Why I Prep: Bug Out Bags, Dual Citizenship, Zombies, Plant Pemmican & Other Mischief (Explained)

I released a post not long ago, about what I pack in my “bug out bags”.

You can read and view it here (mostly video, followed by item links that correspond to each video).

When creating the post, I knew I faced quite a challenge to communicate what I … really wanted to communicate.

I had all of these links, and a rather long, not terribly exciting series of videos. Both definitely needed more “splainin”, but I knew that if I tried to include a bunch of text either before or after the videos, it would just become a mess. Too much to absorb in one sitting.

I decided to split the post into two separate pieces, and today, is part two. My “master plan” is simply this: explain the underlying themes fueling part one so it makes more sense, and becomes more useful to those interested in a similar path/hobby.

Kinda put the cart before the horse, but in due time, I think these articles will work really well together =).

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First things first, how did I get into “prepping”?

In the Fall of 2009 my room mate got me into a TV show called Jericho.

I’m not really a big fan of TV, but I have to admit, I watched two seasons of this nearly straight through. Easily my favorite show of all time (followed closely by The Shield).

Jericho is a television show about a small town during the crippling and fracturing of the US Federal Government.

During a State of the Union address, a nuclear weapon goes off in DC, literally cutting off the head of the federal government. At the same time, 22 other nukes go off in major cities around the country.

Millions die that day, and not surprisingly, the country falls into chaos. Some time later, three governments arise. The United States reforms in Columbus, Ohio, Texas becomes an independent republic, and everything else west of the Mississippi becomes the “Allied States of America”.

The USA and ASA are on the verge of war, and Texas remains neutral.

Check out a fan made trailer below.

Anyway, right after watching Jericho I finally got around to reading Emergency by Neil Strauss (author of The Game).

It was here that ideas like “bug out bag”, “survivalist”, “prepping” and dual citizenship were first introduced to me. I simply had never thought about those things before reading Emergency, but, after just finishing Jericho, they sure as hell fit into the puzzle that was then forming in my head – what if something like this (a $hit hit the fan scenario) actually happened?

How unlikely is it?

Hell, on September 11^th 2001 a few thousand people were murdered by those who hate the “United States”. How far fetched is it that something like that, happens again? Who’s to say it wouldn’t be a significantly more devastating attack?

As the saying goes, history repeats itself.

If it’s not apparent by now, our government has managed to anger a lot of people, both at home and abroad (enough to motivate suicide attacks apparently).

Saying that Jericho like events are unlikely? Sure, I’ll go with that. But impossible?

I’m not so sure, and I think anyone telling you for certain that it is impossible, is full of baloney. No one really knows for certain – all we can do is guess.

But, not even this was the driving motivation to read, research, and take action (at least regarding a “bug out bag”).

Far more likely events are bound to happen. Hurricanes most notably in Florida – and we’ll discuss others soon enough.

Combine a natural disaster with the way most people will act under extreme stress (various degrees of panic and irrational thought/action), and you have a serious problem on your hands.

The events following Hurricane Katrina are an excellent example.

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It is largely due to the above topics that I chose to “build” a Bug Out Bag. I like to have my cake and eat it too though, so I wanted something more, especially since I do a fair bit of traveling around Florida, and soon elsewhere.

I’m not interested in spending money on things I don’t need however, so I decided to find a happy middle ground for everything that I wanted in a BOB.

What resulted in a long enough time span were the two primary bags you saw in the previous post (that third is good to have, but not as practical, or used as often).

Those two bags, as you saw, had a lot of little things that were otherwise laying around my room. I asked myself, why not organize this otherwise useless junk into a bag, in case I need it someday, or until I decide it takes up too much space and would be better replaced with something else? (related or unrelated).

Off hand examples include that little pack of Tide laundry detergent, a bunch of nail clippers, and a portable GPS I’ve had since I was a kid.

Some “preppers” are critical to include such insignificant items, but I ask, why the hell not? My nails grow like crazy, and those little clippers make my life all the more simpler. Why not include them?

