Doomsday Preppers

A Practical Guide for the Beginner

By

James G. Stone

Copyright © 2013. All rights reserved worldwide. No part of this publication may be replicated, redistributed, or given away in any form without prior written consent from the author/publisher. 

Table of Contents

1.What Is Doomsday?

2. Why Should You Be Prepared For Doomsday?

3. Knowledge Is The First Step To Survival

4. The Basic Needs Of Survival

5. How To Create A Basic Shelter

-        The Basic Tent

-        The Lean-To

-        The Cave

-        Natural Shelters

6. Finding Water

7. How to Grow Your Own Food

8. Storing Food Safely

9. Survival Hunting, Fishing & Foraging Skills You Should Develop Now

-        Hunting

-        Fishing

-        Foraging

10. Protecting Yourself & Your Family

11. Comfort In The Midst Of Devastation

12. Post-Apocalyptic Communications

13. Providing For Your Own Medical Needs

14. The Mental Challenges We Must Overcome To Survive

15. Additional Considerations For The Omega Man or Woman

Chapter 1: What Is Doomsday?

“One of the illusions of life is that the present hour is not the critical, decisive hour. Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. No man has learned anything rightly, until he knows that every day is Doomsday.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Doomsday has become such a commonplace part of the English language that many people no longer understand the true significance of the word.  When the word originated, it was far more than just a commonly passed phrase.  It was a word that struck fear and reverence into the hearts of men.  It was so well known that it was often used as a reminder that tomorrows are not guaranteed and certain things should be handled within the appropriate time frame.  Doomsday, sometimes called  Armageddon by those with a Christian background, was a word that signified the end of the world and life as we know it. 

Many biblical scholars and clergy were vehement in their belief that God would come to exact vengeance on a world full of sinners.  They based these beliefs on biblical passages such as Matthew 24: 21-22 (KJV) which reads, 21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.  22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.  According to many religious individuals, this scriptural passage and others like it demonstrate that God intends to wipe out life on the planet earth, as retribution for human disobedience.

In modern times, the supposed causes of the impending Doomsday have branched out.  There are groups who believe armies of zombies will rise from their graves and attack humans.  Others believe that the annihilation of mankind will be a direct result of the technology that has become such a staple portion of our daily lives.  Still others believe that natural events, such as global warming induced storms, meteorites, earthquakes or volcanic activity will play a major part in triggering the end of the world.  Even our pop culture includes telling clues that the widespread notion and fear of an impending global Doomsday event still exist with movies like I Am Legend, Omega Man and others telling the stories of solitary survivors who have made it through the apocalyptic events of earth's final days.

This concept of complete and total destruction of the earth and her inhabitants was so pervasive that a group of directors for the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists created the Doomsday Clock in 1947, at the height of the Cold War between Russia and the United States.  The position of the hands on this symbolic clock demonstrate the threat level around the globe for a Doomsday triggering event by moving the hands of the clock closer to midnight when threat levels are increased.  While the system was originally designed as a way to quantify the actual threat of a world-scale nuclear war, it has also come to include other trigger events such as large-scale natural disasters and global temperature changes. 

When talking of preparations for Doomsday, many families and individuals consider it more appropriate to plan for Doomsday events.  These events might include local, regional or global disasters.  This allows the planner to prepare for events that are likely to occur without going to extremes in planning for contingencies that seem unlikely.  By planning for a global event, such as nuclear war, the individual can be better prepared to meet the challenges of localized events, such as tornadoes or earthquakes.  Unfortunately, the high costs associated with preparing for unlikely events might deter many people from planning at all so the practice of planning for feasible events has become a more common method among the prepping community.   While there are certainly individuals who will attempt to plan for every contingency, building shelters that can withstand nuclear attack and stockpiling food supplies, the fellow with a six month supply of canned goods and a first aid kit is still considered to be a Doomsday prepper, as well.  This latter individual is actually becoming the more common individual in the prepping community and he is likely to be someone just like you.

Chapter 2: Why Should You Be Prepared For Doomsday?

Doomsday is more than just crackpot theory.  Bulletin of Atomic Scientists (BAS) member and world recognized expert in cosmological and mathematical science, Stephen Hawking, offered the following quote:

“As scientists, we understand the dangers of nuclear weapons and their devastating effects, and we are learning how human activities and technologies are affecting climate systems in ways that may forever change life on Earth.  As citizens of the world, we have a duty to alert the public to the unnecessary risks that we live with every day, and to the perils we foresee if governments and societies do not take action now to render nuclear weapons obsolete and to prevent further climate change.” 

Mark Strauss, notable editor of the BAS publication, was quoted as saying that, “although the threat (of ecological disaster) is not as dire as that of nuclear weapons right now, in the long term we are looking at a serious threat.”

He further explained that just 50 of today’s current nuclear weapons could kill 200 million people.

(Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/16670686/#.UR7f3x2siSo )

It is not unbelievable that an actual Doomsday event could be just around the corner.  Are you and your family prepared to survive such a disaster?

While many people have moved away from the early evangelical roots of the word, the state of the world still prompts large numbers of people to prepare for eventual disasters.  Whether Doomsday comes in its biblical form as an act of God or if it brought about by man-made or natural disaster, the consequences for the unprepared could be devastating. 

Whole communities could disappear overnight.  Law and order could be dealt a crushing blow that would render law enforcement and emergency response agencies unable to protect and serve the citizens.  If any form of law or government remained, it would likely be the strict stranglehold of martial law which has a proven tendency to turn ugly when such immense power and control is wielded by a small group of people.  As we have seen in many areas of the world, once beautiful neighborhoods can be transformed into hostile war zones overnight as people fight back against the tyranny of martial law enforcers or when they are forced to protect their lives and belongings from murderers, thieves and other predators in the absence of law.

In all of the chaos of a disaster, families could easily become separated or trapped within a hostile area.  As history has shown us, when emergency situations strike, it is a poor time to start planning strategy.  For your family to actually survive and get through a Doomsday event together, you need to plan for all contingencies before they happen.  Without proper planning of safe meeting places and escape routes, it could take months or years to reconnect with loved ones, assuming the reunion ever happened at all.

Local grocery stores usually stock enough food for a three day supply during regular consumer demand.  Emergency products, such as candles, camp stove fuel and first aid supplies, may be kept in even smaller numbers by your local retailers.  By doing this, they ensure that the product on the shelf is rotated and within its recommended use by dates.  In an emergency situation, such as an impending natural disaster, the human response to suddenly start hoarding supplies becomes very prominent.  When this happens, the store's three day supply of food can be exhausted within a few hours as panicked customers rush to buy supplies.  In situations where lost power or damage to the area has resulted in the destruction of a portion of food stocks or emergency supplies, the remaining items move off the shelves all the more quickly.  Without proper preparation prior to a Doomsday event, you and your family could be without food or other supplies for a very long period of time.

With such dire scenarios being legitimate possibilities, it is prudent to make preparations now which would help avert disaster later.  While it is easy to say there will always be time to prepare tomorrow, history has shown us that, when disaster strikes, tomorrow is too late.  Doomsday events can happen on both a local and a global scale.  To ensure your families survival during a Doomsday event, you must prepare for these emergencies now.

Chapter 3: Knowledge Is The First Step To Survival

As with most situations in life, the ability to effectively prepare for an emergency situation requires that the prepper first gains a working knowledge of the obstacles presented by a specific scenario.  While some generic preparations are recommended and appropriate for almost every situation, more specific planning is needed to survive other Doomsday events.

For example, your basic prep kit might include items such as food, bottled water, matches and a first aid kit.  A small kit such as this can be easily packed into the trunk of your vehicle for emergencies on the road and, despite its small size and limited abilities; it could still prove to be a life saver in an emergency.  That being the case, this basic kit would do little to help if you were confronted with a more complex scenario such as freezing weather.  It simply would not have the proper supplies to meet the needs of these situations because the preparer did not anticipate the need for additional gear.

To be truly prepared, even in the most basic sense, a prepper must logically look at the scenarios they expect to encounter and, then, look at the other scenarios that could logically branch off from the original threat.  For example, if the individual who packed the kit used in the previous example had anticipated that they would be driving in the middle of winter on back roads, they might have added a blanket, extra clothing and a hand shovel to their kit.  With these extra items and a bit of self-reliance, a prepared individual would be able to survive an unexpected stay for a few nights in the inclement conditions.  In essence, the prepper anticipates the situations they might encounter and, thus, they are never caught in a truly unexpected situation.  This type of individual is prepared for any emergency or contingency because they have already decided how they will survive the situation before they encounter it.

