A Survivalist’s Guide to New Mexico’s Most Dangerous Insects

I’ve lived in New Mexico long enough to know one undeniable truth: this land does not care if you are prepared, educated, or respectful. It will test you anyway. And if you’re one of those people who parachutes in from some soft, bug-free suburb and assumes “it’s just the desert,” you’re already behind the curve.

New Mexico is beautiful, brutal, and unapologetically lethal to the careless. The mountains, mesas, arroyos, and high desert all come with built-in security systems. Some have claws. Some have teeth. And some—small, quiet, and overlooked—can put you in the ground or the hospital before you even realize what went wrong.

This article isn’t written for tourists or armchair nature lovers. It’s written from the perspective of a survival prepper who actually lives here, sweats here, and respects the dangers that come with calling New Mexico home. These are the insects in this state that can kill you outright, or come close enough that you’ll never forget how fragile you really are.

If you don’t live here, you probably won’t take this seriously. That’s your problem. For those of us who do live here, this is just reality.


1. Arizona Bark Scorpion (Centruroides sculpturatus)

Let’s start with the most infamous insect-like threat in New Mexico: the Arizona bark scorpion. Yes, it’s technically an arachnid, but out here we lump it in with insects because it behaves like one—sneaky, fast, and absolutely unforgiving.

This scorpion is the most venomous scorpion in North America, and southern New Mexico is well within its range. Unlike the big desert scorpions people expect, bark scorpions are smaller, lighter in color, and far more dangerous.

Why It’s Deadly

For healthy adults, a sting may not always be fatal—but “not always” is not the same as “safe.” For children, the elderly, and anyone with compromised health, a bark scorpion sting can be life-threatening.

Symptoms can include:

  • Severe pain and numbness
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Muscle twitching and convulsions
  • Slurred speech and loss of coordination

Out here, emergency medical care may not be close. That’s where people die—not from the venom alone, but from distance, time, and ignorance.

Survival Reality

Bark scorpions climb walls, hide in shoes, and love woodpiles. Anyone who lives in New Mexico knows you shake your boots before putting them on. Outsiders laugh at that habit—until they stop laughing.


2. Black Widow Spider (Latrodectus spp.)

If there’s one creature that outsiders underestimate every single time, it’s the black widow spider. They’re common in New Mexico, especially around sheds, garages, irrigation boxes, and rural homes.

They are not aggressive. That’s the lie people tell themselves right before they get bitten while reaching into a dark corner without thinking.

Why It’s Dangerous

Black widow venom is a powerful neurotoxin. While fatalities are rare with modern medical care, “rare” doesn’t mean impossible—especially in remote areas.

Symptoms may include:

  • Intense muscle cramps
  • Abdominal pain that mimics appendicitis
  • Sweating and nausea
  • Elevated blood pressure

The pain alone can be debilitating. If you’re hours from medical help, that pain becomes dangerous fast.

Survival Reality

You don’t stick your hands where you can’t see in New Mexico. Period. Anyone who didn’t grow up here learns that lesson the hard way.


3. Africanized Honey Bee (Apis mellifera scutellata hybrid)

If you want to talk about insects that absolutely can kill you, Africanized honey bees—often called “killer bees”—deserve your full attention.

They are established in New Mexico, and unlike regular honey bees, they do not de-escalate. They escalate.

Why They Kill

It’s not the venom. It’s the numbers.

Africanized bees respond faster, attack in greater numbers, and chase perceived threats much farther than European honey bees. A single sting may not kill you, but dozens or hundreds absolutely can.

Fatal outcomes occur due to:

  • Massive envenomation
  • Allergic reactions
  • Respiratory distress

Survival Reality

If you disturb a hive in New Mexico, you do not “stand your ground.” You run. You don’t swat. You don’t film. You escape and get indoors. This is not negotiable.

Outsiders think bees are cute. Locals know better.


4. Kissing Bugs (Triatominae)

This one shocks people because it doesn’t look dangerous. Kissing bugs are stealth killers, and New Mexico has them.

These insects are known vectors for Chagas disease, a serious and potentially fatal illness.

Why They’re Deadly

The danger isn’t the bite—it’s what comes after. Chagas disease can cause:

  • Heart enlargement
  • Heart failure
  • Digestive system damage

Many people don’t realize they’re infected until years later, when the damage is already done.

Survival Reality

Adobe homes, rural structures, and older buildings are prime habitat. If you live in New Mexico, you seal cracks, control pests, and don’t ignore unusual bites. This is long-term survival, not immediate drama.


5. Fire Ants (Solenopsis species)

Fire ants are spreading, and New Mexico is not immune. While individual stings hurt, the real danger comes from swarm attacks and allergic reactions.

Why They Kill

Fire ants attack in numbers, stinging repeatedly. For people with allergies, this can lead to anaphylaxis. Even without allergies, dozens of stings can overwhelm the body.

Symptoms can include:

  • Severe swelling
  • Dizziness
  • Breathing difficulty

Survival Reality

You watch where you step. You teach your kids to recognize ant mounds. And you never assume “it’s just ants.”


6. Tarantula Hawk Wasp (Pepsis spp.)

If pain were a weapon, the tarantula hawk would be a biological masterpiece. This massive wasp is native to New Mexico and carries one of the most painful stings on Earth.

Why It’s Dangerous

While the sting is rarely fatal, the pain can incapacitate a person instantly. In desert terrain, incapacitation equals danger.

A person stung while hiking, climbing, or working alone may:

  • Collapse
  • Lose coordination
  • Be unable to seek help

Survival Reality

You give this insect space. Period. No bravado. No curiosity. New Mexico punishes arrogance.


7. Brown Recluse Spider (Loxosceles spp.)

Brown recluse spiders exist in parts of New Mexico, despite what some people claim. Their venom causes tissue damage that can become severe if untreated.

Why They’re Dangerous

Most bites heal, but some result in:

  • Necrotic wounds
  • Secondary infections
  • Systemic reactions

Left untreated, complications can become life-threatening.

Survival Reality

Clean living spaces. Reduce clutter. Pay attention to unexplained wounds. Survival is about awareness, not panic.


Final Thoughts from Someone Who Actually Lives Here

New Mexico is not for the careless. It never has been.

The insects listed above don’t need malice or intent. They don’t hunt you. They don’t care about you at all. And that’s what makes them dangerous. The desert doesn’t warn you. It educates you through consequences.

People who don’t live here like to downplay these risks. They call it fearmongering. They say, “I’ve never had a problem.” That tells me everything I need to know about how little time they’ve spent paying attention.

Survival in New Mexico isn’t about being scared—it’s about being realistic. Respect the land. Respect the creatures. And understand that out here, even the smallest things can end your story if you’re foolish enough to ignore them.

If that offends you, good. New Mexico doesn’t need your approval.

