The Survival Weekly Dispatch - Volume 11, Issue 1
Happy New Year!
Hey everyone, thanks for checking out the newsletter this week. Happy New Year! Our toddler granddaughter gave us a late Christmas present in the form of a nasty stomach bug, so the year can only get better from here, right?
Aside from battling Montezuma’s Revenge or whatever we want to call it, I haven’t done a lot of work this past week, which was exactly the plan. I am working on some goals for the year, though. One of the main focuses for me is going to be education and training. The more I learn, the better off I’ll be, and the more I’ll be able to pass along to others. I mentioned a few weeks ago that I’ve signed up for this class that will be held in Steven’s Point, WI, in March. I’ll be there as a student, not as an instructor. I’m hoping to make it to one of the classes at Nature Reliance School in Kentucky at some point this year as well.
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Prepper Tip -- A simple roll of quarters can be a formidable weapon, at the cost of just ten bucks. Nickels would work as well, and be even cheaper. Gripped in a tight fist, the weight and density of the coins add heft and power to a punch.
Another option is to drop that roll into a sock or handkerchief, creating an improvised impact weapon called a sap. Hold the loose end and swing the weight at the attacker’s head. The impact could easily knock them out.
The bonus here is that carrying a roll of quarters isn’t going to raise eyebrows anywhere, even if you have a handkerchief in another pocket. This could be a good option for those pesky non-permissive environments.
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This hasn’t been officially announced yet, so keep this just between us, okay? On February 15th, I’ll be teaching a class at Matheson Memorial Library in Elkhorn, WI. Here’s the description.
Prepping 101
If we've learned anything in the last few years, it's that life can be unpredictable. To that end, more and more people are exploring ways to be ready for a crisis. Jim Cobb is a nationally recognized authority on disaster readiness. In this 90-minute presentation, he will discuss how to be prepared for life's little, and not so little, curve balls. The focus is on practical, actionable steps anyone can take, free of scare tactics and other nonsense.
We'll cover putting together a food pantry that makes sense, the four pillars of financial preparedness, ways to improve your home security, and what to have in your vehicles in the event of an emergency. That's not all, either, as we'll also be discussing water storage, stocking up on critical medications, and where you might consider stashing additional supplies, just in case. Attendees will receive checklists to help them organize their plan at home.
Prepping isn't all about the end of the world. It's just being ready to tackle a crisis before it happens. Join us to learn how to get you and your family better prepared.
I should have registration info in next week’s newsletter. For now, just put it on your calendar if you plan to attend.
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I received an email from FEMA regarding the results of their 2023 household survey. They’ve done this survey for the last ten years. The 2023 survey was conducted 2/1/2023 – 3/14/2023 and included over 7,600 responses.
Here are some of the key findings that they observed and highlighted. I’m still working my way through all of the survey findings myself.
1) The way people prepared for disasters changed in 2023 compared to 2022. There was a significant increase in the number of people who assembled or updated supplies (48% in 2023, compared to 33% last year). However, fewer people signed up for alerts and warnings (36% in 2023, compared to 46% in 2022). As I wasn’t privy to the actual survey layout, I can’t say whether that might be because there were some respondents who had signed up last year and thus didn’t need to sign up again.
My interpretation – people are paying attention and many of them are taking action to be better prepared for disasters. This is a good thing.
2) There was a strong correlation between being aware of how to prepare for disasters and then taking action to do so. It seems that people who had received information about preparedness (though it doesn’t specify the source of that prep info) were five times more likely to do something about it than those who had not.
My interpretation – the work we are putting into increasing awareness is paying off, even if it sometimes doesn’t feel like it.
3) Not surprising to me in the least, there was a strong correlation between being socioeconomically disadvantaged and not taking high-cost preparedness actions. However, many of those who were in that position still took advantage of low- or no-cost prepping actions.
My interpretation – anything we can do to help increase knowledge of low-cost prepping solutions is beneficial.
4) This one is particularly interesting to me. There’s a disconnect between perceived preparedness and actual prepping actions among the 60+ year old community members. Meaning, respondents who are 60 and older were as likely as other age groups to FEEL prepared, but they were less likely to have actually taken steps to BE prepared.
My interpretation – we need to reach out to the older preppers and make an effort to understand the challenges they might be facing and help them take positive action towards being better prepared.
Here's a link to where you can download the survey results.
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The idea has been floated around about creating a podcast related to Prepper Survival Guide and Backwoods Survival Guide magazines. Would that be of interest to you? If so, what sorts of things would you like to see (or perhaps hear is the better term) included? I was thinking interviews with some of our contributors, as well as others from the industry, but I'm curious as to what others might suggest. Drop me a line with any suggestions – jim@survivalweekly.com.
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We took two hikes in the last week. One of them was a short walk through a local park and the other was a bit longer for our annual New Year’s Day hike. That’s a tradition we started a few years ago. I was still recovering from being sick, so we didn’t go out for as long as we’d have liked, but it was still a nice walk.
Survival Tip – Be Hard to Kill
One moment you’re minding your own business and enjoying a night on the town, then suddenly you have your face pressed up against a brick wall with one person going through your pockets and another describing all of the nasty things they plan to do to you. How you react in that moment could mean the difference between ending the night in your own bed, a hospital bed, or on a slab in the city morgue.
Like it or not, we live in a violent world. While we’d all love to imagine being able to go anywhere and do anything we want without a second thought, the truth is that evil exists and it has a tendency to visit bad things on good people.