Again, I find it wise to include items – if you have the space – that would otherwise just sit around, as long as they are even remotely useful.

What’s more, it didn’t cost me anything. This is the world we live in now, and I run a business. That, is numero uno on my list of priorities, and I’ll gladly go with the minimum amount necessary in a BOB to ensure the success of The 21 Convention.

In addition to all of this, like I mentioned, I do a fair bit of traveling around Florida. Gainsville, Jacksonville, Cape Coral, and so on.

You know what?

In the past, every time I went to one of these places, I had to spend a good deal of time packing a bag or two. And when I got back, unpack it.

A bit of a pain in the arse wouldn’t you say?

Enter the bastard child of a BOB (made on the cheap with items already laying around), and a “Nomadic” bag.

Of course, when I do travel abroad, I’ll have to remove a few items, and add in a few others. But on the whole, my bags are already packed.

If I want to go somewhere just a few hours away, I’m good in less than 2 minutes. I can just up, and walk right out the door. Independence and freedom on a small scale, but a great feeling none the less.

And if I want to travel afar? It’s really a simple matter of re-organizing a few things, and I know I’m set. No more wondering if I forgot anything last minute – I’m already prepared for WW3 =).

Zombies

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The “Zombie Apocalypse” included in the title of the previous post was, mostly a joke.

Note the term mostly though.

Of course, a true Dawn of the Dead style zombie apocalypse is the least of my worries (at least I hope it is! Haha). But that’s not what I was really referring too.

I think the term “zombie” is actually quite fitting for unconscious, irrational, violent behavior people are prone to under extreme stress, manipulation, a lack of basic needs (food/water), or any combination of the above.

Think about it for a second, seriously. What is a zombie? A ravenous, mindless creature, that wants to “eat” you.

Do you see the parallel to a person who is desperately searching for food and supplies, either for themselves or their family – all under extreme stress and a probable (temporary or prolonged) collapse of order and law enforcement – in a SHTF situation?

In essence, the “zombie apocalypse” is similar to what we saw happen in New Orleans after Katrina. By preparing for “it”, you are simply preparing for if/when something like that happens, and people who are not prepared, and have yet to receive aid from large organizations (assuming it is coming in the first place), are beginning to get hungry, and desperate.

Not only for themselves, but for their friends, neighbors, even children. I’ve seen people do things most would consider insane, for no reason at all.

When your own life, or the life of your children is brought into the picture? Anything is possible.

Combine that with a partial or complete lack of law enforcement/emergency services … I don’t even like to think about it.

How probable is it that something like this happens?

Well, on temporary and smaller scale, 100%.

It is absolutely inevitable that more “Katrina” like events happen, both in the US and around the world. Natural disasters are simply part of the way things work, and to think that your state or country is immune to them (either through location or strength of aid organizations/government) is simply naive.

It can be big like the recent disaster in Haiti, or “small” (in comparison) like Hurricane Charley – which I experienced first hand. Heck, I watched the eye pass by just a handful of miles from my house.

Even something as small as the recent snow storms in the North East where supermarkets were picked clean by those caught unprepared.

I’m sure the more pertinent question on your guys minds though is – what about on a larger scale, and longer term?

Well, the nation of Haiti was nearly wiped off the map just a few weeks ago. If a country falling apart isn’t “major”, I don’t know what is.

But, there are bigger things at work. Obviously another terrorist attack, on a Jericho level, would be pretty devastating. At the rate the United State is starting (unconstitutionally by not declaring) aggressive wars in the Middle East, I think the probability of something on that massive a scale happening increases each and every day.

And it doesn’t even have to be entire cities disappearing via nuclear blast – a large EMP strike would be far more devastating (although maybe not as much as the author of the following book would like us to believe) to the continental United States and other “first world” nations.

This plot line is explored in modern America in One Second After.

Excellent book by the way.

Of course, attacks (including those that don’t pan out but still cause hysteria) and natural disasters, are not all we have to worry about though.

I think what is far more likely to happen is a “collapse” of some sort. Even this could come about in a variety of ways though (and there are quite a number of theories on if/how/when/why this will happen).

