I firmly believe that the Ukraine-Russia war is only going to escalate. It doesn’t matter what you’re currently hoping for; it matters what the signs are indicating. And right now, all the signs I see only seem to imply that this is going to get worse. Do you prep for this?
Yes, I do think a part of this is to draw Americans’ attention away from what is currently happening in the United States (like this), but I also think that these global events warrant our paying attention, too, regardless. I’ve given my reasoning as to why previously.
We are seeing continued attacks on mercantile ships throughout the European theater at the moment. A Japanese cargo ship was recently hit by a missile. The same happened to a Turkish ship. France recently intercepted a Russian cargo ship. It is only a matter of time until yet another Lusitania moment takes place. And no, it doesn’t matter whether the Lusitania moment will be staged or not. What matters are the end results, and the end results you’re going to see are an expansion of war.
China is continuing to posture against Taiwan, and the waters between China and Taiwan will become suitable for an amphibious invasion this month. I’m not saying an invasion of Taiwan will happen this month, but I am saying logistics matter.
Considering all of these factors – regardless of what you think about who is the victim or who is at fault – here are the preps I think you need to double down on now and why:
What food to prep?
As has been pointed out here at The Organic Prepper before, the United States is going to experience a fertilizer shortage this year, and that is going to be just one factor impacting our food supply. I’ve discussed the other factors HERE.
Yes, I do think that stocking up on seed for your garden is a good prep idea, but I also think that you really need to consider canned goods at the moment. They’re ready to eat, they’re highly portable, and they store well. They make good barter currency, to boot. Canned goods don’t have to worry about radioactive fallout, as does a growing corn crop, either.
I’m a fan of freeze-dried meals, but I sincerely think that cyberattacks against our power grid are highly likely in the near future. You need warm water to make those. With a power outage likely (Cyber Polygon, anyone?), boiling water is just another step between you and eating a meal. If you are forced to shelter in place, inside, without power, this makes for a bit of difficulty with meal preparation.
MREs are another fine food item to consider at the moment. I have no knowledge as to whether or not the heat packs for MREs give off dangerous gasses as they heat up the food. (Let me know in the comments!)
This food supply not only allows you to shelter in place but helps you to avoid probable food riots in the future. Read history. Literally, every single time there is a shortage of food, violence increases.
(For more information on prepping your food, check out our free QUICKSTART Guide on building your 3-layer food storage system.)
Should you prep water?
Life without water sucks (haha, but not for long). You need it to stay alive, for cleaning, for cooking, and more. If you are forced to shelter in place without any access to power, are you going to have water to drink? A gallon jug of water currently sells for around a dollar. Why would you not pick up a few and stow them away?
I would look at solar options for keeping your well running if that is your primary water source as well. If you rely on city water, at the very least, have an EPIC Nano filter. I would highly recommend looking into Berkey filters right now as well. Neither of these is a radiation-reducing option, but instead are used to keep you in clean water should your city no longer have the electricity needed to create pure water.
If you are forced to evacuate, let’s say, from fallout being brought via wind, do you have water filtration that is portable?
Prep your communications.
China is one of the largest sources of electronics to the United States. We’re already seeing problems getting many electronic components because of a shortage of chips.
This is likely to continue in the near future, and should China invade Taiwan, you are going to see worldwide sanctions be leveled against China. The US will be no exception. When this happens, those supply lines are going to dry up overnight.
Your ability to get radios will then vaporize.
This is one of the reasons I think it’s important to look at putting some money into the following comms preps now:
- Baofeng UV-5R radios
- Extra batteries for your UV-5R
- Antenna upgrades for your UV-5R
- AA battery adapters for your UV-5R
- Binoculars
These items will help you to keep your neighborhood safe. I’ve already mentioned the increase in violence that accompanies shortages of food. Don’t think your region will be exempt from that violence.
(Yes, I do believe that binoculars are a necessity here. If you’re going to be working to keep your neighborhood safe, you need to be able to accurately tell others what it is that you’re seeing.)
If you’re looking for training on how to use this gear, you’re going to want to check out the following courses.
Self-defense is likely largely taken care of.
Most preppers are already pretty well-stocked in this department. However, I have noticed that most put all of their money into guns and ammo while forgetting many other essentials.
