Diversified Prepping

Concerned about potential disasters and societal collapse, but unable or unwilling to sink hundreds of thousands of dollars into prepping or move off the grid? This is the blog for you!

[prolifeproliberty]

Things Are Scary: 5 Ways to be More Prepared for the SECOND HALF of 2020 (12 minute video)

2020 has been a wild ride so far, and many (including myself) are concerned that this year’s just getting started. Here are five things YOU can do to be more prepared for whatever comes our way between now and November (and beyond!) 

 Support PLPL

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Prepping for Civil Unrest and Riots

I’ve written similar posts before about how to prepare for civil unrest and social order breakdown, but with recent events I thought I’d do an update.

Last night Minneapolis saw fires, looting, and rioting with tear gas and rubber bullets fired at protesters by police. Given the anger and frustration and the fact that similar protests and riots are popping up in other major cities, this is a great time to review your family’s plan in case of riots in your neighborhood.

Riots usually begin in a downtown area of a city, often centered around a government building or company that was being protested. Peaceful protests can turn violent and chaotic quickly, and the news often doesn’t do a great job of keeping up. Social media then becomes the quickest way to track what’s happening, and independent citizen journalists can be crucial to getting accurate information out. 

Try to identify those independent news sources in your community who would be the first on the scene and follow them on social media. For instance, Unicorn Riot was out in Minneapolis for more than 8 hours following the events and relaying information shared by those who were out there, including where protesters could get medical attention, water, and other help. These journalists may be your first indicator that something is happening in your city. 

Your response will depend on where you live. But regardless of where you live, keep your gas tank at least half full at all times so you don’t have to try to get gas when unrest is happening. 

- If you live near downtown or near the focus of the protests (the police station, city hall, capitol building, etc), you should plan to leave as soon as there is any indication of rioting. Your bugout bags should always be ready to go, because unrest can happen quickly and reach your area before the local news picks it up. You may even choose to leave any time something happens that could incite protests and unrest, such as an officer-involved shooting or a court ruling on a highly-publicized, controversial case.

- If you live in the city but not in the area where unrest is occurring, watch updates from those journalists to see if the chaos is spreading and in which directions. Make sure you have your bugout bag ready to go. You also may choose to leave as soon as rioting begins or if you stop hearing updates from the sources you’re following.

- If you live in the suburbs you will usually not need to leave, but you may want to be prepared to shelter in place if the rioting brings National Guard, curfews, and so on. Make sure you have 2 weeks of food stored up and consider getting a backup generator if destruction during the riots damages power lines or substations that could cause power outages in your area.

Where you can go if rioting begins in your area:

If you have a friend or family member who lives in the suburbs or outside of town, talk with them about your concerns and ask if you could come stay with them should unrest happen in your city. Important: Don’t just assume you can go to them. Ask. Have the conversation. Make a plan.

If you can’t stay with someone outside of town, set aside some cash (consider keeping it in your bugout bag) for a couple of nights in a motel. Identify a few possible motels or hotels that aren’t usually fully booked in the suburbs or outside of town and print out a list of their locations and typical nightly rates. Make sure you have at least enough cash in your bag for three nights. You might need to stay away from home longer, but you should be able to make other arrangements by then. 

If you can’t afford to set aside the cash for a motel and you don’t have someone you can stay with outside of town, identify truck stops or public rest areas outside of town. These are places with bathrooms and in most cases food and water where you can park your car overnight. 

What if you’re participating in the protests when they turn into riots?

If you plan to participate in a protest that has the potential to turn violent and destructive, there are a few things you can do to be prepared.

- Carry your bugout bag with you. Your bugout bag should have some food and water as well as a first aid kit, all of which could be crucial if things turn bad quickly. 

- Make sure your family knows the plan if things get out of hand. If you have kids, consider having them stay with a relative who either lives in the suburbs or is prepared to get out quickly if violence spreads to their neighborhood.

- Consider bringing walkie-talkies or handheld radios that can be used if cell towers are jammed or overloaded. 

- Set a designated rally point if you are separated from friends or family.

