During my radio interview last Friday evening (which, by the way, can be heard here), the subject of bakery buckets came up. I mentioned such buckets in my BWH article The Seven Core Areas of Preparedness, but only as an aside. In fact, only as a caption on a photo. This was because I assumed everyone knew about bakery buckets. Seems I was wrong.

Back in our naïve days of preparing for Y2K, Don and I bit the bullet and bought 24 five-gallon buckets with screw-on gasketed lids. These have been superb buckets and we still use them, but they were expensive. Bakery buckets are a far better deal.

Bakery buckets are quite literally a prepper’s best friend. For the last couple of years, I’ve made it a policy to stop at our local grocery store’s bakery department and inquire about buckets. Sometimes there aren’t any available (others beat me to them), sometimes there’s only one or two, and sometimes I hit the jackpot.

One time on a happy “jackpot” occasion, I pushed my grocery cart around the store with eight or ten buckets inside, as I finished my shopping. A rather intense woman came up and asked, “Where did you get those buckets?” I replied that I’d gotten them from the bakery department, but apologized that I’d just cleaned out their available supply. “Check back often,” I told her. “They keep them for anyone who wants them.” While nothing was said about the purpose, I got the distinct impression this woman was a novice prepper who was thrilled to find a source for buckets.

Here are some advantages of bakery buckets:

• They’re cheap or free. Bakeries go through large quantities of icing, sliced fruit, fillings, glazes, and other sweets. Delis go through pickles and condiments. Once empty, those buckets will stack up. They’re almost always willing to get rid of them to eager customers. If they’re not free, most buckets will sell from fifty cents to two dollars each, a bargain. (Always be sure to get the lids!)

But watch it – not every bakery is generous. This isn’t a reflection on the bakery staff; it’s usually a company policy. I’ve found both Winco and Costco won’t sell bakery buckets for whatever reason, which is a pity because the bakery departments in both chains must go through buckets like crazy. A slight correction on Winco – they have buckets for sale, but last I checked they were at the exorbitant price of $ 6 each. That’s nonsense – there’s no reason to spend that much when other bakeries sell them at a fraction of the cost.

• They’re food-safe. Not all buckets are made the same, and if you’re going to be using your buckets for food storage, they must be food-safe. I’ve seen industrial buckets for sale at places like Home Depot, but they’re not for food storage so I never bother buying them. (Besides, bakery buckets are cheaper and can be used for industrial purposes as well.)

• They’re pre-cleaned. (Usually.) In my experience, the bakery staff is usually apologetic if the buckets aren’t clean, and sometimes they’ll even ask if I can wait for a few minutes while they put the dirty buckets through the industrial washing machine (which takes about five minutes). Whatever was originally in the buckets was likely to be sticky, so having pre-cleaned buckets is a great blessing. On the other hand, the occasional unclean bucket is no big deal; a quick scrub with soap and water will usually suffice.

As a note, restaurants also go through many buckets and often sell or give them away – but they’re likely to not be cleaned. Just a head’s up.

• Buckets are pest-proof. They guard the contents against moisture, rodents, and insects. This doesn’t excuse you from using Mylar bags, dry ice, oxygen absorbers, or whatever other technique you prefer to keep existing insects from decimating your stored food; but it means outside insect or moisture problems are far less likely.

• The volumes are decent. Buckets range from two to five gallons; the average size is 3.5 gallons. A 3.5 gallon bucket holds about 25 pounds of heavier items like rice, beans, flour, powdered milk, sugar, or cornmeal. (Oatmeal is lighter by volume and will hold less by weight.) Five-gallon buckets usually hold about 40 pounds of food. I use two-gallon buckets for storing bulk spices and kitchen aids – pepper, cinnamon, cornstarch, etc.

• They store easily. Full buckets are designed to stack on top each other. Empty buckets are designed to nest. Either way, the benefits are obvious.

• They’re easy to label and inventory. For labeling, I put masking tape on the top and side with the contents listed in large block letters (always rotate stacked buckets so the tape is facing outward for easy identification).

• They store other stuff. Because they’re so readily available, they can be used for any items you want to keep compartmentalized. I have buckets for sewing notions, buckets for yarn, buckets for school supplies, buckets for miscellaneous household items (tape, mousetraps, clothespins), buckets for over-the-counter medicines, buckets for toiletries, buckets for matches, buckets for soap… the list is endless.

If the bucket contains dry goods, I put the category (such as “Toiletries”) on the masking tape. Then I tape an index card on the top of the buckets with a detailed list of what’s inside. This way I can add or subtract items as I put new things inside or take things out. I prefer not to use indelible markers to write on the buckets because sometimes the contents change. Tape allows me to label as needed.

• Buckets have endless uses. They’re not just for storing food or supplies. On a farm, buckets are most useful if they have handles, which bakery buckets do. We use the larger bakery buckets tucked inside an old tire (so it can’t be pushed over) for water inside livestock pens. Smaller buckets can be used as grain buckets. Even cracked buckets have their uses – while they won’t hold water, they’re fine for grain, salts, or other dry uses. My husband uses buckets in the shop to categorize small tools or hardware such as nails, screws, and other fasteners. We seldom discard a bucket unless it’s broken (in which case the sharp plastic edges can be dangerous).

• Charity. My friend Enola Gay has talked about bucketing up pre-packaged charity handouts in the event of hard times. Such charity buckets will hold a respectable amount of food, the contents stay clean and dry; and the bucket can even be used as a stool for sitting.

Buckets usually come in either round or square.

Use whichever size and style you prefer. My personal preference is to use round buckets for food, square buckets for other stuff.

Get a bunch of bucket lid lifters. They’re inexpensive – usually under $ 5 – and you can keep one wherever you have buckets stored. We have five or six lid lifters scattered around in convenient locations.

During the radio interview, one of the hosts mentioned how he found 300 buckets for fifty cents each off Craig’s List (they came from a restaurant). What a windfall! He could either fill those 300 buckets himself and have an extraordinarily decent stockpile of food and supplies, or he could keep half for himself and sell the other half.