To go along with this point, a prepared person must understand the proper usage and limits of the gear in their kit.  When used incorrectly, life-saving equipment can be ineffective and, in some cases, misuse can prove lethal.  This was evidenced during the Persian Gulf War when Israeli citizens were provided with gas masks but were not properly instructed in their use.  Several people died as a result of suffocation because they did not wear these gas masks correctly.  There are many tools offered to individuals who wish to prepare for possible disasters that can create their own inherent dangers.  The responsibility for understanding the equipment in your kit is yours.  If you don't know how something works, find out before you are in an emergency situation where your life or that of someone else depends on that knowledge.

Most of the items in your Doomsday prepper's kit will also have inherent limitations.  You cannot open a can of beans without a can opener.  A gas mask that is designed to filter one type of threat may be ineffective against another chemical agent.  The coil of rope that you included to help you secure sticks into a shelter may not be strong enough for rappelling down a cliff face.  Dying or getting injured because you did not recognize and anticipate these limits of the supplies you packed into your own prepper's kit is not going to earn you any credit with your fellow Doomsday event survivors.

Chapter 4: The Basic Needs Of Survival

To survive for even a short period of time, the human body requires a few basic needs.  These needs are Air, Shelter, Water and Food.   Without these basics, the body is quickly worn down to the point of incapacity and death soon follows.

Many survivalists go by the Rule of Three's when it comes to survival situations.  This rule states that a human can live for:

-        Three minutes without Air

-        Three hours without Shelter

-        Three days without Water

-        Three weeks without Food

While these are certainly not hard set limits, the figures do provide a fairly accurate depiction of the seriousness of being without one's basic needs.  In actuality, the figures probably give most of us more credit than is due, considering that the individual's physical condition at the start of the experience and other factors play crucial parts in determining the length of time one can survive without any one of the basic needs.  For example, an individual with diabetes would be highly unlikely to survive even one week without food, let alone three.  If that individual was also dependent upon medication, the period of time for survival shrinks even more.

In a survival situation, these primal needs are sometimes met in unique ways.  History is filled with stories of people who have survived amazing odds because they were willing to do things that others were not.  Soldiers in the jungles of Vietnam lived for weeks off of the plant and insect life they found there.  Hikers who have lost their way in the desert survived by creating solar powered water distilling units from discarded trash and recycling their own urine.  There was even a case in 1983, when two hunters from Idaho were forced to shoot their horses and weather out a snow storm inside the carcasses. 

While history tells us many of these amazing survivor stories, it also tells of many people who have died because they were unable to get past the psychological blocks that kept them from doing what was necessary to survive.  Due to this fact, it is vital that prepper's establish the mental skills and attitude necessary for survival as well as preparing supplies to see them through their ordeal.  This mental training may prove to be the most valuable asset you have in a survival situation. 

In an emergency situation, prepared individuals have a much higher likelihood of survival simply because they have anticipated that the situation could occur and set aside at least a few of these basic needs ahead of time.  These are often the same individuals who can take the position as a leader and decision maker.  The knowledge that you have food and water on hand can go a long way towards alleviating the tension and stress that causes people to make deadly mistakes in critical choice situations.  People who prepare for emergencies before the need arises are able to think more clearly as they go about attending to the other basic physical needs of themselves and those who are with them when disaster strikes.

Chapter 5: How To Create A Basic Shelter

After air, shelter becomes the most important basic need.  Since this is such an important component to survival, we shall now take a few moments to discuss the various types of basic shelters that Doomsday event prepper's would find useful. 

The Basic Tent:

Tents are a popular choice among prepper's who plan for short term stays in the wild.  Depending upon the construction of your tent, it might be suitable for tropical climates or the icy tundra.  In some cases, survivalists pack their kits with a commercially produced tent included while others are forced to create rudimentary tents with the materials on hand.  In either case, the tent is not intended as a permanent shelter but it serves the purpose of deflecting the sun, wind and rain while providing a measure of protection from insects and other creatures in a temporary setting very well.

For many people, weekend family vacations at primitive campsites are one of the first introductions they get to learn the skills required for survival in Doomsday scenarios.  Learning to live comfortably in a tent for a few days, without the luxuries of electricity and modern conveniences, is a great way to develop the survivor's mindset and hone your survival skills before your life depends on them.

A primitive tent structure can be made from a sheet of heavy plastic or a tarp and a length of rope in an emergency situation.  Emergency tent stakes can be fashioned from sticks, screwdrivers or similar objects.  The technique for building the tent is simple.  Find two trees that are situated within a few feet of each other and tie the rope a few feet above ground level on one of the trees.  Then stretch the rope taut and tie it around the other tree at the same height from the ground.  Place the plastic across the rope where the rope runs across the midway point of the sheet.  Now grab one side of the plastic and stake the corners down firmly a few feet from the rope.  Now, go to the other side and stretch the plastic taut before staking the corners down on this side as well.  The finished tent should look like an inverted V when viewed from the end. 

This type of tent can provide shelter from the sun, rain and wind while you are awaiting rescue or constructing more permanent structures.  Due to the open end construction, this tent will only block weather from two sides.  An additional blanket or a pile of vegetation can provide a wind block at the opening you do not intend to use as an entrance.  While caution must be used with flame inside a temporary structure of any kind, a small can of Sterno or a candle can provide a modest degree of warmth and comfort in this setting, as well as a method for cooking food.

The Lean-To

This structure is a popular variation on the tent in areas where large rock outcroppings abound or where a larger fire is needed for warmth and safety.  The lean-to should be built where the open face is towards a rock bluff or other natural object that can block the wind because, otherwise, the structure does not provide much protection from wind.

A campfire can be situated between the front opening of the lean-to and the wind blocking natural structure.  This arrangement provides a great deal of warmth, the ability to cook and a measure of safety from wild animals.  Since the fire is shielded from view on two sides, this structure is also a bit more stealth than just building a fire in the middle of open land.  This ability to hide your fire may be useful in a Doomsday event where you have been isolated in possibly hostile territory.

Constructing a lean-to is very simple.  Tie a length of rope about six feet above the ground between two trees to form a cross bar.  If rope is not available, a long stick laid across limbs of the two trees can be used.  Throw a tarp or blanket across the cross bar and use clothes pins, rope or shoe strings to secure one edge of the tarp to the cross bar.  Then pull the other end of the tarp out and secure it with stakes.  In just these few simple steps, you have built a quick shelter from the sun, rain and some wind.  (In emergencies where tarps or blankets are not available, these structures can be built using fallen tree branches and similar materials.  While this does not block the elements as well as solid sheet goods, it does a reasonably good job and provides an amazing level of camouflage.)

The Cave

If you find yourself stranded in a blizzard, the snow itself may be your best asset.  A small cave dug into the snow gives you a place to get shelter from the wind and, in this small enclosed space, even the body heat from just one individual can create a very warm place to wait out a fierce attack by mother nature.

The construction of a snow cave is a simple process of finding a snow bank or piling fallen snow into a drift.  From there, dig a small pocket in the snow which is big enough to fit your body inside.  Dig from the bottom of the structure in an upward direction, making sure the floor of the inside compartment is higher than the top of your entrance tunnel.  This keeps the wind out of the structure while still providing ample air for breathing.  Like all emergency shelters, the smaller the interior space of the shelter, the easier it will be to heat.  For the sake of safety, pack the walls of the snow cave to prevent cave-ins.  Sticks or other natural items can also be used to shore up the ceiling and walls of the structure.  Leave an opening just large enough to allow for the free flow of air and you have constructed a warm den to wait out any storm.

Natural Shelters

Mother Nature takes good care of those who are willing to utilize her gifts.  Humans and animals have been using natural shelters to find a reprieve from harsh weather for eons and these shelters still provide great comfort in times of emergency.  Caves, rock overhangs, hollowed trees and other natural shelters all provide a place to get out of the weather.

