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 the others. South Florida is a tricky place to escape from, and a terrible place to be should disaster strike. Even with a full gas tank, you’ll most likely need a refill before you get to anywhere worthy of retreating to. Self-storage units are affordable, and an ideal solution. Cache what you need somewhere beyond the city boundaries, and concentrate on being the first to leave. More info on this type of escape, along with exit strategies, can be found in Survive 2012: Safe Spots, available for download and from Amazon real soon.

Survivalists in Florida is a post from: 2012 Blog

©2012 2012 Blog. All Rights Reserved.

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 repairs
• and finally seized his property without any compensation

Yet again, I have to warn survivalists to make sure that they are not breaking any laws, even local laws like planning permission. Because some authorities will use anything they can to thwart your preparations.

Full story at Off Grid Survival, and video below:

For more on this item, from the regular press, we have the image below and a story at Austin news service Statesman.com.

SWAT Team Storms Private Bunker is a post from: 2012 Blog

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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 of the bunker under construction that was retrieved from his home, which helped them determine a rough location. Detectives dressed as hikers searched the area and when they saw a puff of smoke they knew they had located him. Even the most cautious survivalist can make mistakes…

Authorities pumped tear gas into the bunker on Friday, but it failed to flush Keller out. By Saturday, after a 22-hour standoff, police blew the top off the bunker Saturday to find that Keller was already dead from a self-inflicted gunshot.

The bunker was a bit of mess:

Lots more photos at the Daily Mail.
Video at King5.

The Bunker of Dead Survivalist Peter Keller is a post from: 2012 Blog

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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!

Survival Tips on YouTube is a post from: 2012 Blog

©2012 2012 Blog. All Rights Reserved.

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.

Video On Relocating for Survival Purposes is a post from: 2012 Blog

©2012 2012 Blog. All Rights Reserved.

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 which vehicle to choose is a bit more complicated. Here are some of the aspects that should be considered:

• For escaping, for post-SHTF or both? Ideally your escape vehicle is a modern, reliable all-rounder that will get you to your safe spot. It needs to have plenty of room for supplies and people. A large fuel tank would be handy – remember to keep the tank full!
• Yet if there is an EMP-event, a vehicle built prior to the mid-70s, without electronics, would still run (whereas modern vehicles won’t)
• And if the highways are clogged, perhaps a motorcycle?
• But for post-SHTF, you probably want something that can also run on bio-fuel, and has lots of spare parts available, like a diesel Toyota HiLux or F-Series Ford. A tractor would also be very handy.

Personally, later this year I plan on having, in addition to our current people mover, a 10-year-old diesel HiLux twin-cab with a canopy (hiding the supplies kept permanently in the rear). That’s the escape vehicle. I think the odds of an EMP event in Australia are very low, so I’m comfortable with it having electronics.

Out at the safe spot I expect to have an old reliable tractor. Probably a Massey Ferguson for about $15K. Or perhaps a different brand if I decide I want an enclosed cabin. And a large trailer. Post-SHTF traveling at a high speed probably won’t be necessary, so I think a tractor is going to have the best ability to get me places. And of course it would be very useful for my farm and for other people to borrow. Imagine is someone gives you some of their future crop in exchange for the use of your tractor! For that scenario, you want a tractor with rear PTO, and implements like a plow.

Land Rover DC100 is a post from: 2012 Blog

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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 deal with angry or desperate people from a different culture.

So, Australia. I’d suggest that alongside Canada it is the country most like the USA. So it shouldn’t be difficult. It comes down to who you are, and that’s not a judgemental thing, it’s just reality that some people need what is familiar, and others cope fine in foreign environments. Holly struggled – my comments are in red. And as someone who has spent a lot of time in the USA, and having lived in Perth at the same time as the Deyos, I feel qualified to comment.

I had to learn to drive on the “wrong” side of the road. It meant a new driver’s license and a new test. Everything was measured in metric from distances to recipes to weight… In the States, a “can” might consist of 14 oz., but there it could be 300 grams, which when you convert it, is only 10-1/2 oz. This difference certainly mucks up recipes… Now think what that transition would be like to a country where you don’t even speak the language…. The entire planet is metric – except the USA. Driving on the wrong side of the road isn’t so hard, but roundabouts can throw you, kill you even. But these are things that come right with time. Even if you stay in your own country, new jobs/relationships/shoes take getting used to.

Imagine trading every single thing you know, every piece of history you identify with, every single store you’re used to shopping, every landmark you associate with your culture, every street familiar to you, every joke and bit of humor you “get”, every idiom that’s a part of your language, every holiday that is your tradition, every convenience you take for granted. Weigh all that and more, it carves a big hole out of your heart. That’s really powerful. Time doesn’t help as much. If you are uncomfortable in a foreign culture after, say, a few weeks – it will probably be permanent.

I remember seeing programs on Aussie TV that originated in America. It was so good when they panned the city and one got to glimpse a slice of home, even if for a few seconds. Though those seconds brought more waves of wretched homesickness, it was wonderful to see America again. It can be a Catch-22, you miss the things from home, but when you see them they make you just as homesick. The most popular holiday destinations for the British are Mediterranean resorts that serve fish and chips, ale, have Coronation Street on TV and have a dart board in the recreation area. If that sounds like you, do not relocate for survival purposes!

