.

Thursday, December 29, 2016

Serious Survival: How much food should you stockpile?

It seems that for every blogger or forum member there’s a survival expert as well. That’s great because there’s such wealth of information and you can learn from different experiences and accounts.
Then again the downside… every blogger and member thinks he’s an expert.
You see, for realistic survival and preparedness it’s crucial to differentiate the “I think” and “I believe” from the “this is how it went down” “this is why”.
We all know that food is essential for survival. No food and you won’t last long. Same goes for water (and I see it overlooked more often). Keep in mind that while a day without food may suck a bit, but a day without water will be tough indeed. In certain warm climates it can be downright dangerous.
We all get how important food and water is, but then there’s the classic survival question: How much food should you have stored for emergencies?
Doomers say you need years worth of food. Decades even. After all you die if you don’t eat. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) are famous for their year worth of food approach, although many have far less than that.
Officially speaking, what would a real expert recommend? Ready.gov says to have 3 days worth of shelf stable food and bottled water. That may seem as very little but in general most emergencies are either resolved within that time frame or help becomes available. Still, tell this to anyone that spent a week or more snowed in during a storm and he’ll find it lacking.
So how much? A Week? A Month? A year?
The first piece of advice is one you’ve probably heard before and that it is to store what you eat. If your kids don’t even know what rice looks like then having buckets full of the stuff isnt that much of a good idea. Either store something else or actually start eating rice.
There’s two very important reasons for this.
First, if you don’t rotate your food supply it just becomes one of those “just in case” things, and you’ll find yourself throwing food away every few years. This makes keeping large quantities of food stored a great waste of money. Second, if you store what you eat there wont be any difference between emergencies and “normal” times, at least food wise.
In our home we love rice and lentils and prepare rice and lentils stews often. Its tasty, very healthy, stores well for years and its pretty affordable too. Some canned tomato and vegetables and you have all you need for a great nutritional meal.
Another important point is understanding how much calories you actually need. The standard reply here is 2000 calories. Sure, if trekking the north pole you’ll need 5000 instead but even if some manual labour may be needed during disasters there’s people that stay healthy AND active with a lower caloric diet. 2000 will do well enough.

OK ... SO HOW MUCH DO I NEED?
The 3 day recommendation by ready.gov is based on a rather optimistic government recommendation. If they have said instead to have 7 days immediately people would be wondering “Wait, so you’ll let me hang there for an entire week?!” People don’t react well to uncertainty and avoiding panic is a government’s #1 priority. Two weeks worth of groceries is just common sense. It doesn’t put a significant dent in your wallet if done correctly, and yes, it is true that it will cover 99% of the disasters and emergencies you’re likely to face in your lifetime.
I already imagine people thinking “but I want to be ready for SHTF, a worst case scenario, the real end of the world stuff!”.
OK, lets do that. Lets say it’s a worst case, total SHTF scenario. But lets keep it real and look how does it actually play out in the real world rather than fantasize about it.
Related image
Lets say you have 2 years, no, 10 years worth of food. Lets say you have that plus means of producing more, a fully working farm.
Now lets suppose you have your ten year supply of food, plus a farm, plus a pile of guns and ammo… and you’re sitting in Eastern Ukraine when the Russian troops roll in. Or Aleppo when they are levelling every structure around you with barrel bombs. Or in South Africa when white farmers were exterminated and kicked out of their homes. Or in Fukushima when the tsunami destroyed everything and the radiation scorched the land. Do you see a trend here? More food, or a bigger farm would have done you no good. In all of these sometimes like more cash or gold to take along with you when you bug out or even better money in an offshore account would have been far more useful.
“But… I want the end of the world to be more convenient…”
Ok, what about Venezuela? You have out of control inflation, out of control crime and poverty with people starving. Even farmers starve there(posted about just this a few weeks ago), just like Irish farmers starved during the genocide known as the Great Famine or Ukranian farmers died during Holodomor, reduced to cannibalism. Yes, sometimes its natural disasters, but in others its lack of means of production, and an authoritarian government ensure that people starve in spite of having land and the knowledge to work it.
In my experience after the collapse of Argentina’s economy I would say it was somewhat similar to Venezuela during the times of Chavez. By this I mean horrible inflation, but not reaching the levels of food poverty seen today in Venezuela. Food was available, just two or three times more expensive than before. Just imagine how you would deal with such a scenario if you woke up to it tomorrow. Indeed, we all wished we had more food stocked up, and we rushed to buy more right away desperately trying to beat the nonstop inflation. I sure kept several months worth of food stockpiled. But still, at the end of the day if you had money you ate.
I stayed for over a decade after the collapse of 2001. In retrospective I probably should have left sooner. Personal circumstances, heck, life I guess, made us delay our departure. Still, we always had the resources to leave ASAP if needed. This is more than what most people in Venezuela can say.
Image result for irish great famine
In such a complex situation would a 10 year supply of food, or a farm, made much of a difference? Not really. The food would have been nice, but the money to buy it was just as good besides having a conservative stockpile. A farm? Maybe more of an anchor to the country at a time when leaving was the clear path. A farm in a place like Venezuela, where you cant sell it, or if you do you don’t get anything for it, really does you no good.
So, start with a couple weeks worth of stockpiled food. Work towards a month. Then 6 when you can afford it and have the room for it. 6 to 12 months is the maximum I would recommend, with 6 months being the most realistic objective for most people. Six months of food gives you plenty of time for things such as unemployment, family problems. 12 months helps greatly when dealing with inflated prices, food shortages, and overall instability in the country where you maybe spent several months maybe saving money and looking for a job abroad, for a way out of the country entirely.
The lesson being, If you need more than 12 months worth of food, then more food will do you no good because what you really need is to get the hell out of there!
Take care folks,
FerFAL
Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”.