- If you are able to do so in your city, consider carrying a concealed handgun for self-defense. Try to avoid having to use it as just the sound of gunshots could escalate things further, but if you need to defend yourself you’ll be glad you can. 

- Consider bringing a gas mask (you can make your own) in case tear gas is used. If someone is exposed to tear gas, remove any contact lenses and flush their eyes with water or a saline solution (like contact solution). There are some reports that using milk can neutralize capsaicin-based tear gas or pepper spray, but there has been some dispute about how effective or safe those measures are. Proceed with caution. 

- Review alternate routes home from the protest location in case roads are blocked when you try to leave. 

We will likely see more protests and riots in the coming months. Be careful, stay safe, and be prepared!

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Safe drinking water should be one of your first concerns in a wilderness survival situation. This video covers 4 ways to make water safe to drink, along with advice about the dangers of dehydration and the dangers of drinking water that isn’t clean. 

I carry a Sawyer mini filter in my bug out bag. It’s good for 100,000 gallons. A 200-lb person should drink about 1 gallon per day, so this filter is good for 100,000 days or 273 years. As Dr. Whittington says in the video, filters don’t remove viruses, so if you’re concerned about getting a virus make sure to boil your water. But if you’re on the move, this will work!

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Trapping animals is a great way to get food in a survival scenario. The primary benefit of a trap vs. active hunting is that you can set it and walk away to take care of other needs.

Find your water source, set some traps (setting traps near water sources is more effective because most animal trails lead to or from water), and then work on your shelter. Once your shelter is set up, check your traps. 

To make your trap-setting easier, pack some paracord or wire in your bugout bag. I have 100 ft of picture hanging wire in mine, and it weighs very little and takes up very little space.

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Whether you’re growing your own food now or you plan to do so post-collapse, these are great ideas to make your life easier!

In survival mode, you have to find every possible way to save time and effort, because every moment counts and wasted energy is dangerous when food is scarce. These hacks can literally be life-saving!

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If you’re raising chickens or you know someone who is, here’s how to save and preserve those eggs all winter. 

Remember: when the food supply chain is down, the key to survival is knowing how to preserve food and save it for the future. This helps you get out of survival mode and into sustainable living post-collapse. 

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If the electricity is gone, how will you preserve food? You can build a root cellar in your backyard with a few hours of work and the cost of a trash can and some PVC pipe. 

Even if you don’t build this now, watch and learn so you know what to do when it’s time. 

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Tight on money? Consider something like this. You could also do this in a survival scenario if you’re able to find resources others may overlook. But if you have the land, why not get your cabin set up now? 

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Important to remember!

Make your plans, discuss them with your immediate family. If you want to team up with people outside your family in a survival situation, you need to discuss those plans with them!

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If you’re considering starting a garden to supplement your food supply during this time, here are some easy-to-grow, nutritious crops to consider.

[martinihomestead]

Basic Homesteading Skills

Crafts

quilting

embroidery

cross-stitch

knitting

crochet

sewing

Cooking and Baking

homemade bread

homemade butter

homemade extracts

dandelion jelly

Canning

26 canning recipes

canning jars 101

60 canning recipes

Gardening

edible trees to plant

what to plant to save the bees

cure and braid garlic

save seeds for next year

braid onions for long term storage

build a greenhouse

Animals

homemade chicken feed

raising mealworms for chickens

why to raise nigerian dwarf goats

Outdoors

starting a fire with sticks

trail signs

knotting

find true north without a compass

Medicine

homemade neosporin

all purpose healing salve

[plantyhamchuk]

I’m gonna take a moment to talk about the greenhouse link above. Greenhouses can be quite a bit of work, time, and money to build - and they take up space - so some thoughtful planning and research can ensure that whatever you build you’ll get the most out of. 

Most people, when first approaching greenhouses, just build a generic shed that has clear walls and a roof. That’s what you see in the blog post above, while the author kept mentioning how incredibly hot it is. The author is located in central Washington state, USA.

