10 Things I Am Doing This Summer

We have decided to spend the rest of the summer back in the Seattle area before heading over to Asia for the fall.  As usual, I have a "to do" list for my summer and as usual, most of the things are preparedness/survival-related.  In no particular order these are my plans:

1. Do the Great Urban Race (most likely in Seattle)
2. Get back into Volksmarching (with a variety of Clubs around the Seattle area)
3. Hike the West Vancouver Island Trail (sounds like a challenge)
4. Bike from Canada to Mexico (it's still on my list of things to do)
5. Participate in a couple of shooting tournaments (even though I haven't practiced in months)
6. Meet up with local HAMs (there's a number of HAMfest events around the area)
7. Attend a couple of gun shows (there's a few items I am looking for)
8. Get some range time in (lots of it...in preparation for the tourneys)
9. Look for some land to buy (we have decided to build a house somewhere in the Pacific Northwest)
10. Focus more on my health (better diet, possibly some yoga classes as I seem to be getting older and crunchier which isn't a good thing)

Protect Your Personal Items...Like Your Life Depends on It

I was in the grocery store yesterday and noticed something that I see quite often unfortunately.  I lady was shopping and had left her purse wide open (apparently her coupon book was in her purse) in the child seat area of her shopping cart as she wandered off to check prices on a shelf about ten feet away.  This was dumb and dangerous on so many levels and although this would have been a great teachable moment, I wasn't in the mood to cause a commotion and possibly end up in jail so I let it pass.  What I wanted to tell her was this:

• A thief can grab your entire purse in less than ten seconds. Or he may be sneakier and just grab your wallet, cell phone, and keys.
• He will then take your keys, go into the parking lot, and click the fob until he sees where your car is.
• If he wants to kidnap you, he will wait patiently in the back seat of your car, hidden until he has you alone and under his control.
• Another option would be to steal the money and credit cards in your wallet then steal your identity.
• If he was feeling particularly energetic, he will drive off in your car, check your home address on your license or on your GPS, then drive over to your house, open the garage with the garage door opener in the car, let himself into your house (most people don't lock the door between the garage and house), then wait so he could rape or murder you and/or steal everything of value in your home.

What else would the thief get?

• He can pick the medical insurance card out of your wallet and sell it to someone who will use it to get free medical care.
• He will have your smart phone which is just loaded with information (pictures of your kids, your schedule, access to your email/FaceBook/LinkedIn/Twitter accounts, etc).
• Your email/smartphone and/or iPad/computer will open up a whole world of information to him (think of all of the documents you have linked to these items such as all of your bank account numbers and passwords, a scanned copy of your passport and driver's license, and confidential work documents).
• He will take your business card out of your wallet, note the address of your office, figure out which key will open your office door, then go into your office and take whatever he wants.

It's a scary scenario to think about but these kinds of things do happen.  It is imperative for your piece of mind as well as safety to closely guard your personal items (wallet, cell phone, keys, GPS, etc) like your life depended on it...it just may.

The Survivalist's Bookshelf

When it comes to preparing for disaster, almost everything you need to do/know/learn can be found online.  There may be a time, however, when power is not available, the internet is not available, and all of the information that you have so careful stored away in the cloud is unreachable.  This is why, even though nearly all of my survival-related stuff is online, I still have a stack of useful books in storage for use in the event that TSHTF and I need valuable survival information at my fingertips.  Here's some books that should be in your library:

