Survival Gear is the most unused product until a natural disaster happens, then it’s the most desired products, but usually too late to help those that really need the help.
We sell around the World, and pride ourselves on offering a level of customer service that we would want to see ourselves if we were shopping online. Our product ranges change regularly, so we hope that you come back to our sites to see some of the fantastic offers that we regularly have.
When it comes to your food supply, you just can’t risk not having enough. These no cook meals will be a great addition to your food supply planning. Check out the recipes below!
No Cook Meals to Help You Through the Pandemic
As of the writing of this article, there are 20 meat processing plants that have been shut down due to COVID-19 infections. We have been worrying about these types of effects on our food supply for months now, and this is the first real sign of how infections can affect the food supply.
When you walk into a supermarket, you might not see all the choices you had in the past. An empty meat case is a humbling thing for your eyes to fall upon. It’s the shocking realization that the seemingly infinite supply of chickens, pigs, and cows that are butchered for us has begun to run dry!
To deal with this issue, we are going to present four no cook meals that will help you create dinners at home that will feed your family without worrying so much about what’s available, or unavailable, in the meat case.
1. Smashed White Bean, Avocado and Salted Pork Sandwiches
As preppers we get beans. There are a bunch of ways to use beans and this a great example of how you can pack a sandwich with great nutrition and protein.
Serving: Makes 4 sandwiches
Ingredients:
Can of White Beans
Olive Oil
1 Avocado
8 Slices of Whole Grain Bread
8 Slices of Salted Pork (Prosciutto, Ham, Virginia Ham)
Instructions:
Begin by draining your beans in a colander then smashing them up in a bowl add a few glugs of olive oil, salt, pepper. This little mix is delicious. If you add some minced rosemary, you can even turn this into a delicious dip.
Pit your avocado and cut it in half and then quarters lengthwise. Leave the skin on.
Lay the bread out on a clean work surface for assembling the sandwiches.
Spread your mashed bean mix onto one side of the bread.
Peel your avocados and slice 1 quarter for each sandwich. Spread slices over the bean spread.
Add a few slices of your pork to over the top of the avocado.
You can finish this sandwich with some lettuces, fresh sprouts, or just eat it as is.
2. Delicious Crab Salad
Canned crab is a protein option that will likely be around through much of this meat crisis. It does have to be kept in refrigeration, but it’s delicious and this chipotle mayo salad is great in the spring and summer.
Ingredients:
1 Can of Crab Meat
1 Bunch of Asparagus
Chipotle Mayo
1 Bunch of Green Onions
1 Bunch of Cilantro
Instructions:
Drain your crab in a colander and set it in the sink.
Slice your asparagus into 1-inch pieces. Throw them into a bowl.
Thinly slice your onions and your cilantro and throw that into the bowl, as well.
Gently toss in the crab meat.
Squirt on enough Chipotle mayo to coat everything and toss gently not to break up the crab meat.
Chill in the fridge and serve.
3. Simple Greek Salad
The combination of simple summer ingredients makes for an incredible quick salad that you could add other proteins, too, if you wanted. These could be canned meats.
Ingredients:
2 Large Tomatoes
1 Cucumber
1 Red Onion
¼ Cup of Feta Cheese
A Few Sprigs of Fresh Mint
½ Cup of Kalamata Olives
Balsamic Dressing
Instructions:
I like to cut the tomatoes in large chunks and have them kind of be the main course in this salad. Peel and slice your cucumber in half. Remove the seeds and either dice or slice in half-moons.
Peel and slice your red onion in half. Julienne your, or thinly slice, your half onion.
Add all these ingredients to a bowl. Finely slice your mint.
Add your olives, crumbled feta, and mint to the bowl and add enough dressing to coat everything.
Stir it up and allow this to chill for at least an hour for the flavors to really blend.
4. Mediterranean Tuna Lettuce Wraps
Using some similar ingredients and adding a protein like tuna, you can create some delicious lettuce wraps. The key to a good lettuce wrap is to have most of the items around the same size. So, consider that when you are preparing this dish.
Ingredients:
Iceberg or Butter Lettuce
Canned Artichokes
Canned roasted Red peppers
Fresh Cucumber
Feta Cheese
Minced Olives ¼ Cup
2 Cans of Tuna
Green Onions
Basil
Instructions:
Start by peeling all the full leaves from your lettuce. Set them on a plate either cover them with a wet paper towel or put them back into the fridge.
Dice the peppers, artichokes, and cucumbers into cubes. Go no larger than ½ an inch.
Thinly slice your green onions and basil and add them to a bowl with your diced vegetables. Add your loves to this bowl and mix them thoroughly.
Crumble your feta cheese over the mixture.
Drain your tuna thoroughly and then add that to the bowl, as well.
Gently toss this mixture. Try not to break up the tuna and the cheese too much but incorporate it thoroughly.
If you want, you can add some olive oil to the mix or a few glugs of balsamic vinegar. It’s also delicious just how it is.
Scoop a few tablespoons into a lettuce leaf, wrap it up and eat up!
These no cook meals should help lessen the stress you feel when thinking of what to feed your family. If you don’t have the specific ingredients, use your creativity, and use what you have. You might discover a new recipe while you’re at it!
What’s your favorite no cook meal recipe? Please share it with us in the comments section!
Salon owner Shelley Luther rips up a citation from the police state for defying tyrannical orders to close her business.
Not only has one salon owner refused to close, even after a citation from the overbearing police state we’re being subjected to, but she also said she’s not paying the fine and ripped up the citation in front of 100 people. Which was also in violation of totalitarian “social distancing” commands.
This is exactly what needs to happen all over the United States, and the world. We need to come together, and live freely so the tyrants who think they can control us continue to lose power. We’ve said it before, this is the only option. Protesting is simply begging those who put the chains on you to take them off. Disobeying is breaking those chains yourself.
We should have all seen this coming. People are finally waking up, but it needs to happen faster if we want to avoid complete totalitarianism and poverty.