Greenhouse with no ventilation/cooling or heating or electricity or gas, in a hot climate summer climate, cool winter. While conventionally attractive, it is not particularly functional, and is only useful for a relatively short period of the year.

How best to design a greenhouse can depend on factors like climate and latitude. 

If your greenhouse is located someplace very cold, you’re looking at issues with heating it, or else not using it at all during that time. There’s multiple ways to heat greenhouses, traditionally methane or propane gas, although in emergencies, and if it is wired for electricity, electrical heat may be used. Some people have even used wood furnaces (this is less than ideal) For any place with long winters this quickly becomes very expensive. Thermal mass is the clever trick to solve most, if not all, (depending on climate) heating issues in winter - no fossil fuels or deforestation required.

If your greenhouse is located someplace very hot, you’re looking at issues with cooling it, or else not using it all during that time. There’s multiple ways to cool greenhouses - fans/vents and shade cloth being the most common. Thermal mass can also help with this issue too.  

My favorite website on greenhouses (which longtime readers may recognize) is Penn and Cord. Heating and cooling greenhouses so you can use them for more than 6 weeks a year can be very expensive and very energy intensive - unless you start looking at passive solar greenhouse designs, such as those by Penn and Cord. You do sacrifice some space in the back greenhouse for the thermal mass aka giant barrels of water.

Can be built out of used or scrap material.

Above, barrels are on the left, hidden behind the plants. Below, this is what the wall of barrels looks like before plant beds are installed.

These 55 gallon drums filled with water and painted black, all along the north wall, are the “battery” that keeps these greenhouses usable year round. The roof angles are designed so that these receive direct sunlight (hence why they are painted black) in the winter, the sun heats the water, and they help keep the greenhouse warm all winter long. They’re working at high elevations in Colorado which means 1) wild temperature fluctuations 2) it’s pretty cold in winter there, down to -30F/-34C. The barrels also modulate the hot temperatures in summer. There are variations around this idea, but hopefully the concept makes sense. Sometimes people will create the northern wall out of concrete, and then put the barrels or bottles of water in front of it, for a similar “battery” or modulating effect. The interiors are painted bright white, to reflect as much light as possible to the plants.

Granted, this extremely energy efficient and far more sustainable greenhouse style does not have the same “aesthetic”, but the space is actually far more usable. Penn and Cord and their crew are growing 365 days of the year, in greenhouses mostly made out of used materials. None of these greenhouses obviously have electricity or gas installed, but they don’t actually need it either, thanks to their clever and regionally-appropriate design.

[suricata-passer-deactivated2022]

@nny11writes

[nny11writes]

General Grievous Voice: Ah yes this will make a fine addition to my collection,

[yearzerosurvival]

Growing Your Own Vegetables, A Chart To Help.

Growing Your Own Vegetables, A Chart To Help. | Year Zero Survival – Premium Survival Blog

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5 big prepping mistakes people are making in the face of coronavirus:

1. Stocking up on hand sanitizer. It’s diluted and takes up more room than isopropyl alcohol. Isopropyl alcohol has more uses, and can be diluted to meet different needs.

2. Stocking up on thermometers. You only need one, and there are other ways to determine if a fever is serious besides just the person’s temperature.

3. Emptying the shelves of particular items like toilet paper or white rice. You should diversify your preps and keep about 2 weeks worth of supplies on hand. Also, eating the same thing every day will get old FAST. Look into a variety of shelf-stable foods so you can make different meals if you’re stuck inside during a quarantine.

4. Stocking up on surgical masks. The thin papery disposable masks are only helpful if YOU are sick and don’t want to spread it. They will not protect you from others who are sick, and actually will collect germs, raising your risk. Ventilated (N95/P100) masks are most useful if you are a health care worker and will come in close, regular contact with sick people. The average person doesn’t need them.

5. Reacting to every potential disaster rather than proactively preparing. This is the big one. Every time we fear a threat to our way of life, people panic and start clearing shelves. This creates an artificial disaster and actually puts more people at risk. If we prepare when there is no threat, we make better, more practical decisions and avoid mass panic when a disaster seems imminent.

