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    Survival planning is nothing more than realizing something could happen that would put you in a survival situation and, with that in mind, taking steps to increase your chances of survival. Thus, survival planning means preparation.  
 
     Preparation means having survival items and knowing how to use them People who live in snow regions prepare their vehicles for poor road conditions. They put snow tires on their vehicles, add extra weight in the back for traction, and they carry a shovel, salt, and a blanket. Another example of preparation is finding the emergency exits on an aircraft when you board it for a flight. Preparation could also mean knowing your intended route of travel and familiarizing yourself with the area. Finally, emergency planning is essential.  
 
 IMPORTANCE OF PLANNING
 
Detailed prior planning is essential in potential survival situations. Including survival considerations in mission planning will enhance your chances of survival if an emergency occurs. For example, if your job re-quires that you work in a small, enclosed area that limits what you can carry on your person, plan where you can put your rucksack or your load-bearing equipment. Put it where it will not prevent you from getting out of the area quickly, yet where it is readily accessible.
 
One important aspect of prior planning is preventive medicine. Ensuring that you have no dental problems and that your immunizations are current will help you avoid potential dental or health problems. A dental problem in a survival situation will reduce your ability to cope with other problems that you face. Failure to keep your shots current may mean your body is not immune to diseases that are prevalent in the area.
 
 Preparing and carrying a survival kit is as important as the considerations mentioned above. All Army aircraft normally have survival kits on board for the type area(s) over which they will fly. There are kits for over-water survival, for hot climate survival, and an aviator survival vest (see Appendix A for a description of these survival kits and their contents). If you are not an aviator, you will probably not have access to the survival vests or survival kits. However, if you know what these kits contain, it will help you to plan and to prepare your own survival kit.
 
 Even the smallest survival kit, if properly prepared, is invaluable when faced with a survival problem. Before making your survival kit, however, consider your unit's mission, the operational environment, and the equipment and vehicles assigned to your unit.
 SURVIVAL KITS
 
 The environment is the key to the types of items you will need in your survival kit. How much equipment you put in your kit depends on how you will carry the kit. A kit carried on your body will have to be smaller than one carried in a vehicle. Always layer your survival kit, keeping the most important items on your body. For example, your map and compass should always be on your body. Carry less important items on your load-bearing equipment. Place bulky items in the rucksack.
 
In preparing your survival kit, select items you can use for more than one purpose. If you have two items that will serve the same function, pick the one you can use for another function. Do not duplicate items, as this increases your kit's size and weight.
 
 Your survival kit need not be elaborate. You need only functional items that will meet your needs and a case to hold the items. For the case, you might want to use a Band-Aid box, a first aid case, an ammunition pouch, or another suitable case. This case should be--
 
     * Water repellent or waterproof.
 
     * Easy to carry or attach to your body.
 
     * Suitable to accept varisized components.
 
     * Durable.  
 
 In your survival kit, you should have--
 
     * First aid items.
 
     * Water purification tablets or drops.
 
     * Fire starting equipment.
 
     * Signaling items.
 
     * Food procurement items.
 
     * Shelter items.  
 
 Some examples of these items are--
 
     * Lighter, metal match, waterproof matches.
 
     * Snare wire.
 
     * Signaling mirror.
 
     * Wrist compass.
 
     * Fish and snare line.
 
     * Fishhooks.
 
     * Candle.
 
     * Small hand lens.
 
     * Oxytetracycline tablets (diarrhea or infection).
 
     * Water purification tablets.
 
     * Solar blanket.
 
     * Surgical blades.
 
     * Butterfly sutures.
 
     * Condoms for water storage.
 
     * Chap Stick.
 
     * Needle and thread.
 
     * Knife.  
 
Include a weapon only if the situation so dictates. Read about and practice the survival techniques in this manual. Consider your unit's mission and the environment in which your unit will operate. Then prepare your survival kit.