Standing up to tyranny and the police state takes courage, but there’s true power in it. In Dallas Texas, hair salon owner Shelley Luther was issued a citation but she still refused to close her business. She had two stylists and a nail technician on duty, a fraction of her normal staff. Several supporters came to the salon, including a man carrying a long gun he made into a pole for a Texas flag with a coiled snake on it reading “Don’t Tread on Me,” according to propaganda outlet, ABC News. Luther went on to rip up her citation:
A Houston-area restaurant opened to customers who wanted to eat inside, demarcating available tables by the color of their tablecloths in an effort to ensure social distancing. A table with a white cloth was open for seating. A table with a black cloth was closed.
“The right to open up in a safe manner, that should be our right,” said Matt Brice, owner of Federal American Grill in the upscale enclave of Hedwig Village. “We shouldn’t be told we have to shut our business down.”
In Auburn, California, hair salons have also defied orders to shut down their businesses and impoverish themselves. “I have to do what I have to do. I’m fighting to provide for my children and myself and my family right now,” explained Curtis. “It’s been very hard. I’m pregnant. I have children at home,” said For Clip Cage owner Breann Curtis. After losing thousands of dollars, Curtis told FOX40 that it was time to take a chance and reopen.
She was forced to close her shop in March meant she could no longer work to support her family, missing out on thousands of dollars in lost income.
It’s never easy to take a stand against tyranny, especially because they often employ the threat and use of violence to keep their slaves in line. Anyone caring for their basic human rights should support those who are disobeying the tyrants. The goal has been impoverishment, and that’s become apparent. This was never about health, but total and complete enslavement.
People all over the country are standing up in defiance of tyranny. Hopefully, the powers-that-shouldn’t-be get the message soon that we are not their cattle. We are not their slaves. We are free human beings capable of living without them. We don’t need them. They need us, and Americans everywhere are removing their consent to be governed.
Business owners everywhere are starting to figure it out! It’s past time to rise up, and get off your knees!
I’ll cut right to the chase: What is the best SHTF rifle? There it is, the $64,000 dollar question. Well, if you’ve been a long-time reader of SHTFblog, you’ll remember my article on the SHTF Shotgun and how, in my opinion, it’s not so SHTF-ey. So, whether you agreed with that article or not, I’m going to give you my own personal spin on the best SHTF rifle – one gun to rule them all!
by Drew Forge
Winchester Model 70 and Ruger Model 77 are excellent rifle choices…for some.
So, to get a handle on this entirely massive question, we need to boil down what this “Best SHTF rifle” needs to accomplish, right?
For the purposes of this treatise, we’re going to assume that this gun is IT for you. No accompanying handguns or secondary backup missile launchers, grenade launchers, chainsaw hands…you get the drift. This one rifle is all that stands between you and the great Hypothetical Situation in the sky. So, this rifle will need to perform several vital tasks, and do them all well enough to keep you from an untimely expiration.
What’s a SHTF Rifle Gotta do Around Here to Get Noticed?
First, the Best SHTF Rifleneeds to be useful BEFORE SHTF. That’s right. What’s the use in having a gun you keep locked in the back of the safe while you pray for the world to end so you can deploy your apocalypse arsenal? There’s no practicality, and if the world never goes all Book Of Eli, then you just shafted yourself out of resources that could have been put towards other useful items or training.
Savage 110 Scout .308 with Vortex Scout Scope is effective on game.
For example: If your ultimate SHTF rifle, your one gun, has been deemed, after careful consideration, to be a .50 BMG Barrett M82 (If so, know that I wish I had your expendable dough levels), what real-life use does it have today? I’m not debating freedoms or gun rights or need (you needed it for SHTF, right?), I’m talking utter practicality here.
Let’s be honest: You’re going to dig out that monstrous rifle to wow friends and to take it to the range to annoy people on the firing line who are trying to carefully sight in their deer rifles or bullseye pistols. Maybe once every Fourth of July you’ll take it to a sandpit, wrap yourself in an American flag, and blow up a few pounds of Tannerite a half mile away. But really, that’s about it. The rifle is too expensive to feed, too powerful to hunt anything but light infantry vehicles, and just…too much.
So why have it taking up room in your safe and deeply denting your savings account when you could have bought a couple MUCH more practical arms, a few cases of ammunition, and a couple-few excellent training courses for the same amount of money? Buy a SHTF rifle that is reasonable to feed and own; you’ll be able to utilize it and train with it anytime you want.
Your best SHTF rifle also needs to be useful and sustainable AFTER SHTF. To this end, you should be looking at rifle platforms that are easily maintained, with ammo, mags (if the gun uses them), and accessories that are readily available in the area you think you’ll be populating… for instance, it would be super difficult to maintain and Grandpa’s old Savage 340 in .222 Remington that you saved because you’re a sentimental fool. No, once that magazine breaks or drops out of the gun and gets lost, the rifle is a really nifty single-shot rifle in a hard to find caliber (though admittedly really cool and one of my favorites).
Romanticized Rifles
People of the prepper ilk often romanticize and make decisions based on what they think scrounging and “battlefield pickups” will yield. But be honest with yourself. Go to local gun shops and see what they have for ammo, parts, and magazines on the shelf. Visit local ranges and see what calibers are being shot most frequently. Talk to the people in your SHTF group (if you have one) and standardize platforms with them to maximize parts and caliber compatibility. Check online bulk ammo suppliers to see what they offer in large volume. Read, read, read!
If you’re planning on robbing the bodies of the theoretical dead policeman that you think will be littering the streets when you come out of your bunker, well, you might be pretty disappointed. Be smart and do some homework and head-scratching first.
Effective Rifles
Your best SHTF rifle must be in an effective caliber and platform for your perceived location! If you’re planning on making a long pilgrimage and living in Ted Kaczynski’s old cabin in the Montana woods, but all you brought with you is a Ruger 10/22, you’ll likely immediately regret your firearms decision as soon as you realize – via close proximity – just how freaking big brown bears are.
On the flip side, if you chose a sweet NEMO Arms OMEN in .300 Winchester Magnum and you live in the close woods of New England, you’ll probably hate yourself as soon as you try swinging that beast of a boomstick onto a fast-running whitetail buck 25 yards away. Get out from behind your Xbox controller in your mom’s basement and spend some time scrutinizing your area and needs based on locale.
Suit Your Rifle to Your Surroundings
Are you in an urban concrete jungle? Do you live in suburban hell? Are the thick woods creeping into your lawn and destroying your outhouse and cousin Randy’s abandoned El Camino? These are things you really need to take into consideration before chasing that perfect SHTF rifle.