What should I do instead?

- Keep 2 weeks of food and water on hand at all times.

- Keep your gas tank half full or more at all times.

- Identify a non-highway route out of your city.

- Pack a go bag with supplies to last you 24-72 hours.

- Discuss plans with close family only (whoever you’re taking with you if you have to leave quickly) and make a plan for where to meet if you are separated.

These measures will apply to almost any disaster, and you won’t feel the need to panic every time the media tries to scare you.

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The Doomsday Prepper Song

Includes prepping tips!

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Prepping for: Wildfires

For the second installment of my “Prepping for” series, I figured wildfires would be a timely topic. Many people don’t think about preparing for natural disasters until they are imminent, and some come with very little warning. Wildfires are often unpredictable, with small shifts in the wind putting areas in danger that thought they were safe. 

Some people face wildfire risk every year, and for others it’s almost never. It’s up to you to determine what risks you face given your location, lifestyle, and needs.

Where do Wildfires Happen?

Wildfires happen on every continent except Antarctica. However, some areas are more prone than others. In the United States, the top 5 states in terms of acreage burned by wildfires since 2002 are:

1. California

2. Georgia

3. Texas

4. North Carolina

5. Florida

We often hear about California because of how often their wildfires endanger developed areas. However, whether you live in California or Hawaii (the bottom of the list), you should be aware of the fire risk in your immediate area. Watch weather reports, look up wildfire statistics for your region, and know when wildfire season is for you.

Who Should Prepare for Wildfires?

Everyone should have a general-purpose readiness plan that allows them to evacuate quickly in various circumstances. However, people who live in fire prone areas can do a little more to be ready. You should especially prep if you live in a rural area or at the edge of your metropolitan area. 

How Can I Prep for Wildfires?

First and foremost, build your bugout bag. When wildfires happen, your priority is to evacuate before the fire reaches your house. Having a bugout bag allows you to get out quickly when the evacuation order is made, which helps in beating the rush. Non-preppers will still be packing up and deciding which mementos they can’t leave behind while you hit the highway. 

In addition to your basic bugout bag, you’ll want:

- Extra Water (3 gallons per adult/teen, 1.5 gallons per smaller child) - you should keep this much stored in your home anyway for general preparedness. The standard advice is 1/2 gallon per day per person, but the real number is body weight / 2 = number of ounces per day. With that formula 1/2 gallon would work for a 128-lb person. Which I, for one, am not. Also, the extra water allows you to use water sparingly for washing and cooking.

- Respirator Mask - In some wildfire situations, the smoke reaches your home long before the fire. When you’re evacuating or even deciding whether to evacuate, avoiding smoke inhalation can help protect your lungs. I like these masks from Amazon which are relatively cheap and disposable while still meeting the N95 certification. For smoke, pollution, and dust, you’ll want a mask rated N95 or P100 from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). You can also find masks sized for kids that come in different colors and cute designs. If you’re evacuating with small children, it’s important to keep them calm and in good spirits, and it’s especially important to make sure they keep their mask on. 

- Key Documents - IDs, passports, car and house titles, loan and mortgage documents, birth certificates, marriage certificates, social security cards, insurance records (especially your home or renter’s insurance!), medical records (especially prescription documentation) and so on. Keep all of these in a folder or box in an accessible place. You can also consider a fireproof safe, but in the event of an evacuation you’ll want to be able to grab them quickly and take them with you. Consider a bag like this which is fireproof but also easy to grab and go during an evacuation. You can even store a laptop in it if you have key documents stored digitally.

- Inventory and Property Photos - Take an inventory of your valuables that will be left behind in an evacuation and take photos of your property if you own your home. Keep these with your key documents so that you can file insurance claims.

- Insurance That Covers Wildfires - Check your homeowners’ or renters’ insurance to make sure that wildfire damage is covered. If it’s not in there, you may need to change your coverage. Call your agent or shop around for a plan that’s as prepared as you are. 