Still Drinking Tap Water? Then You’re Already Poisoning Yourself

Let’s cut the nonsense: if you haven’t started storing water, you are sleepwalking straight into your own extinction. And if you’re still drinking tap water without filtering it, then congratulations — you’re basically sipping slow poison every day and calling it “hydration.”

People love pretending the world is stable. They love believing the tap will run forever. They love thinking the government is quietly babysitting them with clean water and safety nets.

Newsflash: no one is coming to save you.
Not the government.
Not the city.
Not your clueless neighbors.
Not your TikTok “experts.”

When everything finally collapses — and it will — the very first thing that disappears is the one thing you cannot live three days without: water.

And before the collapse? You’re already drinking garbage.


Tap Water: The “Legal Contamination” You Chug Every Day

The delusion around tap water is insane. People genuinely believe that because it comes from a faucet, it must be safe.

Here’s the reality you don’t want to hear:

Tap water is a government-approved cocktail of trash, including:

  • Chlorine and chloramines
  • Fluoride
  • Rust and heavy metals from 50+ year-old pipes
  • Lead flakes (delicious!)
  • Pesticides
  • PFAS (“forever chemicals” that stick in your body)
  • Pharmaceuticals from people’s flushed meds
  • Nitrates from farm runoff
  • Microplastics
  • Unknown contaminants from “events” they don’t bother reporting

You’re not drinking “safe” water.
You’re drinking filtered sewage, “treated” with sterilizers and pumped back into your home with a smiley-face label slapped on it.

And that’s during normal life.

When the system collapses?
That same tap will spit out:

  • brown sludge
  • chemical-laced runoff
  • bacteria soup
  • or nothing at all

But sure — keep trusting the tap.
It makes thinning out the population easier.


You Need Stored Water. Not “Later.” Not “Someday.” NOW.

Most people won’t store water until it’s too late.
Some excuse themselves with:

  • “I don’t have space.”
  • “The tap has always worked.”
  • “I’ll fill the bathtub if something happens.”
  • “I have bottled water in the pantry.”

Pathetic.

When the grid goes down, thousands of people will sprint to stores like panicked livestock. The shelves will be empty in under 45 minutes.
The herd will be screaming.
Fighting.
Stealing.
Begging.

You?
You will sit comfortably — if you’re smart enough to prepare now.


How Much Water You Need — The Real Numbers, Not the Government Fantasy

The laughable “1 gallon per person per day” guideline is designed for helpless citizens who will end up begging FEMA for sips of muddy water.

A real prepper needs:

  • 2–3 gallons per person per day minimum
  • At least 30 days stored
  • More if you have kids, pets, heat, or a pulse

Water for:

  • drinking
  • cooking
  • hygiene
  • medical washing
  • cleaning wounds
  • not dying

If that sounds like a lot, tough.
Reality doesn’t care about your storage closet.


Storage Options That Won’t Fail Like Everything Else in Society

1. Water Bricks

Stackable. Tough. Secure.
They make you feel like you’re building fortifications — because you are.

2. 55-Gallon Barrels

Buy quality.
Store them properly.
Never on concrete unless you enjoy chemical leaching.

3. IBC Totes (275–330 gallons)

These make you a god among preppers.
With one tote you survive.
With two you thrive.
With three you become untouchable.

4. Heavy-Duty Jugs

Not the flimsy garbage that cracks the first time the temperature shifts by two degrees.


Hidden Water Sources the Average Idiot Never Thinks About

When the crisis hits, your neighbors will be losing their minds.
You will be calmly extracting water from:

  • Water heaters (40–80 gallons)
  • Toilet tanks (TOP tank — if you need this explained, stop reading)
  • Rain barrels
  • Ice
  • Backyards pools (with purification)

The difference between you and them?
You prepared.
They panicked.
You survive.
They become an example.


Purification: Because Bad Water Doesn’t Just Make You Sick — It Kills Fast

After the collapse, waterborne diseases skyrocket.
The weak will drink contaminated water and vanish from the gene pool within days.

You won’t — because you’ll have:

1. Filters

Real ones. Not cheap toys.

  • Berkey
  • Katadyn
  • Sawyer Mini
  • LifeStraw (as backup)

Filters remove pathogens.
Some remove chemicals.
None remove stupidity.


2. Boiling

If you can’t boil water correctly, you deserve the consequences.
Rolling boil. One minute. Done.


3. Bleach

The original survival classic.

8 drops per gallon
½ teaspoon per 5 gallons
Wait 30 minutes
Filter afterwards if needed

And NO — scented bleach, splashless bleach, or any “fancy” bleach does NOT work.
Use plain chlorine bleach only.


4. Tablets

Perfect when fuel is scarce or fire is impossible.


5. Solar Disinfection

Slow.
Simple.
Better than dying from diarrhea.


Tap Water Must Be Filtered Even BEFORE Disaster Hits

People think they’ll “start filtering when things get bad.”

Here’s a hint: things are already bad.
Your tap water is already contaminated.
Your city pipes are ancient.
Your water plant is overworked, understaffed, and barely meeting minimum legal standards.

If you aren’t filtering every drop you drink, you’re playing Russian roulette with chemicals and microbes.

A tap filter is cheaper than:

  • hospital visits
  • kidney damage
  • long-term chemical exposure
  • cancer
  • neurological issues
  • infertility
  • chronic inflammation

But hey — keep rolling the dice.
The population is overcrowded anyway.


Rainwater Harvesting: Free Water for the Intelligent Few

If you have a roof and you’re not capturing rainwater, you’re wasting a survival resource that literally falls from the sky.

All you need:

  • Gutters
  • Downspouts
  • First-flush diverter
  • Barrels or tanks

It’s legal in most states.
And where it isn’t?
Well… ask yourself why your government doesn’t want you collecting your own water.


Rotate Stored Water or Watch It Become Useless

Stored water won’t magically stay fresh forever.

Rotate:

  • 6 months for untreated tap water
  • 12 months for treated, sealed water

Label the dates.
Track the containers.
Be smarter than the people who will be pounding on your door when they’re thirsty.


Final Rule: NEVER Mention Your Water Supply to Anyone

Water is life — which means it turns desperate people into monsters.

When the taps go dry:

  • Your friendly neighbor becomes a threat
  • Your coworker becomes a beggar
  • Your relative becomes desperate
  • Strangers become dangerous

Your water supply is classified information.
Speak of it to no one.
Not now.
Not later.
Not ever.

Eat These 10 Foods and Forget Living to 100 Years Old

The world is sick, the food supply is broken, and most people are eating themselves into an early grave while being told to “enjoy life.” That’s not enjoyment — that’s ignorance dressed up as convenience.

