That’s becoming more evident today with the masses of “cultural enrichers” invading North America, the UK, and mainland Europe. But that’s not all: people everywhere are also losing their minds, thanks to the crisis and instability, causing friction and violence to rise. I believe this mass insanity will get worse as time passes.

This time, I wanted to go beyond the typical “situational awareness” advice and provide more practical and direct actions to improve personal safety, navigate big city streets, and deal with various situations and unwanted players.

#1 – USEFUL LIES

It’s perfectly fine to lie and create distractions and misdirections when dealing with strangers. When staying silent isn’t an option, use as few words as necessary. The more we talk, the more we give away or complicate ourselves, so keep it short so as not to get trapped in complex stories or contradict yourself.

– Don’t reveal your address.

When an app or taxi driver asks if you “live here,” say, “No, I’m just visiting a friend.” If possible, ask them to stop a few meters before or after your destination, maybe walk a block or two if your sixth sense tells you something’s off.

– You’re never alone.

This is great for women who are approached by a stranger or group, but it also works for men, depending on the situation. When someone tries to start a conversation by asking if you are accompanied (or whatever), just reply, “Yes, my husband/father/friend is here with me.”

– Never provide personal information.

When someone asks, “Do you work here?” “What’s your profession?” or inquires about personal information, casually give vague replies such as “I work in commerce.” Another appropriate reply I’ve used successfully is, “I just got fired and am looking for a job.”

– Never reveal your personal status and financial condition.

It’s silly to try and pass as dispossessed, but if a stranger starts probing (inquiring about your stuff), for instance, if your watch, purse, or piece of jewelry is genuine, tell them it’s a cheap knock-off in a nonchalant tone.

– You’re a savvy local.

If someone asks you, “Is this your first time here?” you can just say, “No, I’m from here,” and go on your way. If they insist, tell them you’re expecting someone and want to be alone to cut the conversation. Try not to look like a tourist. Search places and get directions beforehand to avoid browsing a smartphone in public areas.

– Be vague, play dumb, and ask questions.

People are afraid to pass for fools, and some street folks know how to take advantage of that. Acting a little loony can be useful in some situations. Shooting back with questions is another great way to deflect and uncover information simultaneously without sounding menacing or intrusive. When it comes to delivery, be playful and relaxed or firm and decided, depending on how you choose to act.

Here’s more advice on how not to give out personal information.

#2 – ASSERT A BOUNDARY

A boundary is for your protection, so forget about someone else’s feelings. Get comfortable making people uncomfortable once they cross your boundaries. Be assertive: Don’t ask, don’t wait for further advancements, and be direct (“I need you to take a step away,” “I need to leave now”), firmly but without sounding nervous or raising your voice. Daisy wrote more about this here.

#3 – BE PATIENT

We live in an era of instant gratification and short attention spans. But some things can be rushed in the streets, and many others cannot. The situation has a vote: It dictates what we can (or should) and cannot (or shouldn’t) do.

When I’m out there as a homeless person, I have to bide my time and wait for the right opportunity to do something I want or need all the time. It’s a good exercise, so much so that I talk about it in my street survival training book.

#4 – BE OBSERVANT

Most people walking in public spaces or riding in buses and trains might be somewhat aware of their surroundings and not with their heads in the clouds, but that’s different from being actively observant.

Paying close attention to details and the environment can be a superpower, improving our safety and other aspects of our lives. It requires focus, commitment, and being fully 100% in the moment. It’s a skill that can be developed and improved with practice.

For instance, when riding in a taxi, memorize the color, license plate, and any outstanding details. It’s OK to take a picture if that helps or you cannot memorize everything at the moment, but keep paying attention: How is the car inside and outside? Does the driver have tattoos? Are they tidy and well-presented? Does he or she look intoxicated? Calm, nervous, or agitated?

Another example: when riding a bus or train, take a look before grabbing a handle or taking a seat. Does it look stained or wet? Is there something under the seat, a backpack, a paper bag, or any suspicious object?

#5 – USE EMPATHY TECHNIQUES

In the streets, it’s not uncommon to negotiate something or persuade someone to settle or find a solution to a problem, dispute, contentious matter, or even get out of trouble. Advanced empathy techniques can work well for that and lots more. They can be imperceptible and highly effective if applied properly and subtly to come out naturally.

Some say that’s manipulation, but if your safety and well-being are at risk then who cares, anything is acceptable. Consider this an introduction. Advanced social engineering techniques are a complex and extensive subject, but it is worth reading a few books and practicing to improve these valuable skills.

– Mirroring

The act of unconsciously copying another person’s gesture, speech pattern, or attitude is known as mirroring, and it can help someone establish a connection with others. Another name for it is the chameleon effect.

Mirroring can help build rapport with the person being mirrored by making them feel more connected to the person displaying the mirrored behavior. The two people in the scenario may think they have comparable attitudes and beliefs because they use similar nonverbal cues. Individuals experience a stronger sense of engagement and belonging as a result.

– Reading people

I’ve already gone over the importance of street reading for urban survival here on The Organic Prepper for city dwellers. People-reading is another valuable skill, as we inevitably encounter situations where we must deal with another person or even a group of persons.

Some people are natural-born “people readers.” It’s a talent, a very useful one. Good sales and businesspeople are two examples (politicians are another, unfortunately). But it’s perfectly possible to train and develop this ability. Sales and business courses, as well as police academies, usually teach techniques of what to look for and listen to when interacting with others.

But it doesn’t have to be anything fancy. It’s possible to become a good people reader just by observing people with attention and open mind. Humans are overly self-centered, which keeps us from becoming good at listening and reading others. Once we let our ego aside and dedicate ourselves to understanding and seeing others for what they are – without judgment, bias, prejudice, etc. – it starts coming.

– Reverse psychology

Reverse psychology is a persuasion tactic that involves advocating or pushing for a behavior different from the desired outcome. In other words, we say the opposite of what we want to encourage the other person to do what we actually want.

It works based on a psychological phenomenon known as reactance, which is having a strong negative reaction to someone attempting to persuade us. As a result, we do the opposite of what they are trying to persuade us to do in an unconscious effort to assert our independence and autonomy.

Parents, lovers, and marketers might know this well—or not. We use this strategy on others all the time and fall for it, too, often without even realizing it. Usually, the target of this strategy is unaware of what is going on and may not be completely aware of the other person’s true intentions.

#6 – BONUS: 15 Short rules to survive in the big city

1. Nothing in the streets is personal, so don’t take anything personally. If someone bumps, attacks, or shouts at you, it’s because the attacker is either (a) having a bad day, (b) mentally ill (or on drugs), or (c) wants something from you (a robber, beggar, solicitor, etc). Ignoring and moving away is the best strategy.
2. Step back in avoidable danger. Step up in unavoidable danger.
3. Stereotyping can keep you safer than a firearm: be wary of suspicious types, but don’t neglect or make things easier for anyone, regardless of sex, age, size, appearance, uniform, or whatever. Ignore all PC bullsh*t if you want to stay alive.
4. Trust your instincts and always err on the safe side.
5. Decaying infrastructure can be a hazard. Keep your head on a swivel, but scan ahead and pay attention to where you’re going.
6. In the streets, we command things by the way we conduct ourselves. Opt for non-verbal language to communicate your intentions.
7. You don’t have to respond, argue, justify, or pontificate. When in doubt, remember that silence can’t be misquoted.
8. Stay in control of yourself. When having a conversation, keep your voice low and delivery calm, paced. If you start feeling nervous, pause and, slow down, pay attention to your breathing.
9. Nodding is a way to let someone know you notice their presence. If you must acknowledge a stranger (for whatever reason), nod down. It’s more formal and doesn’t look defiant. If you know the person, it’s OK to raise your chin and nod up. This works in most Western cultures and places.
10. Never stop moving. If you must stop to browse your phone or take a call or whatever, turn your back to a building or wall facing the sidewalk, give a 360 look, and be quick. Or enter a safe place. Jaywalking is OK if it’s safer than standing still waiting to crosswalk.
11. Don’t look at anyone. Eye contact means you acknowledge the other person. The exception is when you want to let someone know you noticed them for some reason, for instance, to disarm a surprise attack you see coming (see “nod up vs. nod down” above).
12. Stay alert for situations in which every second counts. These are the exceptions but matter the most. The rest, not so much, so chill.
13. To keep strangers from getting close, extend an arm with the hand open in their direction and say “can’t stop now” in a firm tone and go your way.
14. Wear shoes you can run in. If you must wear high heels or formal shoes for work or an event, arrive and leave in sneakers.
15. Keep your head down when riding the subway or bus. Don’t stare. If you must look at something or someone without being noticed, use reflective surfaces (e.g., windows, storefronts, your smartphone, etc.).  Get more advice on public transit safety here.

What are your thoughts?