Monday, December 26, 2016

What did we get for Christmas???


Sunday, December 25, 2016

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Merry Christmas!
We had a great time in Sierra Nevada.
Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas Day.
mcf
FerFAL

Thursday, December 22, 2016

Reply: Best Concealed Carry Glock for California?

Image result for chopped g19 to take g26 mags
Chuck Haggard said...
A very real issue with the Glocks is that the ten round "Clinton" magazines are not reliable, especially with JHP ammo.
For a ten round limit I'd go with a G30 or a G26, both are designed around the ten round mags and are very reliable.
An option some explore is doing a grip chop on a G19 to take G26 magazines, that gives greater velocity and sight radius while allowing the shooter to use a reliable magazine, enhances concealment, and allows one to use the 15 or 17 round mags if they travel to a state where those are legal.
...
OK, I like the idea and I think it makes sense, for the reasons you just mention:
1)More reliable mags.
2)Better sight radius. I at least like having a bit more distance between sights, I find it helpful although some people argue that a shorter one is quicker to align, which in theory is correct.
3)More barrel length, more velocity and better terminal ballistics.
Having said all this if you have larger hands you may still be better off with the Glock 19 or 17 in their original size. I have used those 10 round mags (gift from an American friend) and I at least never had a problem with them so they can work for you after extensive testing with the ammo you intend to carry.
FerFAL
Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”.

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Bought a couple of these… maybe you should too.

If you don’t have a good set of electronic earmuffs, get these:

Best Sellers in Amazon. For under 40 bucks, I just don’t think you can beat them. Not many products get over 10.000 reviews, a 4.5 star average. I was about to get some fancy Peltors but after seeing these and such overwhelming positive feedback I went for these instead.

earmuffs
I got a couple, one for myself and another for my oldest son that is now shooting with me. Hearing is just too important, and it makes no sense for any avid shooter not to have a quality set of earmuffs.
FerFAL
Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”.

Monday, December 19, 2016

Relocating to Australia?

Image result for melbourne
Message:
Hi Fernando I live in the UK currently things are going downhill. I'm
aware though that it's not limited to just here it's more of a global
thing. I've been offered the chance to go and live and work in
Australia. Do you think this would be a beneficial location to
relocate to or will it be much the same as here in UK?. Currently
re-reading your "Bugging out and Relocating" book. I notice you say
Melbourne is a pretty good place to live. It's definitely one area we
are looking at. Any advice on this is greatly appreciated. Thanks,
Ashleigh
..
Hello Ashleigh,
Please accept my apologies for not replying sooner. It gets pretty busy this time of the year. :-)
I wouldn’t doubt it for a second and yes, I would go to Australia if I was living in UK. Having said that here are the reasons I would go for it and some of the other considerations you should keep in mind.
Since you read my book “Bugging Out and Relocating” you probably understand some of these already. Australia simply has a lot going for it. The weather, the quality of life and standards of living in general are among the best in the world, especially in Melbourne, Perth and if you can afford it, Sydney(very expensive!). You’re talking about some of the best ranking cities to live in, in the entire planet.