Windham Weaponry 9mm Carbine runs on Glock Mags. So does your Glock; great SHTF combo.
Your Best SHTF Rifle must be in an effective caliber and platform for your perceived targets! What are you thinking you’ll be using your rifle for post-SHTF? Be realistic with yourself. Everyone stares off into the sky and thinks their SHTF rifle needs to be capable of fending off mass waves of heavily-armed and odored raider bikers who are attacking your bug-out location in a riotous last stand. If that’s what you’re truly banking on, then fine. Slap that 90 round drum in your Norinco AK and go dump some mags from the hip in the sandpit at some Bin Laden targets and don’t look back.
However – if you’re rooted among the practical masses, then think about what your rifle will REALLY be used for. You may live in downtown Detroit and an SBR’d rifle with a lot of mags and a fast-running red dot may be what you need to get out of town with your life. Or, you could be like me and live in semi-rural small-town America, and a SHTF rifle will most likely be called upon to dispatch nuisance pests in a garden, or harvest game as needed.
Whatever you’ve got going on, be up front with yourself and realize that if just one gun is all that you can run out the door with, then that Mosin-Nagant M44 might be more of an impediment rather than an asset; a pedestrian CZ 527 in .223 with a good optic might be a better rifle for you. Look at options, look at your plans, then decide.
Your Best SHTF Rifle needs to be a mission-appropriate package. This statement runs in concert with the above parameters, but your rifle, and gear for the rifle, must fit into your regimen – physically and materially. We all (should) have a plan on our options after the balloon or mushroom cloud goes up. Where does your rifle fit in?
Of course, security is arguably the most tantamount of needs to consider first – if you aren’t safe from immediate harm, why bother looking for food or water? But here’s the deal – this “best” SHTF rifle needs to be with you to provide security or to harvest game. If the thing is too damned heavy to schlep along with your pack and other accouterments, it’s not going to be with you when you need it most. Many has been the time (you’d think I’d learn) when I have left a rifle behind with a pack while tracking wounded deer because the length and weight of the rifle is an impediment to tracking in thick brush – only to emerge from the brush to jump the deer on the other side. In my opinion, short and lightweight trumps beefy and powerful.
Remington Model 721 in .300 Holland & Holland Magnum…too much?
Also, your mission may require you to not raise hackles with your armament selection – maybe that old lever action or a wood-stocked hunting rifle might get you further without being harassed than a dressed-out battle rifle as you saunter around people’s property lines. People might not give a hunter a second glance – but someone dressed and armed like they just walked out of a Call of Duty video game will get attention,
The Best SHTF Rifle needs to be simple. The popular “KISS” (Keep It Simple, Stupid) concept will apply well to the rifle. A rifle bogged down with huge optics, heavy mounts, lights, rails, crazy slings, fat magazines that hold a lot of ammo, vertical foregrips, – you get the idea – simply has more junk bolted on it to fail.
As a suggestion, look at battle rifles from WW2 for inspiration. The US M1 Garand – “The best battle implement ever devised” – defeated axis powers across the world, and all it had for accessories was a determined rifleman, lots of ammo, a leather sling, and sturdy iron sights. That’s it. Don’t be drawn in by sexy, CDI (Chicks Dig It) accessories that you saw some guy who met a Navy SEAL once put on his spray-painted AR-15.
I took a tactical shotgun course a few years back, and one of the guys showed up with a pump shotgun with every conceivable bolt-on accessory you can think of screwed to the poor scattergun. Angled Fore Grip. Light. Big fat red dot. Bandolier ammo carrying sling. Collapsible stock. Heat Shield…you name it, he had it. The shotgun must have weighed twelve pounds when loaded!
However, over the course of the course, all that crap got in the way, and by the end, he’d whittled that shotgun down to its original configuration – just a straight-up pump shotgun with an ammo carrier and single-point sling. Everything else got in the way, impeded function, ruined handling, or loosened up and started to fall off.
There’s a lesson or two to be learned here – but the biggest takeaway is that sometimes, when it comes to rocking and rolling, simplest is bestest. My SHTF guns usually just have high quality slings, a lightweight but powerful illumination device like a Streamlight TRL-1HL, and sometimes a good optic. That’s really it.
Pmags and empty brass after a training course.
The best SHTF Rifle and its accessories needs to be rugged. This goes without saying, really. And remember: metal does not always equal strongest! Take an aluminum GI AR-15 magazine and place it lovingly on a concrete floor. Now get your heaviest boots on and stomp on the magazine. You now have a useless, mashed piece of metal junk. If you try that same test with a Magpul P-Mag, you’ll have a working P-Mag.
Heck, I drove over a P-Mag, dragged it behind a truck on a dirt road, threw it down a dirt road, and shot it with a 12-gauge and a 5.56. You know what? It still worked. While I agree sights should probably be made of metal, preferably steel – don’t discount guns or accessories simply because they’re plastic or polymer.
Synthetic stocks are lighter and tougher than wood stocks. Steel rails and mounts are stronger than aluminum ones. Review the job of the accessories and parts, review what they do, and think about them being dropped on rocks when you slip on wet leaves. Sliding off the tree you propped it against and landing on a piece of granite. Slipping off your shoulder when you’re climbing a tree stand and dropping to the ground. You get the idea – if you think a part might not be sturdy, it isn’t. Upgrade to something better now before you find out the hard way while you’re in a hard way.
What’s the BEST SHTF Rifle?
What’s THE VERY BEST SHTF RIFLE EVER? There isn’t one. Sorry to make you read through my mental drivel to get to this point, just to find nothing definitive. The best SHTF rifle for me may not work for a Nebraska pig farmer or an Alaskan Bush pilot.
I WILL describe my SHTF rifle, which I’ve built on the previous parameters – but it’s not the gun for everyone! I have some ideas on honorable mentions though, and I’ll tell you why. But really – you need to soul search, mentally and physically walk around your part of the world, and review options for YOU. But enough about you, on to me.
