A Skeptical Survivalist

This Marketplace report on the OPEC summit highlights what we’ve seen revealed in the Wikileaks memo. Don’t think that just because oil prices dropped for a bit that everything’s better now. These fluctuations will continue and the overall trend will be a continued rise.

By Stephen Beard for Marketplace -  APM

The price of crude jumped by more than $2 a barrel today. A key meeting of the Oil Producers’ Cartel — OPEC — failed to find agreement on an increase in production. The meeting in Vienna was a contentious one — and that’s putting it mildly. Now, just weeks after a consumer pullback that prompted gas prices to drop, there are fears of another sharp rise in the price of oil. Which would not bode well for any kind of global economic recovery.

But there’s an even more fundamental divide in the cartel. Between those countries like Saudi Arabia with big reserves that want a stable price for their oil, and those like Iran, Libya and Venezuela who have little spare capacity. Samuel Ciszuk is an oil analyst with IHS Global Insight.

Samuel Ciszuk: Those who are starting to see the end of their reserves are obviously interested in maximizing the amount of money they will get out of it.

That group of countries today refused to back Saudi Arabia’s call to pump more oil and restrain prices, hence the jump in the price of crude. But the Saudis hinted that they may step up production anyway. Chris Skrebowski of Peak Oil Consulting says this could herald the end of OPEC.

Chris Skrebowski: I think it’s probably a 60 or 70 percent chance that this will fundamentally change the cartel. That in practical terms, it will split.

With Saudi Arabia pumping more oil and with OPEC in disarray, that would seem to be good news for beleaguered oil consumers. But as Professor Kent Moors of Duquesne University told the Marketplace Morning Report, don’t bet on it.

Kent Moors: Well, gas prices probably have gone down as much as they’re going down nationally. We’re not going back anywhere close to $3.30 or thereabouts.

Such is the rapid growth in demand for oil — in China, India and elsewhere — the price seems headed inexorably higher.

Meanwhile, the oil sands in Canada which are touted as an alternate solution further reveal how problematic peak oil is becoming as we get closer to spending a barrel of oil to extract one:

By Scott Tong for Marketplace - APM

This pipeline fight is over the most expensive oil in the world. Oil companies drilling in the Canadian oil sands typically spend $60 or more to produce one barrel of crude. It’s what’s called tough oil — it takes a lot of energy, geology, and fancy acronyms.

Drew Zieglgansberger: Probably the most advanced technology right now is called SAGD, or it stands for Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage.

Drew Zieglgansberger is vice president at the Canadian oil firm Cenovus. We’re on a bus, touring their operations in middle-of-nowhere, Alberta. He says the world’s easy oil is gone.

Zieglgansberger: The oil now that people are looking for are not the nice light oil sitting in pools that you drill into it and it just flows by itself.

What’s left is in remote places, often way underground. As for the oil sands, they’re not even a liquid.

Zieglgansberger: It’s basically a solid matter. It’s very much like a shoe polish. It’s hard and it’s… if you put it in a cup it would be there forever. If you dump it out, it’d be like dumping some wet sand in your sandbox.

Still, processing the oil sands is worth it, ‘cause American import one hundred barrels of crude, every second. That comes out to 24,000 barrels by the time this story is over. Or one million gallons. The key ingredient to oil sands is heat: you send steam down a well, turn the sand into liquid, and pump it.

Zieglgansberger: This is basically a big, big boiler.

The steam source runs almost 3000 degrees Fahrenheit. Great big fire.

Zieglgansberger: This is where we’re burning natural gas. If you look at a normal barbecue, your barbecue is probably about 30,000 or 40,000 BTU of heat, maybe. This one generator is 250 million. It’s a massive amount of energy.

There’s the rub. In some cases, the energy put in equals what you get out.

Not worth it, says Calgary author Andrew Nikiforuk. His book is called Tar Sands.

Andrew Nikiforuk: The returns are absolutely minimal. It takes one barrel of oil or oil equivalent to get one-and-one-half barrels. Some steam plants are getting even negative returns.

Energy use makes the oil sands process emit 17 percent more greenhouse gases than normal oil — according to a U.S. government study. Critics say that makes for one of the dirtiest crudes in the world, not to mention the chemical wastewater, and clearing of forests for mining.

Canadian activist Danielle Droitsch is with the Pembina Institute.

