Global supplies of food and medicine now in a state of collapse... learn to grow your own food or STARVE

(NaturalNews) On January 13, which seemed nothing more than a usual Wednesday, something truly historic happened. Our planet's trading ships, those awe-inspiring behemoth trading platforms that carry essential grains, cement, coal, iron and other raw product around the world simply stopped. With the help of GoodGopher and GPS tracking technology, we're able to verify this statement and further investigate the halt that didn't just happen in the blink of an eye. In fact, for the past several years, global trading has consistently gone down. All of the signs were there, but our attention has been skillfully diverted.

From bad to worse

One week later, on January 20, things got even heavier. How do we know that? The Baltic Dry Index (BDI) is an economic indicator that calculates the price of shipping raw materials over sea. As the index goes down, fewer goods are produced around the world and it becomes more expensive to operate and maintain those magnate sea-faring transports. Every minute of low BDI is translated into incredible financial losses for the companies that own the freighters.

On January 13, the index was 402 points. One week later, it was 369. Both of these were never-before-seen figures. To put things into perspective, the BDI in May 2008 was 11,793 points, which meant trading was so profitable that you could literally save money if you bought slippers from half-way around the world. In the winter of the same year, the BDI dropped an incredible 94%, to 663 points – the lowest figure it had ever reached since it was introduced.

Like the calm before the storm

Many financial experts made consistent arguments that the BDI and other market indicators have the ability to predict an upcoming collapse. Business Insider provides an accurate history of how market crashes have actually been preceded by big swings in the BDI. These examples include the last financial crisis of 2008, the two-year American recession that started in 2001 and, of course, the dot-com bubble burst of 1999. What's increasingly worrisome for the world economy is that, right now, the European and Asian markets are also significantly slowing down.

Out of the frying pan, into the fire

As of January 23, the BDI has reached 354 points and it seems there are no more chances to save it. This led Forbes.com to put forward quite an intriguing article last week. What's interesting is that Tim Worstall brings back into discussion the theory behind this economic marker: Things might have gone wrong around the world, "[b]ut does this have any impact on the rest of us? Well, no, not really," he says. He then moves on to argue the sound point that the current level of trade around the world is, in fact, slowing down and that things will balance out in the end.

Thank you, Forbes, but we already knew that BDI's volatility is intrinsic to its nature. However, it doesn't take rocket science to see that, even if we consider the fluctuations, we've consistently gone down from over 10,000 points in 2008 to officially under 1,000 as of July last year. The question is: Have our needs also gone down accordingly?

The BDI is at a rock bottom, which means that goods won't be produced and the supply of basic materials won't be met in the future. Now would be a good time to start meeting our own demands. Stock up on lasting supplies and learn to make and grow your own food. It's not only healthier, but it will ensure that if bread along with other basic food groups and raw materials become a luxury, you can deal with it.

http://www.naturalnews.com/052771_global_food_supply_medicine_economic_collapse.html#ixzz3yRBz1lt0

Surviving Long-term After the SHTF

As preppers and survivalists we’ve trained ourselves hard. We’re continually working on acquiring the knowledge and skills that can help us beat the odds and survive a catastrophic event. We prepare for the worst, while planning for long term survival. We know that there may be a few harrowing months, or even years, that will …

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Could you Really Turn Family Away During a Disaster?

One part of prepping that is sometimes overlooked or not given the consideration it deserves is what you will do when someone comes knocking on your door. I’m not talking about the wondering stranger, I’m talking about close family members that may or may not know you are prepping.

The question we need to ask ourselves and think about very seriously is who you would turn away, and what extended family members would you help out in a disaster or SHTF event.

Unfortunately this is just the first step, now you need to think about how you are going to handle the situation of having extra mouths to feed. 

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Preppers It Is Never a Good Time to Panic

It is safe to say that by and large nothing has changed for the better. However, the change in some cases has come in increments, which allows us all to adjust to the point that potential threats become like furniture.

You do not always see what has been there right under your nose, because you have become accustomed to it, used to seeing it to the point you no longer notice. The adversaries of the United States of course prefer it this way. If the country and its citizens do not recognize something as a threat then no one prepares to counter that threat.