- Cleaning kits
- CLP
- Spare parts
- Slings
Knowledge is a vital prep.
Having proper information can be the difference between staying alive and dying. Right now, you need to pick up a copy of Cresson Kearney’s Nuclear War Survival Skills. You do not want to be caught in the same situation as many Hawaiians did years ago when they found themselves at a loss for what to do when they received alerts via text that an ICBM was on the way.
PDF versions are available online for free, but I highly recommend picking up a print copy as well. Then, read it. This is an easy prep to accomplish. We also put together a quick anthology of all our nuclear preparedness and information articles that you can get here and name your own price. If times are tough, pay as little as you like, and if you want to support the site more, pay as much as you like. This is information available on the website in an easily printable format so you can get a hard copy immediately.
I recommend looking into a shortwave radio as well. Should the grid go down within the US, you are going to want to be able to pick up information from the outside world so that you have some notion of what is going on. Anne Frank wrote about the importance of their radio and the hope it brought in her journals.
Look into a quality shortwave radio. It will pick up what you want to hear, You’re going to want to pick up a copy of the World Radio TV Handbook as well so that you can actually find those broadcasts too. It doesn’t matter if the edition is a year or two old. I would argue that the bulk of the volume won’t have changed any.
In addition to picking up a shortwave radio, I would highly suggest you discover a means of running your antenna outside of your shelter as you sit inside with the shortwave receiver. Shortwave radios don’t pick up signals as well (if at all) when they are inside a building, and an external antenna being attached and run outside will do you a lot of good. You can learn more about that HERE.
You may want to spend a little time toying around with THIS simulator as well so that you can better understand how things could play out in your region.
Don’t forget to check out our archive of TOP so that you don’t have to lug around a library with you wherever you go.
I never advocate living in fear.
When I first began to write within the prepping genre years ago, I purposefully set out with the intention of not being a fearmonger. I purposefully write my articles with the intention of avoiding that. That being said, there are times in life when there are very valid concerns that have been raised people need to know about.
To know that Pearl Harbor is coming, and to say nothing, is to stand by and watch as innocent people are slaughtered. That is something I cannot tolerate. At times in life, scary times come. To bury our heads in the sand and say, “That’ll never happen,” is not living with wisdom but to live as an idiot.
When there are real threats and plenty of reason to believe they are valid, I believe the best course of action is to act as such. Prepare accordingly, to the best of your ability, within what is in your possibility to handle. Once you’ve done that, you’ve done what you can do on your end. Don’t fret. Don’t live in worry.
Do what you can do.
With the very real threat of this Ukraine-Russia conflict escalating into something much larger than what it is currently, I think that following the above tips will help you to do just that. For more expert prepping information, register to watch the docuseries Endgame for free.
What are your thoughts, though? Can you think of another prep to add to the list? Let us know in the comments below.
About Aden
Aden Tate is a regular contributor to TheOrganicPrepper.com and TheFrugalite.com. Aden runs a micro-farm where he raises dairy goats, a pig, honeybees, meat chickens, laying chickens, tomatoes, mushrooms, and greens. Aden has two published books, The Faithful Prepper and Zombie Choices. You can find his podcast The Last American on Preppers’ Broadcasting Network.
What is CLP?
It is a gun oil, often used by the military. At least by the military when I served. Stands for: Clean, Lubricate, Protect (from rust/corrosion)
Well Aden, you’ve covered it pretty well as per normal. I will say that I’m not expecting nuclear war anytime soon. An escalation of the War in Ulraine – Yes, most definitely. Right now, my biggest concern would be civil unrest. No power, no water, food shortages: any one of these could cause civil unrest. All three together are almost guaranteed to cause issues. Heck, we all know that even the thought of not being to get a new iPhone, let alone the loss of the internet is enough to make a lot of people panic. It is truly a world ending event if they can’t get their triple soy latte, with sprinkles!
Personally, I don’t prepare for nuclear war. I came to the conclusion long ago that in the event of a nuclear war that I don’t expect to survive, no matter what – and I’m okay with that decision. With nuclear war, surviving the event is one thing, living/surviving the aftermath is something else altogether. There are certain realities that must be faced after a nuclear war, certain things that you may have to do to survive, and to be honest I’m just not morally prepared to live like that.