When using a natural shelter, there are a few important considerations to take into account for safety and comfort:

-        Current Residents - Just as you are seeking shelter from the weather, local wildlife may already be residing in the structure you are looking at.  While spending the night in a cave with a few bats isn't a particularly dangerous undertaking, waking up with a mother bear and her cubs or in a rattlesnake den could be quite a different story.  When scouting out shelters, always pay attention to your surroundings to make sure that you are not encroaching on a dangerous animal’s territory.  Also remember that a wild creature doesn't have to be large to be extremely dangerous.  Scorpions, spiders, ants and various biting insects can present real dangers to individuals who are allergic to their bites.

-        Safety of the Structure - Overhangs, caves and other structures are excellent places to seek shelter but they also come with the danger of instability.  Falling rocks, mud slides and rising water can all create dangerous situations for the survivalist.  Before entering any structure, look carefully at the surrounding area to ensure that there is nothing that poses an immediate danger.

-        The Urge to Explore - While the back of a long cave may sound like an intriguing place to venture into while you wait out a storm, this urge should be ignored.  It is easy to get lost in a long and winding cave system and most individuals will not have the proper equipment for cave exploration in their prepper's kit.  If you must explore, wait until the emergency situation has subsided and come back with the proper equipment.  Who knows?  You might even find the perfect future bug-out shelter in case a global Doomsday event happened and you needed someplace for a long term stay.  A deep cave with a water source could provide an excellent location to spend several years in relative comfort if the need ever arose.

Shelter is an important component to survival in a Doomsday situation.  Understanding how to build your own shelter or make use of the naturally available shelters in your area can go a long way toward ensuring your survival and comfort during the ordeal.  Still, shelter cannot provide for all of your needs.  Anticipating these other needs and providing for them is a necessity so we will now move our discussion to the next point; How to find water.

Chapter 6:  Finding Water

Water is vital if you plan to survive a Doomsday event of any magnitude.  We often take this vital component of life for granted because we live in a time when all we have to do is turn a handle and water comes pouring out of our faucets and shower-heads at a rate of several gallons per minute.  We use water to drink and cook our food.  We also use it to wash our bodies and our clothes.  It seems that water is always readily available.  But what if it wasn't?

In a Doomsday situation, the local water supply of your city might become contaminated or unsafe.  If the scenario resulted in power loss or other wide-range shutdowns, there simply might not be any access to the water supply, even if it was uncontaminated.  Even if your emergency were just a personalized event, such as being stranded in the wilderness, the loss of access to water could be devastating for unprepared individuals.

The first, and perhaps most widely accepted idea, is the use of bottled water.  Purchasing several cases of bottled water to have on hand in case of emergency is a great way to be prepared.  Even your smaller prepper kits, such as those you keep in your car, should include at least a few bottles of water to ensure that you are prepared if an emergency should arise.  This water doesn't have to be a specific brand name so even the low priced generic bottled waters will work for this purpose.

Unfortunately, there may be times when, due to an extended emergency situation, a stockpile of bottled water may not be sufficient to meet your needs.  In these cases, knowing how to find and purify water for use is an important skill to add to your mental preparation for Doomsday events.

Natural water sources, such as rain, snow or running streams, can provide for many of your needs in an emergency situation as long as certain precautions are adhered to.  Collected water, such as rain, is usually safe provided that the materials used to collect the water were clean and uncontaminated.  Use a sheet of plastic and empty bottles or containers to capture water from rain.  Melting snow or ice can also be used to produce water.

Standing water, like ponds, lakes or water collected in puddles may appear enticing at first glance but be extremely careful.  All water, no matter how clean it may appear, should be purified to ensure that it is safe for drinking.  This can be done in several ways, including the use of iodine tablets, specially made filters and distillation.

Iodine tablets are widely available in retail stores.  These tablets are used to remove viruses that may be present in water but they will not remove bacteria or parasites so additional filtration is required.

Filtration uses specially designed filters that allow water to pass through but block out various impurities, including bacteria, parasites and minerals, in the water supply.  When used in conjunction with iodine tablets, this system produces very pure and safe water for drinking and cooking in a relatively short amount of time.

Distillation evaporates the water, thus removing all impurities, and then the resulting steam is captured and cooled so that it is transformed back into water.  This provides the purest form of water in an emergency situation but can be very time consuming.  This method is so effective at removing impurities and dangerous organisms that even unusual water sources, such as urine or saltwater, can be transformed into safe, life preserving water in an emergency situation where other water sources are not available. 

The best method for emergency distilling of water is a solar distillation unit made from scrap plastic and a collector.  Due to the easy set-up and the set it and forget it aspect, this solar distillation unit is very common, even in non-emergency situations.  For a basic set up, dig a small pit a few inches into the ground.  Place your collector in the center of this pit.  Then stretch a dark plastic sheet across the pit and set rocks around the edge to hold the plastic in place, next press down on the plastic immediately over the location of your collector.  This should create a low point where all of the evaporated and re-condensed water will run down and drip into the collector.  This method uses the sun for fuel and can grab existing moisture out of the air to make water.  To increase productivity, you can dig a slightly deeper pit with a small mound in the middle to hold your collector.  Fill the moat around the mound with questionable water from puddles or other sources so the solar unit can distill this water as well.  If existing water is not on hand, plant materials, such as leaves or grass can also be used.

These are just a few basic means of ensuring that you have adequate water supplies for a survival situation.  There are many more techniques and tools, ranging from the very simple to the very complex, which will not fit into the limited confines of this beginner's manual for Doomsday preppers.  As a primer, these techniques will provide the necessities to keep you alive while you get started on the search for food or begin growing your own food in a Doomsday scenario.

Chapter 7: How To Grow Your Own Food

In a long term Doomsday scenario, stockpiled food resources eventually run out and need to be supplemented.  While basics, such as meat and fruits, may be available from hunting and foraging, a more diverse and healthy diet is attainable by the small scale farming of one's own food in such a situation.  Getting experience with growing your own food before an emergency strikes can be a great way to improve your health and your family budget.

A small garden can yield great amounts of healthy, organically grown food during the warmer months of the year with enough left over to preserve for the rest of the year.  By planting companion crops together, you can save space and maximize your harvest.  One popular companion crop planting system, known as the Three Sisters, was used by the North American Indian tribes.  This system used corn, squash and climbing bean planted in close proximity to each other.  Each of the three crops provided assorted benefits that helped the other two plants in the triad to reach full potential. With systems such as this, a good prepper can easily can and store enough food to get through the coming year or two within just one growing season.  With a little water, a little organic fertilizer and a green thumb, a prepper can definitely be prepared for hard times before they come. 

Even apartment dwellers can grow fresh fruits and vegetables in most areas.  A simple arrangement of large flower pots or buckets can produce very effective miniature gardens in a limited amount of space.  Fruits, such as tomatoes or strawberries, and vegetables, like green beans or peppers, are good choices for these small balcony gardens and can produce multiple harvests throughout the season.  Check with your local homeowners association before planting such gardens to ensure you aren't violating any association rules but, in most cases, potted plants are not considered a violation as long as they are properly maintained to avoid causing vermin problems for others in the community.

While raising livestock and poultry for meat and eggs is certainly a good choice for the long term survivalist, it is not feasible for everyone.  If you live in an area where you can have food animals, such as goats, cows, chickens, turkey or quail, and you have the ability to sustain a flock of poultry or a few head of livestock, then preparation for Doomsday events might include creating your own mini-farm.   As an added benefit, having your own poultry and livestock means you have a consistent source of organic fertilizer for your crops. 

Keep in mind that raising livestock requires a prepper to put aside additional supplies of feed to keep their animals going until they can grow enough corn or other feed to create a self-sustaining farm.  For larger herds of livestock, this task would be nearly impossible but for the survivalist who wants to keep a few goats or a milk cow on hand, a bit of preparation could make it work.  Pound for pound, poultry is more likely to be the best use of resources as a single hen of certain breeds can lay more than 300 eggs annually on a relatively small amount of feed and water.

Just like human food, animal feed must be stored safely to avoid loss or contamination in the event of a disaster.  A discarded deep freezer makes an excellent storage container for dry feeds due to its ability to withstand the rigors of temperature and its rodent proof construction.  Simply, fill the clean and dried freezer with feed; add a can of desiccant to keep moisture out and some dry ice to remove any oxygen before closing the lid.  By doing so, you can store dry feeds for several years to have on hand in the event of Doomsday.