Russia is flying their jets off the coast of the United States. Our military jumps in the cockpit of their jets and wags a wing telling the interloper to change course. Common practice in some cases and in other cases, it may mean a direct threat and a wrong move would cause an international incident. Just how far we are willing to go to keep Russian fighter jets away is a question that Russia wants answered. They will continue their aggression until a firm hand is applied, and once that happens what’s next.

Iran is racing toward a nuclear device (who knows for sure, they may already have one). North Korea has a number of nuclear devices. Pakistan and India have dozens, as do other countries in the world including the United States.

Therefore, it is not a matter of if, but when, there is an accidental launch, or a device is stolen or someone gets an itchy trigger finger and launches one over some perceived or real threat from another country. How long (if it hasn’t occurred already) before the secrets to the bomb are given or sold to the wrong country or group. It’s just a matter of time.

Pakistan, North Korea, and India do not adhere to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and all three have conducted nuclear testing.

Wall Street halts trading, a computer glitch they tell us. On the same day United Airlines grounds all flights, a computer glitch they tell us, and still yet on the same day the Wall Street Journal’s website had computer glitches and their site went dark. Other reports that cannot be confirmed also indicate problems with computers and power outages on the very same day across the country.

Wall Street, airlines and the news media all symbols of America, and capitalism, which in some people’s minds is the root of the world’s problems. America is a problem that must be solved according to the ideology of some groups, countries, and individuals in the world.

It Is Never a Good Time to Panic

There are articles and headlines out there that indicate or state outright that now is the time to panic, but of course you should never panic. The point is if there ever was a good time, it may be now according to some. You cannot panic, because you need your wits about you.

Instead of panicking, now is the time to pay closer attention to what is going on in the world. Have you ever watched the segments on certain news and entertainment shows that have reporters interviewing people on the streets?

The number of people that cannot name or even recognize the Vice President of the United States or other elected officials that essentially dictate our daily lives is very troubling. Some think the war of 1812 ended 10 years ago and that humans killed off the dinosaurs because we failed to recycle properly. In case you didn’t know this the dinosaurs died off over 65 million years ago.

The number of people in this country that are uniformed, and live in their own little world is alarming. Apparently some, if not many get their news from websites, blogs, and Facebook pages. These outlets cannot be called news outlets in many cases, because often times what is presented is simply someone’s opinion, their take on the events, in other words.

There are of course blogs, websites, and Facebook pages that do a great job of keeping their readers informed with articles and news blurbs, and keep people informed with the facts. If you find a site that does supply you with facts, even opinion, and relevant content and allows for discourse regardless of ideology, then you had better support them, because they are getting rarer as the days go by.

Everyday there is a crisis in someone’s life. It may only affect an individual, family, or small community, but for them it can be a life ending or life altering crisis.

You have to stay informed and you have to stay prepared, but be careful of where you get your news, and information from, because not all news or websites are created equal. You would think it would be difficult to change the facts, but if you do not verify what you are reading and hearing, then you may come to believe something that is not true. It may only be someone’s perception that you are hearing. Some people tend to only listen to those that share the same beliefs and opinions, and so this can lead to believing in things that are simply not true.

Do your own research. Prepping is not that complicated when it comes down to it. You will need many of the same things during a crisis that you need now. Accomplishing tasks will be more difficult, but if you prepare, stay informed, and gain knowledge and skills you can survive if you do not panic.

When the Trucks Stop Delivering, ‘The System’ Will Collapse

by Tess Pennington

Ready Nutrition 

Collectively speaking, most Americans take for granted the system in place to deliver essential supplies to their area. “The system,” an underlying infrastructure that keeps goods, services and commerce in America flowing creates a sense of normalcy and order. Food, water, gasoline and medications are just a few of the items restocked weekly in order for our dependent society to maintain a steady flow. What many fail to grasp is just how fragile the system is and just how quickly it can collapse.

