Survival Gear is the most unused product until a natural disaster happens, then it’s the most desired products, but usually too late to help those that really need the help.
We sell around the World, and pride ourselves on offering a level of customer service that we would want to see ourselves if we were shopping online. Our product ranges change regularly, so we hope that you come back to our sites to see some of the fantastic offers that we regularly have.
According to James Altucher, a best-selling author and former hedge-fund manager, New York City is “dead forever.” The city cannot possibly come back from its government-induced coma as its residents come to grips with the reality of heavy hand of government when it came to the coronavirus scamdemic.
“I love NYC. When I first moved to NYC, it was a dream come true. Every corner was like a theater production happening right in front of me. So much personality, so many stories,” Altucher wrote in a blog post explaining why his temporary relocation might become more permanent.
The New York Times back in June asked the “agonizing” question: “Is New York City worth it anymore?” amid a mass exodus of an estimated 420,000 residents between March and May when the coronavirus rhetoric that turned into tyranny was really blowing up. In July, there were a record 13,117 vacant apartments across Manhattan, according to a report by Douglas Elliman and Miller Samuel Real Estate Appraisers & Consultants. A year ago, that number was a 5,912. Also, new lease signings fell by about 23%, resulting in a drop in rental prices.
Sadly, New York probably isn’t the only city that will be in a permanent coma because of the Federal Reserves’ insistence upon taking over the world and cramming the New World Order down our throats. San Francisco is struggling as well. The mass exodus from places that took tyrannical overreach to a whole new level can be seen in the chart below:
As it turns out, people may not like being told how to live and what to do by politicians. Even Altucher says that New York won’t bounce back this time. The damage has been done and it’s irreparable. Will it remain the center of the financial universe? “Not this time.” New York has experienced worse? “Not it hasn’t.”
Keep in mind, it wasn’t a virus that caused the destruction of these cities and the economy. It was the order followers that bowed to government commands to stay fearful and shut down the economy over what’s turned out to be a mild flu.
It finally seems like Americans are waking up to the reality of what’s been done to them. It took losing it all, but now they are beginning to see that the government puppets, who do the bidding of the Federal Reserve bankers are trying to take over the world and enslave them. We need to come together more than ever right now and reject the last form of slavery: slavery of the mind.
This is a psychological battle for your mind and ultimate control. Those who can see that already know the solution. Stop acquiescing, and stop believing anyone has the right to own you or lead you. It’s time to lead ourselves and stop allowing guns to be put tot he heads of the innocent who are just trying to feed their families.
Last week’s surprise announcement of a peace deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates caught just about everyone by surprise. I hadn’t heard anything about a potential deal in the works, and the mainstream media in the western world was completely blindsided by the deal. But this has become Israel’s pattern in recent decades. The Oslo Accords, Israel’s peace deal with Jordan and other agreements were negotiated under a cloak of total secrecy because officials didn’t want public sentiment to potentially destroy negotiations. And there could potentially be other “peace deals” in the works right now that we don’t know anything about.
President Trump is touting this as a major diplomatic victory, and he is hoping that it will sway some votes in November. At this juncture, Trump is trailing badly in most polls and he needs another miracle like we witnessed in 2016.
But it was really Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that was the driving force behind this deal. He has been seeking to build relations with the UAE for many, many years, and this deal is the culmination of those efforts.
The United Arab Emirates has normalised relations with Israel in a historic US-brokered deal that “suspends” Israeli annexation of occupied land sought by the Palestinians for their future state.
The surprise agreement, initially announced by the US president, Donald Trump, makes the UAE the first Gulf country and only the third Arab nation in the world to have active diplomatic ties with Israel, joining Egypt and Jordan.
This is a very odd development, because to many people it seemed like Netanyahu was dead set on annexing portions of Judea and Samaria.
In fact, he specifically promised to do so during the last election.
Could it be possible that all of that rhetoric was just a negotiating ploy?
If Israel had really gone ahead and annexed those lands, it would have killed any international efforts to create a Palestinian state.
But now that annexation is completely dead, the potential for a “peace deal” that would create a Palestinian state is very much alive.
According to the New York Times, the relationship between Israel and the UAE “had been building quietly for years”, and according to a British news source this peace agreement will also open a door for “deals on direct flights, security, telecommunications, energy, tourism and healthcare”…
A joint statement from the US, the UAE and Israel said delegations will meet in the coming weeks to sign deals on direct flights, security, telecommunications, energy, tourism and healthcare.
They are expected soon to exchange ambassadors and embassies and a signing ceremony is due to be held at the White House.
Ultimately, peace in the Middle East is something that we should all want, but at what cost has it been achieved?
It appears that West Bank annexation will never happen now, and we are being told that Netanyahu “traded it away” for a goal that was even more important to him…
In an ironic twist, that plan became the catalyst that finally gave Mr. Netanyahu the opening he had long sought. With pressure building for him to drop the annexation plan, he traded it away for something he wanted even more.
This may help Netanyahu win some moderate votes in the next election, but there are many conservatives in Israel that feel like they have been played and are not happy with Netanyahu right now at all.
Of course Netanyahu is not going to stop with the UAE. According to Reuters, Bahrain and Oman could also soon normalize relations with Israel…
Bahrain and Oman could be the next Gulf countries to follow the United Arab Emirates in formalising ties with Israel, Israel’s intelligence minister said on Sunday.
In fact, Netanyahu has actually publicly admitted that he has been speaking with the leaders of Oman and “other countries” in the region…
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Fox News on Sunday that he has been speaking with leaders from Arab countries in addition to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) following the American-mediated peace deal announced last week between the two countries.
He stated that he spoke with political leaders in Oman and “other countries,” and that the key to such discussions is discretion.
In the end, many believe that all of this diplomacy is all about Iran.
