Flash Flood

November 21 2018

Homemade Defense Weapons

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Guns have been referred to as “the great equalizer,” and there’s no weapon which can come close to them in that regard. A lot of the popularity of firearms is due to the fact that anyone can use them effectively, not only the strong and agile. The young, the old, men, women and child can take up firearms in defense of home and family and do so effectively.

But what do you do if you can’t use a gun – or if you don’t have a gun — to protect yourself?

It only makes sense to have a backup plan. That way, in the case that a firearm malfunctions, you run out of ammunition or somehow get separated from your weapons, you still have a way of defending yourself and your family.

Common Alternate Weapons

When people think of alternate weapons, they either think of non-lethal weapons or they think of two of the most common weapons in history. Those are the knife and the bow. Both are excellent weapons, but they have one drawback as a secondary weapon: They require extensive training to use effectively. Unless you are willing and able to spend the necessary time to become proficient with them, owning those weapons really isn’t much of a benefit.

The non-lethal weapons, such as a taser and pepper spray, don’t require much in the way of training, but are extremely limited in range. This makes them a poor choice for more than avoiding a mugger or rapist. Even then, I’m not all that sure how effective they would be, unless you were able to catch the assailant off-guard and use them. They would not be effective in a situation where there was a breakdown of society and you had to defend your home.

Introducing Melee Weapons

Melee weapons are weapons created for the purpose of use in a melee. According to Dictionary.com, a melee is “a confused hand-to-hand fight among several people.”

There are two basic problems with being caught in hand-to-hand combat. First of all, the person who has practiced with his or her weapon has a distinct advantage. Second, the advantage always goes to those who are stronger and have a longer reach. That makes hand-to-hand combat a bad place to find yourself, especially if you don’t have an equalizer with you.

Berserker Weapons – a Sub-Category of Melee Weapons

Criminals use their weapons primarily to intimidate. That’s why many use a knife. They aren’t expert knife fighters, nor do they really want to gut you like a fish, regardless of what they say. They want to scare you with that knife. Even so, they aren’t really all that concerned about hurting you. So, the worst thing you can do is meet them without a weapon or with a knife, giving them the advantage.

Okay, so what do you use? That’s where the weapons below come in. These melee weapons could also be referred to as berserker weapons, because they are the type of weapons that you just go berserk with. While training would help, the main idea is to just beat on them with the weapons. Violence, not training, gives you the advantage.

Making Simple Melee Weapons

What’s the advantage of these weapons? Simple: It’s reach. If a criminal is coming at you with a knife in his hand, the reach is limited to the length of his arm. On the other hand, if you are holding a weapon that’s two or three feet long, you’ve got a longer reach than they do, even if your arms are shorter. So, when it comes down to it, you’ve got the advantage.

1. The Quarterstaff

The quarterstaff is just a wood pole. Perhaps it is easiest to think of it as a long walking stick. Originally, they ran from six- to nine-feet long; but in reality, it’s hard to work with one that’s more than six-feet long. You’re likely to spend more time hitting the ground than you are your assailant.

In the Middle Ages, when one wanted a quarter staff, they simply cut off an appropriate tree branch or sapling, about two to three inches in diameter. It should be fairly stiff wood, but lightweight. The biggest trick is finding a long-enough branch that is straight. I tried a willow branch and it was too flexible. Then I tried an oak branch and it looked like a crooked finger. The best I did was to improvise one by grabbing a closet rod. This works if you have wood closet rods. The metal ones have built-in hangers on the ends, so they are a bit awkward as a quarterstaff.

In use, the quarterstaff is held in both hands, dividing the staff in three sections. The middle section is used for blocking and both of the ends can be used for striking. A sweeping blow from a quarterstaff carries enough force to cause considerable pain or even knock an opponent unconscious. An assailant with a knife doesn’t stand a chance.

2. The Axe

Although not something you normally make yourself, the axe is a natural berserker-style melee weapon, especially the axes they had in olden times. Modern axes aren’t quite as good, because the blade is extremely short, but axes in olden times had a much longer blade.

A warrior armed with an axe could put fear into the heart of an experienced swordsman. That’s because there is no art or science in swinging an axe. More than anything, the axe is held in two hands and swung with pure wild abandon. This makes the axe-wielding warrior unpredictable; therefore, it’s hard to counter in battle. The longer the handle on the axe and the heavier the head, the more that damage can be inflicted.

If you want to use an axe as a weapon, I’d recommend buying a double-bitted axe. A standard woodcutting axe has two things against it. First of all, the head is off-balance, with almost all the weight to one side. That will tend to make that side turn downward, rather than being naturally pointed at the enemy. Secondly, the handle is curved, which is great when you’re cutting a tree, but horrible when you’re using it as a weapon.

The modern incarnation of the tomahawk really isn’t at all like an axe. First of all, it’s mostly intended to be a throwing weapon. But even when used in the hand, it is a single-handed weapon for striking; you really can’t go crazy with one, like you can with an axe.

3. Spear

he spear is another very simple weapon. Spears have evolved throughout the history of warfare, being one of the first actual manufactured melee weapons. Those early spears were about four to five feet long and hard wood points. American Indians chipped stone points for their spears, and the Europeans made metal points for them, once they learned how to work metal. In the later Middle Ages, spears became much longer, as they were intended to be used against men on horseback.

For a melee weapon, a four- to five-foot long spear works well. You can make one easily by taking a knife blade (with the handle removed) and inserting it in a slot cut into the end of your spear shaft. Binding the blade in place with strong cord, strapping or duct tape would finish off the spear. Not fancy, but functional.

