They are trying to do it to us again.  Over the past two years, they have lied to us over and over again, and now they are going back to the same old playbook one more time.  Everyone is anticipating that Thursday’s GDP number will show that the U.S. economy has now contracted for two quarters in a row, and when that happens that will mean that we have fallen into an economic recession.  In fact, if you go to Google and type in “recession definition”, this is what you will find: “a period of temporary economic decline during which trade and industrial activity are reduced, generally identified by a fall in GDP in two successive quarters.”  But the Biden administration doesn’t like that definition for obvious reasons.  If everyone starts throwing around the word “recession” to describe what is going on, the outlook for the Democrats in the midterm elections is likely to get even bleaker.

So instead of facing reality, Biden administration officials are now attempting to move the goalposts.  Just check out how Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen responded to a question posed to her by Chuck Todd of Meet The Press on Sunday…

“Meet the Press” host Chuck Todd asked Yellen: “If the technical definition is two quarters of contraction, you’re saying that’s not a recession?”

“That’s not the technical definition,” Yellen responded. “There is an organization called the National Bureau of Economic Research that looks at a broad range of data in deciding whether or not there is a recession. And most of the data that they look at right now continues to be strong.

“I would be amazed if they would declare this period to be a recession, even if it happens to have two quarters of negative growth,” Yellen said.

Okay, so can Yellen show us a time when the U.S. economy contracted for two quarters in a row without it being considered a recession?

Someone should ask her that question.

Meanwhile, an article that has been posted on the official White House website is also trying to convince us that what we are experiencing is not actually a “recession”…

What is a recession? While some maintain that two consecutive quarters of falling real GDP constitute a recession, that is neither the official definition nor the way economists evaluate the state of the business cycle. Instead, both official determinations of recessions and economists’ assessment of economic activity are based on a holistic look at the data—including the labor market, consumer and business spending, industrial production, and incomes. Based on these data, it is unlikely that the decline in GDP in the first quarter of this year—even if followed by another GDP decline in the second quarter—indicates a recession.

Really?

Let’s take a look at some of the economic news that has recently come out…

-The Conference Board’s index of leading economic indicators has fallen for four months in a row.

-The number of Americans submitting new claims for unemployment benefits is the highest that it has been in eight months.

-Sales of previously owned homes have now dropped for five months in a row.

-Home prices are starting to rapidly fall all over the nation.

-One recent survey found that 35 percent of all small business owners in the U.S. “could not pay their rent in full or on time in June”.

You can find more troubling numbers like these in an article that I posted just yesterday.

All of the trends are clearly pointing in one direction, and we received more bad news on Monday.  The following comes from Zero Hedge…

Another day, another set of disappointing data confirming the ‘r’ word is imminent. Both the Dallas Fed and Chicago Fed dropped some truth bombs in their surveys of local and national (respectively) economic activity.

The Dallas Fed Manufacturing Outlook Level of General Business Activity tumbled further in July, dropping to -22.6 from -17.7 (and worse than expected)…

That is an absolutely horrible number, and the Chicago Fed’s National Activity Index has now fallen for two months in a row for the very first time since the early days of the COVID pandemic…

Shifting from local pain to national pain, The Chicago Fed’s National Activity Index signaled a second straight month of contraction in June (first time since early 2020). The smoothed index dropped into negative territory for the first time since May 2020.

Sadly, the Democrats will deny that we are in a recession until they are blue in the face because they want to do well in November.

I can understand that.

But do they really think that the American people are stupid enough to believe them?

Everywhere around us, economic activity is slowing down.

Even Walmart is starting to experience the pain.  The following numbers were just posted on the official corporate Walmart website…

• Operating income for the second-quarter and full-year^2,3 is expected to decline 13 to 14% and 11 to 13%, respectively. Excluding divestitures¹, operating income for the full year² is expected to decline 10 to 12%.

• Adjusted earnings per share⁴ for the second quarter and full year is expected to decline around 8 to 9% and 11 to 13%, respectively. Excluding divestitures¹, adjusted earnings per share⁴ for the full year is expected to decline 10 to 12%.

Of course this is just the beginning.

The Biden administration would have us believe that any bumps in the road are just temporary and that a golden new age of prosperity for America is just around the corner.

Alternatively, I am entirely convinced that we are heading into a historic economic meltdown of epic proportions.

Someday let’s look back and see who was right and who was wrong.

Honestly, I would love for the Biden administration to be correct.

If we really were moving into a time of great peace and prosperity, I would absolutely love it.