However you look at it, bakery buckets are a phenomenal deal. I urge you to start collecting them today.

Mr. Rawles,
This a reply to the reply to "A Combat Gear Primer" by WildcatActual.  While it is true that a direct hit from a high-powered rifle such as a Russian Dragunov firing a 7.62x54R will not/should not penetrate military grade body armor I would like to add to the comment of "These are but two examples of the fallacy that blunt force trauma from a bullet hit will incapacitate an individual wearing body armor":

I have a personal experience in this.  I was in Mosul, Iraq in 2006.  Our unit was tasked to clear and old cement factory in the city.  This cement factory was a sniper’s dream, and the insurgents made good use of it for that very purpose.  Several guys had been hit in and around this area from sniper fire.  Our unit had received a "tip" that the same sniper who had, just days before, killed another US soldier was back at the factory.  Our unit rolled in there ready to take this guy down once and for all.  We thought we had a pretty good idea where he was shooting from.  We set up a perimeter inside and dismounted the Strykers.  The weapons team advanced on one of those tower looking rock crusher things and our 6, the Medic and myself took up a covering position at the back rear of the vicinity.

The weapons squad was no more than a few seconds into there bounding when I was thrown face-forward into the dirt.  It felt like someone had had come up behind me and kicked me as hard as possible in the back. I could barely breath, I had no idea I had just been shot in the back.  The next thing I knew someone was dragging me to the other side of the vehicle.  My whole body hurt, but yes, I was able to regain my composure and get back up to my knees after a minute or so, but just barely.  Was I "out of the fight"?  No.  Was I as as combat effective as I was a few minutes ago?  No way! To make long story short, we still did not catch the sniper and I had one cracked rib and a nasty bruise in the shape of a SAPI plate on my back.  One more round to the same area and I would have been done.  

Finally, I know the exact video the reader is referencing about the soldier who is shot and gets right back up, and I have some further information on this as well.  The soldier in the video was shot with a Tabuk-S Assault Rifle, which is basically an AK-47 with a long, heavy RPK type barrel.  This is not really a Sniper Rifle per se but an SDM weapon that fires a 7.62×39 AK-47 round which does not have the punch of a full-power 7.62x54r round.  So is it possible that a person wearing modern body armor can be taken down with a single hit?  Lets just say I am glad I was dragged to cover because at that point I didn’t even know my name let alone able to get there on my own. – Van  D.  

We are all survivors.  I can prove it.  If you are reading this, then you are alive and surviving.  We all survive every day.  Our home is our shelter.  We use cars for transportation.  We barter our skills in a workplace in exchange for money.  That money is then used for supplies.  And so on and so on.  Our lives are comfortable.  So what happens when that comfort is disrupted?   Chaos, insecurity, fear, anxiety, despair, alcoholism, etc…not a pretty picture.

To prevail in an unfortunate situation, I believe the most important skill one must possess is the ability to adapt.  This is accomplished by knowledge, experience, and preparation.  The focus of this article is on being prepared.  Three things in my life have made me a prepared individual:

1. My time in the Boy Scouts.  The Boy Scout motto is “Be Prepared”.  I’ve learned and practiced outdoor skills and survival.  I have carried this over to my adult life in my outdoor adventures.
2. My military service.  Discipline and teamwork are stressed.  Weapon and tactics training were learned.  It has contributed to my overall survival mindset.
3. My career as a Service Technician in communications and electronics.  If it’s broke, I fix it.  A lot of thinking outside the box and adaptability is required, many times with no outside help.

So, what does it take to be prepared and survive the unexpected?  I feel one must be mobile or capable of instant mobility to survive.  This leaves the options open.  You should also layer your supplies as to minimize unexpected losses which increases your adaptability.  “Wear plenty of layers.”  I’m sure you’ve heard that as a child.  Your mother said this so you would stay warm.  This was so you could adjust your insulation according to temperature and activity level, to adapt to the temperature.  I am going to discuss how to apply the layering principle to your personal survival.

There are three layered levels in our lives:

1.  The contents of our home or other permanent shelter.  This could also be a stocked survival retreat.

2. The sustainment gear we can carry with us in a backpack, Bug out Bag, vehicle, bicycle, etc.
3. What we can carry on our person every day – Every Day Carry.

In the military, we had line gear.  Line 1 was what we had in our pockets.  Line 2 was our fighting or web gear.  Line 3 was our sustainment gear or rucksack.  So let’s start with the basics:

Food:  Even though humans can go 3 weeks without food and stay alive, mental and physical capacity will diminish within a couple of days.  You should have food with you that requires no preparation on your person such as Power Bars, Gorp, MREs, Spam, jerky, canned stew, etc.  Your transport or backpack can have more sustainable food.  Don’t forget something to cook in.  Anything that cannot be cooked in a pot can be cooked on a stick over a fire.

Water:  This is more important than food especially in arid environments.  Also don’t eat if you do not have water.  It takes water to digest food.  Have a way to purify water.  A portable water filter, iodine, or chlorine tablets will work but boiling is best.  Carry bottled water in your vehicle.

Shelter:  Depending on the conditions, shelter may be more important than food and water.  You can’t eat if you are frozen to death.  Learn how to make field expedient shelters, debris huts, etc.  Carry a bivy and sleeping bag in your Bug Out Bag.  Clothing is also shelter.

Security:  What good is it to have a large stash of supplies just to have someone take it from you?  Security comes in many forms…staying hidden from others, blending in, weapons, or just keeping your mouth shut.  Fire will keep animals at bay.  Don’t carry a gun unless you know how and are willing to use it.

Health:  This includes hygiene, sanitation, and first aid.  For example, don’t use the knife that you just field dressed a squirrel with to cut up your cooked meat.  Either wash it thoroughly or use a separate knife.  You do have soap don’t you?  I’m amazed at how many people don’t include soap in their Bug Out Bags.   Don’t drink untreated water.  Treat cuts and scrapes.  Use toilet paper if you have it.  Brush your teeth.