In recent years, Netanyahu has relentlessly been attempting to unite as much of the Middle East as possible against Iran. The Israelis believe that a conflict with Iran is probably inevitable, and so they would like to isolate the Iranians as much as they can.
Of course many Sunni governments in the region have long been hostile toward the radical Shiite regime in Tehran. In particular, the Saudis would love to see the Iranian “problem” go away, and so they have a strategic interest in working with Israel toward that goal.
As Israel and the various Sunni governments across the Middle East become increasingly cozy, could this create an environment that will eventually lead to an agreement to create a Palestinian state?
I think that this is a very important question to ask at this point.
Needless to say, most of the rest of the world would greatly rejoice if a peace agreement could be reached that would finally create a Palestinian state, but formally dividing the land of Israel would also set the stage for many of the things that I warn about in my new book.
Many had assumed that a conservative like Netanyahu would never be willing to give up land for an agreement that would guarantee “lasting peace”, but the agreement that he just reached with the UAE may suggest otherwise.
If Netanyahu is willing to permanently sacrifice dreams of annexing portions of Judea and Samaria for a peace agreement with the UAE, what would he be willing to do for a comprehensive peace agreement with all of the Sunni governments in the region?
Peace can be a very seductive mistress, and I have a feeling that we are about to see things happen in the Middle East that many thought would never be possible.
***Michael’s new book entitled “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.***
About the Author: My name is Michael Snyder and my brand new book entitled “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America” is now available on Amazon.com. By purchasing the book you help to support the work that my wife and I are doing, and by giving it to others you help to multiply the impact that we are having on people all over the globe. I have published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe. I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article. In addition to my new book, I have written four others that are available on Amazon.com including The Beginning Of The End, Get Prepared Now, and Living A Life That Really Matters. (#CommissionsEarned) The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions. I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is a great help. During these very challenging times, people will need hope more than ever before, and it is our goal to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with as many people as we possibly can.
You’ve probably heard of stealth camping and want to learn the art of it. Or, you might be someone who tried it but failed. Today, we’ve got some important stealth camping tips that can help you improve this endeavor.
Stealth Camping Tips to Heed
Stealth Camping takes the “Leave No Trace” principle of regular camping, to the next level: “Be No Trace.”
When you’re stealth camping, you want to become invisible to people and animals around you, as well as leaving little to no trace of ever having been in the area. Stealth camping is a great skill to develop for bugging out and can help you learn how to avoid being followed.
Practicing stealth camping does not have to mean you are doing anything wrong or illegal. But be sure that wherever you are camping is not private property or off-limits.
You can start by practicing stealth camping habits and techniques the next time you visit a trail or campground that you already frequent.
In stealth camping, you’ll want to address your location, shelter, attire, fires & food, as well as how you’re getting to your campsite and the tracks you’re leaving behind you.
All of these will vary from your usual camping setup.
Here are stealth camping tips to get you started:
1. Location
To hide your location, you’ll want to avoid any open fields and stay away from main trails and roadways. You can hide behind the heavy brush, but be sure that the campsite you choose is elevated, has flat areas, and has 2 entry/exit points so that you can leave in a hurry if someone finds you.
Ideally, you will have some areas of light brush that you can peer through to keep watch on your surroundings. Your location should be concealed so that the common person will have no idea it is there.
Another element to your location is the volume. A waterfall or rapids may create too much noise for you to hear someone approaching. A quiet spot in the woods will allow you to listen for footsteps and broken twigs.
A normal tent setup is not preferred for stealth camping. You’ll want a low-profile (below the waist) and easy to assemble/disassemble shelter.
Lean-to’s and a-frames work great in these situations, as long as they are not made with bright colors. You will want to prep as many of the elements of your shelter as you can in advance, including any knots you need to tie.
Carving tent stakes out of sticks is also a great idea because they can be abandoned if you leave quickly.
Setting up and breaking down your camp is something you’ll want to practice so that you can minimize the time spent creating and exiting your camp.
To help keep your shelter location private, it is recommended to set up camp at twilight, when you still have light to see, but you may be obscured from others’ vision.
Being camouflaged in the woods means more than just wearing olive drab. In addition to avoiding bright colors, you can consider the 8 S’s and the 3 C’s:
Shape
Shine
Silhouette
Saturation
Shadow
Still
Silent
Spacing
Cover
Camouflage
Concealment
Think about the ways in which the human body and our gear differ from plants and animals that are native to the woods. Choose supplies that don’t reflect light or create bright white light. If you use a flashlight or headlamp, choose red or green light.
If you are beginning your stealth camping journey at a popular trailhead or campground, don’t get out of your car in a leaf suit or head-to-toe camouflage.
Blend in with your surroundings so as not to draw attention to yourself. As you get into the woods, you can conceal yourself more.
4. Fires & Food
The smells of fires and food are both dead giveaways to your campsite. Consider eating cold food, or only consuming food away from the campsite.
If you have to make a fire, dig a hole and make an underground or Dakota Fire Pit. If you do use a Dakota Fire Pit, take every precaution to make sure the fire does not spread and is out before you leave the campsite.
Keep the fire below ground level to help with drawing attention to yourself. You will still be able to smell the fire in the vicinity, and the fire pit leaves behind a lot of signs that you were there, but if you ventilate the fire well, there won’t be too much smoke visible from it.
5. Cover Your Tracks
If you drive to a campsite, your car will need to be parked near where you’re trying to stealth camp – not very stealthy. You can ride your bike, but then you have to keep your bike hidden as well.
Consider how you are getting to your campsite, and how you will cover your tracks once you do arrive.
Try to walk on the most durable ground that you can, specifically rocks and dead leaves. Walking on live plants will bend them in a way that can be tracked. When you walk on dirt or sand, dust your footprints out behind you.