Danielle Droitsch: It’s similar to Venezuela. It is similar to Nigerian oil. So it’s sort of the worst of the worst.

Droitsch moved to D.C. last year, in her view to keep the oil sands industry honest. She’s fighting the expansion of a pipeline carrying Canadian oil sands crude to the United States. And for now it is stalled. The application’s been at the State Department for 33 months. Opponents like Droitsch think choking off supply will help choke off oil addiction quickly. But the reality of driving suggests, maybe not.

Analyst Jim Burkhard at IHS Cambridge Energy says most of us own our cars for a decade or more. So it’ll take a long time to retire a whole generation of oil guzzlers.

Jim Burkhard: So even if we have stunning success in electric vehicles, it will take decades before we see that reduce overall global oil demand.

Read the rest of the article to find out more about the pipeline.  Peak oil isn’t fake science. It’s real. Oil companies have been talking about it for a decade, but try to play it down. We have some time left, but we’re on the down-hill slope at this point.

I’ve been meaning to start listing on-going bacterial, viral, and pandemic types of threats.  I see them as one of several types of Mother Nature’s tools for population control.  These are lower probability threats in the US, but I like to watch them in case something ever gets out of control. Anyway, here are the more interesting news stories happening right now.

Deadly E. coli outbreak - rare strain plagues Europe - June 2, 2011

London – An entirely new super-toxic bug is causing the frightening food poisoning outbreak that has sickened at least 1600 people and killed 18, researchers and global health officials said today.

Cows, People infected with new strain of MRSA - June 2, 2011

Scientists say a new strain of antibiotic-resistant staph has been identified in humans and fresh, unpasteurized cow’s milk in Europe, although it’s not known how widespread or virulent it is.  A bigger concern, according to their study, is that a newer test may miss this strain of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus.

Dr. Gregory Moran, a clinical professor of medicine at the UCLA School of Medicine who is not affiliated with the study said “There is nothing to suggest that this is some new, extra dangerous strain that will spread further and take over from the MRSA that we already have.”

MRSA infections plague Providence infant care unit - June 2, 2011

Providence Alaska Medical Center is dealing with a serious outbreak of a drug-resistant staph infection among some of its most vulnerable patients, babies in the newborn intensive care unit.

Fourteen babies since March have contracted mild to moderate infections caused by MRSA, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, a state health department epidemiologist said Wednesday.

Seventeen other infants have been found carrying the bacteria on their skin or noses, but did not get sick from it, said Kim Porter, a state epidemiology expert.

MRSA “superbug” found in meat in Detroit supermarkets - May 13, 2011

Now, drug-resistant superbugs are showing up in supermarket meat. Raw beef, chicken and turkey from Detroit grocery stores contained methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a sinister strain of bacteria that doesn’t respond to typical antibiotics, researchers reported Wednesday.

Canadian who has never traveled to India has Indian “superbug” - June 1 2011

NEW DELHI: NDM-1, the enzyme associated with extensive antibiotic resistance that was found in India last year, has jumped to new bacteria strains and infected a Canadian, who had no travel history to India.

For the first time, scientists in Canada have reported local acquisition of an organism producing NDM-1 in Ontario, Canada. NDM-1 has been found in bacterial species other than E coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae.

The findings are in tune with a TOI report a few weeks ago that had pointed out about NDM-1 gene, which has been jumping between various species of bacteria at a “superfast speed.”

Ugandan Ebola outbreak in May - May 15, 2011

The Ministry of health yesterday confirmed a new outbreak of the deadly Ebola disease in the country. Test results from the Uganda Virus Research Institute indicate that a 12 year-old girl from Zirowe Sub County in Luwero district died from the deadly disease on May 6 at Bombo Military hospital.

“Laboratory investigations confirmed Ebola to be the cause of death and illness. So far about 30 people who had contact with the girl including the health workers are being monitored,”said Dr Anthony Mbonye, the head of the Ebola task force.

SLC measles outbreak contained in May - May 15, 2011

(Salt Lake County) -The Salt Lake Valley Health Department (SLVHD) announced today that there have been no new confirmed measles cases in Salt Lake County in 28 days, indicating that the county is no longer experiencing a measles outbreak. The outbreak ends with a total of 9 confirmed cases requiring 3,000 health department staff hours and a not-yet-final cost of $130,246.00

US part of growing spread of measles outbreak - May 15, 2011

Following large outbreaks of measles in Europe as well as in a growing number of countries around the world, cases are now appearing across the United States. Over the past year, a dramatic increase has been seen in the number of measles cases in such countries as France, Germany, Belgium, Romania, and the UK, and now several American states are reporting an increase in the number of cases as well.