The one thing every source I have mentions is cost of living. It can be an issue if you don’t make enough money, especially in Sydney, the most expensive city in Australia. Maybe the second most common problem people face when relocating to Australia is actually getting the visa to move there. If you have the opportunity and the money is good you really should give it a try if you feel strongly about it.  What happens sometimes is that people move to a “better” place but then just miss good old home and eventually move back. People that move to Australia though tend not to regret it. Another thing I’ve learned over the years and verified it on others time and again: Going “up”, as in a better place, it’s easier than going down. I’d say Australia is definitely an improvement in general quality of life, especially if you already have a job in line.

As for the situation in UK, I just don’t see it getting better any time soon. True, everywhere is complicated these days but some are worse than others. Right now UK is going through some serious changes given Brexit. Some believe it will be better on the long run, some are less optimistic, but what all serious analysts agree on is that the next few years will be hard indeed. I can very much assure you this: It will be very hard for at least the next 5 -10 years, at least it will be for most people. You are already seeing where this is going with the NHS cutting budget and services and with inflation. If there’s one thing I know, that’s inflation and there’s simply no way around your currency dropping 20% or more. Everyone gets that much poorer.  Then you also have to accept that many companies are preparing for more complicated times ahead, reduction of staff, drop in sales. Out of the common market sales will simply drop and many companies will have to move operations within the EU where they intend to still do business.

I say go for it. Worst case scenario you don’t like living there and just have one more significant experience that makes your life richer although chances are you’ll love it and stay there permanently.
Good luck!
FerFAL
Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”.

Friday, December 16, 2016

Cheap and Great Results: Red Lithium Grease for Guns

glocklithium
Next time you’re in Walmart, remember This:  High Temp Lithium grease. Its costs just a few bucks for a lifetime supply of the stuff. In Amazon you can get a pound of it for just under eight bucks.
High temp Red lithium grease is intended for vehicles and other high temperature, metal on metal friction.
What’s wrong with gun oil? Nothing really. It just doesn’t last nearly as long. After over a decade of using it I can say that grease just stays around more, doesn’t dry away nearly as fast. You simply see it where you last placed it in the gun after weeks of use, while oil just seems to go away after a couple trips to the range. Not very scientific but that’s my impression.
One final tip though: don’t overdo it. As cheap as it may be a very small amount of it goes a VERY long way. Just a pinch on the rails and other contact areas, heck use a tooth pick for good measure. If you overdo it you end up with a greasy mess which may even attract unwanted dirt in dry, sandy climates.
Other than that, it’s what I’ve been using mostly for keeping my guns lubbed and I’m happy enough with it to recommend it to you folks.
Have a great weekend!
FerFAL
Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”.

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

3 Items to pick up Next time you’re in IKEA

ikeabat
1)Batteries. Their primaries are cheap and pretty good quality but the best deal is their rechargables. These are made in Japan and great quality. I read somewhere that these are the same as Eneloops. Not sure if its true or not but “made in Japan” does point in that direction and again, the quality is there. I’m using these to replace the AA and AAA in my kits given that all alkalines seem to leak eventually. This is much safer and works well with the second item in the list.

2)AA and AAA USB charger. Its cheap, compact and works. I bought one of these for the car. If It goes well I’ll get one or two more. Can’t remember the price but it was just a few bucks. You don’t find cheap and well-made chargers that often, especially this small.

3)USB LED light. Missing in the picture here but it’s a small black LED light that connects to a USB port. I found it close to the batteries and charger. Very minimalistic like IKEA usually does it and cheap too. It could be a bit longer but its small so as to be out of the way. Maybe not as much of a bargain as the first two but I’m giving it a try to see how it does.
Take care folks!
FerFAL
Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”.

Monday, December 12, 2016

The Venerable Pump Action Shotgun


Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Gunfight Video: 10 Lessons Learned


1)Carry a gun,  a FIGHTING gun, not a microsubcompactnano pocket carry special in 25 ACP with a capacity of 2+1.
2)Train. A lot.
3)Awareness. Enough of it and you may even avoid the fight entirely.
4)Apendix carry isnt that great. Its more obvious when drawing and that can get you killed. Stick to strong side, 4 oclock.
5)When shooting, shoot to kill and shoot a LOT.
6)If you’re not shooting, get out of the way (like his wife did)
7)Even at just a foot away, you can still miss.
8)Down doesn’t mean dead. Make sure he’s no longer a threat, kick his gun away.
9)Look for his friends, there may be more.
10)Brazilian cops do NOT mess around.
Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”.