MY SHTF Rifle
First off: Here in my little corner of Maine, I am within one day’s walking distance of two of the scummiest and drug-addled towns in the lovely Pine Tree State. A hospital with a pharmacy is right down the road, as is the county jail. Therefore, I do need to take into consideration that my SHTF rifle needs to be able to provide an elevated level of security, as the possibility is quite real that there will be multiple people leaving a small, trashy city en masse to head for the hills while robbing medicine cabinets and gun safes along the way.
Hunting for game up to a whitetail deer in size – though moose and bear are certainly possible in my area – is necessary. However, I also like to be able to hunt the more plentiful small game – squirrels, rabbits, woodchucks, etc., as well. What’s a boy to do?
So, here we go: For my personal situation under the above circumstances, the venerable AR-15 is my choice for the best SHTF Rifle (go head and roll your eyes, I totally get it.) – but it’s the best SHTF Rifle for ME. Not you. Possibly.
Drew’s best SHTF rifle.
My AR is fairly straightforward – 16” heavy barrelled carbine, with Magpul grip and ACS stock for a bit of storage. Lightweight Troy free-floating handguard to muckle onto and provide short sections of rail to mount the Sig Sauer flip-up back-up sights and the aforementioned Streamlight TRL. A Magpul MS3 two-point sling and Leupold Mk AR 1.5-4x scope on a Burris PEPR mount round it out.
I’ve selected P-Mags to take the trip with me out the door, and the coup de grace – a CMMG .22 LR conversion kit with a pair of magazines and a couple small boxes of ammo. The CMMG .22 LR conversion kit and its accouterments fit nicely into a MOLLE triple-magazine pouch.
This combination ensures I have the capability of providing security and food for my family with one rifle, without a ton of hassle. I’ve run the snot out of the whole works in the field, in dirty sandpits, and in tactical rifle training courses – the entire package works just fine, and I can maintain or replace most of the rifle’s various parts with a cut-down 1/16” punch (which lives in the Magpul stock, along with a selection of detents and springs). The setup works for me, and I’m confident it will fulfill all my perceived SHTF rifle needs until I run out of ammo.
What If I Lived Somewhere Else?
What about if I lived in an area (like Connecticut, NY, or CA) where I can’t buy what I want due to local laws? I would look to a Scout Rifle type setup (covered further in an upcoming article), and probably (laws depending) grab up a Savage 110 Scout Rifle in .308 or Mossberg MVP in .223, which takes standard AR magazines.
Jeff Cooper’s Scout Rifle concept has a TON of merit for the prepper/survivalist who can only consider one rifle, as the Scout Rifle idea was generated around the idea of supporting a “Lone Rifleman.” The rifle needs to be good at everything, even though it may not be THE rifle you’d pick to handle a certain specific scenario. Lightweight, effective calibers, accuracy, and ruggedness are hallmarks of the idea – attributes you should embrace when chasing the best SHTF rifle, no?
If I was the aforementioned Nebraska pig farmer, with wildlife ventilation at longer ranges being my primary reason for owning a rifle post-SHTF, I might look at the Scout Rifle here too. It straddles the line between precision hunting rifle and battle rifle. I might also pursue an early Ruger Model 77 or Remington 700 with iron sights and a good higher-magnification Leupold scope… probably chambered in .308 or .30-06. If I felt saucy, I might look for a good chamber adapter to fire low-powered .32 ACP pistol cartridges in my rifle – though the pursuit of multi-caliber adaptability can be frustrating once you get into the larger calibers. An AR-10 in .308 would be a great compromise for the gotta-have-a-semi crowd. Again, I’d try to stick to common calibers – no Short Magnums or Weatherby calibers for me, thanks.
Brad Pitt is Gerry Lane in WORLD WAR Z.
In an urban area, a quick-firing pistol caliber carbine that’s easily and effectively suppressed could be a great choice to lead your charge out of Dodge. Nothing gives me the “yeesh”es more than watching Brad Pitt in “World War Z” duct tape a kitchen knife to the muzzle of a Remington 700BDL and try to clear an apartment building. He made do with what he could find, but it’s a good Hollywood example that the right tool for the right job should work way better than a completely inappropriate rig cobbled together in the hopes of surviving. A little forethought and preparation goes a long way!
Wrapping Up SHTF Rifle Selection
The best SHTF Rifle for everyone doesn’t exist. However, YOUR best SHTF rifle exists and you can likely find it after some careful consideration for your individual situation. Try before you buy where possible, and look everywhere you can before you succumb to instant gratification. That sexy accessory-encrusted AR or AK or SCAR would be cool for sure – but it might not be the best SHTF rifle for you.
I’m not telling you not to buy it (you totally should!), but if you’re searching for that ONE rifle that you can carry out the door with you when the shit hits the fan, don’t be afraid to come to the conclusion that what everyone else thinks you need is actually going to be the best rig for your situation. The coolness factor carries a lot less weight once you’re heading for the hills and one rifle is all you got.
Questions? Comments? What’s YOUR perfect SHTF rifle?
The rate at which the U.S. economy is unraveling is absolutely breathtaking. On Thursday, we learned that another 4.4 million Americans filed new claims for unemployment benefits last week, and that means that a grand total of more than 26 million Americans have lost their jobs during this pandemic so far. To get an idea of just how dramatically this record-setting unemployment spike dwarfs what we witnessed during the last recession, check out these charts. Prior to this year, the record for new unemployment claims in a single week was just 695,800, and now each of the last five weeks has been at least four times larger than that old record. And as I discussed in an article earlier today, millions of those workers have absolutely no incentive to go back to work any time soon, because thanks to Congress they are bringing home more money now than when they were actually working. So even if efforts are made to return the economy “to normal”, millions of workers will want to stay home until the $600 per week “unemployment bonus” finally expires. The sad thing is that this new economic crisis is largely a self-inflicted wound, and I will explain why that is true later in this article.
But first let’s talk about where things currently stand. Based on the unemployment claim numbers that we have been seeing, experts are now projecting that the current rate of unemployment in the U.S. “is about 16 percent”…
With a labor force that totals about 162 million people, the claims figures suggest the unemployment rate is about 16 percent, or roughly one in six Americans — significantly higher than the 10 percent peak seen during the 2008 financial crisis. The previous one-week high for jobless claims was 695,800 in 1982.
For a long time I have been warning that the next crisis would make the last recession look like a Sunday picnic, and now that has actually happened.
