Highly advanced aircraft of unknown origin have been flying around in our skies for a long time, and now a whistleblower has come forward with claims that the U.S. government has actually been able to retrieve “intact and partially intact vehicles”.  If what is he is alleging turns out to be accurate, it has the potential to change everything.  But this whistleblower is also warning that there has been a concerted effort by elements inside the intelligence community to keep this information away from Congress and away from the U.S. population as a whole.  They don’t want us to know the truth, and that should greatly alarm all of us.

This week, 36-year-old David Charles Grusch made headlines all over the world when he started telling news outlets what he learned as a member of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and National Reconnaissance Office…

David Charles Grusch, a veteran and former member of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and National Reconnaissance Office, has blown the whistle on this information, speaking with several news outlets about the crafts.

“These are retrieving non-human origin technical vehicles, call it a spacecraft if you will, non-human exotic origin vehicles that have either landed or crashed,” Mr Grusch told NewsNationNow.

If the U.S. government really has retrieved “non-human exotic origin vehicles that have either landed or crashed”, why can’t we see them?

What are they trying to hide?

According to Grusch, the recoveries that the U.S. government has made over the years include “intact and partially intact vehicles”…

“We are not talking about prosaic origins or identities,” Grusch said. “The material includes intact and partially intact vehicles.”

Grusch told the Debrief that analysis determined that this material is “of exotic origin” – meaning “non-human intelligence, whether extraterrestrial or unknown origin”.

“[This assessment is] based on the vehicle morphologies and material science testing and the possession of unique atomic arrangements and radiological signatures,” Grusch said.

If we have such vehicles, I would like to see them.

I am sure that you would too.

But these days just about everything is “classified”, and Grusch claims that even Congress is being kept in the dark…

An unclassified version of the complaint provided to us states that Grusch has direct knowledge that UAP-related classified information has been withheld and/or concealed from Congress by “elements” of the intelligence community “to purposely and intentionally thwart legitimate Congressional oversight of the UAP Program.” All testimony Grusch provided for the classified complaint was provided under oath.

If I was a member of Congress, hearing this would make me steaming mad.

Grusch also says that a “sophisticated disinformation campaign” has been targeting the general population for years, because they don’t want us to know the truth either…

Grusch told NewsNation the American public has been lied to for decades.

“There is a sophisticated disinformation campaign targeting the U.S. populace which is extremely unethical and immoral,” Grusch said.

This confirms what many of us have suspected for a long time.

At times they will give us a little bit of the truth, but the intelligence community is purposely keeping most of what they have discovered away from us.

Grusch has submitted an official whistleblower complaint, and the Intelligence Community Inspector General has already determined that his whistleblower complaint is “credible”…

The Intelligence Community Inspector General found Mr Grusch’s complaint to be “credible” and “urgent” in July 2022 and a summary was given to the Director of National Intelligence, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, according to Mr Grusch.

And a colleague that worked very closely with Grusch says that his character is “beyond reproach”…

Karl E. Nell, a recently retired Army Colonel and current aerospace executive who was the Army’s liaison for the UAP Task Force from 2021 to 2022 and worked with Grusch there, characterizes Grusch as “beyond reproach.”

But that doesn’t mean that anything is actually going to happen.

Grusch could be the most credible witness in the history of the world, but that simply is not going to be enough to break the wall of secrecy.

Our officials will deny, deny and deny some more until they are blue in the face.

In fact, the Pentagon has already released a statement that is intended to get us to stop asking any more inconvenient questions…

In response to the recent claims, DOD spokesperson Sue Gough released a statement saying, “To date, AARO (All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office) has not discovered any verifiable information to substantiate claims that any programs regarding the possession or reverse-engineering of any extraterrestrial materials have existed in the past or exist currently. AARO is committed to following the data and it’s investigation wherever it leads.”

Of course most of the large corporate news outlets here in the United States are either completely ignoring this story or are treating it as an oddity.

Fortunately, there are a few real journalists that are taking this story very seriously.  One of them is Tucker Carlson…

He continued: ‘In a normal country, this news would qualify as a bombshell: the news of the millennium. But in this country, it doesn’t count.’

Carlson accused The Washington Post and New York Times of ignoring the story.

‘There was nothing at all about how an alien species is flying hypersonic aircraft above our cities. Not one word.’

He said: ‘So if you are wondering why our country seems so dysfunctional, this is a big part of the reason. Nobody knows what’s happening.

He is right.

This story is a massive bombshell, and it should be front page news for both the Washington Post and the New York Times.

But there are certain things that they simply do not want to talk about, and that is because they are directed not to talk about them.

So it is left to independent journalists such as myself to write about these things, and that is one of the reasons why I devoted an entire chapter in my latest book to this topic.

Personally, I am entirely convinced that the stage is being set for a deception of epic proportions.

This really is one of the biggest stories of this century so far, and I believe that this story is going to get a whole lot weirder in the months and years ahead.

Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can check out his new Substack newsletter right here.

About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “End Times” is now available on Amazon.com.  In addition to my new book I have written six other books that are available on Amazon.com including “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned)  When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending copies as gifts to family and friends.  Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible.  I have also started a brand new Substack newsletter, and I encourage you to subscribe so that you won’t miss any of the latest updates.  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.  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 definitely a great help.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

The post “There Is A Sophisticated Disinformation Campaign Targeting The U.S. Populace Which Is Extremely Unethical And Immoral” appeared first on End Of The American Dream.

Years ago, I taught myself lock picking. This arose out of necessity rather than desire. I had lost the keys to a few different locks and after the first time calling a locksmith in, I wasn’t too keen on shelling out a bunch of money for something that took him a few minutes to undo….

The post How To Pick A Lock With A Paperclip appeared first on Survival Cache.

This article was originally published by Michael Snyder at The Economic Collapse Blog. 

Even though most Americans aren’t paying much attention at this point, the way that the war in Ukraine is evolving should greatly concern all of us.  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his generals very clearly understand that they are in very big trouble unless they can draw the U.S. and other NATO powers directly into the conflict.

All of Bakhmut is now under Russian control, and the Ukrainians continue to lose troops at a staggering pace.  They are holding a losing hand, but if Ukrainian leaders can find a way to get the Russians to use tactical nukes or other weapons of mass destruction, that would change everything.  Western powers would feel compelled to respond in kind, and then we really would have a truly apocalyptic conflict on our hands.

In recent days, there has been a tremendous amount of hype about the coming “counter-offensive” that the Ukrainians have supposedly been planning…

Kyiv renewed its plea for operational silence around the long-awaited counter-offensive against Russian forces with a clip of heavily-armed soldiers pressing their fingers to their lips.

The sleekly-produced footage features masked front-line troops gesturing for silence amid the distant rumble of artillery and gunfire.

It ends with images of soaring F-16 fighter jets – long coveted by Kyiv as it seeks to boost its air defence against Russian missiles and drones.

But instead of trying to retake Bakhmut or any of the other areas of Ukraine that the Russians have captured, the Ukrainians have been focusing their attacks on Russia itself.

Long-range drones have been hitting targets very deep inside Russia, and on one occasion that even included the Kremlin.

And Ukrainian artillery has been relentlessly pounding Russian territory.  The shelling has been particularly brutal in the Belgorod region…

Ukrainian forces continued to shell Russia’s border region of Belgorod overnight into Sunday after two people were killed the previous night and hundreds of children were evacuated away from the border, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.

“Overnight, it was quite restless,” Gladkov said on the Telegram channel, adding that the Shebekino and Volokonovsky districts had suffered “lots” of damage from the latest shelling.

Shelling civilian targets in Russian territory is going to do nothing to help the Ukrainians regain lost territory.

But it is putting enormous pressure on Russian leaders.

Just imagine how we would feel if U.S. territory was being shelled.  We would be calling on the White House to nuke the living daylights out of whoever was shelling us.

Well, that is exactly how millions upon millions of Russian citizens feel right now.