Communication:  People are social beings.  If alone, have a portable radio to listen to surrounding news.  I have an AM/FM/SW radio that is just a little larger than a deck of cards.  It is analog so it has a long battery life.  A shortwave radio allows me more options.  Sometimes news from other countries may be the only form of information due to an EMP or communications blackout.  By the way, I put a label on all of my electronics indicating their battery life and every device uses the same size battery.  A police scanner is very useful.  2-way radios can be very valuable to groups or used as a barter item.

Fire:  Have multiple ways to start a fire.  Fire starting and building is your most important skill.  It will purify your water, cook your food, heat your shelter, keep predators at bay, and signal for help.  Bic lighters are king.  Carry a flint and steel set on your person at all times.  Magnesium works well in wet conditions.  Backpacking stoves work great for quick meals and draw less attention than fires.  Keep one in your car.

Hunting / Gathering:  Snares and traps can be left unattended allowing you to do other tasks.  Learn a few edible wild plants.  Fishing gear is small and very useful – just some string and a few hooks is all you need.

Evasion / Signaling:  Grizzly bear on your trail?  Just stumble across a meth lab on a hike?  Government out to get you?  Ok, this is a little extreme but if there is a major disaster staying away from others might be the desirable thing to do.  Those that are unprepared may want to take what you have.  People also spread disease.  The flip side to this is signaling.  If you are just lost you need to be found.  A whistle, signal mirror, or smoke from a fire are your best options.

Navigation:  You just bugged out.  Where are you going?  Learn to use a map and compass.  Don’t rely too much on GPS.  They can break, batteries die, and the satellites can be re-tasked for military operations.  Have paper maps covering where you are all the way to where you are going.  What if the roads are clogged with traffic escaping from a hazmat spill?  Do you have bike trail maps?  Do you have a bike?  You need multiple routes of escape and methods of transportation.

The Seven Cs:  These items are the most basic necessities needed to survive.  They will directly contribute to keeping your ass alive more than anything else.  The first four are the most important – Canteen, cup, knife, fire starter. 

Staging equipment is critical.  It must be secure yet accessible.  If your permanent shelter is compromised or unavailable then you become mobile.  Your mobile layer is your second layer.  It may be a Get Home Bag or a complete BOB inside your Bug Out Vehicle.  Your vehicle may be your new home.  A bicycle or scooter is a good backup to have in your bug out vehicle (BOV).  So how do we stage and carry all this gear?

My Layered Bug Out System:

I am going to describe and comment on my system and you can decide if it works for you.  Take my ideas and use whatever you feel is beneficial to your situation.

I keep extra food and supplies at home as we all should.  My food stockpile is a mixture of long term grains sealed in mylar, canned goods, MREs, [freeze-dried] backpacker meals, and the like.  This allows for variety in terms of taste and nutrition.  I rotate my supplies and I do not store much more than can fit into my vehicle due to the possibility of needing to bug out.  Any structure can be penetrated.  If people want what you have, they will get it and you can’t keep watch 24 hours a day by yourself.

My 4×4 BOV is not my daily driver but is always maintained with a full tank of gasoline.  Most any vehicle nowadays will go at least 300 miles on a tank of fuel.  I have enough stabilized fuel stored to get me to any one of my Bug Out Location choices.  A cargo carrier attaches to my rear receiver and a bicycle carrier attaches to my front receiver.  The luggage rack rounds out its cargo capability.  I have opted to not use a trailer because of lack of maneuverability and off road ability.  I can live out of my vehicle in a stationary location with complete isolation for six months to a year.

In the event of an EMP, fuel shortage, martial law, etc. full sized motorized transportation may not be an option.  My BOV may break down or roads may not be passable.  My next layer is a bicycle.  One could even use a game cart, dolly, wagon, etc.  You can only carry a limited amount of gear on your back.  A bicycle is 3 times more efficient than walking and can carry much more weight.  Mine is set up with panniers and my gear is always packed.  I also carry a tractor tire inner tube, pump, rope, and climbing gear which allows me to transport myself and gear over almost any terrain.  The inner tube is for traversing water.  I can transport 200 lbs. + by walking beside and pushing the bicycle.

This leaves the final layer – what is on my person.  My personal carry gear is also broken down into layers.  My pockets have a Bug Out Altoids Tin B.O.A.T.)  A chest rig carries my Seven Cs with a sidearm and can be completely hidden by a sweatshirt.  On top of this would be web gear and rifle in appropriate circumstances.  The final layer is a rucksack.  Another option I have experimented with is a fanny pack strictly for survival.

The above is available for an extreme situation where bugging out may be required.  My normal everyday life doesn’t require these drastic measures.  If there is a major power outage during a snow storm, I’ll just stay home, listen to my portable radio, and cook on my butane stove.  Drastic measures aren’t always needed.

One more item to talk about is a Get Home Bag (GHB).  All of my gear is staged at home waiting if it is needed but I have to get there to use it.  My GHB is combined with my EDC.  Since I am in the service industry, I am required to travel at times in a company service vehicle.  This limits what I can always have at my disposal.  Along with my tools and test equipment I carry a very small day pack.  This holds my Seven Cs, some food, extra ammo, and a few work items.  It is always near me or in the vehicle I am traveling in.  I have a cocealed carry permit and carry every day.  I carry a flint striker on my key ring as fire is more important to me than a knife on my person.  I already carry enough stuff on my belt.

This completes the philosophy and application of my layering system.  Take from it what you will.  If you learn something from it, that’s great.  If it saves your life someday, that’s even better.

A Note on EMP:

Being in the communications business, I have witnessed what lightning can do to a communications tower site.  This is the closest thing I have seen to an EMP.  I also have access to high power radio equipment and have done experimentation with Faraday cages.  My conclusions show that non-continuous shielding (such as screen) will not stop all frequencies.  The only cheap and easy thing I have seen that will shield all radio frequency energy is properly wrapped multiple layers of aluminum foil.  I have had popcorn tins fail along with microwave ovens.  I also will not ground a Faraday cage due to what I have seen lightning do.  I wrap all of my electronic devices that go in my bug out bag.

