We all know that the most important item on your bug out bag list is you – and training is a critical part of preparation. Crossfit is a training methodology that has been rapidly gaining popularity since it’s introduction in the year 2000. Designed by a former gymnast, it claims to be the best training for military, police and athletes from a wide variety of sports.

1. Overview

Crossfit relies on the concept of novelty to keep workouts fresh. As those of you who train might know, even the best program will have diminishing returns as the body adapts to the regular pattern. This is not so for Crossfit. The workouts constantly vary, incorporating weight training, calisthenics, running and other forms of exercise in combinations that few have seen before. While there are several staple workouts such as the infamous Fran, these are far between and serve as a benchmark for progress.

Workouts are not planned but rather come in the form of a WOD, or workout of the day. Not having to worry about what the next workout makes it easy for a lot of people to have a fresh training regimen without a personal coach. And it’s all available free on the Crossfit website.

2. Applicability

Because of the extreme variety, crossfit has the effect of training you in novelty itself. The new workouts will have you constantly gassed and pushing against your limits. You will get very well conditioned from a cardio perspective, but even with all of that each workout will become an intense mental challenge. This is compounded by a culture of getting the best score or time on a workout. Mental toughness is applauded, crossfit gyms actually have jokes for puking during a workout and will give out t-shirts for doing so.

In my experience with crossfit, I felt very prepared for the challenges I faced in the sports I was doing at the time. Moving from kickboxing to judo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, I felt prepared to go the distance more than I ever had before. What’s more important, I was able to retain strength.

Compared to powerlifting and strongman style training, which had been a mainstay of mine for years I may have had slightly less raw power. But the strength I did have I was able to use for longer. In a survival situation, endurance is key, and actually defending oneself will look a lot more like a crossfit workout than hitting the weights. It’s no surprise that this style of training is popular among military and police forces and combat athletes.

3. Dangers and limits

Crossfit is not all sunshine and rainbows. It has come under fire from a number of people in the fitness world for increasing the chances of injuries. The criticism is that the programming is based more around muscle confusion that balancing out complementary muscle groups. In addition, doing complicated lifts with poor form due to fatigue or focusing on speed can increase the risk of bad things happening. Finally, running the typical 3 days on one day off schedule is considered overtraining by some.

The best advice for someone looking to get into crossfit is to find a gym in your area. Trainers that are comfortable with showing the difficult motions will do a lot to prevent injury and get you started on the right foot. Also, you are definitely going to want a t-shirt when you end up puking.

Jeremy and Kelly are one of the most intelligent couples on Doomsday Preppers precisely because they don’t divulge their last name. While it’s probably pretty obvious to people in the neighborhood, it will be tough to hide a military truck  in the suburbs. Especially when it’s bigger than your house…

1. Hot Tub Water Supply

If you have been waiting for an excuse to drop a few thousand on a hot tub, now you can do it in the name of survival! With 450 gallons of water available for storage, this is enough water to provide hydration for the better part of a year. Before anyone gets too excited though, it isn’t as easy as the show would have you believe. If any of you are running out to grab some hot chocolate mix to make some cocoa like Jeremy and Kelly, read this first.

The most dangerous part of drinking hot tub water are the potential bacterial and organic conaminants. While hot tub water is generally safe from being contaminated through the high levels of chlorine and temperature, in a grid shutdown these can become compromised. If stockpiling for a long period of time decontamination is necessary. Any sort of filter that could be used for backpacking could be used. Alternately there is a process gaining traction in Africa called flocculation in which particles are bound together into large clumps and then filtered out with regular cloth.

2. Enter The Beast

In a ridiculous twist of fate Jeremy was able to purchase a decommissioned 2 1/2 ton M35 cargo truck for the bargain basement price of $3500 dollars. I think this is a point worth discussing because it’s something that has come up a lot. Many times we preppers take pride in our frugality. But without the ability to drop $3500 dollars in one sitting, Jeremy would have never gotten the vehicle that forms the basis of his bug out plan. Pursuing financial stability and saving is important when it comes to affording the preparation we need.

3. Alternative fuel sources

One of the most interesting things about the beast is the fact that it can run on almost any fuel source. With Jeremy and Kelly’s focus on peak oil, alternative fuel sources are a key part of his disaster scenario. We have seen other preppers on the show focused on alternate fuel sources such as biodiesel. The unfortunate thing about gasoline is that in addition to being very dependent on infrastructure to reach your pump, it is difficult to stockpile because of it’s short shelf life.