The Lone Canadian,
I mentioned in another article about looking for the second and third order effects of the conflict.
I can see the destabilization of some countries due to increased food costs or food insecurity. That could easily spill over into other countries.
Energy is another concern. A gallon of gas was $4.19, up $0.40 from just last week. That right there is going to change my driving behavior.
As of now, I think the possibility of civil unrest here in the US is low. But I could also see inflation continue to grind down on American’s purchasing power, anger, resentment and even desperation grow to the point of violence. Imagine people rampantly looting grocery stores, and the stores closing out of fear of the employees.
A “Fiery, but mostly peaceful food riot,” if you will.
Yep…Looter Mart! “ Home of the 5 Finger Discount” Wonder who said it was only 72 hours (9 meals) from anarchy. Thought I heard that here. Very apropos… You are right…cost of fuel is going to become a flashpoint for anger. Cost of goods sold will go ballistic as delivery costs go up. Surcharge for delivery is going to get tacked in like Monday (UPS, FedEx, etc.) That pallet of TP is going to cost! Better be 2-ply!
I’m not too concerned about the Russia/Ukraine “event”, except what effects that it will have on the U.S. As for an attack on the mainland U.S., for some reason I think a cyber-attack by China, before an invasion of Taiwan, might be coming.
Even with things staying on the path that we are on now; an economic breakdown looks very likely.
I believe that Davos’ is engineering a split up of the Divided States of America.
“I have no knowledge as to whether or not the heat packs for MREs give off dangerous gasses as they heat up the food. (Let me know in the comments!)”
The new heaters don’t. It’s the chicken-a-la-king and cheese that gives off dangerous gasses. Don’t get caught in a small room with a buddy after eating either.
????????????????????????that’s a good one Jim …???? made me smile. Lol.
Yea….Desert Storm I got hold of: Blueberry Poptarts, Horner Chili, and 7-UP. Legendary results!
Hey Jim,
Thanks for the “humor”. A bit twisted, but a chuckle these days is a good thing.
I was living in Hawaii both for the Fukushima disaster and the missile scare. There’s nothing really you can do on an island that doesn’t support it’s population without imports in those situations. We did have a tsunami affect our island after the quake that caused the disaster and everyone pulled together to clean up the land and the reef. The tsunami had picked up a three story house and taken it whole into the bay. People lashed kayaks together and everyone went snorkeling and diving to save the precious ecosystem that locals rely on.
The missle was more if just shock and saying goodbye. There’s no way to survive nuclear fallout there.
Every year we lived in hawaii, we faced disasters or possible disasters. Extra food and water were always on hand. With every year there were either tsunami scares, hurricanes, or the volcano was creating havoc. The ports are closed for most issues which cleans out the stores within three days. With a hurricane, my island was devastated on one southern part but the disaster affected everyone. People broke out into fist fights over the remaining bag of ice. People had to chain saw their way into their neighbors homes due to the massive trees that were laid down like matchsticks. And that’s just natural disasters.
With what our world is facing right now and the immediate eco o toll the Russian war is causing ( gas here is almost to $5/gal already) I feel the need to buckle down harder. Financially, I have no way to move forward. That causes me some stress because I have gaps I’d dearly love to fill in. But I am doing what I can. My garden is expanding again, I’ve developed a network of homesteaders. We are sharing ideas and knowledge regularly, meeting together once a month. This month we are doing a seed exchange and discussing our processes in the garden. I have also expanded my rabbitry to twice its size and am starting to harvest from that.
One of my biggest concerns this coming year is the cost and availability of animal feed. If I had the funds, I’d buy and store a years supply right now. Prices have been rising steadily and availability has been a real issue the past couple mo ths. I only see that getting worse. So I adapt as best I can. Instead of buying feed once a month or once every other mo th, I’m now searching every week I go to town. I’m calling to see when shipments are expected and showing up to get what I need. I’ve changed up my feed as often as needed when things aren’t available. Adaptation- it’s all I have available to me right now, but it’s important.
