By Kellene Bishop

Yesterday I addressed aspects of urban/suburban preparedness when you MUST stay where you are and make the best of things. However, ideally, a principle that I always share with urban dwellers is to prepare yourself in such a way that you can get out quickly with all of your necessary goods and provisions should things go south. Why? Because the urban area will indeed be the most volatile area you can be in a time of distress. There will be more looting, violence, crime and gangs simply because of the opportunity such a dense population will present. I addressed several of the liabilities of being in a densely populated in yesterday’s article.

There are four keys to getting out of an unsafe environment to one that you can survive and thrive.

MS-13 Gang

1)     Timing: You will need to be committed to watching things very carefully and be fully prepared to get out SOONER rather than later. Otherwise you’ll be embroiled in a crowd of panic and desperation. Pay attention to what’s going on around you. If it looks bad, get out. Don’t wait for the obvious announcements or telltale signs that all of the other foolish citizens are watching for. The longer you wait to leave, the more dangerous your situation will become. And yes, you will need to leave—sorry. I don’t buy into the warrantless hypothesis that a country setting may be more dangerous than a city setting. Phooey. Rural settings are significantly less likely to be a target of an act of war. They regularly provide their own source of water, wood, and other necessities. Also, in a more rural setting I’ve easily got 20 yards of view out my window in which I can better protect myself (think rifle, folks). An unwanted stranger is a lot more obvious in a rural setting, which is usually more tight and protective. And a self-defense mentality thrives more abundantly in such an environment. Also, the roving gangs have to survive enough in order to even be able to make the trek. They aren’t going to be able to readily get what they want, folks. Guns and immorality may abound among them. But they are no match for a crazed and desperate populace. I assure you that MS-13 gangs are not putting together a years’ supply of food, water, etc. right now. They aren’t prepared to travel 80 miles in the dead of winter either. And let’s face it—their jeans that hang down to their knees aren’t going to provide much protection against the elements. The truth be told, they are just as capable of desperation and acts of stupidity in a major crisis as an everyday citizen—worse, their decision-making process will be impeded by a lack of spiritual guidance, peace, and perhaps a mind and body polluted with illicit drugs. You will have a great advantage over such a gang if you are prepared properly and are soundly able to execute your plans. Wars are rarely won solely as the result of a “stronger force.” They are usually won when the other side makes an error. Trust me on this one. The gangs will be making a LOT of errors before they are able to get organized and provide a semblance of a threat. But that’s where timing comes in. The longer you wait, the longer the opposition has to get fully organized and dam your plans.

2)     Portability: Be sure that as you store up your necessary provisions that you have them in such a way that they can relatively easily go with you in a hurry. No, I’m not talking about a simple grab and go type of thing. I’m talking about all of your preparedness supplies. It would be wise to even conduct a dry run of packing and going. This means that whatever it is you’re planning on driving in needs to meet the needs of the task. A Geo just won’t cut it, folks. This also means that having a list of what you’re taking with you in a hurry is important. Make sure it’s handy and that you’re familiar with everything on it and know where it all is. (This is another reason why I religiously use containers to store a great deal of my foods and other supplies. Grabbing containers is a heck of a lot easier than packing items hurriedly.)

3)     Travel Route: You need to plan an alternative travel route to your destination. Stay off of the main roads that everyone else and their dog will be using. This will be the most efficient use of your time and your fuel. It will also minimize the exposure you may have with nefarious individuals. This is another reason why it’s important to keep your gas tank at a minimum of half full at all times. Don’t broadcast to ANYONE where you are going or that you are “bailing out.” Just do it and keep your mouth closed about it.

4)     Pre-planned destination: This is the most important aspect. You MUST fully plan where you are going. Select a place where you can hunker down safely and with others that you trust. Part of the reason being is that you can’t possibly take EVERYTHING with you that you will need for a long-term survival. If you intend to get to Aunt Millie’s farm 80 miles away, then have some of your preparedness supplies already stored there. Be sure that you have planned every detail with Aunt Millie as well. Both you and your destination point must be on the same page in order for you to have legitimate safety. Try to select a place that is not readily off of the freeway. There are a lot of “rural” towns here in Utah, but they are immediately off the freeway. That means that they are more readily accessible to opportunistic criminals. Even less criminally minded masses need to be taken into consideration for your safety and survival. Desperate people do unthinkable things. So be prepared for it.