• The Encyclopedia of Country Living (I've had a copy of this super useful book since the first edition was available)
• Where There Is No Doctor (basic info but very good, I have used this book on many of my world travels)
• Where There Is No Dentist (ditto. I don't use this as much but for third world travel I have used this info to share with others) 
• Boston's Gun Bible (this is on my list of things to buy when I get back, comes highly recommended from a couple of friends)
• Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills, Third Edition (I've had my copy of this book since the first edition)
• Be Expert With Map and Compass (ditto, my copy of this book is ancient; this is the book that taught me how to use a map and compass)
• Edible Wild Plants: Wild Foods From Dirt To Plate (The Wild Food Adventure Series, Book 1) (good pictures, will come in useful when TSHTF)
• Edible and Medicinal Plants of the West (a guidebook more specific to my area)
• SAS Survival Handbook, Revised Edition: For Any Climate, in Any Situation (this is a classic)
• The SAS Guide to Tracking, New and Revised (this is on my list to get)
• Wilderness Medicine, 5th Edition (super expensive and super technical, probably more than most people need)
• Field Guide to Wilderness Medicine (possibly a better option than the book above)
• Medicine for the Outdoors: The Essential Guide to Emergency Medical Procedures and First Aid (Medicine for the Outdoors: The Essential Guide to First Aid &) (ditto)
• Emergency Food Storage & Survival Handbook: Everything You Need to Know to Keep Your Family Safe in a Crisis (good basic info on food storage)
• New Fix-It-Yourself Manual: How to Repair, Clean, and Maintain Anything and Everything In and Around Your Home (back before the internet, this was my bible for fixing things)
• In the Gravest Extreme: The Role of the Firearm in Personal Protection (this is a classic)
• Putting Food By: Fifth Edition (another classic; excellent info on food storage)
• How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It: Tactics, Techniques, and Technologies for Uncertain Times (I've perused this book but don't own it. If you are new to survivalism this is the book for you as it hits all of the high points)
• Basic Butchering of Livestock & Game (if you have never butchered an animal before, this book will show you how)
• The Gift of Fear and Other Survival Signals that Protect Us From Violence (survival psychology...very good info)
• Primitive Wilderness Living & Survival Skills: Naked into the Wilderness (when TSHTF, technology goes out the window and we will revert to primitive skills, this book will teach you those skills)
• Bushcraft: Outdoor Skills & Wilderness Survival (ditto)
• Essential Bushcraft (ditto)

That's a pretty long list but it hits all of the essential skills: how to find food, how to prepare food, how to preserve food, how to take care of medical emergencies, how to navigate, how to make shelter, and a multitude of other survival skills.

10 Tips to Keep Your Kids Safe This Summer

It's that time of year again...the time when child deaths start making the news nearly every single evening. The sad part is that most of these deaths, while technically "accidents", were totally preventable. Here's some things to keep in mind:

1. Never leave your child unattended in the car. Sadly on the news this evening, a child was "forgotten" in the back seat of the car and a few hours later when someone finally remembered the child, it was too late. It can take only minutes--not hours--for a child to die in a car even when temperatures are in the low 70s.



2. Always watch your kids around water. People remember this around swimming pools, but open water (rivers, lakes, ponds, the ocean) presents even more hazards than the family pool (colder water, faster moving water, the possibility of rip tides, etc). Teens especially seem to be at much higher risk from drowning in open water, so they should always swim with someone who will pay attention to their safety (not a bunch of other teens who are only concerned with themselves).
   


3. Apparently the fastest way to get from point A to point B in the deep south is in the back of a pick up truck. Although this was quite common when I was a kid, times have changed and children and teens (and adults too!) should be riding inside the truck, attached to the seat by a safety belt. Kind of takes the fun out of a hot summer night but then again it can save you from a traumatic brain injury which is even less fun than riding inside a truck instead of in the bed.
   


4. Speaking of cars, everyone who rides in a car should be belted in and/or belted into an appropriate child safety seat. Another thing I noticed in the South was a relatively high number of people who didn't wear seatbelts. I guess it may be a regional thing as it is very rare in Seattle to see people who aren't wearing a seatbelt but as the saying goes, seatbelts save lives. 'Nuff said.
   


5. And for a last word on cars...people also tend to get struck by cars on a regular basis, especially when the weather warms up. This is even more of a hazard at areas around parks, playgrounds, swimming areas, and other places frequented by people in the summer. Kids, teens, and even adults should always cross at crosswalks/traffic lights if at all possible, even if it is a couple of hundred yards out of the way.
   


6. Know your environment, and the corollary, know whichever environment you may happen to be in, especially if you are on vacation or in an unfamiliar area. Most people are pretty familiar with their own environment; they know where the vicious dogs are, where the poisonous snakes are likely to be found, and what that weird formation of clouds in the sky means. However, when people are on vacation, they may not know what a tsunami siren sounds like, what a rip tide is, how to avoid rattlesnakes, and what to do if a tornado is coming your way. Be sure to Google up some information before you head out on your next trip to keep yourself and your family safe.
   