You have two options. You can bury your head in the sand and hope nothing awful ever happens. Or, you can take steps to ensure that when something bad does cross your path, you’re prepared to handle it.
Physical Conditioning
It is awfully hard to defend yourself if you can’t breathe. That’s just a simple, immutable fact. If more than a few seconds of physical exertion leaves you winded, you need to do something about that.
For many, this probably means losing a few pounds, or maybe more than a few. Cut down or outright eliminate empty calories. Soda is a big one and many people report that cutting that out alone leads to improvement with health and the waistline.
Dietary changes alone won’t be enough, of course. Talk to your doctor before embarking on an exercise regimen, then commit to getting that heart rate up on a regular basis. Start slow and don’t overdo it. Don’t be surprised if you’re a little sore, especially at the beginning. You’re probably going to be using muscles that haven’t seen much action in a while. There are thousands of exercise programs out there from which to choose. Head to your local library and pick up a DVD or two and try them out. Or scroll through YouTube and find one that looks good. Find what works for you and then stick with it.
In addition to cardio workouts designed to increase your endurance and stamina, mix in some strength exercises. Weight training is great, but don’t overlook exercises that just use your own body weight. Plain old pushups are great exercise and require nothing more than a clear spot on the floor.
The point here is this. The better shape you’re in, the better off you’ll be in a violent encounter. I mean, how embarrassing would it be to stroke out or have a heart attack right when you’re about to unleash the gates of Hell on your attacker?
Martial Arts
One great way to combine physical conditioning with becoming hard to kill is to seek out training in the martial arts. There are countless styles to choose from, though face-to-face classes will be limited to what’s available in your immediate area.
Stick to ones that concentrate on real world application. Many martial arts have become somewhat watered down over the years and are more suited for tournaments than defense. This isn’t a bad thing, not at all. You just need to know going in what to expect.
Some of the more popular defense-oriented options include Krav Maga, Jiu Jitsu, and the Filipino Martial Arts (FMA), which is an umbrella term for Kali, Eskrima, and Arnis. FMA in particular is a great option due to the weapons training that accompanies the empty hand techniques.
Before signing on for classes at a local school or dojo, ask if you can sit in for one or two sessions. This will allow you to get a feel for how the classes are run. Talk to the instructors about your goals and make sure they mesh with their teaching style and approach. Being able to break boards is great, but boards don’t move and they certainly don’t hit back.
One aspect of this sort of training that is especially important is discovering what it is like to get hit and learning how to handle that. Practicing drills for endless hours, perfecting that certain strike or move, is awesome. But, if getting smacked in the head causes you to freeze up completely, all that training will be worthless. You have to learn how to get hit and keep moving forward. The only way that’s going to happen is, well, to get hit.
Weapons Training
Carrying a weapon with which you are proficient will help to even the odds in a confrontation, hopefully even swaying them to your side. A firearm is typically the weapon of choice. As the saying goes, “God created all men, but Samuel Colt made them equal.”
Possessing a firearm, or any weapon for that matter, is only part of the equation. You need to know how to use it properly, otherwise it is just window dressing. If you’re going to pull the weapon, you need to commit, without hesitation, to using it against your attacker. Balk, even for a moment, and that might be enough of an opening for them to take it away and use it against you. Part of training, whether we’re talking weapons or empty hand techniques, is to reach a point to where your body reacts to a threat without conscious thought, where it becomes almost a reflex action.
Be sure you are fully compliant with all applicable laws regarding carrying the weapon you choose. If doing so requires a permit, get one. The last thing you want to happen is to get yourself in trouble with the law simply for trying to protect yourself. While you’re at it, research the laws in your area as they apply to self-defense. Know what you’re allowed to do and when you’re allowed to do it.
Select your weapon carefully. Find one that suits you, that fits your hand, and that you’re comfortable carrying and using. Then practice with it until it becomes second nature. This will not happen overnight, but nothing good comes easy, right?
Situational Awareness
Simply put, this means to take off the proverbial blinders and see the world around you for what it truly is. Put the cell phone away and pay attention to your surroundings.
Many conflicts can be avoided simply by moving to the other side of the street when you see a potential threat coming your way. Just knowing what areas are generally more dangerous than others, and thus best avoided, can go a long way as well. The easiest battle to win is the one you don’t have to fight at all.
Mindset
Nobody can truly know how they will react under pressure until it happens for real. Bluster and bravado mean exactly jack squat in the real world.
You have to come to terms with the fact that you might be called upon to visit harm on another person in order to defend yourself or a loved one. This may include utilizing lethal means.
That said, the goal is to live to fight another day. If you can disable your attacker sufficiently that you’re able to get away, go for it. Just be prepared, mentally and physically, for the possibility that you’ll need to go further in order to protect you and your family.
Prepper Survival Guide and Backwoods Survival Guide
For those new to my little corner of the Internet, I am the Editor in Chief for both Prepper Survival Guide and Backwoods Survival Guide magazines. Here are the covers for the current issues that are available in stores right now.
You can find them just about anywhere magazines are sold, including:
Walmart
Sam's Club
Costco
Publix
Walgreens
Rite Aid
CVS
Tractor Supply
Fleet Farm
Barnes & Noble
Subscriptions to both titles are available here.
Questions, Comments, Complaints, Concerns?
I am always just an email away - jim@survivalweekly.com.