Unfortunately, that is not the truth.

At this point, the vast majority of Americans can see that hard times are coming, and the Biden administration is going to be powerless to stop the nightmare that is now coming straight at us.

***It is finally here! Michael’s new book entitled “7 Year Apocalypse” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.***

About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “7 Year Apocalypse” is now available on Amazon.com.  In addition to my new book I have written five other books that are available on Amazon.com including  “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, “Get Prepared Now”, 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 digital copies as gifts through Amazon 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 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 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 ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior today.

The post The Gaslighting Has Escalated To Extremely Absurd Levels As The Biden Administration Desperately Attempts To Move The Goalposts appeared first on The Economic Collapse.

You’ve come to the realization that you need to up your food storage game. Storing common ingredients and making your…

This article %Storing Flour Long-Term – How Preppers Do It% appeared first on %SHTF Blog – Modern Survival%.

What will we do when we inevitably run out of topsoil?  This month, I have written a number of articles that show that the clock is ticking for humanity.  We are systematically destroying the planet that we live on, and we are already witnessing mass extinctions of plankton, insects and birds.  Our food is full of poisons, our water is full of poisons and the air that we breathe is full of poisons.  And it gets worse with each passing year.  But one thing that I haven’t talked about recently is the loss of our topsoil.  95 percent of the food that we eat comes from the soil, and so if we have no soil we have no food.  This is a crisis that has been building for decades, and now we are rapidly approaching a major crisis point.

The amount of land that is used for agriculture all over the world has been steadily climbing for decades, and the intensive farming techniques that have been employed have resulted in a staggering loss of topsoil…

But beneath the feet of Iowa’s farmers, a crisis is unfolding. The average topsoil depth in Iowa decreased from around 14-18 inches (35-45cm) at the start of the 20th Century to 6-8 inches (15-20cm) by its end. Relentless tilling and disturbance from farm vehicles have allowed wind and water to whisk away this priceless resource.

The same picture is seen on farms worldwide. Soils are becoming severely degraded due to a combination of intensive farming practices and natural processes. As the layer of fertile topsoil thins, it gets increasingly difficult to grow crops for food. Without altering agricultural practices and urgently finding ways to preserve soil, the global food supply starts to look precarious.

According to Time Magazine, “soil is being lost at between 10 and 40 times the rate at which it can be naturally replenished”, and the outlook for the future is extremely bleak.

Sadly, this is even true here in the United States.  When early Americans first started to settle in the Midwest, a very thick layer of extremely dark topsoil was there to greet them.

But now that topsoil is rapidly disappearing, and what remains is soil that is “often much lighter in color”…

The soil that’s darkest in color is widely known as topsoil. Soil scientists call this layer the “A-horizon.” It’s the “black, organic, rich soil that’s really good for growing crops,” says Evan Thaler, a Ph.D. student at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

It’s full of living microorganisms and decaying plant roots, also called organic carbon. When settlers first arrived in the Midwest, it was everywhere, created from centuries of accumulated prairie grass. Plowing, though, released much of the trapped carbon, and topsoil was also lost to wind and water erosion. The soil that remains is often much lighter in color.

I remember the thick, black soil that I could dig my hands into when I was a child.

I would love to experience that again, but the soil in the Midwest is far different today.

In fact, it is being estimated that the Midwest has lost 57.6 billion metric tons of topsoil already…

Since farmers began tilling the land in the Midwest 160 years ago, 57.6 billion metric tons of topsoil have eroded, according to a study published recently in Earth’s Future.  The loss has occurred despite conservation efforts implemented in the 1930s after the Dust Bowl, and the erosion rate is estimated to be double what the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) says is sustainable. Future crop production could be severely limited if it continues, reports Rachel Crowell for Science News.

“Future crop production could be severely limited” is a nice way of saying that everyone is going to starve if something doesn’t change.

And that could happen a whole lot sooner than many people think.

According to the UN, all of our topsoil could be gone “within 60 years”…

Generating three centimeters of top soil takes 1,000 years, and if current rates of degradation continue all of the world’s top soil could be gone within 60 years, a senior UN official said on Friday.

About a third of the world’s soil has already been degraded, Maria-Helena Semedo of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) told a forum marking World Soil Day.

Maria-Helena Semedo actually made that statement back in 2014.

So that means that we don’t actually have 60 years left.

If that projection is accurate, we only have 52 years remaining until all the topsoil is gone.

And one expert recently told CNBC that there are actually some places in the world that “have already lost all of their topsoil”…

“There are places that have already lost all of their topsoil,” Jo Handelsman, author of “A World Without Soil,” and a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told CNBC.

