It is not likely that your grandparents, parents, teachers, spiritual counselors or even your government have taught you how important it is to be prepared for an emergency, disaster or catastrophe. There is more than a 90% chance that my statement is accurate based upon numerous surveys conducted recently to determine how many Americans are prepared for an apocalypse. Was I wrong, or are you by chance part of the 10% that is totally prepared for a catastrophic change in your world as you know it?
If you are not, than let me assure you, based upon the most recent predictions of scientists, meteorologists, seismologists, geologists, volcanologists, physicists, astronomers, geophysicists, oceanographers and epidemiologists, you should be storing up a few extra cans of beans.
Why is it that only the Boy Scouts of America have a motto, “Be Prepared”? They also have an aggressive training program that teaches young boys survival, from the age of six, covering every scenario imaginable from surviving in a wilderness to staying alive at sea. They are taught how to tie dozens of knots, build a shelter, find water and food, and even find their way without the use of a compass. For every skill set they learn, whether it be swimming, mountain climbing, skiing, archery, rifle skills or how to start a fire without matches or a lighter, they receive a “Badge of Merit” to sew on their uniform sleeves or a sash worn around their neck and across their chest.
As they accumulate these merit badges they automatically are advanced to higher levels or ranks. These recognitions start in the Cub Scouts. And no matter what age they join, the Bobcat level is earned first by all Cub Scouts, then Tiger for 7-year olds, next level Wolf at 8 years of age, followed by Bear. Ten year old boys become Webelos, followed by fourth grade Arrows of Light. Next is graduation into Boy Scouts with advancement ranks of achievement being Scout, Tenderfoot, Second-class, First-class, Star, Life, and Eagle. Eagle Scout is the highest rank to be attained in the Boy Scouts. Since the Eagle Scout rank was introduced in 1911, more than two million young men have earned this highest rank. The Eagle Scouts are taught leadership and social skills.
If you ever wondered why most Boy Scouts grow up to become prominent citizens, consider the organization’s framework, part of which is the Boy Scout Oath or Promise: “On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.” So what is this scout law they are sworn to obey? The Scout is to be:
· Trustworthy
· Loyal
· Helpful
· Friendly
· Courteous
· Kind
· Obedient
· Cheerful
· Thrifty
· Brave
· Clean
· Reverent.
Wow, “… to do their duty to GOD and their country… ” The Scout Oath and Promise is about the only place the Godless pagan judges and atheists haven’t removed God entirely.
However, I digress. Why have I bored you with the history of the Boy Scouts? Because the Boy Scouts are one of this nation’s vertebrae that help support its rapidly disintegrating, decaying backbone. Let me help you put all this in perspective. The proverbial feces is about to hit the fan, according to all the experts; and less than ten percent of this God-forsaken country is prepared for what is coming. Sorry, but the light you see at the end of the tunnel that you think is daylight is actually the headlight of an out-of-control locomotive bearing down on you. Americans are totally spoiled, they are not totally prepared. The early pioneers did not have a Costco or Ralphs, clothing or hardware stores, electricity, appliances, cars, roads, pharmacies or hospitals. Did I mention Starbucks? They had no choice but to become one with each other and nature in order to survive. They learned quickly to prepare for natural disasters, droughts, and long freezing winters and always be prepared for that inevitable “coming storm.”
Americans have never been taught how to work together at common tasks or major community projects such as building a church. Trust me and the experts when we say it is not a matter of if a disaster is coming, it is only a matter of when. The storm is coming! When it does you will want to be totally prepared, or at the very least have a Boy Scout nearby to share with you what he knows about survival.
If there is a major earthquake in California, it could trigger other faults such as the Madrid Fault in the Midwest, affecting seven states: southeastern Missouri, northeastern Arkansas, western Tennessee, western Kentucky, southern Illinois, southwestern Indiana and northwestern Mississippi.