If you want to live to 100 years old, you don’t get there by accident. You get there by avoiding the garbage that modern society aggressively pushes as “normal food.” Longevity isn’t about magic superfoods or trendy supplements — it’s about not poisoning yourself every day.

The truth? Most people won’t make it anywhere near 100 because they keep eating things that quietly wreck their organs, blood vessels, hormones, and immune systems. And nobody in power seems to care — because sick people are profitable.

So here it is: 10 of the worst foods and drinks you can consume if long life is your goal. Eat them regularly, and you dramatically reduce your odds of ever seeing triple digits.


1. Ultra-Processed Junk Food

This is enemy number one.

Ultra-processed foods aren’t real food — they’re industrial products engineered for shelf life, addiction, and profit. Think packaged snacks, frozen meals, boxed “foods,” and anything with a paragraph-long ingredient list.

These products are loaded with:

  • Refined sugars
  • Industrial seed oils
  • Artificial flavors and preservatives
  • Chemical stabilizers

Your body doesn’t recognize this stuff as nourishment. It recognizes it as stress.

Long-term consumption is linked to inflammation, metabolic damage, cardiovascular disease, and accelerated aging. You can’t eat lab-created sludge every day and expect your body to survive a century.


2. Sugary Soft Drinks and Energy Drinks

Liquid sugar is one of the fastest ways to destroy long-term health.

Soft drinks and energy drinks spike blood sugar, strain the pancreas, damage blood vessels, and contribute to insulin resistance — all without providing a single useful nutrient.

They also:

  • Dehydrate you
  • Damage teeth
  • Disrupt appetite regulation

Drinking sugar is like mainlining metabolic chaos. People who consume these daily aren’t just shortening their lifespan — they’re degrading their quality of life decades before the end.


3. Highly Refined White Bread and Pastries

White bread, pastries, donuts, and baked desserts are longevity killers hiding in plain sight.

Refined flour has been stripped of fiber and nutrients, leaving behind a fast-digesting starch that spikes blood sugar and feeds inflammation. Add sugar and industrial fats, and you’ve got a perfect recipe for chronic disease.

These foods:

  • Promote fat storage
  • Disrupt gut health
  • Accelerate metabolic aging

No culture known for long life built its diet around pastries and white bread.


4. Industrial Seed Oils

This one makes people uncomfortable — good.

Industrial seed oils like soybean oil, corn oil, canola oil, and sunflower oil are everywhere. They’re cheap, unstable, and highly processed using heat and chemicals.

These oils are prone to oxidation, which contributes to:

  • Chronic inflammation
  • Cellular damage
  • Cardiovascular stress

They’re in restaurant food, packaged snacks, salad dressings, and fast food. If you’re eating out regularly, you’re swimming in them.

A body inflamed for decades doesn’t age gracefully — it breaks down early.


5. Processed Meats

Bacon, hot dogs, deli meats, sausages — they’re convenient, salty, and aggressively marketed.

They’re also loaded with preservatives, excess sodium, and compounds formed during processing that stress the body over time.

Regular consumption is associated with increased risk of:

  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Digestive issues
  • Metabolic dysfunction

This doesn’t mean never eating meat — it means avoiding factory-processed versions that prioritize shelf life over human health.


6. Excessive Alcohol

Let’s be honest: society treats alcohol like a personality trait.

Alcohol is not a health food. It’s a toxin that your liver has to neutralize before it can do anything else. Chronic consumption damages the liver, brain, heart, and immune system.

Long-term overuse:

  • Accelerates aging
  • Weakens cognition
  • Disrupts sleep and hormones

People who live to 100 typically don’t drink heavily — and when they do drink, it’s moderate, infrequent, and culturally grounded, not binge-based escapism.


7. Fast Food

Fast food is survival food for a system that doesn’t care if you survive long-term.

It’s high in calories, low in nutrients, and engineered for maximum palatability. Everything is fried, sugared, or drowned in industrial sauces.

Fast food diets contribute to:

  • Obesity
  • Heart disease
  • Early-onset chronic illness

If you rely on fast food, you’re trading years of life for minutes of convenience.


8. Artificially Sweetened “Diet” Products

Diet sodas, sugar-free snacks, and artificially sweetened foods are marketed as healthy alternatives. They’re not.

Artificial sweeteners can:

  • Disrupt gut bacteria
  • Confuse appetite signaling
  • Increase cravings for real sugar

You don’t trick biology. You only stress it.

Longevity isn’t built on chemical loopholes — it’s built on real food and restraint.


9. Excessively Salty Packaged Foods

Salt itself isn’t the villain — processed salt bombs are.

Packaged soups, chips, crackers, and instant meals often contain extreme sodium levels combined with preservatives and refined carbohydrates.

Over time, this contributes to:

  • Blood pressure issues
  • Kidney strain
  • Cardiovascular stress

Traditional long-lived cultures consumed salt in whole foods — not as a byproduct of industrial preservation.


10. Ultra-Sugary Breakfast Cereals

Colorful boxes, cartoon mascots, and “fortified” labels don’t change the truth.

Most breakfast cereals are desserts pretending to be health food. They spike blood sugar first thing in the morning and set the tone for energy crashes and cravings all day.

A daily sugar spike for decades is a terrible longevity strategy.


The Uncomfortable Truth About Living to 100

Reaching 100 isn’t about optimism. It’s about discipline, awareness, and refusing to participate in a broken system.

Most people won’t live that long — not because they’re unlucky, but because they consistently choose convenience over survival. The food environment is hostile, and pretending otherwise is denial.

Longevity requires:

  • Eating mostly whole, minimally processed foods
  • Drinking water instead of sugar
  • Treating food as fuel, not entertainment
  • Accepting that comfort today costs years tomorrow

The world won’t change for you. Corporations won’t save you. Nobody is coming to fix the food supply.

If you want to live to 100, you have to eat like someone who actually wants to survive that long.

American Women Are Being Targeted and Murdered on Subways

The subways and trains that once symbolized the pulse of major cities have devolved into breeding grounds for unpredictability. You can stand in a crowded car and still feel completely alone — and worse, completely unprotected. Women, especially, are being targeted more often, more brazenly, and in ways that make you question whether humanity’s collective moral compass snapped in half somewhere along the line.

I’m not interested in offering false hope or pretending that the world is still the safe, civilized place that people like to imagine. It isn’t. The headlines are everywhere — women assaulted while commuting to work, stalked between train cars, attacked on platforms, shoved onto tracks, harassed in empty cars, or cornered by violent offenders who know exactly how slow response times can be underground. The predators know the environment favors them. They thrive in the chaos.

If you’re a woman riding the subway today, you’re not paranoid. You’re paying attention. And in times like these, paying attention is the only thing keeping you alive.