In addition to an unprecedented number of initial claims for unemployment benefits, we have also absolutely smashed the all-time record for the number of “continuing claims”…
A person who has filed an “initial claim” for Unemployment Insurance (UI) and still doesn’t have a job a week later is added to “insured unemployment.” The number of the “insured unemployed” – often called “continued claims” – skyrocketed to 15.98 million, by far the highest in the history of the data series. The high before this Covid-19 era was 6.63 million in May of 2009.
And now that Congress has given workers a tremendous financial incentive to stay unemployed, the number of “continuing claims” is likely to keep going higher with each passing week.
Of course this isn’t just happening in the United States. Over in Europe, business activity is falling at the fastest pace ever recorded…
“The eurozone economy suffered the steepest falls in business activity and employment ever recorded during April as a result of measures taken to contain the coronavirus outbreak,” it said.
The company’s purchasing manager’s index (PMI) dived to a record low of 13.5 in April, from the previous all-time low of 29.7 in March, confirming private sector gloom that is savaging the 19-nation eurozone.
To put those numbers in perspective, any reading below 50 indicates a contraction.
Needless to say, these absolutely horrific statistics are the result of the coronavirus lockdowns, but were these lockdowns actually necessary in the first place?
As I discussed yesterday, the only reason why any sort of a lockdown should be implemented is if the hospitals in a particular area are being overwhelmed, because if people are unable to get medical treatment that could definitely push the ultimate death toll from the pandemic higher than it otherwise would have been.
But in most parts of the U.S. and Europe right now, hospitals are not being even close to overwhelmed.
Keeping everyone at home is not going to defeat this virus or end this pandemic. When you are dealing with a virus that spreads from person to person this easily, there is no way that you are going to contain it. In fact, the U.S. just had 31,900 newly confirmed cases in the 24 hour period that just ended even though most of the nation has already been locked down for weeks.
Yes, these lockdowns have temporarily slowed down the spread of the virus, but the lockdowns have also extended the duration of this pandemic. Ultimately, this pandemic is never going to be over until it sweeps through the population and “herd immunity” is achieved. And as I discussed yesterday, 70 to 90 percent of the population is going to have to develop antibodies in order to get to that point.
And if you are waiting for a “vaccine” to get us out of this mess, you are going to be waiting for a very, very long time. There has never been a successful vaccine for any coronavirus in all of human history, and the task of trying to develop one for COVID-19 has become exceedingly more difficult now that scientists have discovered that there are 30 different strains of the virus.
So the truth is that this outbreak is going to rip through our population, and nothing that our politicians can do will be able to stop that from happening.
But the good news is that new numbers from New York seem to indicate that we are closer to “herd immunity” than we previously thought…
Preliminary results from New York’s first coronavirus antibody study show nearly 14 percent tested positive, meaning they had the virus at some point and recovered, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday. That equates to 2.7 million infections statewide — more than 10 times the state’s confirmed cases.
The study, part of Cuomo’s “aggressive” antibody testing launched earlier this week, is based on 3,000 random samples from 40 locations in 19 counties. While the preliminary data suggests much more widespread infection, it means New York’s mortality rate is much lower than previously thought.
However, another study that was conducted in L.A. County found that only 4 percent of their residents had developed antibodies, and that is probably more representative of the nation as a whole.
In any event, everyone agrees that the vast majority of the U.S. population has not developed antibodies, and that means that there will be many more cases and many more deaths in the months ahead.
And that is going to happen no matter how our politicians respond to this crisis.
So as long as our hospitals are not being overwhelmed, there isn’t a need for any lockdowns. The final case total and the final death toll will be roughly the same whether there are lockdowns or not.
But these lockdowns are definitely killing our economy, and tens of millions of American workers now find themselves unemployed.
And if we continue to try to keep the U.S. economy shut down for a few more months, the economic damage will be incalculable.
Please don’t misunderstand what I am saying. I am not saying that we should sacrifice lives in order to save the economy. What I am saying is that about the same number of people are eventually going to die whether we have the lockdowns or not. And if we can’t handle this, how in the world are we going to deal with what else is coming?
If you are elderly, have a compromised immune system or are in some other high risk group, you are going to have to quarantine yourself for the foreseeable future, but that would be true whether there are lockdowns or not. The mortality rates for high risk groups are much, much higher than for the general population as a whole, and the danger is very real.
But everyone else should be allowed to get back to work, because most of the population is eventually going to catch this virus no matter what we do. As long as our hospitals can handle it, we should proceed with life as normal.
Unfortunately, that isn’t going to happen. Most of the current lockdowns are going to remain in place for quite some time, and this new economic depression is just going to get deeper and deeper.
About the Author: I am a voice crying out for change in a society that generally seems content to stay asleep. My name is Michael Snyder and I am the publisher of 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 have written four books that are available on Amazon.com including The Beginning Of The End, Get Prepared Now, and Living A Life That Really Matters. (#CommissionsEarned) By purchasing those books you help to support my work. I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but due to government regulations I need those that republish my articles to include this “About the Author” section with each article. In order to comply with those government regulations, I need to tell you that the controversial opinions in this article are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the websites where my work is republished. 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. Those responding to this article by making comments are solely responsible for their viewpoints, and those viewpoints do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of Michael Snyder or the operators of the websites where my work is republished. I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is a great help. During these very challenging times, people will need hope more than ever before, and it is our goal to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with all many people as we possibly can.
With everything that’s going on, you might already be considered starting your own backyard garden. Why not? It will guarantee your food supply. But first, what are the best plants to put in your survival garden?
Survival Garden Plants You Can Start With
Pristine raised beds with perfectly manicured robust plants, void of weeds or any other blemish – this picture might come to mind when you think of a garden. The survival garden is a different thing.
Your perfect raised bed garden is designed to please the eye as much as it will please the stomach.
You can grow a lot of food in a traditional garden but the problem is, it’s as pleasing to your eye as it is to many others. Any onlooker will appreciate a great garden and when hard times arrive they might decide to appreciate that nice garden while you and your family sleep. They might help themselves to the things they want.
The benefit of a survival garden is that it blends in with the landscape and looks more like a bunch of overgrowths than an actual garden. No one has perfected this practice like Rick Austin the Survival Gardener and his books are best pieces of literature on the topic to date.