Daily Prepper: Water Prepping For The Apartment Dweller

 LAST UPDATED ON JANUARY 19TH, 2015 BY BLACK PREPPER (http://www.blackprepper.com/author/blackprepper/)
1 (http://www.blackprepper.com/water-prepping-for-the-apartment-dweller/#comments)
Water is the most important resource in any survival scenario. Whether you are dealing with a natural disaster or the collapse of civilization, having water on hand will give you a better chance of survival. If you are prepping correctly, you should have a knowledge of exactly how much water you have and approximately how long it will last.The question many first time preppers ask is how much water should they store. The general rule is to have one gallon of water for each person for each day you anticipate being in survival mode. In a moderate climate, doing moderate physical activity, a healthy adult male requires 3 liters of fluid a day. Under the same conditions, a healthy adult female requires 2.2 liters. The best way to visualize this is to think of bottles of soda. A gallon of water is slightly more than 3 liters, so you are essentially storing more drinking water than you actually need to consume in a given day.For a family of four, storing the required amount of drinking water for 180 day would equate to 720 gallons. If you live in an apartment or have a small home, this poses unique challenges. For the apartment dweller, storing this amount of water may not be feasible. Having to renew a lease every year or two means there is always the possibility that the apartment may be lost. Imagine the nightmare of having to move 720 gallons of water. The other challenge is the space needed. Having a family member with ample space could help with your prepping needs. Coordinate with this family member and include them in your plan. If needed, introduce them to prepping and help them get started. Pooling resources in a time of need may be the best option if you have limited resources. This does not mean you should become dependent on another for your survival needs, you are working together to aid in your long-term survival. The concept of co-prepping goes beyond the scope of this article and will be covered in detail at a later time.Where exactly should the water be stored? In apartment living, the logical choice would be the kitchen, a closet or an area that is out of the way. Prepping should not be an obsession. The plan and provisions should be known and available, but they should not be in the way. Now, that all important question: How much water should be stored? As much as your dedicated space can hold, but no less than a 3 day supply for each person. That 3 day supply should not be your goal or the end of your plan. If you have a bug out or co-prepping location, you should have enough water to keep you until you can get to this location. One cannot assume that order will be restored in 3 days or disaster cleanup will be completed in that time. There should be a plan in place to obtain more water if you are unable to make it to your bug out location. Depending on the scenario, you may have to operate under different rules, in other words, you may have to steal water. One thing to remember is that you are responsible and will be held accountable for your actions once order is restored. Common sense should dictate when this type of action would be necessary.I would not suggest entering the homes of others to take their resources because you cannot be sure what kind of security they have in place. This is also unfamiliar ground to you and that leaves you at a disadvantage. Going to a nearby convenience store or supermarket would be the best places to find water. These should be your primary targets the instant we have a true SHTF scenario. I consider a true SHTF scenario to be one that is sudden and widespread with no foreseeable end. I mention this because if there is enough warning, these things can hopefully be bought. You will just have to be among those who don't prep and flock to the supermarket whenever there is a report about an impending storm. As a prepper, this is not a situation you want to find yourself in. You should already have your supplies and be heading to your bug out location, not standing on a line to buy supplies.In a true SHTF situation, stores will more than likely be closed preventing you from buying water. You may not want to wait until you run low or run out of water before trying to obtain more. You should have multiple means to get to your targeted stores and transport the water. Be smart about where you go. The convenience store may be closer, but their supply of water will be limited. You may only have one opportunity to make this run, so it is important where you go. Getting as much water as possible should be your primary goal at this point. Any space you have should now be used to keep water. Along with bottled water, you may also want to steal storage containers. These containers can be used to store tap water, presuming you still have running water. You should also have multiple means of purifying water to ensure the tap water is safe to consume. But depending on the scenario, you will know whether tap water should be considered safe for use.Apartment living brings unique limitations to prepping. Understanding these limitations will make you a better prepper. Since water is the most vital resource for survival, all options should be considered when it comes to obtaining it, even looting.Share this:

Should You Prep For Bartering?