In the ensuing four years, a stack of paperwork literally 2” thick had to be completed for the Australian government.

Every 6 months I had to exit the country for 6 weeks at a time to not overstay the visa. That became VERY expensive for the two of us. I also had to prove that my personal funds were sufficient to show that I was an “asset” and would not be a burden on their welfare system.

Background checks were run on me both in Colorado and in Perth by their police departments to make sure I wasn’t some bolting criminal. Oh yes, I had to pay for these too. This will happen wherever you relocate to. If you can actually read the paperwork that’s a big plus.

During these 5-1/2 years, because I retained my U.S. citizenship, we paid dual income tax on the same money, which was very expensive. Incorrect - there are tax treaties between Australia and the USA, and you get credits for tax you have paid in the other land.

Imagine the surprise to find that Downunder many women are still viewed as having no minds except for creativeness in the sack, washing laundry and prepping food. Imagine dialing the clock back two centuries… Didn’t the days of man’s knuckle-dragging disappear in the 60′s? Not there. Even Stan was shocked to see the disparity in treatment. This really comes down to what part of the country you are in - there are certainly parts of the USA that are as bad. Australia gave women the vote long before the USA, and NZ was first. Try Melbourne or Sydney and you’ll see a big difference in attitudes.

We’ve had half a dozen acquaintances over the past few years move to Australia and New Zealand. They quit their job, sold out, and moved their entire family to a place they’d never been…Within two years, three tops, those people who had moved to Oceana packed it in and came home to America. We know a lot of ex-pats in Australia. In fact we barely know any families where both parents were born here. It seems to be about 50/50, between those who give it a go then head home, and those who declare they have found a new home. My brother and sister lasted six months each, I’m still here after 17 years (from NZ originally). But I was the one who backpacked through North America and Europe for many years. And my English wife has been here 8 years, but she has lived on a Kibbutz for 6 months and backpacked through China and Laos etc. Our English friends who had never travelled beyond Majorca can’t wait to return to the UK, yet another family who had travelled through Africa extensively look like they will stay forever.

——–

Perhaps travelling to other countries (as opposed to being a tourist) is a prerequisite for relocating?? A beauty of the modern world is that it is relatively easy and cheap to sample a foreign land and see if you like it. And 2012 provides a great excuse to do just that. If you think Australia, Brazil or South Africa would make a great survival spot, why not go there from November 2012 to January 2013?* That way, if something terrible does happen, you will be there. And if it doesn’t, you’ll have a good idea as to whether it is somewhere you want to stay long-term.

Let the fear of Dec 21, 2012 empower you. Make bold, easy choices. Mix it up for a few months because you can.

* If you have young children, I suggest staying put and looking for a survival spot close to home, unless you are extremely adventurous.

Holly Deyo on Changing Countries is a post from: 2012 Blog

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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 that one day something bad will happen, and it is wise to be prepared. Even if it doesn’t happen in your lifetime, future generations might be saved by following your example.

Rapture - there’s only two ways to go if you aren’t in heaven on Dec 22: admit you’ve been duped, or agree on a new date (perhaps one that did not come from a foreign land with a different religion).

2012ers: New Age v. Preppers v. Rapture is a post from: 2012 Blog

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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.

$20 Million Steel Arks is a post from: 2012 Blog

©2012 2012 Blog. All Rights Reserved.

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 the number of sun spots or flares around 2013 could generate huge radiation levels. The resulting solar storm could cause a geomagnetic storm on Earth, knocking out electricity grids around the world for hours, days, or even months, bringing much of normal life grinding to a halt.”
• US Space Weather Prediction Centre: “North America or northern Europe may be without power from between days or weeks, to perhaps months and, in extreme cases, there are estimates that it could last years”
• NASA (again): …power grids may be more vulnerable than ever… Interconnectedness makes the system susceptible to wide-ranging “cascade failures.” …more than 350 transformers at risk of permanent damage and 130 million people without power.
• National Academy of Sciences: “The report warns of widespread failures in telecommunications, electric power, banking and finance, and transportation; even water supplies could be disrupted”.
• Scientific American: “Ice cores suggest that such a blast of solar particles happens only once every 500 years, but even the storms every 50 years could fry satellites, jam radios and cause coast-to-coast blackouts.”
• IEEE:” If we do nothing—if we stand by and wait for politicians to appreciate the risks and act on them—we may witness one of the worst catastrophes of all time“

I’ve written a new article that looks at how the power grids of North America, Europe and Australasia could go down for months on end, leading to great suffering and misery – 2012 Solar Storms.

And if you think our governments have it covered, think again, and think Hurricane Katrina and think Fukushima – both preventable.

BTW, if you are serious about preparing for the worst, get my survival ebook.

2012 Solar Storm = Long-Term Power Blackout is a post from: 2012 Blog

©2012 2012 Blog. All Rights Reserved.