The impact of soil degradation could total $23 trillion in losses of food, ecosystem services and income worldwide by 2050, according to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.

2050 is only 28 years away.

Of course horrifying global famines will inevitably arrive long before we get to that point.

And we are actually hastening the demise of our soil by our own behavior.

Today, agricultural lands all over the planet are being saturated by trillions upon trillions of microplastics.

The amount of plastic that we produce continues to rise at an exponential rate, and that means that the amount of microplastics raining down on our farms will continue to rise at an exponential rate.

As the level of plastic in the soil keeps going up, it is going to become increasingly difficult to grow much of anything.

I know that the information in this article is difficult to take in, but it is vital that you understand what is ahead of us.

We aren’t just facing an economic collapse.

The truth is that what we are actually facing is the collapse of everything.

When I say that the clock is ticking for humanity, I am not exaggerating one bit.

Unless something really dramatic happens, we are heading into a future that is going to be far more horrible than most people would dare to imagine.

***It is finally here! Michael’s new book entitled “7 Year Apocalypse” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.***

About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “7 Year Apocalypse” is now available on Amazon.com.  In addition to my new book I have written five other books that are available on Amazon.com including  “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, “Get Prepared Now”, 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 digital copies as gifts through Amazon 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 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 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 ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior today.

The post Doomsday Approaches: Scientists Say That The Earth Will Run Out Of Usable Topsoil In 60 Years appeared first on The Economic Collapse.

Imagine you’re walking outside. Maybe you are fishing, camping, hiking or just taking care of some business on your property. All of a sudden, a venomous snake seemingly appears out of nowhere. You feel threatened, so you pull out a revolver, take aim, and pull the trigger. But you miss. You shoot a second time…

The post What Is Snake Shot and Does It Work? appeared first on Survival Cache.

You may not want to buy a house right now.  What goes up must eventually come down, and we have just entered the “down” side of that equation.  Over the past two years, home prices in the United States have gone up nearly 40 percent.  Now mortgage rates are rising at a pace that is truly frightening, and they are likely to go even higher in the months ahead as the Federal Reserve continues to fight a relentless war against inflation.  Needless to say, higher mortgage rates mean higher potential mortgage payments for prospective home buyers, and so millions of Americans are being priced out of the marketplace right now.  The only thing that is going to bring those buyers back into the marketplace is for home prices to go down, and that is already starting to happen in some areas of the nation.

We were already in a historic housing bubble heading into 2020, and over the past two years we have witnessed another housing bubble develop on top of the previous housing bubble.

Overall, home prices in the U.S. rose 37 percent between March 2020 and March 2022.

That is insane.

Of course our incomes have not been going up as fast as home prices have.  In fact, it is being reported that “home prices have gone up four times faster than incomes” over the past year…

Economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas put the real estate industry on edge this spring after they published a paper titled Real-Time Market Monitoring Finds Signs of Brewing U.S. Housing Bubble. Why the renewed concern? Over the past year alone, home prices have gone up four times faster than incomes. Simple economic theory, which dictates that neither home prices nor incomes can outgrow the other for very long, tells us that isn’t sustainable.

There is no way that this could continue for long, and we have reached a point where home prices in the United States are “overvalued” by almost 25 percent…

The analysis conducted by Moody’s Analytics aimed to find out whether economic fundamentals, including local income levels, could support local home prices. On a national level, Moody’s Analytics finds U.S. home prices are “overvalued” by 24.7%. In other words, U.S. home prices are 24.7% higher than they would historically trade at given current income levels.

Does this mean that home prices will come down by 25 percent?

Well, it all depends on what the Federal Reserve chooses to do.

If the Fed decides to stop raising interest rates by the end of this year, the damage could potentially be minimized.

But if the Fed continues to raise interest rates throughout 2023, we are likely to see carnage that is unlike anything we have ever seen before.

Personally, I have been stunned by how rapidly mortgage rates have risen.  According to Peter Schiff, the last time that average 30 year mortgage rates crossed the 6 percent threshold was just before the last housing crash…

Average 30-year mortgage rates have pushed to nearly 6.4%. The last time we saw mortgage rates over 6% was right before the housing crash of 2008. Until mid-April, mortgage rates were in the 4% to 5% range. Just one month ago, rates were 5.49%.

Lower-income homebuyers have already been priced out of the market by spiking mortgage rates. The houses that are selling tend to be in higher price ranges.