Below is not a “feel good” guide. This is not a cheerful pamphlet you’d get at a transit kiosk. This is a reality check — written from the mindset of someone who assumes the worst because the worst keeps happening. If you ride subways or trains, you deserve to know what you’re up against and how to stack the odds in your favor.

Because the system isn’t going to protect you. Society certainly isn’t. You have to do it yourself.


The Ugly Truth About Modern Transit Violence

Let’s get something straight: attacks on women in public transit aren’t “random anomalies.” The system is full of cracks, and predators slip through them like water through rusted pipes. Look around any subway system and you’ll see:

  • Platforms with minimal visibility
  • Cars with no staff presence
  • Delayed police response times
  • Broken cameras or cameras that “aren’t monitored live”
  • Overcrowded tunnels paired with understaffed stations
  • Social decline, untreated mental illness, and growing desperation
  • Strangers who behave erratically but face no intervention
  • Bystanders glued to their phones, oblivious or frozen

This perfect storm creates an environment where violent individuals can target women with startling ease. And it’s getting worse, not better. Cities keep promising safety. Transit authorities keep posting cheery posters with “See Something, Say Something,” as if words on paper can physically stop a deranged attacker from lunging at you.

Down in those tunnels, you’re on your own. Let’s stop pretending otherwise.


Mindset: The Most Important Tool You Have

Forget the fantasy that “being nice” or “not making a scene” keeps you safe. Predators count on that kind of thinking. What women need today is situational awareness, controlled suspicion, and a survival mindset.

This doesn’t mean walking around terrified. It means walking around prepared.

Adopt These Mental Rules Immediately:

  1. Assume anyone can be a threat until proven otherwise.
    It’s not pessimism. It’s self-preservation.
  2. Never ignore your instincts.
    If someone makes you uncomfortable, listen to that discomfort as if it’s a warning siren.
  3. Don’t be polite at the expense of your own safety.
    Move seats. Move cars. Stand up. Speak up. Leave.
  4. Know where the exits and emergency intercoms are — always.
    Do not board a train without identifying your escape route.
  5. Keep your senses open.
    Headphones may as well be blindfolds underground. You can’t detect danger if you can’t hear it.

Before You Even Step on the Train

Your safety starts before your foot touches the platform.

1. Stay in well-lit, populated areas

Avoid standing at the far ends of the platform. Predators prefer isolation, and so should you — if you want to avoid them.

2. Let someone know your travel route

Not because you’re weak — because you’re practical. Create a breadcrumb trail in case something goes wrong.

3. Have your essentials ready

  • Keys accessible
  • Phone charged
  • Emergency numbers pre-set
  • Personal safety tool ready but discreet

Do not dig through your bag when seconds matter.

4. Scan everyone around you

Not in fear — in analysis. Who’s agitated? Who’s pacing? Who’s staring? Who’s intoxicated? Your brain is more powerful than you think at identifying danger if you let it.


Choosing the Safest Car (Yes, There Is Such a Thing)

You can’t guarantee safety, but you can make smarter tactical choices.

Best options:

  • Cars with more people, not fewer
  • Cars that are near the conductor
  • Cars with working cameras
  • Cars where you have a clear view of the exit doors

Worst options:

  • Nearly empty cars
  • Cars with a hostile or unbalanced individual already inside
  • Train ends or between-car areas
  • Cars where the only available seat is boxed into a corner with no escape route

If a car “feels wrong,” trust that thought. Move. You owe no one an explanation.


What to Do Once You’re Inside the Car

Once inside, your goal is simple: reduce exposure, increase awareness, and maintain control over your space.

1. Sit near the exit doors

This gives you mobility. If trouble sparks, you can get out before being trapped.

2. Keep your back toward a wall or pole

You want to minimize blind spots. Sitting with your back exposed in a crowded car is practically an invitation for trouble.

3. Keep your phone visible but your attention outward

Pretending to be distracted is never worth the risk.

4. Keep a safety tool ready

Something legal, discreet, and practical — but only used if your life is truly in danger. The goal is escape, not confrontation.

5. Watch for behavioral red flags

  • Someone moving too close
  • Unwanted staring
  • Aggressive mumbling
  • Someone shadowing your movements
  • Someone blocking your exit path

These are not “maybe it’s nothing” situations. These are “keep every alarm bell ringing” moments.


If You Sense You’re Being Targeted

This is the part no one wants to think about, but ignoring it won’t make it go away.

1. Move immediately

Switch seats. Switch cars. Step off the train.
Action beats hesitation.

2. Make yourself less isolated

Stand near others, even if they’re strangers. Predators want privacy. Don’t give it to them.

3. Use your voice if needed

A loud, commanding “BACK UP” or “STOP” can disrupt an attacker’s plan and draw witnesses.

4. Hit the emergency intercom

That’s what it’s there for. Use it. Don’t wait for “proof.”

5. Exit the moment the doors open

If something feels off, leave. Even if it’s not your stop. Survival beats convenience every time.


If a Situation Escalates

Let’s hope it never reaches this point, but if it does, prioritize escape over fighting. Fighting is a last resort — not because you’re incapable, but because the environment is unpredictable and confined.

If physically attacked, your goal is:

  • Create distance
  • Break the attacker’s grasp
  • Move toward the nearest exit
  • Get off the train or into the next car

Call for help loudly and directly. “YOU — IN THE BLUE JACKET — CALL 911!” works better than vague shouting.


After You Get to Safety

If you experience or witness an attack:

  • Report it as soon as possible
  • Mention every detail you remember
  • Get medical attention if needed
  • Contact someone you trust

Even if law enforcement is slow, reporting helps build a pattern and can protect future victims.


Final Thoughts From a Cynical Realist

We can’t pretend anymore. Public transit has become a battlefield disguised as a commute. Women are being targeted because predators know they can get away with it. So don’t wait for society to wake up or for the system to fix itself — it won’t. Your safety is your responsibility, and your awareness is your strongest weapon.

The world may be spiraling, but you don’t have to spiral with it. Prepare. Stay alert. Trust your instincts. And remember: hope is not a strategy.

Survival is.

California is Killing You: The Top 10 Non-Health Hazards You’re Ignoring

Wake up, California. You might think your biggest threats are the latest flu strain or a heart attack, but that’s only half the story. The truth is far grimmer. Life in the Golden State isn’t just expensive; it’s a constant hazard zone. If you’re walking around thinking the state’s only threat is invisible bacteria or the occasional bad fast food, think again. This article isn’t here to sugarcoat reality—this is your wake-up call.

I’ve lived through enough disasters, near-misses, and face-to-face encounters with the chaos of California life to know one thing: your survival isn’t guaranteed. The state is a beautiful trap filled with lethal risks, many of which have nothing to do with health. Here are the top 10 non-health-related reasons why people in California die, and why ignoring them is basically a death sentence.


