As Americans, or members of Western Society as whole, we’ve gotten way too used to comfort.  We like to come home, sit on the couch and watch TV, eat copious amounts of over-processed but readily available food, and be comfortable.  We live in climate-controlled homes, drive in our climate-controlled cars to our climate-controlled offices/workplaces, then after work we drive to climate-controlled stores and restaurants, then go back to do it all over again.

In the course of the average week, we don’t experience a temperature deviation of more than 10 degrees for more than however long it takes us to walk to our cars, and let’s be honest, we park as close as we can so that we don’t have to be exposed to the elements at all.  This destroys the ability of the human body to tolerate variations, and it’s not a good thing.

“…There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”

Exodus 16:3

On those rare enough occasions when we plan on doing something outside, if it rains or snows, we cancel immediately, because who wants to be uncomfortable?

Let’s be honest, a lot of us who claim to be involved in preparedness aren’t willing to get uncomfortable.  We’re also not in the best physical shape.  I can’t tell you how many times we’ve had guys show up in class with thousands of dollars of gear but couldn’t climb a single hill or sleep more than one night on the ground in a tent.  In one famous incident here, one student complained to NC Scout that after walking less than a half mile he had to take pain pills to get through the next day.  This wasn’t even a patrolling class, it was mostly classroom.

I’m not excluding myself from this either.  Just about 2 years ago, I attended a weeklong training event at the Brushbeater Training Center in North Carolina.  On day three, I was struggling.  My cardio was terrible, and I hadn’t spent that many days living outdoors and wearing all my gear all the time.  It was an eye opener, and I spent the next year and a half losing 35 pounds and building up my cardio. 

We need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Most people, when they go to the range, go to indoor ranges.  This protects you from the weather and prevents you from learning to adjust for wind.  It also prevents you from training in realistic firing positions, like kneeling and prone.  You are limited to standing up and squaring off with the target like it’s an old-west shootout at high noon.  That has no place in realistic training.

In my Fieldcraft class, I spend a lot of time having people get used to being prone, moving while prone, and general movement on the knees.  Everyone has fun but complains (good-naturedly) about unused muscle groups.  Well, when the time comes to use these skills in real life, you don’t get extra break time to recover.  We have to develop these skills and stretch these muscles now.

If you don’t believe me on this, go outside right and low-crawl (real low-crawl) for 50 meters.  Wait 30 minutes, then tell me how you feel.  If you don’t keep doing it, it will never get better.  We need to get in reps of moving those unused muscle groups.

Another thing about this: You need to get comfortable with getting dirty.  I don’t mean being unhygienic but getting your clothes and gear dirty.  You chuckle while reading this, but EVERY class we teach, there is someone who isn’t happy that they had to lay in the dirt and mud in their $250 Crye pants and their $575 cool guy chest rig.  God forbid you tell them that the $3,700 rifle they built needs to lay in the dirt with them, and that $785 ruck they bought needs to be tossed under a tree and left for three hours IN THE DIRT.

You need to get comfortable with letting all that gear actually get used and get dirty.  Life in the field is hard, but it can be enjoyable.  We’ve gotten too used to comfort.  We need to live a more primal life, where we’re used to living outdoors, walking long distances, and letting our stuff get dirty. 

In my last Fieldcraft class, the students began the land nav course by climbing a 400-foot hill that was incredibly steep.  Even the fittest guy in class struggled, but they ALL felt a sense of accomplishment after having done it, and so will you.  Get outdoors and get moving.

Take the first step by spending a few hours outdoors in all kinds of weather.  Hike a few miles out, make lunch, then hike back.  Start extending the time and distance.  Then, spend a night camping out, but not in a tent.  Throw a tarp over your sleeping bag.  Extend this to a weekend, then three nights.  Start getting back in touch with living in nature.  Humans are perfectly capable of it in a wide variety of weather conditions.

Start moving more.  With that small change, you’d be surprised how quickly the weight falls off.  Then, by changing what you eat to more natural foods, more will drop off.

Getting out and rucking will improve your cardio and overall health.  You all have heard me say it before but getting out and moving while carrying a load is the number one skill you’ll need in any type of crisis or emergency, so start training for it.  Don’t go for speed, go for steady and quiet movement while carrying a load over rough terrain.  Don’t just stick to trails and roads, because in a real situation, you won’t be using roads and trails.  Get in the rough country and move.

It’s time to get off the couch and get serious. Come to a class.

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Donation – December 2024

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This weekend, anti-Trump protests have sprung up all over the country. I felt like it was time to throw out a few reminders.

The prudent see danger and take refuge,
    but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.

Proverbs 27:12

First, it’s absolutely foolish to underestimate the resolve or training of these protestors. As Mike Shelby over at Forward Observer has documented, they have been training with firearms, counter-police tactics, and medical skills. They are so dedicted to their cause that a few have tried to light themselves on fire – that’s not insanity, it’s resolve. Respect it.

Second, gather as much local intelligence on any protests (both left or right) that are planned in your area. If you don’t know about them, you can be caught by surprise. Learn who the organizers are and watch their social media. Adjust your daily plan to avoid their planned activity. The best way to avoid trouble is to not go where it is.

Travel with a Get Home Bag. You might have to leave your car somewhere and walk out on foot to avoid more trouble. The contents are up to you, but generally 24-36 hours worth of gear. Include a change of clothes in the bag. Mine always contains a black hoodie to blend it. Maybe throw a Palestinian Kafiyyeh in to blend with pro-Hamas protestors.

Keep your car full of gas. It would be bad to find yourself in the midst of a protest and needing to fill up. First, gas stations are often targets and gathering areas. Second, local authorities will order gas stations closed in an affected to area to prevent fuel purchases.

Develop a communications plan with your tribe and family. Phones will be jammed, but radio works as long as you have battery power. Check out license free options like FRS/MURS/CB as well as licensed radio. Have a plan to make positive contact now, so that all you have to do is implement it. Have the ability to monitor license free channels as that is what the protestors use (no records).

This goes without saying in our community, but STOCK UP. If there is unrest in your town, you don’t want to have to run out for a 12 pack of TP and some ground beef. Buy extra now and have it on hand.

My friends at Sheild Arms have a motto: “Before all else, be armed”. That’s pretty solid advice. Now through the inauguration, be as armed as you legally can be. That’s very situationally dependent, so make good decisions.

If you have one available, gas masks are a good item to keep in your car. I have a PD-100 mask from Parcil Safety. It’s right around $100 and will protect you from crowd control munitions, or, as I have experienced twice, a random spraying of people by ANTIFA or other protestors. I have it in a bag that I can clip to my Get Home Bag.

Carry a first aid kit. At a bare minimum, carry a “bleeder kit”, which is a tourniquet, a pressure bandage, and some hemostatic agent or gauze. This is the one piece of preparedness gear your could use on any given day to safe a life, but it does you no good back home in your “gear stash.”

Carry paper maps. Street maps if you live and work in the city and topo maps if you live rural. Having the ability to re-route without reliance on a cellphone network or government supplied GPS signal can be vital. Remember, during the Virginia 2nd Amendment rally, they shut down GPS in the area as “drill”.

Lastly, please don’t just write off the risk. There are agitators on both sides and the election of Trump actually raises the risk of civil unrest.

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Donation – November 2024

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Despite having written on this topic dozens of times, the number one question I still get is, “yeah, but where can I find like minded people?”. While I’m going to answer the question (yet again), we need a little tough love first. Ready? Here goes…let’s start with some Tactical Wisdom:

You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

1 Thessalonians 4:11b-12

What this means is that asking anyone else where you should find a tribe means that you are NOT self-reliant. Let’s remember our goal, which is to be self-sufficient. You can’t be self-sufficient if you can’t even put in the work yourself to find a tribe. I’m sorry, but you need to understand that this “someone show me where” attitude will bleed over into every aspect of your preparedness.