Normally, only about 50 cases of measles occur within the U.S. each year. However, since the beginning of 2011, a total of 98 cases have been reported, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The majority of cases reported have been caused by unvaccinated people traveling to countries where large outbreaks exist.

Oyster Outbreak a first in US for mild strain of cholera - May 12, 2011

The raw Florida oysters that sickened at least 11 people during March and April were contaminated with an unusual but mild strain of cholera. ”This is the first outbreak of illness from this strain of cholera in Florida, and we have yet to be able to find any other cases in the United States,” said Sterling Ivey, spokesman with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS).

Antibiotics in animal feed encourages emergence of resistant “superbugs”- May 26, 2011

70% of all US antibiotic consumption is used up in adding low-doses to animal feed to make up for unsanitary living conditions and promote faster growth, according to NRDC. This practice has been steadily growing over the last six decades, despite the every-growing threat to humans of superbugs.

The antibiotic doses used in feed or water for turkeys, cows, pigs and chickens are too low to treat diseases - however, they are low enough for a significant number of bacteria to survive and build up resistance. These antibiotics, such as penicillin and tetracyclines, are used to treat humans too.

Health and consumer organizations are demanding to know why the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) came to the same conclusion regarding the antibiotic resistance threat a long time ago, but did not act on its findings.

Negative developments with regard to antibiotics highlighted by WHO - May 16, 2011

Approximately half of the current antibiotic production is used in agriculture to promote growth and to prevent crop disease as well as to treat sick livestock. With such massive use, drug-resistant bacteria generated in animals can be then later transferred to humans in food. Antibiotics are frequently given to healthy animals to encourage faster growth. This is of course convenient to the farmer because of faster growth it also provides cheaper meat. However, it also provides more opportunities for bacteria to evolve into drug resistant strains.

The second problem is the sharp drop in the development of new antibiotics.  In the past drug companies coped with antibiotic resistance by developing new drugs. More recently, however, drug companies are claiming that ‘investing in antibiotics is not attractive’.

Instead, drug companies are shifting their research dollars to developing drugs that treat chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. These drugs are less challenging to bring to market than antibiotics from a regulatory standpoint and are much more lucrative because they are used for years rather than days or weeks as is the case with antibiotics. Furthermore, much of the drug resistance currently is in poor countries that cannot afford expensive new drugs.

Between 1983 and 1987, 16 new antibiotic drugs were approved by the FDA. Since 2003 only seven and since 2008 only two have been approved.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To read more about other trends check out my other Round-ups:

• Pattern Recognition - Mass Fish Kill Roundup - Early May 2011
• Pattern Recognition - Mass Fish Kill Roundup - Late April 2011
• Pattern Recognition - Fish & sea animal deaths April 2011
• They’re everywhere! Massive Insect Plagues & Infestations - March 2011 Round-up
• Dead Fish Round-up March 31st
• Dead Fish Round-up - March 30th
• Pattern Recognition - Mass whale & Dolphins strandings 2011
• Pattern Recognition - Dramatic Earth Changes: Trying to make sense of odd seismic activity
• Cracked Earth Round-up - Indonesia, Phillipines, Thailand, California
• Pattern Recognition: Food Crisis Round-up - late April 2011
• Pattern Recognition - Food Crisis News - April 10, 2011
• Food Crisis News Round-up - 2/28/2011

electromagnetic-pulse asked: I'm concerned about the EMP topic. I know it's a scary thought and it needs to have more attention put on it. I feel as though the people who claim to know about it, really don't. When I heard about EMP I started to look more into it. I think that your followers are truly interested in different enviromental happenings. There is a guy named Curtis Birnbach that actually knows a lot about EMP, he's going to be on this site on Wednesaday: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/empact-radio/2011/06/01/empact-radio-with-dr-peter-vincent-pry I hope that you check it out & your follwe - - - I think that your follwers would be interested !!!

EMP, thanks for the suggestion.  I’ll give it a listen.

I knew about EMP as a phenomena for a long time, but it never really struck me fully until I read William Forstchen’s “One Second After”.  In my opinion, that book is one of the most realistically presented works in the post-apocalyptic genre.