It is easy to make your own spear point by grinding a piece of metal, much as I explained in the article on how to make your own knives. As an alternate plan, you could grind a spear point from a piece of 1/8-inch thick steel strap. The edges don’t have to be as sharp as they are for a knife, since spear is mostly a piercing weapon.

4. Spiked Club

Man’s oldest melee weapons were the rock and the stick. The stick gave the advantage of reach over the rock held in the hand, but in turn the rock could be thrown, giving an even greater reach. Many of our weapons can trace their roots all the way back to those two basic weapons — none more obviously than the club.

A club is merely a heavy stick. Weight is important, especially at the striking end of the stick. The weight improves the velocity and force of the impact. Another thing that helps a lot is to put spikes on the business end of the club. Then, not only does the club provide blunt-force trauma, but also piercing trauma when it strikes.

All you have to do to make a spiked club is find an appropriate piece of tree branch for the club itself. This may require a little bit of whittling on the handle end, to make it thin enough to get a good grip on. You can then hammer nails into the striking end of the club for spikes. Cut off the heads of the nails and then grind points on them to complete the spikes.

Don’t worry about making your spiked club pretty; generally speaking, the uglier they are, the better they work. Oh, and, the easiest way to grind points on your spikes is to grind their ends at an angle, rather than trying to grind them to a conical point.

November 12 2018

Stockpiling on the Cheap

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Building up a stockpile from scratch can be expensive and financially demanding, but if you’re serious about prepping, it’s a financial burden that will have to be overcome. Fortunately, there are quite a few things you can do to lessen the blow to your wallet, even if you’re on a tight budget.

Treat Your Stockpile Like an Investment

Don’t like eating dried fruit? Don’t stock up on it! Prefer pasta over rice? Buy more of the pasta. Only like one type of shampoo? Don’t bother buying any other kind. When stockpiling, buy items that you would like to eat, drink, or use, and don’t be afraid to start going through your stockpile as you add to it. Rotating items in your stockpile is good. Eating through older food and continually replacing it with new food keeps your stock fresh and helps you keep track of any potential expiry dates (no matter how long into the future you think they may be).

You shouldn’t be picturing your stockpile as a large closet or room where you simply dump food and other products because you might need them one day. A stockpile should be a regularly used thing, accessed and utilized daily or weekly. A stockpile shouldn’t just be there in case doomsday arrives and the shit hits the fan so hard that everyone but you is starving. It should be a back up in case you just can’t go to the grocery store this week, in case you want to try saving gas money by taking less trips to the mall, or even, heaven forbid, in case you have some sort of emergency or have financially difficult times and can’t afford to pay for expensive grocery bills. A stockpile ensures you’re okay and well fed even if you hit your own personal rock bottom. It ensures you peace of mind – that even if all else goes wrong, at least you’ll never starve. You’ll always have food on the table, some medicine in case you get sick, and of course some extra toilet paper: because we all know living without that would suck.

So don’t think about your stockpile as though it’s an expensive tool you bought and stuffed in the back of the garage to gather dust simply because it “might come in handy one day.” Think of it as your own personal convenience store, combined with a small emergency scenario insurance plan.

Stockpile Gradually

There’s no rule that says you have to have a reasonably sized stockpile overnight. If you’re on a budget and can’t afford to spend a lot on stockpiling goods, or even if you would rather be a little more frugal at the moment, say because you have quite a few big payments this month, don’t hesitate to take small steps instead of big ones toward building up your stockpile.

For growing your non-perishable food stockpile, I’d recommend trying to cover one type of food or household item per week: say buying an extra bag or two of rice per person the first week, an extra 5 or 10 cans of beans the next, etc. Try to circle around the food groups as much as possible, so that you don’t end up with too many carbs and not enough proteins, for instance.

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Keep an Eye Out for Deals and Specials

This is by far the best way to make sure you get the most bang for your buck when working on your stockpile. It also goes well in line with the previous tip. Week by week, scan flyers and discount sites for any deals they may be having. Comparison shop if you have the time. If one or more items looks good to you, get a reasonable supply of those products. Wait for other items you may be interested in to go on sale, and in the meantime, spare your wallet the extra loss.

If you live in countries like the United States or Canada, sales can make a big difference, especially when buying in bulk, since products at times regularly drop to around 50 or 75% of their original price.

For household items like shampoo, bleach, soap, tissue paper, paper towels, and toilet paper, buy in huge bulk when there is a substantial sale, so that you don’t have to worry about purchasing these products between sales when they are more costly. Ideally, try keeping at least 3 months to a year’s worth of household products, and check your stock at least once a month to make sure it isn’t depleting faster than you expected. Buying in large bulk when an item is on sale not only reduces cost, but it also gives you time to wait for another good sale, in case sales are more spaced out with the product you want to buy.

Buy Quality Items

If you go through one-ply toilet paper about three times faster than two-ply toilet paper, you should really be spending the extra dollar to buy two-ply. Same goes for quality medical supplies or clothes. If you have to replace your Band-Aid once a day, but buying Elastoplast will keep your cut covered up until it’s healed, you might as well spend a bit more to get the box of Elastoplast. If your cotton socks are getting worn after two weeks of wear, but the expensive wool socks you bought have lasted a year and a half, splurge just the once and get the expensive wool socks. Saving in the short run isn’t wise when you can have bigger savings in the long run.