Dried feed can be supplemented in times of disaster by allowing your livestock to free graze but this also presents certain hazards.  While it would probably be safe to allow your animals to graze in a pasture after an earthquake or other natural disaster, some man-made Doomsday scenarios could be more problematic.  In the event of a nuclear or biological threat, this practice could expose your food animals to chemicals or biological agents that could be passed on to you.  It also puts your livestock in a position to be stolen by looters or other individuals who are trying to survive in a post-disaster scenario.  In keeping with the prepper's mentality, plan for the worst and hope for the best.  Put aside enough dry feed to take care of your livestock until they can safely be free grazed or until you can grow enough crops to make your miniature farm is self-sustaining.

Feed is not the only consideration when keeping animals for food in preparation for Doomsday events.  Just like humans, animals require shelter.  While the shelter requirements may not be as stringent as those of humans, they still require careful consideration, particularly if you anticipate the type of event where above ground shelter may not be feasible due to exposure or theft concerns.  While a small flock of chickens could easily be kept in an enclosure, underground barns for large livestock, such as cattle, can be very expensive to build and maintain. 

Both animals and crops require water to survive.  Farming in a Doomsday scenario will require the prepper to have a safe and reliable water source or enhanced versions of water collectors and distillation units to provide enough water for use by humans, livestock and crops. 

Basic veterinary and animal husbandry skills and supplies should also be taken into consideration.  In the event of a global Doomsday, it is not likely that you could just call on the local veterinary clinic to handle problems that may arise with your livestock and poultry.  If you plan to farm for survival in a post-apocalyptic world, then learning how to assist livestock in the delivery of young, how to handle complications or to recognize and treat animal illnesses is important.  Antibiotics and the proper tools for the job, paired with the appropriate knowledge are the keys to keeping your food animals healthy and productive.

In a post-Doomsday world, the ability to farm and grow your own food may be the key to long-term survival of the human species.  Acquiring a working knowledge of the basic skills before disaster strikes is imperative if this is part of your Doomsday preparation and survival plans.

Chapter 8: Storing Food Safely

When it comes to storing food for Doomsday preparations, safety is a crucial element.  It would be tragic to survive a global nuclear holocaust only to die from starvation or food poisoning because the food you stockpiled away was not stored properly.  Keep in mind that in the event of a disaster, medical assistance may not be readily available should you eat tainted food.  To avoid this outcome, let's briefly take a look at a few of the things you should do when storing food.

Safe storage areas are a necessity when storing food for later use.  If you have a permanent shelter, like a storm shelter, cave or a cabin you plan to head to when disaster strikes, make sure it is well stocked with food and that your stockpile is secure from thieves and vermin. 

Avoid areas with high moisture content when storing canned food as this can lead to rust and other problems.  Excess moisture could lead to contamination of your food supply and serious health concerns.  In the case of commercially canned foods, it could also lead to the labels being dissolved, creating an interesting game of post-apocalyptic guess what's for dinner.  This guessing game is hardly a comfort when you have just survived the end of the world.

Moisture could also create problems with mold and mildew forming on stored food.  With certain food products, such as rice, beans and flour, this could destroy your whole food supply and, possibly, make you very sick.  Utilize proper storage methods for these dry goods.  Sealed five gallon buckets with salt to absorb moisture and dry ice to remove oxygen are highly recommended for preppers seeking to store dry goods for long periods of time.  This method keeps the food fresh, free from moisture and the sealed containers do not allow food odors to escape which would attract vermin like mice and insects.

Unless you have a generator or an alternative power supply, do not make frozen or refrigerated foods part of your emergency supply.  The reason behind this is simple.  In a Doomsday scenario, it is very likely that the entire power grid could be wiped out.  Without power to run appliances like refrigerators and deep freezers, the food inside would quickly reach temperatures that would render it unsafe for human consumption.  In a matter of a few hours to a few days, the food in your freezer could go from healthy and nutritious to a breeding ground for bacteria.  If you have a stocked freezer, use that food first when an emergency strikes before it goes bad. 

Plan for the disaster you are likely to experience.  Many people who grow their own food in gardens or buy fresh produce at farmer's markets, store this food in glass jars in a process known as canning.  Essentially the same process as commercially canned foods, this technique can be used to preserve vegetables, fruits and, even, meats for several years.  Unfortunately, glass jars present the very real hazard of breakage.  If you live in an area where earthquakes or similar Doomsday events are likely to happen, be certain that glass jars are well cushioned and stored in such a way that they will not be thrown from shelves or smashed together.  A large cabinet with a locking door and several shelves that are divided with spacers to keep jars separated is a great way to keep your canned foods safe and easily identifiable.

Rotating your food supply is also an important consideration.  There are many people today who have food stockpiles sitting in their shelters that were built back in the time of the Cold War between Russia and the United States of America.  Unfortunately for them, if disaster struck today, much of the time and money they spent putting this food aside would be wasted because they did not rotate the supply.  If you keep extra food on hand for emergencies, and you should, then checking expiration dates and rotating stock on a regular basis is a necessity.  To make this task easier, choose to stock your shelter with foods that you eat now so you can switch out foods from the stockpile on a regular basis to ensure that you will have fresh, safe food when the need comes.

Arguably, the most important rule of food in a survival situation is: do not eat something if you have doubts about it.  While an occasional bout of vomiting from eating a questionable left-over isn't likely to kill you in a time when we have access to medicine and doctors, this same mistake could prove fatal in a survival situation where one is already suffering the effects of stress along with limited food and water supplies.  If you do not know for certain that the food you are considering is safe to eat, DO NOT eat it.  This same rule applies to foraged foods, such as fruits, berries and mushrooms.  In many parts of the world, plants grow in the wild that look very tasty (especially if your last meal was several days before) but are highly toxic.  If you are in doubt, leave it be.

Another consideration when planning for a Doomsday event is the need for specific tools to assist in food preparation and cooking.  Having shelves full of canned goods will serve little purpose if you have no way of opening them.  Always keep at least two can openers in your shelter, along with waterproof matches, candles and other supplies.  If you have a camp stove or a grill that you intend to use for cooking, keep plenty of fuel on hand.  Even a simple set of pots, pans, dishes and cutlery can go a long way towards making a survival situation a lot more comfortable.

Chapter 9: Survival Hunting, Fishing & Foraging Skills You Should Develop Now

While stockpiling food and farming on a small scale may be the key to long-term survival in a Doomsday scenario, there is also something to be said for hunting, fishing and foraging.  If you do not have a stockpile of food for some reason or if your supply runs out before you can begin harvesting your crops, then the abilities to hunt, fish and forage for food become very important to survival.

Hunting

Hunting for food can be handled by a variety of methods.  Many preppers choose to equip their shelters with firearms, bow and arrow sets or other hunting equipment.  Whether you choose to use a firearm or go back to your caveman roots and attack your prey with a club, there are certain things to keep in mind.

In a survival situation, almost any animal or bird can be turned into a ready food source.  The problem with hunting for food is simply that both skill and luck are necessary for success.  If you pass up a shot in favor of waiting for something more palatable to come along, you might just go hungry that night.  While a roasted rat may not sound particularly delicious, it might be the meal that stands between you and starvation.

In addition, hunting for food does expose you to certain risks, such as parasites that might be living on or in your chosen prey.  Cook everything thoroughly to ensure you don't become the host to some of the nasty parasites that might be lurking in the rabbit or other animal you just shot for dinner.

Don't take on something larger than you can handle.  Injured animals are dangerous.  If you are hunting with primitive weapons, settle for smaller, more manageable fare.  While a large elk might provide you with food, sinews and hide, it's more likely to cause you a serious injury if you go up against it without the proper weapons. 

If you should encounter a large predator, such as a mountain lion or bear, while tracking your prey, your wisest move is to relinquish the kill to the more prepared beast.  You are in their territory.  These animals are built for killing and designed by Mother Nature.  They would have no qualms about adding a human with an overdeveloped sense of entitlement to their menu.

Take only what you need for survival.  Taking more than necessary could lead to your food supply running out as the animal's numbers are thinned or they move to safer territory.  If you have the supplies to preserve food for later, then do so, but, if you were caught unprepared for the situation, understand that having too much meat lying around could also place you in danger from predators or carrion eating insects and animals.