And what makes things even worse is that small “militia groups” have begun crossing the Russian border to conduct attacks on nearby cities…

The New York Times wrote on Saturday that “Shebekino, a town of 40,000 six miles from the border, has effectively become a new part of the front line as Ukraine has intensified attacks inside Russia, including on residential areas near its own borders.” This is all upending the lives of residents in the border region, akin to what already happened long ago on the Ukrainian side of the border. “The spate of assaults, most recently by militia groups aligned against Moscow, has sparked the largest military evacuation effort in Russia in decades,” the report underscored. The past days have witnessed area residents move into temporary shelters, including the large Belgorod arena in the oblast capital.

The “militia groups” that are performing these raids are actually using equipment that has been provided by the U.S. and Poland…

The Russian fighters aligned against Moscow who launched a cross-border raid from Ukraine into the Belgorod region of Russia last week used at least four tactical vehicles originally given to Ukraine by the United States and Poland, U.S. officials said, raising questions about the unintended use of NATO-provided equipment and Kyiv’s commitments to secure materiel supplied by its supporters.

Three of the Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles, also known as MRAPs, taken into Russia by the fighters were provided by the United States and the fourth was from Poland, according to people familiar with the U.S. intelligence finding, which has not previously been reported. Those people spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive issue.

And it is being reported that Polish fighters are among those that have been going across the border during these raids…

The Polish Volunteer Corps has published pictures, confirming it participated in the first armed raid into the Belgorod region, Russia, together with the Russian Volunteer Corps

Russian soldiers claimed earlier they heard some of the enemies communicating in Polish

This war has reached such a dangerous stage.

The Russians aren’t stupid.  They know that foreign fighters now make up a very significant percentage of the forces that they are facing.

And if Russian cities continue to get shelled and raided, it is only a matter of time before Russian leaders lose their temper.

If the Russians decide to use tactical nukes, it really will be the beginning of the end.

So let us pray that cooler heads will prevail.

Meanwhile, things with China continue to get even more tense.

On Saturday, a Chinese warship and an American warship almost slammed directly into one another in the Taiwan Strait…

This is the astonishing moment a Chinese warship comes within 150 yards of an American destroyer in Taiwan Strait, just days after the Pentagon said it would not stand for ‘bullying’ by Beijing.

Footage obtained by Global News, shows a People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) warship cut across the bow of a U.S. guided-missile destroyer on Saturday while it was transiting the Taiwan Strait.

USS Chung Hoon and HMCS Montreal had also been transiting the strait on a rare joint mission when a PLAN warhsip cut across the bow of Chung-Hoon.

We really are living during a time of “wars and rumors of wars”, but most of us in the Western world are focused on other things.

Even though our leaders have clearly demonstrated how incompetent they are over and over again, most of us just assume that they will be able to keep us out of a nuclear war.

Unfortunately, both sides just continue to escalate matters, and it appears that it is just a matter of time before someone crosses a line that will never be able to be uncrossed.

Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can check out his new Substack newsletter right here.

About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “End Times” is now available on Amazon.com.  In addition to the new book I have written six other books that are available on Amazon.com including “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned)  When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending copies as gifts to family and friends.  Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible.  I have also started a brand new Substack newsletter, and I encourage you to subscribe so that you won’t miss any of my articles.  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.  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 anyway that you can share these articles with others is definitely a great help.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

@media (max-width:576px) { .read-more-content { height: 930em; } }

The post Lights, Camera, Uzis: The History of Hollywood’s Uzi Love Affair appeared first on Ballistic Magazine.

You’re probably spending way too much time on overhyped prepping topics.

AND way too little time in the underappreciated areas.

That’s not good!

Your time and energy are limited resources.

So using them wisely is critical to make meaningful progress.

And I truly believe after you hear all 14 of these, I’ll change your mind on what’s important and what’s NOT.

NOTE: You can either continue to read this article OR watch the following video (both cover the same content):

↓ 14 Overhyped & Under-Appreciated Prepping Topics ↓

Are You Ready For The Tough Times Ahead? Take My 60 Sec Quiz To See If You’re Part Of ‘The Fragile Masses’ Or Not… Start Quiz Now!

Let’s jump right into the first “Over-Hyped” prepper topic:

1. Wasting Time Trying to Predict The Next Disaster

This is one of the biggest wastes of time out there.

As humans, we have a terrible track record of predicting anything.

Sure, we can predict some minor things, like tomorrow’s weather or your dinner plans.

But not bigger, broader “societal level” predictions.

I’m talking about significant events related to financial markets or future disasters.

And the more specific the predictions, the bigger the waste of time they tend to be.

For example:

Here’s an excerpt from Howard Mark’s recent investing memo “Thinking About Macro”:

“In December of 2019, the median forecast on Wall Street held that the S&P500 would rise 2.7% in 2020. What was the actual return? 18.4%! It was too low by 16 percentage points. Worst yet, in April 2020, after the Pandemic had taken hold (and after the congress and the fed had taken action), the consensus forecast return was revised downward to a negative 11%. That’s nearly 30 percentage points below the eventual outcome.”

These “professional” forecasters are pretty much worthless.

We can’t predict the future when it comes to markets and disasters.

So, instead of predicting the next disaster, focus on being more resilient.

Spend time becoming less fragile to ALL future disasters!

You don’t need to predict a future disaster – assume there will be turmoil.

And then focus on taking action to be ready for it.

OK, here’s a quote from one of my favorite books on understanding risks in our lives, Antifragile:

“You can’t predict in general, but you can predict that those who rely on predictions are taking more risks, will have some trouble, perhaps even go bust. Why? Someone who predicts will be fragile to prediction errors….”

I think this is saying that those who spend time predicting and “believing” they can figure out BEFORE EVERYONE ELSE are fooling themselves.

They’re fragile because they assume their prediction powers will help them see the future.

Giving them time to “move out of the way” before disaster strikes.

But they rely on their “false sense of prediction accuracy” to protect themselves.

Instead, they should invest their time and energy in becoming resilient to ANY future mishaps.

One more quote from the book “The Black Swan” (by the same author) sums it all up by simply saying:

“Invest in preparedness, not in prediction.”

2. Mastering Wilderness Survival Skills

OK, before you get upset with me, let me say there is SOME value in learning Survival Skills.

It’s just not as much as you think.

Let me ask you a few questions:

What are the odds of spending a night in a debris shelter?

Extremely low. You’d need to be stranded in the woods without a vehicle or backpack.

And be more than a day’s hike from any town or village.

It’s just not likely to happen.

Or what about starting a fire with sticks?

Nearly zero if you always keep an electric lighter or Ferro rod with you.

How about making your own bow and arrows from scratch?

Perhaps this skill comes in handy in a worst-case mass human extinction situation.

But if that happens, you’ll find both by scavenging sporting stores or abandoned homes.

Now compare those bushcraft skills that you’ll likely never use to the following:

What are the odds of having to live without electricity for a week?

This happens to millions of people throughout the world ALL THE TIME.

What about a deadly pandemic where you don’t want to go into a grocery store without a gas mask?

Seems much more possible nowadays.

Or how about a wildfire tearing through your neighborhood?

Again, it happens every year, and it’s getting worse; that’s why you should have a bug-out plan…

So, unless you become unlucky and end up stranded on an island, most bushcraft skills are just a fun hobby AT BEST.

They’re mostly just for entertainment purposes (like the video below):

↓ Primitive Technology: Wattle And Daub Hut ↓

So, instead, focus more on your limited time, energy, and resources where you’ll get the most bang for your buck.

Abilities that will significantly improve your overall resiliency to the most likely emergencies.

3. Buying All the Latest Survival Gadgets

I enjoy checking out all the latest survival gear and gadgets on the market.

It’s cool to analyze them and even test them out occasionally.

The latest tactical watches are chalked full of technology, but they have a high price tag to match.