Don’t (Always) Buy Brand Name

Just because it’s brand name doesn’t mean it’s better. Of course, many times we will like a certain brand of food better than another, or find that a certain type of medicine is much more effective than the non-brand name alternative, but this isn’t necessarily always the case. The next time you’re in a grocery store, if you haven’t pledged your unwavering loyalty to Heinz Ketchup, try a cheaper brand, or a no-name alternative. If you don’t like it better, you can cut your losses and continue buying Heinz. Otherwise, you’ve made a decision that will make the rest of your ketchup-buying days cheaper.

With medicine, it’s relatively easy to find out which brands are important to the product, and which are equivalent if not better bought as non-brand name items.

If you really like buying brand name or you find that a certain brand name product is much more effective, keep an eye out for coupons online, in store, or in the mail. Many brands will give out coupons that heavily discount the price of brand name products, which can be very advantageous for a person looking to stockpile said items.

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Prioritize Stockpile Purchases

If you’re just starting out and you want to eventually have a stockpile for food, household items, medicine, and tradable goods, note that not all of these categories should be set at the highest priority. Food should probably be the highest on the list, though household items, because they are relatively inexpensive and go on sale quite frequently, should probably be stockpiled at the same time as food items are.

Once you have a good amount of household items stockpiled, you will likely be able to neglect this category for extended periods of time (months or even years), as these items never expire and so can be stored without any consideration unlike most long expiry date food. After having acquired a good amount of food and household items for your stockpile (maybe about a month’s worth), you should start to look into buying medicine.

Unlike the other two categories, medicine will need to be replenished much less often, yet at the same time, it often expires much more quickly. You might find it better to begin to stockpile medicine as you need it, i.e., when you get sick. This will make sure that the expiry date is the latest it can possibly be. That being said, not all medicines should be thrown out as soon as they expire. Most medicines are fine to take after their expiry date, and simply get weaker (rather than more dangerous to take) with age. Do a quick check online if you aren’t sure whether or not it is fine to take a certain medicine after it’s expiry date has passed.

The last thing you will want to stockpile are tradable goods. Sure, you might feel like you’re investing if you buy a brick of gold once a month, but if you’re on a tight budget, that money would be better kept in a separate savings account as an emergency fund. What happens if the roof leaks and you need to fix it? That brick of gold is going to take a while to sell and trying to sell in a hurry will likely mean you’ll get less for it than you otherwise would have. Thus, until you’re completely happy with all of your other stockpiles (you have enough food, household items, and medicine to last you however long you want your stockpile to allow you to last), you should probably veer away from working on your tradable goods stockpile.

November 6 2018

The Friends & Family Plan

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There are a lot of agencies out there that suggest that you make a sound Emergency Communication $\"\"$ plan for your family in case disaster strikes but unbelievably, a lot of them don’t tell you how to actually do this, and the ones that do are woefully inadequate. Ready.gov at least gives some information by suggesting that you use the acronym COMMUNICATE:

Create a family communication plan so you can get in touch with family members. Give copies of contact information and meeting locations to everyone in your family
Options are available: telephones, cell phones and e-mail are all great ways to get in touch with family members.
Make sure you know the emergency plan at your child’s school.
Make a decision about where you will meet in case you can’t get home during an emergency.
Understand that it may take time to get through to everyone. Try to be patient.
Needs of your pets should be kept in mind. Keep a pet carrier for easy transport.
Inform yourself. Watch news broadcasts, read online news updates or listen to a battery-operated radio for official guidance during an emergency, but also prepare in advance.
Copies of your emergency plan should be in your emergency supply kit in case you need to leave in a hurry.
Ask kids to discuss their concerns and feelings. Do they understand the family plan?
Take the kids to visit the “meeting spots” so that they are familiar and feel comfortable finding them on their own if necessary.
Emergencies take many forms. Categorize different types of emergencies and discuss the level of concern related to each and how that is reflected in your family plan.

That’s better than most but it’s still pretty dumb. You can tell they tried to come up with tenuous connections to each letter to make the acronym fit. It’s better than nothing, but it still doesn’t tell you effective ways of how you can communicate with your family during and after an emergency; it just tells you a few things to consider.

There are three main purposes to communicating with someone as part of your Emergency Communication $\"\"$ plan:

To order the initiation or change to a phase of your emergency plan
To acknowledge or communicate that a phase has begun or changed
To pass on information as to your status or requirements – a situation report

That should be it. If there’s any other reason you’re communicating, you didn’t prepare your plan well enough. Expect that you haven’t prepared your plan well enough. Your plan needs to be adaptable. Go with the flow, dude. The goal is to plan for everything but you also have to make your plan simple and easy to remember and follow.

If you’re planning for some eventual SHTF scenario such as a natural disaster, emergency event or the collapse of society, your communication plan should be an intimate part of your plan. If you’re just planning for how to communicate with your family in case of something like a fire or car accident or something, your communication plan will look different, but it should fit into any scenario.

November 5 2018

Surviving Home Invasions

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Here, we want to cover the actual methodology of surviving a home invasion, and steps you can take to survive — and win — such a violent encounter. Remember: You do not have to kill or injure an attacker, or win the gunfight, or even round-house kick the bad guy. You just have to survive.

Have Gun, Don’t Have To Travel

The best gun for surviving a home invasion is the one you can reach. The snub-nose J frame you can carry on your hip is better than the AR under the bed if someone is kicking in your door. That being said, the faster you can get to that AR, the better. Home invasions move rapidly and violently, and a good rifle can solve the problem faster and more efficiently than a handgun.

I advise to home carry, especially if you already conceal carry throughout the day. Is there really a reason to disarm when you get home? Personally, I’m too lazy to keep taking the gun on and off as I get home and then run errands again.