Officials at the Federal Reserve can see what is happening, but they consider taming inflation to be a much higher priority right now.

So the housing bubble will inevitably continue to implode, and the numbers for the industry will just get even uglier.  Here is more from Peter Schiff…

Air is hissing out of the housing bubble faster and faster every week.

Pending sales plunged in June and the inventory of homes on the market jumped as mortgage rates continue to rapidly rise.

Pending home sales plunged by 16% year-over-year in June. This follows on the heels of a 12% drop in May and a 9% dip in April. June marked the 10th straight month of year-on-year declines in pending sales.

Some of the hottest markets in the country have started to cool off really fast.

For example, just look at what is happening in California…

The pace of California home sales plunged 21% in June from a year earlier as soaring mortgage rates took a bite out of buyer interest, the state Realtors group reported Monday.

And what we are witnessing in Boise is really alarming.

Boise was once one of the hottest markets in the entire nation, but now sales are dropping faster than Joe Biden’s approval rating…

Before governors relaxed stay-at-home orders two years ago, white-collar professionals were already fleeing their exorbitantly priced apartments in cities like San Francisco and Seattle. The biggest beneficiary of that WFH homebuying wave was undoubtedly Boise—where home prices skyrocketed 53%. You could even call it the poster child of the pandemic housing boom.

But that Boise honeymoon is over. While spiking mortgage rates have pushed the overall U.S. housing market into a slowdown, it has delivered a particularly hard blow to the Boise housing market. That has seen both Boise home sales plummet—down 28% on a year-over-year basis—and inventory levels surge—up 161% this year. It’s also chipping away at home values. According to Zillow, the median Boise home sales price fell 3.5% in June.

This downturn is going to have enormous implications for home builders as well.

Sales are falling, and a key measure of home builder confidence just declined for the seventh month in a row…

The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index, which measures the pulse of the single-family housing market, fell for the seventh consecutive month to 55, the lowest level since May 2020. It is the second-biggest, one-month decline in the survey’s 37-year history.

The only time that the index has fallen more in a single month was during the very early stages of the COVID pandemic.

National Association of Home Builders CEO Jerry Howard fears that things will continue to get worse in the months ahead, and he is warning that “we’re going to go into a recession” unless something dramatic happens…

“For the last seven straight months it has been going down and this is a huge drop – and I think all it says is, ‘Somebody do something or we’re going to go into a recession,’” Howard said.

I am sorry to tell you this Jerry, but we are already in a recession right now, and it is going to get really bad.

Our leaders have been making decisions that have been mind-numbingly bad for a long time, and now we are all going to suffer the consequences.

If you are searching for an easy way out of this mess, you can stop looking, because there isn’t one.

What we are heading for is going to make 2008 and 2009 look like a Sunday picnic, and it will shake our nation to the core.

***It is finally here! Michael’s new book entitled “7 Year Apocalypse” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.***

About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “7 Year Apocalypse” is now available on Amazon.com.  In addition to my new book I have written five other books that are available on Amazon.com including  “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, “Get Prepared Now”, 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 digital copies as gifts through Amazon 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 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 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 ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior today.

The post We Are About To Experience An Absolutely Epic Housing Crash The Likes Of Which America Has Never Seen Before appeared first on The Economic Collapse.

It is happening again.  Lines at food banks all across the country are getting extremely long, and this is happening even though we are still only in the very early stages of the next major economic downturn.  If the lines are this long already, what will they look like six months or a year from now?  Since the beginning of 2022, I have been relentlessly warning my readers about the rapidly emerging food crisis that we are witnessing all over the globe.  Food supplies have been getting tighter and tighter, and now insane weather patters are causing crops to fail throughout the northern hemisphere.  We really are moving into unprecedented territory, but this hasn’t really hit home with the general population yet.

Personally, I didn’t expect to see a huge surge in demand at food banks around the nation until the summer was over.  But according to ABC News, the surge that so many of us have been anticipating is already here…

Long lines are back at food banks around the U.S. as working Americans overwhelmed by inflation turn to handouts to help feed their families.

With gas prices soaring along with grocery costs, many people are seeking charitable food for the first time, and more are arriving on foot.

It is certainly true that the cost of living is quickly eating away at our standard of living.

A single shopping cart full of food can now easily cost 250 or 300 dollars at this point, and as a result more struggling families are turning to food banks for some assistance.

In Phoenix, one food bank recently reported a 78 percent increase in demand compared to the same time last year…

The Phoenix food bank’s main distribution center doled out food packages to 4,271 families during the third week in June, a 78% increase over the 2,396 families served during the same week last year, said St. Mary’s spokesman Jerry Brown.