But again, these fancy new gadgets are NOT likely to be the gear you need in most emergencies.

Most essential survival gear has already been invented.

And while this “old school gear” seems dull, they’re proven and work.

For example:

• Freeze-dried foods, mylar bags, and oxygen absorbers (or desiccants)
• Water containers and rainwater collection systems
• Water filtration devices
• Rocket stoves
• Tact Bivvy’s
• Bug Out Bags
• Respirator Masks
• Etc.

These are “older” but proven technologies that are much more important than the coolest survival gadgets you see coming on the market today.

Thus, making most of the latest survival gadgets an overhyped prepping topic.

4. Paying Attention To Overly Fear-Based Survival Products

I hate hyper-fear-based marketing.

Perhaps you know what I’m talking about. It’s those 30-minute video sales pitches that tell a doomsday story.

Often these stories are about a 3rd world country OR the coming apocalypse.

Ancient biblical predictions are being proven today, and the end times are here.

The reason marketers do it is because IT WORKS.

But it’s not accurate.

It’s a fear-based story to get you to buy their product to reduce the discomfort they created.

In my opinion, it’s not ethical. It’s pure manipulation.

It works because it preys on humans’ attention filters.

We don’t have the mental capacity to consume even a fraction of all the available information.

So we use a simple filter to ignore the mundane, boring stuff.

And only allow the most dramatic and exciting stuff to get through.

That’s why most media stories are negative.

They focus on storms, shootings, diseases, floods, building collapses, plane crashes, etc.

The more dramatic the news, the more we listen and pay attention to it.

It’s hardwired into our brains for evolutionary reasons.

Because those who paid attention to a wild animal attack survived, and those who didn’t survive.

And the media and marketers know fear is the easiest way to grab and keep your attention—fear in the name of profits.

Instead, I use reason and logic to talk to you with respect.

I want to see EVERYONE work towards becoming more resilient over time.

Sure, some urgency is called for; you never know when the next big collapse or disaster will be.

And a bit of urgency can help create a healthy amount of motivation.

But you should ensure that the product being pitched has real value first.

They should be willing to EARN YOUR TRUST before you buy.

If everything you hear is the end of the world, scary and fear-based, AND their $37.95 product is the ONLY solution to this problem.

And everyone who doesn’t buy it will perish tomorrow.

Then shut it off immediately and look for a product that has more respect for you.

5. Continuous “News” Cycle Consumption

This prepping topic is somewhat related to the previous one.

What is objective truth nowadays?

Who the hell knows?

Seriously, it seems like TRUTH is a myth of yesteryears.

Or maybe the past truth was only an illusion held firm by a select number of media outlets…

But it’s seemingly harder to get to the heart of any issue without a political spin or a hidden agenda tied to it.

And the news media makes money off YOU PAYING ATTENTION.

They put those flashing red scrolling emergency banners at the top and bottom of your screens because they help increase your watch time.

↓ Breaking News Flash Banner ↓

The more people watch, the longer they watch, and the more they can charge advertisers during commercial breaks.

Most news outlets (cable, radio, newspapers, etc.) use “controversy” and “fear” to get you hooked.

For example:

When listener numbers on hardcore political talk radio show start to soften, the producers prod the on-air hosts to stir up the pot.

To create some anger to get their listeners hot and bothered.

It’s an outrage machine (see the video below for more details):

↓ Dan Carlin: Fake News, Misinformation, and Being And Informed Citizen ↓

And if you consider yourself to be “tuned in” and “in the know,” you’re probably paying a high price to be “informed.”

You’re paying for this “informed status” at the cost of your internal peace and happiness.

You’re handing over your calm for what?

Restless nights, arguments with family and neighbors, mistrust of anyone with a different political stance…

I think it’s a terrible trade-off.

Because I believe statistics and narratives can be spun in any way the media desires.

So what you hear is what you WANT to hear.

Instead of having a productive discussion about how best to live as a society – nowadays, it’s all about hate, blame assignment, and finger-pointing.

And it’s just not helpful.

Instead, I focus most of my time and energy on things I CAN CONTROL.

And for the most part, the 24-hour news has minimal impact on my life and resiliency.

It’s got an insanely high noise-to-signal ratio.

Most “news” you consume daily is noise.

Very little is essential a few months or even a year later (minimal signal).

It’s mostly just junk (or noise).

The more information you consume daily, the more noise gets in.

And if something is truly a signal, don’t worry; you’ll hear about it in other ways.

Your neighbors will mention it, or your emails will include a reference.

Here’s what the book Antifragile has to say about the “signal to noise” problem:

“Thanks to [constant news cycles], we are living more and more in virtual reality, separated from the real world, a little bit more every day, while realizing it less and less. Consider that every day, 6,200 persons die in the United States, many of preventable causes. But the media only reports the most anecdotal and sensational cases (hurricanes, freak incidents, small plane crashes) giving us a more and more distorted map of real risks. In an ancestral environment, the anecdote, the “interesting” is information; no longer today. Likewise, by presenting us with explanations and theories the media induces an illusion of understanding the world.”

Well said.

OK, let’s move on to the over-appreciated prepping topics to which you should pay more attention, but you probably are not.

6. Measuring How Resilient You Are (OR Not)

I want to start with a couple more prepping quotes from Antifragile (again, it’s one of my favorite books):

“It is far easier to figure out if something is fragile than to predict the occurrence of an event that may harm it.”

“Not seeing a tsunami or an economic event coming is excusable; building something fragile to them is not.”

So stop spending so much you’re your time-consuming news and trying to predict the next disaster.

Instead, reallocate that same time and energy into activities and self-improvement with a REAL IMPACT when a future disaster arrives.

Just assume the future holds several major disasters in your lifetime.

Then do something about it.

Go from being a part of “The Fragile Masses” into “The Resilient Few.”

That’s what my website community, “The Resilient Life,” is all about.

We challenge you to take care of the preparedness basics. And then, once those are covered, we give you the motivation to keep going.

To become as resilient to the unknown future as you’re comfortable with.

Go here if you’re interested in learning more about TheResilientLife

7. Don’t Ignore The Prepping Basics

Prepping basics may seem boring to some:

Two weeks of food, 2 weeks of water, medical supplies, yawn…

But the problem is, those “basics” are the building blocks of becoming resilient.

If only everyone in the world had the prepping basics in place. As a human species, we would be much more resilient to all future tragedies (global or local).

But unfortunately, it’s more fun to focus on more interesting topics.

So, if you’re reading this right now and don’t have your prepping basics in place (or you’re wondering what basics I’m talking about), go here now.

8. Honing Your Situational Awareness

Here’s the deal.

Some folks have good situational awareness, while others don’t.

I don’t know if some folks are just blessed by their DNA and brain makeup, or perhaps it’s the way their parents raised them.

It’s probably some combination of both.

But man, if you don’t have good situational awareness, you’re in real trouble when things get chaotic.

It’s hard to think straight when you’re afraid.

And situational awareness is not just during times of chaos – it’s anytime you’re in new or public spaces.

When I go somewhere new, I take stock of the “situation,” like the place’s layout, before relaxing and enjoying myself.

I want to know where the exits are (in case of a fire OR a mass shooting).

I want to take stock of the folks I’m with and watch for anyone who doesn’t quite belong.

Since I have little kids, when I go to the grocery store, I strategically park where they don’t have to walk behind any cars or cross streets.

Sure, it’s a further distance to walk, but it removes the risk of my kids getting run over on accident.

You should learn to stop and think more about the world around you.

To work on improving your sense of situational awareness.

That way, this prepping topic can reduce many unnecessary risks in your life.

9. Plenty Of Water Filtration

AlexaPure Large Water Filter

“When the well is dry, we know the worth of water” – Benjamin Franklin

This is so true.

That’s why you should stockpile water today.

But what if you have some water that becomes contaminated or compromised?

If you’re ever forced to drink contaminated water, you’re putting yourself at extreme risk – especially during an emergency.