Speed, Violence and Surprise

In a violent home invasion, you need to react violently. If your door is being kicked down, someone on the other side has violent intent. Surprise them with violent intent of your own. When the door comes down, there is no time to threaten to call the police, tell them to stop, or to freeze up. If the door comes down, the gun should already be up and you should be ready to react. Any attack runs on momentum, from a home invasion to a military offensive. Momentum is key to succeeding. If an attacker is met at the door by a strong defense, the majority will not continue the attack. The door acts as a funnel.

Not every home invasion will come through the door, though, and of course you could be sleeping when the event starts. Regardless, if it comes to a fight, you need to act with speed, violence and surprise. You cannot be timid; you must strike back as soon as you can.

Survival

Survival is still the ultimate goal in a home invasion. If you have the time and ability, you need to get you and your family to a safe place. If someone is trying to come through the door, but hasn’t yet, focus on getting to your family and to your weapon. The same goes if you hear a window break on the other side of your house. Get your family, your gun and your cell phone.

Bunker Down

Once you have your family and your firearm, you need to bunker down in one room. Be it your room or your kids, keep the door closed and locked if possible. Position yourselves out of the door’s direct line so that no one can shoot through it at you. Stay low in the room, with a gun trained on the door. At the same time, you need to have an open line with 911. If this means having a spouse, or an older child take the phone so you can focus on guarding the door, so be it. The main focus of an armed adult should be the door. If no one is available to handle the phone, place it on speaker and set it down close to you.

Clearing your home

In a perfect situation you shouldn’t do this. However, not all situations may play out this way. You may be forced to move through your home to secure family members. Imagine going to your childrens’ room to find they got up and went to the kitchen or bathroom at the same time you heard a window break. You now need to move through your home.

In this situation with a firearm, obey the basic rules of firearms safety, with finger off the trigger. Your home now has potential friendlies and enemies in unknown locations, and you do not want to be finger on the trigger and make a tragic mistake. I always advise having a weapon light or flashlight near your home defense firearm. You should use your light only when absolutely necessary, and you should know the house decently in the dark to navigate without it.

A light that’s on all the time alerts potential baddies you are moving through the house, and it makes you a target. Flash the light when you need to see — meaning turn it on and then off as soon as possible. When an individual enters your line of sight, use the light to identify them before you take any other action.

Encounters

If you encounter an unknown individual, immediately assess their threat level to you. Are they an unarmed teenager making a dumb mistake, or an armed drug addict looking to score? Be prepared to deal with both. Shooting an unarmed assailant may put you in a sticky legal situation, unless that person attacks you. An armed assailant is a threat, but may freeze when they see you. If they attack, of course defend your life as you see fit. If you can, order them to drop their weapon.

Do not become so focused on the assailant that you lose situational awareness. You do not know for sure how many people are in your home. Keep your head on a swivel and do not get drawn in to a single person.

If your attacker turns and flees, do not shoot them, and do not chase them. The only situation where you could even remotely justify shooting someone in the back is if he is attacking a member of your family. Keep your wits about you at all times.

Retreating

In some rare situations, the option to retreat may be the best option to take. I don’t suggest running away without a weapon in case you are pursued. However, getting away may be the best option. You can’t win every fight, and there is no cowardice in retreating. Nothing you own is worth your life.

Home Invasion

Home invasions are tricky situations — rapid and violent. The attacker knows you are home and is okay with hurting you to get what they want. You must be able and be willing to meet violence with violence, and you must act with speed, intensity and surprise.

November 2 2018

Bristol Airport in Chaos

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Bristol Airport has blamed a ransomware attack for causing a blackout of flight information screens for two days over the weekend.

The airport said that the attack started Friday morning, taking out several computers over the airport network, including its in-house display screens which provide details about the arrival and departure information of flights.

The attack forced the airport officials to take down its systems and use whiteboards and paper posters to announce check-in and arrival information for flights going through the airport and luggage pickup points for all Friday, Saturday, and the subsequent night.

The airport also urged passengers to arrive early and \”allow extra time for check-in and boarding processes,\” though this two days technical meltdown caused delays in baggage handling, with customers needed to wait longer than one hour for their bags.

However, no flight delays were reportedly caused due to the cyber attack.

An airport spokesman said that the information screens went offline due to a so-called \”ransomware\” attack, though he confirmed that no \”ransom\” had been paid to get the airport systems working again.

Affected systems and flight information screens were finally restored on Sunday, officials said.

At the moment, it is not clear how the ransomware got into the airport systems. Bristol is carrying out an investigation to find out what happened.

Another Airport Attack

\”We are grateful to passengers for their patience while we have been working to resolve issues with flight information this weekend. Digital screens are now live in arrivals and departures. Work will continue to restore complete site-wide coverage as soon as possible,\” the airport tweeted on Sunday.