Motor oil, in comparison, can last up to 10 years and with the filtration in place can filter out any sediment that may form from being in one place for so long. Given the current prices at the pump it’s also advantageous to be stockpiling a fuel source that could probably be had for pennies on the dollar if not free.

A final tactical advantage that the beast has is being able to push other cars out of the road, or travel without a road. With the predictions of clogged highways this is an essential asset to any road based bug out plan

If you weren’t ready for Hurricane Sandy you aren’t right now. We often talk about grocery stores lasting three days but in the rush to prepare people have stripped them bare all along the East Coast. Chances are if you are living in the midatlantic you aren’t reading this blog post because you have left your house or have lost power. This is one of those days you will either thank yourself for all the prepping you did or curse yourself for not getting started sooner.

Mandatory bugging out

Low lying and coastal townships have already been evacuated. I read a chilling post about advice given to islanders who chose not evacuate during Irene; if you plan not to evacuate, write your social security number on your arm so they can identify the body. Bugging out is not an option and even the greatest city in the US, New York is being forced to evacuate.

Despite the urging of Mayor Bloomberg, many of the people ordered to evacuate the coastal areas of NYC are deciding to stay instead of evacuate to the 76 emergency shelters opened for the storm. According to this article, only 3000 people have taken up the offer. Whether the rest doubt the power of the storm or not, it may very well be too late to evacuate now. With conditions worsening it is almost impossible to travel.

Preparing for evacuations

Many preppers are more than equipped for evacuations such as these. A 72 hour but out bag, or better yet a 7 day bug out bag, is more than enough to survive some time in the shelter. While there are emergency staff and supplies, there are limitations both in response time and overall availability. While taking care of your family, there is no room to take chances.

Unfortunately the situation escalated very quickly. Planes have been grounded and the storm is too large to outrun by car. Those who are caught in the path would have had to make a move out days in advance or else risk getting trapped in a car instead of a hardened shelter.

Hoping for the best

Many people used to watching the chaos of hurricanes in the gulf will now witness the chaos first hand. People will see the inevitable looting in stores they drive by every day. Hurricane Sandy is going to make the reality of nature’s destructive side a bit more salient for all of us. The worst may be yet to come and our prayers should go out to those that are in the path of the hurricane. People will be hurt and property will be damaged.

We all have to look at this as a learning experience. For those who are safe in other parts of the world, let this event remind you of the importance of getting on the ball when it comes to prepping. If you were waiting for a rainy day, this is about as rainy as they come.

Stay safe everyone

Many survivalists think of themselves, but Bruce Beach is prepping for the children. He hopes to save future generations with his underground school bus fallout shelter. He also has some pretty good tips for any other aspiring doomsday preppers.

1. Nuclear war: in first two years: lack of food, plagues, exposure, social disturbance

With knowledge of the major nuclear targets in the US as well as the patterns of the gulf steam Bruce is certainly on to something. A nuclear attack on the US would leave a huge swath of fallout moving from the pacific northwest through the breadbasket and up over the great lakes straight through to the north pole. If you live in any of these areas, nuclear preparation is definitely something you should consider.

However, it isn’t just the consequences of fallout that Bruce is worried about. With radiation over the fields of the country, power failure due to the EMP aspect of nuclear weapons, and the lack of infrastructure due to the chaos, there is a siginifcant threat for people getting food. And as we know, when people get hungry they will get crazy. Because of this, Ark II is designed not only for a nuclear strike but also to be self sufficient following the collapse of society.

2. Ark II – the materials

Ark II is made up of 42 schoolbuses underground, covered in 18 inches of concrete and 14 feet of earth. Consulting the fallout material charts would indicate that this is more than sufficient to protect from radiation. Schoolbuses seem to be right up there with shipping containers in terms of affordability – a figure of $300 was given on the show although you would be hard pressed to find a vendor at that price. Multiplying that by the amount he has and you have a figure of $12600 – not bad for a complex that can sustain hundreds of people.

3. Go away kits

Bruce is dedicated towards saving the children, but anyone else that comes to his door can take a hike. He has ‘go away’ kits planned out for the possible moochers who will show up on his doorstep. I am not sure if I agree with this methodology. In a post apocalpytic world – people will act in a way to maximize their rewards. Give some people an inch and they’ll take a foot – especially when they’re hungry or their friends are dying of radiation poisoning. There is no defense to be spoken of within Ark II besides the blast doors and iron grates. Call me cynical, but exposing oneself to give away supplies is an invitation to get overtaken.

4. Family building

According to another segment on Bruce, members of the community are being offered spots within Ark II if they choose to help out in it’s construction. Regardless of race or creed, the doors are open to anyone who is willing to put in a bit of work. This is the kind of community outreach that makes sense. In return to risking the knowledge of his shelter being out in the public, Bruce will have help in constructing it.

