The Ultimate Prepper’s Guide How to Make Sure the End of the World as We Know It Isn’t the End of Your World

1096 Pages·2014·28.89 MB·English

by  Jay Cassell

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.
ISBN: 978-1-62873-705-9
eISBN: 978-1-62914-130-5
Printed in the United States of America
Table of Contents
Introduction
Part 1: Be Prepared
Where to Start
Getting into the Prepper’s Mindset
Preparing Your Family for an Emergency
The Right Tools
Who Needs a Tactical Knife?
First-Aid 101
Preparing for a Medical Emergency
Stocking Up
Water Storage
Planning Your Long-Term Storage Pantry
The Specifics of Food Storage
Have Access to Alternative Energy Sources
Home Security and Self-Defense
Survival Retreats
Reinforcing Your Home
Home Defense Firearms
Defending the Home with a Firearm
Self-Defense
Carrying a Concealed Firearm
Part 2: When Disaster Strikes
Immediate Concerns
How to Recognize the Arrival of Day One
Managing a Disaster
Personal Requirements for Disaster Survival
Shutting Off the Utilities
Emergency Heating and Cooling
When the Power Goes Out
Water
Communications
Medical Assessment System
Emergency First-Aid
Shelters, Evacuations, and “Bug-Out-Bags”
Shelter and Evacuation
Know When To Go
Evacuating
Building the Ideal Bug Out Bag
Specific Events
Earthquake
Fire
Hurricane
Tornado
Winter Storm
Flood
Thunderstorm & Lightning
Chemical Spill
Biological Infection or Outbreak
Nuclear Event
Terrorist Attack
Civil Unrest
Part 3: Surviving Without Much
Survival Basics
Conditions Affecting Survival
Ropes and Knots
Basic Knife Skills
Shelter
Clothing
Field Navigation
Food and Water
Finding Drinking Water
Basic Food Survival Rules
Edible and Medicinal Plants
Basic Tracking and Stalking Techniques
Snaring and Trapping
Guide to the Hunting Rifle
Fishing
Simple Methods for Cleaning and Cooking Fish
Field Dressing a Deer
Skinning: Six Quick and Easy Steps
Preparing Small Game
Fire Starting
The Primal Gourmet
Health and Hygiene
Hygiene in the Field
Boots and Foot Care
Wilderness First-Aid
Specific Environments
Jungle Environment
Mountain and Arctic Environment
Desert Environment
Ocean Environment
Part 4: Becoming More Self-Sufficient
Sustainability
Creating a Personal Sustainability Plan
Powering Down
Water Gathering and Farming
Stills and Wells
Green Solar-Powered Water Barrel
How Mini-Farming Works for You
Planning to Grow
Seed Starting
Getting the Most Out of Your Vegetables
Greenhouse from Old Windows
Canning
Old-Time Jerky Making
Energy Sufficiency
Leaving the Grid: Energy
Geothermal Energy
How I Built an Electricity-Producing Wind Turbine
Build a 60 Watt Solar Panel
Contributors and Their Works
Introduction
JAY CASSELL
The well-known Scout Motto is “Be Prepared.” But what is it to
prepare in this day and age? It is not about being paranoid that
everyone is out to get you. Instead, it is understanding that even in a
country where we might take our safety and comfort for granted, things
can and will go wrong. Both history and current events show us that
catastrophe and upheaval can occur anywhere and to anyone. Whether
it’s an unavoidable natural disaster, an unfortunate accident, or a planned
attack, it pays to take steps to ensure the safety of your family. Spending
just a little extra time and effort to think about what to do when the
unthinkable happens can mean the difference between serious injury or
even death, and escaping unharmed.
Preparation also means having the knowledge of how to survive when
you are cut off from all the resources that we may take for granted. When
the worst happens, and our normal lives are swept away, being prepared
means being able to fend for yourself in even the harshest of
environments. Before modern conveniences, humans spent centuries
living off the land with few resources, finding water, food and shelter
with little more than their hands and intelligence. These skills are still
applicable today in helping people become more self-reliant and
therefore more able to deal with any kind of disruption to their normal
lifestyle.
Most people have experienced some kind of emergency, even if it’s
just a power outage during a storm. Usually these disturbances are fixed
within a couple of days. But what if something more serious happened
that meant being without electricity or, even worse, running water for an
extended period of time? What if you find yourself stranded or lost far
from civilization? Or what if civilization as you know it is somehow
upset? Many of us might not have good answers for these questions,
which is where this resource comes in.