Survival Shop Reports Jump In Sales To People Preparing For “Possible Collapse”

WEBSTER GROVES, MO (KMOX) - A chain of three stores that sells survival food and gear reports a jump in sales to people who are getting prepared for the “possible collapse” of society.

“We had to order fifty cases of the meals ready to eat to keep up with the demand in the past three months,” said manager Steve Dorsey at Uncle Sam’s Safari Outfitters Inc. in Webster Groves. “That’s not normal. Usually we sell 20 to 30 cases in a whole year.”

Dorsey says business has been brisk since the spring uprisings in the middle east, as customers share concerns about political uprisings, the world economy and the future of the United States.

“I’ve had people in here that are very wealthy and they’ve spent thousands of dollars just on backpacks that they fill with survival gear, one for each person of their family,” Dorsey said, “And something where they can just grab a bag and get out of Dodge.”

Dorsey says some customers talk of stocking up on freeze-dried meals for the home, while others confide they are stashing supplies at a remote location away from the city where they would go in an emergency...[Full Article]

Doomsday fears spur spate of bunker building

San Francisco Chronicle

Terrorism can be good for bunker builders. An apocalypse can be even better for business.

Danila Andreyev started building "panic rooms" three years ago, when fears of terrorist attacks and commercial disputes turning violent created demand in Russia. Now he's selling "survival bunkers" for as much as $400,000 each to capitalize on angst over theories the world will end next year...[Full Article]

Americans are Preparing at Unprecedented Levels

SHTFPlan.com

Do you have enough larder to feed your family and some friends if grocery stores ran out of food? How about several assault rifles and a few thousand rounds of ammo? Solar panels, a water filter, medical kits, bug-out bags, fire starters, tents, sleeping bags, some junk silver and reserve gasoline?

Don’t worry, you’re not alone.

It’s becoming apparent to many Americans that depending on our local, state and federal governments in the event of an emergency, catastrophic societal collapse or widespread disaster will not be sufficient to meet the needs of your family. Residents in Colorado (and likely the other 49 states) are stockpiling in droves and preparing to live off the grid if it comes to that:...[Full Article]

Suburban Survivalists: 'I Just Want to Be Prepared'
From 'Survival Bikes' to Survival Courses, Some Take Extreme Precautions for Worst-Case Scenarios

ABC News



Zoltan Hites clamped a pair of handcuffs around his wife Christine's wrists, helped her into the trunk of a car parked in a parking garage, slammed the lid and waited for her to escape.

Less than five minutes later, the trunk popped open and Christine climbed out. Doesn't exactly seem like a romantic weekend, but they were learning how to make a quick getaway.

Watch the full story on "Nightline" tonight at 11:35 p.m. ET

They're not spies-in-training. They're survivalists -- people who are dedicated to being ready for and surviving the worst-case scenarios.

The Hiteses paid about $800 a piece to join a dozen or so other people at a Los Angeles hotel for three-day retreat with onPoint Tactical. Under the supervision of instructor Kevin Reeve, the participants will learn extremely advanced survival skills, such as how to pick a handcuff lock with a bobby pin.

"I'm not worried," Zoltan Hites said. "I just want to be prepared."

Hites, a tennis instructor, and Christine, a stay-at-home mom to their two children, make a hobby of being prepared for disaster...[Full Article]

Japan crisis spurs survival planning by U.S. Mormons

SALMON, Idaho (Reuters) – While the nuclear crisis in Japan unfolds a continent away, Mormon-dominated communities in the western United States say the disaster overseas is bringing close to home a lesson about preparing for the worst.

Emergency planning and the long-term storage of food, water and medical supplies are central practices by the 14 million worldwide members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The tradition stems from doctrine - "If ye are prepared ye shall not fear" - established by Joseph Smith when he founded the church in 1830 in upstate New York. It also stems from the persecution that drove his early followers from the Midwest to the Rocky Mountains in 1847.

Present-day Mormons, concentrated in the United States in Utah, California and Idaho, say preparedness and self-reliance are a way of life and not signs of survivalist leanings or knee-jerk responses to disasters.

"It's not a sudden, spectacular program," said Craig Rasmussen, spokesman for the church in Idaho, second only to Utah for the highest percentage of Mormons.

Worries about radiation from Japan's crippled nuclear plants have spurred sales in the West of potassium iodide to block absorption of cancer-causing radioactive iodine even though U.S. officials say minor amounts detected in the air, rainwater or milk in 15 states pose no health risks.

At a time of renewed interest in how to cope with calamity in a region where Mormonism is the prevailing religious, cultural and social influence, companies selling dehydrated, freeze-dried or canned foods in bulk are reporting rising sales.