I was extremely alarmed when I first read that.

Have things really gotten this bad already?

One woman that was interviewed said that she was willing to wait in such a long line because “it’s really impossible to get by now without some help”…

Tomasina John was among hundreds of families lined up in several lanes of cars that went around the block one recent day outside St. Mary’s Food Bank in Phoenix. John said her family had never visited a food bank before because her husband had easily supported her and their four children with his construction work.

“But it’s really impossible to get by now without some help,” said John, who traveled with a neighbor to share gas costs as they idled under a scorching desert sun. “The prices are way too high.”

Unfortunately, things are only going to get worse in the months ahead.

Extreme weather is absolutely scorching crops all over the northern hemisphere, and there is no relief in sight.

Over in Europe, we are seeing temperatures that we have never seen before.  In fact, UK authorities are expecting all-time record highs all across the country on Monday and Tuesday…

Britain’s national weather agency, known as the U.K. Met Office, issued its first-ever red extreme heat warning Friday. The warnings, in place for Monday and Tuesday, cover much of southern England, where temperatures could reach 40 degrees Celsius – or about 104 degrees.

“Nobody alive has seen a temperature of 40 degrees Celsius in the U.K.” weather.com senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman pointed out. “That would be a hot day this time of year in Dallas or Houston, much less London.”

Of course temperatures are far higher elsewhere.

At one point, a record high temperature of 117 degrees was recorded in Portugal, and so far there have been more than 1,000 deaths from the heat throughout all of Europe…

At least 1,000 deaths have been attributed to the heatwave in Portugal and Spain so far, according to the country’s weather agencies, which are reporting 1,027 at this time.

Around 440 deaths were recorded on Thursday alone, when temperatures exceeded 40C (104F) in several regions and 47C (117F) at a meteorological station in the district of Vizeu in the center of the country.

Here in the U.S., an endless drought in the Southwest has been playing havoc with crops for a long time, and now a “heat dome” is forming which will bring extreme temperatures to the region for at least “several more weeks”…

The heat will be prolonged, with computer models projecting several more weeks of unusually high temperatures as a heat dome shifts west with time, setting up hot and dry conditions from Colorado to California.

When things are this hot and this dry for an extended period of time, it is inevitable that crops will fail.

And at this point, we are being told that crops are failing in much of the northern hemisphere.  The following comes from Zero Hedge…

Infrared satellite imagery designed to measure moisture levels and the health of farmlands suggests that staple crops such as wheat are in poor condition and in sharp decline among major exporters including the Ukraine, the US and India.  Two countries do have bumper crops so far though; namely Russia and China.

It is hard to say which governments and institutions monitor this data, but a few months ago a multitude of political leaders and global banks issued simultaneous warnings of a “global food shortage” and an impending crisis.  Such institutions included the IMF, World Bank, the BIS and even the White House.  So far, a perfect storm of stagflation, supply chain disruptions and poor weather conditions have combined to disrupt food production around the world.

Read those two paragraphs again.

This is beyond serious.

And I wouldn’t be anticipating a good harvest from Russia either, because right now millions upon millions of locusts are voraciously devouring crops in the agricultural heartland of that nation.

In all of my years, I have never seen anything quite like this.

Here in the U.S., our food supply continues to get hit by more very strange accidents.  They are happening so frequently now that it is really hard to keep up with them all.

All over the world supplies of food are getting tighter and tighter, and the stage is being set for the sort of historic global food crisis that I have long warned about.

The UN has already told us that we are heading into an “unprecedented” global food crisis, but most people aren’t taking such warnings seriously.

But perhaps when they are finally forced to get in the food lines themselves they will finally wake up.

***It is finally here! Michael’s new book entitled “7 Year Apocalypse” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.***

About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “7 Year Apocalypse” is now available on Amazon.com.  In addition to my new book I have written five other books that are available on Amazon.com including  “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, “Get Prepared Now”, 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 digital copies as gifts through Amazon 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 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 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 ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior today.

The post Food Lines Get Depressingly Long In The U.S. Again As Crops Fail All Over The Globe appeared first on The Economic Collapse.

You can purify water with bleach. During emergencies, your regular tap water may not be safe to drink. In these…

This article %How to Purify Water with Bleach in 5 Steps% appeared first on %SHTF Blog – Modern Survival%.

Bored and looking for the best survival board games to play with family and friends? Maybe you’ve watched almost every…

This article %Top 10 Best Survival Board Games% appeared first on %SHTF Blog – Modern Survival%.