Severe uncontrollable diarrhea is deadly during an emergency – especially if you can’t get medical assistance.

Water filtration is one of those “boring, forgotten about” topics in preparedness.

It’s one of those “yeah yeah, I get it” topics.

And that’s fine IF you have your water filtration plan.

Suppose you have a LifeStraw, a few sawyer minis, an AlexaPure Gravity Filter, or a Big Berkey; great.

Just make sure you have plenty of water filtration at your disposal NOW.

If not, then please heed this warning and make this happen TODAY.

Other prepping topics can wait a few days but not water filtration – it’s THAT important.

10. Not Having Any “Plan B” Extreme Weather Strategies

Most of the time, having an abundant supply of clean water is the number 1 survival priority.

However, occasionally, this priority can get trumped by extreme weather conditions.

In general, you can survive about 3 days without water.

But you can perish in 3 hours (or less) due to severe heat exhaustion or hypothermia.

So, what are your plans should the power go out and force you to live in below-freezing conditions for a week?

Or perhaps it’s the opposite – what about 110-degree weather with no AC?

You must plan for these potential extremes to protect yourself and your family.

Maybe you have a wood stove in your home and a nice pile of firewood.

Perfect, you’re good to go.

Or maybe you have a backup generator and a bunch of gasoline to keep it running in the middle of the summer. Great.

But what if these options are outside of what you can afford…

I recommend you get some mylar space blankets for the cold.

OR you could also check out building a makeshift heater with small candles and some clay pots.

And for the summer heat, basements are the easiest way to “beat the heat” if you have one.

Otherwise, shade, a breeze, and a spray bottle with water are the next best options.

Extreme temps are dangerous.

So please, figure out your backup plans before cooking or freezing to death.

11.  Ignoring A Gas Mask & Filters

OK, we went from 3 days with dehydration to 3 hours with hypothermia, and now we’re going to go down to 3 minutes.

If you can’t breathe, you can survive for about 3 minutes before you pass out.

And then, over the next 10 mins or so, your body and brain will go into permanent shutdown mode.

Smoke from a fire can significantly impair your ability to breathe.

So, a gas mask can be a lifesaver in such an emergency.

But it has so many more uses than just for traditional smoke.

It can prevent you from breathing in potentially deadly toxins or pathogens.

I’m talking nuclear fallout, chemical agents, never gases, debris dust, or harmful viruses.

In a worst-case scenario, anyone breathing in deadly air without protection could be a part of the “real walking dead.”

Those folks whose time on earth is severely limited but just don’t know it yet.

The bottom line is:

Gas masks are a critical part of a basic preparedness plan.

Unfortunately, many folks feel they are too advanced or doomsday-like to own.

But that’s just wrong.

They are critical Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and should be a part of your preps.

It’s something you get early in your preparedness journey.

12. Physical Fitness

The truth is:

Being overweight or living with a chronic illness is a significant survival disadvantage.

Now, for many folks, there’s not a lot of choice in the matter.

Sometimes, the hand of cards you’re dealt is not ideal, and you’ll have to make do the best you can.

But for everyone else, you shouldn’t ignore your physical fitness.

You want to be strong and healthy, with plenty of endurance, should a widespread disaster hit.

You want to be the one helping your family and not becoming a burden to them.

At the very least, be someone who pulls your own weight from both a physical and a mental standpoint.

Fitness can help with both of those goals.

13. Personal / Local Emergency Prep

What is more likely in the next 10 years?

A worldwide EMP disaster, a supervolcano explosion, a nuclear holocaust?

OR

You get in a car wreck, lose your job, and deal with a flood, tornado, earthquake, hurricane, etc.

Yes, local/personal emergencies are WAY MORE likely to occur any given year.

But again, planning for those events is not as “interesting” and not as “entertaining” as trying to guess the cause of “the end of the world as we know it.”

But that’s a mistake.

You should focus on becoming more resilient for everyday emergencies first and foremost.

When prepping topics, spend time where the likely payoff is best.

14. Not Performing Simulated Practices

You’ll never know if your survival and preparedness plans have holes in them unless you practice.

We had a Resilient Life member who simulated a weeklong power outage.

They reported several things they were mistaken about.

For example:

They were surprised by how much water they went through.

And underestimated their water needs due to using water for cleanup, cooking, and pets.

They also discovered the value of having many non-electronic entertainment options, such as board games, puzzles, and books.

I’ve also heard many stories from folks who saw a “perfect” bug-out route on a map.

Only to discover the trail was impassable once they tried it.

The bottom line is:

If you haven’t practiced, you’re not prepared.

Prepare, Adapt & Overcome,

Cofounder Of Skilledsurvival.com & TheResilientLife.com

Born & Raised On A Rural Farm In The Midwest

Mechanical Engineering Grad From A Major University

Engineer With A Major Food Manufacturing Company

10+ Years Researching, Writing, & Teaching Preparedness

Mission: Help Folks Stop Living A Life Fragile To The Future

P.s. Are you ready for the tough times ahead?

Find out now by taking my short Readiness Score Quiz – it’s absolutely free.
Once complete, you’ll know exactly where you stand on the “fragile” vs.” resilient” spectrum.

So click here to start the Quiz….And don’t worry; the questions are so easy a 3rd grader could answer them.

Click on the image to begin the Quiz and find out once and for all if you’re part of “The Fragile Masses” or “The Resilient Few.”

The post 14 Over-Hyped & Under-Appreciated Prepping Topics appeared first on Skilled Survival.

This article was originally published by Lipton Matthews at The Mises Institute. 

The Economist magazine in a recent editorial painted a rather positive image of the American economy. After encountering setbacks, the American economy often registers a buoyant recovery. Despite competition from rivals, America has retained her position as the world’s top economy. Some are bewildered by America’s enduring prosperity, but is it reasonable to expect less from a country designed to do business?

The American Constitution is a fierce protector of property rights and economic freedom. Respect for property rights is so ingrained in the American legal system that for legal purposes corporations are considered as people. Because of this special status, American corporations are poised to defend themselves from government encroachment. A consequence of this is that American companies can be more flexible and responsive to market changes since they are less constrained by the whims of the government.

For example, the principle of at-will employment makes it easy for American companies to hire and fire workers thereby ensuring the efficient allocation of labor and capital. It also frees companies of the burden of preserving jobs that no longer add value. Instead, they can prioritize attracting new talent to boost productivity. As such, America remains attractive to investors due to less burdensome regulations.

Further, unlike in other countries, in the United States individuals own the minerals discovered beneath the surface of their homes. Therefore, it is easier for homeowners and entrepreneurs to commercialize discoveries without government intervention. In fact, political involvement slows development because the expertise to capitalize on discoveries is usually lacking in government. Entrepreneurs toiling in the marketplace are more equipped to expedite the business process than bureaucrats who are primarily concerned with using regulations to increase political power.

America’s innovative approach to mineral development has helped to accelerate the fracking revolution by incentivizing entrepreneurs and homeowners to pursue explorations for minerals. This has created wealth for ordinary people and businesses. Another advantage of America’s light regulatory approach is that it leads to more experimenting. If America had been like other places, then businesses would have to wait a long time for approval, and this would limit the scope for experiments to unlock innovation.

America’s rich free-market tradition has made her an economic superpower. So, why are policy makers employing taxation to derail progress? The obvious answer is that the state relies on taxation to bolster its coffers. As a predatory institution, the state is motivated to extract resources from private actors and augment its power. However, doing so is to the detriment of societal progress.

Economic estimates show a positive relationship between low taxes and entrepreneurship. Lower taxes also promote economic growth. Yet, the nascent marijuana industry is being taxed to the point where it is becoming an impediment to growth. Some policymakers are laboring under the impression that citizens have an obligation to enrich the state.