Our transportation systems are one of the weakest links in the system. Mac Slavo explains:

In a 2012 report prepared for legislators and business leaders by the American Trucking Associations highlights just how critical our just-in-time inventory and delivery systems are, and assesses the impact on the general population in the event of an emergency or incident of national significance that disrupts the truck transportation systems which are responsible for carrying some ten billion tons of commodities and supplies across the United States each year.
A shutdown of truck operations as a result of elevated threat levels, terrorist attacks, or pandemics would, according to the report, have “a swift and devastating impact on the food, healthcare, transportation, waste removal, retail, manufacturing, and financial sectors.”
So too would events such as an EMP attack or a coordinated cyber-attack that could shut down global positioning systems and the computers responsible for inventory control.

The report goes on to explain that consumer fear and panic will exacerbate shortages. News of a truck stoppage—whether on the local level, state or regional level, or nationwide—will spur hoarding and drastic increases in consumer purchases of essential goods. Shortages will materialize quickly and could lead to civil unrest.

What the following graphic will demonstrate is just how quickly our system will fail. When the trucks in America stop, all commerce and delivery stops with it.

To avoid falling into this recipe for disaster, use the information presented in this graphic as a guideline to being self-reliant. Listed within the graphic are critical supplies that willdisappear off the shelves at the first signs of this disaster. These are the items you want to stock up on before the trucks stop delivering. Many items such as powdered milk and canned meat are versatile supplies that can be used for short-term and long lasting disasters. When I wrote The Prepper’s Blueprint: The Step-By-Step Guide To Help You Through Any Disaster, I emphasized the importance of having a well-rounded preparedness plan that encompasses many different types of emergency scenarios. This essential survival guide stresses how important is to have plans and supplies in place in order to be better prepared for the disasters that are on the horizon.

•  Create a food pantry. Creating a food supply is very beneficial to your budget. It is an investment into your future livelihood. One thing analysts and financial pundits agree on is that, in general, commodities will continue to rise. When others are buying foods at inflated prices, you will be consuming your investment when it was purchased at a lower price. Using a combination of shelf stable foods, you can create a well-rounded food supply to depend on when an emergency arises.
• Store water. We need water to survive – and our preps should reflect this important need. An aspect that I love the most about preppers is that we love to have back ups for our back ups. Having a short-term water supply that you regularly rotate into your kitchen will ensure you have a freshwater source to turn to during a short lived emergency. As well, having filtration systems and portable water purification tools will ensure you can purify water for longer term purposes.
• Attain needed supplies. If you are dependent on certain medications or supplies you need for your daily living, make sure you have enough to see you through a short-term disaster. The more supplied you are, the less you will have to leave your home during the emergency. As well, look into natural alternatives for medications.
• Preserve your wealth. Choose hard assets (dry goods, precious metals, land, livestock, skills, etc.) for long term investments so they will hold their intrinsic value over time. Holding these types of investments will insulate you from inflation and other economic issues. Further, by tying your money up in assets it will help you avoid spending the money, thus furthering your cause of self-reliant living.
• Become a neo-pioneer! Carve a path in life where you are no longer dependent on consuming at stores to live. Garden and grow your own food, raise livestock, learn skills to live self-reliantly, barter for goods and services.

The above graphic is a reminder of how fast our population can breakdown and quickly spiral into a disaster of epic proportions. But surviving during this type of scenario is possible by simply preparing for it ahead of time.

8 Lifesaving Treatments That Should Be a Reflex

by James Hubbard, MD, MPH

If you’ve been reading The Survival Doctor for a while, you’ve learned a lot about survival medicine.

Yet all the long-term treatments in the world are useless if the victim dies in the first few minutes. So it’s important to continually return to the basics, to reinforce those quick, life-saving skills I believe are most important to remember.

After all, saving a life or limb in the short-term is often as simple as taking one easy step—but doing it quickly enough to make a difference. People die all the time just because no one around them knew the fix that would have turned things around.

To become a hero at-the-ready, memorize these eight quick treatments and tips. Share them with your friends and family so they’re prepared in case you’re the one who needs care.

The goals is to memorize these so well that when you need to use them in real life, you won’t have to stop and think. They’ll be the first things that pop to mind—almost as quickly as a reflex. Then you can take a breath and figure out what to do next.

Important note: In this post, I’m assuming calling 911, if necessary, is either taken care of or impossible. I’m also assuming that if you’ve come upon an injured person, you’ve first made sure you’re safe—not threatened by a wild animal, a shooter, or whatever else caused the injury. And, of course, don’t forget aboutCPR and an AED if there are no signs of life. 