In the future, I will be specifically addressing defense preparedness in more detail. Till then, I’d start making sure that you have a place to retreat to and are prepared for such a task.

• Rural or Urban Preparedness Part I
• Rural or Urban Preparedness Part II
• Rural or Urban Preparedness Part III

Copyright 2009 Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.  All rights reserved.  You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.

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By Kellene Bishop

It's not realistic for us to each live here to be perfectly prepared. Photo c/o oneworld.net

Basically, the message I wanted to convey yesterday is to get prepared regardless of where you live. It’s unrealistic to think that we can all live out in a rural environment and only by doing so will we be safe and secure. To promote such an idea would indeed be fear mongering. However, if you live in a more populated area, these are some things you must take into consideration in your preparedness efforts in order to ensure your safety and survival.

Keep in mind there are two different types of scenarios that an urbanite will need to endure in a “worst case scenario.” One that requires them to stay put, regardless, and one that requires them to get the heck out of dodge. Today let’s discuss the “staying put” issues.

A mandatory quarantine, destructive earthquake affecting the roads, and martial law are just a few scenarios in which you would simply need to stay put. As such, you need to be sure that the supplies within your home are sufficient for you to endure a long-term scenario. In those types of scenarios it’s likely you will still have access to gas, electric, and water, thank goodness. That will put you in a position in which you will simply need to be sure that you have a sufficient amount of food, household supplies, etc. on hand. However, it’s when one of those three luxuries get interrupted that city dwellers will need to be particularly methodical in their preparedness efforts.

First, think about your nutritional requirement. Be sure you have food stuffs on hand that will need a minimal amount of cooking. You will not be able to rely on access to the outdoors. This means if you’ve got a stove that you need to use indoors, you need to make sure you live in a home that permits the windows to be open—NOT an easy task in the majority of city buildings built after 1990.

Regardless of how old your dwelling is, desired air flow does not come easy. And it will be critical to you if you don’t have the luxury of electricity. Either you won’t have the ability to open windows, or doing so may compromise your safety. To help with the air quality in your home, consider investing in several houseplants now. Just one houseplant in a room provides enough oxygen for one adult per day. They also help to purify the air in your home. I’m not the best botanist in the world by any means, but I’ve somehow managed to have a few plants over the years that haven’t died on me. So it’s possible even for the worst gardener in the world to successfully have some houseplants.

Big Buddy indoor propane heater

Since access to the outdoors should be limited to city dwellers during a survival scenario, consider carefully what alternative fuels you’ll use for cooking, purifying water, and heating indoors. I recommend butane stoves for cooking indoors. Butane is a fuel that you can consistently use indoors without worrying about fume inhalation. There’s also the “Big Buddy” or “Little Buddy” indoor propane heater which uses a special canister that allows you to get heat indoors without needing ventilation. (Note: This does not mean you can burn all propane indoors without ventilation. Just this specially created unit.) Isopropyl alcohol also burns cleanly indoors and is relatively affordable as well.

One of the most important considerations if you live in a densely populated area is that you must plan on deliberately being inconspicuous. When you are prepared, you are a target—plain and simple. You simply cannot cook fragrant foods. Any sounds that comes from your dwelling must sound like everyone else around you who are “surviving.” You MUST be able to completely black out your windows at night as well as the cracks which surround your doors. Invest in duct tape and thick black sheeting that’s durable for long-term use. You cannot afford for light to leak through for others to see. This will paint you as a target to those who feel entitled to your survival wares. Along those lines, allow me to remind you that you must also be vigilant in protecting your home and your supplies. It’s OK to be suspicious. Be aware of your surroundings. Pay attention. Take your time in trusting someone. These are good words of advice even now.

Also be sure that you have a sufficient number of fire extinguishers for your dwelling. With or without electricity, fire is a legitimate concern in a survival mode of living. A fire hazard can come from Mother Nature, cooking indoors in a way you’re unfamiliar with, candlelight, from a criminal act outdoors, of from the carelessness of your close neighbors. So be prepared to squelch the danger ASAP. 

All of the 10 Areas of Preparedness shared previously on this site are applicable to city dwellers. You’ve got to be prepared in a more condensed and confined area. Whatever you do, don’t bring attention to yourself and your preparedness—not now, and certainly not in the midst of a survival scenario. In a densely populated area, you run the risk of attracting a LOT more people than you would in a rural area. It’s the difference between advertising on a New York City billboard and advertising in the middle of farmland in Chubbuck, Idaho. So realize that any survival tools or supplies that you’re using, you run the risk of letting hundreds of thousands of others know that you’ve got them.