Do you have any tips or suggestions to add to this? If you must be in the city, do you have any personal rules you abide by? What advice would you give to someone who was going to some type of event or appointment in the city? Are you an urban dweller yourself? Do you disagree with any of Fabian’s advice?

Sound off at the Late Prepper Substack.

About Fabian

Fabian Ommar is a 50-year-old middle-class worker living in São Paulo, Brazil. Far from being the super-tactical or highly trained military survivor type, he is the average joe who since his youth has been involved with self-reliance and outdoor activities and the practical side of balancing life between a big city and rural/wilderness settings. Since the 2008 world economic crisis, he has been training and helping others in his area to become better prepared for the “constant, slow-burning SHTF” of living in a 3rd world country.

Fabian’s ebook, Street Survivalism: A Practical Training Guide To Life In The City , is a practical training method for common city dwellers based on the lifestyle of the homeless (real-life survivors) to be more psychologically, mentally, and physically prepared to deal with the harsh reality of the streets during normal or difficult times. He’s also the author of The Ultimate Survival Gear Handbook.

You can follow Fabian on Instagram @stoicsurvivor

In other words, inconvenient truths.

Now, while this nation used to celebrate the revelation of inconvenient truths, one of the 21st century’s biggest spreaders of inconvenient truths, Julian Assange, may be headed to prison for the rest of his life.

Extradition hearings for the WikiLeaks founder wrapped up on February 21, though a decision by British judges is not expected till mid-March. If extradition is granted, this Australian publisher and journalist will be taken to the United States, where he will stand trial on espionage charges.

How does an Australian journalist, who has scarcely spent any time on American soil, get charged under American espionage laws? How does someone, whose only criminal conviction so far has been bail-jumping, spend nearly five years in “Britain’s Guantanamo” on top of seven years in near-isolation in an embassy?

What did Julian Assange do?

Julian Assange founded WikiLeaks in 2006. WikiLeaks was designed to facilitate whistleblowing by providing an anonymous platform for whistleblowers to post material. In 2010, WikiLeaks published almost half a million documents from US intelligence analyst Bradley/Chelsea Manning. Despite the fact that most of this information was already in the public domain, then-President Obama condemned Assange as a national security threat, and Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison, though the sentence was later commuted

Citizens older than 40 may remember Obama campaigning on creating the most transparent administration ever, in his desire to distance himself from the Bush administration and its War on Terror. However, Obama went on to charge more people under the Espionage Act than any other president in history.

None of this stopped Assange. Later, in 2010, WikiLeaks published about 250,000 American diplomatic cables. At the end of the year, while Assange was living in Britain, two Swedish women made sexual assault allegations against him.

Assange did not want to go to Sweden to face trial; he believed the Swedes would turn him over to the American government. So, in 2012, he sought refuge in the Ecuadoran embassy. The Ecuadorans granted him asylum after the Swedish government would not guarantee keeping him out of American custody.

Seven years later, in 2019, the Ecuadorians turned him over to the British police after complaining about his increasingly bizarre behavior and violating their conditions of hosting him.

Since Assange sought asylum in the Ecuadoran embassy rather than go to court, the British government charged him with bail-jumping and granted him the maximum sentence for this, fifty weeks. When the fifty weeks were up, the US charged him with espionage. As lawyer-turned-journalist Glenn Greenwald noted at the end of 2020, espionage charges are so complex that this guaranteed Assange would spend years in prison as British courts deliberated.

Indeed, Assange has been in Belmarsh for more than four years now, where he suffered a minor stroke in 2021, at the age of 50. Again, this is all without being convicted of any crimes more serious than bail-jumping.

How are authorities defending this?

In his data dumps, Assange revealed the names of collaborators within Iraq and Afghanistan. American lawmakers say that revealing these names, as well as the actions of American soldiers in those wars, puts American lives at risk. They believe, therefore, that Assange does not deserve any of the protections journalists would normally enjoy.

There would be a logic to this, if it could be proven true that Assange cost American lives. However, it cannot. No soldiers have ever been proven to have died as a result of Julian Assange’s actions. And as far as the welfare of our foreign collaborators, where was our concern for them when we fled from Afghanistan, handing over more than $80 billion worth of weaponry to the Taliban?

Furthermore, what about the more recent dump of classified information regarding American intervention in Ukraine?

The double standard is nauseating.

Assange’s persecution has far less to do with concern for American soldiers, or their overseas friends, than it does with the fact that Julian Assange embarrassed the Washington establishment in general, and Hillary Clinton in particular.

Documents posted on WikiLeaks showed that the 2016 Democratic primaries were rigged in favor of Hillary Clinton. Naturally, Hillary’s team did not find this flattering, and so her campaign blamed WikiLeaks in part for her 2016 loss.

Hillary does not have a reputation for letting offenses slide. In 2016, she said, “Can’t we just drone this guy?” regarding Assange After being confronted about this, like a good politician, she said she doesn’t remember saying that, but if she did, it was just a joke.

Though Trump seemed generally sympathetic toward Assange, his appointees hated him, particularly CIA director Mike Pompeo. In 2017, CIA officials were so mad about Vault 7 leaks they discussed assassinating Assange.

The Vault 7 leaks revealed vulnerabilities within different operating systems. While federal agencies were upset about the information itself being leaked, what was even worse was that no one at the agencies noticed the data was missing until WikiLeaks posted it.

In response, Mike Pompeo designated WikiLeaks a “non-state hostile intelligence service.” Intelligence officials tried to find leaks between WikiLeaks and the Russian government, though they were never able to do so. Even a former national security official under Trump admitted that the actions taken toward Assange were out of embarrassment, not in response to any kind of tangible threat.

The real problem with Julian Assange is that he destroys narratives.

I don’t know the man personally; I don’t know if he does what he does out of a sincere, disinterested love of truth or if he simply hates the US and wants to humiliate us on the world stage. Maybe he’s just a provocateur who wants to take down the biggest guy in the room.

Either way, our political class can’t tolerate it. They believe that the narrative is more important than the truth and that without a uniting narrative, the American public will collapse.

Who remembers 1984, when Winston gets a copy of The Book? He reads about the Inner Party, about how those most fanatical about the war effort are precisely those who are most aware of how cynically war is used to keep the standard of living low.

This is a real phenomenon, and it’s how Julian Assange described the war in Afghanistan back in 2011, “. . . because the goal is not to completely subjugate Afghanistan. The goal is to use Afghanistan to wash money out of the tax bases of the United States, out of the tax bases of European countries, through Afghanistan, back into the hands of the transnational security elite. . . The goal is to have an endless war, not a successful war.”

Assange made this prediction ten years before our humiliating retreat from Afghanistan, and several years after the Americans could have won the war, had they not gotten distracted in Iraq. All introspection regarding Iraq and Afghanistan proves his points.

Assange continually called bullsh*t on a political elite that thinks Americans are too stupid to keep track of our own overseas interventions.

The US was never supposed to be an unaccountable political establishment.

This country was created with a system of checks and balances, precisely to keep the branches of the government restrained by each other, and the entire apparatus accountable to the people.

A free press facilitates this. Yes, it’s ugly sometimes. I had friends in Iraq. I was furious when the Abu Ghraib photos leaked. But, after years of ruminating on situations like these, I believe it is better for the American public to know what war consists of. I think the press should make it clear that our adversaries in various entanglements are not particularly humane, either. War is ugly. People do horrible things to each other. And that is why it is so important to have a diplomatic class that sees war as an option of last resort.

What happened to Assange should scare everyone who loves freedom.

Assange isn’t killing people. He just reveals information in times and places that the political class dislikes. The Washington establishment wants to push the same narrative that’s been pushed since WWII, that of the Americans being the permanent good guy, no matter what. Assange hasn’t been lying. He’s spreading malinformation, the information that is technically true but inconvenient to the prevailing narrative.

The Legacy Media loved Assange fifteen years ago when the liberal establishment was in favor of anything making George W. look bad. Today, as Assange’s revelations continue to drive the public’s general distrust of the political elite, they want him to disappear. If extradition is granted, they may get their wish.

Julian Assange is guilty of malinformation. That’s it. His decades-long harassment should concern anyone who truly believes in the First Amendment, a free press, and the United States as the Founding Fathers envisioned it.

What do you think?

Do you think that Assange has been unfairly persecuted? Do you think his leaks were important information or stuff that should’ve remained secret? Do you think he’ll be extradited to the United States? What then?

Let’s discuss it in the comments section.

(The Organic Prepper)—Do you keep manual kitchen tools on hand so that you can cook from scratch, even when the lights go out? Every prepper’s kitchen could potentially benefit from these items. Some of them are like the ones our great-grandmothers used, while others are more closely related to a manual version of modern items.

Here is a list of kitchen tools that you may want to add. I use several of these right now and have for years.