So, what are the best plants to include in your hidden survival garden?
1. Perennials
There are no better plants to include in your survival garden than perennials. These are literally plants that come back year over year and provide you with food for truly little effort. You can add these anytime to your survival garden you are going to want to add them.
They can be a bit of an investment and many do not produce until the second year they are in the ground.
Another great thing about perennials is they are harder to identify than more traditional plants. Examples of great perennials are:
Asparagus
Horseradish
Sunchokes
Egyptian Walking Onions
Sea Kale
Day Lilies
2. Fruit and Nut Trees
Planting perennials around fruit and nut trees will give you a great base for the rest of your survival garden. Now, you will have food-producing trees, which very few people can identify, surrounded by hard to identify perennials that will all produce food for you.
Fruit and nut trees will require some mulching, pruning, and maybe even some fertilizing to assure you get some high-quality production.
These trees are another great investment that will produce food for years. Here are some easy to grow fruits and nuts to plant in your survival garden:
Peaches
Apples
Paw Paw
Plums
Almonds
Hazelnuts
Walnuts (these will get HUGE but they will produce a lot of walnuts)
Raspberries and blackberries are the very best of these to add to your survival garden. Not only do they produce an incredible amount of berries, but they also come back year over year.
These caning bushes will put up new shoots year over year and if they are not tamed they can even become quite invasive.
Because they are dense and thorny these brambles can also be used as deterrents to keep people out of your garden. Imagine a naturally occurring perimeter of these brambles around your robust food forest.
You might have naturally occurring blackberries in your area; these are very easy to transplant. You can pull up a single cane and transplant that to your property. In a couple of years, you will be building a nice blackberry patch.
We also keep Blackhawk raspberries, and they are very prolific.
5. Annuals
What would a garden be without some great annuals? The mistake we make most is that we allow the annuals to dominate our garden year over year. Because of this, we find ourselves with mountains of work each spring because we are starting all over!
The survival garden is the opposite. It is dominated by trees and perennials.
That does not mean that we cannot use it to grow some annuals but just be careful. You want to grow annuals that produce the most food per plant. These are easy to identify.
1 carrot seed makes 1 carrot.
1 green bean seed makes dozens of green beans.
That is the difference. Choose the right plants and you can grow tons of food in a small area. If you dedicate your garden to low yield plants, well, you will have a low yield.
Start with these:
Sweet Peas
Green Beans
Corn
Pumpkins
Butternut Squash
Acorn Squash
Cherry Tomatoes
Eggplant
Kale
Spinach
Zucchini
Summer Squash
A Garden for Your Survival
You might have a prolific garden in your backyard already. If you choose to call this your survival garden, that is okay, but there are some tremendous risks in that. Namely the fact that this garden can be had by anyone who is willing to wait till you fall asleep.
Now in normal circumstances that would not happen, but we are not preparing for normal circumstances, are we?
Your survival garden should be a hidden location that offers up a collection of food-producing edible plants, trees, and medicinal herbs that looks as much a mess as any other collection of woods. When you walk into that section of woods, you will understand what you have created. But for most other people, it will be a mystery.
Do you have other ideas for survival garden plants? Let us know in the comments section!
As the coronavirus continues to establish a beachhead in places like San Francisco and New York, cities in its path are taking an increasingly aggressive stance on heading off the virus before it becomes entrenched in the population. The first step was social distancing and simple hygiene. Then came the closures of schools, restaurants, and bars and the suggestion of self-quarantining to avoid contact. Starting Monday, nearly seven million people in the San Francisco Bay area were ordered to shelter in place, and many other communities are following suit. Tuesday afternoon, Orange County (Calif.) banned all public and private gatherings of any number of people taking place outside the single-family home. While New York City is strongly considering going the same route in the next couple of days. Once these larger cities set the precedent, others across the country will do the same.
RELATED STORY
Coronavirus Facts: 8 Things Doctors Are Actually Saying About COVID-19
What Is Shelter in Place?
Simply put, it means stay home! Yale University’s emergency planning department defines shelter in place as “finding a safe location indoors and staying there until you are given an ‘all clear’ or told to evacuate.” These kinds of mandates are normally used for short-term events such as active shooters, tornadoes, and local hazards. People are finding it difficult to adhere to such a novel policy, especially since they don’t see a visible and/or immediate threat; plus, the orders have an indefinite feeling to them.
Shelter in place is not a permanent lockdown. Citizens are not under house arrest. The purpose of these unprecedented polices is to keep people from unnecessarily interacting with one another in the event they accidentally come into contact with a carrier of COVID-19. Traditionally, in times of emergency, the safest place for anyone is in their home. If prepared, there’s no reason to go into the community unless their needs are essential.
What Is Essential?
Residents should remain in their houses unless they are performing what many local officials are calling “essential activities.” These include:
Medical visits to doctors or pharmacies to obtain needed medication;
Getting supplies—such as groceries and household goods—and obtaining services, such as appliance repair or refilling propane tanks, for example;
Taking part in solitary outdoor activities such as walking or hiking, provided they avoid people and maintain social distancing;
Care of family members (or people with special needs) in another household.
As well, the shelter in place order does not apply to people engaged in several fields; those include sanitation, banking, grocery stores, gas stations, shipping business, hardware stores, and child care facilities.
How to Shelter in Place
If you are not involved in any of the “essential” activities above, remain in your house until told otherwise. Unfortunately, active families will struggle with this the most. But it doesn’t mean that you can’t utilize your backyard, porches, patios, or balconies to be outside. Taking walks around your neighborhood or on local hiking trails is a good way to get fresh air. It also removes you from feeling trapped in one location for an extended period of time.
Americans are not used to being sequestered in their homes for any period of time. We have the Constitution, the right to travel unimpeded, and the deep-seeded notion that we don’t like being told what to do. However, in times of unparalleled and widespread emergency such as a microscopic virus ravaging the world, avoiding contact with other people is the best method to remain healthy. There are countless forms of entertainment available at home, from the latest on Netflix to dusting off board games and long-forgotten puzzles.
And if you need bread to make a sandwich, go to the store and get it. This is still America.
