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Prepping is a hobby and a way of life–a lifelong pursuit of being prepared for what’s around the corner. You will never reach a “done” point–you will work at it for your whole life, and when you die, you’ll hopefully have passed the mindset to your children and grandchildren. And hopefully you’ve have some worthwhile possessions to leave them as well.

Because preparedness is a lifelong pursuit, you need to approach it with such–forethought, strategy and patience. Here’s some thoughts.

Career. If you’re young and not yet on a career path, look to get educated in a field that will provide stable employment, suitable income and will allow you to stay away from “danger” zones–crowded, expensive, crime-ridden urban areas choked with restrictive laws. If you’re well into your career and not liking the path that you’re on, change it. Get more education, change careers, do whatever it takes to get where you want to be. Don’t be afraid to invest in yourself. You will have to make short term sacrifices, but they will pay off over the long term. Your work will have a huge impact on every aspect of your life, so you need to make sure it’s squared away.

Buying Preps. Have patience. Unless you have substantial cash or assets you can sell off, you’re unlikely to be able to instantly have all of the funds needed to purchase the preps you would like to have or feel that you need. With all of the many potential threats and fears out there, this kind of patience can be difficult. What if disaster strikes tomorrow? And that’s the exact problem–we don’t know when SHTF will hit. Panic buying is all too common, but you need to avoid it. Research out your purchases, think them through and make them count. Make investments in the areas you are most lacking. If you have a year’s worth of food and no guns, buy a gun. If you have a dozen guns and a month worth of food, buy more food. And when you buy, buy quality. You want gear that you can bet your life on and also that you can pass on to your kids or grandkids. You might have to wait a bit longer to afford quality items, but it is worth it.

Stages of life. Again, unless you have sizable resources, it’s going to take you years before you can afford all of the preps you want. And you’ve got to be ok with that. For example, buying a remote, well-stocked retreat/cabin as a second home is not cheap and not something most people in their mid-20s are going to be able to do. It might take until you’re 50 or 60 to do that–or heck, you might need to wait until retirement age before you make the move out to the Bug Out Land. Put goals out there for yourself and your family to work towards, but give yourself enough time and make them realistic. If you’re not at the point in your life where you can’t have a certain prep–for money reasons, lifestyle reasons, whatever–don’t let it drive you nuts. It’s all right–you’ll get there.

Balance. It’s easy to go overboard–and maybe not in your eyes, but in the eyes of your loved ones. Make sure you keep perspective, stay optimistic and maintain your important relationships throughout your life. People can get burnt out on doom and gloom and worrying about the end. Don’t try to force prepping on those who aren’t interested; be patient and encouraging, but don’t insult and alienate. If you feel yourself going overboard, take a break. Do fun things, be positive and enjoy life. Tightly knit family and community groups will see you through the hard times ahead.

Dying alone in your uber-TEOTWAWKI bunker, surrounded by a mountain of guns, ammo and MREs is not the end goal. What is the end goal then? Dying happy and free, having made the world a better place for your family, friends and others. Your preps are insurance to help make sure that happens.

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Lockpicking is one of those “borderline” skills for some survivalists. I mean, in a SHTF situation, why worry about picking a lock when you can just kick a door in, right? Or maybe you can just blast it a part with your twelve gauge. Why then would you “waste” time learning a skill like lockpicking?

Of course, you, the wise reader who has come to TEOTWAWKI Blog in search of survival wisdom, probably do not have such a closed off mind. You realize that lockpicking–like very many skills–has its place in the repertoire of any capable survivor, especially those who operate in an urban environment. There are many scenarios that this skills could save your bacon, but here’s a few:

• You’re traveling to safety when you come to a barb wire-topped gate, secured by a length of sturdy chain and a master lock. You can’t climb over it and forgot your massive wire cutters at home.
• You need to take temporary shelter inside a locked building and don’t want to draw any attention with your entrance. 
• You’ve lost your keys to your house, a security box, gun cabinet, etc. and need to get into it (this happens surprisingly often!)