1. Car Accidents – The Rolling Killers

You don’t need a virus to die in California; you need only step into your car—or the car of someone else. With congested highways, aggressive drivers, and one-too-many distracted texters behind the wheel, car accidents are rampant. Los Angeles, San Francisco, and even smaller towns see thousands of fatal crashes every year. High-speed collisions, drunk drivers, and motorcycles weaving through traffic are just waiting for you to make one wrong move. And let’s be honest: traffic laws exist more as suggestions than as enforceable rules.

If you think you can “just be careful,” think again. The odds are not in your favor. California drivers are famously impatient, and the infrastructure is stressed to the max. One moment you’re minding your own business, the next—boom.


2. Wildfires – Nature’s Inferno

California’s wildfires are legendary, but most people still underestimate them. These aren’t small backyard blazes—they’re monstrous infernos that can consume entire neighborhoods in hours. Houses, cars, pets, and yes, people, vanish in the flames.

Evacuation is chaotic, emergency services are stretched thin, and wind patterns can change in an instant. You could literally be trapped in your own home as fire storms sweep down hillsides. If you think your insurance or city alerts will save you, you’re already thinking like a sheep waiting for slaughter.


3. Earthquakes – The Ground Betrays You

California sits on a network of faults that are just waiting for the next big quake. And let me tell you, “big” isn’t an exaggeration. Buildings crumble, roads crack open, and bridges collapse without warning. Earthquakes don’t discriminate—wealthy neighborhoods and sleepy towns alike can be reduced to rubble in seconds.

Don’t fool yourself into thinking your modern apartment is safe. Structural engineering only delays death; it doesn’t prevent it when the earth decides it’s time.


4. Extreme Heat & Environmental Exposure

You might scoff at the idea that weather can kill you in a state known for its beaches and sunshine, but California’s heat waves are no joke. Temperatures can soar past 110°F in the Central Valley and inland deserts. Heatstroke, dehydration, and exposure kill people every year—often those foolish enough to think they can beat the sun by ignoring it.

And let’s not forget that climate change is making these extremes more frequent and intense. This isn’t just discomfort; it’s deadly.


5. Crime – Humans as Predators

People often overlook the fact that humans are often the deadliest threat. California has areas plagued by violent crime, from urban centers to seemingly quiet suburbs. Shootings, muggings, and home invasions are a daily hazard for the unprepared.

Gang violence isn’t confined to the movies—it’s a very real danger in some neighborhoods. And even if you live somewhere “safe,” opportunistic crimes happen everywhere. Trust no one too easily.


6. Traffic & Pedestrian Accidents

It’s not just car-on-car collisions. Pedestrians, cyclists, and scooters face a deadly gauntlet. Drivers are distracted, reckless, or downright hostile. Every crosswalk could be your last if you don’t maintain a paranoid level of vigilance.

Sidewalks and bike lanes aren’t sanctuaries—they’re just another layer of danger in a state obsessed with speed and convenience over safety.


7. Industrial & Workplace Hazards

From oil refineries in Southern California to tech warehouses in the Bay Area, workplace accidents kill hundreds every year. Machinery malfunctions, chemical exposures, and human error combine to create a daily lottery where survival is not guaranteed.

And don’t expect a lawsuit to save you. By the time lawyers get involved, it’s too late. The system is slow, inefficient, and indifferent to human life.


8. Homelessness and Exposure to Violence

California has a massive homeless population, many of whom live in conditions that guarantee premature death. Violence, exposure, and malnutrition aren’t just statistics—they are daily realities for thousands.

Even for those not homeless, the ripple effects can touch you. Encampments and urban decay lead to crime spikes and unsafe public spaces, turning what should be routine errands into potential hazards.


9. Fires (Other than Wildfires) – Urban Arson & Accidents

People think of fire as only a forest problem, but urban fires are just as deadly. Faulty wiring, careless smoking, and arson claim lives every year. In densely populated areas, a small spark can become a deadly inferno before firefighters even arrive.

And don’t fool yourself into thinking “it won’t happen to me.” Disasters rarely pick their victims—they just find someone vulnerable.


10. Infrastructure Failures – When the State Betrays You

Bridges collapse, levees break, and dams fail. California has a long list of infrastructure weak points. Aging structures, deferred maintenance, and overpopulation create the perfect storm for unexpected death.

A simple drive across a structurally compromised bridge, or living downstream from a poorly maintained dam, could be enough to kill you. And the government’s safety nets? Half the time they’re just bureaucratic mirages.


Final Thoughts – Wake Up Before It’s Too Late

If you’re still reading this, hopefully you’re feeling the chill of reality. California isn’t just a sunny paradise; it’s a deadly game of survival. And while health risks get headlines, these ten non-health hazards are just as lethal—often more so because people refuse to prepare for them.

Survival in California demands awareness, preparation, and a ruthless understanding of your environment. Traffic, fires, earthquakes, crime, heat—these aren’t abstract possibilities. They’re imminent threats that could strike today, tomorrow, or next week.

If you want to stay alive, stop pretending the world is safe. Stock supplies, learn situational awareness, and never underestimate the lethal combination of human error and environmental chaos. Your survival isn’t guaranteed—but with preparation, it’s possible.

Ignore this warning, and California will show you the meaning of the phrase “golden state” in the harshest way possible.

If You Aren’t Prepared for the End-Times, You’re Already in Trouble

Let me be brutally honest—because sugarcoating is a luxury humanity can no longer afford. If you haven’t noticed the world unraveling, you’re living in the same delusion as the rest of the masses scrolling mindlessly through their phones. Everything around us is deteriorating: the power grid, the economy, the food supply, the moral compass, the government’s sanity—pick your poison.

People whisper about “hard times,” “instability,” and “dark days.” But let’s call it what it is: an end-times scenario brewing in real time, whether you interpret that spiritually, politically, or simply logically.

And the worst part? Nobody is prepared. Not the government. Not your neighbors. Not your coworkers who think a flashlight app on their smartphone counts as “readiness.”

Meanwhile, you’re here because you know better. You’re not waiting for a FEMA line, a miracle, or a politician to swoop in and save you. You understand the cold truth: if you don’t prepare for an end-times level event, nobody will do it for you.

This article lays out the critical preparedness items you need—not someday, not “when things get worse,” but right now. Because things are already worse.


Why End-Times Preparedness Requires a Different Mindset

Most prepping guides focus on short-term weather emergencies—storms, floods, maybe a blackout. That’s child’s play. End-times prepping requires an entirely different framework. Forget three days of food and a flashlight; we’re talking long-term survival in a world that no longer functions.

In an end-times event:

  • The grid won’t come back online.
  • Supply chains will collapse permanently.
  • Law enforcement will vanish or turn predatory.
  • Medical care will become a relic of the past.
  • Food and water become currency, power, and leverage.
  • People you thought were “nice” will turn violent in days.