Coronavirus Facts: 8 Things Doctors Are Actually Saying About COVID-19
How Vaccines Work
When little Johnny comes home from the chicken pox party, his immune system has already recognized that something is wrong. It has one job and it gets to doing it. Specialized cells called B lymphocytes (B-cells) begin to produce antibodies. These antibodies attack and bind themselves to the antigen in order to neutralize it. The human body, day in and day out, produce millions of these antibodies to fight infections most people don’t even know they have.
However, in the case of Little Johnny, this can take a few days or weeks to ramp up; this is why his body will soon be speckled with pox. At the same time, his body creates new cells that have a memory of the chicken pox virus and stay ready—usually for a lifetime—to defend against the virus if it ever returns. This is your body’s immune system in a nutshell. It’s a collection of memory B-cell soldiers standing on the parapet to defend against whatever germs, bacteria, and viruses attempt to assail the ramparts.
B-cells and antibodies together fight a never-ending war of immunity. The body sees invading antigens introduced daily. The B-cells recognize the foreign body. They then produce a tremendous number of protective proteins that scour the body to remove all traces of that antigen. It is a miraculous system that allows your bloodline to survive every pathogen nature throws at it. However, it isn’t perfect and sometimes needs help.
Vaccines to the Rescue
A developed vaccine causes a similar response to your body’s immune system. Developed from actual virus cells that have been weakened so they can’t reproduce (or killed outright so they are inert), vaccines expose the patient to just the right amount of the virus to trigger an immune response, but not enough to make them sick. It is a delicate balance that only experimentation and clinical trials over months and years can flesh out.
The impotent virus—or a synthesis of the real thing—inside the vaccine triggers the immune system to respond to the enemy. The body produces antibodies and eradicates the antigen.
Vaccines exist for all manner of diseases, both viral and bacterial. Since the first successful vaccine for small pox was introduced in 1796, there has been a steady race to create a vaccine for the many diseases that plague society. However, a vaccine doesn’t work for all diseases. For example, vaccines against common cold are impossible to create because the virus is constantly and quickly changing and mutating. As well, a vaccine for the annual influenza is only effective against that year’s version of the flu. Each year, it must be redesigned for that specific influenza strain; that is why scientists develop a new vaccine for each flu season. Therefore, if you’re exposed to a different flu virus from the one you are vaccinated for, you can still catch the flu. It stands to reason why they suggest you get the flu vaccine annually.
Herd Immunity
The real reason vaccines work is not because it causes immunity to an individual but because it eradicates the virus from society in general. Called herd immunity, scientists discovered that if around 80 percent of the population were inoculated for a particular disease—say, polio—then the disease will eventually disappear. Those who can’t be vaccinated because they are too young or too weak likely won’t come in contact with the disease. They, in turn, remain safe.
Though the microscopic battle goes on inside your body every day, scientists are working tirelessly to develop vaccines to counter new strains of old diseases or battle never-before-seen diseases such as COVID-19.
Planning a camping trip anytime soon? Check out these quick and easy camping food ideas sure to delight the tummies of everyone in the family!
10 Camping Food Recipes to Try
Learn to Cook Delicious Camping Food
When camping or hiking, it’s easy to fall back on fuel like protein bars, trail mix, and dehydrated fruit or jerky. Not only are these snacks ready to go, they’re also lightweight and relatively unaffected by the weather.
But they’re also not as fulfilling as a hot meal – and a campfire or small camp stove is the perfect place to cook up some simple, delicious treats.
If you’re hiking, you probably won’t want to cart around a cooler in addition to your other gear. There are plenty of camping food ideas you can execute with items that don’t need to be kept cold.
If you’re camping, you’ll want to squeeze as many meals as you can out of the cooler you do bring, so packing smart is critical. As always, prep as much as you can before you leave the house to cut down on food prep time on camp and tools you need to pack.
Here are our top picks for hot meals any time of day!
Breakfast Camping Food Recipes
1. Dutch Oven Pull-Apart Bread
Ingredients:
Thawed dinner rolls
Butter
Shredded cheddar cheese
Bacon
Tools:
Dutch oven
Aluminum foil
Charcoal briquettes
Instructions:
Cut the rolls in half and roll them in melted butter. Lay them evenly on foil in the Dutch oven, and cover with 8 strips of chopped bacon and 2 cups of shredded cheese.
Put the lid on and let the rolls rise to double their size.
Once doubled in size, it’s time for the hot briquettes.
You’ll want 10 below and 16 on top of your Dutch oven, and it should take 20-25 minutes to cook.
2. Potato & Egg Scramble
Ingredients:
Diced potatoes
Eggs
Chopped onion
Chopped peppers
Butter
Tools:
Cast iron skillet
Instructions:
Melt 1 tbsp of butter in your skillet and add 2 diced potatoes, 1 chopped onion, and 2 chopped peppers.
Cook for about 20 minutes, and add another 1 tbsp of butter.
Scramble 8 eggs and pour on top of potatoes, onions, and peppers.
Cover with foil and cook for another 4-5 minutes.
3. Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients:
Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls
Tools:
Roasting sticks
Instructions:
Crack open the can of cinnamon rolls and divide the rolls up.
Slide rolls onto prongs or sticks, and hold them over the campfire.
Add cheese and any additional enhancements, then another piece of bread.
Flip several times until crispy on the outside and melted on the inside.
5. Sweet Potato Fries
Ingredients:
Sliced sweet potatoes
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Oil
Tools:
Pan or skillet
Spatula
Instructions:
Slice the potatoes as evenly as you can, and coat them in seasonings of your choice. Chili powder and ranch seasonings make great additions.
Add oil to the skillet and lay potatoes throughout the pan.
Cook over the fire or in a grill for about 10 minutes on each side.
6. Hot Dogs
Ingredients:
Hot dogs
Rolls
Chopped onions, barbecue sauce, sliced cheese, canned chili (optional)
Tools:
Prongs
Roasting sticks
Instructions:
Hot dogs are a camping favorite because of how easy they are to make.
All you need to do is cook them evenly over an open flame.
You can also jazz them up with onions, chili, barbecue sauce, and cheese!
Dinner Camping Food Recipes
7. One-Pot Wonder
Ingredients:
Chopped cabbage
Sliced potatoes
Polish sausage
Water
Tools:
Pot or skillet
Instructions:
Layer 1 chopped cabbage, 5 sliced potatoes, and a few Polish sausages in a pot or skillet.