Stealth camping requires considerably more preparation and practice than traditional camping. It is recommended to incorporate some of the elements of stealth camping into each trip you make so that you can get comfortable with different techniques.
Do you have any questions about stealth camping? We’d love to hear from you in the comments section!
I strongly believe that mining stocks – especially the quality juniors – that we’ve covered and are up by either double-digits or TRIPLE-DIGITS, are just ACT 1 in this saga.
America is a country that is, politically speaking, IN THE SHITTER.
We will see more radicalism, more complexity, more problems and more deficits. Unity is non-existent.
Courtesy: Zerohedge.com
Silver had its best month ever in July. With silver, strength creates MORE STRENGTH, but you can see that rates have STARTED TO BOTTOM on August 6th and could be reversing trend for a bit (bear market rally).
This is absolutely the IDEAL TIME to capitalize on any pullbacks and I FULLY INTEND to.
As you can see above, July was very bad for rates, which, in turn, made silver gain by an INSANE AMOUNT.
Next up, the metals will have to gather steam. Like an army that charges forward through the night and continues attacking at dawn, it must stop and refuel, at some point. Soldiers can’t be asked to be combative on EMPTY STOMACHS and after two nights without sleep.
When they wake up refreshed, though, they’re still the same squad they were before – better than THEIR COMPETITORS. Gold and silver are superior to the dollar.
Use the pullbacks to your advantage!
Courtesy: Zerohedge.com
In the financial reality we live in, 52mn unemployed Americans isn’t enough to STOP THE RALLY.
Surely, more will come to realize the foolishness of this CREDIT ORGY.
Gold is money. Gold belongs to its owner alone and is independent of counterparty risks.
The best army generals are HARD TO SPOT, since they behave like soldiers and WORK HARD for their team.
Tomorrow, I’ll show you the best DUO COMBINATION in one team since Jordan and Pippen, Kobe and Shaq, Curry and Thompson, LeBron and Wade or Stockton and Malone; I seriously believe this CEO and Chairman duo could lead us to HUGE PROFITS!
I can’t even recall the number of times that I’ve STRESSED THE UNDERVALUATION of silver since January 2017, since the letter was founded; it’s in hundreds, perhaps even thousands of articles.
My letters have been featured in many other publications, yet silver’s MARKET SIZE is so small that only a few are benefiting from this and that’s the way IT SHOULD BE if the masses chose to be indifferent about it.
At 120:1, silver was more than a bargain, it was A SCREAMING BUY. The trade was so obvious, yet so few TOOK ADVANTAGE of it.
Courtesy: Zerohedge.com
For silver, the next TRAIN STOP is here. At $27, it is entering a FAMOUS RANGE – between this price and $36 – and it will be a WILD WILD WEST showdown.
Clearly, gold and silver are indicating that the REAL ECONOMY and the stock market economy are not transmitting on the SAME FREQUENCY.
If you look above, silver has many doubters in this area. It fought for years to stay above $30 and attempted to CRACK PAST $35, but it proved TOO DIFFICULT a task, save for that one time when it did, and then went all the way to $49/ounce.
I was there in 2011 and I was selling, mostly at $42, which turned out to be very smart, since it then crashed severely and has never recovered to that price again.
Just like in 2011, we, the investors of 2020, only need silver to PENETRATE $35/ounce and go past it to the outskirts of the universe just the ONE TIME.
When it does, we’ll be there with BELLS AND WHISTLES, waiting to eat the cake and leave it whole.
Courtesy: Zerohedge.com
We are clearly seeing SOMETHING SPECIAL; a moment of historical significance. Right around $2,180, gold will meet a 40yr resistance line, which it FAILED TO BREACH in 2011.
I have a great feeling that it will this time around.
WE ARE KICKING ASS!
Activist Post has reported about recent legislator-utility bribery scandals in both Ohio and Illinois (see 1, 2, 3). Many don’t realize that similar bad behavior has also been pervasive for the last several years with the introduction, promotion, and installation of utility “Smart” Meters – electric, gas, and water.
Only time will tell if some of the same folks being investigated for what’s happening in Ohio used similar tactics for promoting and forcing the installation of First Energy “Smart” Meters in the state.
Householder case: ‘Company C’ CEO Wayne Boich gave cash to HB 6 ‘dark money’ groups
The leader of a Columbus-based firm that made its family fortune in Ohio coal provided $25,000 of the money used to open bank accounts for the “dark-money” nonprofit at the center of the House Bill 6 scandal, The Dispatch has learned.
Wayne M. Boich, chairman and chief executive officer of Boich Companies, also later gave $100,000 to a for-profit company that spent nearly $1.5 million to support former House Speaker Larry Householder’s Republican candidates in the 2018 general election.
Boich is the CEO of “Company C,” listed in a federal court criminal complaint charging Householder and four others with racketeering, The Dispatch confirmed with a source close to the investigation of those involved with the campaign for HB 6.
Officials of the company have no comment, Boich spokesman Mike Dawson said Tuesday.
The House Bill 6 pay-to-play and bribery case, as described in a federal complaint, involves Akron-based FirstEnergy and affiliates routing nearly $61 million to Generation Now, a dark money nonprofit, to secure passage of the bill and defend it against a referendum repeal effort.
The secret money helped ensure a $1 billion-plus electricity ratepayer bailout of two nuclear power plants then owned by a FirstEnergy subsidiary and helped elect “Team Householder” House candidates to provide the votes needed to make him speaker, according to the charges.
Householder directs a dirty campaign to save bailout as millions flow:
Activist Post Editor’s Note: This is the final part of four in a series examining the FBI’s criminal complaint against former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and four others described as the Householder Enterprise. All five men and the group Generation Now were indicted Thursday on federal racketeering charges. Facts in this series are based on public records, including the charging documents, and past and recent interviews with public officials and other sources.