1. Suspect carbon monoxide poisoning? Provide fresh air.

Headache and drowsiness are a few of many possible signs of carbon monoxide poisoning. Step one in treatment is to get the person fresh air. Get them outside if you can. If you have pure oxygen, give that. Carbon monoxide is often thought of as a winter concern, due to certain heat sources, but it’s also a risk in summer when RVs and boats come out to play.

2. Think you’re having a heart attack? Chew an aspirin.

A child- or adult-size aspirin may keep the clot from worsening. Chew and swallow. Then lie down and make sure someone’s looking for an AED if you’re in a public building. Here are more heart attack tips.

3. Get a cut? Apply pressure.

Direct pressure works for most cuts. For extra help, elevate the wound to heart level or above. (Lying down puts everything on heart level.) The bleeding will probably stop within five minutes, but you may have to continue pressure to keep it stopped.

Alternately, you could try pressing above or below the wound, depending on where the bleeding is coming from.  If all else fails, a tourniquet will stop most bad bleeds on an arm or leg. If a tourniquet is obviously needed from the beginning, go straight to it.

For safety, always use a barrier between your hand and the blood, like a medical glove or thick towel.

5. See someone who’s badly bleeding? Cover to help prevent shock.

Shock is when the blood pressure goes way down. This can be deadly. One thing you can do to help prevent it is cover the person with a blanket. (While looking for wounds to address, keep other parts covered as you go.) Keeping the person warm reduces stress on the body’s circulation because extra blood doesn’t have to be routed to the skin to regulate temperature.

Of course, don’t cover the person if they’re already too hot or if it’s a hot day, they have plenty of clothes on, and they’re dry.

6. Feel sick in the heat? Cool off, and drink water.

If you’re hot and feel a flu-like symptom (like weakness, dizziness, headache, or nausea), you may have heat exhaustion. Other potential symptoms are cramps and a sudden increase in sweating. Cool off, drink water or a sports drink, and stay cool the rest of the day. You may have just prevented heatstroke.

Also beware confusion in the heat. That can be a sign of either heat exhaustion or heatstroke.

7. Shiver in the cold? Get to warmth—before you stop shivering.

Shivering is a sign of mild hypothermia. If you stop shivering, you’ve progressed to moderate hypothermia. Either way, get to warmth. Both the mild and moderate forms can cause confusion, and you don’t want to be stuck outside with that. For further treatment details (or for times when you can’t get to warmth), click here.

8. Get a burn? Cool with water.

The first step for a burn is to cool the area immediately. Don’t use ice for this because it stops healthy blood flow. Instead, run water over the burn or drape soaked material over it. The latter option is especially helpful for big burns.

9. Chest pierced deeply? Seal with a special kind of one-way valve.

When a puncture or bullet penetrates the chest cavity, air may get progressively sucked in through the wound as the person breathes, putting potentially fatal pressure on the lungs and heart. If you catch a chest wound before this happens, you can help prevent it by creating a one-way valve that prevents air from getting in but allows trapped air to escape. Here are two simple ways to do that:

1. Place a driver’s license or plastic wrap on the wound, or
2. Coat gauze in petroleum jelly, ointment, or honey, and place it on the wound.

http://www.thesurvivaldoctor.com/2015/07/07/lifesaving-treatments/

It’s Getting Crazy Out There – Don’t Be Distracted! An Open Letter to Family & Friends

I first penned this letter in December 2011.  Back then, I was very concerned about our world and the direction that I saw it going.  The signs have been there for a while.  For those paying attention, looking, researching and reading, you could easily find a myriad of problems that point to how fragile our world, country, state… is.  But now, the problems are glaring and in your face!  You really have to be Mary Poppins to think there isn’t “something” wrong!

From our economy, to terrorism, to natural disasters, to deadly viruses, crime and more, you can easily find reasons to be concerned for yourself and your family!

The thing is, many of the problems that can arise because of these issues can be mitigated if you just put a little effort into being prepared.  Many of you won’t though because you are too distracted with “living the dream” and having fun or you just are irresponsible!  Responsibility is a problem in today’s world!  We all want the government or some other entity to come through for us!  And what if they don’t?  Are you willing to have your family staring you in the face, wanting to know what to do because they are in a desperate situation that could have been avoided or not as bad because you weren’t man enough to make some decisions and get off your butt!

