It's Christmas and...

The best way to sell ''Survivalism'' to people that dont want to know about Survivalism is to be very sneaky in the way you present it. You have to take things slow and be very subtle. Go at it from different angles.

If they are ''outdoorsy'' types, then you can easily 'gift them' some some gadgets like a firesteel, decent compass or GPS or a survival bag.

Some ideas for gifts - Remember you have to be subtle:-

Mid size Rucksack
Wind up/Solar radio
Wind up/Solar torch
Leatherman Multi-tool
Tallow Candles
Un-breakable Flask
Base Layer Clothing
Mid Layer Clothing
Top Layer Jacket
Walking Socks
Combined Compass/Watch
Rescue Knife

Book wise (US) - Try the Readers Digest ''Back to Basics'' book - This may start to get them thinking a bit.

Originally posted by Wotan
The best way to sell ''Survivalism'' to people that dont want to know about Survivalism is to be very sneaky in the way you present it. You have to take things slow and be very subtle. Go at it from different angles.

If they are ''outdoorsy'' types, then you can easily 'gift them' some some gadgets like a firesteel, decent compass or GPS or a survival bag.

Some ideas for gifts - Remember you have to be subtle:-

Mid size Rucksack
Wind up/Solar radio
Wind up/Solar torch
Leatherman Multi-tool
Tallow Candles
Un-breakable Flask
Base Layer Clothing
Mid Layer Clothing
Top Layer Jacket
Walking Socks
Combined Compass/Watch
Rescue Knife

Book wise (US) - Try the Readers Digest ''Back to Basics'' book - This may start to get them thinking a bit.

You are so right about the sneaky! I was thinking about adding a sprouting set to the mix a bit ago and I realized I could totally 'disguise' it as a plain old gift because both my sister and brother love stir fry and asian food. Besides, it'd be 'trendy' for my sister and for my brother's daughters who are all about asian anything. =) Good list! Of that, I think the best 'buy for someone else' choice would probably be the candles. I was wondering if there is a reason for tallow candles specifically?
I love the RD Back to the Basics! I have a copy and got a copy for my Mom and Dad a few years back. It's just full of great info! At this rate I may need to give them crates instead of boxes! =) jk, but shipping rates to my sister are gonna be a killer already, ugh! Thanks for the response!
~ana

Originally posted by anahna muss
And I was thinking maybe instead of a box... either putting stuff in a rubbermaid container or a backpack? I guess if there ends up being more bugout stuff in it I can do the backpack, especially for my sister on the coast.
~ana

Backpacks can get rather expensive if you are planning on doing this for alot of people. Rubbermaid, while useful and cheap is still a rubbermaid container. I would empty all of the other stuff and use it in my kitchen, so much for the survival pack. If you are going small, go with a fanny pack, no one actually wears them anymore from what I can tell, so you would have some chance of it staying intact. If you need something larger, I was actually thinking of using an old lunchpail, or even an old tin, like the ones crackers used to come in. Then its a gift in a gift, the pretty tin can sit out as a decoration, while the survival stuff is still hidden from sight. I actually do this with heirloom seeds, ammo, etc...

Another book idea I came up with, but certainly not for those who think you are nuts, but maybe considering trying their hand at self suffiency would be the fox fire series. IMO the greatest books ever written of living off of the land.

I thought you all might find this website interesting:

www.survival-center.com...

The linked page provides a substantial set of supply lists culled from various survival guides.

Kudos to you for your thoughts. I love the idea. I got my son a Leatherman and a pock-its pouch this year. Part of the present is also a small adjustable wrench that fits in the pouch. Something similar to my EDC. The amount of times it has been handy to have on me adds up often. I dont use it every day, but every time I do I was sure glad I had it.

I would suggest the practical items like this first. Perhaps maybe something for the car, or a cranklight or wind up radio. People that don't think about survival situations tend to be skeptical of those of us that do. If nothing else give them movies like Dawn of the dead, Cloverfield, the postman. I would not suggest presenting the gift as a Sit-X item. Let them come to the conclusions on thier own.

The first and best tool for any situation is the mind. Wake that up and get them using it and you will have given a gift that keeps on giving.

Thank you for your reply. It really and truly is words of wisdom. I appreciate it! But I do think I'll still make boxes. Maybe I'll just be 'sneakier' about how to present them! =)

Your very much welcome!
I think your gift boxes are a wonderful Idea! I would very much go with that, and infact I might have to borrow your idea for a couple people I am still working on!

One thing to stay clear of is 911.. Stay away.. Keep it for the last thing you wake them up too!

Wake them up to this slowly...Use my knowledge, and share with them parts of this.. slowly however..