Just watched this great video from the Center for Science in the Public Interest. This is the first I have seen from the CDSI and it is refreshing to find out that there are groups that are dedicated to helping the public from the bad information that is out there. As you may know, there are officials in offices such as the Food and Drug Administration from Big Business. People who refer to government provided guidelines to health need to be aware that the people who are in charge may not have their best interests at heart. Anyways, on to the video and how it concerns your choice of survival foods.

Sugar vs. carbs

While the video was specifically focused on the evils of sugary soda, almost any type of carb could substitute for the effects. Soda is almost entirely high fructose corn syrup, which is one of the most abundant additives to western food. At 40-50 grams of carbohydrates per can, almost any processed food source around 200 calories could be exchanged for one can of soda.

1. Largest source of calories

According to the 2010 dietary guide for Americans, soda and sugary drinks are a major source of calories but not necessarily the largest one. If you extended the definition to carbohydrates, it would easily become the biggest piece however. Following grain recommendations from the FDA food pyramid could easily put the portion of calories coming from carbohydrates above 50%. As we have learned before, this is not a good thing.

2. Extra sugary drink increases child obesity by 60%

For preppers that are looking to feed a family after the collapse, this is a major red light. While obesity might not be as much of a concern, the effects on causing diabetes is much more of an issue.

3. One or two sugary drinks increases diabetes by 25%

This would translate to 200-400 calories from a fast digesting carbohydrate or processed food containing high fructose corn syrup.  Type II diabetes is nothing short of a death sentence in the absence of insulin. Eating large amounts of calories from carbohydrates is setting yourself up for the fall and without infrastructure there will be no way to catch you.

4. Half of men w/ diabetes erectile dysfunction

This was sort of a joke but repopulating the planet is still a concern, right?

5. Sugar and acids cause tooth decay

Do you remember that scene in the movie Cast Away when Tom Hanks had to knock out a tooth with an old ice skate? This is the reality of tooth decay in a world without medicine. Moreover, this statistic was found in a world where people have the supplies to brush teeth every day. How many of you are stockpiling toothpaste?

6. Diabetes 60k amputations/year

Without painkillers or antibiotics, any procedure like this can become life threatening with the risk of infection and blood loss. This also goes for any dental procedures like above to some extent. The disadvantages of losing a limb in a post-apocalyptic world should be painfully obvious, knocking out the ability to move quickly over terrain or defend oneself in close quarters come to mind.

Ed Peden is living proof that a political stances doesn’t have to hold you back when it comes to prepping. Despite being a self-proclaimed hippie from the golden years of the 1960s, Ed doesn’t mind packing heat when it comes to defending his refurbished missile silo (the second we’ve seen on Doomsday Preppers).

1. Atlas missile base

Like Larry Hall before him, Ed Peden and his wife are living in a converted ICBM silo from the cold war. There were over 1000 of these bases active at various times during the war and while some have been purchased and refurbished there are certainly others for sale. Ed was able to purchase his for a paltry $40,000 during the 1980s. This would be just over $100,000 in today’s dollars.

For the wealthier preppers among us, the cost to value on an installation like this is tough to beat. There are even real estate companies focused specifically on refurbishing bases like this. With built in security, hardened external structures and storage space that’s tough to beat, missile silos are enough to make you want to buy a lotto ticket.

2. The spread of the hungry

Although he anticipates a large amount of people coming to the breadbasket in the event of a societal collapse, this might not be the case. The vast amount of farmland and crops to harvest would be far too much for anyone in the area to eat, and if infrastructure for transport failed for any reason, large amount of crops would either rot in fields or in stockpiles.

The amount of food produced in middle america is far too much for the local population to eat. For those who would seek to get in on the bonanza, the timing would have to be centered on harvest season.

3. Making ‘wise choices’ with people

There is a great moment in this episode when a visiting family asks Ed if they can come to the silo if there is a disaster. He responds he’ll think about it, if they bring a lot of food. While he may be a hippie on the outside, Ed is ice cold when it comes to who he lets into his survival plans.

Nowhere is cabin fever more apparent than a bunker that is literally underground. Once the blast doors shut, Ed has to be comfortable with the people he has inside. His selection of friends may seem unconventional to outsiders: a natural healer, a spiritual guide, a horticulturist. This is a far cry from the typically valued post-collapse professions such as soldiers, mechanics and doctors.