Former Ohio Republican Party Chairman Matt Borges asked Tyler Fehrman to coffee in September 2019.
The two apparently had become friends when Fehrman worked to help elect a couple of legislative candidates backed by now-former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder.
But in late 2019, Fehrman was working for the other side: He was the regional manager for the referendum campaign to overturn House Bill 6, known as a bailout for two nuclear power plants owned by a FirstEnergy Corp. subsidiary.
And Borges hoped Fehrman would give him inside information to help the Householder “Enterprise” keep the referendum off the ballot, the FBI says in a criminal affidavit.
In exchange for the information, Borges offered to give Fehrman a substantial sum of money, the affidavit said.
The affidavit doesn’t identify Fehrman by name, but The Blade in Toledo revealed his identity and Fehrman later told The Plain Dealer of Cleveland what happened.
“Never did I ever think that Matt was going to put me in the position that he did,” Fehrman told The Plain Dealer. “One of the first things he told me was, ‘Dude, I don’t have a mortgage anymore. Like, I’m so taken care of. And we could do the same for you.’”
Since utility companies have installed tens of millions of “Smart” Meters – it’s likely that you have them installed on your home and throughout your community. Good luck with that.
Activist Post reports regularly about “Smart” Meters and other unsafe technology. For more information, visit our archives and the following websites:
With school cancelled for the rest of the year, schools are now enforcing online schooling for their students. Would this be enough? Here are some helpful supplemental learning tips.
Making Online Schooling Work This Year
All over the nation parents and students alike are losing sleep over what will be one of the most interesting years of schooling in the history of the United States of America. We have never tried anything so bold as to take so many kids out of school and leave them out for an extended period.
Whether you believe it is the right move pales in comparison to what kids will think one-month in. Will this type of online schooling work? Will kids make a connection with teachers? Can teachers discipline kids online? Will there be retention? There are so many questions.
We are preppers so, at the very least, we must be prepared if it doesn’t work. If it turns out our kids are just not cut out for online learning, we need to be able to pivot rapidly to assure our child still gets an education.
Open Communication
The single most important thing you can do to prepare for this strange school year is to open a clear line of communication with your child. Be sure they understand what they are getting into and that you are a person they can talk to when they don’t understand a subject.
Kids can get really confused about this because we praise them for good grades and punish them for bad ones, at least we do in my home. However, we are also truly clear about the value of effort and communication.
“If you are trying your best and you just cannot get your head around it, we can handle it together. You are not in trouble for not understanding.”
If kids feel comfortable and are aware of what is asked of them, they can be much more effective even in an online capacity.
Supplemental workbooks are one of the things you should have on hand. If you don’t own some you need to buy them ASAP. Remember what happened to things light free weights when lockdown kicked off?
Well, the same thing is going to happen to home learning tools. We have found the 180 Days workbooks to be an effective supplement for learning. They both reinforce things our son already knew from last year and present new material deeper into the books.
Our son has been out of school since March, so we are using this time to assure he gets caught up on everything from last year. Having workbooks means you can also promote independent learning without a screen around.
Also, 180 Days also features an answer key. I am just saying.
At-Home Testing
While an online school will include some degree of testing you may also consider testing at home to get a better understanding of where your child sits.
Remember, the big takeaway from online schooling and this bump in the road of education is that your child’s education is your responsibility above all. That should be your mantra through all of this.
You can write your own tests or generate tests. Websites like Proprofs give you access to a number of different tests that span many grades.
Home Schooling
All this change is pushing many families to jump right into homeschooling. Rather than deal with the ever-changing decree of your governor and the teacher’s union, you might be able to homeschool your kids or have someone help with it and take total ownership of your child’s education.
Check out Simple Homeschool for a great resource if you are on the fence or beginning your own homeschooling journey.
While most parents aren’t going to have the time or will to teach their children one on one, you might be the exception. No one will pay attention to your child the way you will. No one will appreciate their struggles like you. For the right family, homeschooling can be the best learning experience.
Play Time
Most people are worried about the level of education that is possible with this new model of schooling. What we often forget about is the priceless social interaction between our children and their friends at school.
You could argue they learn more from the fights and arguments then they do from the friendly play. With online schooling, those opportunities are gone. It would make sense to supplement that recess time with playdates and meetups.
It Is Only the Beginning
We are only at the beginning of this journey. It is the journey of the pandemic, of the outcry and of the great cultural revolution of our time. It is hard to say how this will all shake out but if you have children who are looking to you for answers, you better have them.
The idea of public school has mostly removed parents from the equation when it comes to academics. Most parents are happy to help with homework and reward for good grades and maybe reprimand for bad ones.
Everything is shifting. Are you prepared for the shift? Don’t be reactionary that is not how preppers operate.
Do you have other concerns with online schooling? Share us your thoughts in the comments section!
Morgan from Rogue Preparedness with her compound bow, one of our 10 best “non-gun” SHTF weapon choices.
It’s finally happened. The crap hit the fan and it scattered everywhere. Maybe you live in a country that restricts guns, maybe you did not have any guns to begin with, or maybe it is so far into the collapse that firearms and ammunition are impossible to find. As such, you’re stuck with having to resort to more primitive weapons of combat.
Even in modern life there are a number of situations where you may not have access to a firearm but still have need to defend yourself. Whether that be a wilderness survival situation, living in an area where firearms are illegal, or when you are stuck in a situation where you no longer have ammo, it is good to have alternative weapon ideas at hand. This concept flows directly into the “two is one and one is none” prepper motto. Look for weapon redundancy and diversity.
As an added bonus, non-firearm weapons are significantly less expensive than buying firearms! So, let’s take a look at 10 best SHTF weapons that are not firearms. In most cases, history will be our guide on what you can add to your existing supply of survival gear.
