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”.

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”.

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.

Kershaw 1990 Brawler Speedsafe Folding Knife $17.49

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.

Smith's PP1 Pocket Pal Multifunction Sharpener $8.89

Columbia Men's Steens Mountain Front-Zip Fleece Jacket $19.95-$69.95

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  URPOWER Solar Lights 2-in-1 Solar Powered 4 LED Adjustable Spotlight $30.99
  

  

  WEN 56352, 3000 Running Watts/3500 Starting Watts, Gas Powered Portable Generator $294.49
  

  

   

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”.

EDC: Pocket Piece to Remember 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

Long Term Food Storage: Alternative to Coffee & Tea

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”.

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.

Anker PowerCore 10000 with Quick Charge 3.0 $23.99 (Save 52%)

Flip Up Backup Battle Sights by Ozark Armament Picatinny Mount AR Pattern Flat-top Upper Co-Witness Iron Sights BUIS $23.99 (save 52%)

Qyuhe Portable Nylon Fabric Travel Camping Hammock with Mosquito Net 8.53 x 4.6 ft $23.19 (Save 61%)

Trump Supporter Survival Guide 101

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.

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”.

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”.

Trump President: What Happens Now?

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”.

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.

SureFire Titan Plus Ultra-Compact Variable-Output LED Keychain Light $87.75

ThruNite Ti NW Lumen Cree XP-L V4 LED Key Chain Flashlight in Titanium alloy, Neutral White $25.95

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 Mini Champ Swiss Army Knife $29.95

Leatherman - Squirt PS4 Multi-Tool, Black $29.24

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.

SanDisk Cruzer Fit $9.78

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

Jolmo Lander Titanium Watertight Fluid Lighter Ti Peanut Petrol Lighter $15

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

2" Pico Widgy Pry Bar Titanium $20.57

Boker Plus 09BO310 Access Prying Tool $24.99

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”.

Burglars Explain how they Broke into Homes

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”.