7. For most of the southern US, it's hot. If you are one of the poor souls who gets to work outside all day in near 100 degree heat (or you just happen to be on vacation from a colder climate and want to spend every day soaking up the sun) knowing how to prevent heatstroke is a good thing. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids, stay out of the sun during the heat of the day, know where to go to cool off, use sunscreen or cover up with loose, cool clothing, and beware the signs of impending heat stroke. Children, the elderly, and the ill are most at risk for heat-related illnesses.
   


8. Creating a kid-safe environment takes a lot of work but it is well worth it. I don't know how most of the people my age lived to adulthood. "Kid proofing" homes was an unheard of term decades ago and kids were regularly around firearms, axes for cutting firewood, open wells, silos, dogs that ran loose, and many other things that are considered terribly dangerous these days. But like I said above, times have changed and these days it is a given that parents will look for dangers and preemptively mitigate these dangers for the safety of their children. While there isn't enough room here to list every possible predicament a child could find themselves in, among the things to watch out for are: neighbor's dogs who are "always" friendly, child predators, unsecured firearms, poisons that small children could access, prescription meds that older teens could access, etc.
   


9. Boredom can be dangerous to your teen's health. It's not if a bored teen will get into trouble but when. When our kids were teens, the goal was to keep them as busy as possible--sports, activities, even working at our businesses if they had nothing else to do. This greatly cut down on the possibility of other activities that teens do when they are bored and unsupervised such as sex, drugs, or posting jackass-style stunts on YouTube.
   


10. Drunk driving is as much a danger for teens partying at the lake with friends as it is for small children riding in their parent's car after the parents have been partying at the lake with friends. Drunk driving injuries and deaths do no have to happen. Whether you are setting the rules for your teens or setting the rules for yourself, there is never a reason to drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

100 Items to Keep In Your Survival Pantry

In no particular order...