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The post Sightmark Latitude 6.25-25×56 PRS Riflescope: Built to Go Long and Win appeared first on Ballistic Magazine.

Pack These Camping Essentials And You Can Rest Easy Knowing You’ll Have A Good Time

OK, I’ll admit it…

A few years ago, I forgot to pack the sleeping bags for our weekend camping trip.

We were 3 hours from home when my wife asked: “did you pack the sleeping bags?”

My initial reaction was a defensive “of course I did …..” but as I thought about it more I realized – I HAD NOT!

We made do with a few random blankets but it was less enjoyable and relaxing than it should have been.

After that, I decided to make myself a list of camping essentials.

The same list I’m sharing with you today.

So don’t make the same mistake I did, instead, use this article to make sure you have all your camping essentials.

This camping essentials list is not just for first-time campers either.

Even experienced campers should use a list to double-check their camping essentials before heading out.

We all get excited! We all get in a hurry to “get away!” We assume our significant other packed that essential item…trust me – it can happen.

So the following camping essentials are items you’d regret leaving behind. The things that turn a good camping trip into a great one.

Now, this camping essentials list is NOT an attempt to take as few items as possible. If that’s what you’re looking for, check out our article on minimalist camping.

This list includes all the essential camping gear to make your trip as fun and as relaxing as possible.

Keep reading to see SkilledSurvival’s top 21 camping essentials:

Want a Downloadable and Printable Version Of This Camping Essentials Checklist? Click Here To Get Your FREE Copy Of It.

1. Shelter (Tent/RV)

I know what you’re thinking; shelter, duh!

But unless your shelter is your vehicle (like an RV or van), you’ll want to triple-check that you packed your tent.

Now, if you don’t already own a tent you have a lot of choices. For example, you could go with a survival tent or a cold-weather tent, or even a canvas tent.

Unless you’re one who enjoys sleeping under the stars without a tent.

If you’re only planning a single camping trip, you might be able to get away with borrowing one. But if you’re looking to make this a regular hobby, investing in a high-quality tent is essential.

Or you could even go in a hammock if the weather’s nice. Just use your sleeping bag in the hammock and sleep off the ground and under the stars.

Or you could invest in a survival hammock tent.

But what happens if you forget your tent, hammock, and sleeping bag?

In the name of preparedness, you should have a backup emergency shelter such as an emergency survival blanket or bivy sack.

The Tact Bivvy is a life-saving survival device and an excellent backup camping essential.

Toss one in your glove box and you’ll never be without protection from the elements – whether it’s while camping or in a roadside emergency.

Check out why we like The Tact Bivvy so much:

2. Water

Have you thought about your camping water plan? Will your campsite have a public water pump?

Or is it a remote site near a lake or creek? What if your campground doesn’t have any drinkable water nearby?

You need to know what the water situation is before you go. You’ll need to plan differently for a site with potable water vs a remote place in the desert.

Either way, you’ll want to have a large water container and leave it at your campsite for daily use. You’ll need it for tasks such as cooking, cleaning, and extinguishing your campfire.

I recommend you get a few water bricks for this purpose. These containers are perfect for camping.

Each one contains 3.5 gallons of water, they are stackable, they have a handle for easy carrying, and they’re virtually indestructible.

3. High-Quality Survival Knife

While camping, you may need to cut a rope, fillet a fish, or whittle a walking stick and a high-quality survival knife is ideal for these tasks.

Invest in a survival knife that can pierce, slice, and do some chopping as well.

I keep my survival knife on me at all times just in case. As a survivalist, I always recommend a trusty survival knife anytime you head into the wilderness.

If you want a survival knife that can take a beating but is lightweight and compact, get a neck knife (this one is my favorite). Pocket knives work well for everyday tasks, but can’t handle anything more demanding.

4. Medical Supplies

We go camping to get away from it all. But getting away also means emergency items like gauze, bandages, and painkillers are not as close as the corner store.

So you need to take some emergency medical supplies with you.

You can do this by building your own DIY first aid kit or investing in a good one.

Either way, never hit the road without this critical camping essential.

Want a Downloadable and Printable Version Of This Camping Essentials Checklist? Click Here To Get Your FREE Copy Of It.

5. Sleeping Bag or Blankets

Sleeping bags have been a staple for campers for years. Sleeping bags go with tents like peanut butter goes with jelly.