People always ask, what if I prepare and nothing happens?  Well I say, that is good!  You don’t really want anything to happen!  You don’t want terrorist to hack the electric grid and be without power for however long!  You don’t want the economy to tank and possibly lose your job!  You don’t want the drought in California to effect the food supply so much that you forgo buying fruit because it is too expensive!  You don’t want any of that stuff to happen!  But if it does….you wan to be ready!

Being prepared doesn’t mean you go buy a lot of camo, guns and go out into the woods.  Being prepared or living a prepared lifestyle just means you live responsibility by planning, thinking ahead and putting some things back for a rainy day!  There are so many aspects to it and each family is going to be different!  But failing to plan and prepare is setting your family up to fail!

You will tell that my letter below is a lot “softer” than what I’ve written above!  Back then, I didn’t want to freak people out.  I wanted them to think critically!  But now, I think people need a wake-up call!

After you read the letter below, I would be happy to answer any questions or point you to resources that can explain your question in better detail!

Peace,
Todd
July 2015

An Open Letter to Family & Friends

I’m writing this letter because I care about you.  Please take a few minutes to read it and think about what I’m saying.

Why the Letter?

Our lives are crazy.  We take care of our family, work, eat, play chauffeur, pay the bills, etc.  When we have a little bit of free time, we like to just veg in front of the TV and watch some brain numbing pictures flicker across the screen.  We can go at it like this for days, weeks and even months, not knowing what is going on in the world outside our local community and just get by with the talk around the water cooler.

And when we take life in these little chunks, separate blocks of our time and attention, it seems a little bit more manageable.  We move from one task, event, errand, chore to the other.

The problem is when we look at our lives from a big picture perspective.  What if our lives, all of the sudden changed?  What if the stress of the day came bearing down at you all at once?  How could this happen?  This can easily happen during an emergency.  I’m not talking about your son just stuffed his GI Joe down the toilet, or the dog is out of food emergency.  I’m talking about the BIG stuff.

The Big Emergency

The BIG emergency is the one that stops you in your tracks.  It can be personal, based in your local community or worldwide.  But it is the one that everything else stops and all resources and energy are put towards it.

The problem is that most people are not prepared for the BIG one.

Prepared?

Are you and your family most people?  Do you have an emergency fund for financial emergencies?  Do you have insurance for medical emergencies?  Do you have food and water if there is a food supply/transportation emergency?  Do you have other means of cooking and preparing your food if utilities weren’t available?  Do you have first aid supplies and extra medicine on hand?  Do you have basic skills that could help you: fire starting, water purification, gardening, first aid, etc.?

This is the whole reason for my letter.  I want to help you see the importance of being prepared and to start being more self-reliant.  It’s not too hard, but it does take time, planning and effort.  But then again, what would the time, planning and effort that you put in ahead of time be worth in the middle of an emergency?  You’ll be glad you did!

Action Steps

1. Make a plan – What are you preparing for?  What needs to be done?  Don’t look at the magnitude of the plan, that can be overwhelming. Take it in chunks.  In reality, you will never be “prepared.”  You can be “not prepared” or “overly prepared,” but never “perfectly prepared.”  Consider the basics: financial, medical, etc…but also keep in mind your region of the country; hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, fires, etc…

1. Set goals– When do you want _____ accomplished?
   1. Get a 3 day supply of food.  Then move to a 3 week supply.
   2. Revisit insurance: house, vehicle, medical, life, etc…
   3. Think about home and personal security.
   4. Start an emergency fund – 3-6 months of expenses
   5. Start a garden
   6. Take a class: first-aid, sewing, gardening, firearm, wilderness survival
   7. Watch some videos on Youtube (search preparedness)
   8. Read blogs and articles on “preparedness” and “prepping

1.  Get active – go meet your goals!

Warning

The world of preparedness/prepping can be an addictive one.  It can suck you in, mess with your emotions and get you seeing the world in the fragile states that it is in.  It is always best to approach preparedness within community.  You should go it alone only if no one else is willing. Eventually, they will realize that you were right, even if that is in the midst of a storm.