1. Whiskey
   


2. Chocolate bars
   


3. Multi vitamins
   


4. Honey
   


5. Maple syrup
   


6. Salt
   


7. Pepper
   


8. Garlic powder
   


9. Spices (curry, cloves, allspice, ginger...whatever you use)
   


10. Dried herbs (dill, oregano, basil, etc)
    


11. Yeast
    


12. Baking soda
    


13. Baking powder
    


14. Shortening
    


15. Cooking oil
    


16. Flour
    


17. Maseca
    


18. Sugar
    


19. Brown sugar
    


20. Oats
    


21. Rice
    


22. Dried meat (jerky, etc)
    


23. Salami
    


24. Canned fish (tuna, sardines, etc)
    


25. Canned meat (Spam, ham, chicken, etc)
    


26. Canned tomatoes
    


27. Canned soup
    


28. Canned chili
    


29. Dried soup
    


30. Vinegar
    


31. Canned vegetables (assorted varieties)
    


32. Canned fruit (assorted varieties)
    


33. Dried fruit (raisins, cherries, berries, etc)
    


34. Dried vegetables (carrots, peas, etc)
    


35. Dried pasta
    


36. Canned spaghetti sauce
    


37. Dried fish
    


38. Bottled juice
    


39. Powdered juice mix
    


40. Powdered milk
    


41. Peanut butter
    


42. Jelly and preserves (jam, marmalade, etc)
    


43. Pickles
    


44. Granola bars
    


45. Trail mix
    


46. Coffee
    


47. Instant coffee
    


48. Dried beans (assorted)
    


49. Canned beans (ditto)
    


50. Protein powder
    


51. Molasses
    


52. Nuts
    


53. Tea bags
    


54. Condiments (ketchup, mustard, mayo)
    


55. Lentils
    


56. Corn starch
    


57. Bullion cubes
    


58. Canned milk (evaporated, condensed)
    


59. Tabasco
    


60. Corn meal
    


61. Instant foods (hot chocolate, ramen, instant cereals, instant potatoes, gravy mix, pudding, etc)



62. Powdered/dehydrated dairy products (cheese, butter, eggs)
    


63. Dried peas
    


64. Couscous
    


65. Dried grains (barley, quinoa, etc)
    


66. Sprouting grain (alfalfa seeds, mung beans)
    


67. Canned peppers (jalapenos. etc)
    


68. Popcorn
    


69. Canned tahini
    


70. Dried/canned chickpeas
    


71. Miso
    


72. Canned oyster sauce
    


73. Dried seaweed (wakame)
    


74. Dried tofu
    


75. Seeds (sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, etc)
    


76. Canned coconut milk
    


77. Chili paste
    


78. Dried chilies
    


79. Fish sauce
    


80. Lemon juice
    


81. Lime juice
    


82. Canned/dried olives, mushrooms
    


83. Pickled vegetables (beets, okra, etc)
    


84. Extracts (vanilla, almond, etc)
    


85. Canned broth
    


86. Tomato products (sauce, paste, sun dried tomatoes, etc)
    


87. Sauces (salsa, barbecue, etc)
    


88. Instant meals (mac and cheese, Hamburger Helper, etc)
    


89. Soy sauce
    


90. Cheese (velveeta, pimento cheese spread, cheese whiz, other processed cheese)
    


91. Dessert mixes (cake mix, muffin mix, brownie mix, etc)


92. Candy/gum
    


93. Dried pork rinds (the meaty kind)
    


94. Crackers
    


95. Fancy canned stuff (pate, caviar, anchovies, etc)
    


96. Cocoa powder
    


97. Baking items (chocolate chips, candied fruit)
    


98. Specialized food (gluten free mixes, sugar free mixes, kosher food, halal food)
    


99. Baby food
    


100. Pet food

You can purchase MREs and dehydrated foods for your survival pantry as well, however, these foods will work just as well and have the added bonus of being able to be rotated among the food that you use every day, being used in the event that you have a large group to suddenly cook for, being used by the family in the event that you can't afford to go shopping for an extended period of time, and can be donated to the local food bank when it is time to resupply your pantry.

Have You Had Your Daily Dose of InSight Today?

An FYI for new readers of this blog...each day you can find even more survival/preparedness information over at the Daily InSight page of the CNI website. Check out this page for a wide range of information on preparing yourself and your family for disaster.

The Five Levels of Personal Protection

Imagine this pyramid represents your five levels of personal protection...

Level 1 (the widest part) includes all of the basic things you can do to insure your own safety without any physical confrontation. This includes but is not limited to: being aware of your environment, not putting yourself into a situation/place that is likely to be dangerous, staying away from known drug and gang areas, going with a buddy if you are unsure of the place you are going to, staying in areas where there are people/not putting yourself in a secluded area alone, and taking the everyday common sense steps that most of us take to ensure our personal safety (locking doors, closing and locking windows at night, etc).

Level 2 includes a minimal level of confrontation with a potential assailant. If you are feeling threatened this would include verbally confronting the person, yelling and causing a commotion to bring attention to the situation, acting like a lunatic to divert their attention, running away, hiding from an assailant, and calling 911 for help.

Level 3 includes the judicious use of non-lethal weapons. Everything from spraying the attacker with Mace to using a stun gun (I don't recommend these as they can be easily taken away and used on you) to throwing rocks at them to grabbing whatever other type of item you can use as a weapon to get them to think better of attacking you and/or to give yourself the opportunity to break away from them and escape.

Level 4 includes a full-on physical confrontation with the attacker. Preferably you will have the skill of a martial artist and the swift and utterly overwhelming reaction of a UFC contender. Even an unskilled, much smaller and weaker person, when put into a situation where there is no option but to fight, can react in a way as to, if not overtake the attacker, at least make them think twice about making you their target. In this situation, which is just a notch below a lethal level of force, there are no gentlemanly fighting rules. Everything is allowed and the more painful and shocking, the better. Pulling hair, gouging eyes, bashing kneecaps, or twisting a big handful of ballsack are just a few of the techniques that can get their attention, temporarily disable them, and give you critical moments to escape.

Level 5 (the narrow, pointy part of our pyramid) is all about deadly force. This is least often used, and should only be done in a life or death situation. This situation will most likely end up with someone's life being taken and it should be the other guy's, not yours. Although this could include a blunt weapon like a baseball bat or a knife (both options are much less favorable than a firearm--you don't want the assailant to be within arms length of you if at all possible), most often this type of situation will result in the use of a firearm. In this case you need to know that your life or the life of someone else is in grave danger (ie: the assailant has a firearm as well or you are clearly outnumbered and there is no doubt about the attacker's intentions). While having a gun puts you at this level, it is absolutely critical that you learn specifically about using a firearm for self defense from a skilled instructor (such as being aware of what is behind the assailant you will be shooting at, that trying to "wing"someone is a stupid idea, and that marksmanship under stress is something that needs to be practiced).