October 26 2018

Improve your supply line

Non-Food Items:

A note to remind you what you still need to take care of (e.g., get medical equipment; charge cell phones)
Cell phone charger
Crank or battery-powered radio, flashlights
Extra batteries
First aid kit (include acetaminophen or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug NSAID, antibiotic cream and antacids) and manual.
Prescription medications (month\’s supply recommended).
- Medicine should be clearly labeled and kept separate from other supplies. Always have one refill left on prescription medicine, especially for chronic conditions such as diabetes.
Photocopies of prescriptions (pharmacy records may not be available right away)
Credit card and cash
Personal identification and current family identification photos
Spare set of car keys
Extra pair of eyeglasses or contact lenses
Matches in a waterproof container
Whistle
Map of the area
List of important phone numbers
Special items for babies/young children/elderly.
Three-day supply of water (one gallon per day per person)
Toiletries (e.g., toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, hand sanitizer) and toilet paper
Paper and pencils
Masking or duct tape
Water purification method (e.g., bleach or tablets)
Plastic bucket with a tight lid
Plastic garbage bags
Non-electric can opener and utility knife (like a Swiss Army knife)
Paper cups, plates, and plastic utensils
Blankets or sleeping bags
A change of clothing, rain gear, and sturdy shoes for each family member.
- In warm weather climates, you may also want to include sunscreen and insect repellant
Disposable gloves
Rope
Sensory toys or calming devices (e.g., weighted vests, chew toys, fidget toys, white noise or sound machines, blankets)
Baby supplies such as diapers, formula, baby food, and wipes

Food Items:

Peanut butter and jelly
Ready-to-eat canned soup, canned meat, milk, fish, fruit and vegetables (three day supply, including pet food)
Bread/crackers stored in waterproof bag or container
Powdered or single serve drinks
Cereal/granola bars
Protein bars
Packaged condiments

For Pets:

A two-week supply of dry and canned food
Water (1/2 gallon per day)
Litter box supplies
Traveling cage

More supplies are located in our SHOP! Join now to get access to everything GDI can provide you to prep for the unexpected.

October 25 2018

The Backup Plan

When the unexpected happens, would you and your family need another location to seek refuge from whatever may be happening around you?

Alernate Location Must-Haves

The location of your getaway is one of the most critical factors to consider. Choosing it is also a great balancing act. The following are the most important considerations when it comes to choosing where to bug out. Remember, that each of the items on this list takes into account what you need to ensure you and your family are safe.

1) Distance

First off, you want it to be far enough away from the city that you don’t have to worry about dealing with the mass exodus that may eventually come. Yet, you want it to be close enough that you aren’t driving for many hours (or days) to get there. When it comes to distance, you will need to factor in your mode of transportation.

If you are on foot, then your bug out location should be no farther than 60 miles from your urban center. You also want to be sure you have a bug out bag for your journey.

If you are driving, then you shouldn’t have to travel more than the distance one full tank of gas will take you. If you have to drive farther than that, then you should have enough spare fuel with you to get where you are going. Don’t count on gas stations as a reliable means of refueling.

Ultimately, you need to choose your bug out location such that you can get there safely, while ensuring it is far enough away from a major center.

2) Seclusion

Choose a location that is secluded and not easily visible from travel routes.

You do not want your bug out location to be easy to find. You should be off the main roads and have good tree cover. There should be enough concealment that anyone walking along any roads, paths, or railway tracks in the vicinity would not be able to see your place in the day or night. This means your lights should not be visible.

They key is to be concealed from all the senses. You will need to take special care when it comes to having a fire. The smoke from a fire can be visible from a long way off, so it is best to do this at night. As for cooking smells, they can travel for up to half a mile, so do your best to conceal these by cooking at night, when there is less of a chance of people traveling and keeping the use of spices to a minimum.

3) How to Get there

I’m not talking about your wheels here, although I assume you have already considered your. Here I am talking about your route to get to your bug out location. You need to plan at least three different routes that will ensure you arrive at your hideaway safely.

Your main route can include major roadways, which you can use if you get out quickly enough and these are still accessible, but you also need to have backup routes that take you off the main roads. Main roads are often closed down in an emergency situation, or patrolled by law enforcement. You want to avoid anyone who might want to turn you back and any route that will get clogged.

4) Shelter

What are you going to live in? If you can buy a remote property that has a house or cabin on it, that is great. However, to get something as remote as you would like, you might have to purchase the land and then build on it.

Will you live in a tent or trailer (if you can get one into your property) indefinitely, or until you build a permanent structure? These are important considerations, especially if you live in a climate that experiences winter.

Also keep in mind that you might take more than one day to get to your bug out property. You should be prepared for camping, regardless of the season. Ensure you have a shelter, warm clothes, and a sleeping bag if it’s cold.

5) Water

Make sure there is a year-round source of fresh water on your property.

While having availability of water might seem obvious, it is important enough to be mentioned here. There is no way of knowing how long you will need to stay put at your bug out location. You might be there for weeks or months and bottled water will only take you so far.

Be sure to choose a location that has a good source of water. That might be well water, a natural spring, or a clean lake or river. Make sure the water is easily accessible and that is has year-round availability.

Remember that you won’t just need this water for drinking. You will also need it for washing, cooking, cleaning, and watering crops and livestock (if you have them). Plus, if you have running water onsite, you can use it to generate electricity.

6) Self-Sufficiency

As I mentioned above, you might be at your bug out location for an indeterminate amount of time. You won’t be able to run to the store every time you need to restock your pantry and you won’t be relying on the electrical grid.

You must have everything on your property that you will need or be able to produce what you need. This means that aside from water, which we discussed above, you need to have:

A food garden
Plentiful fish and game
A source of electricity (solar, wind, and/or water)
A source of firewood
Space and resources for livestock

7) Security

Sentry Alarm Mines are a great security measure.

You must consider how easy your bug out location is to defend. If it is concealed as I discussed above, you are well on your way to having a secure place. However, you need to be sure it is not only concealed, but difficult to access.

No one should be able to approach your bug out location without you knowing about it. Be sure you know what roads or paths lead into your property and that they are watched at all times. Is there a waterway that will lead people past your place? This can be cause for concern so use caution.

Make sure you have an intimate understanding of all the strengths and weaknesses of your property. This way you can plan an offensive that will help you keep concealed and defend what’s yours if the need arises.