- Family Photos and Videos - If you scrapbook and make photo albums, consider making a “bugout” album. This should have some very special photos from all the important people in your life. Basically, if you had to leave the rest behind, this album would have the best of the best. If you store photos digitally, make sure you have copies on a hard drive (not just the Cloud), and you can store that hard drive in your key documents box. A USB stick is enough if you just have photos, but videos take up more space. If you have a lot of digital storage, consider a water-resistant and drop-protected drive like this one.

- Mementos and Other Sentimental Items - Don’t spend too much time packing up things you’re afraid to lose when it’s time to evacuate. Your life is more important. However, if you have heirlooms or other sentimental items, consider getting a box for those that can be grabbed quickly without having to worry if everything is in there. If you don’t use the items often (such as heirloom jewelry that you only wear on special occasions), consider a safety deposit box at your bank. If you have kids, identify one special item (blanket, stuffed animal, etc) that they can’t sleep without. Make a list of these items that you can check off during an evacuation. Planning ahead can allow you to take some special items with you without those items slowing you down. 

- Clothes - Bring two sets of clothes for each person in addition to what you’re already wearing. You can set aside some clothes in a duffel bag (just check every so often to make sure they fit!) and keep the bag near your bugout bag or in your car (which can even be nice for those times when you’re out an about and need a change of clothes - just make sure you wash and replace if you do that). 

When Do I Evacuate?

If local authorities or your local news station are telling you to evacuate, do it. Make sure you have a battery-powered or hand-crank radio in case fire damages power lines and cuts off your TV. This radio is hand-crank powered and includes a flashlight and a battery bank for your phone. However, if you do lose power because of the wildfire, that alone might be your cue to leave. 

You may also decide to leave earlier if the fires seem to be moving toward your area, if the air is thick and smoky, or if this wildfire season seems worse than last year’s. If you decide to leave before an evacuation is ordered, you’ll skip some of the rush, but you might spend more time away from home. If you’re staying in a hotel, this can add up price-wise, and if you’re staying with family or friends you might risk overstaying your welcome before the danger is over. Consider carefully where you’ll go, and make sure that you know how to get there. Set aside funds for your gas, food, and lodging (this can be part of your existing emergency fund). 

What if I’m Trapped?

Part of having a bugout bag means being able to leave on foot if roads are blocked. Ideally, you should wait for rescuers, but a fast-moving fire that firefighters are struggling to contain could mean you’re on your own. If you can, seal up your home using duct tape and plastic sheeting to keep smoke and ash out. Fires move fast, and trying to outrun a fire on foot can be a losing battle. 

If you are evacuating before the fire gets too close, but you are unable to take your car (it breaks down, you’re out of gas, or roads are blocked), you may need to go on foot. Head toward your bugout location away from the fire. Leave everything except your bugout bag and your masks. Put as many roads, rivers, and lakes between you and the fire as possible, as these help slow down and stop fires. 

What Happens When I Go Home?

As soon as authorities declare your area safe and you head home, take pictures of any damage to your property. Make insurance claims quickly so you can begin any necessary repairs. 

Once your claims have been submitted, start the cleanup process. There are various services that can come in and handle most of the cleaning and repairs for you. If your home has been totally destroyed, check with your insurance agency and a real estate agent to figure out your options and resources. 

Important Considerations for Emergency Shelters

If you live in an area with frequent and severe wildfires, there may be shelters available once an evacuation order is given. If you choose to go to one of these shelters, know that there are some real downsides. Be sure to keep all your belongings with you at all times and bring your own food, water, and toiletries. 

If you own firearms, know that government-run shelters will not allow you to bring them in. Keep this in mind. I would caution against giving up your means of self-defense for a temporary shelter, especially as civil unrest can sometimes follow disasters if the government and community response to the disaster is insufficient (see Hurricane Katrina). 

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Click or tap the image for better resolution.

Not everyone wants to be a hard-core prepper, but everyone can have a bugout bag. Great for natural disasters, civil unrest, or even just being stranded on a country road, a bugout bag contains the essentials to survive for 72 hours while you get to safety.