[Some deleted, for brevity]

Lastly, don’t let the preparedness bug monopolize your life.  Have a preparation plan, carry it out, then relax and enjoy what you’ve accomplished.  If the world goes to pieces, you’re ready.  If not, then sit back and enjoy a cold one.

More awesome SHTF “Go To” guns…….

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In this video we talk about handcrafts, Self Reliance and a Walking Stick. Permaculture with Earthway Experience. www.earthwayexperience.com Located in Leksand and Mora Sweden, we are using Permaculture at a location as far north as Anchorage, AK. This series cover topics including Permaculture, self reliance and primitive survival skills as we enter these challenging times.
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On January 30, 25 of 27 nations signed the Merkozy accord calling for strict budget discipline and “quasi-automatic sanctions” for nations that violate budget rules. Only the UK and Czech Republic refused to sign.

Following that ceremonious signing it took precisely two days for European bureaucrats to propose “Application of the rules in a strict manner in the face of a downturn doesn’t make sense“.

Spain Poses Six-Pack Rules Challenge

Please laugh along with Spain poses six-pack rules challenge

Spain’s deteriorating economy poses the first challenge to Brussels’ commitment to enforce tough new budget rules intended to repair credibility with financial markets and ease the debt crisis.

“Application of the rules in a strict manner in the face of a downturn doesn’t make sense,” said Andre Sapir, a senior fellow at Bruegel, a Brussels think-tank. “One has to find a compromise.”

Olli Rehn, the economics commissioner, threatened to “fully use this powerful set of new tools from day one”.

But the EU’s executive arm is also sympathetic to Spain’s plight. Following a meeting in Brussels on Monday with Mariano Rajoy, the Spanish prime minister, José Manuel Barroso, the European Commission president, suggested that a debate was now under way on whether to make some accommodation for Madrid.

“Efforts should be made to contain the deficits for 2012,” Mr Barroso told reporters. “However, it would be convenient now to have a discussion … about this situation.”

It also risks drawing the ire of fellow member states, which have already been exposed to tough consequences because of the six pack.

Belgium, for example, earlier this month cut more than €1bn from this year’s budget in a frantic weekend exercise in order to avoid fines – an experience that led a top minister to lash out at Mr Rehn. Meanwhile, Hungary was threatened last week with a freeze on its EU development funds for next year if it does not comply with the rules.

But such considerations may be overwhelmed by the severity of Spain’s situation. Even local business leaders who favour harsh curbs on public spending now say that sticking to the original 2012 deficit target of 4.4 per cent of gross domestic product is almost impossible and risks plunging the economy into depression.

Precise Targets Go Out the Window Already

Mr Rajoy’s ministers have recently been careful not to reaffirm their commitment to the precise 2012 deficit target of 4.4 per cent of GDP – although they reiterate their austerity pledges in general terms – and are evidently hoping that the Commission and Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, will accept the need for softer targets provided Spain launches its promised economic reforms.

“Once Merkel has the certainty that these [southern European] countries are doing the right thing, the stance of Europe may be relaxed,” says the banker. The head of another leading Spanish business said: “The important thing is that the path to a lower deficit should be credible and coherent.”

It should not take too long for Portugal and Ireland to find it “convenient” to also request a variance in the “Application of the rules in a strict manner“.

Spain Kicks Off the Year Destroying 9,000+ Jobs a Day

Courtesy of Google Translate from El Pais, please consider The economy started the year destroying more than 9,000 jobs a day

As reported to the Ministry of Employment, Social Security membership fell by 283,700 people in January, about 9,000 jobs a day. The average number of employed fell below 17 million (16,946,237) for the first time since the beginning in 2005.

Courtesy of Google Translate from Libre Mercado, please consider Employment has Worst Start Since Fateful Year of 2009

Spain Social Security Membership

[Mish comment: Judging from the January numbers (all negative), the data is not seasonally adjusted.]

The total number of employed fell below 17 million (16,946,237) for the first time since 2004.

Very negative balance

According to the Foundation for Applied Economic Research (FEDEA), “after four years of crisis, employment continues to be destroyed, and what is worse, the intensity of this destruction increases.”

Meanwhile, according to the Association of Large Temporary Work (Agettes), the January data show that “we continue down the wrong path. We are witnessing a dramatic scene again that, unfortunately, is unknown to us because we have four years assisting new negative record. The global economic situation continues to drown our perspective, while our own labor market tightens further the bit oxygen that remains.”

Spain Unveils EUR 50bn Bank Sector Clean-Up

EU Business reports Spain Unveils EUR 50bn Bank Sector Clean-Up

Spain’s government unveiled reforms Thursday that will oblige banks to clean up their bad loans by building up provisions and capital reserves totalling 50 billion euros ($ 65 billion).

The banking sector is weighed down by a mountain of soured loans and property assets that are losing their value after the collapse of the Spanish property market in 2008.

According to the Bank of Spain, the sector had 176 billion euros in problem loans and seized real estate in June 2011 — a figure which has probably increased since, as the economy has weakened.

The sector has undergone a major restructuring since 2008 but the government considers it still to be at risk despite banks putting aside a third of this amount to cushion the blow when they sell off the bad assets.

The new reform aims to “generate mergers to form viable entities” out of struggling ones so that “the clean-up will be quick and deep”, De Guindos said.

Impossible Dream

There was 176 billion euros in problem loans last summer. What is total now, 250 billion?

Banks are somehow supposed to come up with $ 50 billion in capital (when? how?) after which they merge struggling banks and via some undisclosed magic process  “the clean-up will be quick and deep” forming viable banks.

This is an easy call, especially in light of employment trends: That plan is doomed and Spain is in deep trouble.