Fragile

It is not in the scope of this letter to discuss all the possible emergency scenarios that you should prepare for.  But outside of regional, natural disasters, it is important to me to briefly mention our global situation.  Things outside our local community have gone from bad to worse!  At first, we might not care about what is going on in some Asian or European country, but the fact is that we are ALL tied into each other now.  What happens over there, affects us over here.

There are many “End of the World as We Know It” type scenarios out there.  One such scenario is an economic collapse.  Someone recently replied to me and said, “Yes, times can get hard, but we have been through it before during the Great Depression.”  The fact is that it is way different this time.  Our country didn’t have the debt that we have now.  And, if for some reason the world loses faith in our government’s ability to pay its debts, we are up the creek.  It really isn’t too far-fetched to imagine this happening if you’ll look into it.  The concern has gone beyond the foil hat people.  Just research it!

Do Something

Please take this letter seriously.  If you prepare and don’t need it, the worst is that you have some food (food costs are going up/buy now at cheaper prices) and other supplies.  But if you ever find you are in a position that you do need it, you and your loved ones will be glad you were prepared!

This article first appeared on Ed That Matters.

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Body Language: A Precursor To Violence

By Christopher Pendas

Behavioral cues and situational awareness are two important concepts that I feel are really overlooked in the martial arts community. It’s not that the concepts aren’t mentioned, but more that the concepts are skimmed over and not given their due diligence. Typically, I hear things like “pay attention to your surroundings” and “look around” or “look for suspicious people.” These are great to say, but what exactly are we supposed to be looking for? What are we supposed to be paying attention to? What does a suspicious person look like? Maybe to some, a black teen wearing a hoodie or possibly a tatted up white male with a shaved head could be considered suspicious. The answers to these questions are all situational and can’t be answered without more information about the actions of the individual and the environment they are in.

Think about it like this, when you are driving, do you look for bad drivers to avoid? OR, while driving to your destination, do you observe bad driving along the way and avoid it? My point is, if you spend all your time looking for something that isn’t clearly defined, you will most likely miss it or worse, focus on the wrong things. The solution? Look at the environment and see what is normal (environmental standard). If there is something that doesn’t match the environment, it will stand out to you, and you should focus on whatever that is. What, if anything, stands out to you in this photo?

The above photo was taken before President Reagan was shot by John Hinckley. If you look carefully, you can see him by his body language.

As you can see, Hinckley does not match his environment. He is the only person who isn’t smiling for the photo. Hinckley isn’t smiling, because he is getting ready to attempt an assassination. During high stress situations, the body has physiological changes that can’t be controlled. In the context of the photo, you can see that the reporters are happy to be there for the event and are not stressed. Hinckley is stressed, and his mind is focused on the assassination attempt. This makes him unaware that he stands out in his environment.

Situational awareness should also be directed inwards, not just outwards. For example, there may be a time when it’s you that doesn’t match the environment; like walking into a biker bar wearing a Perry Ellis suit. Doing this is probably not the best idea for keeping a low profile or going unnoticed. In self-defense, one goal is to avoid sticking out.

We use situational awareness to spot vehicular behavioral cues while we defensively drive. Why wouldn’t we take the same preventive actions in day to day life to keep from being raped, mugged, robbed or killed? I believe it is important to talk in detail about the different levels of awareness and what we should observe when “looking around” or “paying attention.” I have already written a post on situational awareness. This post is primarily about behavioral cues.

There are several behavioral cues or Pre-Attack indicators that we should look for. These cues are going to be presented by the attacker at the end of Phase 1and the beginning of Phase 2. This isn’t a complete list, but it’s a good start.

Hands – Pay attention to their movements. Look for fidgeting hands, clenching fists and/or attempting to hide their hands. These movements are due to the physiological changes in the body. Stress hormones cause our hands to shake and/or clench. Also, clenching is a sign of aggression or intimidation. When someone hides their hands, it’s to either mask the physiological symptoms or to hide a weapon. Neither reason is good. It should be noted that if you are in an altercation and the individual isn’t showing these symptoms, that individual is trained and/or experienced. Specifically look to which way the palm is facing. If the palm is being hidden, most likely there is something in their hand. Also, if the individual reaches behind his back with the palm facing behind them, they are probably grabbing a weapon. If the palm is facing to the front, they are probably taking something out of their back pocket.