The thinking is that all activities must be captured by the tax net. New rules will even make PayPal transactions over $600 liable to taxation. Such policies are depriving citizens of investment capital and disposable income. Nevertheless, they are portrayed as the noble goals of a benevolent government.

Indeed, the state requires money to function, but debates still loom about its legitimacy and that of the income tax. Hence, politicians ought to curb their appetite for spending, promise less, and desist from pursuing useless military excursions. The state should be satisfied with what it collects from citizens because it is not owed anything.

People are already compelled to pay the income tax. Therefore, if they choose to earn extra income and use PayPal or other platforms to conduct transactions, that’s their business. The government is not entitled to any of what they earn. Few share this view, but the IRS is an intrusive agency whose influence should be curtailed.

The ingenuity of the American people made this country great rather than rapacious government institutions. Americans must defend themselves against government encroachment instead of passively watching the state taxing them into penury.

We are being warned that there could be some real serious economic doom at the beginning of next month if the Democrats and the Republicans cannot agree on a deal to raise the debt ceiling.  Experts are telling us that the stock market will crash, the economy will immediately plunge into a recession, and tens of millions of Americans will not get their Social Security payments.  Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says that a U.S. debt default would begin somewhere around June 1st.  She can’t nail down the date precisely, because there is some uncertainty regarding how much tax money will come in over the next few weeks.  But what is exceedingly clear is that time is very short, and there are only four days when the House and the Senate are both scheduled to be in session before June 1st.  So the clock is ticking, and right now both sides are still far apart on any sort of a deal.

Of course the Republicans in the House have already passed a bill to raise the debt ceiling, but it is not acceptable to the Biden administration.

The Biden administration has chosen to play hardball, and so we really are facing the possibility of a nightmare scenario.  The following description of what could be ahead comes from the Washington Post…

Federal workers furloughed. Social Security checks for seniors on hold. Soaring mortgage rates. A global financial system sent reeling.

Leaders from Congress and the White House are trying to forge an agreement to lift the federal debt ceiling, with only a few weeks before the Treasury Department may no longer be able to avert an unprecedented U.S. default. If they fail, and the government can’t meet its payment obligations, economists and financial experts predict chaos.

According to the Post, there are 7 major things to watch for if a U.S. debt default actually happens…

-Stocks crash

-A sudden recession

-Federal workers in limbo

-Social Security and Medicare miss payments

-U.S. borrowing costs soar

-Economic problems spread worldwide

-The dollar drops, along with U.S. prestige

The severity of the crisis will depend upon the duration of the default.

If the federal government can’t meet its obligations for a few days, it won’t be a very big deal.

But if there is no deal for several months, things could get really crazy.  In fact, the White House is projecting that stock prices could fall by 45 percent…

Moody’s Analytics has estimated that stock prices could fall by roughly one-fifth, wiping out $10 trillion in household wealth and devastating the retirement accounts of millions of Americans. The White House has estimated that the decline could be closer to 45 percent.

That would be quite a crash.

And imagine what our country would look like if over 60 million Social Security recipients did not receive any payments for several months.

People would be going out of their minds.

The longer a debt ceiling crisis lasts, the more pressure the American people will put on their politicians.

And I think that it what the Biden administration is counting on.

Of course there are many Democrats that actually want Joe Biden to invoke the 14th Amendment in order to avoid a debt ceiling crisis altogether…

The 14th Amendment, passed by the Senate in 1866 shortly after the end of the Civil War, states “the validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned.”

Biden says that he has been “considering” such a move, but Janet Yellen is publicly telling reporters that it would be “legally questionable”…

“I have been considering the 14th Amendment,” Biden told reporters Tuesday after meeting with congressional leaders at the White House and making little progress on the debt-limit stalemate.

Treasure Secretary Janet Yellen last week, however, acknowledged serious problems with the 14th Amendment as an answer to the debt crisis.

“There would clearly be litigation around that; it’s not a short-run solution,” she said at a news conference in Japan, adding it would be “legally questionable.”

We shall see what happens.

In the end, I don’t think that Biden will try to use a tortured interpretation of the 14th Amendment to end this crisis.

Instead, I believe that he will simply wait for the Republicans to fold like they always do.

For decades, Democrats have watched Republicans fold like a 20 dollar suit whenever some major deadline approaches.

And there are some Republicans that are already talking like they intend to fold this time around too…

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, said Sunday he does not think the United States will default on its debt.

Appearing on ABC’s “This Week,” McCaul said he was optimistic the nation would raise the debt ceiling by June 1, noting that defaulting would embolden the country’s adversaries.

“Our adversaries look at this very closely. They look at when we’re divided. … I think they would love nothing more, particularly China, to see us default in our full faith and credit under the Constitution,” McCaul said. “I think defaulting is not the right path to go down.”

But there is one key difference now.

Kevin McCarthy is the one holding the cards for the Republicans, and he does not intend to be steamrolled like other Republican leaders have been in the past.

There are certain things that he wants, and at this moment he is saying that there will be no deal if he does not get them.

Having said that, I still expect the Republicans to fold.

I just can’t help it.

I have seen it happen time after time, and it is clear that many of them simply do not have a stomach for this sort of a fight.

So I believe that doom will be averted because the Republicans will eventually cave in and give the Democrats almost everything that they want.

However, I have to admit that there is a chance that I could be wrong about this.

Maybe Kevin McCarthy and his team are made of sterner stuff than I suspected.

If that turns out to be the case, you will want to keep a very close eye on early June, because that is when things would start to get really “interesting”.

Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can check out his new Substack newsletter right here.

About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “End Times” is now available on Amazon.com.  In addition to my new book I have written six other books that are available on Amazon.com including “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned)  When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending copies as gifts to family and friends.  Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible.  I have also started a brand new Substack newsletter, and I encourage you to subscribe so that you won’t miss any of my articles.  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.  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 definitely a great help.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

The post If No Debt Ceiling Deal By Early June, Stocks Crash, The Economy Implodes, And Social Security Payments Don’t Go Out appeared first on The Economic Collapse.

How To Find The Best Water Filter For Survival & Preparedness

If you have to list the most critical resources in your survival plan, water will always be in your top 3.

Just think about all the ways you use water in your daily life:

• Drinking / Bathing
• Flushing / Brushing
• Cooking / Cleaning

These are tasks we perform EVERY single day!

Now imagine, for one minute, it’s gone. Taps dry… You can’t flush your toilets. You can’t bathe. But more importantly, you couldn’t quench your thirst.

The dehydration countdown would begin. You’d be forced to find a different source of water.

And while the image of a crystal clear, pure mountain stream sounds appealing, the reality is likely far different in a survival situation.

When you’re in survival mode, you may have to consume water wherever you can find it –

• muddy puddles
• algae-filled ponds
• livestock tanks
• river runoff
• roof runoff (i.e., rainwater harvesting)

These sources can be saturated with all kinds of bacteria, viruses, and chemicals. You need a way to remove these dangerous contaminants for drinking and cooking.

You need a survival water filtration action plan.

So today, we’re going to cover the following topics in detail:

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Best Inline Filters

The Best Small Group Filters

Best Large-Scale Filters

3 Different Types of Survival Water Filters

Filtration vs. Purification

Critical Water Filter Factors 

The Best DIY Gravity Water Filters

Water Filtration Best Practices

Your Water Action Plan

Are You Ready For The Tough Times Ahead? Take My 60 Sec Quiz To See If You’re Part Of ‘The Fragile Masses’ Or Not… Start Quiz Now!

Best Inline Filters

For most, the first line of defense in water treatment systems is a personal filter to care for their own needs.

Everyone should have a personal filter in their pack at all times, even if they’re traveling with a group. If your group needs to split up, you don’t want to lose anyone without access to water treatment.

With the ultra-lightweight options nowadays, there’s no excuse.

Everyone should add some water filtration insurance to their pocket or pack.