This is for our development: Just get out and do it and don’t hope that someone else will present you with a ready-made preparedness group you can join. That isn’t how this works. Like everything in life of any value, you must put in the work and get out there.

The only way to find like minded people in your area is to get out there, meet people, and ask the hard questions. Ask people you know or meet about:

1. How do you feel about the current polarisation of our society? Where is it leading?
2. Have you ever thought about what you would do after a tornado?
3. How did you guys do during the last power outage? What did you do to prepare?
4. Have you ever taken a first aid/CPR/Stop The Bleed class? You want to?
5. Do you think it’d be easier to survive a disaster alone or with a group?

The answers to these questions will get you on track to finding out if someone is interested in preparedness. Avoid straight political questions, because there are fanatics and crazy people on both sides. Those things will come, but begin by building a relationship. You can only do that by doing things face to face with people.

My friend Brent over at Project 223 Preparedness points out that he gets a ton of inquiries from people wanting to join a group, but when he suggests meeting and having lunch or dinner, they say “No, we just want to join online, just in case”. It doesn’t work that way. You cannot build enough trust to entrust your life with someone over the internet.

In another case, our group of folks had a guy say that he wanted to bring 25-30 people to our planned retreat if things went bad, but flat out refused to come and meet with us. We offer classes and I suggested that they come and train with us first and build a relationship. “Nope, we do our own training, we just don’t have a place to go”. My brother in Christ, do not plan on trying to show up at something we built with an armed group that refused to even meet with us, that will not go the way you think it will. If you do, leave all your gear in a clearly marked cache so that we can retrieve it later, please. You cannot expect folks to take you in if you aren’t willing to invest face-to-face time. I’m not mad at the guy at all, he’s trying to do what’s best for his people, but again, by asking us to let him take over our facility (that was the real question), he’s RELYING ON SOMEONE ELSE. That’s not self-sufficiency.

Go to events like the Self-Reliance Festival in Tennessee, Mountain Readiness in NC, or any of the hundreds of local preparedness events and fairs held all over the country every weekend. They are out there, you just have to look for them. Facebook, Twitter, and other social media are full of event notices. Go to one and meet people; build relationships.

“But, JOOOOOOEE, that’s where the Feds are.” I promise you, they really aren’t. Let’s face facts, we aren’t that important or interesting. Also, if you don’t agree to any crazy schemes to kidnap governors or storm federal buildings, you’ll be fine. Don’t talk about crazy things with folks you just met. The “FEDS” fear is just a cope to avoid having to put in work meeting new people. Yes, I said it. Stop worrying about it.

Church is another good place to find allies. Start conversation with same questions above.

The one I can’t stress enough is coming to training events. As the crew that just trained with me in Oklahoma will attest, the biggest value is in building relationships with your fellow students during breaks, meals, and after hours hangouts around the campfire.

Stop hoping that someone will present you with a ready-made group. Go and find them, and start planning and training together.

Last point: If you haven’t already done this and are only just now asking this question, you are WAY behind world events. Get on it.

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Donation – September 2024

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It’s Independence Day evening, and I’m sitting here drinking a Yeungling and watching the dazzling lights of the fire truck on the next block over (is it really a fireworks show if the FD doesn’t show up) while reflecting on independence. It’s a really a big idea that goes nicely with preparedness. It’s even in the Ultimate Tactical Handbook:

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Galatians 5:1

When those men affixed their signature to the Declaration, they were leaving behind a government that had promised them safety, security, and a stable system in exchange for limits on their freedom. They did so because these men believed it was their own responsibility to protect and provide for their people and not some distant, nameless body’s. Independence begins with the individual.

Being independent means not depending on anyone else. It doesn’t mean shunning all contact, it means taking responsibility for yourself, your family, and your people or tribe. It means not expecting a government to feed you at community expense. It means being responsible for your own safety and security. Aren’t these the same ideals we espouse in preparedness? No one is coming to save you.

Independence begins with the ability to obtain food and water without relying on any other entity. If you live in a city, they require you to get if from them, but are you able to source it without them? That’s independence. Having knowledge of where fresh water can be found is a good start. So is growing your own food. They regulate it, and try to limit it (try raising chickens where zoning laws exist).

I have a friend who runs a homestead. In fact, we’re going there for one of our regular dinners this weekend. When he moved there, it was rural and folks didn’t try to limit each other’s lifestyles. Over the years, more and more suburbanites have moved out there and are driving around, filing complaints with the township because one place has too many cows, another too many chickens, another a building between the house and the road. Now, democracy is these people being able to force their will on the original residents because so many have moved out there, but INDEPENDENCE is fighting back, and saying that our Founding Fathers would be against zoning laws and demanding that folks not be allowed to limit what one man may do with his own property. Mind your own business, so to speak.

Mike moved out there to enable him to provide for his family. He raises chickens for eggs and meat, goats and pigs. He grows vegetables. What is he doing as suburbanites are standing up zoning laws and boards trying to impose their will on him and his neighbors? He’s running for the township board on a Constitutional platform, with several others. Their intent: If it’s not in the Constitution, it’s not law or ordinance in our township. In other words, he’s protecting his rights and the rights of everyone in the township. They’re not ABOLISHING government, they are returning it to the limited influence that our Founding Fathers envisioned.

What does this have to do with preparedness? EVERYTHING.

All across America, townships and municipalities have enacted laws that go directly against independence and preparedness. Laws limiting the raising of livestock or the numbers thereof, banning or limiting the collection of rainwater, regulations restricting aquifer access or demanding curtailment of use of water on your own property (we’re looking at you Idaho), and on the ability to plant and store food. As people into preparedness, we need to get involved. Go to board meetings. Be vocal.

To be truly independent, we need to remember our heritage as the militant farmer. Men and women able to protect, secure, and feed our own families, without relying on handouts or (more importantly) allowing others to dictate what we are allowed to do with our own property. On the frontier, families helped and defended each other, knowing that the government wouldn’t be able to do it as well; they’re not as invested in the outcome as the local families were.

Friends, we need to return a simpler time. That return may be forced on us by our own over-reliance on electricity and a failing electrical grid (helped by Chinese Cyber attacks). Rather than demanding more laws, we need less laws restricting our everyday activity. The overturn of Chevron was a start, but just today I saw a video of Michigan Agriculture officials ordering raw milk products destroyed “for your protection”, because modified and adulterated substances are “better for you”.

I’m not advocating for anything here, just thinking out loud. We’ve allowed too much of our independence to be stolen, and we need to claw it back wherever we can. My friend Mike, running for his township board, has the right idea. We can’t wait for someone else to fix it, we have to do it ourselves and that starts with local offices.

My thoughts are summed up in the closing statement of the Declaration:

And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Declaration of Independence

Anyway, start building independence in your life again. Put the phone down more. Get out and meet face to face instead of in the group chat. Find local farmers to buy direct from. Get involved locally. Develop the ability to live independently. Be free.

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Be free, friends.

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Donation – July 2024

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When I start asking people what’s in their immediate-action Go Bag, it’s always the cool stuff: A little food, some first aid, a knife, extra ammo for a handgun, ponchos for shelter, gloves, all that good stuff we absolutely need. However, there are several less cool things that we need to develop solid action plans for right now.

Now Joseph gave these instructions to the steward of his house: “Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man’s silver in the mouth of his sack.

Genesis 44:1

First, let’s talk about that silver. In a crisis, cash is king and you should have a fair supply on hand. A couple hundred dollars in a get home bag and maybe $1000-$5000 in a full on “I’m Never Coming Home” (INCH) bag isn’t out of the question. When folks had to flee in a hurry from West Maui, having a good chunk of cash could have helped. Understand that all your plastic most likely won’t help you, because the networks will be down. In the early days of a full collapse, there will still be some merchants (suckers) holding out hope that cash will still be good, so spend the worthless cash with them before going to barter items or precious metals.