Use everything you can.  The Native American Indians were well known for the ability to use every part of the animals they hunted.  They used hides for clothing, bones for tools and sinews for string.  Take a lesson from their example and use every part of your kill to your advantage.  Preserve the hides for future use.  Save bones to make needles, knives and fish hooks.  Use sinews to make tie-downs, laces or bow strings.  Even the inedible parts of an animal can be used for bait to draw out other animals or for fishing.  The basic idea is to get the most benefit from the least amount of expended resources.  The time and energy you spend hunting for food takes these things away from other necessities.  By making the most of your kill, you limit your losses and may come out in a better position than where you started.

Fishing

Like hunting, fishing is equal parts skill and luck.  The obvious advantage is that fishing for food requires much less in the way of tools.  A simple string with a hook may be all you need to catch fish.  In some places, it is even possible to circumvent the need for hook and line fishing in favor of fish traps, nets, spears or hand-fishing (also called noodling).  By understanding a little about the behavior of fish and the basics of fishing, you can successfully survive for extended periods of time in an area with ample water and aquatic life.

The main advantage of fishing for food is that it is often more reliable than hunting.  If you are fishing in an isolated pool of water, like a small pond, tidal pools or an overflow ditch, the fish are confined and won't be distributed across the countryside like land animals are.  In an isolated water source, you can usually catch fish by traditional baited hook and line methods, spear fishing or by using nets. 

Larger bodies of water or running streams may provide additional challenges but a prepared survivalist can still be a successful fisherman in these waterways.  Traditional hook and line fishing may work well in these areas if you fish near breeding areas or submerged structures.  Fish traps or nets placed across spillways or narrow spots in the stream where water is moving rapidly tend to work well for these areas.

In slow moving rivers and streams or isolated larger water bodies, the use of fish traps can be a good way to catch fish.  Trot lines, a length of strong line with several baited hooks suspended from connected lines which is secured to the shore, also work well in these areas, particularly if your main line can reach all the way across the water body.  The advantage to using fish traps and trot lines is you can set the devices in the morning and come back to check for fish later in the day, leaving more time open for hunting or other survival needs to be filled.

Hand-fishing is one of the most dangerous forms of fishing.  This is not for amateurs or for use in fast moving water.  Fish caught by this method tend to be large because they have found a place to sit and wait for their meal to come to them, rather than actively hunting for food.  The technique for hand-fishing is simple.  One gets into the water and feels for submerged holes or recesses in the bank or around structures.  The idea is to slide your hand into the open mouth of a fish that may be waiting there.  When the fish clamps down on your hand, you begin a tug of war that ends: A) when you successfully wrestle the fish to the shore, B) when you lose your grip on the fish and it lets go of your arm or C) when you drown.  This is a very dangerous form of fishing that presents the risks of drowning, snakebites, losing limbs or appendages and receiving serious cuts.  People can, and have, died or suffered serious injury from this fishing method.  It should not be undertaken by amateurs unless there is no other option.

As with hunting, take only what is necessary for survival to ensure the conservation of adequate supplies of fish.  Over-fishing has resulted in the loss of many fish species around the world and, in a survival situation; the loss of a fishing ground due to poor conservation techniques would be unforgivable.

Like other meats, fish should be cooked thoroughly to avoid exposure to parasites.  While fish can be preserved through salting and drying, do not keep excess fish lying around your camp to draw insects or predators as this could open you up to significant health risks.

Foraging

Foraging for food is the term used for locating wild growing plants, fungi, insects and other edibles.  While certain wild foods, such as blackberries, mulberries and strawberries, are easily recognized and have no toxic look-alikes, other foods, such as the many varieties of wild mushrooms, often look very similar to highly poisonous plants and are easily confused with these dangers. 

To assist with finding food following a Doomsday event, it is highly recommended that prepper's become acquainted with both the safe food sources and their toxic look-alikes now to avoid dangerous confusion later.  While field guides to identify plants in your local area are readily available, they are no comparison to actual hands on experience so finding an individual in your community who can help you learn to recognize food sources is highly recommended.  Getting to know these foods and acquire a taste for them through camping trips or outdoor excursions before an emergency is a great way to prepare for future disasters and to supplement your camp's food budget.

In some cases, parts of a plant may be edible while other parts are highly poisonous. In other cases, a poisonous or unpalatable plant may be rendered edible by special preparation techniques.  This is particularly the case with a number of roots and tubers, as well as many leafy wild edibles.

Common, safe edible fruits include the fruits of the mulberry, blackberry, raspberry, strawberry and gooseberry plants.  Greens such as asparagus and dandelions may also be available in your area.  Plants that require special consideration in gathering and cooking include poke salad, acorns and cat tails. 

Wild edibles, like onions, garlic and others, can add flavor to your survival cooking and make the overall experience more comfortable.  Root and tuber plants can often be used to substitute for potatoes and starch.  Acorns can be prepared and ground into meal for use in making survival kitchen breads.  Wild nuts, like walnuts, hickory nuts and pecans, can be eaten as a snack or crushed to form a peanut butter like paste.

Foods that you may find by foraging include more than just fruits and berries.  In many areas of the world, the resourceful survivalist can find shellfish, nuts, fungi, roots, eggs and insects that are edible and, in some cases, even a bit tasty.  Keeping an eye out for ground-dwelling bird's nests and watching the habits of local wildlife may help you discover additional food sources in your immediate area.

The secret to long-term survival on foraged food is understanding that some of the most nutritious survival foods may seem a bit unusual to your personal tastes.  High protein foods, such as eggs, grubs and larvae, are often unappetizing to look at and are usually hidden from view but can provide a life-saving meal in an emergency.  In a situation where starvation is close at hand, your next meal may be sitting in the rotting log next to you.

Whether you choose to supplement your available food supplies by hunting, fishing or foraging, learning the skills and techniques you will need is best done before the emergency strikes.  Many localities have groups for preppers and survivalists offer groups with weekend retreats or classes in outdoor survival techniques.  It is highly advisable to participate in these groups where available.

In hunting, fishing or foraging, safety is the primary concern.  NEVER put yourself in danger if it can be avoided.  In a survival situation, medical attention is not likely to be available and even a minor injury can turn deadly in this scenario.  The areas where food can be found in the wild often come with their own dangers, such as snakes, poisonous insects, fall hazards, unstable land formations, drowning hazards and threats from predators or territorial animals.  Proper care and precautions should be taken to avoid injury in your search for food.

Chapter 10: Protecting Yourself & Your Family

When it comes to Doomsday scenarios, one of the first thoughts that come into people's minds is the need for protection.  Whether the threat is from other humans, predatory animals or, even, zombies, people come up with all sorts of ideas about the protection capabilities they need in the event of emergencies.  If you want to be truly prepared for Doomsday events, you should be considering how you intend to provide protection for yourself and your family as well. 

There are several options and special considerations when planning your family’s protective measures in a post-apocalyptic world.  What kind of threats do you anticipate?  Are you comfortable with lethal force or is a non-lethal protection something you would be more comfortable with?  What are your physical abilities and training?  By answering these three questions, you can determine a lot about your mindset and how you need to prepare your Doomsday protection planning and strategy.

Threat Types

In preparing for Doomsday, the possibilities for threat scenarios are almost limitless.  The physical well-being of you or your family members could be threatened by wild animals, looters, rogue military groups, invading governments or any other conceivable enemy.  You may even face threats from other survivors who simply didn't have the foresight to prepare for disaster to come.  Determining what threats you may face and how far you are willing to go to protect yourself and your loved ones in response to each threat type is crucial in preparing for Doomsday scenarios.

Lethal vs. Non-Lethal Protection

When it comes time to defend yourself or your family against the various threats you may encounter, it is too late to answer the questions of whether lethal versus non-lethal force is preferred and at which level the various forms of protection are appropriate.  To be prepared to deal with any threat on any level, you must make those crucial decisions before the need arises.

Weapons, Physical Abilities and Training

Depending on how you choose to defend yourself and your loved ones from attack in a Doomsday scenario, certain equipment and training is required before the event gets here.  Fortunately, for many preppers, the same weapons used for their defense strategy are also part of their strategy for providing food through hunting.  In many cases, these individuals have put aside a small stockpile of ammunition and firearms to meet both their hunting and defense needs in the event of a large-scale emergency, so they will already have these items on hand when the need arises.

