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I’ll be the primary to confess that I’m a Jon Hollerman “fan-boy.” I used to be first launched to him by way of podcasts. I quickly invested in his bug out bug out bag DVD, and books. Whereas I hope to at some point make use of his consulting providers, that could be a whereas off. Till then, I’ll proceed to comply with him and particularly be taught from his better of the very best e book “Survival Concept: A Preparedness Information.”
On this article, I take a tough take a look at Survival Concept chapter by chapter. Whereas I’ve learn this e book cowl to cowl a half-dozen occasions, I nonetheless acquire a bit extra on every studying. I’ll summarize the contents of the chapter and provide you with an sincere opinion of the place this quantity matches in a well-stocked survival library.
Survival Concept Introduction
Jonathan begins this quantity with an sincere appraisal of the place all of us stand if the more severe involves move. In doing so, he introduces not simply his opinions, however these of a number of specialists inside the trade (e.g., electrical firm executives) and the US federal authorities.
Most of the warnings are stark and dire, particularly contemplating the sources.
“On November 20, 2014, Admiral Rogers, who’s the Commander of US Cyber Command, testified earlier than the Congressional Intelligence Committee that America’s important infrastructure (together with the electrical grid) is totally susceptible to assault by a number of enemy nations and teams who at present have the information and the flexibility to actually “flip the change” on our electrical grid at any time.”
— Survival Concept: A Preparedness Information by Jonathan Hollerman
As soon as he has laid out a stable footing for our shaky future because of the surrounding threats, he questions your present standing. As he acknowledges, you’ve picked this e book up for a cause.
“In case you are studying this and also you haven’t began making ready, it’s probably for a number of of the next three distinct causes: 1-You aren’t satisfied that the menace is actual. 2-You’re overwhelmed and also you don’t even know the place to begin. 3-You don’t wish to be stigmatized by your family and friends as a “Survivalist.””
— Survival Concept: A Preparedness Information by Jonathan Hollerman
With the muse laid, he will get into specifics… In nice element.
Survival Concept Chapters 1-6, Threats In every single place
“What are you making ready for” he asks within the first chapter. All of us got here to prepping and survival for a cause. Possibly you’re a toddler of the 80s and grew up with the specter of nuclear struggle. Or perhaps you lately got here to it by way of the pandemic. On this word, he was notably prescient.
Additionally, explicit to the present age, is his warning about monetary collapse. The place he spends a lot of the textual content although, is within the failure of {the electrical} grid.
Jonathan spends the subsequent three chapters detailing how EMPs, cyber assaults, and bodily assault. I feel everyone knows that our grid is fragile. Having it specified by such a style is eye opening to even probably the most seasoned prepper.
From the 2007 Aurora Challenge, that demonstrated bodily harm from a cyber assault, to the Metcalf assault. He presents a practical view of the true fragility of the grid. We’re just a few missteps away from whole and long-lasting grid failure.
Every of the situations offered echoes what everyone knows. The grid is fragile at finest, and worse but, little or no is being accomplished to guard us. The exploitations are many, nonetheless; the voices preaching the hardening of the grid typically go unheeded.
That is particularly the case for photo voltaic flares and electromagnetic pulse occasions. In any other case often known as EMPs. He defines each occasions and their relation to one another. Additional, he offers a historical past lesson that it’s not a matter of if. Simply once we will get hit.
From the CME close to miss of July 12, to potential Iranian sea-based missile launches. The threats are there for anybody who chooses to look. It doesn’t take a lot to seek out them.
Life After Grid Down
The ultimate chapters of this part current a view of life after a grid-down occasion. He states that any such occasion will transport us again to the 1800s. We merely not have the abilities to outlive such a sudden change. Specifically, the US Authorities doesn’t have the means to reply to a catastrophe of that scale. FEMA is designed, staffed, and provided for under regional disasters.
Briefly, we will likely be on our personal.