↓ Sawyer Mini Survival Water Filter Review – Can This Filter 100,000 Gallons? ↓

↓ LifeStraw Review and Field Test ↓

As A Way To Introduce You To Skilled Survival, We’re Giving Away Our Ultimate Survival Gear Checklist. Click Here To Get Your FREE Copy Of It.

Best Small-Group Filters

A personal water filter alone may not be practical when you go from a single person to a group.

In this case, it’s often helpful to transition to a pump-style filter or purifier.

They are typically about the size and weight of a 1L water bottle.

This weight increase makes it harder to carry, and it’s not practical for everyone in a group to have one.

But with a group, you can share and distribute the weight of other supplies. One person can carry the group filter while another packs more food.

This distribution helps the group to even out-pack weights accordingly.

There is a wide range of filter options on the market, from the simple sub-$100 filters to more advanced purifiers costing over $300.

It comes down to understanding your survival needs and the likely conditions you’ll encounter.

↓ MSR Guardian Survival Water Filter | Purifier Review ↓

Best Large-Scale Filters

In the world of survival, having a permanent (or even semi-permanent) camp is indeed a luxury.

But, with a good plan and essential camping equipment, it’s a great way to conserve resources and energy.

On a long trip, even a single no-travel day can feel like a vacation from the everyday routine of breaking camp.

With larger groups, one of the first resources to secure is an abundant clean water supply.

Sure, you could sit and pump gallons and gallons of water through a hand-held filter. But it’s far more efficient to set up a gravity filter.

A gravity filter allows you to do other camp chores while your water takes care of itself.

↓ Alexapure: Better Than Berkey? ↓

↓ LifeStraw Mission Gravity Water Purifier ↓

↓ MSR Autoflow Gravity Microfilter ↓

3 Different Types Of Survival Water Filters

There are 3 main types of survival water filters. Each type works best for different situations and setups.

So let’s quickly go over them in general now. Then we’ll review what we consider the best water filters for survival later.

1. In-Line Filter

In-line filters are small, portable, hollow tubes with a filter medium inside.

Think of them as a large straw where the easiest way to use one is to suck (just like a straw).

The sucking action pulls water through the interior filter medium and removes harmful contaminants. Simple but effective.

The ones we will cover later (Sawyer Mini Water Filter & LifeStraw) are both lightweight, portable, packable, and ideal for a single person on the move.

2. Hand Pump Filter

Hand pump filters are larger tubes with a filter medium inside. Since they are larger than inline filters, sucking is no longer effective.

Instead, they are built with hand pumps.

The pumping action pulls water through the filter medium to clean the water of contaminants.

Hand pump filters are larger than inline personal filters. Not too big to pack and carry but bigger and slightly heavier.

They can also process more water faster than inline filters.

So they are ideal for small to medium-sized groups on the move.

3. Gravity Fed Filters

Gravity-fed filters are systems that take up the most space to set up.

The filter itself can be small, but you need a water reservoir above the filter and a collection reservoir below it.

That’s because gravity filters are passive. You set them up and let them work via gravity while you go away and do other things.

You don’t have to suck or pump to filter the water; gravity does this for you.

Again, the filter doesn’t have to be large, but the setup is. So this type of filtration system is not ideal for travel.

Many of the popular gravity-fed systems are not mobile at all and are better suited for a countertop.

Due to the passive filtering and the setup size, gravity-fed water filtration systems are best for large groups staying put.

As A Way To Introduce You To Skilled Survival, We’re Giving Away Our Ultimate Survival Gear Checklist. Click Here To Get Your FREE Copy Of It.

Filtration Vs. Purification

First, a little terminology lesson.

I’m going to be very deliberate with my use of two words.

So pay attention because they mean very different things in water treatment.

Term 1 – Filters

“FILTERS” are mechanical devices that remove particles from the water.

They’re rated by the LARGEST particle size that can pass through the filter pores.

Most filters are rated in microns (1/1000000th of a meter). So a 0.2-micron filter can safely remove the majority (i.e., 99.999%) of bacteria, protozoa, and sediments.

Term 2 – Purifiers

“PURIFIERS” may or may not remove particles. Instead, they render dangerous contaminants inactive.

Purifiers add a layer of protection against viruses. It kills viruses that could slip through all but the smallest filters.

You can purify water through UV light, chemicals, or mechanical filtration.

Also, some purifiers contain secondary treatment (usually activated carbon or chlorine).

These secondary treatments remove dissolved chemicals, taste, and odor.

Today’s article focuses primarily on water filtration; you should also check out our water purification article.

The bottom line is:

That the simplest, most cost-effective two ways to purify water are to

1. boil it or
2. add water purification tablets to it.

Critical Water Filter Factors

There are a lot of factors that go into the selection of the right filter system for you.

You have to think and plan for future use.

Remember that your needs may change as you travel, so it’s often best to have a few options.

Also, I always have backups for emergencies for such a critical resource as water.

With this in mind, here are the most important aspects to consider in your search for the perfect survival water filter.

Source Water Quality

The most important factor in choosing a water treatment system is;

“What do you need to remove from my water?”

You’ll need very little treatment near the water source (i.e., glaciers, cold springs, snowmelt).

In these locations, the water is mostly pure.

It has had little chance of becoming contaminated with bacteria and viruses.

These situations are ideal for a basic water FILTER.

But, if you’re filtering near farms, cities, or swamps (where most of us live), contamination is more likely.

Upstream human activity has probably contaminated the water to some degree.

So you’ll need more and better treatment than a basic filter.

You’ll also want to purify the water to remove viruses, chemical runoff, and bad tastes and odors.

Group Size

Another critical factor is the size of the group you plan to provide with clean water.

If you only have to supply for your own needs, you may be able to get by with a lightweight inline filter or filter straw.

They’re cheaper, lighter, and take up less space in your pack.

A personal filter no longer makes sense if this expands to a small party (2-5 people).

Instead, you’d be better served by a small pump filter.

They’re faster for filling several water bottles, and you can take turns pumping water.

Gravity-fed filters are a good option if you camp in one place for a while.

They remove much of the slow effort of water treatment.

They can provide gallons a day if someone keeps adding raw water.

The downside is they’re bulky and sometimes heavy.

But you can’t beat the convenience of water at the turn of a tap in camp.

Weight and Size

Many of our survival plans involve being mobile, even if only while we make our way to a bug-out location.

The smallest in-line filters weigh nearly nothing and can fit in the tiniest pockets.

But, as you move into larger systems, the weight and pack size can increase.

The larger pump style and gravity filters are great options for a cabin or vehicle but won’t work in a pack.

It all comes down to weighing the technology against your needs.

You must understand the tradeoffs to develop your survival water filter plan.

Price

Finally, we all know quality survival gear doesn’t come cheap.

When comparing water treatment systems, be sure to check the specifications carefully.

Two seemingly similar filters can have wildly different prices.

There’s a significant difference between a 1-micron “filter” and a 0.2-micron “purifier.”

They are different regarding function and cost, even in similar packaging.

That said, sometimes, a simple filter is all you need.

In these cases, paying more for a high-tech purifier leaves you with less for other supplies.

As A Way To Introduce You To Skilled Survival, We’re Giving Away Our #78 Item Complete Prepper Checklist. Click Here To Get Your FREE Copy Of It.

Simple DIY Gravity Filter

Of course, there are those out there who want to keep costs to a minimum and aren’t afraid of DIY.

If that sounds like you, building a gravity filter from a Sawyer Mini is simple.

There are several ways to set up a gravity filter, but they almost all use the following:

• an elevated reservoir (a bucket, bladder, or tank)
• a length of tubing
• an inline filter (like the Sawyer Mini)
• a second reservoir for clean water

Seriously, that’s it!

Plumb a valve into the bottom of a 5-gallon bucket (large elevated reservoir).

Then attach several feet of hose to your inline filter. Let the water drip into a second 5-gallon bucket (or bottle).

Voila! You have a simple, inexpensive gravity filter.

The greater the elevation between the reservoir and the filter, the more pressure.