Have alternative methods of payment in your bags as well. Junk Silver, like pre-1965 Quarters and Dimes are a perfect payment medium. So are one-ounce silver coins. I recommend always buying government-minted coins as opposed to custom rounds, as everyone knows what a Britannia, Eagle, or Krugerrand is, but might not know what a buffalo round or that cool superhero round is. Right now, the value of these is between $24-28 each, so that’s a good guide, but almost immediately after a disaster they will rise to at least $50 as a spending guide. Gold coins, while they allow you to carry a large sum of money fairly easily, don’t spend well at $2200-$3000 each, so focus on silver. Fractional gold, like Goldbacks Voluntary Currency, are also already in heavy use in certain parts of the country. These are good things to stack in your bag.

On a side note: I accept silver and goldbacks as payment for books and courses. Sorry, I don’t take bitcoin, but that’s only because it’s not usable as a crisis currency. It’s a fine way to SOMEWHAT secure your transactions now and a good way to build wealth, but it’s not a realistic grid-down currency (and no, I don’t want to debate that, sorry).

Do you take perscription medications or controlled OTC meds like Sudafed? What’s your plan there? Have a small supply at least in a portable manner to get you through the first 48-96 hours. The Baseline Training Manual gives some good ideas on how to build a stash of meds.

Photocopies of identification documents like ID cards, driver’s licenses, concealed carry permits (important), and passport/birth certificates. You should have originals stored somewhere safe, but your ID can be stolen in a robbery or left behind in a crisis. Having spare copies helps in establishing who you and your family members are. This is especially true when traveling overseas. Copies of land ownership papers are also a good idea. Squatters are already problem, which will only get worse.

On a related note, carry a stack of recent photos of your immediate family members. During a crisis, people get separated and having photos to share with relief workers or rescuers can reunite you quickly.

I harp on this one all the time, and I’m going to say it again. You should never go anywhere without a small hygeine kit. Unscented soap and deodorant, hand sanitzier, wet wipes, toiletries, and waterless toothbrushes can keep you in the fight for survival longer. Don’t let sickness slow you down. Hit up the Dollar Tree ($1.25 now) and stock up.

None of these things are the cool-guy sexy stuff everyone likes to talk about, but they are absolutely essential to your survival.

A few other things you need for your mental survival are books, especially your faith’s foundational book (Bible, Torah, Qu’Ran). Having something to occupy your mind is helpful, and even more so if it gives you hope. Have some fun photos of family to make you smile in the dark times. They will get you through.

A deck of cards is pretty good, too. Mine are all themed. In my patrol pack, I have Chinese and Russian military equipment ID playing cards courtesy of my friends at Forward Observer. In my Get Home Bag, I have survival themed playing cards from My Patriot Supply. In my full ruck, I have wilderness survival themed playing cards from Battlbox. Playing solitaire can calm the mind and cure boredom. For some reason, I still have a deck of red light readable cards that I brought home from somewhere hot, dusty, and full of angry people.

These are some of the things folks wished they had prepared after recent disasters, so learn from it and make plans to get these squared away.

There are still seats in my July 26-28th Community Security Ops Course in Bigfork, MT, as well as the August 23-25th one at Brushbeater’s place in NC. The September Fieldcraft Course (also at Brushbeaters) is filling up fast is a great primer for his Scout & Recce Course in October (which feature K9 Reaper from South Africa).

Also, plan to join us August 2nd-4th in Bigfork, MT as we host Shield Field Days at Camp Ponderosa. More to follwo on that, but you can camp on site and enjoy the gorgeous facility there. Hey, at least 2 guys in the July 26-28 class are going to make a vacation of it and take the class, then hang out with me all week camping in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. Join us for adventure!

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Donation – July 2024

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The Francis Scott Key Bridge was struck by the MV Dali (Singapore-Flagged) at 0130 Eastern on 3/26/2024. Casualty numbers are not in yet, and it is certainly a tragedy. We can take away a few lessons from it right now.

Immediately after, almost everyone on the internet became an expert on ship handling, port operations, and bridge construction as conspiracy theories ran amok about what had happened and why. Everyone was quick to educate us on why it was ISIS, the Russians, the Chinese, and even the white supremacists or Jewish space lasers. It was wild. There is some Tactical Wisdom about being quick to jump to conclusions:

He who tells his story first makes people think he is right, until the other comes to test him.

Proverbs 18:17

That’s my first lesson here: It doesn’t matter one bit. That’s right, for you and me, the second and third order effects are more important than the immediate effects or why it happened. We simply have to deal with what happened and it’s impact on our self-sufficiency, regardless of what happened.

Lesson Two: Know how to swim. If you are involved in preparedness and you don’t know how to swim, YOU ARE WRONG. There are classes in every county in the US, get out and learn. You don’t have to be a world-class swimmer, but simply knowing how to tread water until rescued or to swim to shore can save your life. Learn from this. You are about 100 times more likely to fall into a body of water than to get into a firefight.

Next, have some type of seat belt cutter and window breaking device. There are links above (yes, they are affiliate links and I may make a penny or two from them). It’s a good idea if you know you’re going to crash into the water to roll down your windows, but you might not think of it. Having a window punch can help you escape a sinking car. Use the seatbelt cutter rather than wrestling with the release, seconds count. Leave everything behind, your life isn’t worth that nice handbag or your already-dead phone.

This brings us to the next lesson. In any type of mass casualty event in an urban area, the phone system is going to get overloaded and quickly. Have alternate messaging options with your family. Text messages may go through when calls won’t (data bursts use less bandwidth than voice transmissions).

Having a radio could allow you to stay in touch, but you could also monitor the response by listening to VHF Marine Radio. A police scanner can do that for you as well, so that you can stay abreast of what roads are closed and what hospitals may be full of urgent cases for your own planning. Monitoring radio traffic also helps you with controlling the wild theories that come out afterwards. Hearing what the authorities are saying to each other is very different from listening to their prepared statements to the public and it’s a VALUABLE difference.

It’s important that someone always knows your planned routes and planned travel times, even if it’s just a daily commute. The authorities don’t know exactly how many cars went in and they won’t know to look for you in the water unless someone told them you are missing or overdue. Always inform someone of your plans. If it’s a daily commute, someone should still know and they should have the presence of mind to try and check in on you. It would be a tragedy if they just assumed you made it across, and then no one knew to look for you on the bottom of the harbor. If you tried to reach a loved known to cross and didn’t get through, REPORT IT to rescue authorities – don’t just assume they know who to look for or that they will find everyone. They’d rather look and have them turn up safely at work later than to not look and never recover them.

The next lesson is more of a third order effect. Your Area Study should have identified alternate routes for you, but now you need to re-work all your plans. This bridge will be down for months, and maybe years. Identify other routes that you can use. Some might add hours, but you need them. Understand that the nearest bridges on either side are going to have their traffic at least double. You need to factor that into your future planning.

Consider then the long term effects. What comes into the Port of Baltimore (foreign cars and sugar)? Consider the implications to the supply chain. About 50 ships can’t get out, and the other east coast ports will now have to take the overflow, which will slow down logistics and supply chains all over the US. Plan for shortages and longer-than-normal stocking times.

We’d also be remiss to not consider the elephant in the room: What if this is the opening move in a series of infrastructure attacks? While that is highly unlikely, it’s not out of the question. Until proven otherwise, you should elevate your risk level and pay a little more attention until we get a definitive answer. With world tensions where they are, we have to be prudent.

The prudent see danger and hide;
    but the simple go on, and suffer for it.

Proverbs 22:3

Learn from this incident and update your plans.

If you want to upgrade your skills, check out the courses page and register for a TW course. We have a lot of options. We’ve also added radio programming and preparedness plan reviews to our consulting section.