Monday, December 5, 2016

Some new stuff: Pocket EDC December 2016


Titanium Casio Pathfinder Triple-Sensor in Amazon on sale for $139
Casio Men's PRW-2500T-7CR Pro Trek Tough Solar Digital (similar to mine) $227.99

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Flash Flood: What happens if you get caught



I found this car just a couple streets from mine, right after the storm and flood I talked about in the previous post.


The difference between making it home all right or drawning is in these details, in having the right vehicle for what you are dealing with, in that extra inch of water that causes your vehicle to float, lose contact with the pavement and turns your car in the worst boat in the world. Ultimately, its about knowing when to turn around and not risk your life.
And again, the best 4x4 in the planet wont do you any good in the garage if you drive a Prius to save gas as your daily driver. Chances are your daily driver is what you'll have to face these situations when SHTF.
FerFAL
Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”.

Monday, November 28, 2016

Story Time: BOV/Daily Driver saves the Day


After over a week of continuous heavy pouring rain today it finally stopped. I’ve seen tropical climate rain before but nothing like this, non-stop pouring followed by “what the hell the sky is falling”, followed by more pouring rain.
In spite of this, this past Saturday morning I still had to drive to town to pick up a delivery. After checking the news and making sure there was no flood alert I thought “hey, the worst that can happen is getting wet a bit”.
Not so much. The slope on the side of the road had collapsed, dirt and rock had been washed over the road, and by the time I made it back I was dealing with more flooding, a fallen tree and the road going home up hill was turning into a downfall river.


The humble Honda CR-V saved the day though. AWD, snow+mud tires and the extra torque of the diesel engine meant I could climb up the road that was now becoming a river slowing down in the opposite direction. As it turned left, it was surreal to see the well-known road home now flooded, with a fallen tree across the street, the trunk almost fully under water. It seemed like a completely different place.
I don’t know how close I got to getting washed downhill. The current was pretty strong. A bigger truck would have done even better no doubt, but then again a bigger truck would have probably been left in the garage because I wasn’t expecting any of this.
The lesson is pretty clear: SHTF happens without notice and more likely than not your daily driver is what you’ll have to work with. Its better to drive around the small or mid size SUV all day than to have a Humvee in the garage while driving a Prius all day because its good on gas.
FerFAL
Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”.

Friday, November 25, 2016

The Best Amazon Black Friday Deals for Survivalists

This is the time of the year I really envy you guys (most of these deals are US only). Some of the deals are outstanding, more than 50% discount in some cases. If there’s anything you’re needing to buy its worth checking. Keep in mind that most have a limited duration.
Just a steal. Period. I have one, love it and recommend it. Under 20 bucks and notice the fantastic rating with +1000 reviews. Stocking stuffer, for BOB and kits or as your EDC.

Thursday, November 24, 2016

The pump shotgun: 7 Reasons why it’s the classic survivalist Workhorse Gun


Mossberg 500 ATP 7-shot with rifle sights
From killing zombies to defending your home, you cant go wrong with the dependable pump shotgun, especially with the two most popular ones, the Mossberg 500 and Remington 870.
Jack of all trades master of none describes the pump shotgun perfectly.
1)In most hands, quick follow up shots aren’t as fast as in a semi auto rifle (or shotgun) then again the pump action can be surprisingly fast in the hands of an experienced operator and each trigger pull puts nine 9mm projectiles on target faster than any other firearm.
2)It requires manual operation between shots. Then again, the pump action ejects any cartidge no matter the condition and will reliably slam a fresh shell in place as dependably as no other gun.
3)Capacity isn’t as high as in a 20 or 30 rounds rifle magazines, then again the tube can be constantly fed, topping up the magazine which is something you can’t do with a detachable mag rifle.
4)It lacks the range of the rifle, but with rifle sights or red dot and slugs you can break the 40-50 yard limit set by buckshot, and do so accurately.
5)It may not seem very tacticool, but few other firearms are as durable, as reliable or as easy to repair and replace parts.
6)Shotguns can operate with a variety or cartridges, from birdshot to buck or slugs, even non lethal. No other firearm provides such flexibility.
7)They are cheap too, meaning you can arm more people. For the price of one medium grade carbine or rifle you can buy shotguns to arm three or four adults, maybe more with second hand market shotguns.
FerFAL
Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”.