Eyes – Are they assessing you or scanning the crowd? Are they using glances for communication? For example, labeling a target and/or execution command to a partner. Remember the video from my last post, where the attacker verified the target to his partner with a head nod? Peripheral vision is faster at detecting movement than focused vision, so look for a really hard stare. It will seem like they are looking through you. Sometimes you will hear this referred to as “the thousand yard stare.”

Provided by Executive Security International

Body – How is the individual manipulating their body? Check if his feet are offset, like in a fighting stance, has moved to a flanking position or hesitated in his response. Skin color can be used as an indicator too. Are they flush or pale? A flush individual typically means anger, which may turn into violence. On the other hand, if the individual is pale, attack is imminent. This typically means that the person is in “fight or flight” and the blood is being drawn from the extremities to the internal organs. Also, when the blood is pooled to the internal organs, the individual will seem really calm. Don’t mistake the calmness for something it’s not. This individual will attack ferociously.

 Proximity – We all have personal boundaries and have set limits. Is this person getting into your personal space? Of course, this is going to be dependent on the environment. It’s not normal for someone to get into your space while you are at an ATM. Likewise, if you are on a crowded bus and all the seats are filled, some contact is expected. Attacks don’t happen the same way in reality as they do when we spar. Attacks don’t start with a bell, and assailants don’t close the distance to the middle of a ring to meet for a mutual exchange. Attackers get in close without being noticed and attack hard and fast.

The above is a list of physical Pre-Attack indicators. There are also charm tactics, I outlined a few in the Phase 2 Part 1 post. In the Create Doubt post we spoke about how we illicit behavioral cues in our actions too. Our body language plays a big part of if we are selected as a target for attack. Being able to identify charm tactics and behavioral cues while practicing good situational awareness will give you a hand up in preventing and deterring a violent encounter.

As you can see, the concepts from Create Doubt, Situational Awareness and Attack Cycle build on each other. It’s important to realize that I’m scratching the surface in my posts and that these concepts can get complicated depending on the scenario that we may find ourselves in.

http://stayingsafe-selfdefense.com/2014/03/06/body-language-a-precursor-to-violence/

Wildlife Encounters: Staying Safe with Bears

Bear attacks do make the news and the reason is an attack by a bear is news. Why is it news, because they are rare? According to Back Packer Magazine, on average less than three people are killed each year by bears. There are bear and other wild animal attacks every year of course that do not lead to death however.

In comparison 26 people in the United States are killed each year by dogs, and 90 people die each year from lightning strikes (Back Packer Magazine, n.d.).

Bears are not your only problem in the wild though. You could also encounter cougars, bison, moose, and of course, reptiles such as alligators and deadly snakes, depending on where you are hiking or camping.

Some Things That Can Put You at Risk for an Attack

Obviously there can be any number of reasons for an attack and not all of them can be listed, because in some cases, no one simply knows. The following however, are some of the more common reasons for an attack/encounter.

• Surprising an animal 
• Not making enough noise as you hike through an area
• Startling a female with cubs present
• Stumbling upon a carcass that an animal has claimed, or not claimed for that matter, but they will if they are near
• Moving through the woods at night
• Keeping food/garbage in camp that is not sealed in bear proof containers
• Camping close to game kill sites when hunting

Other risk factors are food on your person or in camp and blood on your body/clothing from field dressing wild game or fish. Hunters are at risk as they field dress game, because predators will take advantage, and try to claim the kill as their own.

Ideally, you would not hunt alone where bears and mountain lions roam. One hunter would have to stand guard as the other field dresses the kill.

Then There is Stupid

Selfies are the craze today, and some people think that taking one with a wild animal would make for a good Facebook posting. Of course those with little experience in the wild just have to snap a picture with a cute cuddly bear or mountain lion cub.

The mother is not letting the children just roam free, they are close by, and one peep out of the cub and the mother is on her way, fast. Some people just have to push the limits, they simply do not understand they are visitors in the animals’ home, and some animals to include humans take umbrage at others wandering into their homes and messing with their kids and generally being a nuisance.