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Donation – March 2024

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This past weekend, I spent some time with a group of like-minded folks working on secure vehicle movement. Having been there and done that on a few occasions, I can report that the guy who led the class really knew his stuff. We capped the day with a practical exercise by actually doing a secure movement.

The class and exercise got me to thinking. We cover this in TW-03 Defensive Operations, but most people haven’t sat down and actually developed a plan, let alone rehearsed the movement. At some of the executive protection courses I’ve had to take, we practiced the skills and immediate action drills dozens of times, but has your group?

The Ultimate Tactical Handbook recommends you plan on this:

Gather up your belongings to leave the land, you who live under siege.

Jeremiah 10:17

Many groups have a generic plan that goes something like this: If things begin to collapse, we’ll meet at Mike’s office parking lot and then convoy the 3 hours to the retreat location. That’s it. No communication plan, no linkup recognition plan, no order of movement, no strip maps/checkpoints, etc. We’re going to flesh that out a bit today.

For the record, this will be the topic of a future TW volume, Secure Vehicle Movement, along with 3 and 5 day courses, because it’s that important. Sure, there are scenarios that would render most vehicles inoperable, but those are very low likelihood. We should train for vehicle use.

When you are linking up, your plan needs to consider a few things. First, who is responsible for security of the link up site? That’s huge and everything we do in preparedness needs to consider security. Next, how will you recognize your team as they approach? Sure, you might know their vehicle, but some type of radio authentication challenge or visual recognition sign needs to be given (like color of the day displayed on the hood). Someone else could be in their car.

Once everyone arrives, your plan needs to have already decided the order of movement, or which vehicle goes where in the convoy. As folks arrive, you need to work on staging those vehicles in that order right away. It’s easier to do it as folks arrive than it is to wait and then try to jockey the cars around (ask me how I know). Every vehicle needs to know every route, not just the lead one, and that’s where a “strip map” or a map of jsut the route, comes into play. Each vehicle needs one.

Cross-loading critical gear is another big point. Your team needs to make their own decisions on what that is, but let’s use medical gear as an example. If your team doctor shows up with the team’s bulk medical gear, spreading that gear out among ALL of the vehicles could prevent the loss of it all if the doctor’s car has to be abandoned on the way. Do the same with all your critical gear.

Having a communications plan that incorporates radio communications between all the vehicles, a special channel for a scout car (if you use one) to communicate with the movement leader, and perhaps other dedicated channels as you need is critical. This plan should be established NOW by team SOP, rather than trying to create one on the fly in the parking lot as society crumbles around you. TW-03A is a good plan to set up that plan.

You need a plan for refueling. Right now, on a road trip, you’d just all roll on into the Love’s or Pilot truck stop and do what needs to be done. Folks would spend 20 minutes fueling, using the restroom and buying snacks. In an event where power may be out and there may be rioting or hostile parties, you need to consider a more secure plan. For example, during the Iraq invasion, there were long lines at Iraqi gas stations. Any security detail that waited in those lines was at risk, and if you cut the line, you’d face a hostile crowd. The solution was to roll in, take over the gas station completely and establish security before refueling. There was no running in to buy a sandwich or use the restroom. Once the vehicles were fueled, they started rolling slowly as the security elements reboarded.

On that note, you need a food/water plan. Each vehicle will need food and water for hte occupants so that no stops need to be made.

You also need a destination arrival plan. You can’t just roll straight into your facility. It may have been overtaken by looters or occupied by squatters. Once you get near, either establish radio communications with your “caretaker team” (in my plan that’s my parents/aunt & uncle) to confirm all is well using an authentication plan or send a dismounted team to creep in and look around first. If you’re making contact with a resident caretaker team, have a “duress” word that they can slip into the authentication conversation in case they are being forced to try and lure your in.

Once you’re inside the location, you’ll need to stage the vehicles for emergency egress BEFORE unloading them. Yes, BEFORE, because we need a bugout plan for our bugout location.

As you can see, there is a lot that goes into this. We’ll be putting out a book on it and offering classes, but we also offer planning consulting as well. Contact me for information on helping you develop a plan or if you’d like a professional review of your plan. I’m also available to come out and teach this topic, along with many others, to your group. Did you know I also offer radio programming service? Pay the shipping both ways plus a fee and I’ll set up your radios.

If you like our content, sign up as a monthly supporter at tacticalwisdom.locals.com or make a donation below (all these radios don’t pay for themselves).

Donation – March 2024

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“How do I find like-minded people to build a community with?” is probably one of the biggest questions I get, but I’m going to have preface this with some tough love. I’m going to tell you how, but you all need to “man-up” (or woman-up or Zhe-up) in this area. What I mean is, when I tell you how, don’t be leaving me a comment (or replying to my email/text/post) about how you can’t do THAT, because “muh OPSEC” or “muh Feds”. Seriously, literally every time…”But, I can’t do that because then people will know where I live” or “But I’ve heard Feds go there” or “I don’t want anyone to know my real name”. Sorry, Bucko, you can’t have both.

The closest friends I have today, I met ONLINE. That’s right. I met them here, or on Twitter, and I took the chance to go to a REAL LIFE event and actually meet them in real life. My plans are more solid, I have a nationwide netwrok, and (more importantly) my life is RICHER because of it.

There is even a piece of Tactical Wisdom on this very topic:

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Hebrews 10:24-25

That’s it; that’s the big secret. Like most things in life, the answer is in the Bible.

Our problem is that we have let the world push us into our homes and in front of our keyboards, when we should be out meeting together. The ONLY way you can find like minded folks and build trust with them is to get out and meet them. There is no other way.

This morning, I did 3 miles on the trail with a man I met here on this site. He took the first step of emailing me, and we met for breakfast a few weeks ago. We decided to go rucking today, and it’s now part of the schedule.

Save 25% with code JOE-D-25

This weekend, we went over and spent the day with 3 other couples. We had lunch, the ladies chatted, the men played with radios and walked the farm, then we all just hung out chatting. I met the host online in a Bible Study I hosted. He told me that he did Viking Preparedness Meet-ups, and I started coming to them. We now talk every day and do things together as often as our schedules allow.

A couple of starting points appear here. Check out Bible studies, your church, or local community events like first aid/CPR classes. Get to know the people at them and ask them about preparedness. You will be surprised at how many people feel like you do, but were afraid to start that conversation. Be bold.

The second starting point is the great work that Pastor Joe Fox of Viking Preaparedness is doing. He has built a community that is building other communities via his Patreon membership. Yes, it might cost you $1-$5 a month, but if you are truly desperate to find like minded folks, his Patreon lists Viking Meet Ups all over the country in a secure manner. It’s worth it.

The man most people associate me with is NC Scout. We met doing a podcast and when he held a local course I went. I met a few like minded people in that Michigan radio class, one of whom I’ve done a bunch more with and I talk to him nearly every day. A few months went by, and I invested in going to a longer and more in-depth class with NC Scout down at his facility, and there I met a bunch of people from my local area who also traveled down there and were looking for like minded people. Now, I don’t miss a class and NC Scout & I have committed to building this community nationally and being facilitators of community-building. The biggest value in preparedness skill classes isn’t always the content, it’s the COMMUNITY. Invest in your skills, go to a class, and meet people.

This is where people say “but aren’t you worried about feds”? First, relax, none of us are really that important. Second, no, we don’t sweat it, because we don’t advocate for silly things or teach anything illegal. If someone starts talking about doing silly things, we tell them to stop. It’s that easy. They can’t entrap you if you just say no. If you still refuse to meet people because of your fear of Feds, congratulations – you’re doing exactly what they want. Well done.