Lock picking can solve all of these problems without too much trouble. Pick the lock and voila!

Is Lock Picking hard?
Most people perceive lock picking as some deep, dark science known only by lock smiths, D&D rogues and Batman. While locks vary greatly in difficulty and complexity, picking simple locks is fairly easy.

The principle is fairly simple. In basic terms, you use a torsion wrench to apply pressure to the lock and then use a pick or rake to clear the lock’s pins out of the way, allowing the lock to rotate freely, as if the key had been inserted. There is a huge amount of technique and “touch” involved though, as well as an understanding about what is happening inside the locking mechanism–which pins you’ve cleared, which you’re still working on, etc.

I’m a novice lock pick at best and can open up most of the Masterlock padlocks that I’ve tried in a minute or two; much less if I “get lucky” with the picking or am familiar with the particular lock. Cheaper padlocks are even easier. For example, I can pick the cheap-o packlocks that come with most rifles in a few seconds.

As I said, I consider myself a novice–maybe a “yellow belt”–so that gives you an idea about difficulty involved with most common locks–not a whole lot. There are certainly many locks that are beyond my current abilities, but it’s pretty cool to know that I can pop open most padlocks and similar without too much trouble.

There’s quite a bit of information out there on lock picking; free books, YouTube channels, Lockpicking101.com and other message boards, and so on. This free guide looks to be a fairly good place to start.

Tools of the Trade

Stainless Bogota picks from SerePick.com

To pick a lock, you will obviously need picks. You can try to improvise, but you’ll pretty much just end up frustrated. Fortunately, you can buy picks fairly cheaply online from places like SouthOrd, but be aware that cheap picks tend to be made of thin, bendy metal, susceptible to breaking/snapping, so you may one to buy a couple of each. I had a small set of cheap-o picks that I started on and have since lost them, so I set out to find a replacement set.

The Bogota Entry Toolset, offered by SerePick, are what I decided on, based on reviews and word of mouth. I’ve had them for about a week now and can say that I’m very please with the purchase.

The Bogotas are a pretty interesting design, with a pick on one end and a torsion wrench on the other. The designs of the picks–one hooked shaped, the other a rake–gives you options for picking as well. I’ve had success using either side of each pick (the rounded “top” or the pointier “bottom”), depending on the lock. Essentially, because the Bogotas are well designed, these two tools do the work of three to five separate tools–a very good thing.

The picks are also exceptionally crafted, allowing them to move easily inside the lock and giving you good angles to manipulate the lock’s pins. I purchased the stainless steel set, and the picks feel quite strong and sturdy, especially considering the cheap-o picks I am used to. No concerns about them snapping under a typical amount of pressure. Overall, the Bogotas exude quality and craftsmanship.

Size comparison with a two dollar bill.

Finally, and what stands out to me the most, is the small size of the Bogotas. These two tools already do the job of several, but they are also quite a bit smaller than standard picks. Despite their small size, the Bogota picks remain easy to use. The picks also “nest” perfectly next to each other, as seen in the picture below. Essentially, you can hide the Bogotas away most anywhere–your wallet, inside a keychain lanyard, pinned to your clothes, whatever you can dream up. And that means that you can always have these picks with you, close at hand when you need them, where other picks would be left at home.

Will the Bogotas turn you into a Batman-esque lock picker instantly? Nope. Picking still requires skill, technique, finesse and a little luck. But the quality materials, craftsmanship and excellent design of the Bogotas make them, in my opinion, much easier to work with than the typical cheap-o picks. I know that I’m picking locks faster with the Bogotas than I was with my old set. Then when you consider the compact size and multi-functionality, it’s basically a no contest.