Head pressure is what’s required you need to force the water through the filter element.

The good news is a few feet is usually enough, but more will help to increase the flow rate.

A simple gravity filter can filter at the same rates as the commercial version at a fraction of the cost.

↓ Sawyer Mini DIY Gravity Water Filter System ↓

As A Way To Introduce You To Skilled Survival, We’re Giving Away Our Ultimate Survival Gear Checklist. Click Here To Get Your FREE Copy Of It.

Water Filtration Best Practices

Best practices exist no matter what type of water treatment system you choose.

Techniques you should use to make it work as smoothly and efficiently as possible.

These best practices should become simple habits when filtering and treating water.

Water Source Selection Matters

First, this is critical, don’t make your filters do any more work than they have to.

Try to find the cleanest, most transparent water available to you.

Avoid muddy water and water with visible pollution if at all possible.

The manufacturer’s filter ratings are all based on a generic “bad” water specification.

But that’s usually much cleaner than something like a stirred-up muddy puddle.

The more material you put into your filters, the faster the pores clog.

Soon you’ll notice a drop in flow rates and an increase in the effort to move water through the filter material.

Eventually, they’ll clog so severely that you won’t be able to use the filters at all.

Sometimes you don’t have any options, but this is where pre-filtering your water can help.

I keep a small piece of filter sponge, a survival bandana, and some elastic hair ties with my water filter.

That way, I always have a prefilter when I encounter silty water.

I place the sponge over the filter inlet to filter the small debris.

Then I cover it with at least one layer of the bandana and wrap the whole thing with a hair tie.

This setup creates a DIY prefilter to remove the sand, muck, and leaves before it enters the filter inlet.

The pre-filter reduces the work my filter element has to do and extends the filter’s useful life.

Avoid Cross-Contamination

One common mistake I see people make with water treatment systems is cross-contamination.

They allow raw water to drip onto the clean water end of the filter.

This means the contaminants can pass on to your next batch of treated water.

This is why most commercial filters have clear labels or color codes to determine which end is which.

Many also include protective rubber caps for both ends to reduce leakage after use.

If you’re careful not to cross-contaminate, you reduce your risk of waterborne illnesses.

Take Time To Learn Maintenance

Take the time to read and follow the maintenance instructions for your treatment system.

Many hollow-tube filters (LifeStraw, Sawyer, MSR Guardian) are susceptible to freezing.

If you leave trace amounts of water in them during sub-zero temps, they will not work again until they thaw.

Others with ceramic filters can crack if frozen.

Some need to be flushed with clean water after each use.

Others only require this if you plan to store the filter for extended periods.

Some filters need to be scrubbed instead of flushed to prevent clogging.

Other systems do it automatically.

Don’t skip them to save a couple of minutes.

Water Action Plan

As you can tell, there are a lot of options out there for water treatment.

From here, you’ll have to think about your survival water plan.

Remember, clean water is one of the most crucial elements of your survival plan.

From cooking, cleaning, and staying hydrated, everything stops without life-giving H20.

As you can tell, there are a lot of options out there for water treatment.

These are just a few brands we’ve tried, but they represent a good cross-section of the market.

We hope they show you how they work and their differences.

You’ll have a personal water filter with a massive 100,000 filter lifespan. You can also use it to create a simple group gravity filter.

It’s the easiest, most cost-effective way to cover all your bases regardless of the emergency you’re dealing with.

From here, you’ll have to think about your survival water plan.

Remember, clean water is one of the most crucial elements of your survival plan.

From cooking, cleaning, and staying hydrated, everything stops without life-giving H20.

There are many ways to ensure your plan doesn’t leave you without clean water.

And I highly recommend a good backup (or two), just in case.

If you want the most options at the best price, pick up a couple of Sawyer Minis.

That way, you’ll kill two birds with one stone.

Jason K.

Born & Raised In The Remote Woods Of Michigan

Engineering Degree From A Major University

Long Standing Member Of Mountain Search & Rescue

Offical Gear Tester For Several Outdoor Companies

Avid Outdoorsman: Backpacking, Camping, Fishing

Years Researching & Writing About Surival & Gear

P.s. Are you ready for the tough times ahead?

Find out now by taking my short Readiness Score Quiz – it’s absolutely free.
Once complete, you’ll know exactly where you stand on the “fragile” vs.” resilient” spectrum.

So click here to start the Quiz….And don’t worry; the questions are so easy a 3rd grader could answer them.

Click on the image to begin the Quiz and find out once and for all if you’re part of “The Fragile Masses” or “The Resilient Few.”

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If we don’t fix this, will the retail industry be able to survive?  There has always been shoplifting, but in the old days it was at a level that made it only a minor nuisance to the big box retailers.  Unfortunately, now everything has changed.  Highly organized gangs have developed extremely sophisticated plans for how to rapidly loot our major retailers, and the best ones can be in and out in just minutes.  Those goods are then resold online or in the streets, and the amounts that we are talking about are absolutely staggering.  In fact, as you will see below, theft is now costing retailers in this country about 100 billion dollars a year.

This week, Target made headlines all over the nation when it publicly admitted that theft will cost it 500 million more dollars than it did last year…

Target said Wednesday that organized retail crime will fuel $500 million more in stolen and lost merchandise this year compared with a year ago.

Target’s inventory loss, called shrink, totaled about $763 million last fiscal year, based on calculations from the company’s financial filings. With the anticipated increase, shrink this year would surpass $1 billion.

Let’s do some math.

763 million from last year plus 500 million more this year equals 1.263 billion dollars.

Please keep in mind that this is just one chain.

As Target CEO Brian Cornell openly admitted earlier this week, organized retail crime has become a massive problem “across the entire retail industry”…

‘The unfortunate fact is violent incidents are increasing at our stores and across the entire retail industry. And when products are stolen, simply put they are no longer available for guests who depend on them.

‘Left unchecked, organized retail crime degrades the communities we call home. As we work to address this problem, the safety of our guests and our team members will always be our primary concern.

‘Beyond safety concerns, worsening shrink rates are putting significant pressure on our financial results,’ CEO Brian Cornell said on a call with reporters.

In the entire history of our nation, we have never seen anything quite like this.

Do you remember all the looting that we witnessed during the riots of a couple years ago?

Well, now the looting literally never stops, and it has become very sophisticated…

According to the NRF report, which conducted its latest assessment in partnership with global risk advisory firm K2 Integrity, these organized retail crime groups “primarily favor large national retailers and big-box retailers, and cargo shipments for booster operations.” They are also more likely to target everyday consumer goods rather than luxury products. Based on an analysis of 116 groups, 81% exclusively stole general consumer goods.

These groups have also been planning out their booster operations in advance by studying store layouts, camera and exit locations, understanding the types of anti-theft precautions and knowing the different store policies for stopping suspected thieves, the report said. Boosters are known as the individuals who are paid to commit theft on behalf of these groups.

In 2020, theft cost U.S. retailers 90.8 billion dollars, and that number increased to 94.5 billion dollars in 2021…

Last year, a survey from the National Retail Federation, an industry group, found that so-called “shrink” — or losses attributed to theft, fraud or employee error — amounted to $94.5 billion in losses in 2021. That was up from $90.8 billion in 2020. And the survey found that retailers reported a 26.5% increase in organized retail crime, on average.

The final number for 2022 is expected to be somewhere around 100 billion dollars, and the final number for 2023 is expected to be way above 100 billion dollars.

For a while, major retailers tried to weather the storm because they had invested so much money in these stores.

But now retailer after retailer is shutting down locations in the cities where organized retail crime is the worst.  In fact, even Walmart is now shutting down stores in the most troubled areas…

Walmart decided to shut 17 of its stores across nine states after CEO Doug McMillon warned in December that theft was the highest it’s ever been around the country and if it did not slow down, stores would have to close.

And the company announced on Tuesday it would be shutting half its Chicago stores, mostly located on the crime-ridden city’s south and west sides, because they are losing tens of millions each year.