Whether you choose an armed defense strategy or not, knowing at least the basics of self-defense will be imperative in a Doomsday situation.  Understanding the escalation of force as related to your attacker and being able to diffuse a situation without the expenditure of valuable ammunition or the loss of other resources may prove to be very useful in the turmoil that follows a global Doomsday event.  When it comes to protecting the life of yourself or someone you love, there are no limits.  In a survival situation, protecting your life-saving supplies may carry equal importance because, once those supplies are surrendered, you have limited the amount of time that stands between you and death because your stockpile was holding off starvation or dehydration.

All preppers should consider some form of physical training and self-defense education to improve their odds of survival in a Doomsday situation.  This kind of training serves a twofold purpose.  First, at some point, you are either going to be caught without a weapon or ammunition will run out and this training gives you an additional layer of defense.  Secondly, by adding self-defense training, you add a few more steps in the escalation of force ladder, making it less likely that you would have to immediately resort to lethal force tactics for defense. 

By leaving the window open for non-lethal defense, you create less risk of accidental injury and raise the opportunity to negotiate a peaceful and mutually beneficial solution with human aggressors.  This is not saying lethal force would never be warranted.  If you feel that your life or that of your family is threatened, then you may feel justified in the use of lethal force.  With that said, you should also understand that, when the dust settles, there are serious consequences for every action, whether it is in your own mind or by the law when order is reestablished.  The use of deadly force against another human being is not something to be taken lightly.

Protecting Yourself From Wild Animals

Most of us spend our whole lives without ever encountering a dangerous wild animal.  Large predators tend to be reclusive and are rarely seen outside of their own territories.  With Doomsday planning, this can no longer be taken for granted, especially if your chosen retreat is in an area which some of these animals already call home.  Since the best way to protect yourself is to avoid a dangerous situation, it is important to know how to remain safe while in predator country.  Safety around large predators, such as bear, mountain lion, wolves and lynx, is mostly common sense precautions. 

-        Travel in groups, when possible.  A larger group means you have others to help if you get into trouble and it also makes for a less inviting appearance to these animals that often hunt prey which has been separated from a herd.

-        Don’t leave garbage or excess food around that could attract attention from vermin, scavengers and predators.  Unsanitary conditions in camp are not good for your health and it could be an open invitation for a large, hungry lynx to join your for dinner.

-        Be aware of your surroundings.  If something changes in your immediate area, such as the birds become agitated or there is something crashing through the brush ahead of you, it may be your last notice that you are not alone in the woods.

-        Don’t knowingly encroach on the territory, the young or the kill of a large predator.  These animals are extremely territorial and will fight to protect their (often) large territories, their young and their kills when they feel threatened.

-        Know what the tracks and signs of large predators look like in your area.  Once you know what these signs look like, go the other way when you find them.

-        Do NOT run from a predator.  These animals are hunters and nature has designed them to chase and kill prey.  If you run, you will trigger the natural response to attack and, while a large Grizzly bear may look slow and cumbersome, you will not be able to outrun them.

-        Carry some form of protection.  Whether it is bear repellant spray or your trusty pistol, you always want some form of fallback for those times when you get a little too close to the action.  While a handgun isn’t likely to pack enough punch to bring down a large predator like a bear, it might just make enough noise and pain to make the animal decide something else looks more interesting than you.

In a survival situation, the need to avoid a confrontation with these dangerous animals becomes even more important than it already is.  With limited access to medical care, even a small scratch could quickly become a serious and life-threatening infection.  Imagine how much more dangerous it would be to allow yourself to be mauled by a mountain lion.  If the encounter can be avoided, then do so.

Chapter 11: Comfort In The Midst Of Devastation

What many people fail to consider in their Doomsday preparations is the comfort that can be found even in the middle of utter desolation.  When faced with a crisis situation, it is easy to adopt the attitude that the world has ceased to exist and that one is dealing with the situation completely on one’s own.  This leads to depression and loss of hope.  It can even lead to one’s giving up the will to continue living which is extremely dangerous in a Doomsday scenario. 

The human body and mind can endure tremendous amounts of stress and strain when there are even small comforts available to relieve some of the pressure.  In fact, one of the common points you hear in almost every amazing feat of survival involves some thought or habit that brought the individual a sense of comfort or “home” in the midst of chaos.  With this being such an important bond among survivors, it would make sense that we now discuss a few ways to find your own peace and comfort in a post-apocalyptic world.

In times of great stress, even the simplest pleasures can make things much more bearable while small annoyances can become major problems.  Something as small as having salt for your food can make a huge difference in how you perceive your surroundings.  Adding a few comfort measures to your Doomsday preparation kits is highly recommended.  This is especially true in the case of those who may be going through a Doomsday event with children.

While adults may be able to handle stressful situations in an emotionally detached manner with less need for personal comfort, children tend to be focused on their own personal needs. If you ever doubt this, try sitting in a car with a tired, hungry child for a few hours.  You quickly come to understand that children require a lot more attention to their personal needs or they can make your own situation quite uncomfortable.  While this tendency is annoying in daily life, in a survival scenario, it could be unbearable.  So the question raises itself, what are some comfort measures that could be added to our emergency kits to make life more peaceful in a post-apocalyptic world?

-        Spices and condiments for food are one of the primary comfort measures that can be added to all of your emergency kits.  Adding these comforts doesn’t take up much space or weigh a lot but it can provide a great amount of solace when you are surviving on less than palatable food.  Even the prepper’s kit in your car should include a few salt, pepper, catsup and mustard packets.  As a bonus, it doesn’t have to cost you a lot to put these goodies in your kit.  When you visit your favorite drive-thru fast food chain for lunch, simply ask for extra salt and pepper packets or for your favorite condiments to be placed in your bag. Most places will give you several packages and they don’t charge extra.  Use what you need for your current meal and then add the extras to your survival kits.

-        While eating with your fingers is certainly acceptable in a Doomsday scenario, it might be a little more comforting to have cutlery on hand, especially since there are times when limited water supplies might make bathing take second place to survival.  Adding forks, spoons and knives to your preparations ensures that you can maintain your civility even in adverse conditions.  Many camping supply stores even offer an item that is sometimes called a Hobo knife.  This is a folding knife styled tool that has a regular knife blade, a fork and a spoon.  For regular campers or individuals who are preparing for long-term survival after a Doomsday event, this tool would make an excellent addition to your kit.  Again, you can rely on your local fast food places to give you free plastic knives, forks and spoons in sealed packaging if you are prepping on a limited budget.

-        Along the same line of thought, a set of cups, dishes and cooking utensils should be part of every long-term shelter’s supplies.  While cold beans served straight from the can will keep you alive, the ability to cook and serve meals on dishes provides a more comfortable atmosphere, making a difficult experience a little less grueling.  If you plan to be in your Doomsday shelter for an extended period of time, why not make the experience as comfortable as possible.

-        Hygiene is important for both mental and physical health in a survival situation. Adding a bar of soap, moist towelettes or no-rinse shampoos and body wash to your prepper’s kit is a wise investment.  Even those little bars of soap or bottles of shampoo and conditioner from motels can be used as free alternatives to more expensive products and these items don’t take up a lot of valuable space in your kits.

-        Oral health items, such as toothbrushes, toothpaste and mouthwash can provide comfort and health benefits to survivors of emergencies.  These items should be included in your kit as they require very little space for the amount of comfort they provide.  Some of these items may even have multiple uses in an emergency situation.  For example, an alcohol-based mouthwash can serve the purpose of an antiseptic rinse if your first aid kit is unavailable.

-        Mental comfort is also important in difficult times.  If you have a favorite hobby, such as assembling models or painting, be sure to include a few extras in your long term prep kits or survival shelter stockpiles to give you something to occupy your mind.  Additionally, you might choose to add a collection of books or magazines to provide solace during those times when you are isolated and forced to remain in the shelter for days on end due to weather or danger. 

-        If you are a religious or spiritual person, you might choose to add the sacred texts of your religion to your supplies, giving you a place to seek guidance and wisdom from whatever deity you look to.

-        If you have children of your own or anticipate that you might wind up with a youngster in your care during a Doomsday event, consider adding a few comfort measures for them as well.  A stuffed animal, coloring books or simple games can go a long way toward averting the nagging and whining that accompany boredom.