(https://www.abibitumikasa.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi587.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fss318%2Famericanprepper%2FAPN%2520Blog%2520Posts%2FShould%2520You%2520Prep%2520for%2520Bartering%2F1e2ddf6e-d300-4125-8d8c-0f1d4124b559.jpg&hash=f0798ad085e01899ab034ba7df3b96a55cca8260)I guess you could say my wife and I have been "preppers" for several years. We have always believed in a debt-free lifestyle, and except for a couple of home mortgages decades ago, that philosophy has served us well.  My wife and I both have had steady jobs through the years and never fell victim to the conspicuous consumption routine of "keeping up with the Joneses".  (That alone keeps a lot of stress out of family life.)  Without going into details, I can say that my spouse and I are fairly comfortable with our preparations for most things old man Murphy could throw at us, short of something like a nuke or serious asteroid strike close to our home.  Water?  Got it.  Food?  Got it!  Defense?  Got it!  PM's?  Got some!  BOV and camper?  Got it!  Remote bunker?  Working on it!  We even have a friendly and supportive MD and have managed to get important medications (thankfully we don't need many) stocked up.
During the course of reading up on prepping, talking to others, listening to "experts", etc., the issue often comes up about acquiring goods for "barter" in the wake of some wide-spread calamity. This got me thinking.  Should anyone deliberately acquire goods they know, or at least are pretty sure, they themselves won't use but are just acquired for trading purposes?
This begs a couple of questions.
First, how do you KNOW you won't need something? After all, circumstances change, and what is prepping all about anyway but preparing for the unexpected?  Like it or not – we don't know what we don't know.
Second, should you spend your limited resources acquiring things you believe will be important to others but which you presume you will have little or no use for yourself? And, which "others"?  If the time comes, the line of "others" is apt to be quite long, diverse and needy.
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Let's play pretend for a minute.  Here are four possible scenarios which, I hope, will help illustrate the point.

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• You are a tea-totaler! You have no use for alcoholic spirits. Since you have stocked up on disinfectants such as hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, soap, topical antibiotics and other medical supplies, alcoholic spirits are irrelevant to you.  But one of the most common barter items mentioned by preppers far and wide is booze. In normal society, alcohol is widely available, relatively cheap, has a long list of uses other than just for drinking, and has a tremendously long shelf life.  After any significant catastrophe alcohol will likely disappear within hours.  Demand is certain to outrun supply many times over.  Should you purchase a supply of booze as a trade good?
• As a prepper you have a comfortable (at least to you) supply of firearms and ammunition. At a garage sale you find several hundred rounds of XYZ ammunition, and for an unbeatable price. You do not have a firearm that uses XYZ ammo, you don't know anyone who does, and you have no intention of getting one.  XYZ is not one of the top popular calibers, but it is somewhat common.  Do you purchase the ammo, knowing that, for you, it's only a trade good?
• Here's a tougher one. You are allergic to penicillin. Do you stock up on Fish Mox,  (Amoxicillin)?
• In several recent inner-city riots, news reports usually focused on liquor stores as targets of looters. Since we considered alcohol in the first scenario let's move on to another item pretty high on the list of looter targets. (Guns, cash, and jewelry are of course top targets of looters, but these things are more easily removed from view, already protected with infrastructure or receive extra protection from security forces.) Believe it or not – disposable diapers. OK!  You do not have diaper dependent toddlers in your group.  Do you buy some anyway?
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No doubt you can think of dozens of other scenarios and items based on your unique view of the world. And there is no 'one size fits all' answer to acquiring goods solely for barter. Google "preppers and trading" and you will get hundreds of suggestions about what to stock up on now to trade after TEOTWAWKI.  Some lists are well over one hundred items long.   As none of us has unlimited resources, it's a fool's errand to try to acquire some of "everything".  So what should you do?
In the minds of some, I'm going to touch a third rail here. My advice is no.  Don't do it.  Do not deliberately acquire preps just for barter.
The typical prepper (is there a "typical" prepper?) has a limited horizon of people and assets to protect.   As altruistic as you may be, you cannot save the world. Your first and highest priority is to those you choose to throw your security blanket over.  Thought, effort and expense devoted to trade goods diverts resources from your primary goal of protecting loved ones.  Anything you envision trading for after the fact should already be on your 'A' list.