#1 – Time-Tested Spear
Spears are as old as stone tools, and if you look throughout medieval combat, it was hard to beat somebody with a good spear. Everything else being equal, you pitch somebody with a spear against somebody with a sword, and odds are in the spear holder’s favor.
Some knives, like this “Renegade Chucker” for under $20 dollars through Knife Country are designed to be used spear tips in survival situations.
One of the fantastic things about firearms is they give you the ability to engage your enemy at a distance; distance from the enemy being one of the keys to keeping yourself from harm. When it comes to hand-to-hand combat, a spear gives similar advantages. You are able to fight off an opponent with a much shorter weapon without increasing your own risk of injury. Not only can it be thrust toward your foe, it can be thrown as well, further increasing the range with which one can attack an opponent.
Spears are also incredibly cheap and easy to make as well. While ideally a spear will have a metal tip, tribes and armies throughout history have used spears with a wooden or bone tip as well, meaning you can make a deadly weapon with minimal equipment. Because of the minimal amount of metal involved, a spear is easier to smith than a sword. You do not need hour upon hour of blacksmithing practice to make an effective weapon. You can even buy various spearheads ready to mount for ease of construction.
It was because of these reasons, including the particular effectiveness of the spear when used with a mass of other spear-wielding men, that the spear was actually the primary weapon of the Vikings (though not the one they were most well-known for – that honor belongs to the axe).
How to make your own spear:
#2 – Tactical Tomahawk
Aside from being a traditional Indian weapon, tomahawks have been carried by US soldiers into combat since the Vietnam War (source). Depending upon the size, a tomahawk has the potential to be concealed as well. Aside from its ability to be thrown, a tomahawk can chop, cut, be thrusted with the leading point, and you can use the pommel to crush. This gives the tomahawk a very wide berth of fighting moves.
If you’re looking at buying your own tomahawk, I’ve explored the industry for years, and from what I can tell, the best tomahawks come from Cold Steel, SOG, and CRKT.
Cold Steel hawks seem to occasionally need a little sharpening when they show up to your house, and have a more traditional look to them, while SOG and CRKT seem to take a more modern approach to the tomahawk, focusing on more “tactical” varieties.
Want to learn more about fighting with a tomahawk? Check out this video:
#3 – A Big Ol’ Knife
While ideally a secondary weapon for close quarters fighting, one cannot negate the value in having a big ol’ knife when it comes to self-defense. Knives are easily concealable, readily available, and relatively inexpensive, meaning there is no reason not to have a knife in order to protect yourself in the event of an attack.
Knives are both effective and intimidating, in addition to being incredibly versatile. A knife is a perfect EDC tool, as they can easily be used on a daily basis. So, not only is a knife an effective weapon, but it is a daily-use tool as well. It’s because of these two factors that a knife is something you’re likely to have on you at all times.
Crocodile Dundee’s knife is perhaps the most well-known big ol’ knife from any movie short of the Rambo series.
As a result, it’s likely to be one of the first weapons that you’ll have access to when you need it. This isn’t to say that it will be the perfect weapon for the situation that you find yourself in, but there’s a very good chance that it’ll be the weapon available for the situation that you are in.
It’s interesting to note the statistics on rape here as well. As I note in my book The Faithful Prepper, during an attempted rape, the rapist has a 90% chance of succeeding if the victim does nothing, a 50% chance of succeeding if the victim screams for help, and a 1% chance of succeeding if the victim fights back with a knife or a gun. As you can see, having ready access to a knife can make a world of a difference.
One of the great things about a mace is that it takes minimal training to use. Pretty much everybody understands the concept of swinging a stick with a heavy end as hard as they can. Because of the physics of the weighted end, a mace can actually be swung with much more force than a sword as well, causing serious damage to an opponent’s armor in medieval times. Footmen in particular cherished this weapon when dealing with plate armor clad opponents (source).
Maces differ from hammers in that the rounded end of a mace allows an equally effective blow to be given regardless of the angle of impact, making this weapon even easier to use.
During Medieval times, war hammers were able to cause concussions to enemies even when they were wearing helmets. And though it may be strange and difficult to find an actual war hammer to use for combat, a regular claw hammer can still be a very effective weapon. According to data from 2018, people used hammers to kill more often than they did actual firearms.
That’s not to say that you necessarily want to copy the techniques of a murderer, but it (as well as Medieval history) points to the fact that a hammer can be a very deadly weapon. They take minimal skill to use (you swing them), and the amount of force that they can generate is incredible.
Pretty much everybody has access to them, you can keep one in your car without arousing suspicion (or even close by if you’re involved in some sort of trade as your occupation), and they don’t take up a lot of space either.
Machetes are another one of those weapons that are both cheap and relatively available. They are a functional weapon that you can typically keep within reach in your vehicle without generating any suspicion (at least in rural environments). They do not take up a lot of space, and a machete can do a lot of damage fast.
Throughout many developing parts of the world, a machete is a commonplace tool that you will see people carry with them throughout their day. In a long-term grid down situation, where the developed world is quickly thrown back into being a developing country, you may quickly see machetes become a common weapon.
If you shop for a new machete you will be surprised at the many different styles, qualities, and prices. Machetes have come a long way from their early days!
Either way, it’s worthwhile to know how to defend yourself against a machete attack, and for that, I highly recommend checking out these videos:
#7 – Morning Star
In essence, the morning star is a mace with spikes. While the traditional morning star is a weighted ball with spikes sticking out of it at the end of a stick, the concept can still be applied to easier to make weapons today. Any club such as a baseball bat could have nails or screws driven through it in a post-apocalyptic environment and instantly turn into a rather formidable weapon in a melee.