My guess?

A Soviet style financial collapse of the United States.

Of course, those are Ron Paul’s words not my own – but never the less, they fit my guess of what’s to come as well (assuming little or nothing changes over the next few years).

This warrants a discussion in and of itself – but this is not the time or post to do so. The take away message is what’s important: the society we live in is fragile. This is witnessed on a small scale when natural disasters happen. On a grand scale?

We have yet to see it in recent times, but I believe it to be a distinct possibility. In fact, I think the saying will hold true that

“the bigger they are, the harder they fall”

And financially is the most likely way, in my eyes, that this will happen, if  a collapse of some kind does come to pass. I think this is just the natural order of things though, how human nature works on a large scale.

Societies grow, and unenlightened group think results in centralization. As a society continues to grow, the instinct (urge?) is to further and further consolidate “power”* into that already growing central authority. This is akin to filling a balloon with water and squeezing it tighter and tighter.

Eventually, it will explode (collapse).

*A reader not long ago asked what I thought of movies like Zeitgeist, and I assume, other “conspiracy” movies like End Game, Fall of the Republic, and The Obama Deception (of which, I’ve all seen). Well, this is it – they are a surface level representation of one group trying to prevent another group from squeezing the “balloon” ever tighter, until it explodes. There may very well be some sort of “new world order” conspiracy going on, I have no idea, and there is simply no way for me to know (I have my doubts however since I don’t think many people are that smart, and could keep secrets that long).

However, even if there definitely were, I wouldn’t find it very relevant. It would just be another expression of someone trying to squeeze the “water balloon” ever tighter. It’s already happening elsewhere in ways we can very directly influence. I’ll pass on being concerned about something outside my sphere of influence – mental focus is better spent elsewhere.

As long as I am prepared to the best of my ability, and can get home to my family – who wouldn’t last 2 days in a Katrina like situation – in the time of an emergency (hurricane, terrorist attack of some kind, or financial meltdown followed by civil unrest), I am satisfied – and in the mean time enjoy the freedom and convenience of well prepared supplies for a variety of situations.

And to be completely honest, “prepping” grows on you as a strange, yet fun hobby =). Others who are still in the dark about such a past time will find it strange of course, but I’d rather be considered a nut now and prophet come crunch time, than caught with my pants down completely unprepared.

Dual Citizenship

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It would be fitting to end the post with the previous paragraph, but I promised more in the title, so I’ll deliver and just call his bonus content.

First up is the dual citizenship.

Neil Strauss in Emergency is the inspiration for this btw.

It’s nothing amazing honestly. It works in one of two ways.

A. You have a $hit ton of money and buy your way into a citizenship.

B. You have family that was born in another country.

In my case, my maternal grand parents were born in Eastern Europe. One was born in a country that does not allow citizenship based on your family history. The other grandparent however, was born in a country that is somewhat laid back about citizenship policy.

In that country, as long as your parents or grand parents were born there, you automatically have access to full citizenship for only a measly few hundred dollars, and their approval (I imagine those with criminal records won’t be allowed in, for example).

The United States to this day technically* allows “dual citizenship”, as does the country I am applying too.

*It’s actually a little hazy, since technically you can only be a citizen of one country, but they allow it none the less and many people are dual citizens.

Why am I interested in becoming a dual citizen?

Mainly because it’s easy for me to do, and if the rules change, I’ll feel like quite an imbecile for not getting it when I could. Were it not so easy and inexpensive, I would simply not care – but that is not the case. In the rare and extreme situation where a dual citizenship would prove useful, I’ll be glad to have it – both domestically and abroad*.

*Neil Strauss cites an incident in India if I remember correctly where terrorists were executing only British and American citizens in a hostage situation.

Domestically it’s not quite as useful, and things would really have to be down the $hitter for me to even fathom fleeing the country (and airlines would still have to be functioning), not to mention my family. But, I think it’s worth having the option.

And on a less dramatic note, I can go to nations not friendly with the United States, such as Cuba (which I actually saw as a kid fishing).