If you’re already a lock picker, you’ll definitely appreciate the SerePick Bogota picks. If you’re looking to get into picking, don’t be afraid to dive right in–the only way to learn is by doing it! The Bogota Picks will give you a simple and effective set of tools to work with; start off with something simple and you should be able to pop it open in no time. Then work your way up from there.

Be aware of your local laws before you start toting lock picks around, of course.

The Bogota Entry Toolset is available from SerePick.com. SerePick sells the Bogotas in stainless, titanium  and a “custom” finished versions. They also sell custom handmade picks by Raimundo, the designer of the Bogotas. Cool stuff.

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TAD Gear, maker of some high-end tactical gear, has finally given their website a much needed overhaul. The old site was vintage like Y2K era and TAD has had a redesign in the works for a long time. New site is live…looks perty, time will tell how it functions! Looks like they’ve got some new Fall-line products up too.

If you’ve got some mad cash to drop on pricey/quality gear or just want to check the new site out, click here.

Go to the source: TEOTWAWKI Blog

Lockpicking is one of those “borderline” skills for some survivalists. I mean, in a SHTF situation, why worry about picking a lock when you can just kick a door in, right? Or maybe you can just blast it a part with your twelve gauge. Why then would you “waste” time learning a skill like lockpicking?

Of course, you, the wise reader who has come to TEOTWAWKI Blog in search of survival wisdom, probably do not have such a closed off mind. You realize that lockpicking–like very many skills–has its place in the repertoire of any capable survivor, especially those who operate in an urban environment. There are many scenarios that this skills could save your bacon, but here’s a few:

• You’re traveling to safety when you come to a barb wire-topped gate, secured by a length of sturdy chain and a master lock. You can’t climb over it and forgot your massive wire cutters at home.
• You need to take temporary shelter inside a locked building and don’t want to draw any attention with your entrance. 
• You’ve lost your keys to your house, a security box, gun cabinet, etc. and need to get into it (this happens surprisingly often!)

Lock picking can solve all of these problems without too much trouble. Pick the lock and voila!

Is Lock Picking hard?
Most people perceive lock picking as some deep, dark science known only by lock smiths, D&D rogues and Batman. While locks vary greatly in difficulty and complexity, picking simple locks is fairly easy.

The principle is fairly simple. In basic terms, you use a torsion wrench to apply pressure to the lock and then use a pick or rake to clear the lock’s pins out of the way, allowing the lock to rotate freely, as if the key had been inserted. There is a huge amount of technique and “touch” involved though, as well as an understanding about what is happening inside the locking mechanism–which pins you’ve cleared, which you’re still working on, etc.

I’m a novice lock pick at best and can open up most of the Masterlock padlocks that I’ve tried in a minute or two; much less if I “get lucky” with the picking or am familiar with the particular lock. Cheaper padlocks are even easier. For example, I can pick the cheap-o packlocks that come with most rifles in a few seconds.

As I said, I consider myself a novice–maybe a “yellow belt”–so that gives you an idea about difficulty involved with most common locks–not a whole lot. There are certainly many locks that are beyond my current abilities, but it’s pretty cool to know that I can pop open most padlocks and similar without too much trouble.

There’s quite a bit of information out there on lock picking; free books, YouTube channels, Lockpicking101.com and other message boards, and so on. This free guide looks to be a fairly good place to start.

Tools of the Trade

Stainless Bogota picks from SerePick.com

To pick a lock, you will obviously need picks. You can try to improvise, but you’ll pretty much just end up frustrated. Fortunately, you can buy picks fairly cheaply online from places like SouthOrd, but be aware that cheap picks tend to be made of thin, bendy metal, susceptible to breaking/snapping, so you may one to buy a couple of each. I had a small set of cheap-o picks that I started on and have since lost them, so I set out to find a replacement set.

The Bogota Picks, offered by SerePick, are what I decided on, based on reviews and word of mouth. I’ve had them for about a week now and can say that I’m very please with the purchase.