Negan from The Walking Dead used a mace-like baseball bat name Lucille.
Like any mace, minimal skill is required to cause quite a bit of damage, making this a great post-SHTF, non-firearm weapon for those who have minimal experience in fighting in hand to hand combat.
#8 – Not-So Primitive Compound Bow
A compound bow can be an incredibly dangerous weapon in the hands of somebody that knows what they’re doing. Comparatively, crossbows have a lower rate of fire, while recurve bows are gigantic, hard to aim, and hard to pull. In the meantime, a compound bow is an easy to manage size, tends to be easier to draw than a recurve bow, and allows a relatively quick rate of fire.
Any type of bow has the advantage of being silent as well, meaning that you won’t broadcast your location to everybody within a one-mile radius like you might with just about any form of firearm. You can hunt with these as well, meaning that not only can these serve as weapons, but they can be used to harvest meat out in the field too, making a good compound bow an excellent survival tool.
I came to the belief that the katana is probably the best sword design of all time after a lot of research several years ago (yes, I know it is a controversial opinion). As Mike Loades – a military historian – says, one of the great things about a sword is that it allows skill to triumph over brute force. This means that the small and weaker man may actually be able to stand a chance against the behemoth of an individual with some other form of weapon.
In a sense, the possession of a sword in the hands of a skilled user, is a potent force multiplier when being used against a larger opponent with some other form of melee weapon.
That being said, if you’re planning on relying upon a katana (or any sword for that matter), you need to have some form of training attached to it. I believe that the martial art kendo is very effective for that matter, and would serve one well if they seek to become proficient in the katana.
If you’re looking at buying a katana, I highly recommend checking out Cold Steel dragonfly katanas. They are not cheap, but they are so beautiful you will want to mount them on your wall as the art that they are.
#10 – Taser
While most certainly not a medieval weapon, the taser is still a rather intimidating weapon, and grants quite the force multiplier when it comes to armed combat. While you would most likely rather have a sword, tomahawk, or mace in hand to hand combat, the truth of the matter is that you’re unlikely to have any of those when you need them. A taser on the other hand, easily fits in a purse or a pocket, is often legal to carry, and doesn’t draw lots of suspicion when accidentally spotted.
Really, I would rather have a more deadly weapon if it came down to it, but I’d also much rather have a taser than have nothing. That is their upside, I suppose – being less deadly. They will disable someone without killing them, and stun guns of this type can be easily purchased online for little money. A much higher-end “Taser” brand weapon that shoots is considerably more.
Best Non-Gun SHTF Weapon Final Thoughts
Hopefully, when it all collapses you will have a firearm nearby. But if not, the above weapons could most certainly be used to enable you to better defend yourself. They would most certainly be better than having to resort to your bare fists.
Oh, and for further research into non-firearm weapons, I highly recommend checking out these two very entertaining videos:
What would you choose as the best non-gun SHTF weapon?
2020 just keeps getting weirder. On Tuesday, an absolutely massive explosion caused a red mushroom cloud to rise high over the city of Beirut, Lebanon. It is being called “Beirut’s Hiroshima”, and the blast was heard as far away as Cyprus. You can watch a two minute compilation that contains video clips of the explosion from several different angles right here. It appears that the shockwave did even more damage than the initial explosion did, and at this hour a large portion of the city of Beirut lies in ruins. Dozens are dead, thousands are injured, and the entire city is now in a state of complete chaos…
Two enormous explosions devastated Beirut’s port on Tuesday, leaving at least 73 people dead and thousands injured, shaking distant buildings and spreading panic and chaos across the Lebanese capital.
The second blast sent an enormous orange fireball into the sky, flattened the harbourside and drove a tornado-like shockwave through the city, shattering windows kilometres (miles) away.
In recent months, we have become accustomed to hearing about “mystery explosions” all over the Middle East, and many believe that those mystery explosions indicate that the region is on the brink of a full-blown war.
But this incident was different. A large section of the capital of Lebanon has been flattened, and many eyewitnesses are comparing the blast to a nuclear explosion. Here is one example…
“It was like an atomic bomb,” said Makrouhie Yerganian, a retired schoolteacher in her mid-70s who has lived near the port for decades.
“I’ve experienced everything, but nothing like this before,” even during the country’s 1975-1990 civil war, she said. “All the buildings around here have collapsed.”
“This reminds me of what happened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki,” said Beirut Governor Marwan Aboud. “I have never seen such widespread destruction. This is a national catastrophe. This is a disaster for Lebanon. We’re already living through days where we can barely keep going.”
“And now this…I don’t know how we’re going to recover from this,” Aboud told Sky News, before bursting into tears.
Immediately after this happened, a lot of people began wondering if this was an Israeli attack, but that does not appear to be the case.
Offers of aid also came from bitter rivals Israel, with which it is still technically at war. Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, on behalf of the State of Israel, have offered the Lebanese government – via international intermediaries – medical and humanitarian aid, as well as immediate emergency assistance,’ said a joint statement from the two ministries.
If Israel really had been behind this attack, I seriously doubt that they would be offering to patch up their enemies.
And this isn’t Israel’s style either. The Israelis prefer surgical strikes that avoid civilian casualties as much as possible, and this explosion definitely does not fit that profile.
Instead, it appears that this was some sort of deeply tragic accident. Lebanese officials have admitted that 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate were stored in the unit that exploded, and that amount of ammonium nitrate can definitely produce the sort of explosion that we just witnessed…
Lebanon’s interior minister said ammonium nitrate had been stored in the unit since 2014, with experts agreeing that the chemical would cause the red plume of smoke which burst up from the blast.
Local media are reporting that 2,700 tonnes of the chemical exploded, which scientists making initial calculations said was about three kilotonnes of TNT – roughly a fifth of the Little Boy atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in the Second World War.