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

EDC: Pocket Piece to Remember JFK

jfk
My favourite pocket piece, it’s been with me for a few months now, including today in the anniversary of Kennedy's death. In many ways it symbolises the death of real money too, since 1964 was the last year in which 90% silver was used in American currency, minted just a few months after his death.
For many one of  the last great American presidents, RIP JFK.
FerFAL

Monday, November 21, 2016

Long Term Food Storage: Alternative to Coffee & Tea

mate

It’s easy enough to stock up on tea and coffee but if you are looking into something different, maybe something even better, as your daily booster beverage consider yerba mate.

I drink both coffee and tea, but mate is with me every morning and throughout the day.
Unlike tea or coffee, I’m used to drinking mate without added sugar. It’s also more gentle as a stimulant than coffee (even if it does contain caffeine ) Its probably the healthiest beverage too. Yerba mate contain 24 vitamins and minerals, 15 amino acids, abundant antioxidants.


Its cheap too. Around here it costs about 2.50 for half a kilo.
I drink it the traditional way but you can also make mate tea if you prefer.
Look around, you’ll probably find it in your grocery store in the imported/Latin food section.
FerFAL
Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”.

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Black Friday Preparedness Deal Alert I

OK, some of these have just minutes left but if you catch them on time they sure are good. Do get the battery pack if you dont have one already. You'll thank me later.

Flip Up Backup Battle Sights by Ozark Armament Picatinny Mount AR Pattern Flat-top Upper Co-Witness Iron Sights BUIS
Qyuhe Portable Nylon Fabric Travel Camping Hammock with Mosquito Net 8.53 x 4.6 ft (Green and Camel, 8.53 x 4.6 ft)
Qyuhe Portable Nylon Fabric Travel Camping Hammock with Mosquito Net 8.53 x 4.6 ft $23.19 (Save 61%)

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Trump Supporter Survival Guide 101

Image result for trump protest face trump supporter
The election is over but the implications are still very much alive. You just have to watch the news for a few minutes to see protests, violence, people randomly attacked and so on.
Folks, this isnt a political website. As I’ve always said vote anyway you think you should (and that’s exactly what millions did) but if one thing is clear is that the lack of tolerance has reach record levels and on one hand you have people that can’t seem to process that they’ve lost, just like some can’t grasp the concept of finally getting what they wanted and be content with it. This website is about practical, objective advice. If you can’t stop yourself from wearing your Trump or Anti Trump, or Hillary for Prison t-shirt then that’s fine too, but know that from a practical perspective, it’s not exactly advisable at the moment.
Having said all this, here’s my advice.
- Avoid logos, stickers, etc.
The election is over so there’s not much of a political battle to fight at the moment. These days, you risk getting into trouble for nothing really to be gained.
People have been beaten, insulted or otherwise aggravated because of wearing Trump shirts. I know of people that had their car vandalized, tyres slashed, all four, because of Trump stickers. Recently a car was set on fire over a Trump sticker.
Mustang vandalized, set on fire in Santa Maria
Given that the elections are already over and in the spirit of going as unnoticed as possible, I at least would avoid it. For those of you very political at least hold until next elections.
-  Avoid politics at your workplace.
People have gotten themselves in trouble at work for expressing their political views, even fired. Now, it sucks not to be able to express your views, but then again with freedom comes responsibility and that includes knowing whats in your best interest or not.  If anything, try being as discrete as possible when discussing politics. Even if your boss and immediate colleges mostly think alike, you never know who’s overhearing and who takes note of your views with a negative connotation making life harder at your workplace.
- Avoid protests and rallies.
At the end of the day, what matter is your vote and that has already been cast. If people want to protest/express their discontent that’s all fine and dandy, until the protest stops begin peaceful that is, which is not ok (but more on that later). Confronting them though makes no sense, does you no good other than scratching some childish itch some people have.
- Learn how to deal with roadblocks.