Experts say Mt. Saint Helens is ready to erupt again, along with Mt. Rainier and the Super Volcano, the Caldera in Yellowstone National Park. (Hundreds of tremors this year in a 100-mile diameter of the Caldera. Do your own research and you will learn that any of these pending events along with an attack on our electrical grid from the sun, EMP weapon, or terrorist will plunge our country into darkness and total chaos, with millions perishing. Most of the casualties will simply result from being unprepared, lacking the simplest supplies, adequate water, food, medical supplies, alternate ways to cook, stay warm, etc.
If I have in anyway motivated or persuaded you to do your own research on survival preparedness, please understand, preppers on the internet can be your best friend or your worst enemy pertaining to survival tips. Many have an ulterior motive or agenda, trying to sell you something on their website. I spent hours trying to find an unbiased website regarding the most critical survival supplies or gear to share with you. I found dozens of websites claiming they have the perfect top 10 or top 20 list of the most important things to have in a natural disaster. What a joke! The 10 or 20 items they list are simply what they are hoping to sell you.
What is sad or actually pathetic is, most don’t even have water on their list! Water is the single most important critical component determining life or death. The average healthy person can live 50-80 days without food, (depending on stress level) but will die in 3 to 5 days without water. I personally fast on nothing but distilled water every two years or so for a minimum of 21 days, and every three years for 40 days, water only. I even went on a 60-day fast. Fasting cleans out your body and gives it a chance to rest. Imagine, most of the lists don’t include water or it is at the bottom of their list in a quantity of a few liters.
You should always have three to six months of both food and water on hand. For the sake of argument, let’s say nothing happens in the next ten years. What is the worst case scenario? You have two years’ worth of food to eat over the next two years and you store up two more years of fresh food. Now, what if something does happen? Case closed!
What’s better than simply having stored water, is to have a way to purify water in case you run out or gangs steal your stored water. In emergencies, disasters or catastrophes, the Red Cross, Homeland Security and FEMA all recommend electric or non-electric water distillers, not filters This is because the distillation process kills viruses, cysts, all bacteria, parasites and will remove toxins and most all chemicals. If you lose water pressure, water filters and RO units are worthless; and simply boiling water only kills bacteria. Distillation removes all contaminates. With a non-electric water distiller you can purify water from any polluted water source, river, lake, pond, pool, drainage ditch, even a sewer or the ocean. Since water is the most important survival item, if all you had was a non-electric water distiller you could easily trade water for anything you need! There are several non-electric water distillers on the internet, and there is one that is totally automatic and produces 18 gallons per day using any heat source. I figured that out to be six cups per day for 48 people. Google survival stills and compare.
When it comes to food storage, remember: you’re not thriving, you’re surviving… A great long-lasting survival food is rice and beans. Together they have all the nutrients the body needs — protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, etc. Plus, one cup of rice cooks into three cups, the same with beans. They both store forever in a seven gallon plastic bucket with a water-tight, airtight screw-on Gamma Lid. Two 7 gallon buckets of both rice and beans supply one adult with a year’s supply of nutritious food (about 50 lbs.). Survival websites want you to spend thousands on freeze dried gourmet food in Mylar packages. For $20 at Costco you can buy 50 lbs. of rice and 50 lbs. of beans that will last one adult a year.
You should have warm blankets or sleeping bags in case you’re forced to leave your home and sleep outdoors. A tent would be good and a tarp to pitch it on. You need a first-aid kit, extra batteries, flashlight and/or lantern, fire starting tools, lighter, matches, Ferro rod & striker, a way to cook food, mess kits, solar oven, propane single burner stove with a dozen 1lb tanks (you can cook on campfires when you run out of propane). Have a backpack with items like a knife, can opener, hatchet, rope twine or Para cord, crank radio/light/cell charger. Get a complete list for a Bug Out bag on the internet. Please research getting totally prepared for the next inevitable emergency or disaster. Watch National Geographic’s “After Armageddon” on YouTube and ask yourself, what would you do in that same situation or would you have prevented it?
Interpreting the Times
Jesus said to the crowd, “When evening comes, you say, “It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,” and in the morning, “Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.” You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.