If that sounds dramatic, then you’re exactly the kind of person who needs to read this twice.


1. Water Filtration and Purification Supplies

Everyone stockpiles food but forgets the most crucial resource: water. Without it, you’re dead in three days—and the tap won’t be running in the end-times. You need:

High-Quality Water Filters

Not the cheap ones. Not something meant for camping trips. You need robust, gravity-fed filters capable of handling contaminated, murky, bacteria-laden water.

Purification Tablets

Lightweight, long-lasting, and vital when filtration isn’t enough.

Rainwater Harvesting Setup

Because rivers will be contested zones, and the desperate will flock to them.

Water is life. But in the end-times, water is war.


2. Long-Term Food Storage: The Only Real Insurance Policy

Let the unprepared mock you while they fill their carts with frozen pizza and microwave dinners. In a collapse, they’ll have nothing.

You? You need:

  • Freeze-dried meals
  • Mylar-bagged grains and beans
  • Canned goods
  • Shelf-stable fats
  • Seeds for long-term sustainability

And don’t forget manual tools for food prep: grain mills, can openers, grinders. Electricity won’t save you.


3. Medical Supplies They Don’t Want You to Have

In the end-times, pharmacies become death zones—looted within hours. Hospitals become morgues. Doctors disappear. So stock up NOW:

First Aid Kits (Real Ones, Not the Cute Kind)

Tourniquets, trauma pads, hemostatic agents, sutures, splints.

Antibiotics (Legal Options Like Fish Antibiotics)

When wounds get infected—and they will—there won’t be a doctor to help you.

Pain Management Supplies

Imagine surviving starvation and violence only to die of a tooth infection. That’s the world we’re heading into.


4. Self-Defense Tools—Because Nobody Is Coming to Save You

In the end-times, violence becomes currency. The weak get stripped of everything. The prepared—or the armed—survive.

Whether you prefer firearms, crossbows, blades, or blunt tools, the point is simple: if you can’t defend your supplies, you don’t have supplies.

And don’t forget:

  • Extra ammunition
  • Weapon cleaning kits
  • Tactical training materials
  • Spare parts

The unprepared love to rely on police. But when society collapses, the police won’t be responding… they’ll be surviving, just like you.


5. Off-Grid Power Sources (Because the Grid Is Already Crumbling)

The word “grid-down” is starting to sound quaint. We’re past that. In an end-times event:

  • The grid stays down.
  • Communication dies.
  • Heat disappears.
  • Darkness wins.

So invest NOW in:

  • Solar panels
  • Manual chargers
  • Hand-crank radios
  • Portable battery banks
  • Off-grid lighting

Electricity becomes luxury. Power becomes power.


6. Clothing and Gear Built for Harsh Reality

You can’t survive the end-times in jeans from the clearance rack or shoes meant for an air-conditioned mall.

You need:

  • Waterproof boots
  • Insulated clothing
  • Wool layers
  • Durable gloves
  • Tactical headlamps
  • Multi-tools
  • Thermal blankets

And make sure it’s all rugged—because you’re not replacing anything once society collapses.


7. Communication Tools: The Last Link to Intelligence

You might not think communication matters, but it’s everything. The unprepared will sit in the dark with zero information. You? You’ll know what’s moving, where, and who’s coming.

Get:

  • HAM radios
  • Walkie-talkies
  • EMP-protected storage
  • Signal mirrors
  • Whistles

Remember: knowledge becomes currency. Silence becomes a coffin.


8. Shelter and Fire Resources

In the end-times, weather kills faster than starvation. You need to be able to stay warm, dry, and sheltered—without stores, electricity, or the comforts you’ve been conditioned to rely on.

Stock:

  • Tarps
  • Cordage
  • Tents
  • Emergency stoves
  • Fuel tablets
  • Fire starters
  • Woodcutting tools

If you can’t make fire, you can’t cook, you can’t boil water, and you can’t survive.


9. Tools for Building, Repair, and Actual Work

The modern world made people soft. Most can’t fix a broken hinge, let alone build something meaningful. But in the end-times, tools become lifelines.

Essential items include:

  • Axes
  • Hatchets
  • Saws
  • Hammers
  • Hand drills
  • Shovels
  • Wrenches
  • Pliers

Anything with no reliance on electricity is worth its weight in gold.


10. Items for Bartering—Because Money Will Be Useless

When the dollar collapses and digital money evaporates, bartering becomes the new economy. Stock items people will desperately want:

  • Salt
  • Soap
  • Alcohol
  • Coffee
  • Cigarettes
  • Ammunition
  • Medical bandages
  • Water filters
  • Lighters
  • Fuel

While the unprepared panic, you’ll be able to trade wisely—and survive.


Final Thoughts: Prepare Now, Because Time Is Already Gone

If you think you have time… you don’t. Every day the world inches closer to something irreversible. Economic instability, global tensions, moral decay, unpredictable disasters—all signs pointing to a collapse nobody wants to admit is coming.

But YOU see it.
YOU feel it.
And YOU can prepare for it.

Most people will remain blind until it’s too late. They will cling to normalcy, trusting systems that have already proven they cannot protect them. And when the end-times hit, they will suffer the consequences of their denial.

But you won’t.
Because you’re preparing right now—angry, frustrated, and awake to reality.

Stock up. Train hard. Stay aware. Because the end-times won’t wait for you to be ready.

Why You Must Organize and Rotate Your Food Supplies Before It’s Too Late

Most people think that prepping begins and ends with stockpiling cans, rice, and ramen until the garage looks like a doomsday supermarket. They brag about stacking food ten cases high, take pictures for social media, and call themselves “ready.” Meanwhile, those of us who actually understand survival know the truth: a disorganized food supply is nothing more than slow, predictable failure. And if your food storage is a chaotic mess, congratulations—you’ve built yourself a museum of future waste.

Let’s be brutally honest: organizing and rotating your food supplies isn’t optional. It’s not a “nice-to-have.” It’s not something you get around to “when you have time.” If you’re serious about survival—and not just playing pretend—then food rotation is the backbone of long-term readiness. And the sad part? Most people will never bother. They’ll wait until they’re hungry, scrambling, desperate… and then they’ll discover half their stash is expired, stale, or infested.

But hey, society is collapsing anyway. Why should we expect people to act responsibly with their food stores when they can’t even maintain basic common sense?


Food Storage Isn’t a Set-It-and-Forget-It System

You’d think this would be obvious, but apparently it’s not.

Food goes bad. Cans rust. Boxes get moisture damage. Rodents chew through bags faster than you can say “I should’ve rotated that.” And expiration dates? They’re not just decorative suggestions. Even shelf-stable foods can degrade, lose nutrients, and eventually become completely useless.