(https://www.abibitumikasa.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi587.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fss318%2Famericanprepper%2FAPN%2520Blog%2520Posts%2FShould%2520You%2520Prep%2520for%2520Bartering%2Fbarter%25204.jpg&hash=f8a198086440927b0c5b8131c17b497933fe6947)And what about storage space? A place to put all those trade goods may be of no real concern for a suburban homeowner with rooms to spare, but for some, storage space is limited.  If you are an apartment dweller do you really want to use some of what little space you have to store things you might, someday, somehow, be able to trade for something, maybe, you are not sure what?  All those trade goods will have to be put someplace; protected from weather, deterioration, theft, etc.
Consider also that in the event of widespread calamity; most of the needy will likely have little to barter with. You could well find that most of your trade goods will acquire next to nothing in return, thus making them nearly worthless in their ability to improve your situation.  Even worse, your barter goods could make you and your family an even greater target of violence.  If someone or group wants what you don't need you may decide to give it away to avoid confrontation.  Paradoxically, giving away goods, even things you don't want, can make you an even greater target than before.  Reference the many suggestions that for your own safety you should distribute welfare through front organizations such as churches – not through your front door.
I have nothing against bartering. It is a time honored tradition and a textbook example of a free market.  When two people freely exchange goods, both gain. But bartering should not be a strategy depended on in the early/middle stages of a catastrophe.  Successful bartering needs a relatively stable economic and social environment; something unlikely in the early/middle stages of the kind of event most preppers envision.  
In defense of barter as a tool, it is likely that many preppers will make mistakes in their acquisitions. I know I have.  Most of us will over-prepare in some areas and under-prepare in others.  Still other items or categories may be completely overlooked.  Nobody has a crystal ball that says you will only need this much X, and that much Y.    Who among us can foresee every need?  Careful bartering after some calamity may have a place but it should be practiced the way porcupines mate – very carefully!
(https://www.abibitumikasa.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi587.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fss318%2Famericanprepper%2FAPN%2520Blog%2520Posts%2FShould%2520You%2520Prep%2520for%2520Bartering%2F9f858d40-c0d9-483c-ac52-8a2b52d1a735.jpg&hash=2663d88f3390624684d88763550ecb326efcc633)My guess is that most people who talk about bartering after TEOTWAWKI envision something like a friendly get together at a flea market type environment where everyone has a good time and goes home with goodies they didn't have before. If that is how you see post-apocalyptic trading taking place, I strongly suggest you take off the rose colored glasses and start thinking realistically.  It may take months or even years for that kind of order to be restored.   Bartering in a disorderly lawless world is apt to be a very dangerous activity.  Tempers will flare and you may not be able to safely 'back away'.  Someone who envisions themselves or their family desperately in need of something you have is probably going to be pretty insistent.  Wouldn't you?  When order and some semblance of civilized society return, barter will probably flourish, but for now, the longer you can stay away from it  – the better.
 Realize also that historically, bartering goods and services is cumbersome, inefficient and a tremendous drag on individual and societal economic improvement.  Even under ideal circumstances bartering is a slow hit and miss proposition.  That's why money was invented.  Money speeds up a society's improvement in lifestyle and security.  Consequently, in any post-apocalyptic environment, some type of "money" will eventually emerge.  Some will be tempted to think they know what that form of money will be.  I have no idea what it will be, but I do know most who guess will guess wrong.  And that thought leads to my concluding advice.
By all means – prepare. But do your homework.  Spend your resources on things you are sure or reasonably sure, you and your group will need.  To do less is to waste precious time, money and energy on a "hope".  Hope is not a strategy.  Remember,anything you envision trading for after the fact should already be on your 'A' list.  If the time comes and you find yourself "over prepared" with some items, you may find a way to carefully barter some away for things you do not have.  But be extremely careful when doing so.
Your list of necessities will not match mine, your neighbor's, or some armchair expert's list.  Don't let that weigh you down with doubt.  Learn from others.  Listen to their ideas.  If invited, and you are so inclined, share your ideas with them.  Adopt good ideas from others and discard bad or ir