Fortunately for most people, the simple Level 1 precautions are enough to see us safely home 99% of the time, however it is still necessary to consider the other four levels of personal protection AND prepare for these levels just in case.

Update

It's been kind of busy around here. Here's what's happening:

• Thanks to those who have donated and/or ordered from Amazon on our new page. It's much appreciated!


• I also order a lot of outdoor gear through REI. At the REI Outlet, you can get an extra 20% off one item through next week (not an affiliate link, just an FYI).


• We're off to Las Vegas in a couple of weeks. I have a bunch of friends doing the World Series of Poker plus I am going to take a look at some real estate there.


• I have deleted my FaceBook page. I didn't like FaceBook to start with but it seemed like the only way to keep in touch with what the kids and grandkids were doing. Now that they are using facial recognition software on every picture uploaded to the site (as well as many other ways to capture personal information about each individual on the site) I have decided that it simply isn't worth it (guess I'll just have to call the kids more often).


• I am a big fan, however, of the reddit network in general and the AskReddit, Guns, and Survivalist subreddit in particular. For a giant list of all of the subreddits, check here.


• It's summer! I hope you are all getting out and getting back to nature while the weather is good. It's hot as Hell here in the south but I have still been able to enjoy the mountains, some kayaking, and some fishing.


• On the tech front, some of my favorite things are: Ninite, LibreOffice, and AllTop Lifehacks.


• On the "world is going to Hell in a hand basket" front: keep stockpiling food, get into the best possible physical condition you can, stockpile some cash and gold but realize your knowledge and skills are more likely to save you in a post SHTF scenario than your money and gold, and be self employed in some fashion--it is the only sure way to have a job in this economy.

Summer Plan: 100 Radical Experiences

Do you have a plan for your summer yet? If not, here's some ideas to get you started, most which relate to survival and preparedness, others which will allow you to look fear in the eye and wink.

1. Go sky diving.


2. Go bungie jumping.


3. Go camping.


4. Go on an extended backpacking trip (seven days or more).


5. Do an epic physical challenge (marathon, month plus bike trip, etc).


6. Get ripped (in three months you can make some major improvements to your health and fitness).


7. Can fruit and vegetables.


8. Go geocaching.


9. Get your HAM radio operator's license.


10. Spend the summer boating (everything from a canoe to a kayak to a sailboat).


11. Make pickles.


12. Make jam.


13. Buy a whole animal on the hoof and dress it out yourself.


14. Go fishing.


15. Learn to SCUBA dive.


16. Participate in a contest (this, for example).


17. Join your local Search and Rescue as a volunteer.


18. Volunteer to teach merit badge-related topics to your local Boy Scout troop.


19. Do some home repairs yourself instead of hiring it done.


20. Empty out your BOB and replenish/update it.


21. Install a stellar security system in your home.


22. Join your local shooting range and actually participate (maintenance projects, shooting leagues, etc).


23. Become an "Extreme Couponer" and stock up your year's supply of food on the cheap.


24. Travel to a foreign country.


25. Apply for a passport.


26. Take the family on a road trip.


27. Write that book you have always been meaning to write.


28. Take a summer intensive foreign language course (or any other course you are interested in).


29. Get lost in the woods and find your way out with a map and compass.


30. Spend the day in the city observing people. What do you see? Bonus points if you blog about your experience.


31. Have the mother of all garage sales and use the proceeds to bulk up your emergency fund.


32. Check out a bundle of survival/preparedness-related books from the library and spend your lazy summer days reading up on these important topics.


33. Learn a new skill (how to ride a motorcycle, how to trap an animal, how to paint, etc).


34. Get all of your paperwork in order: update your Will, check your insurance coverages, update your home inventory, etc.


35. Do a "no spend" week...or month (in which you don't spend a single penny for the duration).


36. Go to garage sales and swap meets and learn how to haggle.


37. Barter for something.


38. Make a piece of furniture by hand.


39. Sew a complete outfit.


40. Raise a garden (or even just a few items on your windowsill).


41. Spend an entire day with each family member (a good bonding opportunity).


42. Get ready for hunting season.


43. Swim outside (lake, river, ocean. Be careful!).


44. Learn how to smoke meat and fish (you can even make your own smoker).


45. Cook all of your meals outside for the day (if you want to get fancy you can rig up a pizza oven or bake something in a Dutch oven covered with coals).