A lot of preppers proudly stack food in the back of a closet and forget about it for five years. Then when a disaster hits, they’ll open a can and wonder why it smells like metallic swamp water. Because they never rotated anything. Because they never checked. Because they thought stockpiling was the same as preparing.

Good luck surviving on expired mush and rancid pasta.


Organization Helps You Know What You Actually Have

This might sound radical to some people, but knowing what you own is kind of important.

When your food is scattered, untracked, or tossed in random bins, one of two things will happen:

  1. You’ll run out of something critical without realizing it, because you assumed you had more than you actually did.
  2. You’ll buy way too much of the wrong thing, because you forgot that you already had twenty pounds of it sitting behind a pile of old holiday decorations.

If you don’t organize your supplies, something as simple as making a meal plan during an emergency becomes a guessing game. You can’t calculate how long your food will last. You can’t budget your calories. You can’t plan your resupply strategy. You’re just blindly hoping that your pile of cans magically supports your needs.

Hope is not a strategy. And in a crisis, it’s worthless.


Rotation Ensures Nothing Goes to Waste

You worked hard for your supplies. You spent money, time, and probably a little sanity. So why let any of it go to waste?

Rotating your food prevents:

  • Expired cans
  • Stale grains
  • Nutrient loss over time
  • Pest damage
  • Redundant buying
  • Sudden shortages
  • Dangerous surprises during emergencies

This is the part that really infuriates me: people complain about inflation, shortages, and food prices—yet they let their storage rot because they’re too disorganized to manage it. That’s not prepping. That’s sabotaging your own survival.

FIFO—First In, First Out—isn’t just a cute acronym. It’s a rule. Your oldest items should be the first ones you use. Period.


A Good System Saves You During Real Emergencies

You know what happens during real survival situations? Stress. Panic. Confusion. People forget things. People make mistakes. People lose track of what they’ve consumed and what they have left. And the stakes become life-or-death.

A properly organized, rotated food supply eliminates that chaos.

When disaster hits, you should already know:

  • Exactly how many days of food you have
  • Which items need to be used first
  • What meals you can make from your inventory
  • How long each category will last
  • Where every item is located
  • What you need to replenish after the crisis ends

That level of clarity doesn’t magically appear. It’s earned through discipline—something most people lack even in peaceful times, let alone in disaster.


The World Won’t Bail You Out

I’m not sure why people still haven’t learned this, but the government isn’t coming to save you. Grocery stores won’t stay stocked. Supply chains can snap like cheap twine. If you think your neighbors are going to help you, you really haven’t paid attention to how selfish society has become.

If a crisis hits and your food storage is a neglected mess, you lose. Simple as that.

Your future meals will be determined not by luck, but by the choices you made (or ignored) months or years earlier.


Organize Now or Pay Later

You don’t rotate food later.
You don’t organize food once chaos starts.
You don’t suddenly become responsible in a crisis.

You do all of that now, when you still have the luxury of time and stability.

Because when things fall apart—and they will—the only food you can count on is the food you’ve organized, tracked, protected, and maintained.

Everything else? It’s already lost.

THE CRUEL REALITY OF LONG-TERM FOOD STORAGE: Your Family Will Pay the Price for Your Laziness

Let’s rip the bandage off immediately:
If you don’t have long-term food storage, your family isn’t just “at risk” — they’re already doomed.

When the shelves go empty and the trucks stop rolling, you won’t be the one who suffers first. It’ll be the people you love — the ones counting on you to be prepared instead of distracted, careless, or complacent.

You think the world is stable?
You think “it won’t happen here”?
Then you’re living in the same fantasy land as the rest of the pacified, screen-addicted herd.

The hard truth is this:

Civilization is hanging on by a thread, and that thread is fraying.
When it breaks, families won’t just go hungry — they will face choices no human being should ever face.

Starvation doesn’t care about your feelings.
Reality doesn’t soften itself for your comfort.
And collapse won’t politely ask whether you’re ready.


WHEN THE FOOD STOPS, SO DOES HUMANITY

Starvation changes people.
It strips away morals, empathy, compassion, and sanity the way fire strips paint.

And you better believe it happens fast.

After the first week without food, people become desperate.
After the second, they become unrecognizable.
After the third, they become dangerous — even to the people they love.

Families fracture.
Communities turn hostile.
The neighbor you waved at for ten years will bash your door in for a bag of rice.

And the worst part?
Most households don’t even have enough food to last 72 hours.

Three days.
That’s all it takes for society to slip into madness.

If you have nothing stored, if your pantry is a joke, if your “preps” consist of a few expired cans and denial, then you’re not planning to survive.

You’re planning a front-row seat to the most savage side of humanity.


**THE HARSH TRUTH:

Your Family Will Look to YOU — and You’ll Have Nothing to Give**

Imagine being the person your spouse, your parents, your children, your siblings turn to as hunger sets in.
Imagine the hollow eyes, the trembling hands, the fear that builds when every cupboard is empty.

And imagine having no plan, no supplies, no backup — nothing to offer except excuses.

You’ll watch the people who depend on you grow weaker, angrier, and more desperate by the day.

Pretend all you want.
Rationalize all you want.
Call it “fearmongering” or “overreacting.”

But when collapse comes — whether it’s a grid failure, an economic breakdown, a cyberattack, a drought, a strike, or something far worse — the unprepared will descend into panic long before the prepared even break a sweat.


WHY LONG-TERM FOOD STORAGE ISN’T OPTIONAL — IT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SANITY AND SAVAGERY

Let’s stop pretending this is optional.

You need:

  • Bulk staples (rice, beans, oats, pasta)
  • Freeze-dried foods (25–30 years shelf life)
  • Shelf-stable proteins
  • High-calorie fats
  • Complete meal kits
  • Cooking fuels
  • Water storage & purification
  • Backup systems for when everything fails

You need months, ideally years, of food security — not because it’s “cool,” not because it makes you a prepper, but because society is a rickety circus tent held up by corrupt clowns and broken poles.

The second the music stops, the whole thing collapses.

And the people without food?
They won’t think.
They won’t negotiate.
They won’t stay rational.

Hungry humans become predators — and unprepared families become victims.


IF YOU THINK THIS IS OVERKILL, YOU’RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION

Look around.

Crop failures.
Supply chain chaos.
Inflation.
Climbing food prices.
Global conflict.
Utility failures.
Governments that can’t even keep their own operations functioning.
Society ripping itself apart from the inside.

And every time chaos hits, the shelves empty instantly.

Now imagine an event that doesn’t get fixed.
Imagine a system that doesn’t restart.
Imagine emergency services that don’t show up.
Imagine a grocery industry that doesn’t recover.

What then?

The answer is simple:
Those who prepared will live.
Those who didn’t will face horrors that never had to happen.