The important thing for survival in such close quarters is the social interaction that can be fostered. The people Ed had chosen are obviously long time friends. With the prospect of literally living underground for an extended period of time, it might be better to have your friend with an alternative medicine background than a stranger with an MD. All in all, Ed seems to have assembled a skill set that covers the main requirements of health, sustenance and security in his own way.

Starting off on our segment on amino acids is Histidine. It was first isolated in 1896 by Albrecht Kossel, a future Nobel Laureate. Initially, it was thought to be essential only to children under the age of two but recent research has suggested that it plays a key role in the maintenance of cell health in the skin, blood and joints. Also, for those of you preparing to catch fish after the world ends, histidine should prove to be very interesting.

Immune function

In a world without medicine, your immune system goes from your first line of defense to your only line of defense. Some of you may think of the word histamine when you see histidine. The connection is more than a coincidence, histamine is the main component for the production of histamines within the body. Histamine is responsible for the  body’s inflammatory response for everything from infections to allergies. Without histamines, the ability to resist infection would be seriously compromised.

Anemia

Oxygen is key to the function of all cells in the body. When the blood loses it’s ability to carry oxygen, the result is anemia. Symptoms include a whole host of things that would be miserable if the SHTF: fatigue, lack of mental clarity, and overall weakness. Histidine plays a key role in the production of hemoglobin, the protein which allows red blood cells to carry oxygen in the blood. So it should be no surprise that histidine supplementation has been shown to reduce anemia.

Heavy metals

Histidine has been found to be an incredibly effective in the chelation of heavy metals. Chelation is the process in which free ions of an element are bound so that they can be excreted. Eating foods or otherwise being exposed to heavy metals such as lead and mercury can lead to serious health issues over time. Some even consider mercury to be a bigger threat to public health than nuclear fallout. In a post apocalyptic world, wild caught fish would be a welcome addition to many people’s plates, but those who would look to incorporate them into their survival foods would be wise to consider histidine.

Sources of histidine

Histidine is one of the amino acids that is difficult to find in vegetarian sources. Histidine is half of the amino acid dipeptide carnisine, which is found in muscle tissue. Because of this, almost any type of meat from muscle tissue is an abundant source of histidine. One of the best sources for histidine in vegetarian diets is soy protein, however this has a number of negative effects on the body which will be covered in a future post.

Diane Rogers has visions of the apocalypse, and that’s ok. Whatever gets you up and prepping in the morning. Because of the indistinct nature of her worries, Diane and her husband Greg are preparing for a wide variety of disasters in order to be ready for just about anything that doomsday preppers could be ready for.

1. Training skills

Greg Rogers wisely states that skills are good to have because they are easy to carry. In a post apocalyptic world, this is an essential consideration for anyone who is interested in bugging out. When it comes to aligning with a group of survivors or trying to integrate into a new community, skills are more valuable for barter than anything you could possibly carry.

Long term survival while bugging out requires a set of skills that are uncommon to say the least. For example, Greg is focusing on skills such as lockpicking and hotwiring cars. With the exception of mechanics, car thieves and some police officers, a skillset like this would be very rare. If society collapsed, any group of survivors would need to have someone with those skills on their team.

2. Bug in strategy

That being said, Diane and Greg do not seem to have a concrete bug in plan and are focusing on bugging in while living in a relatively populated suburban area. As we all know by this point, this could become a dangerous proposition once neighbors start to get hungry.

National Geographic was critical of this part of the strategy in their assessment of the family’s plan. They presented the option of aligning the neighborhood to the goal of survival. This presents the dilemma of prepping under wraps - do the risks outweigh the benefits? With a static food supply being kept in the basement, anyone added on the team is taking away from the days you will have food on the table.

3. Self Defense

Diane and Greg are shown going to the shooting range to try out some handguns. They are intent on getting a Glock 17 due to its prevalence in US police forces and the abundance of 9mm ammo that would be available for scavenging in a post apocalyptic world. There are a few issues with this line of thinking.

The Glock 17 is tricky to recommend to a suburban housewife for a few reasons. First, Glocks do not come with a safety. When learning how to use firearms there is nothing that will set you back quite like shooting yourself in the leg. Second, a number of instructors recommend pistols for a first time shooter. They are much less complex mechanically, do not jam and are easier to maintain.

Also, while 9mm is the most common handgun caliber, this does not mean it is the most common overall. .22LR is incredibly popular at shooting ranges, low cost, and easy to buy in bulk. For stockpiling it would be a cost effective way to stockpile ammunition, and in the event of having to scavenge would be available in huge quantities in almost any sporting goods store.