I even take mine during warm summer camping, because there’s always a chance it gets really cold in the middle of the night. And if you’re unprepared, you could wake up in the middle of the night freezing. Then you’ll have to scramble to add multiple layers of clothes just to stay warm – not fun.

So get a nice warm one for those cooler nights. Worst case, if your sleeping bag is overkill on a hot night, you can always just sleep on top of it. Then if you get cold, just quickly slip inside.

I recommend investing in a warm one instead of suffering the frustrations of a cheap one.

6. Warm Rainproof Clothes

Heavy coats are warm, but on a rainy camping trip, they can be uncomfortable.

It’s better to pack lightweight, rainproof, waterproof, breathable clothes as a top layer. That way you’ll avoid overheating in warm humid weather but keep the rain off in wet weather.

It’s all about properly layering to prepare for any weather conditions.

Look for design details like armpit zips, mesh pockets, and cinched hoods, to protect you from the elements.

You won’t enjoy your camping trip unless you keep yourself both dry and comfortable.

7. Insect Repellent

Maybe it won’t be buggy, but if it is, watch out!

I’ve tried a few of the alternative repellents but for me, deet is the only thing that works.

Yes, deet is a nasty chemical, so I try to use it sparingly on my skin. But it sure does keep those pesky skeeters away.

It’s one of the more important camping essentials on this list!

Forget it and you’ll pay the price.

8. Camping Chairs

Sitting on the ground sucks.

I’ve done it many times on backpacking trips because chairs are too heavy and bulky for backpacking –but not for camping.

If you’re going camping, you’re probably taking a vehicle to get there. So make some trunk space for a good camping chair or two.

Your butt and back will thank you.

9. Lots Of Firewood

Some of you may be wondering why firewood wasn’t higher up on this camping essentials list.

Isn’t firewood a camping staple?

Yes, it is, but you may not want to pack it.

It depends on your particular camping situation. Experts recommend you buy your firewood locally after you get to your campsite. And in some circumstances, it can be illegal to transport firewood across state lines…

Also, if it’s been a dry summer, you might have a fire bane to contend with.

The bottom line is

If you happen to forget firewood before you leave, you’ll typically be able to find some after you get there.

But do your research before you leave. Because camping without a campfire just isn’t the same.

10. Air-Tight Containers

If you’re planning on camping for a few days, you’ll need a few easy camping meals.

But remember, you’ll be cooking and eating with wild animals around and that means you need to respect them.

Never leave your food out, instead, put it in air-tight containers – like this bearproof food vault.

These containers ensure you end up with raccoons and bears sniffing their way into your campsite.

Airtight containers trap food smells and protect them from hungry animals.

Want a Downloadable and Printable Version Of This Camping Essentials Checklist? Click Here To Get Your FREE Copy Of It.

11. Sunscreen

I don’t know about you, but when I go camping – I spend nearly all my time outdoors. I don’t understand people who go camping only hide in their tent or RV all day.

My favorite camping day is fishing in the morning and hiking in the afternoon.

And being outdoors more than normal is a recipe for a nasty sunburn. And you can still get burnt even if it’s a cloudy day.

So you’ll want to make sure everyone in your group is wearing some SPF protection.

Consider getting the waterproof kind if you’ll be out on the lake all day and re-apply often.

12. High-Performance Cooler

A lot of people forget to pack a cooler, but it’s an important camping essential.

A cooler keeps your food safe from the outdoor elements and animals. It’ll also keep you from illnesses like food poisoning – so it’s absolutely essential and worth every penny!

A high-performance cooler will keep your foods fresh and cold for at least three days after being opened.

Plus, a good cooler helps keep your campfire beverages cold. And I like the coolers where you can grab what you need (beer) without having to sort through your food items in the dark.

I own a large sturdy cooler that doubles as an extra seat for your friend who forgot his camping chair!

Oh, and I hope it’s obvious – if you’re taking a cooler, you need to get some ice for it…

13. Sleeping Pad or Air Mattress

If you’ve slept on the floor, you know how terrible you feel the next day.

Now, imagine trying to sleep on the hard, cold, uneven ground! Set yourself up for success by investing in a sleeping pad or camping air mattress.

It doesn’t have to be fancy, but you want to enjoy your trip instead of ruining your back.

Also, take pillows with you as well. I can’t sleep well without proper neck support and quality sleep is a must to enjoy your camping trip.

14. Survival Tools / Gear

No one wants to end up in a wilderness survival situation. But every year, thousands of people do.

And if they had some survival gear with them it would help keep them alive.

So instead of listing each of these tools out individually, I’m just going to list the ones you should take with you camping – just in case.