The Bogotas are a pretty interesting design, with a pick on one end and a torsion wrench on the other. The designs of the picks–one hooked shaped, the other a rake–gives you options for picking as well. I’ve had success using either side of each pick (the rounded “top” or the pointier “bottom”), depending on the lock. Essentially, because the Bogotas are well designed, these two tools do the work of three to five separate tools–a very good thing.

The picks are also exceptionally crafted, allowing them to move easily inside the lock and giving you good angles to manipulate the lock’s pins. I purchased the stainless steel set, and the picks feel quite strong and sturdy, especially considering the cheap-o picks I am used to. No concerns about them snapping under a typical amount of pressure. Overall, the Bogotas exude quality and craftsmanship.

Size comparison with a two dollar bill.

Finally, and what stands out to me the most, is the small size of the Bogotas. These two tools already do the job of several, but they are also quite a bit smaller than standard picks. Despite their small size, the Bogota picks remain easy to use. The picks also “nest” perfectly next to each other, as seen in the picture below. Essentially, you can hide the Bogotas away most anywhere–your wallet, inside a keychain lanyard, pinned to your clothes, whatever you can dream up. And that means that you can always have these picks with you, close at hand when you need them, where other picks would be left at home.

Will the Bogotas turn you into a Batman-esque lock picker instantly? Nope. Picking still requires skill, technique, finesse and a little luck. But the quality materials, craftsmanship and excellent design of the Bogotas make them, in my opinion, much easier to work with than the typical cheap-o picks. I know that I’m picking locks faster with the Bogotas than I was with my old set. Then when you consider the compact size and multi-functionality, it’s basically a no contest.

If you’re already a lock picker, you’ll definitely appreciate the SerePick Bogota picks. If you’re looking to get into picking, don’t be afraid to dive right in–the only way to learn is by doing it! The Bogota Picks will give you a simple and effective set of tools to work with; start off with something simple and you should be able to pop it open in no time. Then work your way up from there.

Be aware of your local laws before you start toting lock picks around, of course.

The Bogota Entry Toolset is available from SerePick.com. SerePick sells the Bogotas in stainless, titanium  and a “custom” finished versions. They also sell custom handmade picks by Raimundo, the designer of the Bogotas. Cool stuff.

Go to the source: TEOTWAWKI Blog

Follow up from my post from yesterday on Urban Pocket Survival Kits. Check that out first if you haven’t already read it.

So, after trying to make an standalone urban PSK work, I realized that I could actually just combine most of the contents into a wallet – something I already pretty much have to carry every time I leave the house. Here’s what I’ve come up with so far, which is by no means final and by no means the end-all-be-all. These are ideas for a starting point– some may or may not be useful to you. Oh, and know your local laws. Anyways, check it out.

This is an Eagle Creek bifold I’ve had for years. Pretty average, non-descript wallet. I could have just loaded up one of those giant Maxpedition/Spec Ops wallets, but that’s too easy, and too bulky to actually carry around anyways.

Comparison shot next to an iPhone 3GS. The wallet’s a bit thicker, but not too much. Easy for me to front pocket carry.

Wallet opened. You can see there’s still plenty of space in left here and it looks pretty mundane and average. Most of the various card slots have room for cards in ‘em. 

Top view to give you an idea of the thickness. Still looks pretty mundane, huh?

Contents of the wallet’s currency pocket – a Shivworks Lil’ Loco, a ferro rod and a half-spool of Kevlar survival cord from SerePick. The Lil’ Loco’s kydex sheath is pinned into the wallet and the knife can be drawn quickly, one-handed. There’s about 8-10 feet of cord on the spool – it is very strong and has a 135lb test strength. There’s still plenty of space for currency or whatever in this pocket.

Moving to the next card slot in the wallet: SIM Card to another cell network, 2GB MicroSD card, baggie with water purification tablets and $125 in emergency cash ($100, $20 and $5 bills). The SIM Card is backup in case there’s problems with my normal network (network outage, no signal, want to call from a different phone #), the MicroSD card is encrypted and loaded with some important documents, PDFs, etc. It will probably turn into a more common SD card or maybe a micro USB drive – something that’s more universal to use/doesn’t require an adapter.