After I read it I was fairly disturbed for a while and spent a lot of time reading the report from the EMP Commission.  The potential EMP threat was even making the news in late 2010 at USAToday.  That article is worth the read.  Here’s another report by an Air Force guy titled “EMP Threats in 2010”.

However, as I began to take a more centered approach to preparation and the types of events I prepare for I started looking at the list in terms of impact and probability.

An EMP event that put us back into the world we lived in several centuries ago is a “high impact, low probability” scenario. 

Is it a threat? Yes.

Is it as likely as an earthquake, tornado, or pandemic?  I honestly don’t think it is.

Here’s the most common scenario presented for EMP events - besides a large solar flare (coronal mass ejection):

A small EMP-optimized nuke launched from a container ship in the Gulf of Mexico could take out the power grid of the entire continental United States. The same thing could be done anywhere, like Europe or Japan.    Source

A commenter, Ben, on the post linked above effectively summarizes my thoughts on EMP:

For EMP Doomsday to be a risk, there must be a group out there with the following:

1. the capability to build a nuke small and rugged enough to fit on a ballistic missile and make it “EMP-optimised” – this is technology advanced enough that it requires the resources of a state

2. suitable ballistic missile technology

3. a desire to cause chaos in the US, triggering a massive global depression and wrecking everyone’s economies

4. the willingness to risk nuclear retaliation given that the source of the attack could be traced using informers, or satellite imagery of the launch correlated with shipping records, or possibly the characteristics of the device. The one part of Western society that would function well after the EMP attack is the military.

No state in the world has these things. North Korea and Iran don’t currently have the technology; I doubt India and Pakistan do either, and neither of those has the motivation; none of the remaining nuclear states with the technical capability to do the attack (which I make UK, France, Israel, China, Russia) would want to wreck a huge trading partner.

Nobody who can presently do it would want to. You could make up a political scenario where tension between the US and Pakistan or China, or the technology level of Iran, might greatly increase in the next few decades. But if an aggressor state was considering a first strike, why would it limit its initial attack to a single EMP missile, while inviting a full nuclear attack in response?  Source

I do think this is as real a threat as nuclear war, but the probability is low that someone will be able to pull it off any time soon. I find it hard to believe that the critical military functions needed to respond to such an attack would not already hardened. The rest of our infrastructure, well, that’s another matter.

If it ever does happen, we’re screwed. In that case, use your preps to survive while you learn to live like the pioneers. :)  My philosophy is that if you prepare for the more probable threats, you will eventually be prepared for the less probable ones.

Thanks for reading and keep posting. Your new Tumblr is relevant to my interests.

It has been a historic tornado season in the United States. More than 500 people have been killed, according to figures from the National Weather Service and local authorities. That makes 2011 the deadliest season since 1953, when 519 people were killed in twisters.  Source

The Joplin Missouri tornado was the deadliest on record

At least 126 people in Joplin had died due to the storm as of Thursday night, said Newton County Coroner Mark Bridges. That makes the tornado the single deadliest to touch down in any U.S. community since modern record-keeping began in 1950. Source

The deadliest tornado year on record is 1925, which had 794 deaths, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The number of fatalities so far this year is more than 8 1/2 times the average number for an entire year — 56, according to CNN meteorologist Chad Myers.  Source

Officials in Joplin, Missouri, confirmed at least 116 people dead after a twister smashed the city Sunday. Destructive tornadoes and severe storms tore through the South in late April, killing hundreds of people.

With all the advancements in storm technology, the question is simple: Why?

“That’s the question of 2011,” Henson said. “Why have so many people died in these tornadoes? That’s the open question. It’s partly because of the strength of these tornadoes. Also because they’ve hit populated areas.”  Source - CNN  Image source - CNN

There have been increasing numbers of measured tornadoes in the past 60 years, and may be even more in the future. Meteorologists chalk this up to better detection. But climatologists believe that we’re going to see more and worse severe storms and tornadoes in the U.S. in coming years thanks to climate change.

Two studies from 2007 point to a warmer future that could “bring the USA a dramatic increase in the frequency of weather conditions that feed severe thunderstorms and tornadoes by the end of the 21st century.” The first, a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, says that the some locations will see twice as many days per year that favor severe thunderstorms.