PRO TIP: Consider getting some Sentry Alarm Mines. You load them with .22 blank ammo and attach them to trip wire.

8) Natural Threats

When it comes to the location of your retreat, be sure you understand the potential natural threats you might be up against. Is the area prone to earthquakes, flooding, forest fires, tornadoes, or hurricanes? It is in your best interests to try to find a location that is as safe from natural disasters as possible. This includes avoiding the floodplain of a stream or river.

However, not all of us have access to regions that are free from threat, so you need to assess the threats in your area and prepare your property ahead of time. For instance, you should clear an area around your structures so that a forest fire cannot easily burn them down.

9) Red Tape

Finally, be sure you know what the requirements are in terms of government regulations. Is there any specific zoning for your property? If you want to build on or alter the property, what kinds of permits will you need? This might not be an issue after the SHTF, but to get prepared for that eventuality, you will have to deal with the red tape.

(BONUS #1) How to Find a alternate Location

Now that you know what you need to consider when choosing your bug out location, it is time to learn how to search for and find your property. There are a number of ways to do this. The first of which is to check out some rural land websites. You can choose the state and county in which you live and see what’s available. You can also check real estate listings and Craigslist.

Be sure that you always go and see any potential property personally. Take a real estate agent with you, someone you trust. You need to lay eyes on it and make sure it is what you expect. Plus, if someone is selling it for a good price, then you need to know why. There might be something about it that is a major negative.

And remember, there are real estate experts that deal specifically with bug out properties. They will know precisely what to look for and what to avoid. We have affiliations with some great real estate companies, so please contact us if you are in need of assistance.

Of course, being able to afford property is the major kink in most people’s dreams for their very own bug out location. It can be difficult to shell out $15,000 or more all at once. But if you have family members and friends you can trust or who are part of your survival group, and they can pitch in, it will make it more affordable.

You can also check out public land. National forests are a better choice than national parks. Get some topographical maps and search them for some great, secluded locations that have good access to water.

You can always plan a camping trip to check it out. Plus, this land is free. You will have to plan ahead to make sure you can cache food and supplies and put up some kind of shelter without drawing attention to yourself.

(BONUS #2) Best alternate Locations in the U.S.

Before we wrap up, let’s take a look at some specific bug out locations that are ideal. These regions offer land that is remote, relatively affordable, and offer plentiful resources. Take a look:

Appalachians

The climate in the Appalachians is relatively temperate and the land is fairly cheap. There are plenty of resources, including game and water, and hunting is a way of life in these parts. There is also plenty of fertile ground for growing crops.

Mountainous areas make great bug out locations.

The key is to get to know the back roads prior to any significant event. There are plenty of major highways going through the Appalachians, which will get clogged in a hurry. You will need to be familiar with the back ways into your property.

Rocky Mountains

Very similar to the Appalachians, if a little more snowy and colder during the winter. In Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming offer affordable land, plenty of resources, a hunting culture, and easily obtainable building permits.

Pacific Northwest

It is a little more expensive to purchase property in Washington and Oregon states, but it’s worth it if you can. These states are full of fertile land, natural resources, a hunting culture, less populated areas, and an anti-government sentiment. You must be prepared for a lot of rain and potential volcanic and earthquake activity.

The Dakotas

North and South Dakota are great places for a bug out location. They have a less dense population than many other states, with a lot of unoccupied land and fewer major cities. They also have a solid hunting culture, lots of resources, and fertile land for growing food.

However, you need to be prepared to deal with a winter climate and the potential for tornadoes. It’s wise to choose a county that is less prone to tornado activity.

Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi

These southern states eliminate the concern about winter. They have plenty of secluded locations where you can set up, and lots of game, water and other resources. There are quite a few larger cities and a denser population that the Dakotas, so you will have a higher chance of having to defend your bug out location. However, with hot summers and temperate winters, you will be comfortable.

Austin Texas Hill Country

Finally, the hill country around Austin, Texas is ideal when choosing a bug out property. There are so many reasons for this, including:

Hilly area that’s less prone to tornadoes
It’s in Central TX so rising sea levels wouldn’t be of immediate concern
There is less of a chance of getting flooded by rain due to higher elevation
Rocky ground so not prone to mudslides
Far from major fault lines so less prone to earthquakes
Not as populated as other major metropolitan areas
Close water source with lots of rivers and lakes and very little risk of drought
Strong on 2nd amendment rights in case the change in climate leads to social instability, looting, rioting, etc.
Still a major hub for business with many different industries so you’ll be able to find work even in hard economic times
Strong culture of self-sufficiency
Many farms surrounding the region

Take time to consider all the above information. Most of us won\’t have time to make long distance trips to escape any urban or rural situations of distress. It\’s always best to locate a place close, within quick distance, to get to yet still out of the way.

October 25 2018

The World Around You

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Globally, according to the new data, the number of floods and other hydrological events have quadrupled since 1980 and have doubled since 2004, highlighting the urgency of adaptation to climate change. Climatological events, such as extreme temperatures, droughts, and forest fires, have more than doubled since 1980. Meteorological events, such as storms, have doubled since 1980.

These extreme weather events carry substantial economic costs. In the updated data, thunderstorm losses in North America have doubled — from under US$10 billion in 1980 to almost $20 billion in 2015. On a more positive note, river flood losses in Europe show a near-static trend (despite their increased frequency), indicating that protection measures that have been implemented may have stemmed flood losses.