Give them mainstream media stuff that allures to what we know.
Always start with creditable sources.

Never try to send them here to above top secert..
Just the name Above top secert will sadly enough bring them a red flag.

While ATS is golden to me.. I know what I know..
You have to work at a snails pace.

You see these people who set this up, have been doing this for a long time.
They didnt just set this up over night.. Hence your methods have to work the same way.
Fight fire with fire!
Slow and easy! Stay away from 911 until you have them fully awake.

Work on the parts that interest them.. Dont bring up stuff that they dont have any kind of interest within.

For my family it was an uphill battle.. And we finally made a deal together.
That I would not say this stuff in public anymore.. And they would take what I have to say to heart a little better.

Yeah try not to talk to much in public places.. People are listening.
And not everyone is willing to hear what you have to say.

Yes Ive learned this the hard way.. And I got to a point where I was in a mall yelling at the tops of my lungs.. I kinda lost it.. But it was a phase I went threw to get to where I am today..

I tried so much to just run out there and save the world.. well I got burned, and burned fast.. Ive learned better, and now I just do it seed by seed.. day by day.. person by person.

Merry Xmas.. and U2 me anytime you have a question!

[edit on 15-12-2008 by zysin5]

The greatest health concerns affecting the largest number of people from a nuclear accident or explosion are likely to be from radioactive iodine readily carried by the winds many miles downwind from the site of a nuclear event.

Governments world-wide are now stockpiling potassium iodide. Amongst them are Japan, Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Poland, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Austria, Sweden, and Russia, but, amazingly, not the U.S.

Find reliable anti-radiation pill information and resources to protect your families from future nuclear emergencies.

For more information visit the FAQ at www.ki4u.com...






Also, take a look at NukAlert, the tiny radiation detector.
www.nukalert.com...





SPECIFICATIONS:

* Detects Gamma & X-ray radiation: 20 keV to 2+ MeV
* Detection Range: 100 mR/hr to 5,000 R/hr
* Sensitivity: 100 mR/hr to 50 R/hr indicated in 10 ranges
* Proportional Increasing Chirp Rate: 50 R/hr to 5,000 R/hr
* Indication: Repeating groups of rapid countable chirps
* Operational indicator: faint "ticking" = operating OK.
* Alarm loudness: ~ 61 dBA (speaking volume)
* Durability: Functional after 6' drop or submersion to 6'
* Battery: Operational Life Expectancy @ room temp:
- Non-alarming (normal operation) - 10 to 15 years
- Alarming continuously at single chirp level - 3 years
- Alarming continuously at highest alarm level - 3 months
- See NEW Battery Replacement Program
* Detector: Patented CdS photo resistor coupled to a rare earth phosphor scintillator
* Housing: hermetically sealed, radiation transparent, abrasion resistant ABS plastic
* Accuracy: Within +/- 1 chirp
* Response Time: Dose rate dependent:
o ~3 - 4 min. @100mr/hr
o seconds @ R/hr ranges
* Accumulated dose chart on back
* EMP immunity: Meets MIL-STD-461D, RS105
* Over range survivability: Functional after 5K R/hr. for 2hr.
* Temperature Range: -20 C to +50 C
* Physical: 1.75"x1.25"x .75"H (LxWxH), Wt

reply to post by Daniem


Hi,
I had no idea there was even such a thing as a keychain radiation detector. That's really cool! Expensive, but cool. I'll have to look into those pills more, though. They are affordable and I bet they don't taste nearly as bad as iodine solution (the type for wounds) that I keep now for dual purposes! I think, though, that if I put that in the box my family would be more likely to make a joke of it than not. Not because it's a outrageous idea to me, but I'm betting it would be to them. Maybe, though, if they handle this gift box well, I can get into those things with them at some point down the road. Great suggestion for my supplies, though. Thanks!
~ana

reply to post by zysin5


I'm checking out your link now. Lots of information there.. I didn't realize it but I have spent over an hour on it already! =) I know what you mean about sending my family to ATS though. I do tell mention info I read here occasionally, if I can find it on other sources as well, but if I can't find a MSM (ugh) reference to something I don't. It's got to be 'credible' news sources or I feel like I'd be shooting myself in the foot mentioning it. It would do more harm than good to trying to get them onboard.
I did try to show my Mom this site once. I hadn't signed in for a few day for a few days though, and when I brought the page up for her to see, what was one of the top posts?? Why, a Sitx Zombie Invasion thread was one thread shown. (Another was one of the "I'm an Alien, Reptilian, Gray from OuterSpaceAtlantis and I come to the People of Earth to save you all..." type posts...)
-Needless to say, it'll be a while before I try showing it to anyone again! At least not without checking first!
Thanks for the advice (again) and the link..
~ana

You are better off going down the ''Natural Disaster'' or Power-Cut or Extreme Weather type route if you want to get people to see your way of thinking. Keep perceived Situation X's to probable scenarios. The KISS principle applies here.

