Articles in Survivalism
Survivalists in Florida
Great article in the Miami New Times last week, profiling preppers and survivalists like these folk:
Jorge Villa – after a terrifying experience during Hurricane Andrew he devised his own bunkers, and sells them to folk – some of whom are worried about the end of the Mayan calendar – via his business U.S. Bunkers
Neal Wiseman – moderates a group called the South Florida Survivalist Network, and has a year’s worth of food stored for his family, should the need arise:
Chris Petrovich – prepper for 25 years. He has helped others “cache extra fuel and food, stashed in public-storage units and underground, at intervals on an 800-to-1,200-mile path out of Florida. Amid darkness and chaos, skirting burning sugarcane fields and accidents and roadblocks, they’ll drive from cache to cache toward a secret inland hiding spot, exhausting the last available remnants of the petroleum age.”
While Petrovich himself plans on staying, I agree with …
SWAT Team Storms Private Bunker
The anti-survivalist actions of some authorities in the USA are getting much worse. In recent times we have seen the malicious use of zoning laws to thwart survival plans, and we have seen many of things survivalists do listed as suspicious (in a terrorism way). This most recent news is of special concern for anyone who has a private bunker:
After getting dressed Mr. Del Rio went and opened his front door. He was immediately bum rushed by the Austin Police Department’s SWAT Team and then detained and interrogated for over 10 hours.
His crime: on his property was an old Cold War bunker that Mr. Del Rio had converted into a workshop.
You’d think the interrogation would have been enough punishment, but unfortunately the authorities:
fenced off his home and prohibited him from entering the residence
filled in his entire basement and bunker with 264 tons of concrete
sent him a bill for $90,000 in …
The Bunker of Dead Survivalist Peter Keller
Peter Keller had been preparing for “the end of the world” since 2004, when he began constructing his North Bend, WA bunker. It is located deep in steep, wooded terrain. And he was very cautious and careful so that it would not be found:
- he used so many different paths to reach his bunker than no trail was formed
- he milled his own timber, so that no records of purchase existed
Keller was working for a local solar company, but had just taken some time off. He had not been seen since the murder of his wife, Lynnette, and 18-year-old daughter Kaylene – they were found shot dead in their home last weekend, after which Keller had set it alight.
A combination of factors helped the authorities locate Keller’s bunker. The most recent call on his cellphone was made several miles from the bunker. This information was combined with a photo …
Survival Tips on YouTube
I’m normally quite dismissive of YouTube when it comes to 2012 information. Although there are many thousands of videos about 2012, the majority are from faceless, nameless authors presenting unverifiable information – which only leads to more confusion on the topic. The other side of 2012 is where, once you have a pet theory of what will happen, you start preparing to survive. And that is the area that YouTube serves well. I present this one from a well-known survivalist, as an example of how just watching a short clip can really help with your survival plans. If you are planning to survive from your suburban home, watch this:
Sign up to some channels and stay informed!
Video On Relocating for Survival Purposes
The creator of this video is Fernando “Ferfal” Aguirre who wrote the very interesting survivalist book Surviving The Economic Collapse. While his writing style is unusual, his hardcore attitude makes it a must read – it’ll force you to think about many SHTF aspects that might be beyond your comfort zone.
In this video he discusses his decision process as he works out where to live – he’s leaving his Argentinian home because he no longer feels safe in that country.
Land Rover DC100
Over at USA Today they are telling us that this new Land Rover model should appeal to survivalists:
With its rooftop equipment rack, you can stow hundreds of cans of Spam and canned peas topside, leaving the cargo area for your stash of glinting yellow gold bullion. As giant chasms split open before you, you can count on the winch to deliver you from a sure, quick demise. Best of all, the DC100 has a snorkel so it can be driven in deep water. Land Rover even came up with something called “Wade Aid” with sonar sensors on the bumper and side mirrors to measure water depth. When it senses that you have sounded the dive alarm and are headed for deep water, it automatically closes vents, raises the ride height and puts the vehicle into low gear.
I think the question of …
Holly Deyo on Changing Countries
Survivalists often discuss which countries would be safest to be in, should a global cataclysm occur. Typically the focus is on the lack of danger – no volcanoes, inland, no nuclear power plants… Less discussed is whether you can handle the more mundane aspects of living somewhere new, and leaving your old life behind.
Holly Deyo is the author of the very excellent Dare To Prepare! (buy it, even if the weight makes it expensive to deliver…), and she knows what she is talking about in her article describing her 5+ years in Perth, Australia.
That’s right – Australia. Not like Lesotho as Patrick Geryl suggests, or parts of Brazil that I mention in my book, Survive 2012: Safe Spots. There are strong reasons for not moving to countries where the culture is quite different to your own. Not only might you struggle pre-SHTF, after a catastrophe you might lack the skills to …
2012ers: New Age v. Preppers v. Rapture
OK, fess up – if you believe in 2012 to any degree then you are one of the above. You might be a mix of two or even all three, but one will be where your core 2012ism comes from.
One of the easiest ways to determine your key aspect is to ask yourself how you will react if a massive EOTW event does not occur on Dec 21 2012:
New Age – typically you will claim any good news or miracle (like a lost dog finding its owner). Most likely you have already spotted indications of the changes ahead. A lack of a major event this December won’t matter, for you will say that the change has just begun – but it might take a while. Your positivity will be continual.