Remember not to overdo it. A too-heavy bag can cause pain and sap your energy at a time when you need to be at your best. Keep to the essentials and focus on getting to safety.

Some of my top choices for the items on this list (for both quality and price):

Bug out bag

Water filter with collapsible water bottle

Ration supplements

Bowie knife

Tarp

Paracord

First Aid Kit

[preppinglite]

Prepping For: Civil Unrest

This is the first of a series of posts covering different scenarios you might want to be prepared for and what you can do now to increase your safety later. Not every scenario will apply to you - it’s up to you to determine what risks you face given your location, lifestyle, and needs. 

What is civil unrest?

Examples include the Rodney King riots of 1992, the Ferguson riot and related events in 2014, and more. Civil unrest usually begins with a protest that gets out of hand, often when people who were not initially involved in the protest see it as an opportunity to get away with stirring up chaos or who use existing chaos as cover for looting and other illegal activities.

Civil unrest can be isolated to a neighborhood or city center, or it can happen in multiple locations around the country or even around the world at the same time. The nature and intensity of the unrest will influence your response.

Note: The advice in this post also applies to a situation like the Boston Marathon bombing where the cities of Boston, Watertown, and Cambridge were under a “shelter-in-place” recommendation for several days after the initial terrorist attack while law enforcement searched for the suspects. 

Why prep for civil unrest?

- It can prevent you from going about your normal activities if it is occurring in your neighborhood or near your place of work. Streets may be blocked, stores may be closed, and in some cases it may not be safe to go outside.

- It can begin with very little warning. Protests and rallies happen all the time; it is difficult to predict which ones will turn violent or chaotic. In the case of the Rodney King riots, protests began within 30 minutes of the verdict and violence and looting began about an hour after the verdict. Someone who was at home and not paying attention to the news may not have known what was going on until after the full-scale riots and looting began within 3 hours of the verdict. 

- It’s difficult to predict how long civil unrest will last. Some riots can be de-escalated within hours. The Rodney King riots began on April 29, 1992 and lasted until May 2nd with some incidents occurring on May 3rd, but the last National Guardsmen didn’t leave until May 27th, almost a month later. 

Who should prep for civil unrest?

People who live or work in a major city (especially near the city center) or people who visit a major city center often (for instance, going out on the weekends). Since unrest can happen quickly, you don’t want to be caught off-guard while you’re enjoying dinner and drinks downtown. 

Also, if you see indications that suggest national-level civil unrest may happen soon (such as a certain upcoming election that may ignite protests should a certain candidate win again), you should prepare regardless of where you live. 

How to prep for civil unrest: 

Preps that apply to multiple scenarios:

- Store 2 weeks of food and water at all times. 

- If you are on medications, make sure you always have a couple of weeks’ worth. For most people, that simply means getting your refill when you still have 2-3 weeks left, but for some it may involve a conversation with your doctor if your medication is highly controlled (aka high risk for overdose or abuse). Explain that you are trying to follow guidelines for emergency preparedness. Caution: Do not change your medication routine (taking a smaller dose or taking medicine less often) in order to save up extra.

- Keep a first aid kit well-stocked, and consider getting a tourniquet kit in case the chaos spreads to your neighborhood.

- Keep your car’s gas tank at 1/2 full or more at all times. In a disaster, gas pumps may be broken, gas stations may be crowded, and shortages may occur. 

- Keep an inventory (with photos) of valuables in your home, as well as photos of your property. If damage occurs to your home or property from any disaster event, you will want these photos to make your insurance claim. Update the inventory often. Keep this inventory on paper and digitally.

- Keep the paper copy with your other important documents (Passport, birth certificate, social security card, marriage license, property deed or rental agreement, and so on). Have these documents in a folder or binder that you can quickly grab if you have to leave home in a hurry.

- Take self-defense classes and consider taking firearms classes and buying a firearm you can safely and reliably use. You should be prepared for both armed and unarmed combat.