46. Create an adventure for the family or your survival team (scavenger hunt, for example).


47. Try a series of unfamiliar ethnic restaurants.


48. Put together an emergency fund (at least six month's worth of expense money saved).


49. Plant a tree that will outlive you.


50. Start a side business.


51. Learn how to rock climb.


52. Go to an adult summer camp (like this, for example, or this).


53. Take a CPR/first aid course and become certified (or better yet, take an EMT course).


54. Improve a system(s) in your home (add solar power, change out your old hot water tank for an on-demand system, etc).


55. Cook every meal at home for a week and be creative (note, each person in the family should take on this challenge rotating weeks so everyone learns this important skill).


56. Go to a casino and become proficient in all of the games.


57. Change your look completely--new haircut, new wardrobe, maybe some hair dye, etc.


58. Try something completely insane (ideas here. Disclaimer: we aren't responsible for your death or injury, proceed at your own risk).


59. Pick up a new hobby (golf, fly fishing, wood working, etc).


60. Go to a major summer event like Sturgis, Burning Man, or Maker Faire.


61. Watch a variety of TED presentations and become inspired.


62. Get a complete physical/check up and ensure you are in good health (or find out what issues you need to fix).


63. Challenge yourself to pay cash for everything for one month this summer, it will totally change your outlook on buying lots of random stuff.


64. Forage for food this summer (berries, mushrooms, shellfish, nuts, tree fruit, etc).


65. Put together a mastermind group (or survival team) and hold regular meetings.


66. Explore your state/local area. Pay attention to possible evacuation routes and potential bug out places.


67. Sign up for a fitness class (parkour or martial arts would be good options).


68. Walk the streams and trails of your county (there's probably lots more than you ever knew about).


69. Go through all of your outdoor gear and make any needed repairs/replacement of items.


70. Go to a HAM fest.


71. Join your local Volksmarch group or hiking group (it's good exercise, good motivation, and you will learn a lot about your local area).


72. Become a certified lifeguard.


73. Get a tattoo or a piercing.


74. Spend a weekend living with no electricity in your home.


75. Take a week-long digital sabbatical (no email, no FaceBook, no internet, no TV, etc).


76. Learn how to fly a plane.


77. Build your kids a fort.


78. Go places that put you out of your element (example: biker bars for some, churches for others).


79. Join and participate in survival/preparedness-related forums.


80. Raise an animal for food (everything from rabbits to chickens to pigs to cows).


81. Drive something bigger than the family mini van (a backhoe or semi truck for example).


82. Develop a solid retirement plan.


83. Set a big financial goal and reach it (everything from paying off a debt to having X amount of money in savings by the end of summer).


84. Do the 100-100-100 challenge (100 sit ups, 100 push ups, 100 squat thrusts).


85. Quit a vice (smoking, drinking excessively, etc).


86. Play in a poker tournament.


87. Register to vote.


88. Participate in the political process (everything from sitting in on a city council meeting to see how local politics works to volunteering for a national campaign).


89. Practice your tactical and off-road driving skills.


90. Chop and dry all of your firewood for the next winter season.


91. Go streaking or skinny dipping.


92. Talk yourself into a place that the average person would not be able to access.


93. Do a food challenge a la Man vs Food.


94. Make an entire weekend's worth of meals only from food your have foraged/hunted yourself.


95. Make your own beer, wine, or whiskey.


96. Give a speech in front of a large group of people.


97. Create a panic room in your home.


98. Find out what "they" know about you. Get your credit reports and your FBI file.


99. Mentor someone (this doesn't have to be career-related, you can teach someone how to be better prepared for disaster or for life).


100. Create your own radical challenge for the summer (the list is endless--it could be a blog challenge, a swim with the sharks or ride in a MiG challenge, a "let's sneak into Cuba challenge", or any other off-the-wall feat you can dream up).

Support CNI!

We're trying a few new things to support the CNI website and blog without selling the actual content that is created (ie: we want to give away the content and not evolve the blog into a sort of giant marketing mess as some websites have done). There are a few websites (financial sites, not survival sites) which began with great content but morphed into every-other-post-is-a-marketing-hook to get you to buy yet another new product they have created. I also don't like reading posts where every other word has a product link to it. I am, however, a fan of free information and of helping people out so while the content will remain free, if you do want to make a donation, or better yet, if you are going to be buying something from Amazon anyway, you can now do this through the CNI site and we get a few bits for each purchase you make (unless you buy your wife a diamond ring in which case we would be set for a year!).
Check out our new page here.