Another big area is in that chat section of online shows/podcasts. We’ve seen at the CFC show, groups form from folks in the chat telling each other where they live and then agreeing to meet for lunch or something. Just don’t invite them directly to your house or invite them along on your trip to kidnap a governor and you’ll be fine. On that note, if anyone ever even hints at kidnapping a governor, tell them NO clearly and move on. ”But, then people will know what town I live in”….relax, chief, no one is hunting you down. It’s like the guys who want encrypted radios…you’re not talking about anything that interesting over the radio, so relax, super-taci-cool-guy, it’s going to be OK. Just don’t post your front door (Let Shadz and Kron do that stuff).

Look for preparedness festivals and weekend events. I know, you have actually work hard to find them, but I can’t do that part for you. There are entire online forums dedicated to this. I met a lot of great folks at the Self Reliance Festival (and one sketchy dude who goes by Risky Chrisky, but he makes good hot dogs & burgers). There are regional events all over, you just have to find them. I was surprised at how many there and you will be too. Get outside your comfort zone and go to event. Shake hands, talk to the other attendees, and make connections.

On that note, I will be at the Self Reliance Festival again April 6-7th in Camden, Tennessee. Its 2 days of classes, information booths, and fellowship on the campus of Special Operations Equipment. Hopefully, some of you can make it. I met Wanda and Jim, fans of the CFC show, members of my Locals community, and Bible study attendees at the last one and it was a highlight of last year. George from Suburban Homesteading Solutions, whom I also met online, well be joining me there and have a booth right next to mine again. It’s a good starting point.

In closing, the only way to find like minded people is just to get out there and do it. You’ll have to do some research and maybe invest a few dollars, but there are no short cuts. Yes, you will have to accept a small degree of personal risk, but if you are too afraid to meet other people, what good would you be in a preparedness group anyway? 

Defy them. Get out and organize. Come to a class. I’ll be at the Brushbeater Scout and Recce courses next week. I how to see some of you at my Fieldcraft in Montana in a couple of months. Watch for more dates to be announced in the coming days.

If you like my content, consider becoming a member at tacticalwisdom.locals.com or make a donation below. Or both, whatever.

Donation – February 2024

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Probably the second biggest pushback I get is: Look, I’m not into radio, so why do I need a comms plan? Well, imagine you didn’t have an advanced microcomputer that you carried with you everywhere for instant communications and information? What if you walked down to the river for water, leaving your family at home, and they were attacked – wouldn’t you want them to be able to call you? What if, during that same trip, you fell down and broke your leg? What if you just want to know what is happening around you?

let the wise listen and add to their learning,
    and let the discerning get guidance

Proverbs 1:5

First, let me start off by saying that no, you don’t NEED to go out and get an amateur radio license. It can be incredibly helpful and there are a lot of great folks in amateur radio, but not everyone needs that license. Having SOMEONE or a COUPLE OF PEOPLE on your team or in your circle who are is incredibly helpful. Those guys can make your long-range contacts to gather information and network. Also, as always, I’ll point out that no one needs a license to receive, and there are several groups who will be sending out news and updates via digital modes that will be like getting printed news reports for you to receive.

What you WILL need is some sort of local, short-range communications. Even if you are out in your backyard and someone in the front yard needs you, a radio is more convenient and quieter than shouting. The same goes for reaching the neighbors or even a few miles out. You need to develop a plan to have daily check-in networks once things go bad. No one is coming to save you; you need to look out for each other.

During the Rhodesian War, they used the “Agric-Alert” system to protect rural farms. All the farms in each area were issued HF radios and they conducted check-ins each night, where everyone’s safety was checked and any information was shared on farm attacks or suspicious groups in the area. Each morning, every farm checked in again, and if anyone was missing, the local farmers banded together and sent a patrol to check on that farm. You need a similar plan.

On the individual farms, the adults and teens each carried a handheld CB (it was the 80s) for their own protection on the farm to call each other for help. We can adapt that to the modern world and use FRS/MURS radios, which are license-free. With MURS, you can install antennas of any height and can send data, which includes both text messages and photos.

With a GMRS License, you can use more power on the FRS frequencies (up to 50 watts) which gives you a more regional radio system. If you can add a solar powered repeater the mix, you’ll extend everyone’s range. The cool thing about having a GMRS license is that GMRS radios at higher power can be heard by lower-powered FRS radios, allowing you to broadcast alerts to your unlicensed friends. Of course, this assumes you’re still playing by the rules at that point.

CB, while Sad Hams will tell you it is dead, makes a great medium for a regional network. With a proper 108-inch antenna mounted high on a building, you can get a pretty big range improvement, especially if you use Single-Sideband (SSB) modes. Millions of CB radios are sitting in basements, attics, and garages, and once the grid goes down, people will get them out, seeking any kind of connection to the outside world. They are also the most readily available radios, being found at truck stops all over.

Think about it in our current world: Truck drivers are literally patrolling every roadway in America (and the world) equipped with CB radios and they inform each other of what they are seeing. Being able to listen in on that today is an amazing intelligence gathering source. I’ve been on the road and experienced a backup and all you have to do is ask over the CB if anyone knows what’s going on. Several drivers will answer with an update on the situation and offering the best alternate routes. It’s a superpower and it’s overlooked. Every time I mention it, knowledgeable hams agree and sad hams chuckle, laughing at the idea. Hey, I’m not in the radio business, I’m in the information and security business, so I’ll take every tool I can get.

So, even if you aren’t a “radio guy”, you need some type of communications plan for:

• Short range intra-team communications (UHF – FRS/GMRS)
• Mid range inter-team communications (VHF – MURS)
• Long range information gathering (HF/CB radio)

Just having these three soldified puts you ahead of the game.

A great way to learn how to develop and use this plan is to take NC Scout’s RTO, Advanced RTO, and SIGINT Courses. These give you a solid foundation. Click the link for dates and registration. While he is running the Montana course, I’ll be installing some communications plan solutions at our Montana Training Site at Camp Ponderosa. We’ll have HF, VHF, UHF, and CB solutions to enable us to remain connected even if the grid goes down.

On a related note, get out to classes and meet each other in real life. We recently held a Stop The Bleed class and had a great time meeting each other in real life. It gives you a touchbase and restores human connections, we need that. If we’re going to survive, we need to know each other in real life.

Registration is still open for my Montana Fieldcraft course. Watch here for more dates all over. Pick up some patches, books, or t-shirts while you’re here.

I’ll be reviewing H John Poole’s newest book, Battledrills for Chinese Mobile Warfare over at tacticalwisdom.locals.com, so become a monthly supporter over there. You can also make a donation here (I’m seeking donations for night vision, LOL).

Donation – February 2024

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It’s no secret that I recommend having a good tent or a tarp along with outdoor sleeping gear. These aren’t meant to be where you live out your days in a without rule of law situation. In fact, in all of my books, I mention that quality of life matters, even in a disastrous situation.

While it’s important to have camping gear ready at any moment in case you have to flee temporarily, what’s better is having somewhere secluded yet developed to go and live. This can be your cabin, farm, or a retreat location. As Tom Petty famously sang: “You don’t have to live like a refugee…”

If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

Romans 12:18

Recently, I taught a class segment for a preparedness group at their private retreat location. While I was there, I got a full tour of the property and its development. I’m not giving out any names or locations, to protect their OPSEC.

When this group first secured a retreat site, it was largely undeveloped and they stayed in tents and pop-up trailers. In very short order, they made the collective decision to upgrade the site for quality of life and I’ll just touch on some of the ideas, without doxing the site or their full plans.

First, it already had a defensible perimeter. It’s back off the road with woods between them and the only road. While there is a driveway, it’s on a far corner and from the road, all you can see is a gate. That’s the first step to avoiding trouble – don’t look like a giant resort area that’s well stocked. Stay small, stay secluded.

The living area they have upgraded to converted CONEX’s as residences, which is a pretty common project now in many parts of the country. The neat thing is they’re doing all the work themselves. They are upgrading to all solar power with generator backup, which will enable them to charge radios, run heaters/AC, and generally improve their quality of life.