- Plan a bug-out location (BOL) outside your city. This may be a friend or family member who lives in another town or in a rural area, it may be property you own (like a cabin), or it may be public land or a state/national park. The important thing is to know where the location is and how to get there if your gps or smartphone is not functioning. Consider having one location that is accessible within a day on foot, and one that is further away that can be accessed by car. Depending on  the disaster, roads may be impassable, you might run out of gas, or your car could be damaged or stolen. Note:  Make sure that if it is a family member or friend’s house that you discuss your plans with them in advance - you don’t want to show up unannounced during a disaster!

- Identify at least three routes out of your city by car (only one of those should use a major highway, the other two should use side streets) and two on foot or by bicycle. If unrest gets severe and seems like it will be prolonged, you may want to bug out. If everyone else has the same idea, major streets and highways will get congested, forcing you to seek alternate routes. You do NOT want to be stuck in traffic if riots are happening in the streets. 

Specific preps for civil unrest:

- Review the entry points to your home (doors and windows) and identify the best ways to secure them. If possible, keep plywood in your garage/shed that could be used to board windows and doors if severe unrest reaches your neighborhood. Alternatively, identify large, heavy pieces of furniture that could be moved to barricade entry points. If you choose this option, consider practicing how you would move furniture to ensure you can do so quickly and safely. 

- Consider closed-circuit security cameras (I do NOT recommend internet-enabled ones for privacy reasons). These can also be generally useful if you live in an area with a high crime rate. 

- Keep an eye on the news and identify events that could lead to civil unrest, such as controversial court cases, elections, and racial tensions. If you see signs that unrest may be coming, review your preps (or consider planning a vacation to the countryside). The unrest may not happen, but it is better to be prepared. 

- Avoid the city center on the day when you believe unrest may occur. If you work in the city, go directly home after work with no unnecessary stops. 

If unrest occurs in your city: 

- If you are outside the city, stay away. Avoid all trips into town. If you have prepared, you’ll be able to go at least two weeks without visiting the grocery store. If you work near the area where unrest is happening, contact your supervisor or office and ask if it is possible to work from home or if they are closing the office in response to the event. Indicate that you do not feel safe going into town given the ongoing events. Don’t go in if you don’t feel safe - it’s better to be fired for skipping work than to be killed or severely injured in a riot. 

- If you are in the city but not near the riots, stay home and keep an eye on the news. If you need to go to work, determine whether your commute will take you through the affected area and identify alternate routes. 

- If the unrest is happening in your neighborhood, shelter in place and barricade doors and windows. Make sure any firearms you own are accessible and loaded in case looters try to break into your home. 

- If the unrest lasts more than a few days or you believe it is moving toward your neighborhood, consider bugging out. Review the five routes you identified (three by car, two on foot or bike) and determine the one that gets you far away from the unrest as quickly as possible. Even if you have to go the opposite direction from your bug out location, it’s better to get out first and then go the long way around than to drive through or near the impacted area. 

- If unrest is widespread or happening on a national scale, and especially if the military/national guard is involved, consider getting away from town completely and seeking out either your BOL if you have one in a rural area or a campground or other public land where you can stay temporarily. 

When the unrest is over: 

- Use caution in determining when the event is truly over. Officials may prematurely call an end to the unrest in the hope of calming the public, but there may still be people on the streets looking to keep it going. Return to your normal routine, but avoid unnecessary time spent in the area where the unrest occurred.

- If you had to leave your home, use caution when returning. If you suspect your home was broken into, call the police and ask them to check it for you before you enter. Only clear you home yourself IF you have training to do so. Watching actors do it on TV does not count as training.

- Take pictures of any damage immediately to submit insurance claims if applicable.

Final Notes:

- No prep is 100%. Things may not go as you expect, so always have a Plan B and a Plan C. 

- Be vigilant. Your chances are best if you see disaster coming and act before it strikes, rather than reacting afterward along with everyone else. 

- You might have all the preps in the world and then live to a ripe old age with no disasters happening to you. There’s no guarantee that any particular disaster will happen. Don’t be so consumed with prepping that you are not prepared for the possibility that nothing happens.