Update: The CNI blog is now optimized for viewing in your mobile phone!

10 Steps to Disaster-Proof Your Life

It's isn't IF disaster will strike, but WHEN. In order to make your life as "disaster proof" as possible, follow these ten steps:

1. Have an emergency fund. The bigger, the better. Many of life's little disasters can be taken care of with cash. By having a good sum of cash on hand, things like a busted furnace, unexpected bill, or sudden job layoff can be easily mitigated.


2. Have stuff. While I'm pretty much a minimalist and watching "hoarders" gives me the willies, having an adequate supply of stuff on hand--plenty of food, some stored gasoline, a nice collection of firearms for use and for barter, tools, etc--can really help during a disaster. The more things you have that can help you shelter yourself, feed yourself, defend yourself, and bring in some income or trade goods, the better off you will be during and after a disaster.


3. Have a network of people you can rely on. It can take time to build up this network and you may look around and decide that you really need to find some dependable friends that you can count on, but often it is people that will help you out of a disaster even more so than your stuff.


4. Be prepared. I like that Boy Scout motto. Most disasters require some type of skilled response so whether you are in the middle of a medical emergency and can use your CPR skills or you end up lost in the wilderness and need to pull out every outdoor survival skill you have ever learned, being prepared by being educated and well trained in a multitude of skills can turn potential disasters into an exercise in skill building.


5. Be portable. Can you leave on a moment's notice? Sometimes averting or avoiding disaster simply means you need to leave. Now. Do you have the ability to do this? Do you have a passport? A bicycle? A motorcycle? A car? Do you know how to hitchhike? Do you have all of the stuff you would need to survive (ie: a BOB) ready to grab and go at a moment's notice? Do you have a place to bug out to? Do you have a portable source of income? Could you live on the road and/or on the run?


6. Be aware. Many disasters really shouldn't come as a surprise. That clinky car noise you decided to ignore could be why your vehicle became DOA on the side of the road. There is no reason you shouldn't know that a tornado is coming if you live in a tornado-prone area (old-timers can tell by the temperature and how the air is moving, TV news is super efficient at broadcasting tornado alerts and warnings, a NOAA radio is a must-have by your bedside). And, when you see the writing on the wall that your job is barely hanging on by a thread, you shouldn't be surprised when the ax actually falls. By paying attention, and taking action before a disaster occurs, you will be miles ahead of the crowd that is still trying to figure out what happened.


7. Set your own parameters, control your own environment, choose your own friends and family. If you live in a place where rape, robbery, and murder are a better statistical probability than having a job and dying of old age, get out. If your friends and family members are better known by the prison system than the Chamber of Commerce, get out. As an adult, you can choose where and how you want to live and who you want to surround yourself with. People often default to what they know and what they have grown up with but making the changes necessary to avoid the disaster that is the place you live in or the people you hang out with is a smart move towards disaster-proofing your life.


8. Be proactive. Life may be fine and dandy today. You may be lulled into a sense of comfort and a feeling that nothing bad will happen or if it does, "someone" will come bail you out. That actually isn't true. It is guaranteed that in your lifetime something bad will happen. By being proactive, namely preparing ahead of time for the winter storm and not waiting until the snow start falling or putting together a bug out bag even though you think you will never use it or taking the extra courses that seem expensive and boring yet will make a big difference in your hire-ability, you are taking proactive steps to help avert disaster.


9. Attitude is everything. Life can suck and you can be miserable or life can suck and you can choose to be happy. I prefer the latter. I admire people who can come through truly horrifying disasters and still keep going, often doing amazing things when others would remain curled up in a ball under their covers. There is no sure fire way to give someone a good attitude but I do believe that practicing a positive, helpful, "this too will pass" attitude is a good first step.


10. Be flexible. There is nothing so certain as change. People who cling to the "this is how it has always been and I don't want to change" belief system are in for a rude awakening. The ability to be flexible and roll with the punches often affects how a disaster will impact you. From the financial disaster of a job loss to a natural disaster that turns your home into toothpicks, the ability to change, move on, and react to whatever is happening, while it won't avert a disaster, it will impact how you handle and how you recover from a disaster.