Everyone has the right to peaceful protest but there’s nothing peaceful about stopping traffic and keeping people hostage in their vehicle. Remember the basics. Avoid protests when possible. Do NOT engage. Do NOT lower your window to talk politics with the violent thug attacking you, keep moving away from the potentially dangerous ambush.
-  Don’t let politics destroy your family.
I’ve addressed this topic before and I’ve seen the same thing happen in my own country. The division, the rift between opposite opinions. The fatal mistake of believing that a political adversary is an enemy. Trump himself has talked about “unity” and “heal the division” in his victory speech. But if there’s one thing both Trump and Hillary hardcore supporters agree on, ironically enough, is that they want none of that. I know for a fact such a thing is a big mistake, especially when politics end up affecting your relationships with family and friends. An extra dose of maturity and empathy can work miracles.
-  Stay informed.


Matt Bracken was interviewed recently. I have a ton of respect for Matt and his opinions. There’s talks about possible false flag ops (entirely possible in the near future) and there’s strong evidence about many protesters being paid to participate, herded into buses like we see so often in South America. I understand how some people may not like Trump and chose to express such opinions. I also understand having thousands of paid violent “protesters” making a mess. This kind of organized resistance to the democratic process is pretty risky and its important to stay informed, fully understanding the interest and political inclinations of each player and media outlet.
- Keep Preparing.
With a Republican president and majority on both houses gun owners can sure relax. Chances of any kind of gun ban are slim to say the least and fingers crossed, maybe some new opportunities may arise for those living in more restrictive cities and states regarding concealed carry and what kind of firearms can be owned.
Still, firearms ownership is just a small part of the equation. Today more than ever its important to be ready to face challenges. Socially speaking expect protests and random or organized acts of violence and rioting to become more common, not the other way around. The supplies kept in your vehicle are key, especially your first aid kit.  Shameless self-promoting here, if you haven’t done so already do get my book, “The Modern Survival Manual”, and put into practice as much as you can right away. Everything from awareness, grey man philosophy, self-defense and economic preps its all very much relevant and applicable. This website is packed full of information as well, read through the older articles.With a new president there’s always a “honeymoon” period of about 3-6 months. After that things settle and the political and economic future becomes more clear. Some measures taken by Trump may be less popular than others. Mistakes will be made in the learning process, especially in his first presidency. Economic measures that may have benefits in the long run may be less popular at first, even have the opposite effect, just like positive short term ones may not work that great down the road. And then there’s the fact that almost half the country isn’t happy with the way things went, and will try to sabotage Trump every chance they get.
Good luck people!
FerFAL
Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”.

Monday, November 14, 2016

Future Preparedness: Cities in 2030

Pretty interesting video supposedly leaked from the Pentagon.

Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”.

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Trump President: What Happens Now?


Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Toblerone: Before and After Brexit





This is priceless.
Its amazing that UK went Venezuela in their attempt to control inflation.
The government clearly pressured for Toblerone to be sold at the same price in spite of 30% inflation. They demanded that they didn’t make the packaging any smaller and kept the same price.
So how’s the Toblerone now sold in UK?
This is the result.
Toblerone 2020?

FerFAL

Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”.

Monday, November 7, 2016

EDC Keychain: 5 Must Have Essential Items


Yesterday during an interview with Jim Paris I was asked about survival gear. It’s a massive topic and it can be overwhelming for the uninitiated.  It’s safe to recommend stocking up food and at least two weeks worth of bottled water. The same goes for essential emergency supplies, but people want specifics and these lists can be massive, overwhelming.
For those new to modern survival I recommend starting with the core items behind such philosophy: The items you are most likely to use during an emergency, meaning the ones you will have on your person. This is what we call EDC, everyday carry items. Now here too it can get a bit intense but I do have a tip for you.
Just start with your keychain.
Everyone carries one. It’s an item you will have with you no matter what and a few carefully selected items can keep the total volume and weight down while making sure critical tools are always available. I’ve had this setup for years and ended up with it after years of trial and error. I guarantee you will be using all of these more often than you’d think.
These are the items I recommend you have in your keychain.
1)Flashlight.

Few other items are as indispensable during emergencies. Today LED lights are surprisingly bright. Surprisingly durable as well and can run for long periods of time.
I currently keep a Thrunite Ti in my keychain, but if you want to spend a bit more and buy premium quality look for the Surefire Titan.
2)Knife/Multitool.
Victorinox Swiss Army MiniChamp II Pocket Knife,Red
Leatherman - Squirt PS4 Multi-Tool, Black
Pretty basic right? You gotta have a knife. Better yet have a knife and a bunch of small tools. After years of use I recommend either a Leatherman Squirt PS4 or a Victorinox Minichamp, the Minichamp being my personal favourite although the PS4 is objectively as good, maybe better for certain applications.
3)USB Flash drive.