Dragonmaker,
I feel you. Even for those of us on the mainland I think “adaptability” may become one of our top ten words as most of us (at least here in the US) have never faced what is now staring us in the face. I am thankful that during my military career I was exposed to different cultures around the world and got to pick up techniques from those countries that I can put in my Adaptability Arsenal. Even how I grew up here in the US gives me skills that most younger Americans were never exposed to (i.e. outdoor toilets, no running water, no central heat (we had an old stove and firewood), visiting my great aunts’ homes who only had wood cook stoves and no electricity. As I often now reflect as a Baby Boomer, having grown up poor has really enriched my Adaptability Arsenal.
Some thoughts on water:
– Rain barrels: food grade 55 gal barrels (the blue plastic ones) can be obtained via a variety of sources for $50 – $70. Obtain a gutter diverter (Amazon, about $40) so you can divert water from your downspout when the barrel’s full (and quickly switch back to refill the barrel). Drill a hole near the bottom of the barrel and install a spigot (raise the barrel about 1′ so you can get a bucket under the spigot.
– 5 gal plastic jerrycans: get ’em at Walmart (RV or camping department), Tractor Supply, or local RV store). Fill with water ahead of time, add about 10 drops of Chlorox bleach – will keep indefinitely. 5 gal of H2O weighs 40+ lbs, so plan accordingly.
– On site water source: if you have a swimming pool or live next to a stream, pond, or lake, there’s always the “bucket brigade” method. Better yet is to have some means to pump the water up to a more convenient reservoir (rain barrel?). If you have a generator, you can use an electric pump. If not – and as a backup to an electric pump – get a manual transfer pump. Don’t forget hoses, couplings
I personally never thought though of fallout contaminating the water supply, pond, etc. Do you think the water might get contaminated from being in a jerry can? Are they are food safe??
When is this water safe to drink if you filter with a Berkey?
Tractor Supply sells 35 gallon sprayer tanks. They have a fitting for a hose connect. Lowes sells a screw in brass spigot that will fit the tank hose connect. Use thread seal tape. A Large pair of channel locks might be needed to loosen the tank fitting to position the spigot properly. Set it up on a pair of cinder blocks or make a stand over a flush toilet to use that way. The small tank is easy to move when empty and even carried in the back of an SUV. Larger spray tanks can also be used for holding more water. Check Lowes for pvc pipe fittings. Save shower and dish wash water to reuse for flush toilets.
As I empty my canning jars, I clean them and refill them with boiling water. I place a used canning lid on them. 9/10 times they seal. It takes the same amount of space to store an empty canning jar as a full one.
If I end up not using the water but needing the jar when canning season starts up, I empty the jars of water into the canner.
This is a great idea. I do have jars of water I’ve processed in my pressure canner to store a sterile water, but just filling and putting on a shelf is a good idea.
My son and I shoot a LOT of semi auto pistol and rifle. We’ve tried CLP and didn’t care for the results. We stick with Hoppe’s #9 to clean, and 10w-30 synthetic motor oil for lubrication and protection. It doesn’t leave a gummy residue.
Merc M: I didn’t say it was the best, just that the military used it 30-some-odd years ago. There are a myriad of products that have come out in the last 10-20 years, each claiming to be the “best” at doing everything. Heck there are more articles on it than you can shake a stick at. I’m with you: KISS. Personally I’m a G-96 guy, with a dab of white lithium grease on the metal-to-metal sliding parts.
The ability to repair your home already has been an issue before Ukraine with shortages of building materials and skilled labor.
Got a way to fix broken windows? A big roll of heavy sheet plastic has been getting scarce in my local Lowes before Ukraine. You’ll need a box of roofing style nails and wood or aluminum strips to secure them.
Even if bad things hold off until warmer weather, I doubt things will get “Normal” before a year plus of troubles. Might be the best 100.00 you ever spent if you could keep weather and bugs out of your home.
Have you any materials to secure weak doors like sliding glass door or French doors from simple rock bash and step in visits? Have you reenforced your normal doors against the BIG FOOT Kick visitors?
As people get more and more stretched buy the loss of buying power and shortages more unlawful action will occur. The behaviors you’re seeing in Blue Cities with flash mob thefts will spread to even smaller towns.
In Weimer Germany Farms were robbed and barns set afire while the families were at Church. During the 70’s high inflation-gas lines (Coming SOON to a Town Near YOU!) I had folks sneak in to steal and butcher sheep at my Eastern Washington farm. So please don’t think such thing haven’t already happened in America.