Chopper

I have this manual food chopper and use it regularly. It makes fast work of things like onions, garlic, and other veggies and saves me so much time during canning season.  I also use it when I need a lot of a particular chopped item, and when making fresh salsa. It’s an inexpensive addition to your prepper kitchen that can save you a lot of time chopping, dicing, and mincing.

Slicer

A good quality mandoline like this one can be incredibly useful when you need to slice things uniformly and thinly. I use mine particularly when I’m dehydrating produce to get thin, even slices.

Food mill

Canners will recognize a food mill. It helps you to get a nice, smooth puree for things like marinara or apple sauce. You can also use it for potatoes and even for baby food if you have a tiny human in the house. I find a food mill to be invaluable. I love this one because it’s ergonomic and easy to use.

Rotary beater

I still have and use my granny’s rotary beater. The listing calls this item an egg beater but it works well for baking too.  Any place you’d use a handheld mixer, you can also use a rotary beater. You’ll have to put some muscle behind it but this will help with batters, frostings, and mixing. Sure, you can use a fork but I find that a beater incorporates my ingredients much better.

Mortar and pestle

I find a mortar and pestle to be invaluable. It’s a great tool for macerating herbs and also for grinding dried ones. This has both culinary and medicinal uses – I use it when getting herbs ready for a decoction or an infusion, and also for getting the most flavor out of my kitchen spices before adding them to a dish. I’ve also used it to grind up medication to hide in my pets’ food, and you could do the same for humans who perhaps cannot swallow a pill. This is a really nice one that is a useful size.

Can opener

Do you have a manual can opener? Do you have two? (One is none and two is one!) This one is very high quality and is also easy to use. I’ve had a few that were really difficult to crank, but the Gorilla Grip is my absolute favorite. This is a place you really don’t want to cheap out, particularly since preppers often rely heavily on commercially canned goods.

Manual meat grinder

Here’s another place you don’t want to cheap out: with a meat grinder.  A meat grinder is a great way to make a tough, unpleasant cut of meat more palatable. I’ve tried the cheap $30-40 dollar ones and they break quickly, do a poor job, and are difficult to crank. This is the one that I swear by. It’s easy to assemble and disassemble for cleaning and works extremely well. Yes, it’s a bit of a physical workout, but not nearly as much as the cheap versions.

French press or pour-over coffee maker

If you want to be able to have your morning java long after the power goes out, there are two really simple options that only require your coffee and boiling water: the French press and the pour-over coffee maker. I’ve had this French press for years and always used it as my backup. But recently, my daughter got this pour-over coffee maker with a permanent filter. (I guess pour-over is trendy now?)

Both of these make a great cup of coffee, and really, it’s up to your personal preference what kind to get. French press is less filtered and makes a stronger, bolder cup of coffee, so if you prefer a blonde roast or a lighter cup, you’ll want the pour-over version. If you get your coffee in whole-bean form, you’ll also want a coffee grinder. I love the vintage look of this one: the reviews are great and the price is right.

Pasta maker

Do you like pasta? Do you have hundreds of pounds of wheat put aside? If the answer to these questions is yes, then you might benefit from a manual pasta maker. It’ll save you a lot of effort when you can run your dough through this instead of rolling it out and carefully slicing it to the right size. Not only does it work well for noodles, but you can also use it for making dumplings and pierogie.

Tortilla press

I got my cast iron tortilla press in Mexico, but this one is very, very similar. It’s the very best way to get a nice thin tortilla to fry up. It’s nearly impossible to roll the dough thin enough, and that’s extremely time-consuming. Tortillas are another great way to use your stash of grains, and they are quick to make with a press. Ladies who I knew when I lived in Mexico would spend a few hours every weekend making fresh tortillas for the week ahead. Once you’ve had homemade tortillas, you’ll never want to go back to storebought.

Wheat mill

Grinding wheat is hard work. In good times, I would always recommend using an electric wheat grinder because the job is time-consuming and takes a lot of muscle. But if the power is out and you want to work your way through those wheatberries, you need a proper grinder.

I’ve tried numerous different brands, and I always go back to the Wondermill Junior. There’s no other grinder around that does such a good job and really does so as efficiently as possible. Yes, there are cheaper ones, but you get what you pay for. If you stash grains in their whole form, you will need a grinder to make them ready for cooking. You can grind basically any grain with this device, and it also includes an auger to make masa and nut butter.

If the Wondermill is too spendy, this is the next best choice.

What are some manual kitchen tools you recommend?

Do you have manual tools for your kitchen? Do you have the ones listed here? Are there others you’d recommend? And do you use them now or are you saving them for power outage situations?

Leave your thoughts about this article on Late Prepper Substack.

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.

The thing to remember is that there is a lot more to prepping than just feverishly filling mylar bags with food or stacking ammo to the ceiling. You need to think outside of the consumer mindset.

How to prep without spending a lot of money

Prepping on a dime is something I got good at by necessity. If you want to learn more, check out my paperback book How to Prep When You’re Broke. I know that it feels like prepping is a costly endeavor but there are so many things we can do and learn without spending money. You can’t necessarily buy your way out of a disaster or a collapse. Skills and mindset can be as important – if not more so – than physical goods.

Here are ten ideas to get your wheels turning.

#1) Fill containers with water

If you haven’t taken out the recycling yet this week, don’t!  You can use those empty two-liter soda pop bottles and gallon water bottles to stock up on a drinking water supply. Count on a gallon a day per human and pet. (Two 2-liter bottles are approximately a gallon).

But don’t stop there. If you have other containers that shouldn’t be used for drinking water, you can fill them with water for other uses, like sanitation, flushing the toilet, and keeping clean.

Add to your supply each week, and soon you’ll have a month supply, quietly sitting there in your basement. Here’s an infographic to get you started on safely storing water. If you want to be more serious about your water supply, I have a book about it that you can get on Amazon.

#2) Do a drill

The absolute best way to know what you need during an emergency is to simulate a crisis.  Get your family on board and spend a weekend without power and running water. Keep a list going for the entire weekend so that you can note what needs arose. (Leave the breakers on for the refrigerator and freezer – you don’t want to potentially have your food spoil.)

Can you make coffee and food? Can you keep warm in the winter and cool in the summer? Can you keep the kids entertained without the internet or phone service?

#3) Learn what edibles are wild in your area

Go to the library and grab a book on foraging. Then begin to explore your local area to find out what food grows wild there, formerly unbeknownst to you. Go on a nature walk and come home with goodies!

The fun doesn’t stop with just bringing the food home. Next, research how to best prepare the wild edibles you’ve acquired. You may find this at the library or you may be able to search for recipes online.  Be sure to jot down in a notebook what you found and how you prepared it.

#4) Put together important information

Organize your essential papers and documents into a folder so that you can grab it quickly if you ever have to bug out. Include things like medical records, veterinary records, deeds, mortgage papers, insurance policies, social security numbers, and identification.

Don’t stop at just putting it in a folder. You should also scan these documents and save them in the cloud. Here is a preparedness based article on the topic and another article on whether or not this is a safe action.

#5) Prep for an evacuation

Now you need to pack a bug-out bag. If budget is a concern, use bags you already have along with supplies that you already have. The important thing is to have this stuff organized and be ready to go at a moment’s notice. Have a list of last minute items so that you know what you need. It’s better to think this through when you’re calm, not when the clock is ticking towards disaster.

You’ll want things like personal documents, extra medication, comfort items for children, and survival supplies that could get you through 3 days away from home.  To take a look at the ultimate prepper’s bug out bag, look at this one from Graywolf Survival. Don’t forget sentimental items. They are truly the only things that could never be replaced.

Figure out where you’ll go. Is there a friend or family member in another area who would welcome you? Is there a pet-friendly hotel (if you have pets?) Where is the usual shelter in your area during natural disasters? Knowing all this ahead of time and mapping routes will help you to evacuate faster.

#6) Bookmark some websites

The internet is a wonderful place, and best of all, this knowledge can be found for FREE! The more you know about crisis situations, the more ready you will be to face them. Some sites are friendlier to beginners than others, so if you stumble upon a forum where people seem less than enthusiastic about helping people who are just starting out, don’t let it get you down. Move on and find a site that makes you feel comfortable. Following are some of my favorites, and the link will take you to a good starting point on these sites. In no particular order:

• The Organic Prepper (obviously – and subscribe here for the daily newsletter)
• Mind4Survival
• Graywolf Survival
• SurvivalistPrepper.net
• Survival Weekly
• AreYouPreparedMama
• Survival Blog

#7) Learn a skill

A huge part of prepping is your skills. In a big enough disaster or one that lasts much longer than expected, there’s every possibility your supplies will be destroyed or run out. Knowing what to do then is vital to your survival.