Mike “Mish” Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
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Mike “Mish” Shedlock is a registered investment advisor representative for SitkaPacific Capital Management. Sitka Pacific is an asset management firm whose goal is strong performance and low volatility, regardless of market direction.
Visit http://www.sitkapacific.com/account_management.html to learn more about wealth management and capital preservation strategies of Sitka Pacific.

There are times when one questions a report as possibly being wrong or in error, and then there are times when one has to raise a flag and say “This is an intentionally false picture being presented by a government agency.”

I’m in the latter camp with this one, and it is rare for me to brand something as not possibly wrong and in error, but intentionally fraudulent.

Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 243,000 in January, and the unemployment rate decreased to 8.3 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Job growth was widespread in the private sector, with large employment gains in professional and business services, leisure and hospitality, and manufacturing. Government employment changed little over the month.

This looks really good; here’s the chart that is on the front page:

I wish I could take this report, pick it apart at the household level, and find confirmation.  Remember that last month the alleged 200,000 jobs that were gained were a phantom; when one looked inside the household data we found instead deterioration in both the employment participation rate and a decline in the absolute number of employed persons, while population rose.  That is, the actual counts (as opposed to black-box statements) said that the labor picture deteriorated in December, contrary to the reported numbers.

This month it was worse.  Far worse.

Let’s start with the “base picture” that is causing the cheering:

That nice red line looks good, right?  Well……

“Not in labor force” numbers leaped upward on an annualized basis (seasonally adjusted the “right way”) and what’s worse on a raw basis 1.572 million people exited the labor force last month.

This is reflected in the percentage of those not in the labor force as a percentage of the working-age population, which hit an all-time high going back to the initiation of the data series I’ve tracked since 1999:

That’s 0.6% of the entire labor force that departed the working population in one month, three times the alleged drop in the unemployment rate.  This means that internally, the numbers were even worse than they first appear!

Indeed, the total number of employed persons fell.  A lot.  To put a number on it, the total number of employed persons fell by 737,000 by actual count.

Now the cheerleaders will state that this is a common thing in January, and indeed it is.  But the correct adjustment is to look at the population increase and subtract that back off as well.  In other words, we take the loss of employment and add the population growth.  When we do this we get a whopping 2.422 million in the wrong direction which was bested only by the -2.618 million in January of 2009 through the process of this downturn!

In fact other than January 2009 there has never been a single month in my table, which dates back to 1999, that put up a worse combined number.  This “performance” rates a literal “second from utter despair and disaster”, and the employment rate shows it:

This is not a strong report folks, and in fact documents an actual and ongoing collapse in the US labor force, despite the crooning on the mainstream media disinformation channels!

Recently, because of some significant financial changes in our life (including moving halfway across country, one of us unable to find work and the other getting laid off, and then getting a job at 50% of the previous salary) we are no longer able to invest as we done in the past. However, because we invested in prepping prior to our sudden reversal of fortune, what would normally happen in this type of financial emergency merely became a financial irritant. Even without 75% of our previous income, we are still able to live well and continue our prepping effort, if only on a reduced scale.
There are several things that many of my non-prepper, and less well-to-do friends, say that prevents them from prepping. The top three excuses that I hear are:

1. I don’t know where to start
2. I don’t have enough money to invest in prepping
3. It’s too late to prep; if I haven’t done it by now, I won’t have what I need when TSHTF.

These are the responses our family gives to those who don’t believe they can, or should, prep:

1. Not knowing where to start is no excuse. Every person knows what he or she will not eat. Every parent knows what their children’s favorite foods are. Get your kids involved to let them pick their favorite foods and give them a chance to learn about food storage along with you.
2. Start a list of what your family likes to eat. Pick favorite meals, treats, and drinks.
3. Then create a customized list of items that it would be useful to have extras of in your home in an emergency.
4. Use your customized list to check for sales and coupons at the grocery store, focusing only on those items that are 1) on your list and 2) on sale at that time. Buy only the sale items that on your list, and only buy items on your list when they are on sale. This will save you a lot of money over the long term.
5. Start small. If you normally purchase groceries for only one week, then use the sales to purchase extra to create an additional week’s worth of food in your home. Once you have an extra week’s worth, then go for a month’s worth.
6. Take a week’s worth of lunch savings and pick up plastic tubs or boxes at yard sales, thrift stores, or on Craigslist. Ask your local grocery store deli for any food grade buckets and lids they are normally throw away.
7. Stock your extra food purchases in the buckets and prominently label and date the contents. (We use a lot of plastic “shoe” containers for under the beds at our house. Not only does that prevent the kids’ toys, clothes, and junk from getting shoved under the bed, but storing the items in airtight containers under the bed keeps them away from light and extends their storage life.)
8. If space is limited, try these ideas in order to store these items. You can then create a shelf unit with the buckets as separators between the shelves, or stack the buckets and put a round top (cut out of plywood) on them to create a side table which is covered with a large round table cloth to hide the fact they are now storage.
9. Remember to rotate your stored food. When you buy new items for your food storage, place them at the back of the storage area, and refill your regular pantry area with items from the front of your storage. This will ensure that your food doesn’t go bad and you don’t lose money. Failure to use your food storage through a rotation process has cost many a prepper lots of money in waste.
10. A final note on not knowing where to start: If you are in debt, make an honest effort to pay off your debts before investing a huge portion of what you have in lunchtime saves in food storage. If you can avoid using credit cards, do it. If you can invest your sack lunch savings into paying extra, do it and get those credit cards down to a zero balance. Once you have done that, you will find you have a lot more money to invest in prepping. As I stated earlier, we have recently lost 75% of our previous income. However, the first thing we did as a couple was to pay off all debt – that included college loans and credit cards. We paid off our car loans and did not replace them with newer or fancier models. We were fortunate to pull our investments before the last big drop and use the money to pay off our home; without a $ 1,500 mortgage payment, we were able to transition to 25% of our former income. That and our three month food storage supply were great comforts while we were both looking for work.
11. Prepping doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. There are ways to make your dollar stretch if you really want to prep.
12. As I stated earlier, we have had a significant change in our income levels, and added an additional mouth to feed. However, because of our preparations we have stopped purchasing (temporarily) bulk food storage from online vendors and have been exploring the following food storage methods, and have had some very positive results!
13. If you go out to lunch every day at work, take just two days and bring a sack lunch. Depending on where you eat, that will save you $ 10-to-$ 30 dollars per week that can be used to invest in prepping. (Now that we are down to a quarter of our previous income, with only one of us working, we avoid eating out at all, and bring lunch to work every day. This has cut our food bill by easily $ 100-150 per week between the lunches at work and going out to dinner twice a week. Not only that, but we’ve eaten better than we used to eating out and lost weight, which is a complete win-win in my book.)
14. Take half the money saved by bringing lunch and spend an hour or two each week couponing and sales surfing. Hit the grocery stores during sales and with coupons, where you can buy the normal things you eat in bulk at the same amount you would normally spend on just one or two items. The 10 for $ 10 aisles are a great place to shop for food storage as well.