They have communal storage buildings, which enables them to pre-stage things, rather than hoping to bring enough in one trip and not having anyone steal it on the way. It also ensures that their supplies stay dry and secure.

All of these things are under heavy forest canopy cover, so that even drones would be unlikely to see any of it. The solar array will obviously be visible from the air, but it is not visible from the ROAD, where most of the problems will come from.

Speaking of observing the road, while the site sits off the road and is heavily wooded, you can clearly see the road because there is a couple hundred yards of clear cut from the edge of the property to the only road. Not only does this enable a concealed OP to watch the road for refugees and bandits, it also ensures that that no one can sneak onto the property from the road without being seen.

This group is building ponds that will be stocked with fish for food and they are establishing small growing plots in the wooded areas to feed themselves.

I don’t share these ideas to dox their plans, but perhaps to motivate you to improve your bug out site. You can still have a pretty decent quality of life if you put in the work today.

Everyone always wants to talk about the guns and firearms training, but improving your bug out location or retreat site is far more important to your longevity, it’s just not as much fun. There is however, satisfaction in seeing the results. The entire group was proud of their retreat and happy to show it off. Best of all, the buidling project devleoped teamwork and a sense of ownership among the members.

If you don’t already know exactly where you are going should it all fall apart (and it looks like it’s going to), you need to figure that out right now. You cannot just wander the wasteland like Mad Max. Develop a plan, and then develop that site.

It’s far better to have a site ready and fully stocked than trying to fill your vehicles with all your gear while your hungry neighbors watch, seeing what all you have and weighing the risk of trying to take it from you. If you already have a location set up, you can just slide into your vehicle and vanish one night with no packing.

Whatever your plans, incorporate quality of life. Things like fresh food, an on-site library of books, and some sort of workshop to occupy your mind and time will all improve the quality of life.  Security concerns must be intertwined into all of this and the less you have to leave your site for, the safer you will be.

As far secure camping, I will be hosting my first Fieldcraft class at Veteran’s Camp Ponderosa in Montana May 3-5 and it is filling up fast. Register here by clicking on Training Courses. I will be scheduling more throughout the year.

There are also spot still available in NC Scout’s February Scout and Recce courses in North Carolina. Click the link to register.

If you like this content, sign up as a monthly supporter over at tacticalwisdom.locals.com where there is exclusive content for members. You can also make a donation below.

Books are in stock, as are T Shirts.

Donation – January 2024

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A man was killed in a knife attack in Paris yesterday and two others wounded. Assaults and attacks related to the Gaza conflicts are happening all over the world and the victims rarely have anything to do with either side. Extremists on both sides are using it as an excuse to commit violence. Meanwhile, crime is up all across the US, world tensions are at an all-time high, and cyber-attacks are having an incredible effect on daily life.

then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not heed the warning and the sword comes and takes their life, their blood will be on their own head.

Ezekiel 33:4

There are alot of people hearing the trumpet, but not many heeding it’s warning. Many people will spend all day debating what’s in their “EDC” on social media, but then get caught in a robbery without that “EDC”. Even worse, they might come across one of these stabbing attacks and have no way to treat the wounded or themselves.

That’s why todays’ topic is that “EDC means EVERY DAY”. I hear people say “I’m not taking my gun because I’m just running to the corner store” – despite the corner store being statistically the most likely place they’ll need it. Worse yet, and I’ve been guilty of this myself in my younger years, “This business trip is just two days….I don’t need to haul along the Get Home Bag or extra gear for just two days”. I remember being on the corporate security team at Target in the days following 9/11 and the struggle to get all the business travelers home with no planes and rental cars sold out.

When I speak of every day carry, I’m not just talking about your pistol. That’s just the one most associate EDC with. What about knives? None of us should ever be caught outside the house without at least a folding knife, but what about the other 2 pieces of the 3 blade rule? Do you always have a fixed blade and a mutlitool available? I never leave without all three. The fixed blade was a challenge, until one evening when Kyle Tepfer handed me a blade made for me specifcally that was much thinner and more concealable with my everyday clothing. Find Kyle Tepfer blades at the Brushbeater store by clicking this link. Check your local knife laws, first. For example, in Michigan you can only carry a fixed blade CONCEALED if it is for hunting. I happen to know that you can hunt pigs, crows, and coyotes year round, so I’m a hunter every day. You can, however, open carry any length of fixed blade and I know a guy who opens carries a sword (well, I know where he hangs out, I don’t actually know him – he’s weird).

The most overlooked EDC though is medical. While I think we should all carry a full first aid kit all the time, you should certainly at least carry a smaller “bleed kit” that has a battle dressing, hemostatic gauze, and a tourniquet. This is pretty small, and I generally carry at least that in my left cargo pocket (yes, even you cargo shorts people can). Most often, I carry a Solatact PTK in the bottom outside pocket of my EDC backpack (my Get Home Bag). I can’t tell you how many times we’ve come across an injury accident and been able to help – you should always have medical gear available. Once, when I stopped to buy a soda, I came out and three 12-14 year old girls were outside the the store and one had just fallen off her bike. Because I had stuff available, I was able to guide her friends through cleaning and dressing her cuts.

A pen and some paper is another EDC thing that is overlooked. I carry a Rite in the Rain pen and a small RITR notebook in a small little wallet-like thing or my RITR index card wallet. You never know when you need to write something down or document what happened and having all weather stuff helps. One a side note, George from Suburban Homsteading showed me that I can make a Zebra all-steel pen into a RITR pen using the right refill.

Another item I carry every single day without exception is a flashlight. I carry some type of flashlight everywhere I go, day or night. Having been inside some buildings in less than savory areas when the lights have gone out has ingrained this in me. Flashlights also have a lot other good uses, like medical (checking for concussion, etc). I prefer USB rechargeable ones because I don’t need to carry extra batteries, but I have both types. I have a stupid number of flashlights, but a Streamlight Micro is in my pocket everywhere I go. Invest here – don’t buy a $10 gas station “Tactical Light”. A good light is worth it.

Lastly, we come to communication tools. Every day, I ensure that a charged battery bank and cable is with me. I might need it. Also, I carry a signal mirror and whistle in my EDC backpack every day, just in case. One of the things I’ve harped on is carrying a radio everywhere you go. This probably comes from a career in protective services and investigations, but it’s not a bad habit to get into. If the cell network goes down while I’m at work or out, those 15 Baofengs at home don’t do me any good. I carry a handheld in my backpack (Baofeng BF-F9 with extended battery in a faraday bag) but I also have my business EDC radio (either an XPR6550 or XTS3000), which also has all the GMRS frequencies programmed in. It costs me nothing to toss it in the car, even though I have a vehicle mounted VHF/UHF radio as well. Redundancy is the key and I might need to abandon the vehicle.

This might seem like a lot to bring with me every day, but once it becomes habit, it seems like nothing. Also, now, I have a little anxiety if I don’t have all of this stuff with me. I’d rather be prepared than not.

If you like this content and would like to support our work, become a monthly supporter at tacticalwisdom.locals.com or make a donation below. You can also support me by clicking the ad links – I may make a small commission at no cost to you if you make a purchase.

Donation – December 2023

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I can’t think of a better topic on Thanksgiving week than building your tribe. Think of the example of the first Thanksgiving – a group of people who fled the dystopian urban centers of Europe to evade over-reaching federal governments intent upon stamping out their religious freedom. Sound familiar?

These people made the ultimate homesteading and prepping gamble – they crossed the ocean and landed on an unknown shore and had to immediately start fending for themselves, foraging, hunting, fishing, and gathering just to survive. They banded together for mutual defense against hostile natives as well as raiding parties from opposing nations and companies (yes, settlements were companies). Not one of them could survive without their “tribe” of fellow settlers.

It was tough. The weather was rough, the terrain formidable, and misunderstandings between them and the locals led to violence. They won some over and resisted others. Some settlements were wiped out, leaving no trace behind. But the majority not only survived but began to thrive. They made it and they didn’t have YouTube or Google to teach them how or social media to find allies.