Your public library and the internet are great resources. I learned to run a homestead with videos from YouTube. Seriously, there’s nothing you can’t learn to do if you have access to these things.

So think about a skill you’d like to acquire that doesn’t require expensive equipment. I already mentioned foraging but there are loads of other things to learn. A few suggestions:

• sewing by hand
• mending things
• repairing things that are broken
• building a shelter using found items
• cooking over a campfire
• grow food from scraps
• trapping with a snare
• cooking from scratch
• research first aid and basic medical information
• learn to upcycle the things you’d generally throw away into something useful
• take free classes

You get the idea. Anything that is an old-fashioned skill would come in handy during a survival situation.

#8) Map out your local area

It’s a good idea to locate important resources in your area well before you need them. Here are a few reasons why:

• You may plan to travel or may unexpectedly be required to travel to another location during a disaster, which may require you to use alternate routes. You can use maps to determine these routes for yourself rather than just following the crowd
• You may want to determine the location of dangerous weather (tornados, hurricanes, winter storms, etc,) in relation to where you are
• Determine the location of resources that you might want to travel to and alternate routes to get there (Part 4 will provide more information on this topic)
• Determine locations and direction of travel of mobs, crowds, or potential enemy forces that you might hear about on the radio or TV
• Locate military intelligence type information about potential or actual threats to your location that you might discover talking to fellow travelers (source)

There are many free maps available for download. You can find them with a quick internet search.

#9) Meet like-minded people

Now, when I say you should meet like-minded people, I’m not necessarily talking about preppers. There’s a broad array of folks that could be the makings of a fantastic survival community.

• Get to know folks in your area who garden.
• Meet your local farmers.
• Make friends at the shooting range.
• Members of local homesteading groups are already independent thinkers
• Community watch members on social media
• Attend free county extension office classes on canning, gardening, and food preservation

As I’ve written before, you are shortchanging yourself if you think only preppers will be likeminded. Here’s an article on finding a community.

#10) Get fit.

One thing preppers often overlook is the importance of their physical abilities. Even if you are disabled, there are things you can do to improve your fitness and stamina.

Search for exercises online that you can do whatever shape you are in or limitations you have. And, if you DO have disabilities, you need to figure out smart ways to work around your limitations. (Find more info for disabled preppers or those with a chronic illness here.)

The easiest way to start your journey to fitness is by lacing up your most comfortable and supportive shoes and going for a walk. You can begin to challenge yourself to lift and carry heavier things. You can stretch using an online yoga video. The big goal is to just get started. And, if you are carrying around too much weight, you may want to work on losing a few pounds to make things easier on your joints during a crisis situation. (If you are really serious about getting fit, here’s a great book on the topic, written just for preppers.)

You can prep without spending a fortune. You just need to be smart about it.

Don’t let your budget get you down.

Of course, we’d all love to be able to grab a five year supply of freeze-dried foods, load up on guns and ammo, and move to our fully-stocked bug-out retreats in our Hummers, but for most folks, that isn’t at all feasible. What IS feasible is focusing on the things we CAN do. (If you have a little bit of money to spend, check out this article on $1 preps.)

The most important ways to prep are to keep learning, keep organizing, and be alert. If you do those three things, even without spending a lot of money on supplies, you’ll be far, far ahead of the unprepared masses. Sometimes I think those of us who live with a very tight budget may just be better off when things go sideways because we already know how to sacrifice and get by on less.

Do you have any other ideas for free ways to prep? Are you prepping on a tight budget? Share your suggestions and ideas in the comments section.

Sound off about this article on the Late Prepper Substack.

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.

People create prepper food stockpiles for many different reasons, and because of this, there is no “one-size-fits-all” formula for doing so. You must figure out what your goals are and develop a road map towards achieving them.

Having a food supply just makes sense.  Every time there is a disaster, the masses become hysterical, and chaos ensues because there is no food available because of our “just-in-time” food delivery system. (Remember March of 2020?) Your stockpile can also mean the difference between continued freedom or forced compliance to get food.

There are three basic types of food supplies.  Let’s look at these food storage ideologies. Then take the most applicable strategies and combine them to create your own version of the ultimate pantry.

The Bunker Pantry

This is the most “hardcore” of the prepper food stockpile types.  A Bunker Pantry is the type of food supply that could keep you going for the next ten years without a single trip to the store.  Sure, it might be a little bit boring and lacking in variety, but it is a supply that will see you through any disaster and allow you to remain in your shelter.  This type of pantry focuses on huge quantities of long-term foods, repackaged carefully to resist spoilage due to pests or the elements.

If this is the type of pantry you’d like to build, focus on staples that last a long, long time, such as wheat, rice, dried beans, salt, and sugar. These foods can be purchased in bulk and repackaged by the user, or you can purchase them already packaged up through vendors like the LDS warehouse or online food storage websites.

Add emergency food buckets and freeze-dried foods to this for a bit (but not a lot) of variety. Here are some tips on food buckets.

The pros are that this kind of food supply can be created very quickly. If you have the money to do so, you can order all this stuff at once and shuffle it into your store room. As well, once you have it stored away, there’s a lot less rotating required. You can get it and forget it.

The cons are a very limited diet that may not be healthy for a long period of time, food fatigue from eating the same stuff for ages, and expense. This is by far the most expensive way to create a prepper food stockpile. As well, takes a lot of space to store this much food, so generally, a dedicated area must be used as a storeroom.

The Agrarian Pantry

This type of pantry is the kind our ancestors had.  Most of the food is acquired during the growing season, and only small shopping trips are needed to supplement this throughout the year. It combines enough basic staples for the year ahead with enough of your preserved harvest to get you through the next growing season.

This type of pantry must be replenished every year. Basically, the items in your pantry are purchased and put back with the intention of consuming them within the next 12 months.

The pros to this prepper food stockpile are that it’s healthy, loaded with variety, and sustainable if you are growing or acquiring your food locally. I find it really enjoyable to preserve food and I like to be creative with the ways I put food back. (Get more ideas here.)

There are a few cons to this method as well. Not everyone has the space or ability to grow food. Farmer’s markets, where I used to get tons of fresh food to preserve, have become expensive artisan havens. A bad harvest can mean a lean year ahead if you are unable to supplement with store-bought goods. And finally, it’s a lot of work, and not every prepper is up for that.

The Bargain-Hunter’s Pantry

This is the type of pantry made famous by the extreme couponing shows.  Using a variety of strategies, people can amass an enormous quantity of food for very little money.  Couponing, sale shopping, bartering, and buying from outlet stores and warehouses can help to create a pantry full of packaged items.

The great thing about the bargain hunter’s pantry is that you can build up a huge amount of food on a very limited budget if you’re a smart shopper.

But there’s a downside to this method as well. While this is a great way to get started or to supplement your other strategies, this can make for an unhealthy diet.  Much of what you are acquiring is highly processed, and without a lot of personal discipline, you aren’t building a balanced pantry but just stockpiling whatever is the cheapest.  If you use this method, you must be extremely careful not to end up with a pantry filled with low-quality carbs and lacking in protein, fruits, and veggies. (Cheap ketchup is NOT a vegetable)

Combine the best of each strategy to build the ultimate prepper food stockpile.

The best prepper food stockpile combines the three strategies listed above to create the optimal supply for the needs of your particular family.

The key is organization.  Keep the following tips in mind to create the best possible pantry.

1. Keep an up-to-date inventory so that you know what you have
2. Catalog your coupons by type and expiration date
3. Track the sales cycles.
4. Keep your products rotated into your kitchen so that you don’t lose foods to missed expiration dates.
5. Store longer-term foods in optimum conditions to prolong their viability.
6. Maintain a list of what is needed to balance your pantry nutritionally so that you can focus on those items when an unexpected bargain pops up.
7. Buy pantry staples (like beans and grains) in the largest quantities you can manage in order to maximize your savings. (Learn more.)
8. Remember the adage “Store what you eat and eat what you store.”  It isn’t a bargain if you purchase something no one in your family will eat.
9. Supplement your pantry by growing as much as possible in your particular circumstances, even if you are just adding a windowsill herb and salad garden. (Learn more here and here.)
10. Tap into your inner hunter-gatherer with strategies like foraging, fishing, snaring, and hunting.
11. Purchase seasonally and in large quantities from local growers (or harvest from your own gardens).
12. Become a food preservation expert and stock up on the necessary tools and supplies. (Learn more.)

Use these strategies as a jumping-off point for your own ultimate prepper food stockpile. You may be able to improve your existing pantry by borrowing strategies from a different pantry type.

If you’re looking for more information on creating a pantry, I have a really popular course about building a pantry on a budget that you can take online. If you want hard copies of the information, check out my book, Prepper’s Pantry.  I also compiled every food-related post from this website into a physical book called How to Feed Your Family No Matter What. It contains all our content on the storage, acquisition, preservation, and preparation of food.

