A survival expert offers preparation tips for calamities—natural and manmade.

1. Assume that a disaster can happen. Don’t assume that it won’t. Survival is 90 percent psychology, so being mentally and emotionally unprepared lowers your survival odds.

2. Try not to panic. You will be scared during a survival scenario, but the act of preparing before an emergency will help you deal more effectively. Spread facts, not fear. Share survival training based upon sound human psychology and physiology from reputable sources.

3. Know your limits. Unless your family is a group of Special Forces soldiers, they will have specific needs during a disaster. Lack of physical fitness, forgotten medications, mobility challenges, and a host of other variables demand that you custom-create a survival plan for your family.

4. Know how to do more with less. The simple act of tent camping in the outdoors with a family will teach you more in a weekend about what is required to live simply and be happy than reading survival books in the comfort of your living room.
Continue reading 10 Ways to Prepare for Disaster

The heart of the JIC™ package is the venerable 12 gauge Mossberg® 500® Pump-Action. Fitted with a compact 18-1/2” barrel and rugged synthetic pistol grip and forearm, it’s offered in your choice of the blued Cruiser® model, the Mariner®, or the Sandstorm™ featuring our proprietary Marinecote™ finish for employment in or around harsh marine environments.

Each is sealed in a re-sealable clear bag, and is packaged in a heavy-duty, waterproof synthetic carrying-tube complete with re-sealable top and nylon carrying strap. You’ll also find convenient accessories including the waterproof ‘Survival Kit-In-A-Can’ (Cruiser® model), or the durable multi-tool and serrated lock-back knife combo pack with cordura case (Mariner® model).

[Via Mossberg.com]

by Scott Stoddard
(Originally published in the American Survival Guide, January 1992)

“DON’T leave home without it.” But what good will a green plastic credit card do you 20 miles from the nearest paved road? What do you really need when out away from civilization?

Experienced outdoor enthusiasts know what items are most important to bring – even for short walks or hikes out of base camp. The “10 Essentials” are items that cannot be improvised from materials lying on the forest floor. To be found without these few items, even only a few miles from camp or cabin, can spell disaster.

The standard list of 10 essentials varies slightly depending on which source you go to. The Boy Scouts have their list, the Sierra Club has another, and the Mountaineers in their outdoor bible, Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills, have come up with another variation. They all incorporate the same basic items.

The following list is not to be considered cast in concrete – each survivalist should customize his or her own kit for the barest minimum of supplies. Note that the first three items are for finding your way, the second three are for your protection, and the last four are for emergencies.
Continue reading The Ten Essentials

The quest to live longer has been one of humanities oldest dreams, but while scientists have been searching, a few isolated communities have stumbled across the answer. On the remote Japanese island of Okinawa, In the Californian town of Loma Linda and in the mountains of Sardinia people live longer than anywhere else on earth.

Guns and gun use have caused controversy and debate since their creation. But one thing that’s not debatable is that sometimes, guns are used for good.

Armed Barista Pulls Gun, Turns Tables On Robber

Continue reading Armed Citizens Video Series

I used to bartend at a rough-and-tumble, punk-rock dive bar whose patrons specialized in energetic brawls and other combative physical exertions. While a bouncer was often on hand to manage these situations in a far more intimidating manner than the average girl bartender could, I still found it necessary to adopt an attitude that let the rowdiest customers know that the smallest divergence from good manners and basic human decency would result in an ass-kicking they wouldn’t forget. And in the event that said attitude proved an insufficient deterrent to bad, bawdy, or ill-mannered behavior, I made sure I had some bite to back up my bark.
Continue reading Don’t Mess with Me: Self-Defense Tips and Tools