I saw a lady at the local grocery store just this weekend buying huge amounts of items using the weekly mailer from the store. She had 10 boxes of spaghetti, about 20 cans of soups, even more canned fruits and vegetables, a bunch of boxed meals like Hamburger Helper, boxed side meals like Rice-a-Roni, and a large amount of powdered drink mixes in her cart. As I waiting in line behind her, I watched her grocery bill go back to normal with each coupon she handed to the cashier. Between the 10 for $ 10 and couples, her shopping cart – piled high with stuff that every family eats – cost her about $ 40 and change. That’s some good shopping!

1. Take the other half of the money you saved by brown bagging it and shop the Dollar Stores. You can buy personal hygiene and cleaning supplies, sewing kits and patches, crackers and cereal, bottle water and juices, hard candies and travel toys (comfort items), first aid and over the counter medicines, and spices and seasonings (including bouillon) for a huge discount.
2. Once a month, take the money you’ve saved from your sack lunches and invest it in thrift store shopping. Purchase camping gear, gently used warm weather clothing and shoes, backpacks and bags, blankets, pots and pans, and used books. We have been able to buy excellent travel bags in a variety of sizes. These bags have been used to create custom first aid kits, 72 hour kits for our vehicles, emergency kits for kids to carry in their backpacks at school (which were great when they were stuck sheltered in place during local emergencies), and barter/charity bags for use when TSHTF. Other awesome finds were a pressure cooker and a seal-a-meal, which we have been able to use to do home food preservation.
3. Use the resources available on the Internet. The SurvivalBlog.com has great prepping information, as does LDS.org and many others. Find your local agricultural extension groups and web pages, where they can help you identify the best local produce, growing seasons, and methods for preserving local foods. These web sites can also help you find information on local wild foods, good recipes, and other helpful bits of information to make you better prepared, even if you are completely unable to spend a dime on purchasing food storage at this time.
4. It’s never too late to prep. Even if you are only able to afford to spend $ 5 a week, or $ 5 a month, the extra supplies you have on hand may just be the thing you need in an emergency. If you cannot afford to spend an extra dime, the knowledge gained from internet research can help you be more mentally prepared in the case of emergency. This can include where to find local wild foods, learning first aid, learning canning and food preservation, and other information that will be necessary to do more than just endure in an emergency.

We now live in a tornado prone area. While we are fairly safe in a sheltered zone (most of the tornadoes touch land around our area), we still have to contend with power outages, lack of water, and sewer shut downs. While these have only been of a two or three day duration, having ready to eat foods stored (prepared using canning how-tos found on our local agricultural extension web site), enough water stored to last for three days, and emergency hygiene capability (I love the bucket potty and doody-bags found on beprepared.com) makes for a much more comfortable temporary emergency.

Even if you don’t have an emergency based upon natural disasters, there are other types of emergencies that can hit. Epidemics (or pandemics) can strike, where quarantines may occur. Temporary illnesses, such as a bad flu or strep throat, or even injuries can happen that may prevent the adults in the family from working, going grocery shopping, or even cooking meals. Having a supply of easy to prepare food in your pantry or 3-month storage will make it easier for you family to eat. Having extra hygiene products (including formula and diapers if you have infants and toddlers) will enable the sick/injured adult(s) to rest and avoid going to the store.
In this economic downturn, financial crises and emergencies are rampant. Many people are losing their jobs through no fault of their own, being forced to survive on unemployment or on part-time jobs. Having a one to three-month supply of food is a wonder safety net to have when this occurs. Having a full year’s supply of food is even better, but for the first time prepper or for those who need to prep for less, even a week of extra food may be the lifeline that is needed during a crisis.
Remember:

1. Prepping doesn’t have to been done by someone with a “Ph.D. in Prepperology.” Using basic common sense practicality to identify foods that your family will eat is the first step in getting started. Using free tools available on the internet, the library, and at local agricultural extensions will help even the newest prepper learn the basics and beyond.
2. Prepping doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. There is no point in getting into debt to prep. Using practical approaches to saving money to use on prepping is the best approach, as is shopping sales, dollar stores, and thrift stores. Craigslist free pages are also a good place to look, as are local yard and estate sales.
3. It is never too late to prep, unless you are dead. As long as you are alive, you can and should prepare yourself and your family for tough times. It doesn’t take a major SHTF scenario for your preparedness to be useful. Many times your preps become a major benefit to you and your family during a simple illness, injury, or layoff. The time to prep is now, no matter what your circumstance.

I have recently retired from the military and have began to dig deeper into the survivalist arena. I have always been interested in this area for quite some time but have not really dedicated the amount of time that I want due to job requirements, life events etc. I have been reading all the blogs, videos and write ups about prepping, survival and there are a lot of good information out there. So I decided to use my 26 years of military experience (4 yeas Infantry, 6 years Long Range Surveillance and 16 years Special Forces)  and apply pertinent concepts toward the Survivalist Mindset.  In this paper I will discuss some planning considerations for establishing a Survival Plan of Action (SPA) and the survivalist mind set. Your skills and abilities are tools in the tool box (your mind). Hopefully this discussion will aid you into adding more tools to your tool box.                 