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Water List
 House downspout conversion sheet metal work and barrels. (BTW, this  is another good reason to upgrade your retreat to a fireproof metal  roof.)
 Drawing water from open sources. Buy extra containers. Don't buy big  barrels, since five gallon food grade buckets are the largest size that  most people can handle without back strain.
 For transporting water if and when gas is too precious to waste, buy a  couple of heavy duty two wheel garden carts–convert the wheels to foam  filled "no flats" tires. (BTW, you will find lots of other uses for  those carts around your retreat, such as hauling hay, firewood, manure,  fertilizer, et cetera.)
 Treating water. Buy plain Clorox hypochlorite bleach. A little goes a  long way. Buy some extra half-gallon bottles for barter and charity. If  you can afford it, buy a "Big Berkey" British Berkefeld ceramic water  filter. (Available from Ready Made Resources (http://www.readymaderesources.com/)  and several other Internet vendors. Even if you have pure spring water  at your retreat, you never know where you may end up, and a good filter  could be a lifesaver.)

Food Storage List
 Store the essentials, in quantity:
 Salt: Salt is very important to store, both for preserving food and  as a practical means to attract wild game. (It is noteworthy that in  many locales, natural salt licks are off-limits to hunters, since  hunting there is too easy and hence not considered sporting. That ought  to tell you something.) I recommend that you store several times more  salt than you think that you'll ever need.
 Unless you literally live next to a salt lick or salt marsh, I cannot  overemphasize the importance of storing salt. The Memsahib and I  formerly lived in the Upper Clearwater River Valley in Idaho. In that  region, deer and elk would walk many, many miles to get to natural salt  licks where they would congregate in large numbers. Salt is cheap and  plentiful now, but in the event of TEOTWAWKI (http://survivalblog.com/glossary/t/#TEOTWAWKI)  it will be a scarce and valuable commodity in most inland regions. Salt  also has a virtually unlimited shelf life. Do some research on natural  salt deposits near your intended retreat. That could be quite valuable  knowledge in the event of TEOTWAWKI.
 Lay in a supply of 10 pounds of salt per member of your family. (This  figure may sound high, but again it includes extra for attracting wild  game.) The portion for cooking and table salt should be iodized.
 Rice:I prefer brown rice, even though its storage life is shorter  that that of white rice. The combined weight should be about 30 pounds  per adult, per year. Storage life is +/- 8 years.
 Wheat (or substitute grains, for celiacs): Grain storage is a crucial  aspect of family preparedness. Grain will soon no longer be cheap or  plentiful, so stock up! Buy 220 pounds per adult, per year. (Part of  this can be in the form of pasta.) Storage life is 30+ years. Buy plenty  for your family and your livestock. I also recommend buying plenty of  extra for barter and charity. You'll soon be glad that you did.
 I do not recommend storing flour, since it only keeps for two or  three years. Whole wheat stores for 30+ years with 80% or more of its  nutritional value. Buy whole grains and a hand wheat grinder.
 Don't overlook the easiest preparation method of all: soaked wheat  berries. By simply soaking whole wheat for 24 to 36 hours, it plumps and  softens. When then heated, wheat berries make a nutritious breakfast  cereal.
 Corn: Whole corn stores much longer than cracked corn or corn meal.  (Grind your own.) Get 50 pounds per adult, per year. The storage life of  whole corn is 8 to 12 years, but cracked or ground corn stores only 18  to 36 months
 Oats: Lay in a supply of 20 pounds per adult, per year. The storage  life of oats is 3 to 7 years, depending on variety and packing method.
 Fats and Oils: I recommend storing primarily olive oil (frozen, in  plastic bottles), mayonnaise, canned butter, and peanut butter. The  combined weight of these should be about 96 pounds per adult, per year.  (Four gallons is about 24 pounds.) The canned products must be  continuously rotated, or else donated to charity bi-annually. The frozen  oil should be rotated or else donated to charity once every four years.
 Powdered Milk: Buy the nonfat variety. Store about 20 pounds per  adult, per year. For the longest storage life, it is best to buy  nitrogen packed dry milk from a storage food vendor. That type has a 5+  year shelf life.
 Canned Fruit and Vegetables: It is most economical (and good  practice) to can your own. As long as you rotate continuously, you  should lay in a two year supply per family member.
 Canned Meats: Again, you must rotate continuously, and don't store  more than you would use in two years. I like the DAK brand canned hams.
 Sugars: I prefer honey (except of course for infants), but depending  on your taste, you will also want to lay in a supply of sugar, molasses,  sorghum, maple syrup, and various jams and jellies. The combined weight  of these should be about 50 pounds per adult, per year.
 
 Other important items for your food storage:
 – Canning lids and rings—buy plenty of extras for barter.
 – Sulfur for drying fruit.
 – Vinegar-Buy a couple of cases of one-gallon bottles.
 – Spices.
 – Baking soda.
 – Yeast.
 – Food storage (freezer and vacuum) bags.
 – Aluminum foil (Buy lots! 101 uses, including making improvised solar ovens.)
 – Deer bags.
 Food Preparation List
 Having more people under your roof will necessitate having an  oversize skillet and a huge stew pot. BTW, you will want to buy several  huge kettles, because odds are you will have to heat water on your wood  stove for bathing, dish washing, and clothes washing. You will also need  even more kettles, barrels, and 5 or 6 gallon PVC buckets–for water  hauling, rendering, soap making, and dying. They will also make great  barter or charity items. (To quote my mentor Dr. Gary North: "Nails: buy  a barrel of them. Barrels: Buy a barrel of them!")
 Don't overlook skinning knives, gut-buckets, gambrels, and meat saws.