He then paints the image of the non-public affect. Most households buy groceries each three days and have lower than two weeks of meals. Emergency providers will shortly fail to reply, and important providers will likely be unavailable.
Right here, he offers a view of private expertise as a SERE teacher. Throughout this expertise, he noticed the impact of starvation on well-trained women and men. Hunger causes desperation and an all-encompassing give attention to meals. Additional, he asks the extents a father would go to to be able to feed a ravenous and withered little one.
These two chapters are notably exhausting to learn as he confronts you with an sincere evaluation of the common individual’s lack of ability to deal with a catastrophe of this scale.
Survival Concept Chapters 7-8: Getting Off The ‘X’
He dedicates the subsequent two chapters to the method of transferring you and your loved ones to a location of elevated security and survivability. Right here, he seems to be on the choices of going lone wolf, eternally roaming, the suburban bug-in, and eventually bugging out.
He truthfully doesn’t have numerous love for the lone wolf. That is the person who plans to go to the hinterlands alone to outlive on wits alone. Once more, he brings a voice of expertise to the dialog. As a SERE teacher, he spent a a lot of his time surviving within the woods and coaching others to outlive the expertise. Even with a small group, primary survival is close to unattainable as meals and warmth occupy virtually your entire time and vitality.
He then presents the challenges of roaming the countryside in an armored bug out automobile. The primary assumption is that roads will likely be passible. It’s extremely possible that they won’t be. Even when they’re, the problem of gasoline could also be insurmountable.
Even the bugging in, in his view, will likely be tough to outlive. Something in need of a distant group will in the end result in ravenous folks at your door. You merely can’t defend yourselves from the numbers all days on daily basis. Finally, you’ll slip up or they may outnumber you.
Bugging Out
Subsequent within the e book is a suggestion of bugging out and the related timeline. Any grid down situation would require swift motion to acknowledge the scenario, get organized, and bug out. As the times progress, his plan contains transferring from populated roads (highways) to again roads, and transferring with elevated safety and consciousness (e.g., no fires).
As a preparedness marketing consultant, specializing in bug out properties, he has quite a bit to say right here. However we’ll get into his splendid bug out location in a number of chapters.
Survival Concept Chapter 9: Staffing Your Retreat
One of many largest challenges of grid down life is how you can handle the 24/7 actions of well being, sanitation, meals, and safety. One individual can’t do it on their own. You could have a bunch. This requires discovering folks you’ll be able to belief your life with.
This isn’t with out its challenges, and he presents a optimistic plan for assembly, recruiting, and bringing folks into the fold.
Survival Concept Chapters 10-13: BOBs and Provides
No survival e book well worth the paper it’s printed on can go with out a part on bug out luggage. Survival Concept has an attention-grabbing strategy to the sorts of luggage. Right here, Jonathan presents the Get Dwelling Bag, Lone Wolf Bag, Assault Pack, and the 3-Day bag. His description of the 3-day bag most intently matches the widespread bug out bag description.
These chapters element the use and contents of every bag. He leaves it to the reader to find out the very best luggage for his or her scenario. Most can have a get house bag, 3-day bag, and probably an assault bag.
Subsequent, he properly layers the contents of the baggage, spending acceptable time on the important thing contents, together with instruments for hearth, water, a knife, flashlight, and medical parts. Being a self-professed flashlight man, his suggestions for energy and batteries are nicely thought out and we are able to be taught from them.
Likewise, he presents glorious protection of medical provides. That is particularly within the case for separating trauma provides from the usual first support equipment. Particularly, he states.
“What I carry on this compact trauma equipment is: 1-Pair of nitrile gloves 1-Pair of Hyfin Vent chest seals 1-Israeli 4” battle dressing or a 4” flat fold H-battle dressing 1-Z-fold Celox impregnated gauze 1-Celox granule plunger 1-Fight utility tourniquet (CAT) hooked up to the facet of the pouch”
— Survival Concept: A Preparedness Information by Jonathan Hollerman
Lastly, he covers an encyclopedia of “different” provides to think about on your luggage.