But Donald Trump is apparently not buying that explanation. He told the press that the explosion “was an attack” and that it was caused by “a bomb of some kind”…
At least 60 people were killed and thousands were wounded in an explosion that caused widespread damage in the Lebanese capital. Trump said he had been briefed by “our great generals” and that they “seem to feel” that the explosion was not an accident.
“According to them – they would know better than I would – but they seem to think it was an attack,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “It was a bomb of some kind.”
If this really was an attack, the Lebanese are going to want revenge, because a substantial portion of their capital city has been absolutely decimated.
And needless to say, there are already voices all over the Middle East that are eagerly pointing a finger of blame at Israel and are calling for war.
But unlike the “mystery explosions” that have been happening in Iran, the evidence does not indicate that Israel had anything to do with this great tragedy.
Unfortunately, a lot of people out there are going to jump to their own conclusions, and many of those that hate Israel will use this as another justification to call for armed conflict.
Over the past couple of years, there have been so many moments when it seemed like a major war could break out at any time in the Middle East. And here in 2020, tensions are running higher than ever. The IDF has been regularly hitting Iranian and Hezbollah targets all over the region, and we just witnessed a harrowing confrontation on the Syrian border.
It appears that it is just a matter of time before a huge war erupts in the Middle East, and it certainly isn’t going to take much to trigger one.
So could this explosion push the region over the edge?
Let us hope not, but without a doubt this blast is not going to help matters.
The devastation that we just witnessed has caused great pain and anger in Lebanon, and terror groups such as Hezbollah will inevitably try to channel all of that pain and anger in a way that furthers their ultimate goals.
***It is finally here! Michael’s new book entitled “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.***
About the Author: My name is Michael Snyder and my brand new book entitled “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America” is now available on Amazon.com. By purchasing the book you help to support the work that my wife and I are doing, and by giving it to others you help to multiply the impact that we are having on people all over the globe. I have published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe. I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article. In addition to my new book, I have written four others that are available on Amazon.com including The Beginning Of The End, Get Prepared Now, and Living A Life That Really Matters. (#CommissionsEarned) The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions. I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is a great help. During these very challenging times, people will need hope more than ever before, and it is our goal to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with as many people as we possibly can.
Does this person have plenty of gear? No. Will this person reach the bug out location faster? Absolutely.
You will find all kinds of advice on building a bug out bag (BOB). That advice differs depending on the person’s experiences.
Former military personnel, as an example, might come at it from their experience slugging a big MOLLE bag around.
Then you have others who I describe more as “internet preppers,” the people who read about prepping, watch videos about prepping, buy some gear, and that is about the extent of it. It doesn’t matter if they’ve never actually practiced bugging out. In their mind, they have read enough to know about building bug out bags, and that is – pack everything!
by Derrick James, SHTF blog founder and blogger at Prepper Press
I have been a prepper for years. I have also been a hiker for years. Those two interests cross over perfectly when it comes to bugging out, and that hiking experience is what forms my perspective on bug out bags. Having hauled packs up and down countless mountains, I have become very familiar with the many types of hiking gear that doubles as bug out gear. I am also very familiar with something equally important – the importance of being lightweight.
This person has a pack cover for rain. I learned long ago that these covers are just unnecessary weight. Line your pack with a heavy-duty trash bag instead. They weigh less, cost less, and your gear is always protected.
I should clarify here that I’m using “bugging out” on the assumption it involves traveling long distances by foot. This is different than bugging out by vehicle, where the BOB is just something you throw in your vehicle and go.
I think most people build bug out bags from this “must travel by foot” perspective. And really, who has more experience perfecting that skill than hikers?
Why Build a Lightweight Bug Out Bag?
The apocalypse does not discriminate by age. Some people go lightweight to be faster. Others go lightweight out of necessity.
When you suggest that someone should build a lightweight bug out bag, they usually hear one thing – “cut gear.” Preppers love their gear, and hearing phrases like “two is one and one is none” underscores how important gear is to prepping. That is generally true, but when it comes to bugging out – weight matters.
You need a lightweight bug out bag because it will be easier to carry for long periods of time. You will be faster, have more energy, and you can evade others much more easily. With lightweight bags – speed is your strength.
While we can all benefit from a lightweight bag, there are three types of people in particular who truly need lightweight bug out bags:
Anyone whose physical strength is not what it used to be (older adults and those of us who could use some extra strength training),
People who will need to travel long distances to reach their bug out location, and
Children.
Even if you do not fall into one of those three categories, it still holds that the lighter you travel, the faster you travel.
How Light is “Lightweight”?
There is no set answer on what the ideal weight is for a bug out bag. What is light for me might be heavy (or featherweight) for you. At the same time, what I need to carry may not be the same as what you need to carry. We have different needs. That said, there are a few standards by which we can measure how heavy a pack “should” be.
The Therm-a-Rest NeoAir is about as light as you can get for a sleeping pad.
Ultralight backpacking is a style of backpacking that focuses on using the lightest, most simple gear you can find – and just the bare minimum gear at that. This is on the more extreme side of hiking, but its principles are used by Appalachian Trail hikers and others who want to cover significant amounts of terrain in short order.
Ultralight backpackers typically aim to have their pack weigh between 10 and 15 pounds.
That is hard to achieve! Not only do you have to strip down to the absolute bare minimum, but you often must pay extra for lighter products. An example would be spending more for the lightest, most comfortable sleeping pad you can find. Lightweight? You bet. Cost more? That too.
A more traditional hiker’s backpack, on the other hand, is said to weigh between 30 and 60 pounds.
Having started my hiking days in the early 90s, I firmly land in that latter category, well before ultralight hiking became a trend. My packs for overnight hikes have ranged between the high 30s for three-season hiking and in the mid-50s for winter hikes. So, I think that general guide is probably accurate.