-        Small, convenient treats, such as favorite foods, toaster pastries or fruit snacks, can also alleviate the monotony of eating the same food’s day after day.  Children perceive these treats as rewards for specific behaviors so this may be your best method of training your younger party members in survival skills that can help the group.

-        If you or a family member requires any kind of medication, it is important to have a reserve on hand in the event of emergencies.  Many people tend to think of life-saving medicines, such as heart or blood pressure pills, but anxiety or depression medication is equally important in times of dire emergency.  Your doctor may be willing to help you with your preparations by writing you an extra prescription to fill in advance.

-        A battery powered radio should also be included in your survival preparations for two reasons.  First, the radio may be able to provide you with news and information about the emergency you are facing.  Secondly, a familiar song or even the sound of another human voice can provide great comfort, especially if you are isolated in a shelter by yourself.  Even though there is a chance that radio broadcasts may be completely eliminated in a Doomsday scenario, it is well worth the investment to add a radio to your supplies.

-        Your personal vices can become very comforting in times of distress.  If you use tobacco, alcohol or other chemicals, adding a few packs of cigarettes, a favorite bottle of wine or your favorite vice to your prepper's kit may help you get through some of the stressful times ahead.

Just because disaster has struck, it doesn't mean we have to become uncivilized or give up all of our comforts.  By planning ahead and making the extra arrangements to include these little extras in our Doomsday preparations, we can ensure that even long-term disasters have a ray of hope.  By maintaining mind, body and spirit in these difficult situations, we reinforce the ideal that humanity will continue to exist and can again become connected despite the trials associated with any calamity.

Chapter 12: Post-Apocalyptic Communications

When it comes to discussion of necessities in the Doomsday prepper's kit, communications are often overlooked.  We all think about the need for food, water and shelter but what happens when we want to find out who else survived or we need help?  Unless you truly want to use a Doomsday event as an excuse to totally disappear into nature, you need to include some form of communications in your preparations.

There are many forms of emergency communication that may have varying levels of success in your particular Doomsday scenario.  Mobile phones, two-way radios, even signal fires can be included as forms of communication to relay your location and distress call to others.  Let's briefly discuss some of the basic devices and strategies that can be used now.

Mobile Phones

Satellite or cellular phones are possible forms of communication for use in a number of Doomsday scenarios.  If the network is still up and running, then communications may be possible.  If not, these devices are little more than expensive paperweights. Scenarios where phones might continue to be useful include earthquakes, severe storms, hurricanes, flooding or localized emergencies.  For larger scale events, such as invasion by a foreign army, widespread electrical shutdowns or nuclear war, the network that relays these communications is likely to be destroyed or shut down, either temporarily or for an extended period of time.

Two-Way Radios

The two-way radio is one of the most popular forms of emergency communication due to the range and the ability to contact a wider base audience.  With a traditional phone call, you need to know a telephone number to make contact.  With a two-way radio, you can relay a distress call and any two-way radio user within range who is tuned in to the same frequency will receive the message.  With the use of repeaters, this range can be extended for great distances.

Two-way radios come in a variety of styles and price ranges.  A simple set of walkie talkies with just a few channels and a short range for communication between two or more individuals can be purchased at a relatively low cost.  These devices are useful if you anticipate having several people in your shelter that may need to perform various tasks independently while remaining in communication with one another.  For example, one party member could be gathering food while another is hunting.  They could communicate with each other to ensure they did not cross paths and still maintain communication with a third party member who was guarding the base-camp and their supplies.

For more advanced communications, the Citizens Band (CB) radio is another common choice.  These units are slightly more expensive, have a longer range and a more diverse group of frequencies.  These radios have been popular with hobbyists and individuals in the transportation industry for a number of years because of their low cost and exceptional performance.  In essence, this was the “roadside emergency device” before cellular phones became common.  Due to this long standing tradition of use for emergency communications, channel 9 is still designated as an emergency hailing channel by the FCC and is monitored for distress calls by both professional emergency personnel and civilian hobbyists.  In marine Very High Frequency (VHF) radios, channel 16 is the corresponding emergency channel for issuing distress calls.

More advanced versions of these radios, such as the short-wave radio, require special licensing for use.  These units have an even broader range of communications and, under the right conditions, can deliver messages to the opposite side of the world.  Many hobbyists have qualified for licensing to use these radios and, in emergency situations; they are often the only ones to have reliable communication networks.  For preppers who truly want to make sure they are able to rejoin society after a Doomsday event, the investment in short-wave radio equipment and training is well worth the effort.

Non-Technological Emergency Communications

Even if you do not have a cell phone or a two-way radio, it is still possible to communicate a distress signal successfully if the need arises.  Several methods are acceptable, including the use of signal fires, flares, mirrors, brush piles and rock piles.  These methods can all be used to signal others to your presence in an area and your need for assistance.

When it comes to communicating distress signals, the number three, takes on special significance.  Groups of three fires or three brush piles can be used to signal overhead aircraft that you are in distress.  When searchers are in your area, firing three shots, shouting three times in a row or whistling three times in a row also signals your need for assistance.  To further assist others in locating you, groups of three stones, placed one on top of another, and sticks or stones laid out in an arrow to indicate your direction of travel can be used to indicate your presence and need for help.  Even the radio distress signal SOS is three long bursts, three short bursts and three more long bursts.

By understanding the available ways to signal distress, you can find help when you need it.  You should also understand that in certain survival situations, signaling for help or making any kind of radio contact may reveal your location and situation to individuals you would rather not have find you.  In a world where resources are precious commodities, certain elements might be quite happy to know that you have lots of supplies that you aren't up to protecting should they pay you a visit.  Before you make contact or reveal your exact location, be certain the need is worth the risk.

Chapter 13: Providing For Your Own Medical Needs

In a Doomsday scenario, the possibility that you or another member of your party might suffer some injury or illness is very real.  Understanding how to provide basic first aid and treatment for illnesses or injury may save your life or that of a loved one.  Even if you and your fellow survivors are fortunate enough not to become ill or be injured during a Doomsday event, there are still medical needs that might require advanced preparation, such as existing health problems requiring medication.

Existing Medical Concerns

Planning ahead is always the best method when it comes to medical concerns.  If you or any member of your family requires regular medication for any health issue, talk to your doctor and get a prescription for at least an extra month's supply of your medicine if possible.  This advice also applies to any special equipment required to deliver or properly use the medication, such as insulin needles and diabetic testing supplies.  Hopefully, any Doomsday event that we could foresee will have been remedied within a couple of months or at least to the point where medications will become available for purchase again. 

If you or a family member suffer from allergies to any kind of insect bite, it is a good idea to talk to your doctor about an emergency precaution, such as the Epi-pen, which can be kept on hand and administered after a bug bite or sting to prevent anaphylactic shock.  Severe allergic reactions to insect bites can cause extreme distress and death so the extra expense for this medication is well justified.

Basic First Aid

Every prepper's kit should include the necessities for basic first aid in the event of an emergency.  While your kit doesn't have to be expensive or all inclusive, it should contain enough supplies to handle whatever situation you might encounter.  A practice among many preppers is to assemble basic kits for their automobile and travel bags while setting up more elaborate first aid kits for their home and shelter supplies.

The most basic first aid kits should include:

-        A variety of bandages, in different sizes and shapes

-        At least one roll of gauze

-        A selection of gauze pads, in assorted sizes

-        An elastic wrap bandage with clips

-        Surgical tape

-        Surgical scissors

-        Alcohol pads

-        Antibiotic ointment

-        Saline solution for cleaning wounds or eye wash

-        Tweezers

-        An emergency first aid guide that includes instructions on the treatments of many minor emergencies, as well as an outline on rescue breathing and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR)

-        Non-latex surgical gloves

-        Thermal space blanket

More advanced first aid kits might also include:

-        Hot and Cold packs

-        Scalpel in sterile packaging

-        Hemostats (commonly known as clamps)

-        Sutures and needles in sterile packaging

-        Blood pressure cuff

-        Stethoscope

-        Thermometer

-        Burn ointment

-        Antiseptic spray or gel

-        Pen light (for checking pupil dilation and providing light in hard to see areas)

-        Medications, such as aspirin, antibiotics, anti-diarrhea pills, emetics, pain medicine, anti-inflammatory pills and anti-histamines.