Cover with 1 cup of water and cover with the lid.
Cook for 20-25 minutes.
8. Chicken Quesadilla
Ingredients:
Tortillas
Chopped chicken breast
Salsa
Shredded cheese
Tools:
Tin foil
Instructions:
Place tortilla on tin foil, and fill with sliced cheese and chopped chicken.
Fold tortilla over fillings, and fold tin foil over quesadilla.
Place on top of the grate over the fire.
Cook until the cheese melts and the tortilla is crispy, and then serve with salsa.
Dessert Camping Recipes
9. S’mores
Ingredients:
Graham crackers
Marshmallows
Chocolate bars
Tools:
Skewers
Instructions:
A camping classic! Skewer the marshmallows and roast over the open fire.
Put between graham crackers with a piece of chocolate.
10. Campfire Donuts
Ingredients:
Can of biscuits
Oil
Cinnamon, sugar
Tools:
Skillet
Spatula
Paper bag
Paper towels
Instructions:
Put ¼ cup of oil in your skillet and get it hot.
Separate biscuits and put in a pan.
Cook for about 3 minutes, and flip them over.
Cook for another 3 minutes or until they are golden.
Remove from oil and drain them on paper towels.
Toss them in a paper bag with cinnamon and sugar and shake.
Spending time in the great outdoors is an incredible opportunity to reconnect with nature. Don’t let your taste buds suffer because you didn’t know these simple camping food ideas!
Editor’s note: This prepping primer was written by guest contributor Mark Hedman.
Shows like National Geographic’s Doomsday Preppers have shone a spotlight on the prepping lifestyle, and people across the country have joined the movement. Families are stockpiling water, food, weapons, essential first aid supplies, and more. While many people associate preppers with crazy people preparing for a zombie apocalypse, there are some real threats that you should be prepping for. You may be surprised at which ones make the list.
Prepping for Losing a Primary Source of Income
Losing a main source of income can be a catastrophic event for any family. Today, you almost need two incomes to survive, so what happens if you lose one of those? Worse yet, what if you’re single with only one source of income and lose it?
Most preppers don’t talk about losing income, but it’s an event to plan for. Here’s what you can do:
Stock your pantry – Stocking your pantry with items you use every day is smart. Think beyond food. Look for items such as shampoo, soap, laundry detergent, toilet paper, and other household items. You can add to your stockpile a little at a time by purchasing items when they’re on sale. If you or your spouse lose a job, at least you have some of the necessities.
Save an emergency fund – Many financial experts say that you should save enough money to cover at least six-months-worth of expenses and household bills. This savings account will help you pay for unexpected bills such as car repairs or cover expenses if you lose your job.
Aim for self-reliance – The more self-reliant you can be, the better. You can even take steps to move off-grid and away from community resources. Making the shift to off-grid prepares you to live without community services such as water, trash pickup, electricity, etc.
Prepare for Floods
Don’t think you are safe from the dangers of flooding if you live outside of flood-prone areas. Think of Hurricane Harvey and the destruction it caused in Texas. That hurricane remained over Texas for six days, making landfall three times in September 2017. Approximately one-third of Houston, Texas was underwater. According to the National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Harvey caused $125 billion in damage, and 88 Texans died, mostly from rain, floods, and wind.
Floods are the most common natural disaster in the U.S., per Ready.gov. Flash floods can occur with no warning. To prepare for a flood, first check FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center to see if you live in a flood area. Then sign up for your community warning system. You can also get alerts from NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration, and EAS—The Emergency Alert System.
Research evacuation plans and practice drills with your family. You should prepare a bug-out bag with essential survival gear, medications, and other necessities for your family members. Don’t forget your pet’s needs.
Civil Disturbance and Social Unrest
The way society is today, expect something disastrous to occur. Communities are divided, and it seems sensitivity is at an all-time high. Be prepared for riots, active shooter incidents, and other similar events.
Learn what to do to survive a riot and teach your family how to respond if they’re caught in the middle of an active shooter incident. Always remain aware of your surroundings when you’re in public, as situational awareness can save your life. Learn how to defend yourself and carry a weapon or tool for protection. Be prepared for anything.
Terrorist Attacks
The United States has been attacked multiple times from 9-11 to the present. Thousands of terrorists live right here in the U.S., so the likelihood of another attack increases every day.
The Red Cross says that you can prepare by developing a disaster plan. Create a plan for communication with other family members or friends that live out of the area. They should live far enough away that they would not be affected by the same incident as you if one occurred.
You and the other family or household you pick should email or call if something happens. Make sure each of your immediate family members has the contact information for the other family or friend. Leave the information with each of your children’s schools, and the workplaces of you and your spouse. Those numbers serve as a backup should something happen to you.
If you need to evacuate work or home and get separated from your family, you should establish a meeting place for your immediate family members. Make sure you keep a bug-out bag with supplies on hand for incidents like this. Keep copies of important documentation like marriage and birth certificates, power of attorney, insurance policies, and other essential paperwork in a safe deposit box at your bank or at a friend or another family member’s house.
Make sure you know school emergency plans for each of your children. Leave updated contact information with the schools and designate and give permission for other trusted friends or family members who can pick up the kids from school if you or your spouse can’t.
These attacks could include dirty bombs or biological agents, and these are real threats that you may face.
Post-Disaster Aftermath
You don’t need to just survive the disaster; you need to survive the aftermath as well. There are many things that you need to worry about after a disaster. You may be without community resources and utilities for an extended period. You’ll need food, household supplies, water, first aid supplies, and more. You need to be able to cook your food without electricity or gas.
Sanitation may also become a problem if the local infrastructure fails. Your local grocery store may be shut down for a long time.
Make a plan that covers all these possible problems and teach your family how to implement it.
These are just a few events that you need to prepare for. Flooding and natural disasters can occur at any time and are common occurrences. Other disasters such as civil disturbance and terrorist attacks are less likely but still a real possibility. Also, you can lose your job tomorrow.
As the old adage says, hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. If you prepare for any of these events, you’ll be miles ahead of other people and will fare much better during and after a disaster.
Mark Hedman is the CEO of LA Police Gear, located in Valencia, CA.