For the faint of heart, I apologize in advance. Since I’m discussing this topic, I’ve got to bring up the Physical Preparedness component here that will be especially important to city dwellers—DEFENSE. As a city dweller, you need to be that much more prepared to protect yourself. Though you will be a bit cramped in your city dwelling as a result of all of your supplies, I strongly suggest that whenever possible you bring in other people who you trust. One of my readers is an empty nester who lives with her husband. They are both mid-fifties and live in a townhome in an urban environment. They are astute when it comes to preparedness, but their preparedness supplies are not enough to protect them. I recommend that they recruit anywhere from 2 to 4 more neighbors that they can trust to live with them during such an event (with the neighbors contributing their own goods and supplies of course). Two people living in a townhome in the city is simply too easy of a target for evil marauders to pass up in a desperate situation. Two adults would have very little luck defending themselves against a determined gang of 6 or 8. ALL of the adults need to have a plan to defend themselves (men AND women) and then you need PEOPLE to help you back up that plan. Obviously, this is a whole other topic to address in and of itself. But for now, I’d like the city dwellers to at least think about how they would handle such a scenario.

If you can get a gun, do so and get proficient with it.

City dwellers are actually in more danger of being subjected to crime than country dwellers are. As a whole, criminals are lazy opportunists. A city presents much more opportunity than a rural setting does. Criminals attempt to obtain the low hanging fruit that is readily available to them first and foremost. They aren’t about to spend their physical energy and resources to traipse 50 miles outside of town to get to that farmhouse. They’d be passing up too many easy targets on their way. So how do you protect yourself? With whatever you’re comfortable with. However, I BEG YOU to GET comfortable with the most effective form of self-defense that you can legally use in your area. If you’re permitted to have a gun, GET ONE and get familiar with how to use it proficiently. If you can’t have a gun, then get long-distance pepper spray, an Asp baton, or a heavy-duty baseball bat. 

Copyright 2009 Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.  All rights reserved.  You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.

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By Kellene Bishop

Your preparedness efforts give you OPTIONS. Photo c/o miamism.com

Let me start by saying Preparedness Is Never Pointless.

Preparedness isn’t about “guaranteeing” ourselves that we will have a particular result. There are too many aspects that are completely out of our control for this to be realistic. Preparedness is about giving ourselves OPTIONS.

Today’s article is in response to a question posed yesterday by one of our readers. I’m sure that he speaks for nearly everyone—at least at some point in their preparedness efforts. I felt that his answer merited more than a one liner response and one that all of our readers may benefit from—at least I hope so.

He writes:

“In a society where less than 2% of people will have any preps, even short term. What are the chances of being able to stay in your home in an emergency? I’m starting to think that I need to have better plans to bug out, unfortunately I don’t have a dozen reliable people to provide defense.

Seriously, how are we supposed to avoid being overrun by hungry, desperate neighbors?

If it progresses to violence or threats of violence it is only a matter of time till someone snipes us when we go outside.

I’m having a hard time visualizing how it can possibly work. Sometimes that aspect makes me wonder if it’s worth putting all this effort in, just to lose it.”

We have all uttered the words “why bother” when it comes to preparedness. Even men and women that I know, admire, and love have succumbed to a moment of emotional defeat and have uttered the words “why bother”. The good news is that there are some great answers to counter such a defeating rationale.

Sichuan Earthquake

First of all, remember that there are 10 different areas of preparedness. Even with the most advanced architectural designs and enforcements, there’s no way that we can guarantee our home will not be gobbled up in an earthquake with all of our preparedness supplies therein. But which aspects of preparedness would such an event really destroy? Medical, Clothing and Shelter, Fuel perhaps, Water, and Food. We would still be left with 5 other areas of preparedness that we own regardless of whether our home stands erect. An earthquake cannot rob us of our Spiritual strength, our Mental Preparation and Knowledge, our Physical strength, our state of debts (Financial), and our ability to Communicate. However, had we not prepared sufficiently in any of these other areas, the earthquake would be the least of our problems. Yes, there is a point where after all we can do physically our preparedness supplies may be worthless dust in the event of a fire or an earthquake. But after such an event, are we worse off for having prepared? NO. Perhaps our example of preparedness is why we can find safety and solace in the home of another. Perhaps because of all of our preparedness efforts we’ve learned sufficient knowledge along the way to provide for our family in other critical ways as well.