Similarly, we will not be able to survive without allies. Solomon even noted this 3,000 years ago when he wrote Ecclesiastes:

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
    But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

There you have it; Tactical Wisdom from wise, old Solomon. You need help – you need a tribe.

The most common question I get is “But how do I find like minded people?”. The answer is simple…when you meet people, you tend to gravitate towards people who think like you. Start there. Learn which of your friends or neighbors are worried about the future. I’m guilty of not doing this. I noticed that my one neighbor wore tactical pants and boots frequently, but I never said a word until he walked up and asked me what I do, given my odd hours. Once he learned that I write and teach about preparedness, he was over a lot more and now we both we know we have an ally, which is rare in my neighborhood (If you know, you know).

Social media isn’t bad either, I’d just avoid Facebook who thinks all preparedness groups are extremists (remember the “Canning Group” debacle?). I tend to find my people on Twitter. I have never jumped directly into allowing them to know my plans however. It generally goes like this, I have a mutual and then find out that they are local to my area. Then, I go and meet them – YES – you have to meet people in real life. I’ve met a bunch of local guys (and some not so local guys) in real life and spent time building relationships. I know their families and they know mine – we have meals together and spend time doing things together. Several of these men are now solid preparedness allies and brothers.

One of them organizes Viking Preparedness meet-ups to link people together. I’ve spoken at a few of his meetings, and we’ve found more great people there. The only way you can develop trust and truly get to know people is by spending time with them in real life. Check out Pastor Joe Fox (he’s a fan of the Council on Future Conflict) of Viking Preparedness.

Our recent trip was another example of expanding the network. Myself, NCScout, and Jason from Wyoming Tactical were invited by the Duke of Montana (Stan, The Virginia Gentleman) to come out to the Duchy to make plans for next summer and onward. On my way, I met with Ron Moeller, former CIA Paramilitary Officer and Legendary Gentleman, for breakfast and another Twitter mutual for lunch (you know who you are). We held several days of meetings with the guys from Shield Arms and some amazing folks from the NW Montana Veteran’s Food Pantry/Camp Ponderosa. The entire purpose was to spend time building relationships for the coming times. I came away with several new friends and solid plans to build further relationships. It takes face time, and there is no substitute.

Attending classes and events is another great way. The first time I attended NC Scout’s Scout and Recce courses, I met two local men that I still interact with. One of the guys from his Michigan RTO course is a daily contact for me. During trainings, you build bonds by working together, having meals together, and spending that fellowship time together in the evenings after the training day is done.

The same thing happened when I attended the Self Reliance Festival in Tennessee. I met a lot of people signing books and sitting at the table, but the relationships were built sitting around the campfire and sharing meals (BTW – Risky Chrisky is pretty darn good at making burgers, just don’t ask him about Glizzy’s). I also ran into several Twitter and YouTube fans and just spent time with them.

Think about this – Sharing meals is how humans have developed relationships and built all civlization. From when the first caveman offered a spot by the fire to a hungry & tired family that walked up to today, sharing meals and fellowship time is how all progress happened. Invest that time. Remember just a generation ago when instead of sitting down to stream the latest garbage, families would go to their friend’s houses and play cards while the kids played? We’re missing out now.

About this point, people always chime in with “but what about feds??”. My answer is “what about them?”. I’m certainly not planning to overthrow the government or kidnap any governors and I’m smart enough to not let someone talk me into it. Just not interested. If you keep your discussion focused on preparedness for emergencies like no power, no phones, and no grocery stores, what in that is criminal? Just don’t talk about dumb things with people you don’t know well and you’ll be fine.

Let also be brutally honest: None of us are really that important or interesting to the feds. The Michigan Entrapment Plot was started BY THE FEDS because they needed to paint Trump supporters as dangerous extremists just before an election, and the entire country was already aware of the “Michigan Militia”, even though it’s mostly an unearned reputation, so they found a few barely literate dudes and went to work. Oathkeepers? Fed Op from the start. Just don’t associate with people who openly contemplate violence and you’ll be fine. To be fair, they already know your intenret search history and all your movements because of your phone, so a face to face meeting isn’t exactly going to shed new light on you. They do most of their investigations via cyber now. Don’t sit at home cowering in fear of them – that’s what they WANT. Defy them by getting out and meeting in real life.

Friends, just look at world events. We are heading either for a catastrophic power failure due to increasing reliance on electricity or a major war that impacts our supply chains and infrastructure. Either way, the effect on your life is the same. You need friends and need a tribe.

Do the work.

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Optus Telecom, the second largest telecommunications company in Australia that serves 40% of the population, suffered a complete phone and internet outage for most of the day today. Looking at the above outage map, you might think, “that doesn’t look so bad”, but those red dots represent where most Australians live.

The outage had massive impacts across all of Australian society and almost immediate effects were felt. We’re going to delve into that here and discuss what that means for us in preparedness and how we can mitigate our impacts if it happens here.

Let’s address the elephant in the room: The company claims it has no evidence to suggest this was a hack, but they were hacked last year and had subscriber information stolen and posted to the internet. Optus is owned by Singapore Telecommunications, and there is a HUGE Chinese presence and influence in Singapore, so that remains a potential cause. While they claim it wasn’t a hack, they also haven’t explained the cause either. Whether it was a hack or not doesn’t matter to us, we will deal with effects.

First, this shut down internet and phone service to millions of residential and business customers, but that was just the first order effect. You know me, the second and third order effects are where we need to invest our energy. Sure, it’s inconvenient to not have phone or internet, but what are the follow-on effects?

The first second order effect was an immediate halt to payment systems that rely on the internet. This is where it gets real. Your car is empty, but your card won’t go through at the pump. You are at the grocery store and the card reader just stopped. Sure, carrying cash solves this, and that’s my advice, but how many of you actually carry sufficient cash, more than $20 or $40 pocket money, to transact the business of daily life? Not many. Debit cards and the free movement of electrons make it so much more convenient not to carry cash. Get in the habit of carrying enough cash to buy gas and food if needed and have a larger amount secured at home, in case the situation isn’t resolved quickly.

Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight;
    you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.

Ecclesiates 11:2

That piece of Tactical Wisdom applies directly: Don’t have all your eggs in one basket.

Now, many people then said “OK, I’ll just run to the bank and get cash.” Third order effect time. If the computers are down at the bank, along with the phones, you aren’t getting any of your hard-earned money out. Heck, in the US, it’s hard enough to make a large cash withdrawal with the systems working, let alone when they go down. Again, keeping a supply of cash stored safely at home is a great idea. Australians found bank doors closed or tellers telling them they couldn’t process withdrawals.

ATMs were similarly out, since they rely on phone lines and the internet to dispense cash. That option was out as well.

You know who else relies on telecom companies for lines and connectivity? The government. The Australian 000 service, equivalent to our 911, was down in the affected areas. It eventually came back up, but it was out for a while. Imagine what would happen in Philadelphia, Baltimore, or Chicago if it became known that the police couldn’t answer the phone.

Health care providers reported another second order effect: The inability to pull up records or summon ambulances or doctors for emergencies. One clinic needed an ambulance for a patient and had to run out looking for people with phone service other than Optus to call for help. Several hospitals had trouble reaching specialists for emergencies. With our over-reliance on a working internet and cell system to rapidly exchange medical patient records, this is a huge risk. A suggestion for medical preparedness comes from my friend the Arctic Nurse and is in TW-05 – keeping index cards for each family member with allergies listed, major health conditions, and any medications they are taking listed. Absent electronic records, this at least keeps you safe from drug allergies or dangerous drug interactions.

At the beginning of the outage, the Metro train system came to an immediate halt, as their scheduling and running relies on the internet. They were able to switch networks and get back online, but do you have a plan for outages if you take public transportation?