Prepper – 2012 is an excuse to step up your preparations. If nothing happens, no matter – you know deep down …
$20 Million Steel Arks
In my opinion, it went something like this:
A few authors suggest a global cataclysm could occur in 2012
Patrick Geryl says a good way of surviving would be unsinkable yachts
Roland Emmerich makes the movie 2012, using many of Geryl’s ideas. He replaces yachts with massive steel arks
Hardened Structures starts making steel arks for clients
One of those real arks is pictured above. For $20 million you get a 900 ton steel ship that can hold 180 people and has supplies that will last for five years. this isn’t someone’s daydream, this is a genuine survival ark that (hopefully) will be used if a massive tsunami strikes where it is situated.
For more, including the CNN video that broke the story, see Noah’s Ark News.
2012 Solar Storm = Long-Term Power Blackout
Lawrence E Joesph, Patrick Geryl and myself would probably be the 2012 catastrophists that have reached the most people. Something we all proclaim is that our Sun is the most likely source of a 2012 disaster:
Geryl: convoluted math and ancient texts prove that a 2012 disaster is certain
Joseph: science says a new Carrington event is kinda due, and 2012 has religious aspects as well
Bast: observations by ancients of auroras at low latitudes could have predicted a 2012 solar storm
We each understand that a solar storm could wipe out power grids and potentially melt down nuclear facilities, leading to many millions of lost lives. That late 2012/ early 2013 is probably the peak of this solar cycle fits well with all three theories. Aside from the “2012 is the year” aspect, many key bodies agree with us:
NASA: “NASA has warned that a peak in the sun’s magnetic energy cycle and …
Survivalist Magazine / More Apocalyptic TV
2012 is the year of 2012!
Issue six of Survivalist magazine is a special 2012 issue. You can buy single copies and the first two issues are now also available on Kindle. To my knowledge this is the only survivalist magazine in existence. Please let me know if you are aware of any others.
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And there some TV pilots that will hopefully be picked up to start showing this year:
ABC’s “The Last Resort,” is all about a nuclear submarine crew that refuses to fire off a nuke, and instead they declare themselves to be a sovereign nation. With nuclear weapons. And balls.
NBC’s “Revolution,” is all about a world that is suddenly without sources of energy. It stars “Breaking Bad” bad guy Giancarlo Esposito. I can’t wait to see what causes the doomsday scenario.
And finally NBC’s “Frontier” is a western following 1840s pioneers. Westerns are great for picturing how …
Doomsday Preppers: Highest Ratings
According to National Geographic Channel, Doomsday Preppers is the most popular show the network has ever aired.
This week on National Geographic Channel, Doomsday Preppers continues its amazing run on the channel, the #1, 3, 6 and 11 most viewed shows of the week. Doomsday Preppers has become the highest rated series in the history of the network in its short time, we are glad so many viewers are watching.
So obviously there will be a second series, and NatGeo are casting for it now – you can email prepperscasting@sharpentertainment.com if you are interested. To date such shows have relied on the participation of prominent bloggers – people who are already publicizing their own survivalist efforts. But that doesn’t mean you can’t apply to appear. If you have survival ideas that might encourage others to prepare – and millions will be watching – then perhaps you can achieve great good and potentially …
Doomsday Bunkers
Doomsday Bunkers is a new 3-part TV series that will launch on Discovery Channel in the USA on Wed March 7. A GLP forum member saw an ad for it:
it’s about what the title implies… awesome doomsday bunkers, people who build them, how they build them, what they put in them… etc etc.
Here’s more info from a press release:
Dallas-based Deep Earth Bunker owner Scott Bales and his crackerjack team of engineers and craftsmen bring a new dimension to the world of underground living, with an absolute goal of keeping their clients safe from physical, social, financial, political, psychological, and emotional harm. Air systems with nuclear, biological and chemical filters; massive water storage tanks; security systems; gun vaults; and decontamination rooms coupled with custom built kitchens with granite countertops; fine floor finishes; and luxurious bathrooms combine the comfort of above ground living …
A New Type of Portable Charger
Your survival equipment might include something that charges over USB. For example, an iPad with hundreds of survival books stored on it. When the SHTF and there’s no electricity and/or you are on the road, how will you recharge your device? You’ll be OK if you have a car and the right socket. You’ll be fine if you have a way of using solar power. But if neither of those are available to you – say you are near a volcanic eruption and the ash is disrupting those two options – then this gadget might be able to help. All you need is something combustible, like twigs, leaves or paper. in other words, you should never run out of fuel!
Oh yeah, it’s also a camping stove, so you can cook on it, boil water, or just keep yourself warm. The BioLite Camp Stove is available to order now, shipping in …
Farewell Thumb Knuckle / Prepper Declared Insane
Doomsday Preppers (currently screening on NatGeo in the USA) is reality TV, so of course it includes some drama. And what happened to Tim Ralston certainly wasn’t scripted:
Meanwhile, David Sarti, who also appeared on the show, has been declared insane. Yet it might all come down to his SHTF beliefs.
He visited a cardiologist and after refusing treatment ended up being kept in a psychiatric unit for evaluation – seemingly because the cardiologist felt Sarti was suicidal. You’d like to think a cardiologist wouldn’t be allowed to make such a call! Sarti was consequently released, with no further action taken, except for one very cruel twist: due to his brief stay at a psych facility, he has been deemed by the Tennessee state to be mentally defective and unfit to own a gun. Yet he is a survivalist… ironic.
Here’s Sarti telling his story:
In the second video he makes it clear that …