Which is your favorite prepper food storage strategy?

Do you focus on one of these strategies over the others? Did you start out with one and then evolve to another? Do you combine all three? Do you have any advice for folks who are new to pantry building?

Comment on this post or subscribe to the Late Prepper Substack.

 About the Author

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.

Around 100-150 years ago, the name “hobo” was used to describe a homeless or nomadic person, usually a man, who would hop on freight trains to get from place to place, often to find work. In the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, hobos were a well-known subculture, particularly during the Great Depression.

They wandered from town to town, searching for transitory employment, food, and shelter, leading a nomadic lifestyle. Even though they lived on the periphery of society, hobos upheld values that encouraged independence and respect for one another and the community they worked in.

Hobos were well-known for having a unique culture that included a code of conduct, symbols for communication, and even a yearly convention. The American traveling worker’s folklore has benefited from the songs and stories that hobos frequently wrote about their experiences. Their way of life has also been romanticized in literature, with some seeing it as a symbol of freedom and adventure. There are some interesting things that preppers and survivalists can learn from their lives.

Beyond their cultural and social relevance, hobos are also survivors – a good kind of survivor.

As one can imagine, life as a hobo was challenging and often involved dangers and hardships. However, it was a form of survival for many during a time of economic instability and job scarcity. Hobos didn’t survive on handouts. Instead, they relied on their resourcefulness, the help of their fellow travelers, and the communities they worked in.

In my Street Survival Book, I describe the homeless as “capable survivors.” Regardless of one’s opinion of them – and today, there are many different types of homeless – we must acknowledge the skill set necessary to live on the fringes of society, whether in a city or on the road. It’s something to behold.

Just as with the homeless, there are many different kinds of travelers: hobos, tramps, bums, the Roma, hippies, and so on. Most people consider these types to be connected, but they’re different: a hobo travels and is eager to work; a tramp has a reason to be on the road but tries to avoid employment. And a bum does neither: they stay fixed and rely on the support of others only.

The hobo is subject to the same challenges, hardships, and probations as everyone living on the streets or the road. However, they can be considered unique because of their origins, their history, and, above all, their ethics. Those things make all the difference. Traveling from town to town as a decent person was much easier than a vagrant. Likewise, it’s a lot easier to live in the streets as a decent person.

Also, in my book, I highlighted how decent conduct can impact the standard of living and quality of life of someone living on the streets. After years of trying that lifestyle myself and getting in contact with all kinds of street people, I can affirm that living by the code of the hobo is a superior – much better, safer, and healthier – way than being a bum or worse, an outcast, involved with drugs, alcohol, and crime.

The history of the hobo

Although there are several variations and unclear origins, the name first appeared in the American West around 1890. Some claim it was a shorthand for “homeless boy” or “homeward bound.” Others claim that after the war, Confederate veterans of the Civil War were destitute, impoverished, and hungry, and some even strolled through towns looking for work while carrying a garden hoe. Author and journalist Bill Bryson wrote many nonfiction books on topics in American culture. In his 1998 book “Made In America,” he suggests that the term “hobo” might have originated from the train salutation “Ho, beau!”

By the late 19th century, the heart of Hobohemia was the main drag in Chicago, where train lines radiated out into every corner of America. It was easy to find work in the slaughterhouses, to go west and build a dam, or go east and take a job in a new steel mill to make a buck before you caught the road again.

The hobo would follow the boom-and-bust movements of a shifting economy, searching for transient work like lumbering and mining or seasonal fruit picking in parts of the country without much population, where more hands were needed. That’s how railroads and hobos became integral to the US labor movement, especially in the Pacific Northwest.

The hobo subculture of the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries has parallels with the “Beat Generation” of the 1950s. Both embraced alternative lifestyles and values that challenged mainstream norms. The Beat Generation celebrated nonconformity, spontaneity, and a nomadic lifestyle, much like the hobos before them.

The Beats also traveled across the US, often by hitchhiking or hopping freight trains, searching for personal discovery and broader cultural engagement. Their movement laid the groundwork for the countercultural revolutions of the 1960s, such as the hippies.

A unique period of American history is reflected in the hobo ethical code.

The Hobo Code – an outline of ethical practice and communal etiquette for those living a transient lifestyle – was written in Chicago in 1894 and introduced during the 1889 National Hobo Convention held in St. Louis, Missouri.

Based on mutualism and self-respect, it remains every hobo’s founding document, a simple and forthright set of instructions to live by. It’s a fascinating study in nomadic social order and serves as a reminder that every subculture has customs and guidelines that set expectations for conduct and guarantee the well-being of all participants.

Despite the difficulties of a nomadic lifestyle, the tenets outlined demonstrate a strong sense of camaraderie and respect among hobos and a focus on individual accountability and dignity. The code emphasizes the value of honoring the law, the environment, and the towns they travel through.

THE HOBO CODE

1. Decide your own life; don’t let another person run or rule you.
2. When in town, always respect the local law and officials, and try to be a gentleman at all times.
3. Don’t take advantage of someone who is in a vulnerable situation, locals, or other hobos.
4. Always try to find work, even if temporary, and always seek out jobs nobody wants. By doing so, you not only help a business along but ensure employment should you return to that town again.
5. When no employment is available, make your own work by using your added talents at crafts.
6. Do not allow yourself to become a stupid drunk and set a bad example for the locals’ treatment of other hobos.
7. When wandering in town, respect handouts and do not wear them out; another hobo will be coming along who will need them as badly, if not worse than you.
8. Always respect nature; do not leave garbage where you are wandering.
9. If in a community jungle, always pitch in and help.
10. Try to stay clean and boil up wherever possible.
11. When traveling, ride your train respectfully. Take no personal chances, cause no problems with the operating crew or host railroad, and act like an extra crew member.
12. Do not cause problems in a train yard; another hobo will be coming along who will need passage through that yard.
13. Do not allow other hobos to molest children; expose all molesters to authorities – they are the worst garbage to infest any society.
14. Help all runaway children and try to induce them to return home.
15. Help your fellow hobos whenever and wherever needed; you may need their help someday.
16. If present at a hobo court and you have testimony, give it. Whether for or against the accused, your voice counts!

The hobo tradition and lifestyle lives on.

The hobos still have a National Hobo Convention, held on the second weekend of every August since 1900 in the town of Britt, Iowa. It’s organized by the local Chamber of Commerce and known throughout the town as the annual “Hobo Day” celebration. It’s the largest gathering of hobos, rail-riders, and tramps, who gather to celebrate the American traveling worker.

The Symbols

The exclusive, secret language based on symbols to communicate with other hobos coming to town about threats, opportunities, and lots more, reveals how sophisticated and established is the hobo culture. That alone separates them from any other kind of wanderer or street type and is in no small part responsible for the enduring tradition of the hobo.

“This brilliant, hieroglyphic-like language appeared random enough for busy people to ignore, but perfectly distinctive for hobos to translate. The code assigned circles and arrows for general directions like, where to find a meal or the best place to camp. Hashtags signaled danger ahead, like bad water or an inhospitable town.” [SOURCE]

A similar strategy is used by people in various SHTF, from wars to invasions, and even among trekkers and backpackers. Sometimes it’s more discreet (for OPSEC reasons), others it’s more open. But the principle remains, and it’s another unique facet of the hobo culture.

Final words.

I’m a common citizen with family, friends, work, and a home. However, between my passion for trekking, backpacking, and camping in wild and rural settings, my days and nights in the streets among the homeless, I confess to have an attraction to the nomadic, independent lifestyle. Maybe that’s why I keep going away from time to time.

I also have a passion for history, and find the hobo a fascinating part of American culture. They exist in many, if not most, other countries as well, and their incredible stories are accounts of a different era, reflecting wisdom, tradition, and the true spirit of survivalism.

For further reference, here are some books that can be found on Amazon and other outlets.

• The Hobo: The Sociology of the Homeless Man, by Nels Anderson and Robert E. Park
• The Autobiography Of a Super Tramp: The Life of William Henry Davies, by W. H. Davies
• The Road, by Jack London

The hobo lifestyle, code of conduct, work-based ethics, and system of communication were all forged in practice during a very hard and challenging period, which means it’s proven to work and thus can provide valuable lessons for crises and other SHTFs.

Do you know of any other lessons we can take from the hobo subculture? Do you have any stories about hobos to share? Let’s discuss it in the comments section.

Leave your thoughts about this article on our Late Prepper Substack.

About the Author

Fabian Ommar is a 50-year-old middle-class worker living in São Paulo, Brazil. Far from being the super-tactical or highly trained military survivor type, he is the average joe who since his youth has been involved with self-reliance and outdoor activities and the practical side of balancing life between a big city and rural/wilderness settings. Since the 2008 world economic crisis, he has been training and helping others in his area to become better prepared for the “constant, slow-burning SHTF” of living in a 3rd world country.

