Editor’s Note: At times such as this, it is good when experienced preppers like Daisy Luther offer valid reasons to be hopeful. It’s easy to assume the worst when it appears the worst is happening all around us, but as she notes in her article below, it behooves us to look at reality through a lens of positivity. This is why the beef company we just launched offers both freeze-dried beef for long term storage AND frozen beef. It’s not just about eating well for apocalypse. It’s about eating well today. Use promo code “daisy” at checkout for 15% off.
With that said, here’s Daisy’s inspiring article…
There’s a survival secret that not a lot of people talk about, and it’s how I know that more than likely, you’re going to survive whatever is coming at us next.
It’s easy to get swept away by the doom and gloom and the pending disaster of the moment. At times like this, it feels like we have annihilation bearing down on us from every angle: the economy is almost kaput, nuclear powers like Russia and China aren’t our biggest fans, and civil war could erupt at any moment. And that doesn’t even take into account random natural disasters like wildfires and hurricanes, or horrific accidents like the train derailment in Ohio.
It’s enough to make you wonder how on earth you’re going to manage to live through what’s coming.
Suddenly there’s an avalanche of overwhelm, and it’s the kinds of questions that keep preppers up at night. Do you have enough supplies? Can you trust your group? Are you really ready? What if you forgot something vital? How can you get more money to get prepped? What if…what if…what if…
Let me stop you right there.
Spoiler: You’re probably going to survive it.
I have a lot of evidence supporting that. Here’s what you need to consider whenever you feel like you’re not going to make it.
Your ancestors survived.
First of all, you need to remember that you yourself come from a long line of survivors. It’s quite literally in your blood.
If your ancestors had not survived for dozens of generations, you wouldn’t be here. It’s not enough to simply have reproduced. Someone had to get the next generation to adulthood so that they, too, could procreate.
So while some probably died during horrible events in the past, plenty did not. Your ancestors have survived it all. They’ve survived big things like plagues, wars, the Great Depression, the threat of annihilation from various enemies, and natural disasters during times we couldn’t predict them and warn people using the news. They’ve survived smaller things, too, like floods, hurricanes, the S&L crisis, childhood diseases, the high price of gas, bad storms, hyperinflation, accidents, and governments running amok.
Enough of your ancestors got through such events that you are here: alive, well, and fretting about the future.
Look to the past, and you will see that you have everything within you to survive what’s coming for us, too. Survival is in your blood and in your bones. You, my friend, are the result of thousands of years of overcoming obstacles. You come from a line of people who avoided being killed by enemies, marriages, wars, pestilence, and love.
You are genetically wired for survival.
People regularly survive horrible events.
Another thing to consider is that people quite often survive terrible things. While some people do succumb to disaster, grief, or ill fortune, most people do not. Let’s look at some more recent history.
Sure, we can look back and say, “21 million people died from the Spanish flu.” But in 1900, eighteen years before that event, the population of the world was 1.6 billion people. So you could roughly extrapolate from that that one billion five hundred seventy-nine million people survived it. (1,579,000,000) Those are pretty decent odds, right?
And what about the Great Depression? This paper suggests that the only cause of mortality that increased was suicide, and this article says that the life expectancy of people actually increased during that time. In fact, it says that more people live longer during times of economic downturn, referencing the paper mentioned previously.
…historical research shows that during the 20th century, increases in U.S. mortality often occurred during times of economic prosperity, while decreases occurred during economic depressions or recessions.
In the first few years after the 1929 stock market crash, the only major cause of death that increased was suicide, says José A. Tapia Granados, a professor of politics at Drexel University and co-author of a 2009 research paper in PNAS about life and death during the Great Depression. While suicides went up, Tapia found that deaths from cardiovascular and renal diseases stabilized between 1930 and 1932, the worst years of the depression. Traffic deaths dropped in 1932. Deaths from tuberculosis, the flu and pneumonia also declined.
Around 100,000 people died during the Balkan War, and more than two million had to flee their homes to survive. The population of that area was about 4 million people, so again…while the death toll was horrific, more people survived than did not.
I’m not sharing any of this to belittle the horrendous things that have occurred throughout history. Any death that comes from a disaster or a war or a genocide or an economic catastrophe is a terrible thing. But the fact is that more people live through terrible events than succumb to them.
Some of it is out of your hands.
All of this is why we prep. We want to put ourselves firmly on the side of those who make it through to the other side. We want our families to suffer less from terrible events. But even people who’ve never heard of prepping, who’ve never stacked up a five-gallon bucket full of food, and who haven’t read any books or articles about the topic still have a decent chance of making it through.
Of course, some things are completely out of our hands. If you happen to be at Ground Zero when a nuke hits, there is no amount of preparation that can save you. The same thing goes for a terrible accident at the workplace or a collision with a drunk driver. If there’s an extinction-level event like a giant meteor, we’re all done. Sometimes your ticket gets punched, and it’s your time.
Coffee the Christian way: Promised Grounds
There are also some personal circumstances that can prevent survival, such as reliance on daily medication or equipment. Again, this is largely out of our hands, and there’s only so much we can do about it.
We prepare to give ourselves the very best odds possible, and we are right to do so. I feel much better knowing that I have skills and supplies put back that just might give me an edge during hard times. I will always be glad that I have taught my children vital prepper knowledge. Maybe we won’t just live through it but find a way to thrive in doing so.
Survival is how we’re wired.
But even without these things, humans are wired for survival. Even the silly ones. (Although sometimes you have to wonder about some of the folks you see these days – it seems like they can barely survive a day at work or school without “safe spaces,” much less an epic disaster.)
Our operational objectives as human beings are to survive and to further our species by protecting our young. We can adapt to the most astounding things in our efforts to do so. We’ve done it since humans first existed, and we’ll continue indefinitely.
Things may be very, very hard. The world could change dramatically and for the worst. We may wonder how on earth we’ll do it if we lose our house, our car, our way of life, and our stability. (I’ve been there.) And you know what? That will really suck if it happens.
But eventually, we’ll come out on the other side. And even while things are bad, we’ll love people, we’ll find reasons to laugh, we’ll enjoy whatever it is we’re eating, and we will do our best to keep in touch with the things that make us human. We need to focus on those simple joys instead of focusing on what we’ve lost.
We just have to keep going.
If we do, we’ll probably survive.
You’re going to make it.
So if you’re wondering whether or not your going to be able to survive this, you know what? You probably are. The statistics are all in your favor. You were born to be resilient.
You keep on doing the best that you can. Prepare to the best of your ability and learn new skills to make it a little bit easier. Be ready to adapt to changing circumstances. Control what you can and let go of what you can’t control. Remember to find happiness wherever you can.
And don’t forget who the heck you are.
About Daisy
Daisy Luther is a coffee-swigging, adventure-seeking, globe-trotting blogger. She is the founder and publisher of three websites. 1) The Organic Prepper, which is about current events, preparedness, self-reliance, and the pursuit of liberty; 2) The Frugalite, a website with thrifty tips and solutions to help people get a handle on their personal finances without feeling deprived; and 3) PreppersDailyNews.com, an aggregate site where you can find links to all the most important news for those who wish to be prepared. Her work is widely republished across alternative media and she has appeared in many interviews.
Daisy is the best-selling author of 5 traditionally published books, 12 self-published books, and runs a small digital publishing company with PDF guides, printables, and courses at SelfRelianceand Survival.com You can find her on Facebook, Pinterest, Gab, MeWe, Parler, Instagram, and Twitter.
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