“The densely populated regions of the South and East, including New York City and Atlanta, could be especially hard-hit,” reports study lead author Jeff Trapp of Purdue University.

A second study from the Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York says that “the strongest severe storms and tornadoes are likely to happen more often and be stronger.”

However, there are other forces at work, such as reduced wind shear (or side to side movement of air) in a warmer climate, that could have the opposite effect on tornado frequency. So basically, climate change could lead to more tornadoes, or possibly to fewer tornadoes.

Source - Grist.org

climateadaptation asked: Hi, tell me about skeptical survivalism. Must be a summary, paper, thread, or something under 30 pages that describes your perspective, yes? climateadaptation.tumblr.com/ask. Best, Michael

Ps I'm truly intrigued. Not bs'n

Pps:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d36efa5a-7809-11e0-b90e-00144feabdc0,s01=1.html?ftcamp=rss#axzz1LdY1hIKe

Michael,

Thank you for your interest in the theme I’m working from with the stories I share. You ask about skeptical survivalism. I’ll try to give a quick synopsis of my motivations.

I’m concerned about the impact of rapid climate change, peak oil, food shortages, ballooning population expansion, extremism, religious conflicts, and the political unrest that result from all of these factors.  I don’t think the world will end, but I do believe that in the next few decades there is potential for any number of what I call Dramatic Change Events, sometimes referred to as “black swans”.

There is always that potential, we all know that, but I believe the confluence of these factors, which seem to be nearing levels previously unseen in the age we live in, raises the probability of us having to deal with some sort of survival scenario in our lifetime.

Whether it’s record flooding, record tornados, record population levels, or food and water shortages, or any of the other myriad concerns, it seems probable that life as we know could be affected in dramatic ways.

However, here’s where the skepticism comes in. When you dig into these concepts and issues, the topics quickly change to conspiracy theories and speculation, loosely associated facts used to form strong assumptions.

I make assumptions, but I realize that many of them are things I accept because I take a ‘leap of faith’ at the end and decide the proof is good enough for me, but knowing that I would never feel comfortable saying “This is an absolute fact. You should believe it as well”. 

So, I’m skeptical in that I work hard to keep from drawing too many hard and fast conclusions, but rather reserve judgment when I can without completely losing my point of view and voice.

For example, I think there is a trend in the mass animal and fish deaths, despite the common arguments that it happens every year and now we are just hearing about it more. I believe that human generated pollution and climate change are bringing it about in many ways. I’ve gone into some of the scientific research behind the causes of algal blooms in this post. I also look at the extreme winter weather we’ve had which has caused oxygen deprivation in so many lakes. Can’t really prove it with no room for doubt though.  Still yet, no one of importance is looking for these connections, so I’m following it for my own interest.

I dislike extremists, fundamentalist/literalist black and white thinking, and many of the other ideologies I see expressed by people who are drawn to survivalism. I felt that there needed to be a voice in the survivalist community who doesn’t try to blame every problem we have on Barack Obama, globalism, the loss of Christian ideals, or the NWO [to name just a few pet causes].

So, I share Doomer type stories on several major themes as an environmental scan of current events that may or may not be related. I mostly leave it up to the reader to do the math and see where it all fits together. And I encourage critical thinking, to the point where you question your own assumptions as well as those of others.

The end goal is for me to be better prepared to survive natural disasters, inflation, food shortages, or any less probable, but worse, scenarios. To be better able to take care of and protect my family. That’s all that matters to me.

I defined my perspective further in the introductory post when I began writing here. It should give you more perspective on where I’m coming from.

Thanks again for your interest.  I hope the information I share can be helpful.  

PS - the link to ft.com was behind a paywall.  I find links to their site regularly that I’d like to see but require the subscription. I have the title of the post from the 2 seconds it’s visible before the login prompt comes up, so I’ll dig into it a bit more from other sources. Definitely relevant to my interests.

I have two boys, both in grade school. I teach them about the woods and nature. I make them take a martial art to defend themselves against bullies. I teach them how to fish and how to shoot BB guns and the .22 as I was taught at their age. I talk to them about the world and we sometimes discuss war because they like video games and it’s gotten them interested in history.

I even show them the food I have stocked and we discuss what we all might do in case of an emergency.  I want them to feel safe, and know that I’m protecting them and worrying about all the bad things in the world so they don’t have to.

