Preface
People who prepare to survive are not Survivalists, at least not in the normal sense of the word. People who are preparing to survive are realists, realist in the same sense that people who buy insurance are realist. The reason people buy health insurance is because they know at some point they will get sick or have an injury that will require a doctor's attention and most likely a stay in a hospital. They buy auto insurance because they know chances are good that at some point they will have an automobile accident. They have burial insurance because they know that at some point they are going to die. The same is true for all the insurance we buy. We know there are going to be events in everyone's life that requires insurance.
Isn't the same true for a catastrophic event? There is no catastrophic event insurance to buy. If you want catastrophic insurance then you have to provide this for yourself and your family.
Most of us prefer not to think of a catastrophic event of the magnitude we look at in the Out Of Harm's Way books.
Throughout history there have been natural and manmade disasters of a magnitude that we in the United States cannot begin to comprehend. It is inevitable there will most surely be future disasters of this or greater magnitude. You would be hard pressed to find a scientist that would not agree the world is overdue for a catastrophic event. Most say we are past due. Each day brings us closer to such an event. With this realization we must realize we need to prepare.
That the U.S. and the world will suffer a catastrophic event is certain, the only thing not certain is when and what type event. Lately it seems that there is hardly a day passes when there's not some news story of a pending catastrophic event. Most recently it has been the Madrid earthquake zone acting up. Then recently we were warned that the possibility of a super volcano is imminent. Just today there was an article where Iran has the potential of using an EMP over the U.S. which would instantly throw the U.S. back to the 18th century. In the world we live in today, there are any number of events that could destroy the U.S. as well as the Worlds infrastructure.
Our goal with the Out of Harm's Way books is not to frighten you rather it is to make you think. To think about things that you haven't thought or have chosen to ignore.
"Be ever mindful of the future but not at the expense of the present."
We cannot live in constant fear of a catastrophic event. That is not what the Preparing to Survive website and the Out of Harm's Way books is all about. Absolutely not, to the contrary, the website and the books are about getting prepared so you will not have to live in constant dread or fear. As I said in my first book Why Prepare To Survive, being prepared for a catastrophic event is like being prepared for any other potential life changing event.
In the Out Of Harm's Way book series we assume the U.S. and the world has suffered a major catastrophic event. An event that has crippled or destroyed the U.S. infrastructure. This would be an event such as a HEMP (High altitude electromagnet pulse bomb), Madrid earthquake, pandemic, economic collapse and etc. This would be an event where the U.S. would lose all electric power, have no communication, which would eventually lead to wide spread anarchy. All of these events are covered and explained in Chapter 1 as well as at the Preparingtosurvive.com website and also in the soon to be released revised edition of Why Prepare To Survive
I am sure most of you have given little thought to such an event occurring. To be truthful, such an event had never occurred to me until a couple years ago. While researching for another book I came across a copy of a congressional report on terrorism. I discovered one of the weapons that has the potential of causing the most damage is not only already in the hands of the major world powers but also easily obtainable by terrorists today. This weapon is an electromagnetic pulse bomb or EMP. Now, I know a lot of you have never heard of an EMP. In Book 1 I go in to detail as to what an EMP bomb is. Briefly, it is a high altitude nuclear explosion that will knock out all electrical circuits, thereby totally crippling the enemy. This is only one of a number of events that could totally cripple the U.S. infrastructures. There are a number of other events either manmade or natural that could destroy the U.S. infrastructure.
I discovered that there is a tremendous amount of information available from the Government on the very real possibility as well as the types of catastrophic events that could occur. The problem is this information is just not readily available to the public. You really have to dig to get the information. I chose to write and compile information for Out Of Harm's Way 1 because I feel people have the right to know. Not only the right to know, but the need to know.
Although, I do go into detail as to the types of catastrophic events, and the resulting destruction, Out Of Harm's Way 1 & 2 are not about catastrophic events.
Out Of Harm's Way 1 is about preparing for a catastrophic event. Common sense will tell you that in such an event, the only way you will be able to protect and provide for your family will be to get them Out Of Harm's Way. You cannot survive in place; this is a widespread concept that will not work. I detail the reasons this will not work in Chapter 2. The only way to survive long term is to have a predetermined evacuation point well stocked with supplies. This evacuation point must be located at a remote isolated location.
When you think about it we are living in a long-term survival situation every day. After all aren't all our goals the same, to survive, to provide for our family to the best of our ability. Isn't that what life is all about? In the Out Of Harm's Way books we are simply looking at a different set of circumstances.
We show you how to bring together a Group of like-minded Folks to prepare for such an event. Out of Harm's Way 1 explains how to choose an evacuation point and then once chosen how to cache supplies.
We make no claim as to being experts on survival or, for that matter, experts on anything. What we have done with the Out of Harm's Way books is gather information you will need in order to get out of harm's way and survive long term.
The Out Of Harm's Way books are compiled, in part, of articles gathered from many books written in the 1800's and early 1900's. We have also gathered articles from modern day experts in their field. These books are not a primitive survival book; it will not tell you how to survive with primitive skills. This book is about surviving with modern skills, techniques and tools in a primitive situation.
Book 1 is intended to help you and your Group Prepare To Survive. To gather together a Group of like-minded Folks, to choose an evacuation point, determine what supplies should be cached, caching these supplies, establish a plan to travel to the evacuation point and then set up a temporary camp. This book also will give plans and instruction for equipment that should be built before hand and cached.
Book 2 takes up where Book 1 leaves off, it assumes your Group has been forced to evacuate and have arrived at the evacuation point. You have set up a temporary camp, and are settling in. Book 2 contains information the Group will use in establishing a permanent camp, gathering food, growing a garden, and keeping the Group secure. We will endeavor to help with the skills necessary to live as normal a life as possible under these conditions.
Again, these books are comprised of excerpts from books written a hundred years or more ago. After all, the only people who have actually lived through a long term survival situation as we will be facing are our Ancestors and Native Americans. No one in modern times, that I am aware of, has live in a long term survival situation. Many so called Survivalist have survived only in a controlled survival situation at this they were only short term survival situations. Long term survival is a totally different situation, especially when there are young, old, men and women involved. The pioneers lived, survived and prospered through many of the same situations we would be facing. Our Ancestors who lived through the Great Depression also faced many of the hardships we would have to face in a catastrophic event. We will be looking closely and studying the ways our ancestors lived in 1800's to the early 1900's and into the years of the Great Depression.
My job has been to act as editor, researcher and occasionally author. I have occasionally added notes prior to some of the excerpts. Articles not credited have been researched and written by the Editor.