Next, preparedness in the nine other areas following Spiritual Preparedness actually helps to ensure our spiritual preparedness stays intact. How I’m judged after I die is much more important than how I’m judged here. To keep this perspective, our spiritual preparedness has to be our foundation on which we build all other areas of preparedness. It is the physical preparations which will either tax or ensure our spiritual ones. Our Physical Preparedness efforts give us options so that we do not have to become the ugly person who will do anything, including selling our soul, for something to eat. If we do not take the time to prepare physically, then we are leaving ourselves no options to be level headed, peaceful, and capable of providing for us and our families. Instead we will leave ourselves subject to whatever morality prevails in the moment of need.

Desparate photo c/o jakking.typepad.com

Yes, in the event of a disaster there will be many desperate souls. Desperation changes even the best of people who are less resolved in their goodness. One of the questions we all need to ask ourselves is, do we want to become one of those desperate souls who will do anything for a meal? We will indeed seal such a fate for ourselves if we do NOT prepare. Our preparedness efforts now will help us to NOT become one of those people. Our efforts provide us with OPTIONS. While a person may have to leave their home to get rid of sanitation waste occasionally, if they are prepared with sufficient supplies, at least they have the option of staying safely inside for a couple of weeks while havoc is wreaked outside. 

In addressing this issue, also keep in mind that those who would harm you also require physical and mental sustenance themselves. If they are hungered or thirsty, their intended right hook or sniping will not be well-placed. Their resolve will be compromised by their physical and mental faculties being weakened. Criminals are creatures of prey. They prey on the easy targets, not the fortified ones. History has shown us that 10 days into the aftermath of a disaster eliminates many of the weak and unresolved. During that period of time, while you gather with your family in safety, you can be making preparations to come off conqueror in the event of future encounters.

A key component of being prepared is to mentally prepare yourself for what “might” come. Once you mentally explore the possibilities, then you have to decide what merits your preparedness efforts. I’m sure that there may have been some soldiers on the beach at Normandy who wondered why they ever bothered to bring their gun only to get shot down immediately. On the other hand, there are soldiers and grateful citizens that are still alive today because these brave and prepared soldiers acted with all possible readiness so that they could survive such a slaughter. For that matter, I suppose that any soldier who goes into battle could consider their rifle as an “optional” piece of equipment. Do they occasionally have the doubts of “What if someone is a better shot than me?” “What if I miss the telltale signs of a roadside bomb?” “What good is my body armor if I take a head shot?” Yes. But they still arm themselves to the best of their ability and let God do the rest.

Self Defense photo c/o threatsolutions.biz

Just as the firearm, the body armor, and the countless hours of drills are important to the preparation of a soldier’s survival, so are our preparedness efforts. Why? Because all preparedness efforts boil down to having OPTIONS. What options do we have to stay safe in our homes when others have to flee if we haven’t taken the time to prepare? If you have no food, water, fuel, clothing, heat, etc., then when there is a prolonged electrical outage in the middle of winter, you have no option but to leave your home in hopes that you find a safer environment. If we do not educate ourselves in matters of alternative health care, then someday the only option we have are to trust in desperation and take any vaccine that’s waved before us. If we do not practice and prepare to defend ourselves, then when the first desperate soul enters our home we have no option but to surrender. 

My husband and I like to play strategic games such as Chess, Othello, Sequence, and Stratego. We’re both good at these games because we’re always planning several strategic moves ahead. We specifically plan “now, if he does this, I’m going to do that, and if he does this, I’m going to take this move.” While it messes with my husband’s head when I’ve tried this strategy, I’ve never been able to beat him simply by deploying reckless abandonment in my moves. All it’s really done is finished the game faster.

Ultimately, the moment will come when we will have to meet our Maker and be responsible for how we fought the fight. Will we stand there knowing we gave up on ourselves and our fellow man by simply making defeatist moves, or will we proudly stand knowing we gave it our all to win and accomplish our stewardship? I believe we frequently underestimate our preparedness efforts and the worth of our existence to ourselves, our family and our nations. I hope that we will remember this when we experience moments when we ask ourselves, “Why bother?”

Copyright 2009 Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.  All rights reserved.  You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.

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