Politicians are going to use MOAR Money for EBT cards and Price Controls to make themselves look good to the angry and Blame the GREEDY Storekeepers and Manu factors for Money Printing Politicians mistakes.
Hoarders (AKA Preppers) will be demonized for “Stealing Food from the Poor People’s Mouths”.
OPSEC means more than removing bumper stickers and Gadson Flags from your house-truck. Get realistic about your neighbors when they have kids saying, “Daddy I’m HUNGRY”. They know more about you than you think, and Hungry Folks have great memories.
Home invasions are going to become more common especially if the current DON’T punish the criminal’s attitude by prosecutors and judges continues. Recall AOC saying thefts are because of not having basics (IGNORING they were not stealing canned food but Nikes Shoes and Big Screen TV’s) and SHOULDN’T be punished for “evening the score”.
Watch to see if Self Defense and Defense of Property continues to be PUNISHED, thus discouraging the law abiding and protecting the criminals. AKA AntiFa and BLM get out of jail free cards, while arresting business owners for being armed.
Trouble isn’t coming folks, it’s here and going to get worse.
I’m out if the nukes start dropping and turn everything into a wasteland. Not sure I want to survey being inside the “microwave” on the popcorn setting. Though I do like popcorn with a rich slathering of butter!
InTheBooniesTX,
Try adding grated Parmesan cheese with the butter!
And I agree with you about a full blown nuke war.
There was a time when MRE heaters put off flammable gasses, I don’t know about the current manufacture. I’m suggesting people get a variety of foods stored – that is – some canned, some MRE, some of the dehydrated/freeze drieds. There are water bladders that fit in a bathtub for storage, personal filters and of course storing bottles. Everyone should have a first aid kit and know how to use a tourniquet – even better – how to use a Stop The Bleed kit. Pray for the world – and America.
The Ukraine – Russia situation, prepping and what comes next. Here are my thoughts on this subject.
The situation in Ukraine has made the supply chain problems worse. I believe we will continue to see inflation, with increased prices for food, gas, and many other things.
I read this afternoon at Zerohedge, “US Senate Passes Bill to End COVID-19 National Emergency.”
When the official status switches from a pandemic to an endemic, there will be big cuts in SNAP benefits around the country. Currently, those receiving SNAP benefits also receive pandemic emergency funds. The emergency bonus funds are considerable.
When these emergency SNAP funds end, families will see their grocery budget shrink dramatically. Many families with children, depend on this money to buy food. Food pantries will be overwhelmed.
I believe we are going to see increased unrest, especially in cities.
Don’t be surprised when grocery store greeters are replaced by security guards.
A lot of your questions can be answered by the digital version of the book Aden mentioned Nuclear War Survival Skills right here if you can’t get the hardcopy at the moment, it is free http://www.ki4u.com/nwss.pdf
Baofeng UV-5R radios are not walkie-talkies for general use. They operate on ham radio frequencies, so it is illegal to use them to transmit without an amateur radio license. That requires taking the Technician licensing exam (see arrl.org), which is not quick and easy.
Anyone can use handhelds like the Baofeng to LISTEN to local chatter. But if you push the button and TALK, you’d better have a license and a call sign and know what you’re doing.
You local ham club is full of super friendly folks who are glad to help you study and get your license. But they’ll be VERY upset with random people who just start transmitting and clogging the airwaves. That will be even MORE true after SHTF, when hams will need these frequencies for emergency communications. Decent citizens should not interfere with that!
So don’t waste your money on Baofengs (which are cheap Chinese crap anyway), unless you’re also willing to commit to getting licensed. Yes, it’s another government list your name will be on. But face it: we’re already on so many lists, one more isn’t likely to make any difference.
A better recommendation would be FRS, GMRS, and MURS radios for general, unlicensed use. One ham I know started sort of a neighborhood watch. He went house-to-house, explained, and asked everyone to get a GMRS radio. Most did, and then he ran a weekly practice session just like on the ham bands. GMRS radios aren’t terribly expensive, have decent range, and don’t need a license.
This would be a MUCH better grid-down local communications option.
What makes you think that war will escalate into a world war?
When putin invaded; He acted like Hitler did when he invaded Russia( “this war will be over in about two months tops”).