Survival Concept Chapters 14-15: Weapons and Gear
I particularly appreciated his nicely thought out chapters on weapons and equipment. Briefly, a contemporary battle rifle, dependable pistol, and clothes/equipment all fall underneath the class of purchase high quality.
He spends fairly a little bit of time recognizing that there are a lot of instruments on the market that can match the necessity of your survival scenario and he doesn’t faux that his suggestions are scripture. Learn his suggestions and incorporate his opinions into your personal methods.
Survival Concept Chapters 16-17: Meals
A few of the most respected chapters within the e book are these on meals. As acknowledged, his expertise as a SERE teacher has given him a novel perception into the impact of hunger on the human psyche.
Leveraging this expertise, he has pushed deep into the subjects of short-term meals, long-term staples, and buying freeze dried.
For the brand new prepper, the e book introduces copy canning as a elementary instrument for growing your short-term meals shops. That is primarily shopping for extra of what you already eat, so long as it may be saved for a yr or extra. By spending a bit additional every procuring journey, you’ll be able to shortly construct up your short-term storage.
His long-term plan depends closely, because it ought to, on staples together with rice and beans. The place he begins to warn the reader is when buying long-term storage kits. Typically these pre-packaged, and overly costly, units both fall far in need of actual calorie wants, or displace the energy into high-sugar meals. Neither will get you thru a real disaster.
Inside Survival Concept, he offers the Basal Metabolic Fee (BMR) calculator as a necessary instrument for figuring out your true caloric wants.
https://www.calculator.web/bmr-calculator.html
He closes these chapters out with suggestions for elevating animals for meals. He extremely recommends rabbits then chickens. A single female and male will present for the protein wants of 1 individual with their offspring. Due to this fact, a male and 4 females will meet the wants of a household of 4 over the course of a yr.
He closes out with a number of suggestions on how you can retailer and develop meals on your homestead animals. That is accompanied by the warning that you have to begin now. Elevating animals requires information and apply.
Survival Concept Chapter 18: Constructing Up Your Retreat
The ultimate preparedness chapter in Survival Concept is devoted to build up your retreat. That is purely from his perspective and expertise as a preparedness marketing consultant.
I all the time be taught one thing new from this part on every studying. On the core he preaches preserve it distant, preserve it hidden. Suggestions such because the size, form, and situation of the driveway go a great distance with this plan.
He really doesn’t advocate the fortress feel and appear for a retreat as that can finally make it a goal because it screams “prepper” which in the end equates to meals and provides. That is nicely taken recommendation.
Truthfully, a few of the suggestions will likely be unapproachable to the common reader. I personally will in all probability by no means be within the place to dig an underground escape tunnel. Take these suggestions with the angle of your means and targets. Acknowledge, although, that there’s a lot to be taught in these pages.
Survival Concept Afterward: Biblical Views
Jonathan closes out with a nicely thought out treatise on the biblical side of prepping. He addresses the query of ought to I put together like Joesph or let God maintain me just like the isralites within the dessert.
These are very nicely offered factors and are finest learn and prayed upon.
Closing the Cowl on Survival Concept
In closing, that is one in all my favourite and most respected preparedness guides. I’ve learn it a number of occasions and don’t cover my appreciation for the e book.
That being stated, I actually consider it ought to discover a place in your library.
Bonus: Root Cellar That Can Be Used as a Bunker
Do you keep in mind the outdated root cellars our great-grandparents used to have? In reality, they in all probability constructed it themselves, proper of their again yard.
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Straightforward Cellar will present you:
- How to decide on the best website
- Value-effective constructing strategies
- The way to defend your bunker from nuclear blast and fallout
- The way to conceal your bunker
- Inexpensive primary life assist choices
Straightforward Cellar can even reveal how a veteran, with solely $421, constructed a small nuclear bunker in his yard.