Next slot forward, two small zip ties, a safety pin and a set of SerePick stainless bogota picks, held together by a small spring from a mechanical pencil. The safety pin can be used to attach the picks to you clothes, concealing them pretty much wherever. Don’t remember where I saw this trick, but it’s a good one. The bogotas are awesomely made and small enough to hide pretty much wherever. This stuff takes up minimal space in the slot, so there’s still room for a couple cards.

Standalone shot of the picks.

In one of the credit card slots: a piece of hacksaw blade (idea from snakedr666), a Mastercard gift card and a prepaid phone card. The hacksaw works surprisingly at cutting a variety of materials. The gift card works basically just like a credit card and is for use at a sketchy place I’m concerned might try some funny business or have lackluster security measures(run down gas stations/convenience stores, websites I haven’t shopped with before, etc.). I’ve had credit card #’s stolen twice, and while the situation has always been quickly resolved, it’s still frustrating. Phone card is for making international calls, payphone calls, whatever. I’ve written the cards’ expiration dates on them.

And in another one of the card slots: two more safety pins, P38 can opener, and gorilla tape wrapped around one of those little keychain membership cards. Still room in this slot for a card to two as well.

Group shot. It looks like a lot of stuff, but it’s all pretty flat and small, and fits in without too much trouble. Like I said, there’s still plenty of room for all the actual wallet contents.

Not pictured – a couple bandaids that I forgot about until now.

So, there you have it — my take on an urban PSK. Even if you’ve got no interest in adding this much stuff to your wallet, you can take some of the ideas and tricks and apply them to your own situation.

The hacksaw blade is super thin and handy, and you can pick up two for like $3 at a hardware store. If you’re into lock picking, the bogotas are awesome and just disappear in your wallet. There are even smaller ferro rods that likewise disappear along the side of a credit card slot. The Loco is pretty cool, but there are lots of other designs out there that would work, like the credit card style blades from Spyderco, Microtech, Snody and others, I’m sure. Heck, even a razor or exacto blade could be handy.

I really like using a wallet vs. a standalone kit for a number of reasons. It’s a pretty painless addition to an EDC rotation; you’ve got to carry your wallet anyways, why not add some extra, useful tools to it? It’s also pretty grey man – everyone carries a wallet, so it’s not going to raise any eyebrows or draw unwanted attention. If someone mugs you and takes your wallet, then you’re out all of this extra gear, too. If you’re concerned about getting mugged, maybe take a look at a money belt – you could conceal most of this gear in one without too much trouble.

I will have more detailed posts about the Lil’ Loco, bogota picks and survival cord in the near future. Keep an eye out.
 
I’m still thinking this through and refining–planning on adding a mini pen of some kind and maybe a pre-threaded needle. Thoughts, suggestions and ideas are welcome in the comments.

Go to the source: TEOTWAWKI Blog

Just got in some cool stuff from the guys at SerePick.com. For anyone unfamiliar with SerePick, they’re leaders in designing “compact tools, kits and training to aid the Urban Professional.” So they’ve got some pretty cool urban survival-esque products.

I’m just starting to work out the gear, but initial impressions are good. The order process was simple, turnaround and shipping time was good; overall, the guys at SerePick have their stuff together. Thumbs up from me!

Stay tuned for upcoming reviews on the new gear, just wanted to send out a heads up that they’re coming!

In the meantime, check out their website >

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Finally, a network’s decided to cash in on the zombie-genre. On October 31st, AMC will launch The Walking Dead based on the comic book of the same name. The 4.5 minute trailer from ComicCon and Early photos, like the one on the right, look pretty awesome. I’m psyched.

High production value zombie movie every week? Awesome. It’s even got that guy from Jericho.