When it comes to protein, there is so much information coming from various special interest groups, nutritional experts and straight up marketing that it is difficult to cut to the truth. As we know, all nutrients are not created equal, and protein is no exception. Proteins are far more complicated than the single number we see on the back of a nutritional label, and in order to benefit fully we need to look into what they are made of.

Breaking down ‘protein’

Saying that one is getting enough protein is like saying someone is getting enough vitamins. We know by now that there are a variety of different kinds of molecules that make up what are referred to as vitamins, various sources for these and various levels of what our body can actually use for each type.

Proteins have an incredibly diverse set of roles within the body from structure, to signaling, to acting as enzymes. The function of a protein can vary drastically according to it’s structure. The building blocks of proteins are amino acids, of which there are only 22.

Amino acids: the key to health

If you can think of proteins like words, amino acids are the letters which are identical, but used to make any word in the world.  The 22 amino acids combine to form enzymes which govern every reaction responsible to maintaining proper function in your body. In order for any protein to be used by your body, they must first be broken down into amino acids. This is done in the stomach by an enzyme known as pepsin, which breaks down protein into free amino acids which then enter your bloodstream.

As you can see, the concept of protein has little bearing on what your body can actually use. For whatever reason, the powers that be thought that it was easier for the public to work with the concept of protein than the 22 amino acids when it came to public nutrition. For this reason, people can be getting ample protein while being deficient in specific acids, specifically in special diets. However, for anyone concerned with survival there are consequences with a limited variety of foods.

Essential and non-essential amino acids

Of the 22 amino acids, 9 are considered essential while the remaining 13 are considered non essential. The difference is what the body can produce. From generally available dietary materials, the non-essential amino acids can be generated within the body. For this reason, it is near impossible to be deficient in any of these outside of having genetic conditions. Essential amino acids, on the other hand, cannot be produced by the body and must be taken in through food.

Without the full spectrum of essential amino acids, a number of issues can crop up. Not unlike vitamin deficiency, missing these in the diet can lead to a variety of consequences related to the biological functions they govern. These are incredibly diverse and can range from anxiety to tissue breakdown. Stay tuned for a more in depth look into each of the essential amino acids and why they are an essential consideration for your survival foods.

Doug Huffman knows a lot about defense from an economic perspective. According to him, he is a raider’s ‘worst nightmare’ and after seeing his compound on the show, I am inclined to agree. His plan is one of the most thorough seen on doomsday preppers

1. Root cellar

The concept of a root cellar should be important to any prepper looking to store food without electricity. Keeping your stores in the basement will not have the same effect as a true root cellar, which has the advantages of keeping a low temperature and steady level of humidity. For your bug out location or homestead, the maximum level of temperature and humidity stability can be reached at a depth of about 10 feet. It may be difficult to do this by hand so consider building while the infrastructure is still around.

2. Renewable food sources

In addition to storing food long term, Doug has wisely thought about renewable food sources. Doug is planning on garrisoning his homestead with a number of young trainees. Having stored food would put him in the dilemma of choosing how long he wanted to eat versus how protected he wanted to be. Renewable food sources will allow him to feed his squad and take on newcomers if he has to.

The concept of rabbits as a source of food is very intriguing. One of the facts mentioned on the show is that a single breeding female can produce 320 lbs of meat in a year through offspring! Looking into this a bit more deeply I found that rabbits will produce 6 lbs of meat on the same amount of feed and water required for a cow to produce 1 lb of meat. For these reasons rabbit meat is a very ecologically sound source of protein and definitely one to consider for the aspiring homesteader.

Another interesting use of rabbits is as a generator of heat

3. Defense plan

Doug has a very thorough defense plan that makes a lot of sense when it comes to his particular mix of food sources. Instead of directly taking on all comers, he is planning to allow any trespassers on to his land, while using his special forces training to pick them off one by one. Doug mentioned that he is an invader’s worst nightmare, and by picking off intruders one by one anyone on his land would feel like they were in a horror movie.

With a number of recruits by his side, Doug is well armed against the less savory human element which might arise after the collapse of the food system. With the level of training he is taking them through there is no doubt each of them would be able to assume a similar strategy, hiding out in plain sight or in a spider hole and coming back at night to pick off the intruders. While the show criticized the potential loss of supplies on hand, this is ignoring the fact that most of the food available is indeed renewable.

3. Rabbits as renewable resources

4. Root Cellar

5. Survival: let them take it and hide, take it back

6. Returning at night: (night vision) – taking people out w/in 24 hours

7. Scum vs. communities (good vs. bad)

8. Team preparation

9. “I am your worst nightmare”