So, there it is, how I’m becoming a dual citizen come May 2010 when I fly to NY to apply, and probably do some speaking for those interested in The 21 Convention there.

Plant Pemmican & Other Mischief

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“Pemmican”, is actually a combination of animal fat and protein. I’m in the now continual process of making it myself, and have bought some previously from US Wellness Meats as seen in the final video of the three part series.

Plant Pemmican is a term I coined the other day when I got my first box of YouBar custom nutrition bars (hat tip to Tim).

Of course, I think most plants we consider “food” aren’t really food at all, but something akin to cardboard. And naturally, I’m a firm believer than 99% of the time (100%?) animals are a better source of “food” than plants.

But, that doesn’t mean all plants are not real “food”. In fact it is our ability to eat both plants and animals that has kept us alive for all these years, and probably helped propel us to the top of the food chain as a by product.

As a result, what I call “plant pemmican” is simply a custom made YouBar that only includes real food, and while not perfect, would sure kick the crap out of most other “foods” in a survival situation.

You can get YouBars here, and the code for my last batch of bars is YCPNK

I don’t get an affiliate commission for that (although I have applied to be an affiliate), that is simply the code I got to reorder my bars as I had them last time.

My bars are medium size (45g) and include the following ingredients.

• Almond butter
• Organic Dates
• Organic Clover Honey
• Whey Protein Isolate
• Organic Coconut
• Organic Pumpkin Seeds
• Pecans
• Cocoa
• Goji Berries
• Carob
• Organic Cacao Nibs
• All in one vitamin infusion
• Cinnamon

And have the following posted as nutritional information

• Calories: 210
• From fat: 101
• Total Fat: 12g
• Sat. Fat 3g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Cholesterol: 1mg
• Sodium: 18mg
• Total Carb: 20g
• Fiber: 4g
• Sugar: 10g
• Protein: 9g
• Vitamin A: 22%
• Vitamin C: 69%
• Calcium: 30%
• Iron: 25%

Not sure what % of those vitamins are locked up in fiber, but that fat and protein should be good to go (the protein being mostly from Whey, a complete, fast absorbing animal protein).

In any case, these taste quite good. The cinnamon is probably what adds the most flavor, so I may remove some of the other ingredients rich in carbohydrate. I also just ate the bar I read the above information off of, and piled on some coconut oil in the process.

DAMN

That’s good =). The texture and flavor skyrocket with coconut oil, along with the nutritional punch, and calories needed to survive in the wilderness (which I’ll be doing this spring break).

On the downside, these are expensive as hell*, so I will not be ordering them for anything but more food to stuff in my BOBs. Eating these on a regular basis would quickly bankrupt me.

The catch however, is that you choose exactly what goes into each one, unlike the ones you buy at a store which are packed with wheat, soy, corn, and other nonsense that’s horrible for us. I’ve scoured Whole Foods, and have yet to see a plant based bar even remotely as “good” as the ones I just got from YouBar.

Of course, home made animal pemmican kills these nutritionally =). You can’t just go and buy a ton though (well you can from US Wellness, but it wont last as long as a batch you make yourself), so this is what I’m left with to supplement the food supply in my BOB.

All in all, I recommend them for that purpose.

*By the way, you can use discount code TYNAN for 10% off. I’m not sure if Tynan get’s a commission off that or not, but if he does, it’s probably better to support him than just letting all the money go to YouBar, which has to be making a killing at $3 something a bar.

My New Vibram KSO Treks

I’m a huge fan of Vibram footwear. In fact this is my third pair of Vibrams (I once owned black KSOs, which I gave to my room mate as a birth day present, and I currently own Navy Camouflage Sprints ).

I love the KSOs, and I love the Sprints even more (for me personally, they both have their highlights). These treks are a different breed of Vibram though as they are tougher than nails (and expensive at $125 minimum).

I was pretty wary of dropping $125 on shoes I thought I just didn’t need. Vibram Sprints and sandals cover just about everything – but not everything.