Fabian’s ebook, Street Survivalism: A Practical Training Guide To Life In The City , is a practical training method for common city dwellers based on the lifestyle of the homeless (real-life survivors) to be more psychologically, mentally, and physically prepared to deal with the harsh reality of the streets during normal or difficult times. He’s also the author of The Ultimate Survival Gear Handbook.

This year’s climate summit was the first to extensively address food production.  There was a Food Systems Pavilion with eight thematic days, and one of those days was exclusively about how to “Advance Protein Diversification.”

In other words, how to get people to eat stuff they don’t want to.

The publishing industry is getting into this, too. You can find dozens of books that have been recently brought to market, earnestly promoting insects as food to save the planet. These are not to be outdone by books swearing that lab-grown meat will revolutionize food.

They discussed how to “push” consumers toward novel protein.

Discussions highlighted innovations in Israel, Brazil, Singapore, Denmark, and the Netherlands, all countries that have pioneered research in either insect farming or cultured meat.  The folks at the climate summit discussed “how we can push others toward the tipping point in protein diversification.”

One discussion focused on circular agrifood and biomass.  “Circular agrifood” sounds high-tech but really boils down to waste processing.  For example, a farm may be perfectly circular if livestock exclusively consumes vegetation on the farm, their poop is spread around the pastures, they get processed on-farm, and the waste materials are buried, fed to dogs, or otherwise kept on the property.  Two hundred years ago, most farms were “circular agrifood systems.”

So, are they promoting the traditional closed-loop, locally-owned, independently operated farms?

Not quite.  This discussion was chaired by an expert in waste management and a representative of an innovative food processing company, not managers of closed-loop farms.

In fact, if you live in a wealthy country, these people may see your local farmer as the problem, not the solution.  Speakers at COP28 summits blame overconsumption in wealthy countries for food instability in poorer ones.

This is a gross simplification of an incredibly complex set of problems.

Overconsumption of food isn’t just a “rich people problem.” It’s the opposite.

For starters, overconsumption of food is not necessarily related to overall wealth.  You don’t see overweight people walking around elite enclaves like Malibu or Aspen. They’re in the poorer parts of major cities, and throughout rural America.

I spent much of my childhood in a low-income household.  People at the bottom of the socioeconomic food chain are not overconsuming pastured steaks and Kerrygold butter. They’re overconsuming the stuff their SNAP benefits pay for at Dollar Tree, foods like Doritos and Mountain Dew.  These foods are artificially cheap because they are made of processed corn, which is heavily subsidized by the government.

US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is aware of this. He was less militant about eliminating meat from American diets than his European counterparts.  His talks during “Food Day” emphasized less food wastage rather than eliminating meat and dairy.  However, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) insists that affluent Westerners need to reduce meat and dairy consumption by 35-50% to achieve climate goals.

Climate change is being blamed for food shortages in developing countries.  However, you cannot ignore the role distribution problems play.  These might be related to war or to internal problems such as corruption. They are not necessarily affected by the actions of wealthier countries.

Solving the problem of low-income, overweight Americans would involve massive cultural changes.  It would involve fixing the subsidy system that makes junk food so cheap.  It would involve a huge push to re-introduce home economics classes, empowering people to prepare their own food.  And it would involve a change in cultural expectations. When working multiple part-time jobs is the norm, it’s really hard to find time to prepare healthy meals.

Food scarcity in developing countries isn’t because of “rich Westerners,” either.

Solving the problem of food scarcity in less developed countries is no small feat either. It would involve better infrastructure, such as roads and refrigeration facilities.  It would also require accountability at the local level in terms of ensuring corrupt officials do not keep donated goods for themselves.

All of these solutions involve increasing local control and self-empowerment for individuals to make better decisions for themselves.

So, is that what the food giants and the attendees of summits like COP28 are working toward?

These summits promote consolidation and processed foods.

No, they’re going to keep moving toward consolidating food companies and putting more highly processed junk food on the market.

The “Big Four” meatpackers (JBS, Cargill, Tyson, and National Beef Packing) control more than 80% of the market.  Of these four, JBS, Cargill, and Tyson have invested in cultured (lab-grown) meat.

They are beginning to see themselves as in the protein business rather than the meat business. Also, it doesn’t hurt that investing in alternative proteins helps companies’ ESG scores.

They are not just investing in cultured meat. Cargill and Tyson have also been investing in insect production.

In 2022, Cargill partnered with Innovafeed, an insect meal producer.  They feed livestock waste to black soldier flies, which then are in turn fed to farmed fish, chicks, and piglets.

Now Tyson’s getting in on the game.  In October, Tyson purchased a minority stake in Dutch insect farming company Protix.  They plan to build a black soldier fly facility in the US for use in pet foods and livestock feed.  Tyson says they do not plan to add insects to human food “at this time.”

Fish, chicks, and piglets do naturally consume insects.  But I still think this drive toward partnerships between giants in the traditional livestock industry and insect producers is worth our attention.

In a previous article about eating bugs, I referenced studies finding that putting the infrastructure in place for insect protein production is not as climate-neutral as it pretends to be.  Constructing the facilities required for a substantial amount of protein production would require a significant amount of space and energy.  A whole new infrastructure would need to be built, and in a more freely functioning market, investors would need to see demand before making those kinds of commitments.

As we noted in another previous article, the demand for novel proteins has not been developing organically, and a huge infrastructure for conventional meat processing already exists.  Consumers are not choosing novel proteins. They’re being pushed on us by people who seem religiously convinced that eating insects is good for the planet.

Tyson may not be planning to put insect meal into their meat products “at this time,” but they’re investing in the infrastructure that could make that happen when they think the time is right.  With all the talk about how good eating insects is for the environment, it’s reasonable to assume that companies will start looking at how to incorporate insect protein into their food products.

How to really improve the agricultural system

There are absolutely ways in which the agricultural system could improve.  But the real solutions lie in working toward fewer middlemen.  This would make locally produced food more affordable, wherever “local” is for you, and more profitable for the farmers.  Customers need more transparency to make better dietary choices, and building connections with local farmers and custom processors is a great way to achieve that.

I have eaten crickets that still look like crickets. I am not interested in processed foods with hidden ingredients.  As the food giants move toward novel proteins, it will be more important than ever to know where your meat comes from.  Unless, of course, insect nuggets sound delicious to you.

What are your thoughts, though? If you could save money, would you eat lab-grown meat or insects? Do you think this type of “food” production is good for the planet? Are you interested in trying these products?

Let’s discuss it in the comments section.

About Marie Hawthorne

A lover of novels and cultivator of superb apple pie recipes, Marie spends her free time writing about the world around her.

Early in November, Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Valery Zaluzhny admitted in an interview with The Economist that the war is at a stalemate.  He stated frankly that Russia has three times as many men as they do, and that their technology is too similar for a huge breakthrough unless the Ukrainians are given some kind of massive technological advantage.

President Zelensky has always been insistent that Ukraine can beat off Russia, and for a long time, General Zaluzhny was, too.  After the slow counteroffensive this spring, rather than admitting any difficulties within the Ukrainian military, he was quick to blame Americans, saying we were not giving him enough advanced weaponry.

But Ukrainian men are leaving as fast as they can.

General Zaluzhny also blames the huge amount of Ukrainian men avoiding conscription.  Ever since the beginning of the Russian invasion, men between the ages of 18 and 60 have been forbidden from leaving the country.  However, many men have taken advantage of the chaos to leave anyway. The BBC estimates that 650,000 Ukrainian men within this age group have left for Europe since the fighting began.

This data came from Eurostat, which did not specify whether those 650,000 men had legal or medical exemptions.  But authorities do know that at least 20,000 eligible men have evaded conscription.

Draft dodging had been facilitated by Ukraine’s notoriously corrupt government. In August, it was announced that dozens of Ukrainian officials would face criminal charges over helping conscripted men leave Ukraine.

This firing of officials has effectively stopped recruitment.  The average age of Ukrainian soldiers is 43.  They have 60-year-old men fighting already and are now considering removing all age limits for military personnel. Ukraine already had an old and unhealthy population. The massive loss of young life in the war is leaving the population even older and sicker.  They have gotten so desperate for personnel that pregnant women are serving.

The US wants Ukraine to negotiate with Russia.

Given these dire personnel shortages, NBC reported that a group of Americans and Europeans met with Zelensky early in November to discuss what they would be willing to give up in negotiating with the Russians.  Biden administration officials are openly worried that the Ukrainians are running out of forces. All the weapons in the world won’t make a difference without people on the ground to use them.

For now, Zelensky still doesn’t want to hear it.  He insists that no one can make him negotiate.