Professor Michael Norton, EASAC\’s Environment Programme Director states, \”Our 2013 Extreme Weather Events report — which was based on the findings of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters and the Norwegian Meteorological Institute — has been updated and the latest data supports our original conclusions: there has been and continues to be a significant increase in the frequency of extreme weather events, making climate proofing all the more urgent. Adaptation and mitigation must remain the cornerstones of tackling climate change. This update is most timely since the European Commission is due to release its evaluation of its climate strategy this year.\”

Is a contemporary shutdown of the Gulf Stream (AMOC) possible?

The update also reviews evidence on key drivers of extreme events. A major point of debate remains whether the Gulf Stream, or Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), will just decline or could \’switch off\’ entirely with substantial implications for Northwest Europe\’s climate. Recent monitoring does suggest a significant weakening but debate continues over whether the gulf stream may \”switch off\” as a result of the increased flows of fresh water from northern latitude rainfall and melting of the Greenland icecap. EASAC notes the importance of continuing to use emerging oceanographic monitoring data to provide a more reliable forecast of impacts of global warming on the AMOC. The update also notes the recent evidence which suggests an association between the rapid rate of Arctic warming and extreme cold events further south (including in Europe and the Eastern USA) due to a weakened and meandering jet stream.

Most people look at the world through rose colored glasses. Understanding that our world will likely not be rocked by old fears such as nuclear war, invasions, or mass terrorist events.

If you have paid attention at any point in the past few years, it is hard to ignore the potential impact of increasing storms and disasters of our communities and how quickly desperate scenes have played out in our grocery stores, hardware stores, and other big box stores as people scramble to grab whatever they can to survive during these extreme situations.

Realize it is only going to get worse!

The Global Defense Initiative is here to help people and members prepare for the worst possible circumstances. Days without power or water, days being evacuated from your home, and days that would test your resolve on protecting yourself and your family are here and will come more. Let us help you get ready for it all.

October 20 2018

New Intel CPU Exposes Data

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A team of security researchers has discovered another serious side-channel vulnerability in Intel CPUs that could allow an attacker to sniff out sensitive protected data, like passwords and cryptographic keys, from other processes running in the same CPU core with simultaneous multi-threading feature enabled.

The vulnerability, codenamed PortSmash (CVE-2018-5407), has joined the list of other dangerous side-channel vulnerabilities discovered in the past year, including Meltdown and Spectre, TLBleed, and Foreshadow.

Discovered by a team of security researchers from the Tampere University of Technology in Finland and Technical University of Havana, Cuba, the new side-channel vulnerability resides in Intel\’s Hyper-Threading technology, the company\’s implementation of Simultaneous MultiThreading (SMT).

Simultaneous MultiThreading is a performance feature that works by splitting up each physical core of a processor into virtual cores, known as threads, allowing each core to run two instruction streams at once.

Since SMT runs two threads in two independent processes alongside each other in the same physical core to boost performance, it is possible for one process to see a surprising amount of what the other is doing.

Thus, an attacker can run a malicious PortSmash process alongside a selected victim process on the same CPU core, allowing the PortSmash code to snoop on the operations performed by the other process by measuring the precise time taken for each operation.

PortSmash Attack to Steal OpenSSL Decryption Keys

As a proof-of-concept released on Github, researchers tested the PortSmash attack against OpenSSL (version <= 1.1.0h) cryptography library and were successfully able to steal the private decryption key using a malicious process (exploit) running on the same physical core as the OpenSSL thread (victim).

While the PortSmash attack has been confirmed to work on Intel\’s Kaby Lake and Skylake processors at this moment, researchers \”strongly suspected\” the attack to work on other SMT architectures, including AMD\’s, with some modifications to their code.

In August this year, after TLBleed and ForeShadow attacks were unveiled, Theo de Raadt, the founder of OpenBSD and leader at OpenSSH projects, advised users to disable SMT/Hyperthreading in all Intel BIOSes.

He also suspected that \”there will be more hardware bugs and artifacts disclosed. Due to the way SMT interacts with speculative execution on Intel CPUs, I expect SMT to exacerbate most of the future problems.\”

How to Protect Your Systems Against PortSmash Attack

Researchers reported the new side-channel vulnerability to Intel security team early last month, but when the company failed to provide the security patches until 1 November, the team went public with the PoC exploit.

The team has also promised to release detailed paper on the PortSmash attack, titled Port Contention for Fun and Profit, in the coming days.

The simple fix for the PortSmash vulnerability is to disable SMT/Hyper-Threading in the CPU chip\’s BIOS until Intel releases security patches. OpenSSL users can upgrade to OpenSSL 1.1.1 (or >= 1.1.0i if you are looking for patches).

In June this year, the OpenBSD project disabled Intel\’s Hyper-Threading to prevent its users from previously disclosed Spectre-class attacks, as well as future timing attacks.

AMD is investigating the PortSmash side-channel vulnerability report to know any potential AMD product susceptibility.

August 12 2018

Survival Cooking

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Getting through a long-term power outage is much more challenging than getting through a short-term one. Also, it’s a good time to consider the challenges with the hurricane season just heating up. After all, September is typically the month with the most tropical cyclone activity worldwide. With a few preparations to make things easier, you can survive a short-term outage almost as if you were on a camping trip. However, when the power outage lasts for multiple days or longer, you’ve got to take additional action to take care of yourself and your family.

The first and hardest thing to do is to find out how long the outage is going to last. In my article on getting through a short-term outage, I mentioned the need for communications. Specifically, I recommended having a radio so that you could get emergency news reports and have an idea of how long the outage was going to last. That’s important so that you know when to shift from short-term mode to long-term mode.