Dont ever mention Nuclear War, Zombies, Martial Law, 911 or 'other' types of conspiracies. Let them look into those types of things at their own pace. As soon as these things are mentioned you will see their eyes roll and the 'you are nuts' expression come onto their face.

There is a list of possible Situation X's in the sticky at the top of this forum. I made a checklist of such within that thread.

The trick is, to keep it 'real' - Probable v Possible v Fantasy. People are more inclined to 'prepare' for a Hurricane, Earthquake, Tornado, Severe Winter Weather or Truck Drivers Strike which are probable than a WW3 scenario which is possible or the Sun burning out in our lifetime, being fantasy. Play the % of real possibilties and dont scare them.

It took me a while to 'persuade' my partner into Survivalism. I composed the afore mentioned list and printed it off and asked her to tick the boxes. She was surprised at what was really possible in the area where we live. She is not 100% convinced, but 90% is better than complete denial.

i do not participate in christmas giving,
and as far as receiving... i still have packages some 5 years old in storage, which have not as yet been re-gifted as a birthday gift or something else.

There are, at this time in this economic contraction, some
"42.25 Million who have not even begun X-Mas shopping"...

(seen on news scroll on MSNBC TV. 6am, Tuesday 16 dec, '08)

Originally posted by anahna muss
reply to post by Daniem

 

I'll have to look into those pills more, though. They are affordable and I bet they don't taste nearly as bad as iodine solution (the type for wounds) that I keep now for dual purposes!

Ana--do not ingest topical iodine! It is poisonous when taken internally; the potassium iodide tablets and iodine found in table salt are quite different. Swallowing antiseptic or topical iodine can be fatal.

This is a very important distinction, albeit a confusing one. Many people are under the impression that you can simply swallow Betadine or other topical iodine solution for protection from nuclear fallout; this is not the case. I can't stress this enough.

Topical iodine CAN be applied to the skin on the abdomen or forearm for a lesser protection than the potassium iodide pills would provide. For this use, be sure to use a diluted tincture like Betadine. The best strength of the tincture has yet to be confirmed, so the efficacy of this is unclear. It is regarded as helpful, though.

Pay for them to attend a EMT course.
Not a First Responders Course, but an EMT course.
?
Ok so that makes things all difficult cause life just complicates things.
So, if that's not a possibility than buy them a EMT training course book.



*P*E*A*C*E*

reply to post by paperplanes


Hi,
Since I read your post I've been looking into Topical Iodine for radiation treatment. Everything I'm reading says exactly what you told me. It's strange because I remember being taught years ago that one could do that in case of nuclear fallout. Of course, that was a LOT of years ago =) I'm so glad you posted. I had never given it a second thought because I 'knew' it was "ok".
I do keep bleach and iodine solution as water purifying means in my storage. So I looked that up too, just in case that had changed. But so far both are still approved to treat tainted water.

source

You can use tincture of iodine to disinfect filtered and settled water. Common household iodine from the medicine chest or first aid kit may be used to disinfect water. Add five drops of 2 percent U.S. or your country’s approved Pharmacopeia tincture of iodine to each quart or liter of clear water. For cloudy water add ten drops and let the solution stand for at least 30 minutes.
You can use a non-scented, household chlorine bleach that contains a chlorine compound to disinfect water.
Do not use non-chlorine bleach to disinfect water. Typically, household chlorine bleaches will be 5.25% available chlorine. Follow the procedure written on the label. When the necessary procedure is not given, find the percentage of available chlorine on the label and use the information in the following table as a guide. (Remember, 1/8 teaspoon and 8 drops are about the same quantity.)

Serious thanks for the heads up about not using Iodine straight for radiation sickness. I had no idea that had changed. Much better/safer/easier to buy the tablets than to take a risk like that!
Star for you!
Happy Holidays!
~ana

reply to post by paperplanes


Top link thank you very much.
Again guys don't be affraid of asking lf your love ones ask you" what do you want for Christmas "

Originally posted by Wotan
You are better off going down the ''Natural Disaster'' or Power-Cut or Extreme Weather type route if you want to get people to see your way of thinking. Keep perceived Situation X's to probable scenarios. The KISS principle applies here.

Dont ever mention Nuclear War, Zombies, Martial Law, 911 or 'other' types of conspiracies. Let them look into those types of things at their own pace. As soon as these things are mentioned you will see their eyes roll and the 'you are nuts' expression come onto their face.