However, Zelensky cannot fight the war alone.  In fact, he hasn’t been fighting at all. He’s been jetting around the world drumming up money.  And the man who has been managing the battlefields, as Zelensky and his wife stock up on yachts, is done.

Just this week, Ukrainian National Defense, Security, and Intelligence member Mariana Bezhula said that General Zaluzhny should resign after he refused to submit a battle plan for 2024.  Bezhula is now at risk of losing her job because she publicly complained about the general.

Redacted discussed this a little more in-depth during their November 27 episode.  Between minutes 40:00 and 57:00, they describe how, when General Zaluzhny was pressed for plans for next year, he said that he would need an extra 20,000 men per month simply to not lose ground.  He knows this won’t happen and, therefore, didn’t submit a plan.

There are demographic problems in both Russia and Ukraine.

It is worth noting that Russia and Ukraine both have serious long-term demographic problems.  In 2005, Russia’s birth rate was 1.3 births per woman, while Ukraine’s was 1.2, both of which are far below the replacement rate of 2.1.

When Putin became president, he prioritized increasing Russia’s birthrate.  The government began offering financial incentives to have children.  Who knows whether it was the financial incentives or the overall promotion of family values? Either way, during the past 15 years, Russia’s birth rate has gone up to 1.58 births per woman.  Of course, Putin is proud of this, but the fact remains that 1.58 is still below the replacement rate.  Combine this with the fact that Russia’s average age is 43, and you have an unhealthy long-term demographic situation.

Ukraine’s situation is worse.  In 2021, their total fertility rate was still 1.2, unchanged from 2005.  In 2022, it dropped to 0.9. While numbers aren’t in for 2023 yet, it’s expected to be 0.7.

The Ukrainians have almost completely stopped having children and I say that without any judgment.  I can’t imagine planning a family in their situation either.  But with an average age of 40.8, they are facing a demographic collapse.

Europe wants the conflict to end, too.

It seems to me that both sides have every reason to cut the losses of their young men, and perhaps that’s why Putin just moved the world’s most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile, the Yars, closer to Europe.  Russia is now able to strike London in less than five minutes.  Maybe he hopes this will make the US and EU pressure President Zelensky to negotiate.

The overall desire for Ukraine to end the conflict has been increasing, with or without Doomsday missiles, with or without admission from high-level officials.

Tensions are rising across Europe over the flood of migrants, both from Ukraine as well as other parts of the world.  We saw the riots in Ireland over the stabbing of young children this weekend.  That particular incident involved an Algerian migrant, but Ireland has been overwhelmed by migrants in general the past few years.  The massive amount of Ukrainian refugees that Ireland, a small nation, has been expected to absorb has pushed the country to a snapping point.

And Ireland’s not alone.  Polish truckers have blockaded the roads that go between Poland and Ukraine. Truckers in Poland are no longer letting Ukrainians cross because Ukrainian drivers have been undercutting Polish prices.  After the war started, the EU lifted all restrictions on Ukrainian carriers.  EU bureaucrats think they’re just helping the people of Ukraine, but the reality is that whenever you start messing with trade rules, there are always second- and third-order consequences.  Polish truckers are sick of the competitive advantage given to the Ukrainian truckers affecting their livelihood, and they’re making themselves heard.

For all the rhetoric coming from the political class in Europe, the average citizens seem burned out on the endless stream of refugees.  Americans are burned out as well; while politicians can’t seem to find the money to secure our own border, they have sent $110 billion to Ukraine for its border, 96% of which has already been spent.

Peace may not be a long-term solution.

Most people, at most times, want to be left alone to enjoy their families and the fruits of their labors.  And while I understand this urge to demand that politicians sit down and negotiate some kind of peace treaty, I don’t see a long-term solution.  Let me explain.

Ukraine really wants to join NATO, as we all know.  Jens Stoltenberg, the president of NATO, has repeatedly said that Ukraine can eventually join NATO and, in fact has even waived some of the normal requirements to make it easier for them.  But he says Ukraine cannot join while it is still fighting with Russia.

Putin has made it clear, for years, that he considers NATO expansion into Ukraine to be a red line.  If the Russians and Ukrainians negotiate some kind of peace agreement, for now, and then in six months Ukraine is fully accepted into NATO, what happens?  Will Russia launch another attack?  I don’t think it’s unlikely.

I don’t say any of this to discourage the people actually fighting.  But those of us not on the battlefield should at least try to understand what’s going on.  Fighting in Ukraine hasn’t stopped just because American legacy media is pushing interest in Israel right now.  It’s easy to slap a bumper sticker on your car. It’s less easy to have your community absorb waves of refugees. It’s incredibly difficult to fight in the trenches.

We need to be careful about what kind of promises we make.  I don’t see any quick solutions for Ukraine.  But I could be wrong!

What do you think? Is the fighting between Ukraine and Russia near an end? Have world governments lost interest in supporting Ukraine? Will one of the countries take desperate steps to keep the fight going? How do you see this turning out?

Let’s discuss it in the comments section.

About Marie Hawthorne

A lover of novels and cultivator of superb apple pie recipes, Marie spends her free time writing about the world around her.

In the world of preparedness, where adaptability and resourcefulness are the cornerstones of survival, there exists a humble yet indispensable item that often goes unnoticed: heavy-duty garbage bags. These unassuming giants of utility hold within their resilient confines a world of possibilities, proving time and again that they are an essential component of any prepper’s toolkit. From their fundamental role in waste management to their astonishing versatility in unforeseen circumstances, heavy-duty garbage bags are a prepper’s best-kept secret, ready to unveil a myriad of ingenious uses that can mean the difference between thriving and merely surviving in the face of adversity.

If you’re looking for a good brand, we recommend this one designed for contractors.

How can you use heavy-duty garbage bags for survival?

At first glance, these bags might seem like just another bag to take out the kitchen trash, albeit, with less chance of poking a hole. But their potential extends far beyond the realm of mere garbage disposal.

Below are 56 ways to use heavy-duty garbage bags. They truly are a Swiss Army knife for your prepper arsenal. These versatile bags are poised to tackle a wide array of challenges that might arise during times of crisis.

1. Emergency shelter: Construct a makeshift tent or lean-to using garbage bags as the primary material.
2. Ground cover: Lay them on the ground to keep moisture and cold away when sitting or sleeping. As it keeps the moisture away, it will also help to keep you warmer.
3. Rain poncho: Create a simple rain poncho by cutting holes for your head and arms.
4. Poncho for pets: Make ponchos for your pets to keep them dry in the rain.
5. Wind protection: Hang bags as windbreaks to shield yourself from harsh winds.
6. Water collection: Collect rainwater by creating a funnel system with bags.
7. Food storage: Keep food items dry and protected from the elements.
8. Laundry bag: Store and transport dirty clothes separately.
9. Waterproofing: Line your backpack or boots to keep the contents dry.
10. Floatation device: Inflate a bag to use as a buoyancy aid in water.
11. Firewood transport: Gather and carry firewood easily.
12. Trash compactor: Help reduce the volume of trash to minimize your footprint.
13. Emergency water carrier: Transport water from a source to your campsite.
14. Makeshift backpack: Secure bags to a stick or pole for carrying items, or make some makeshift straps with rope or cord.
15. Emergency blanket: Reflect heat by wrapping yourself in a bag. While not ideal, it’s better than nothing!
16. Gloves: Tie bags around your hands to protect them from cold or contamination.
17. Foot coverings: Create temporary shoe covers to protect your feet, or wear them inside your shoes over your socks to prevent your feet or socks from getting damp.
18. Sleeping bag liner: Insert one inside your sleeping bag for added warmth.
19. Bandage cover: Use them as an extra barrier between a bandage or cast and the elements.
20. Emergency rain tarp: Create a simple tarp shelter or ground cover.
21. Trash disposal: Their primary purpose – to hold and transport trash.
22. Trail markers: Use brightly colored bags to mark paths or trails.
23. Quarantine area: Create a separate space for isolating sick individuals using bags and duct tape.
24. Make a kitty litter toilet when a regular one isn’t an option.
25. Plant protection: Cover plants during storms or adverse weather conditions.
26. Pet care: Create a portable bedding or shelter solution for pets.
27. Document protection: Safeguard important documents from water and debris.
28. Stretcher: Reinforce with sticks to transport injured individuals.
29. Sandbag barrier: Use them to create barriers against flooding.
30. Emergency window covering: Seal broken windows or create a barrier against extreme temperatures.
31. Storage for emergency gear: Keep emergency supplies organized and protected from dust and moisture.
32. Protect furniture during painting: Cover furniture and flooring when painting or doing home improvements.
33. Compost bin liner: Line your compost bin to make it easier to empty and clean.
34. Weed barrier: Place bags under mulch or soil to prevent weeds from sprouting.
35. Garden soil transport: Move soil, mulch, or compost around the garden without making a mess.
36. Rain barrel cover: Keep debris, insects, and contaminants out of your rainwater harvesting system.
37. Seed starter greenhouse: Create a mini greenhouse by covering seedlings with clear bags to promote germination.
38. Emergency insulation: Fill bags with leaves or other insulating material to improve home insulation temporarily.
39. Protect outdoor furniture: Cover patio furniture during bad weather or the off-season.
40. Emergency roof patch: Temporarily patch a leaking roof until repairs can be made.
41. Emergency rain gear: Keep a few bags on hand for makeshift rain gear when unexpected rain strikes.
42. Emergency sleeping mat: Fill a bag with leaves or insulation material for additional insulation under your sleeping bag.
43. Seat protection: Cover car seats with bags to keep them clean when transporting dirty or wet items.
44. Windshield cover: Prevent frost or snow buildup on your windshield during cold weather.
45. Protect luggage: Use bags to protect luggage from rain or dust during travel.
46. Emergency windshield or window repair: Use a bag as a temporary seal for a cracked windshield or window. (Make sure that if you are still driving your car, the bag does not obstruct your vision.)
47. Leak containment: Place bags under leaking containers to prevent spills from spreading.
48. Warming up water: Fill bags with water, place them in the sun to heat, and you’ll have warm water for washing.
49. Privacy barrier: Create a makeshift privacy curtain for changing or sleeping in your car.
50. Windproof layer: Layer bags underneath your clothing to act as a wind barrier.
51. Snow gaiters: Wrap bags around your ankles to keep snow out of your boots.
52. Snowshoe bindings: Create bindings for improvised snowshoes by securing bags to your footwear.
53. Make a balaclava: Cut and shape a bag to create a balaclava for face and neck protection.
54. Snow shelter: Fill bags with snow to build walls or insulating layers for a snow shelter.
55. Snow and ice traction: Cut bags into strips and place them under your shoes for improved traction on icy surfaces.
56. Emergency sled: Use bags as an improvised sled on snowy terrain.