Even with merino wool toe socks the sprints/ksos do not handle weather below about ~50 degrees Fahrenheit. You can suck it up of course, but cold feet is pure misery for me, even with hairy hobbit feet.

Because of this, I have always had an eye for Flows (which are heavily insulated). This is permanent with Flows however, and not something I would like for my shoes in the Florida Summer heat.

There is also another problem not addressed with Flows or Sprints – really rough terrain. Both have adequate soles for mildly rough terrain, but as soon as you step on something sharp or jagged, you will feel it in your feet.

Despite my Austin Powers like chest hair, I’m not Bear Grylls, so this isn’t a common problem. It is something I’ve experienced though, and something that’s crossed my mind – even in urban places like downtown Orlando (rough gravel).

Considering the above two issues, the KSO treks seemed like a possible solution to both considering it’s build.

For one, it’s made with kangaroo leather (that’s right, Mama Roo got turned into some shoes). Kangaroo leather is tougher than nails, and while not as insulating as the material found in Vibram Flows, I am betting it’s 100x more insulating than the paper thin regular KSO material that covers the top of the foot (and on the sprint, there is nothing there but air).

I’m also betting the substantially thicker soles of the Treks prove to be more insulating than the thin bottom layer of rubber found in classic KSOs and Sprints (this I believe, is where most of the heat is lost in your feet on cold ground, but that’s only based off of observation).

Secondly, the thick rubber soling is as strong or stronger than most conventional shoes (probably only short of heavy duty “hiking” boots). It’s seriously tough, and topped inside with more Kangaroo leather. This is another vital use of these shoes that is not found in any other Vibram.

Now, normally that aspect is useless to me, and even the added (moderate) insulation is only seasonal – but as mentioned eariler, this spring break I’m going camping in the middle of no where with two friends.

I’ll bring my sprints for sure, but I simply can’t risk my shoes being a liability camped in the middle of nowhere. The Treks not only provide some added insulation (which I’ll need in 30 degree weather), but are tougher than nails, bottom, top, all around – and even water resistant (not proof, but pretty damn close).

The only drawback of the Treks is the price (the cost of Kangaroo leather according to Vibram President), and slightly less mobility.

The mobility gained with classic Vibrams (and not so much the Treks) is primarily with the “inward” grip of the toes, which isn’t the most imperative part as I understand it.

What is important, to me anyway, is the “outward” or “upward” mobility gained with all Vibrams when attempting to run and trek about in the woods.

Rather than being chained to a moving plank during a sprint or strange angle while hiking in shoes, your toes can work as they were meant to, and even spread out as they were meant to for added “agility”, stability, and toe strength (I think the “agility” is simply being more aware of what the hell you are running on rather than being in constant contact with a flat cushy board in a typical shoe).

All in all, excellent shoes. Pricy, but I’ll be glad to have them next time it’s freezing out, or walking over sharp rocks in the middle of **cking nowhere come spring break.

Get them on Amazon here, but wait till the price drops to the MSRP of $125. No idea why they are so jacked in price on Amazon. Idiots.

You can also get them here at TravelCountry.com (a local store and small warehouse in the Orlando area where I bought mine in person). They have a bunch of brown* ones like mine in stock, but no black.

*The brown ones I have seriously look like dress shoes, and would probably pass as such if an occasion arises where I need dress shoes.

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And there you have it, my thoughts on all sorts of fun stuff, and hopefully clarification on my previous post detailing every little item I have organized into a few bug out bags for travel, convenience, and emergency use.

I am no “pro” at prepping, but then again I think it’s more of a personal/individual decision to make, so “pro” is a lofty term to throw around in the hobby/field. In any case, if you have questions, I’m an open book as always.

ps- I researched to hell and back which multi-tool was best for the money I was looking to spend. I decided on a Swiss made multi tool you can find here. Don’t have it yet, but that choice represents hours and hours of reading reviews and comparing models/brands. Is it the best for under $70? I’ll let you know when I do and compare it to my room mates Leatherman Wave – who, in case you havent guessed by now, also caught the prepping bug