There is a list of possible Situation X's in the sticky at the top of this forum. I made a checklist of such within that thread.

The trick is, to keep it 'real' - Probable v Possible v Fantasy. People are more inclined to 'prepare' for a Hurricane, Earthquake, Tornado, Severe Winter Weather or Truck Drivers Strike which are probable than a WW3 scenario which is possible or the Sun burning out in our lifetime, being fantasy. Play the % of real possibilties and dont scare them.

It took me a while to 'persuade' my partner into Survivalism. I composed the afore mentioned list and printed it off and asked her to tick the boxes. She was surprised at what was really possible in the area where we live. She is not 100% convinced, but 90% is better than complete denial.

Hey,
I checked out your list on that thread. I really appreciate you putting that together for folks. I do try to use the natural disaster bit the most. I don't mention zombies One way I approach it is to remind them of the ice storm a couple years ago. My brother was living elsewhere, my folks were vacationing in FLA. My son and I were here without power, etc.. for a full 17 days. (We actually had a blast! No TV, No computer, just me and him: crayons and playdough, etc... and storage stuff I'd put back.) It's the most effective point I bring up so far with them. My Mom was even impressed. It only put a tiny dent in the pantry supplies. My brother is still at the 'I'm indestructible' age, but starting to edge into a different mindset, I think (and hope). My Kali sister...well, I pray. I don't try to convince.
My Mom has started to think a bit more long-term. It's incredibly helpful not to be going it completely alone. I'm glad your GF came on board. 90% on board sounds awesome! My Mom is at about..maybe, 40% right now.
One important thing I've learned since Mom has started listening a bit is: Don't overwhelm. Some people can handle preparing for a storm, but would shut down if you started talking about more serious problems that could lead to sit-x. Especially if they know there isn't a lot they can do to change events. My Mom is very much that way.
I think I will show her the list you made though, and tuck copies of it into my box for my brother and sister. Maybe they will get curious and read it sometime....
Thanks again! Surely appreciate it!
~ana

Originally posted by silo13
Pay for them to attend a EMT course.
Not a First Responders Course, but an EMT course.
?
Ok so that makes things all difficult cause life just complicates things.
So, if that's not a possibility than buy them a EMT training course book.

*P*E*A*C*E*

Hi,
Great idea on taking a refresher class. I may add that to my wishlist! Doing that for my family would be really complicated though, as you mentioned. Crazy work/school schedules and all that. We all have some medical training, even if it's just Army First Aid. But it's been a long time. A book as a refresher isn't a bad idea at all!
Also definitely leaning towards the hand crank flashlights everyone is recommending. Maybe by putting it in a 'box' it won't be as likely to get lost. Thanks for the idea!
~ana
(these boxes are gonna weigh a TON )

reply to post by anahna muss


The best survival book I have read is Holly Deyo's, "Dare To Prepare".

I would also recommend sending veggie seeds (non-hybrid only) , a bottle of 100 potassium iodide tables in case of radiation (very cheap on net), and a good gas mask.


edit for spelling

[edit on 16-12-2008 by seabisquit]

My favorite Christmas Cookies

1 cup of water
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup or brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup nuts
2 cups of dried fruit
1 bottle Jose Cuervo Tequila

Sample the Cuervo to check quality. Take a large bowl,
check the Cuervo again, to be sure it is of the highest quality,
pour one level cup and drink.

Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one cup of butter
in a large fluffy bowl.

Add one peastoon of sugar. Beat again. At this point
it's best to make sure the Cuervo is still ok, try another
cup just in case.

Turn off the mixerer thingy.

Break 2 leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup
of dried fruit.

Pick the frigging fruit off the floor.

Mix on the turner.

If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaters just pry
it loose with a drewscriver.

Sample the Cuervo to check for tonsisticity.

Next, sift two cups of salt, or something. Who geeves
a sheet. Check the Jose Cuervo. bow shift the lemon juice and strain your
nuts.

Add one table.

Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink. whatever you can
find.

Greash the oven.

Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall
over.

Don't forget to beat off the turner.

Finally, throw the bowl through the window, finish the
Cose Juervo and make sure to put the stove in the dishdasher.

Cherry Mistmas !

reply to post by Bejing


lol....sooo needed that laugh in the midst of holiday madness.

So far the kits look like this:
Mylar Emergency Blanket
Hand Crank flashlight
MRE's (except the dehydrated pork ones, that are BAAAAD)
Water pouchs
Candles
and I'm giving 'fancy, pretty' kerosene lanterns as a "real" gift.
Any other ideas, things I might have forgotten, etc?
(it should be noted my budgets running on the low..)

Merry Christmas yall and thanks for all the help.
~ana