One thing to remember

While all garbage bags can be useful, it’s the heavy-duty ones that will give you the most benefits and something that you don’t want to skimp out on. You want a bag designed for contractors like this one.

While the strong ones aren’t needed for your basic household garbage, in an emergency situation, it can make a world of difference.

How do you use heavy-duty garbage bags?

With so many uses, I feel like this list could go on forever! What are your go-to uses for heavy-duty garbage bags? Will you be adding them to your bug-Out bags? Was there anything on this list that you hadn’t thought of? Let’s discuss this in the comments!

About Chloe Morgan

Chloe Morgan grew up living with a tight budget in a prepper household. Chloe lives in Northern Ontario, Canada, with her dog, Rhea. 

Check out her work on TheOrganicPrepper.com and TheFrugalite.com where she writes about food, frugality, finances, and self-reliance, or her work on Medium, where she writes about lifestyle, mental health, and writing.

Years after my SHTF I am definitely better prepared and organized for anything similar in the future, but just like all things in prepping it is so easy to get again in the same false feeling of being “secure.”

Once it was, “Oh it can never happen here.” Now it can be, “I am much better prepared now, I am safe.”

We all sooner or later get ourselves in a situation where when we buy physical things for SHTF, we are actually buying the feeling of safety and peace of mind. I try to avoid that, but of course just like everybody else I often find myself there.

One of the questions that I get often goes like this: “What would you choose to have now for SHTF after going once through it?” And it is easy to answer it more or less.

But taking into consideration how most preppers prepare for SHTF I must say that while a lot of things would be easier, the same problems would be there even with having a lot of physical things stored for SHTF. Here are some examples.

Security and resources

Of course, I could have used more weapon at that time, and more ammo, especially at the beginning of everything when there was complete and absolute chaos everywhere. It was a time when you still do not know exactly who is dangerous and where you can go to be safe.

In that period of time, it is, as I mentioned before, it is best to stay put, and even better to have some resources and means to defend that resources. So yes, I could have used more of both at that time – better resources and better means to defend it.

But do not mistake that and think with a lot of resources and means to defend it you have completely solved your problems. Actually, you need to have a philosophy and strategy to be able to have that for a prolonged period of time. Which brings you again to the point where you will have to go out and “interact” with people on one or other way.

You can not interact (trade, negotiate, barter, fight…) if you do not have strategy and skills for that, a network of trusted people, great knowledge of your surroundings ( different groups of people, customs, criminal mindset, communication skills, fighting skills…)

So do not get me wrong here. I would love if I had more physical things at that time, it would have helped me a lot. But in the end, it would have turned out similar-interacting with other folks. It would be easier yes and it would take longer, but again it would come again to that interaction.

And do not think that interaction means sitting in an armchair and shooting at people who are attacking your home. It means a lot more than that.

Mobility 

No matter how much physical things I would love to have had in that time, or that I wish to have for some future time, here is one other thing that preppers often forget. Mobility.

It is much more important to be mobile than to have a lot of physical things with you in your home. Now again, do not take this “mobility” too literally. It does not mean that you only need to have a backpack and weapon and head to the hills or wilderness when the SHTF.

Actually, it means a lot more than that. When SHTF, there are huge chances that you are gonna be forced to abandon your home, either because you are bugging out or you temporarily have to leave, or whatever. There is no sense of putting “all the money” in your home.

Develop a strategy where you can be highly mobile, but still have resources, either through survival caches, or a BOL. Have multiple plans where you gonna go in case of some serious event. Have multiple planned ways to there, have a network of people who might help you on the way there (and vice versa).

In the best-case scenario yes, you may stay at your home. But most probably you are not gonna be able to stay there all the time. So no matter how much physical things you have – do not count on the belief that it will be possible to keep it with you in your home. Be ready to be mobile, not to blindly run away. Have a strategy ready for that.

(Looking for more advice on crafting a proper strategy for emergency evacuations? Check out our free QUICKSTART Guide.)

Recognizing signs of the coming SHTF

Let’s be honest here. No matter where you live today, you can probably say that things are going to s..t. Does that mean that you (or I) will blindly go to survival mode? No, actually.  We will try to enjoy our life as much is possible, otherwise what is the point?

Yeah, there are chances that we gonna recognize the arrival of the SHTF and that we will act accordingly. But chances are bigger that we will be caught in the middle of it by surprise. And then?

The whole point of survival is to act properly in a given situation. You are still gonna be ahead of the majority of folks around you. So while the majority of people are panicking you will act according to the situation. And that is good enough.

For me, there is not too much sense in living in fear of possible collapse. Enjoy your life while things are more or less okay.

(Want uninterrupted access to The Organic Prepper? Check out our paid-subscription newsletter.)

Concluding thoughts on strategy and mobility

As a form of conclusion here, there is the thought that no matter how much physical stuff you have ready for SHTF, it will not save you from all the hard work when it happens.

It will make things easier for you, and that is great because every help is gonna be appreciated, but you still gonna need to have strategies for interacting with the people around you once when SHTF. In my book, Dark Secrets of Survival, I shared some stories about those interactions. (Available in PDF or paperback.)

It is much better to develop those strategies before SHTF, while you have time and choices.

Once the SHTF is happening, the events unfold around you at a different speed.  Or we may say “frequency” so it is hard to “tune in” to all that and stay safe.

Here is only one example – trade. It is such a huge topic on all survival forum everywhere, with people fantasizing about trade when SHTF. But point of it is to be ready for trade before SHTF, and it can be to have strategy about: what is gonna be needed in your region, what is easier to sell (to carry, trade), what kind of groups of people living around you, what they prefer, what kind of organisation will emerge and own black market and what that means for you, where are possible trade places…I wrote more about that here.

There is a lot that you can think about today, before the SHTF.

What are your thoughts?

Does Selco’s advice make you rethink your current strategies? Had you considered these things previously? How can you become more flexible in your preparedness?

Join the discussion at our Late Prepper Substack.

About Selco:

Selco survived the Balkan war of the 90s in a city under siege, without electricity, running water, or food distribution. He is currently accepting students for his next physical course here.

In his online works, he gives an inside view of the reality of survival under the harshest conditions. He reviews what works and what doesn’t, tells you the hard lessons he learned, and shares how he prepares today.

He never stopped learning about survival and preparedness since the war. Regardless of what happens, chances are you will never experience extreme situations as Selco did. But you have the chance to learn from him and how he faced death for months.

• Read more of Selco’s articles here.
• Buy his PDF books here.
• Buy his #1 New Release paperback, The Dark Secrets of Survival here.
• Take advantage of a deep and profound insight into his knowledge by signing up for his online course SHTF Survival Boot Camp.
• Learn the inside story of what it was really like when the SHTF with his online course One Year in Hell.

Real survival is not romantic or idealistic. It is brutal, hard and unfair. Let Selco take you into that world.