A third order effect in the transportation sector was Uber. Yeah, something no one thinks about. Since the drivers were operating offline, with no oversight from Uber, prices skyrocketed and were almost triple on typical days. Since the trains weren’t running and folks couldn’t buy gas, unscrupulous Uber drivers decided to make a little bank. As we mentioned last week, develop several foot routes so that you aren’t at the mercy of those who might take advantage. Even worse, what are the odds that some sketchy folks decided to become “Uber drivers for a day” since Uber couldn’t confirm if you were legit or not? Folks were just flagging down cars with Uber signs on them. I’ve always said don’t take Uber because it’s one step up from hitchhiking (as if the mere act of paying for a ride from a stranger somehow makes it safer) and this just confirms it.

After more than 8 hours, some services have begun to come back online, but they are far from full restoration and still haven’t explained what happened. Do you have communications plans to reach your family and loved ones in place? Do you have the resources to get by for more than a day without cell phone or internet?

I know, that last question seems silly, but take an honest look at your daily lives and realize how much of it truly relies on the free flow of electrons. Some of you (probably me to be honest) would start going insane if you couldn’t post on FB or X for 2 straight days. I joke, but do you seriously have enough gas in your car for 2 days? Cash on hand to obtain necessities? What’s your medication situation? Mrs JD needs her Sudafed and if the internet is down, you can’t get Sudafed. How will the younger crowd react to going cold turkey on the internet long term?

Keep in mind that a growing trend in retail is cashless stores and cashier less checkouts. If that self-checkout isn’t connected to the internet, it won’t care how much cash you have because it can’t record the sale. One of the Wal-Mart stores near me has no cashiers after a remodel. Several smaller chains accept no cash. Identify who in your area accepts cash and has an old-school cash register. My friend Abdul (who will find you whatever liquor bottle you need in a hurry) has an old school register and he stocks food, alcohol, and necessities. It might cost a bit more, but I’d rather support him than a mega corporation and I know I can count on him in an emergency. I also know that he’s always openly armed, so his store is a safe place. Find spots like this. A side note to this is to get to know these people. If things get dangerous, Abdul will let me in when he might not others because he knows I’m not a threat and would likely help him protect his store. Be a known good guy.

Whenever one of these events takes place, study the effects and war-game how you would negotiate the situation. Imagine that you were a traveler in that town, and everything stopped working. Our minds are wonderous creations of God, they see visualizations as experience. If you can work through it in your mind, when the real thing happens, your brain will remind you that you worked all these issues out beforehand. Practice visualization.

Consider your neighbors in these situations as well. If you have elderly neighbors who might not be able to call family or an ambulance, go knock on their doors and check on them. Seeing a friendly neighbor when they don’t understand why the meals-on-wheels lady hasn’t showed up can literally save a life. You might find one has fallen and can’t understand why LifeAlert isn’t working. There is some Tactical Wisdom about looking after our elderly neighbors:

Do not cast me away when I am old;
    do not forsake me when my strength is gone.

Psalm 71:9

We’ll keep watch on how the investigation goes and on how long it takes to fully restore service, but I wanted to get you all thinking about this. As world tensions increase, the likelihood that a nation-state bad actor would target our electrical grid, internet, or phone system increases exponentially. Start planning; start acting. That world crisis you’ve been preparing for is upon us.

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Last week, I re-read Surviving Home, Book 2 of Angry American’s Survivalist series. It reminded me of the image above and a lot of the commentary we hear after disasters in America. The first complaint we hear, even from our so-called “limited government” allies, is “Why isn’t the government here? Why didn’t they warn us? Why aren’t they feeding us?”. I decided it was time for another of my tough-love commentaries.

Whose responsibility is it to ensure that your family is fed, has water, has shelter, and is kept secure? Is it the job of the government?

As I often do, I turned immediately to the Ultimate Tactical Handbook and found the answer in a memory verse from the Every Man A Warrior Leader program:

Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

1 Timothy 5:8

Boom – there it is. Straight from the Apostle Paul – God’s instructions. YOU are responsible. If you fail to provide for your family (food, water, shelter), then YOU are worse than an unbeliever. You have denied the faith by not being prepared. The Mormon Church understands this and that is why they are the largest owner of farmland in the US.

Some of you are thinking, “Yes, food and shelter, sure, but we have police and National Guard for security”. Wrong. Those entities exist to protect the GOVERNMENT. Some might say to protect public order, but in recent history, every time public order has gone away, these groups have fallen back to defend government buildings and infrastructure, not YOU. Ask the good people of Maui how relying on them is going.

Guess where we can find this answer? Yep, the Tactical Wisdom from the Ultimate Tactical Handbook:

When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe.

Luke 11:21

Once again, you are responsible to be strong, be fully armed, and to guard your own house. The Book also warns against being a lone wolf and not having a mutual assistance group or some other tribe to help defend you:

But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder.

Luke 11:22

I know, some of you will comment that Jesus was speaking in a parable, but are parables not a way to use real life examples to illustrate a point? In fact, when Jesus explains this parable of the strong man to the crowd, He further drives home this point:

Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

Luke 11:23

Apply that in this context – gathering together with a community of like-minded people strengthens all, yet remaining alone and apart will cause you to be scattered to the winds. Have a community. Take responsibility.

But do we really need to focus on security? Consider your neighborhood. Where will people get food after 5 days of no power? Once all the convenience stores are looted, where can they find food within walking distance? YOUR HOUSE. Yes, it can get that bad and QUICKLY.

In Surviving Home, Morgan notices that only he and his few friends are doing all the work of protecting their neighborhood. Other neighbors notice that Morgan has food and solar power, and begin to demand that he “contribute to the community”. I’m sorry, but that’s just not how this works. After one particularly bad raid on the community, the non-contributing people complain about how long it is taking the fighters to bury the bodies of the bad guys and Morgan asks them why they don’t help. The crowd says “that’s not our responsibility”. Morgan points out that if they aren’t going to fight, they need to contribute in some way.

You know where else that sentiment is explained? You guessed it, the Bible. When explaining how Christians should approach idleness and charity, Paul cautioned the Thessalonians against encouraging sloth via freely giving out aid:

 For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.”  We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies.  Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat.

2 Thessalonians 3:10-12

If someone hasn’t prepared, it’s not your responsibility to feed them because you did prepare. Don’t let people guilt you into it. Every item of food you hand out in a crisis is a meal you won’t be able to eat later. Charity is good, as long as some work is attached. You want some Beanie-Weenie? Fine, I need a new pit latrine dug. 4 cans for a large hole sounds about right.

We all need to realize that the world situation is getting worse and start taking responsibility for our own readiness. No one is coming to save you, and you need to start making plans and preparations if you haven’t already.

The Hamas attack on Israel was a great example here. While most of the nation was unprepared, Inbar Leiberman wasn’t. When she saw the violence beginning to unfold, she didn’t wait for the government to come. She passed out her arms to her crew. She set up defensive operations just like in TW-03 all over her Kibbutz to ensure it could withstand an attack. She then took her best fighters and set an ambush (see TW-04 for this) Four hours later, over 2 dozen Hamas fighter were dead, and she had lost zero personnel. She killed 5 personally. Be like Inbar.

One of the best way to get prepared is to develop a communications plan and start attending training. If you can’t reach each other, you can’t help each other. Even with a small neighborhood, it’s way easier to call from the front to the back by radio than by shouting. The best place to start is with NC Scout’s RTO and Advanced RTO Course.

Make sure that you have at least a 14 day food supply and a full tank of gas at any given point. Build from there. Develop a security plan. An escape and evasion plan isn’t a bad idea either. Pay attention to the news, even though it is depressing, you need to know what’s going on in the world.

We’ll write about escape and evasion plans later this week and follow it up with a supporter livestream next Friday (Nov 3rd) on Locals.

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