I’ve read some of the comic, and can’t say I’m a huge fan. Started out well and then got too vulgar, bleak and brutal for my tastes. I know it’s zombie horror, but jeez! If this was on HBO, I’d be concerned it would follow along exactly the same lines. But it’s AMC, a basic cable channel, so there’s going to be lots of stuff they’ll have to handle differently–language and some of the plot twists and turns that the comic takes that I doubt would fly on national TV…we’ll see.

Anyways, 90 minutes of zombie action debuts on Halloween. If you’re not convinced yet, check out the trailer on AMC.com >

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Conventional pocket survival kits usually contain a small fire starting implement, some pre-made tinder, a blade of some kind, a few basic meds, a way to store/carry water, a few water treatment tablets, maybe a small fishing kit of some kind, a keychain-style LED light, a button style compass, a small signal mirror, some safety pins, a couple bandaids, and maybe a few other bits and pieces jammed in. Not a ton of stuff, but a definite boon if you need to keep warm, hydrated, fed and on course in the wilderness. 

There are numerous good examples out there that turn up via a web search, and even a few commercially available tins if you are lazy and don’t want to assemble one yourself. The Doug Ritter-designed AMK Pocket Survival Pak is, I think, the best of the bunch and well worth the price of $26.02 that Amazon is currently charging.

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I have had the same every-day watch since, oh, 2004 or so. A titanium Seiko perpetual calendar model, military-esque looking. Nice enough watch, but nothing fancy. I had the band sized-down after purchase and have subsequently misplaced the leftover links. I’ve been working on pushups lately, and have noticed that my wrists have been getting just a little bit thicker. Nothing drastic, but enough to the point where the ol’ Seiko was getting uncomfortable to wear for extended periods. Sad.

I dig some of the Nato/Zulu band watches I’ve seen out there and decided, hey, for the $20 or so dollars, it’s worth it. A lot cheaper than buying a new watch. I did some searching and found Military Watch Resource to come highly recommended.

They shipped quickly and the price was good, so thumbs up from me.

The strap is not entirely intuitive to install, but I dug up this helpful how-to that gives a clear walkthrough and features a drool inducing Rolex. I need to see if Rolex would like to send me one for trial and evaluation…But, anyways, the instructions are simple enough to follow. I used an eyeglass screw driver to pop out the springbars and remove the old strap, then followed the tutorial step by step. Actually turned out to be a lot easier than I though.

So, directions followed and I’ve got the watch strap on. Old watch looks and feels like a whole new watch. Pretty cool looking, to boot. Very comfortable…about a billion times better than the too-small band from before, and it makes the watch even lighter on the wrist–no small feat as the watch band from before was titanium. The band itself is fairly indestructible in build; I think it would hold up through years of hard use.
I’ll post up pictures when I dig out the camera later this week.

If you’ve got a watch that needs a new band or one that you’re just bored of, pick up a zulu/nato and give your watch a new and much more tactical lease on life.

Go to the source: TEOTWAWKI Blog

Blog’s been a little slow the past few days; my apologies! I’m working on several projects and waiting for things to reach a ‘finished’ place before posting. They should get there next week-ish. Here’s what’s in the pipeline:

• Guest-post from the wife on advice r.e. getting used to having firearms in the home (she grew up with the “guns are dangerous/evil/scary” stigma). Should be a good post to pass along to anyone intimidated or concerned about guns.
• My take on an Urban Pocket Survival Kit; there’s lots of wilderness survival altoid/pocket kits out there, I wanted to do something different! Been spending way too much time trying to make this relevant and useful – getting close!
• A post on my completed First Aid Kit (waiting for some components in the mail).
• Maybe some complaining about how stupid the cast of The Colony is this season (short version: they’re morons).
• And hopefully some other cool stuff.

As always, I’m more than open to suggestions, questions or requests for posts. If you’ve got something, drop me a line at Teotwawki.Blog@gmail.com.