Don Pectol, vice president with Emergency Essentials Inc., a retail and online emergency supply chain based near Salt Lake City, said top sellers are powdered milk, water purifiers and meat processed to extend shelf life...[Full Article]

Top 10 Survival Downloads

Top 10 Download’s You Should Have

ModernSurvivalOnline.com

There are tons of good downloads in the Survival Database Download section of this website. For this article – I have selected 10 that everyone should have either printed and put away, or placed on a USB drive – or better yet both.

So – let’s get to it:

#10. FM 4-25-11 First Aid (2002) - Military First Aid Manual.First aid information is a must – get training before you need it – use this manual for reference.

#9. Guide to Canning – Being able to preserve crops to be able to provide for yourself and your family long after the growing season is over is important. This guide will help with that.

#8. Rangers Handbook (2006) – Crammed with info on demolitions, booby traps, communications, patrolling, tactical movement, battle drills, combat intelligence and much more

#7. Where There is No Dentist - The author uses straightforward language and careful instructions to explain how to: examine patients; diagnose common dental problems; make and use dental equipment; use local anesthetics; place fillings; and remove teeth.

#6. NATO Emergency War Surgury – While this is certainly not a manual that would stand alone in most persons emergency/disaster library, it is an absolutely necessary resource if you expect to handle any type of trauma where immediate comprehensive medical care is not available.

#5. A Guide to Raised Bed Gardening – This is not an “all knowing” gardening book – however it provides a lot of information to the “urban gardener” before or after TSHTF. Best to get the experience and knowledge of gardening NOW rather than later.

#4. FM 3-06 Combined Arms Operations in Urban Terrain - Combat techniques covered in the manual which may be very valuable in a “Roadwarrior”-type world.

#3. 1881 Household Cyclopedia – A massive resource of information that much of it has been lost over the past 203 generations. From Angling to Knitting – its here.

#2. FM 21-76-1 Survival-Evasion-Recovery (1999) – Excellent manual geared towards the soldier that finds himself behind enemy lines

#1. FM 21-76 US Army Survival Manual - From Amazon.com: This manual has been written to help you acquire survival skills. It tells you how to travel, find water and food, shelter yourself from the weather and care for yourself if you become sick or injured. This information is first treated generally and then applied specifically to such special areas as the Arctic, the desert, the jungle and the ocean.1970 Military Issue Manual. General Introduction and Individual and Group Survival Orientation Navigation, Finding Water In All Parts of The Globe. How To Obtain Food, Start a Fire and much more!

M1 Carbine for survival

ModernSurvivalOnline.com

I have been a fan of the M1 Carbine for years.

Light, compact and quick handling – they are great weapon for smaller shooters and females. Back in the 80′s and early 90′s Iver Johnson made one that came with came with a Choate pistol grip stock (folding also) that I thought was awesome. Always like the classic lines of the carbine. I have handled several but honestly have never shot one.

My brother has an old military M1 Carbine and I can truly see the value in this weapon. Back during the Korean war the M1 was not well received. I think that many of the issues were caused from a lack of maintenance as well as expecting more than the design of the gun would deliver. Regardless – .30 Carbine cartridge is capable if used within its acceptable range of about 100 yards or so. The .30 Carbine has ballistic very similar to the .30-30 Winchester – probably the most popular deer hunting cartridge ever.

Military M1 Carbine

Auto-Ordnance makes a new M1 which is available in a variety of formats – wood stock, plastic stock, folding stock, etc. I like the Auto-Ordnance however it is very expensive. My local gun shop sells one for over $700. That is a bit pricey for an M1 in my opinion.

Auto-Ordnance M1 Carbine

M1 Carbine with folding stock - great "Bug Out" gun

I have seen military grade used M1 Carbines for between $400-$500. Not too shabby.

Accessories are not very plentiful for the M1 Carbine however they can be customized in a few ways. Magazine capacity is typically 15 or 30 rounds. From what I have read – the 15 round mags are more reliable and the 30 round mags do better when only loaded with 28. Like an AR – 2 M1 Carbine magazines can be clipped together. See here.

The are not very many stocks available to accessorize with. My personal favorite is the Choate pistol grip folding stock as seen on the Auto-Ordnance as well as the M1 Carbine pictured below.

Choate folding stock

For optics a scope or red dot mount can be mounted. UTG make a scope mount with 1 inch rings combo for around $18.00 or if the rings are not wanted – there is this. If I had an M1 Carbine – open sights would probably be satisfactory but I do like the red dot option.

“Tactical” today generally means being able to mount a flashlight or laser to the weapon. This is possible with a Ultimak rail system. See picture below (as well as the Choate stock picture above):

Of course, regular items like slings and cases are readily available.

One of the great things about living in the United States (at least for now) is the ability to choose from a HUGE selection of firearms which to arm yourself with. The M1 Carbine is one of many.

Anyone wish to share their experiences with the M1 Carbine?

Rourke

My AR and my brothers M1 Carbine