So where do we go from here?

That is a very good question, because conditions in many of our major cities just continue to get worse and worse.

For example, an 83-year-old Vietnam veteran says that he actually felt safer walking the streets of Saigon than he does walking the streets of Portland…

‘I felt safer when I was walking around in downtown Saigon when I was in Vietnam than I do here in Portland,’ 83-year-old Vietnam veteran Armand Martens told Fox 12 Oregon about a homeless camp where people were using drugs and setting fire to properties.

Martens told how his neighbors have been terrorized by squatters who set up camp next door to their home and even set their property on fire.

So far, more than 2,600 businesses have left downtown Portland.

We aren’t just talking about a handful of businesses that have decided that it is time to look for greener pastures.

What we are witnessing is literally a “mass exodus”, and that is because Portland now resembles a Mad Max movie…

Real estate developer Dustin Michael Miller told ‘Fox & Friends First’ that he’s moving his company out of Portland after his office was targeted in a rain of bullets in an incident he described as ‘absolute madness’.

‘It’s not uncommon to see homeless people running around the city with axes and machetes, and it’s just a common thing that nobody does anything,’ Miller said. ‘You call the police, and it’s very rare that they show up.’

Of course the exact same thing could be said about many other large cities.

Happy Days star Scott Baio has admitted that he has decided to sell his home and leave Los Angeles for good because the city has literally become “unlivable”…

The actor said he has been ‘forced out’ of his $3.85million home in Woodland Hills, LA, because the city has become ‘unlivable’, citing the homeless doing drugs on the sidewalk in the middle of the day, crime being ‘out of control’, and ‘graffiti on everything’.

‘Between the homeless defecating on the sidewalk, doing drugs on the sidewalk in the middle of the day, illegal aliens all over the place, law means nothing, crime is out of control, graffiti on everything… all of my tax dollars, I don’t know what they go for,’ Baoi said.

This is our country now.

We have been eagerly embracing evil for decades, and as a result we now have evil all around us.

I wish that I could tell you that things will be much better a couple years from now.

But I can’t do that, because it isn’t true.

In fact, as economic conditions deteriorate it is likely that the looting will go to an entirely new level.

Decades of very bad decisions have brought us to this point, and now we are paying a very great price for our foolishness.

Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can check out his new Substack newsletter right here.

About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “End Times” is now available on Amazon.com.  In addition to my new book I have written six other books that are available on Amazon.com including “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned)  When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending copies as gifts to family and friends.  Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible.  I have also started a brand new Substack newsletter, and I encourage you to subscribe so that you won’t miss any of my articles.  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.  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 definitely a great help.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

The post Theft Is Now Costing Retailers In The United States About 100 BILLION Dollars A Year appeared first on The Economic Collapse.

Have you “seen the light” yet?  As Christianity has declined in the United States, other faiths have moved quickly to fill the void.  In previous articles, I have written about the explosive growth that witchcraft and Satanism have both experienced in recent years.  But Christianity’s main rival in the U.S. is neither one of them.  Today, “woke” ideology and the backlash to it are constantly in the news.  Our politicians are defined by their adherence to it, virtually all of our corporations are very careful to show public submission to it, many of our entertainers have become rabid proponents for it, and our public schools are being transformed into indoctrination centers for the cause.

As a result, we now have millions upon millions of young people that have a remarkably consistent set of core values.

Unfortunately, those core values are pretty much the opposite of the core values of the people that once founded this country.

Throughout much of our history, most Americans derived their core values from religion, and that is still true today.

You see, the truth is that there is much that is “religious” in the “woke” movement.  It has its own rituals, practices, flags, songs, mantras, gatherings and evangelists.

Of course there are also heretics, and “cancel culture” has emerged as a way to punish those heretics.

In this new environment, either you will be “awakened” willingly or you will suffer the consequences.  I really like how Michael Vlahos described the “new national church” that is now evolving all around us…

What does it mean to be woke? First and foremost, “woke” is a religious signal that you have heard the Good News and Seen the Light. Awakening means both witnessing revealed truth and experiencing spiritual transformation. Today this has taken the form of a collective enunciation: Of a new national church, reformed and transformed, to replace the original American sect, which is wicked and corrupted.

In simple, practical terms, the Church of Woke is pledged to the destruction of Racism, Patriarchy, and Heteronormativity.

We are supposed to be a very tolerant society, but there is no tolerance in this new religion…

In the woke religion, Christian beliefs about justice and truth are supplanted with contemporary doctrines of equality, LGBTQ+, aggressive feminism, anti-capitalism, cultural shame, historical national sin, legacy guilt, claims of privilege, intersectionality, micro-aggression, critical race beliefs, BLM, compelled speech and inclusion of all self-identities; but there’s no tolerance for those who challenge the woke faith. The woke spirit takes a young person who desires to do good and shifts them into a hating machine, an angry, bitter person.

Let me ask you a question.

If you encounter an angry person in the street demanding that you change your ways, is that individual more likely to be a Christian preacher or a radical “woke” activist?

I think that we all know the answer to that question.

Many of those that are “woke” believe their “gospel” with a fervor that would make the most extreme Islamic jihadists blush.

If you do not agree with them, you are “evil” and you are part of the problem.

According to Vivek Ramaswamy, we have now reached a point where “wokeness” actually “meets the Supreme Court test for religion”…

“Wokeness” has become so pervasive across America’s institutions from schools to corporations that author Vivek Ramaswamy argues it meets the Supreme Court test for religion.

“Wokeness is a secular religion. It isn’t a religion based on God. It isn’t a religion that offers a path to redemption, but it is a secular religion nonetheless,” Ramaswamy, author of Woke, Inc. tells CBN News.

Meanwhile, the influence of Christianity in our society continues to wane.

According to a brand new survey that was just conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute, only 16 percent of us still consider religion to be the most important part of our lives…

A survey by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) shows that only 16 percent of Americans say religion is the most important part of their lives — down from a fifth a decade ago.

Meanwhile, about a quarter of Americans say they used to follow a different religion to the one they currently practice — a share of the population that keeps growing.

Church attendance has been declining for decades, and the percentage of Americans that identify as Christians “has been steadily dropping”…

The number of Americans who attend church once a week fell from 19 percent in 2019 to 16 percent last year, says the survey of some 6,600 adults across all 50 states.

Only 64 percent of Americans identify as Christian nowadays — that percentage has been steadily dropping.

The share of ‘nones’ — those without any religious affiliation — has meanwhile risen to 27 percent.

What we are witnessing is a shift of seismic proportions.

Over the past few years, unprecedented numbers of Americans have either switched to a new faith or have decided that it is time to walk away from religion completely.

Among those that have made a switch, approximately 30  percent say that it was due to “negative religious teachings about or treatment of LGBTQ+ people”…

About 30% said negative religious teachings about or treatment of LGBTQ+ people forced them to change.

Wow.

Of course support for the LGBTQ+ agenda is one of the core tenets of the new “woke” religion.

And once June starts the entire country will be spending an entire month conducting gatherings, parades and celebrations to show how fervently they support “pride”.

The transformation of America is virtually complete.

Our entire society has been turned completely upside down, and if we stay on the path that we are currently on there is not going to be a future for our nation.

But at this point the environment in the U.S. has become so extreme that we are not even allowed to have a debate about such things.

There shall be no deviating from the new orthodoxy, and those that attempt to do so are likely to get brutally canceled.

Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can check out his new Substack newsletter right here.

About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “End Times” is now available on Amazon.com.  In addition to my new book I have written six other books that are available on Amazon.com including “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned)  When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending copies as gifts to family and friends.  Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible.  I have also started a brand new Substack newsletter, and I encourage you to subscribe so that you won’t miss any of the latest updates.  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.  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 definitely a great help.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

The post America’s New “Woke” Religion appeared first on End Of The American Dream.