• Compass
• Map
• Paracord
• Survival Whistle
• Survival MultiTool
• Radio
• Survival Shovel
• Signal Rescue Mirror

Check out our ultimate survival gear list to make sure you’re always ready.

Want a Downloadable and Printable Version Of This Camping Essentials Checklist? Click Here To Get Your FREE Copy Of It.

15. Campsite Lantern

You should take an LED lantern. That way your group can play cards or set up evening snacks or light the trail to the restroom.

If you forget to pack a good camping lantern, trust me, you’ll notice, and that makes it a camping essential.

The good news is you can get super bright ones at such a low cost nowadays!

16. Survival Hatchet or Axe

A survival axe does the one thing that even a good survival knife can’t.

It can split a ton of firewood fast. Good luck trying to do that with a knife.

You can also chop down a few small trees as well (if it’s allowed at your campsite).

So get a good axe and add it to your camping essentials.

17. Toiletries

Some campgrounds include restrooms with flush toilets and TP – while others do not. If you’re heading to a remote campground – consider taking your own portable camping toilet.

Either way, having a few rolls of toilet paper packed is ALWAYS a good idea. You just never know and being without is less than ideal. In fact, it’s pretty crappy.

Also, if you like clean teeth and showers, etc., you’ll need to pack those essential items as well. Like soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, etc.

18. Fire Starters

I’m a fan of practicing survival skills like starting a fire with sticks.

But there’s also nothing as frustrating as spending hours trying to get your campfire lit.

And your family and friends don’t care how you get it going so long as it doesn’t take all night.

I recommend trying these WetFire Tinder Cubs to get those marshmallows roasting asap.

19. Thick Socks

Socks are one of the most underrated camping essentials on this list.

If you’re planning a lot of activities, having some thick socks is important to keep your feet dry and healthy.

Don’t pack thin ankle socks which will cause blisters. Thick long socks will protect your ankles and feet from ticks, and mosquitoes.

Also, don’t wear the same socks over and over – bring a fresh pair for every day you’re there.

Are you not sure which brand of camping socks to go with? I wear Smartwool socks.

20. Camping Utensils

It’s hard to enjoy a great camping meal if you have to eat your food without a plate or forks. So make sure you have some cups, bowls, plates, forks, knives, and spoons.

There’s no real way to improvise these items so pack them, and you’ll set yourself up for some excellent camping meals.

Also, don’t forget your telescoping forks for cooking hot dogs or marshmallows over your campfire.

21. Camping Stove

Yes, a portable camping stove is essential because you cannot 100% guarantee you can have a campfire to cook with.

 

I discovered this the hard way. We showed up at a campsite with our dutch oven and a campfire grill grate only to find out there was a fire ban!

We end up borrowing a fellow camper’s Colman Classic Propane Stove. Thank goodness for random campsite friends.

Lesson learned – always have an alternative way to cook your meals – pack a camping stove.

Side Note: If you plan to winter camp, then you’ll definitely want to look into getting a tent stove.

How About A Few Non-Essentials

Why would I put “nonessentials” on this list of camping essentials? Well, because, some things are really really nice to have! So I figured I’d toss out of few of my favorite camping nonessentials to wrap things up.

Here are a few of my extra luxury camping items:

• Dutch oven
• A pair of campsite sandals
• A few new books (I highly recommend this book)
• My acoustic guitar
• A frisbee
• Some healthy snacks
• Lightweight Folding Camping Table

Camping Essentials Wrap Up

Camping can be an amazing experience, but only if you’ve properly prepared for such a trip.

You see, the key to having a good camping trip vs. a nightmare one is all in the preparation.

Make sure you have all the essential items to keep it fun and relaxing – instead of frustrating.

Experienced campers know this and have created a system to ensure they don’t forget those camping essentials.

Now you have this list to double-check before you rush out to the wilderness.

But remember, every campsite and every camp trip is unique.

Research the campground before you go. You need to know what it offers regarding amenities such as washrooms, electricity, and more.

Plus, learn these 21 amazing camping hacks to make your camping life a little better.

Ok, what did I miss? What camping essentials can you NOT live without that didn’t make our list? Let us know in the comments below, and we might just add it!

“Just In Case” Jack

P.s. Do you know where the closest nuclear bunker is from your home?

There are a lot of natural nuclear shelters in the US that are absolutely free. And one of them is near your home.

Click here to see the Closest Natural Nuclear Bunker to Your Home?

Click on the image above to find out where you need to take shelter.

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