolute minimum of two 15 KG bottles for short term emergencies.
My experience has led me to believe that older properties are best for space, the newer developments of the last 40 years are the least useful unless purpose built for independent living. I like bungalows in particular especially ones built between 50 and 70 years ago, they tend to be very spacious inside with lots of storage room and the grounds are usually quite large. They also tend to be built away from the main areas of development in our towns. I must admit that newer properties are better insulated than older properties but it is fairly simple to retrofit an older house with modern insulation techniques.
If you must choose only one thing then let it be that you move out of town as far as sensibly possible.
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