The limits of the advanced first aid kit are only put in place by budget and imagination.  If you can afford to create a miniature hospital emergency room crash cart in your Doomsday preparations, complete with a defibrillator and an IV pole, then it is certainly something worth doing, provided you understand how to use the equipment properly when the need for it arises.

In preparing for emergencies, you should take into account that most medications and sterilization methods have specific shelf lives.  If you are adding regular medications to your emergency supplies, regularly rotate them with your newest medicines to ensure that your stock is fresh and fully effective when it is needed.  For sterile supplies or over the counter medicines, be sure to keep tabs on the expiration dates and purchase new replacements before discarding expired items.

Knowledge is Power

All of the medical equipment in the world won't do you a bit of good if you do not know how to use it properly.  In planning for a Doomsday event, it is wise to add training in first aid and emergency trauma care to your list of necessities.  Many areas offer such courses in conjunction with CPR and rescue breathing classes.  The cost is usually very low when taken in the perspective that this training could save your life or that of a loved one.  While it is certainly worth the effort to have your whole family trained in first aid and CPR, this may not be logistically or financially possible.  It is still highly advisable that at least one member of your group participate in this type of training and share the basic skills with the other members of your family.

Aside from hands-on training in first aid, you should also add a few books to your shelter's library that concern themselves with first aid.  In an emergency situation, it is easy to panic and hesitate on small details.  Having these books as a reference to affirm your decisions can be very helpful.  Manuals that discuss homeopathic or herbal remedies for illness may be beneficial as well so that you can continue to enjoy good health even if pharmaceutical companies are not around to supply medications in a post-apocalyptic scenario.

Chapter14: The Mental Challenges We Must Overcome To Survive

Survival is about more than just physical ability and preparation.  There are a number of severe mental challenges that an individual must face and overcome to survive in a Doomsday scenario.  Understanding the obstacles one may face before they become issues, is key to successfully overcoming the issues in the future.

Depression

One very likely mental challenge following a Doomsday event is depression.  This may be triggered as a result of financial, emotional or physical losses sustained during the event.  The loss of one's home and possessions can be very traumatic and, when this is accompanied by the death of a loved one or separation from family members, depression is almost guaranteed.

If you find yourself faced with depression, the will to keep going forward can seem impossible to find.  Unfortunately in a Doomsday scenario, the possibility of seeking medical care and medicine to counteract depression is very likely to be limited.  Keeping occupied with survival may be your best medicine during this time.  If you recognize that you are prone to suffer from depression now, it may be wise to consult with your doctor and have antidepressants prescribed to you now and treat these as part of your regular medications when planning for Doomsday events.

Suicidal Thoughts

Thoughts of suicide often follow closely with the onset of depression.  In the aftermath of a Doomsday event, it is normal for survivors to feel guilty for living through the event when others have died or been injured.  Survivors of global or large-scale events may also have these feeling as a result of feeling isolated or hopelessly alone in the world.  This may lead them to take unnecessary risks or directly try to injure themselves.

To counteract these dangerous thought patterns, find things that occupy your time in a positive way.  Reading, writing down memoirs, listening to music and following routines you held before the Doomsday event can help to alleviate some of the distress brought on by isolation.  These activities help us to reaffirm to ourselves that we are still part of a society and civilized despite difficult living conditions and separation from others.  If you have chosen to include a two-way radio in your preparations, just the sound of another human voice can be very comforting in these times and provide a glimmer of hope in what would otherwise be a very dark situation as long as considerations regarding safe communications with the outside world are taken into account.

Once again, if you recognize suicidal tendencies or thoughts in your current behavior, it may be advisable to consult with your physician to have medication on hand in the event of an emergency.  Just like the other areas of preparation, understanding your current mental health and the effect that a Doomsday event could have to amplify certain thoughts or behaviors beforehand is imperative.  If you can prepare for the worst eventuality before it happens, the likelihood of surviving the worst improves substantially.

Making preparation for the mental challenges that might crop up in times of peril require more than just considering your own mental health status if you intend to go through the event as part of a group or with your family.  If you have children as part of your group, then plan on ways to handle these challenges for them as well.  Refer back to Chapter 11. Comfort In The Midst Of Devastation for tips on how to make shelter life more comfortable for you and the children in your group.  Children may also need more attention and the opportunity to communicate their fears and thoughts in these trying times.  Be prepared to assist them with processing what has happened and methods of coping with the situation they now face.

Survivor's guilt is likely to be a very common issue in a post-apocalyptic world.  Understanding the psychiatric and social hard-wiring that has implanted these cues into our minds can help in alleviating the symptoms that you and others encounter after disaster.

Chapter 15: Additional Considerations For The Omega Man or Woman

While we have endeavored to make a very good book for beginning Doomsday preppers, this is certainly not an all-inclusive work.  There are other considerations that should be part of your planning as well.  While we will attempt to discuss these things in greater depth as we release future books in this library, let's now take a moment to pose some of the questions and considerations you should have in mind to be fully prepared for a Doomsday event.

Social Considerations

When it comes to social questions in Doomsday planning, certain obstacles and thoughts come into question.  How do we reintegrate into society after a Doomsday event?  How do we reestablish society if previous forms of society have been totally destroyed?  Do we even wish to rejoin or recreate society?  What, if anything, can we do as a community to prevent similar disasters from happening again?  How can we support each other in a post-apocalyptic world to ensure the best results for all survivors?  How would education be handled?

Long-Term Health Questions

Long-term health concerns are also to be carefully considered.  Situations such as elder care, child care, psychiatric health and chronic health issues could create very serious issues in a post-apocalyptic world.  Is it advisable or ethical to bring new children into the world in a post-Doomsday scenario?  How would birth control be handled?  If children were wanted, how would birth complications be handled? 

How do we provide proper healthcare for the elderly in a post-apocalyptic world?  How do we deal with the psychiatric fallout of surviving a Doomsday event and possibly witnessing deaths or trauma of others?  How are chronic illnesses to be handled in a world with limited resources and medical equipment or medicines? 

How would life-threatening communicable diseases be handled?  Would it be ethical to risk additional human lives in a group to care for a few who had contracted such diseases or should infected individuals be segregated to their own colonies?  If these individuals were segregated, how should the division of supplies between the healthy and the infected colonies happen?

Moral and Ethical Considerations

In the total disarray of a Doomsday event, moral and ethical questions arise.  At what point does basic human need override moral and ethical behavior?  Is it moral or ethical to use force to defend one's stockpile against fellow survivors who have nothing?  Does it become permissible to pillage another individual's supplies if you are truly in need?  With limited resources, are the needs of the majority more important than the needs of the few?  For example, are those with chronic illness or advanced age allowed to place the majority in danger of starvation or lack of medicine to provide for their care?  

End of Life Questions

In an extended Doomsday situation or in a post-apocalyptic world, the end of life also poses some profound questions for survivors.  Is euthanasia or assisted suicide something to consider in a society with limited resources where age or illness could put others at risk?  How do we dispose of bodies?  How are the supplies which belonged to the dead individual disbursed between survivors?  Who has rights to claim property belonging to people who died or went missing during a Doomsday event?  Do such belongings become community property or do they pass through similar chains of inheritance as we use today?  If the individual died as a result of disease, how do we ensure that the supplies are safe for dispersal or should they be destroyed to prevent the spread of disease?

These are just a few of the questions and dilemmas that survivors of a Doomsday event would have to face.  Carefully considering these points before the event happens gives you the opportunity to truly be prepared for what could happen.  Discussions among the prepper community could bring about solutions to many long-term problems and form the basis for new post-disaster society.

The world is in an unusual predicament.  From the looks of things, the eventuality of a Doomsday event is inevitable.  While they cannot seem to agree on what the final cause will be, the experts almost unanimously agree that it is only a question of when, rather than if, a global Doomsday event will happen.  Even if a global event does not occur in your lifetime, it is almost certain that a localized event (such as a tornado, flooding, earthquake or ice storm) will happen at least once and probably more than once, in your lifetime.  Making advanced preparations for the eventuality of disaster is no longer the realm of the paranoid and the delusional fringe of society.  Being prepared is now the mark of the wise.