I do NOT talk to them about things like the “end of the world” or economic collapse. I don’t talk to them about things that fundamentalists, nutjobs, and conspiracy theorists think are going happen. 

The post below from dinosaurbreakfast made me think about how things like this can affect how young people develop. I grew up as part of a fundamentalist Christian family who was expecting the Rapture at any moment. I was heavily impacted by it. It’s part of the impetus for my continued interest in Apocalyptic thought. I no longer expect an Abrahamic-style “End of Days”, but I see how much it continues to influence modern society. 

I’m not here to criticize or judge how other survivalists/preppers raise their children, but I am noting that these kinds of thought patterns can build complexes in your children that they may later resent you for. 

You may think it’s preparing them for the real world and helping them deal with reality, but isn’t that what we are supposed to insulate them from until they are old enough to have to bear those burdens on their own?  

I want my boys to live a happy, carefree childhood, unfettered by fears of nuclear attack or collapse of economic systems.  I want them to know that Dad is standing in the gap for them and that they can depend on me if anything bad ever does happen.

I worry about these things so they don’t have to. That’s why I became a survivalist in the first place.

dinosaurbreakfast:

It’s very strange, watching the world go mad from the comfort and safety of my parents’ kitchen. My survivalist father keeps up his whispering, “Something’s coming, something’s coming.” So, he prepares, builds and stores and makes plans, like a bear getting ready for winter.

I don’t think I want to be a bear, though. I think I want to try staying out in the winter cold. I can hibernate when I’m dead.

It looks like the recent global disasters have stimulated one section of the economy. The story covers general survival sales as well as bunkers.

I notice often, as a result of numerous keyword searches, that Survivalist and Preparedness spam and ads are increasing. 

I see one tweet come up a lot from multiple accounts. Its starts off like this “Survive Anything (new) Top Converting: The survivalist market is hot.”

One Tumblr advertizing blog for a food storage company has a website that repeatedly mentions that cannibalism is a result of extreme hunger. In big bold print it mentions cannibalism SEVEN times. WTF!!?

I hate this kind of advertising. Instead of relying on the virtues of their product they use the most horrific of scenarios to sell their wares to the unprepared.

Beware these vendors. Fuck them. Buy from a company with the decency to spam you without resorting to fear. 

FEMA recommends making an emergency bag with supplies you might need if you had to quickly evacuate in the event of an emergency. Here are several ways to do that.

Survivalists have been on this concept for decades and have taken the art of making a Bug Out Bag (B.O.B.) or Get Out of Dodge bag (G.O.O.D. or G.O.D.) to a whole new level.  I like the latter phrase less because the fundie survivalists seem to favor it, and Get Out Of Dodge Yesterday (G.O.O.D.Y.) bag would fit better. :)

My wife, who has only come over to my ‘dark side’ since the disaster in Japan, has instructed me to make sure ours is fully outfitted after the next paycheck. I’ve already been working on it, but with full budget approval from the better half I can make it GREAT! Now I can make one for each of our vehicles, and several for our home, including the kids.

What you pick will depend on your budget, but try to get the basics in there first. Alleviate disaster anxiety - prepare well. 

Understanding the BOB - Get the basics from Wikipedia

FEMA Recommendations - Basic 72 hour kit items. 

FEMA Recommendations - Where to keep 72-hour bags 

The 7 Types of Gear you must have in your Bug Out Bag - nice break down of categories

How To Survive The Apocalypse, on $20 and the stuff in your apartment - get started on a budget

How to Make a Bug Out Bag: Your 72-Hour Emergency Evacuation Survival Kit - this one must weigh a ton, but it’s comprehensive

34 Essential Items For Your Bug Out Bag - focused on general disasters, no guns\

Buy a 72-hour bag - shop for backpacks and ready-made kits

Ultimate BOB - Amazon list with lots of items you might add - especially the Katadyn water filter if you can afford it, there are cheaper one out there though.

BOB Guns - lists the pros and cons of firearms for various scenarios

GOOD Bag tips from a northern Idaho housewife - some useful info on preparing your bag

Videos 

Entry level intro

A Survivalist Wife’s Bug Out Bag For When SHTF

Kids BOB

British BOB

Hardcore - heavy on weapons survivalist :)

Breaking it down - the ‘Science’ of BOB’s - 1 of 3: The Purpose, Planning and Packing your Bug-Out-Bag 1/3