As soon as you know that a power outage is going to last more than a few days, you should shift over to long-term mode. Basically, that means that you don’t just try and hang on until the utility companies restore power, but you change your way of doing things to methods that don’t require electricity. Particularly, we’re talking about:

Food Preservation
Cooking
Heating Your Home

Power Outage Survival Tip #1: Get Some Alternate Power

We should begin by saying you should put in some means of alternative electrical power so that you are ready for a power outage. A few solar panels or a wind generator will make a world of difference, allowing your family to use at least some electrical devices. Make sure that you have a battery backup system as well so that you can store the power your system creates for when you need it.

Unless you have a lot of money to use, it’s going to be very hard to generate enough electricity to fully power your home. The average American family uses a lot of electrical power every day. However, you easily can generate enough electrical power to allow you to use some appliances, run a computer, turn on a radio, and maybe even operate a room air conditioner or small refrigerator on really hot days. A lot depends upon how much you can afford to invest in your power generation.

The ability to generate some electrical power will also make it easier for you to do some things that would otherwise be impossible, such as charging your cell phone and doing some work on your computer. Even a minimal amount of electrical power generation can make a lot of difference when the time comes.

Power Outage Survival Tip #2: Food Preservation

The food you have in your refrigerator and freezer is only going to stay cold for a maximum of two days. This is where most people give up and just throw that food away. However, you can make good use of that time to preserve your food. You can preserve just about everything you have in your refrigerator or freezer in one way or another.

Remember, there are a number of things in your refrigerator which don’t really need preserving. As Americans, we tend to put a lot of things in our refrigerators that are already preserved. Ketchup, jam, mayonnaise, and other condiments will most likely keep just fine even if they are left out on the counter. Other things like eggs don’t spoil very rapidly, so you don’t need to worry about them. The things you most need to concern yourself with are meats, dairy products, fruits, and vegetables.

The easiest way to preserve fruits and vegetables is by canning them. If you are already canning produce from your garden (which you should do), then you’ve already got everything you need for canning. You can preserve meats by turning them into jerky. If you don’t have a solar dehydrator to use, don’t worry about it. Simply hang the strips of meat on a clothesline to dry.

Power Outage Survival Tip #3: Make A Zeer Pot

Another thing to consider for alternative refrigeration is making yourself a Zeer pot. This is a natural refrigerator which works by evaporation and cools quite well. While it is an ancient form of refrigeration, people still utilize this method in Third World countries today.

A Zeer pot is very simple to make. All you need is two ceramic pots which will nest inside each other. The outside pot needs to be unglazed and the inside pot can either be glazed or unglazed. When you put the pots together, fill the space between them with sand as well as the space below the inner pot. Then, fill the sand with water. Next, put the food inside the inner pot and cover the top of the unit with a wet cloth.

The water will seep through the outer pot and begin to evaporate, thereby cooling the entire unit. You can keep produce and dairy products in the Zeer pot to ensure that they are fresh for a longer period of time. Typically, produce stored in a Zeer pot will last three to four times longer than produce that is left out. While not as good as a modern refrigerator, the Zeer pot works quite well, especially in arid climates.

Power Outage Survival Tip #4: Cooking

While you can cook on your barbecue grill during a power outage, you may want to have an alternate means of cooking available. Eventually, you’ll run out of charcoal or gas for your grille and you’ll still want to eat. Of course, if you’re heating your home with a fire, you can always cook over it as well.

The easiest and most efficient alternative for cooking is to build a rocket stove. Rocket stoves provide a lot of heat for a very small amount of fuel, making them highly efficient. The secret is that the rocket stove moves a large amount of air through the stove by natural convection. This fresh air helps ensure that the fuel is burned completely. It also keeps the fuel burning rapidly so that the temperature is maintained. Please be sure to read our article on rocket stoves for more information on this.

Another alternative cooking method I want to mention is the camp stove. Most camp stoves today run off of small bottles of propane. I don’t like those for a survival situation, simply because you have to depend on having the propane bottles. However, Coleman still makes their older dual fuel camp stove. This is the type where you have to pump up the tank just like the Coleman lanterns.

The dual fuel stove will work either off of Coleman fuel or gasoline. While gasoline might be hard to come by in a grid-down situation, it will probably be easier to come by than other types of fuel. If nothing else, you can siphon it out of your car, giving you fuel to cook by for quite some time.

Power Outage Survival Tip #5: Heating Your Home

The other big challenge is going to be heating your home. All of our modern home furnaces require electricity to operate. With the grid down, you won’t have any heat at all.

This is one item that takes some prior planning and preparation. You’ll need to have some sort of heater available, as well as a good supply of fuel on hand. For the majority of people, the most obvious heater is either a fireplace or a wood burning stove. Another alternative to consider is a kerosene heater.

A wood burning stove can be installed temporarily for emergency use. The hardest part is making sure that you have an adequate fireproof floor under the stove. You don’t want to set it on carpeting, as it will most likely ruin the carpeting. Besides, both carpeting and wood floors can burn. If you don’t have a fireproof floor, you can easily put a temporary one in by overlapping layers of tile on your existing floor.

The chimney for the wood burning stove can be run out through a window. Simply remove one pane of glass and run the chimney through the hole. Make sure that the chimney is installed in such a way that the path the smoke must travel through is uphill all the way. Otherwise, the fumes might back up into the room. In addition, close off the extra space in the window with plywood.

This may require that your whole family lives in one or two rooms for the duration of the power outage, or at least until it warms up again. This is especially important at night when everyone is sleeping. While sleeping together in one room may be difficult, it won’t be as bad as freezing due to lack of heat.

Build a stove for $6

Making a Zeer Pot

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