Do not try to sneak up on any wildlife to take pictures or to even try to capture or pet any animal or reptile.

Bears like Easy Food Sources

If black bears have lost their fear of humans, and some experts claim many have they will not hesitate to investigate you. Black bears can and will attack if they wander into your camp or even your backyard looking for food, if you get between them and their meal.

Bears have poor eyesight, but a much better sense of smell and hearing than humans do. Their nose is leading them on, and so they may approach without even seeing you. They smell the food on you, in your vehicle, or at your campsite.

Those that have lived through an encounter with black bears when cubs are not present claim that loud noises and hand gesture can run a black bear off. This of course is no guarantee you will not be attacked.

Brown bears (the Grizzly and the Kodiak are North American subspecies of brown bear) are another matter entirely, and they will not be intimated by you. They are apex predators in the wild without peers. Running to find the nearest tree is futile in most cases, because they can outrun you (bears can run up to 30 mph), and may even topple the tree you have climbed. Black bears and some brown bears can climb trees by the way.

Wildlife experts’ claim that playing dead can work with brown bears, but not with black bears. Black bears can be intimidated, bluffed if you will and may run off if you act aggressive. However, if cubs are present black bears will go on the offense and attack, because they are protecting their cubs.

A More Detailed List with Explanations

1.) Keep pets at home, or at the very least on a leash when hiking or camping, because they will attract predators. It does not matter how big your dog is they will not stand a chance going toe to toe with a bear or mountain lion. There are dogs trained to intimidate bears to keep them from coming back to certain areas, but the dogs are trained not to attack the bear as a domestic pet may be inclined to do. A bear will charge at your pet and will chase them in most cases if the pet runs. Your pet will likely run back to you if they have wandered from camp. This means the bear will follow the pet back to you.

2.) Seal food in special bear containers to prevent odors from escaping. One of the biggest reasons black bears wander into your camp is for food, and how do they know you have food, they can smell it. People even go so far as to feed bears when they are camping in parks and even around their homes. This of course trains the bears to expect food when humans are around, and if you disappoint them, and do not have their meal ready they will take their frustrations out on you.

3.) Do not wear clothing around camp or to bed that was worn when you field dressed any game or fish. Clean any footwear that may have had contact with blood from wild game or fish.

4.) Do not hike or camp alone, so if there is an animal attack someone can administer first aid and call for help.

5.) Carry bear spray and if so inclined carry a firearm of sufficient caliber.

6.)  Stay on marked trails and pay attention to what is around you, especially when walking around large obstructions. When hiking and you cannot see the trail ahead make noise as you move around obstacles that obstruct the trail ahead. Remember a bear’s eyesight is poor, but their hearing and sense of smell is not. Use your binoculars to scan ahead for any problem areas to avoid such as overhangs/caves and large root bases of downed trees these may be animal dens.

7.) Keep deodorants, soaps, and other hygiene items sealed in Ziploc bags because any smell can attract animals. Remove any clothes you have cooked in before bedding down for the night, because animals will be attracted to the cooking odors on your clothing. You can be mauled while sleeping because of the smell on your clothing. Avoid eating when in your bedding or even inside the tent because of crumbs and odors that will cling to the material. Do not wrap food up in bedding material to store or transport.

8.) Wash your hand thoroughly with soap and water after cleaning fish or game or after handling foods.

9.) If you encounter a bear and it is obvious you cannot back away to safety, because they are acting aggressively drop your pack if it contains food and then back away. This may distract the bear enough to allow you to move away. They can smell the food inside your packs and pockets. People have been attacked and have had a bear paw the pack off their backs and in the process of course severely injured the person.

10.) If you encounter a bear, or other predator, group together so you can retreat together. Show a larger presence to scare the predator off by staying together and by making noise and gestures. If attacked you have to fight back, you simply have no choice.

Back Packer Magazine. (n.d.). Retrieved 2015, from http://www.backpacker.com/news-and-events/news/trail-news/ask-a-bear-how-many-bear-attacks-really-2/

Be Bear Aware. (n.d.). Retrieved 2015, from http://www.centerforwildlifeinformation.org/BeBearAware/Hiking_and_Camping/hiking_and_camping.html