Throughout the Internet and online blogs you have seen a plethora of acronyms dealing with prepping, survival, and the end of the world.  Some are The Schumer Hits The Fan (TSHTF), The End Of The World As We Know It (TEOTWAWKI), BOB – Bug Out Bag, Get Out Of Dodge (G.O.O.D.), But we don’t have an overall acronym for all the planning, resource identification, rehearsing, etc that encompasses the entirety of what we do to accomplish all of this great information and techniques. This is where the SPA comes into play. It is the Survival Plan of Action (SPA). This document should include information that outlines your groups plan to Get Home, Bug Out, Bug In, Get Out of Dodge, etc. You can add to this document by adding Annexes to augment the information like Food Storage Inventories, Vehicle Inventories,  or Bug Out Site Inventories.

I am currently working on a format to help with creating your SPA. It will include the base document, annexes, appendices and tabs, which will be all inclusive to every scenario.  Now if one decides to establish a SPA he must take the utmost care in securing it in a safe and secure location that only a select few will know or have access. One technique is to have a hard copy sealed in an envelope in a safe. If you have a digital copy or use a computer to write one, use a laptop that is never connected to the internet preferably with a removable hard drive. If you store a back up on a thumb drive with all your personal information place this in your envelope also.

Area Study
One of the first things you should do is conduct a comprehensive area study of your operational area (home site, get home route, bug out site, etc) especially if you have recently moved or plan on relocating to a more suitable area. Some of you may be saying "I have lived here all my life" then this area study should be real easy. You will be surprised with information that you find or might never have considered. This area study should be a living document (continue to update and add information) and your base resource document for planning.

Why is it good to have one? Several reasons; if you plan on establishing a group survival area, the new members of your group can read the document to become familiar with the area. If you have distant family members relocating to the area with you, you can send them the document so they can become familiar with the area. These documents should be a great addition to your survival SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures).

This document is all open source and contains the following basic  information (not all inclusive): Natural environment, Demographics/Cultural features, and Lines of Communications/Information Systems. Since this is a living document you will periodically update it and add additional information. If you need to add new categories or scenario plans, just add an annex, appendix or tab to your overall SPA.

When you are researching the natural environment include all geographical data.  Consider your operational area and dimensions; state, county and municipal boundaries; terrain,  general direction of mountain ranges, areas that provide good concealment/cover, the general degree of slope, large open fields suitable to land small aircraft, hazards toward movement, natural routes over land, natural resources for survival, historic land use, suitable locations for hole up sites or base camps, typical climate overview, temperature tables, snow/rainfall, wind/visibility, sun/moon table, general drainage pattern, river flow and current, location of lakes/ponds, potable water resources, coastal tides/currents, beaches, and areas that are good for subsistence. Remember to include seasonal changes to all these categories.

In the demographics and cultural section be sure to include area population estimates, location of towns,  ethnic composition, language, social conditions, religious factors, medical/health information, economic conditions, political factors, type of currency, typical dress, customs, local government information, travel restrictions, local degree of self sufficiency, agricultural information, local industrial information, and commerce/trade information.

When it comes to lines of communication/information systems we are referring to how do people commute and communicate in the area. Include location/direction of interstates, state highways, county roads, forest service roads, jeep trails, hiking trails; major active and inactive rail ways, navigable waterways, location of large and small ports, harbors, marinas; location of gas stations, petroleum storage; location and type of power plants, sub stations, transmission lines; location of radio broadcasting stations, telephone companies, satellite companies and newspaper offices.

When writing your SPA, you will get pertinent information from this section. Like urban and rural key terrain (places to avoid or to occupy) , avenues of approach (places for travel routes and places for avoid ambushes, choke points, bridges, river crossings), the best times to move in total darkness (no illumination), time of year with the best or worse weather (seasonal effects of weather on terrain and visibility), river and stream data (depth, width, flow rate and direction of flow, potable water), coastal data (tides, beach type, coves) towns with dense or sparse populations, subsistence data (cultivated, natural wildlife),government offices (urban key terrain),  military bases, governmental control measures (check points, curfews, population control measures), health data and hospitals, areas with friendly or favorable ethnic/social/religious factors,  agriculture and domestic food supply, natural resources, percentage of self sufficiency, manufacturing plants, local dress to assist with "blending in",  economic trends over a period of time.

Your area study is basically a plethora of information that you update over time. It will give you all the information that you will need to plan all your scenarios. Use it to assist you planning your Get Home Plan (GHP), Bug Out Plan (BOP),  or your Link Up Plan (LUP). 

Planning considerations

When planning your scenarios there are a few acronyms to discuss. METT-TC, OCOKA, PACE and PRSCC. These acronyms will assist you in planning multiple scenarios and establishing SOP’s. A few of these will be used throughout your planning and during your scenarios to assist you in your decision making process. IN the following discussion I will focus on a Get Home Scenario.

METT-TC is used primarily during your initial planning phase. M stands for mission (what is your mission? Get Home) you should state who is doing the mission, where are they going, what is to be accomplished and when is it going to happen.  E stands for enemy situation (basically this is any hostile group) you want to detail their size, location, operational area and equipment to include weapons. T stands for Terrain and Weather (specific to your mission not your entire area of operations) for weather you want to discuss the effects on you and the hostile forces. When covering terrain you will use OCOKA, which  I will cover later in this section. T stands for Troops available (personnel that you have or need to accomplish the mission). The second T stands for time available to accomplish the mission. Do you have one day or a week? C stands for civilian considerations. You can put in this section the potential for mass refugees or displaced persons congesting up the main roadways, possible direction of mass evacuations from built up areas in your mission area. So by using METT-TC you are taking information from your area study and experience to narrow down information for your specific mission.