The most important thing here is not aiming for a specific weight so much as it is aiming to make your pack as light as can be.
How to Build a Lightweight Bug Out Bag
Going lightweight is where you count ounces, not pounds. “Around 3 pounds” is not an acceptable description of your gear. Is it 3 pounds 8 ounces or 3 pounds 2 ounces? It makes a difference. Ounces add up!
5 Steps to Building a Lightweight Bug Out Bag
Follow these simple steps to examine your existing pack or to build a new one from scratch:
This Nalgene bottle by Epic Water Filters has a built-in filter. It eliminates the need to carry both a water bottle and a filter.
Get Organized
Weigh Your Gear
Respect Your Needs
Respect Your Budget
Cut the Weight
1. Get Organized
Find a pen and paper and brainstorm what the minimum gear you would need to reach your bug out destination is. Then organize that gear into piles based on their function (i.e. fire, security, clothing, etc.).
Look for gear that might cross multiple functions. For example, a quality multi-tool could also suffice as all the knife you will need. As another example, you could buy a Nalgene bottle with a built-in purifier. In these cases, it’s not “two is one” but “one is two.”
2. Weigh Your Gear
You need to weigh your individual gear and record the weight. Look closely at the various types of products in the same categories. This will help you to compare the pros and cons of cutting weight in some areas to allow more weight in others. You may find that one product is more rugged than another, but also weighs significantly more. Be realistic with yourself – is the extra durability worth that extra weight? Sometimes the answer will be yes. Other times it will be no.
3. Respect Your Needs
Remember your needs. If you live in Maine, like I do, you need winter gear to cycle in and out of your bag with the seasons. Some people are naturally colder than others, so one person might need a heavier winter hat while another might get by with a lightweight beanie.
Remember, you are lightening your pack to make you more adept at survival, not to sacrifice survival. There is a balance.
4. Respect Your Budget
I noted how ultralight gear usually costs significantly more. The technology has advanced by leaps and bounds. So, while you might want the latest lightweight tech, you have to work within your budget. That is another balancing act.
You can be creative – within limits. For example, you might think about saving money and carrying a simple camping tarp instead of an ultralight bivy tent. There is nothing wrong with that, but the tarp might be better suited to a vehicle bag.
The tarp in the above example may prove more versatile, and it certainly costs less, but you would be mistaken to think it weighs less. The 10×12 tarp weighs 35.2 ounces. The bivy tent weighs just 16.2 ounces. That is a massive difference. The bivy will pack smaller, too!
5. Cut the Weight
Now you have come to the hardest part of all – figuring out what to cut. The heaviest, most questionable items are your first targets.
Speaking of targets – how much ammunition are you planning to carry? How much does it weigh? Does it make sense to carry less. I know, I know – perish the thought! Alternatively, if you’re packing a heavy handgun, consider buying something smaller and lighter. I told you this is the hardest part!
Here are a few ideas on ways to cut the weight…
Leave it behind. I know some of you will bristle at the idea of leaving equipment behind, but I know I bristle at what I see some people carry on their backs. Ask yourself, “Is this item critical to my survival?” If it’s not, leave it behind. Nothing weighs less than nothing!
Purchase ultralight gear. Buying ultralight gear is the fastest, easiest way to cut weight. This, of course, will have to be balanced by the need to respect your budget. A few of my favorite places to buy lightweight hiking gear are:
There are other stores, but these – EMS in particular – will often run sales with big discounts. In the spirit of respecting your budget, watch for sales across different stores.
Ultralight hiker Grandma Gatewood could beat us all in a bug out situation.
Look at your feet. The weight on your feet (your footwear) requires 4-6 times the amount of energy as carrying that same weight on your back. In other words, skip heavy combat boots in favor of lighter hiking boots (again, check the stores I listed above for plenty of light hiking footwear options).
Grandma Gatewood was a pioneer in the field of ultralight hiking. She became the first person to hike the Appalachian Trail three times, and the last time she did it was in 1963 at the age of 75. What did she wear on her feet? Keds! (Read her full story.)
Food. Food is heavy. I know there is nothing worse than being hungry while on the move and burning calories. I also know I over-pack on food every. single. time.
Focus on caloric intake and ease of cooking. Bugging out is supposed to be temporary. You do not need fine dining. If you can get by on a handful of MREs to get to your destination, do that. Using a few of those versus freeze dried foods may allow you to cut the weight of a stove – a big weight savings!
Group Gear. If you know for certain that you will be bugging out with others (i.e. you would rather die than bug out without your spouse, child, etc.), then it makes sense to plan on sharing gear where possible. A camping stove is a perfect example, as is a handheld CB radio, a tent or tarp big enough to cover the number of people in your party, that sort of thing.
You just need to make sure you plan accordingly for two people if that is your plan. Yet another example:
The MicroMo Cooking System (left) weighs just 12 ounces. The SUMO Cooking System (right) weighs 16 ounces. However, the MicroMo is really only good for one person whereas the SUMO is better suited for two. BUT, if you are packing one stove for two people, you save 8 ounces (two MicroMos versus one SUMO).
Final Lightweight Bug Out Bag Helpful Hints
Do not forget to look at the bag itself. A heavy pack is well-suited for a heavy load, but if you are not carrying a heavy load, you do not need a heavier pack. Also, unless you are just planning to bug out across town, you pack should absolutely have a strong, padded waist belt. These are crucial to comfort and getting the weight off your shoulders and onto your hips.
Oh, and one other thing, check your body weight. If you are carrying extra pounds around your waist, do your best to shed some of it. That will benefit you in daily life, not just when bugging out.
Thoughts, comments, suggestions? I don’t pretend to have all of the answers. What works for you?