Keep one with your important work files, copies of documents and other important papers and family photos and videos. The Sandisk is a good way to go given that their encryption software is pretty good and allows for the creation of password protected vaults, meaning you can safely use the Flash drive for everyday use too.
4)Lighter

Fire being a quintessential survival tool I believe you should have a lighter or at the very least fire starting tools. A ferrocerium rod is suitable for repeated outdoors use, but a lighter provides a quicker flame when needed. This is the one I have, a titanium peanut lighter. Pretty great and totaly worth it.
5)Mini Prybar
Miscellaneous M4276 2" Pico Widgy Pry Bar Titanium

Its small, light and compact. A small prybar can spare the relatively fragile blade in your keychain tool. For years I had the Vox bar from Boker. Currently I’m using a tiny Pico bar. Either one will serve you well.

Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”.

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Burglars Explain how they Broke into Homes


Image result for burglar
Home security is a top concern. It is today and it sure is after a socioeconomic breakdown. Maybe one of the weakest point I see on nearly all American preppers is home security. Having guns means you have means of self-defense, it doesn’t mean that your house is more of a hard target.
This article from 12News is well worth the time it takes to read it and has some good first-hand information about how burglars operate.

Here are the top five lessons:
1)Burglars will look for jewellery, electronics, cash, credit cards and guns. One burglar said that NRA stickers means there’s guns to be stolen.
Not mentioned in the article but I know this to be true, many criminals also look for drugs, legal or otherwise, either for personal consumption or for selling.

2)All burglars CHECK IF YOU ARE HOME. They knock on your door and if someone answers they ask for directions, pretend to be lost or to be looking for someone else. Some even pretend to be doing surveys.

3)They prefer breaking in early morning or afternoon when people are working and kids are in school. Most of them access through UNLOCKED windows and doors. Some kicking down the door if locked.

4)The ideal house to break in? They looked for homes with big fences and overgrown trees or bushes. “Homes AWAY FROM OTHER HOMES, blind spots, older window frames, cheap wooden doors,” wrote a burglar. “Large trees, bushes or shrubs around the home, or very reserved and conservative neighbours,” wrote another inmate.
“Nice home with nice car = A person with money,” another said.
Simplisafe2 Wireless Home Security System 8-piece Plus Package
5)How to make your home a hard target? Keeps doors and windows locked. Large dogs are one of your best deterrents. Smaller ones don’t seem to do the trick nearly as well. Install an alarm, most intruders said they would leave immediately if a security alarm went off.
Most burglars consider a car parked on the driveway to be a sure-fire sign of someone being home. TV or radio noise also made them think twice about breaking in.
“Put bars on your windows and doors, get an alarm, keep an extra car in the driveway, keep lights, TVs and radios on when you leave your home,” read one questionnaire.
“Home alarm, know your neighbour so they can report suspicious people around the neighbourhood,” said a burglar.
FerFAL
Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”.

Monday, October 31, 2016

Thoughts regarding the Presidential Election

Politics and Religion.
The golden rule of blogging says you’re never supposed to talk about those two if you want your readers/viewers  to like you.
Well, I’m not the kind of person that worries about being liked. I’m the kind that worries about the well-being of my readers and sometimes that includes tough topics, topics in which we may not agree on or be forced to look at uncomfortable truths. Still, this is an important … no, an ESSENTIAL part of modern survivalism and the mindset that goes along with it. The ability to understand the agenda of politicians, the different media outlets, some more obvious than others, the ability to understand were your bests interest lies.
I was asked about my opinion regarding the US elections. Keep in mind these videos are just that, my opinion. Also keep in mind the following: that if you think I’m stupid/misinform/Hillary killed my dog or Trump spit on my Lucky Charms this morning, you’re wrong.  It’s not personal. Its political analysis, some of which you probably haven’t considered before.
I’m not trying to change anyone’s vote here. If anything, it would be nice to see less verbal violence, more communication and tolerance among yourselves. These elections are ripping the American society apart like no other election in recent history. Friends, even families are fighting or even not talking to one another because of different political ideology. Its destructive, poisonous behaviour that I’ve seen how it leads to decades of social conflict and division.
With that being said, here’s what I think. Of course, YMMV, and you know what? That’s just fine brother.




FerFAL
Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”.