The next is OCOKA. This one is used for detailing the terrain section in METT-TC.  O is for observation and fields of fire.  You need to determine locations along your route that provide the best observation of and from road ways, towns, bridges. rivers etc. C is for cover and concealment. Cover is something that will protect you from small arms fire and concealment only conceals your location. Identify locations that aid you in your movement home by vehicle and foot. Which route offers the best concealment and what locations along your route provide good cover. The second O is for obstacles. you want to identify any obstructions along your route, destroyed bridges, natural terrain that hinders vehicular movement like a swamp or large bodies of water. K is for key terrain. Identify locations  or areas (natural or manmade) that the seizure, retention, or control of affords a marked advantage to either friend or foe.  A is for avenues of approach. Identify all road ways, trails, power line paths, railroad tracks between you and your home. Don’t forget to consider aerial and subterranean routes.

The third one is PACE. When constructing your plan you do not want to have only one route, one location, one vehicle or one weapon. You need flexibility and depth just like a NFL teams roster. This one is very simple. P is for primary, A is for alternate, C is for contingency, E is for emergency. Keep in mind that in some cases you will not use all of the PACE, mostly you will only use the P and A. It is up to you  and your resources how deep you are able to go. Bottom line, you should always have at least an alternate plan, route, weapon or location. So using a PACE for all your scenarios or missions is essential to good planning. Personally, I always have a primary weapon and an alternate weapon. 

The last one is the PRSCC  or the Five Principles of Patrolling. . It is used heavily by any combat force that conducts patrolling,  P is for planning. In the previous paragraphs I have discussed planning extensively, so I will not dwell on this one. R is for reconnaissance. Reconnaissance should always be part of your planning. It should be implemented at the beginning and continued throughout your mission.  You can accomplish this through maps, imagery and actually traveling the route (best choice) . By actually traveling the route you will identify any known obstacles, alternate routes and potential hole up sites, to include the time needed to accomplish. S is for security. Security is a constant throughout your planning and scenario. Keeping your documents locked up and your situational awareness while moving applies. Whether traveling alone or in a group always stop, look,  listen and smell (SLLS) first when setting up your camp. After this you should always have a conduct a short recon around your area to identify key terrain or avenues of approach that can assist you or effect you, to include water resupply. If everything is safe then you can ensure your weapons are ready to go and then eat. Once you have eaten and water is filled, then you can implement a rest plan. If you are in a group, not everyone cleans their weapons or eats at the same time. Always have someone on guard during the rest plan. C is for control. Control is any method, terrain or device that will help you control your team, movement or mission. Such as check points, phase lines, limit of advance, contact points, decision points, No later than times (NLT), no earlier than times (NET) and boundaries (left limit or right limit). The last C is for common sense. Common sense is not so common. So always do a common sense check with all decisions. Identify the your action, the reaction to it (from enemy) and what your counter reaction would be if it happened.

Mindset

Having the correct mindset is the most important aspect to survival. With the proper mindset, you can achieve anything. So you can say survival is mainly a mental game. You should always keep your situational awareness, stay healthy, have the proper equipment and the right skills to survive.

Situation awareness (SA) is very important during all your activities, not just when a survival situation hits. Some would say stay alert, stay alive. Maintaining your SA will prevent you from becoming a victim. If I am on a trip or in an area unfamiliar to me, I apply the 51% rule. I look around me and see what the majority of the people are wearing, their actions and mannerisms, their type of vehicle, or other habits of the environment. Kind of like, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." By doing this, you will blend in with your surroundings and not stand out. Just blending in will help you not be a victim or a target. You can prepare yourself by researching the area you will be traveling. The next time you go somewhere and park in the parking lot. Look around and see how many vehicles are backed into a parking space versus parking "normal" in a space. You will begin to take notice of these vehicles every time you go out.

Staying healthy and in good shape is the second thing to consider. If you are overweight and out of shape you can become injured easier. This is probably the hardest thing to accomplish for some people. Lifestyles and life events can affect you. Always begin slow and never over do it. If you over do it and are unable to function the next day, it will discourage you from continuing. Set yourself small, realistic goals and give yourself plenty of time to achieve them. Get your whole family involved with a new diet and exercise routine. This will aid you in your goal of getting in shape, not to mention the benefits for your entire family. I am not saying you need to be a professional athlete but just stay healthy with a good diet and exercise routine.

The third thing you need is the proper equipment, basic foundation and skill sets. You need to look at your budget and realize how much you have to acquire the right tools of the trade. Just do not buy an item because it is a "name brand" or the "most expensive." These terms do not always equate to good, versatile and solid tools. Research and test (if possible) these item before you purchase them. Establish your survival fundamentals or foundation. By this I mean your navigation, water procurement, food procurement, shelter making and fire making skills.

You need to learn the basic ways to accomplish each of these tasks. The ability to achieve each of these with a minimalist type of kit. A GPS is great to aid your navigation but when the batteries go out or you smash the screen it is a paper weight. So understanding how to navigate by the sun, stars and/or compass and map is critical. Learn how to start a fire without a lighter or match. Learn how to make a shelter out of natural materials, learn how to trap food, improvise a weapon to assist your hunt. Learn how to acquire water through various means. Once you have mastered the basics, then move on to more advanced techniques.

Do not go out and buy the entire Wal-Mart camping section, place it in your pack or vehicle and call it good. Because it is not learning the basics, it is a waste of time and money. There are a lot of videos, blogs and so called "experts" out there on the internet. Use your 5th principle of patrolling (common sense) when looking at these sites. You will realize that they are unqualified individuals that have no experience or training. That being said, there are a lot of great videos, blogs and web sites from people who have those skill sets and the experience. Good luck in all your endeavors. Remember to learn the basic fundamentals, acquire the right tools and sharpen your skill sets. You have the tool box, all you need to do is to add the right tools. De Oppresso Liber.

Just some of the things we do to prepare for emergencies or what ever happens to come our way. Food storage is a good way to avoid paying high prices, you buy when it’s on sale and stock up!

Pretty much as the Sign says ^_^.