THE FUTURE BELONGs TO THE PREPARED — OR NOT AT ALL

This isn’t “oh cool, prepping is a hobby.”
This is life and death.
This is civilization versus collapse.
This is security versus desperation.
This is preparation versus regret.

Every pound of rice you store is a shield.
Every can of meat is a safety net.
Every bucket of staples is another day your family doesn’t have to suffer.
Every freeze-dried meal is one more piece of sanity in a world gone feral.

You don’t prep because you’re afraid.
You prep because reality is unforgiving — and you refuse to let your family face that reality unprotected.

Those who fail to prepare will face desperation.
Those who prepare will face inconvenience.

Which future are you choosing?

Because when everything collapses, the window to choose closes forever.

How To Stay Safe and Survive During a Riot in Maine

Let me start by telling you this—when society cracks, it doesn’t do it politely. Riots are fast, chaotic, and unforgiving. I’ve trained for all kinds of emergencies, from economic collapse to grid-down scenarios. But civil unrest? That’s a whole different beast. You don’t need to be paranoid to be prepared. When things spiral out of control—like what we’ve seen across the country and even small towns in Maine—being ready isn’t optional. It’s survival.

Riots can spring up anywhere, even in places where you think, “Not here. Not us.” But unrest doesn’t ask for permission, and it won’t send a warning. You have to be ready. Below, I’ll walk you through self-defense tactics, real-world prep tips, and how to build survival weapons from scratch. This isn’t theory. It’s what works.


8 Self-Defense Skills Every Prepper Needs During a Riot

1. Situational Awareness
Before you even need a weapon, your first line of defense is your awareness. Know your exits, observe crowd energy, and scan for erratic behavior. Stay off your phone. Keep your head on a swivel and trust your instincts. If something feels off, it probably is.

2. De-escalation Techniques
Avoiding a fight is smarter than winning one. Speak calmly, don’t posture aggressively, and use body language to show non-threat. Your goal is to vanish into the background, not be a hero.

3. Basic Striking
Learn palm strikes, knee strikes, and elbow blows. These are high-impact, low-effort moves that work when you’re in tight spaces. You’re not in a movie—keep it simple and effective.

4. Escape From Grabs
If someone grabs you, you need to know how to break free fast. Practice wrist release techniques and elbow leverage moves. Every second counts when you’re restrained.

5. Improvised Weapon Use
Know how to turn what’s around you into a tool. A belt with a metal buckle becomes a flail. A flashlight can be a bludgeon. A pen? A lethal force multiplier.

6. Crowd Movement Navigation
Learn how to move with a panicked crowd without being trampled. Stay near walls, keep your arms up for space, and go with the flow until you can break out sideways. Don’t go against the current—it’ll swallow you.

7. Tactical Retreat
There’s no shame in running. A retreat is a strategic repositioning to preserve your life. Practice quick exits and safe fallback points around your home or work area. Know your alleyways, fences, and escape paths.

8. Ground Defense
If you fall, you’re vulnerable. Learn how to break your fall and defend from the ground. Practice kicking from your back and using your legs to create space until you can stand or escape.


3 DIY Survival Weapon Builds for Emergency Defense

1. PVC Pipe Baton

  • Materials: 1.5” PVC pipe (18-24”), duct tape, metal nuts or bolts, sand or concrete mix.
  • Build: Fill the pipe with sand or bolts, cap the ends, and wrap the handle with duct tape for grip. You’ve got a durable, hard-hitting baton that’s light and concealable.
  • Use: Strikes to joints or collarbones. Aim for disabling, not showmanship.

2. Survival Spear from a Broomstick

  • Materials: Old broom handle, steel knife blade, paracord.
  • Build: Lash a fixed-blade knife securely to the broomstick using paracord in an X-wrap pattern. Reinforce with duct tape if needed.
  • Use: Defense against multiple threats at distance or as a deterrent while retreating.

3. Weighted Slingshot with Marbles or Bearings

  • Materials: Y-shaped tree branch, surgical tubing, leather patch, marbles or steel ball bearings.
  • Build: Attach surgical tubing to the branch, with the leather patch in the middle. Practice tension for consistency.
  • Use: Quiet, reusable, and surprisingly powerful. Aim for head or knee-level targets.

Survival Mindset During Civil Unrest

A riot is chaos incarnate. Looters don’t care who you are. Some folks get swept up in group hysteria and act in ways they never would on their own. Your focus must be: avoid, defend, escape.

Don’t participate. Don’t record. Don’t engage. You are not law enforcement. You are not a hero. You are a survivor. That’s your job, and it’s a full-time commitment once SHTF (S*** Hits The Fan).

Bug-Out vs. Bug-In:
If you’re caught near a riot, your first choice is always to bug out. But sometimes roads are blocked, or you’re safer inside. If you have to bug in, reinforce your doors, shut off lights, and make your home look uninviting. No lights, no sound, no visibility from the street. Stack furniture or sandbags behind doors. Keep quiet and keep watch.

Escape Routes:
Always have two: one primary, one backup. Know which streets get congested and which backroads lead to open areas. Keep your gas tank half full at all times. Map out safe houses—friends or family at least 10 miles out.

Personal Loadout (Minimum Riot Kit):

  • Compact multi-tool or utility knife
  • Tactical flashlight (with strobe mode)
  • N95 mask (for smoke/gas protection)
  • Leather gloves
  • Safety glasses
  • Light body armor or padded jacket
  • Emergency radio
  • Concealed pepper spray or stun device (where legal)

Preparedness Checklist: Know It Cold

  • Food & Water: 3 days’ worth, per person.
  • Communication: Battery radio, burner phone, walkie-talkies.
  • Medical Supplies: Trauma kit with gauze, tourniquet, pain meds.
  • Documents: Keep IDs, emergency cash, and important papers in a waterproof bag.
  • Community Contacts: Know who you can trust locally. Lone wolves don’t last long when chaos drags on.

Closing Thoughts from a Veteran Prepper

Riots are not just “big city” problems. Maine, with its quiet towns and tightly knit communities, is no exception. The second you think “It can’t happen here” is the moment you become most vulnerable.

Preparation isn’t paranoia. It’s the mindset of those who live to tell the tale. Be calm, be smart, and be two steps ahead. When the fire rises and the streets fill with fear, you won’t have time to “figure it out.” You’ll either be ready or you won’t.

Train now. Build now. Plan now.

When society breaks, there’s no reset button. Only those who kept their edge survive!

How To Stay Safe and Survive During a Riot in Maryland

How To Stay Safe and Survive During a Riot in Maryland
By a Skilled Survival Prepper

Let’s get one thing straight: when civil unrest erupts, you don’t have time to Google what to do next. Riots can unfold fast, especially in high-density areas like Baltimore, Annapolis, or even the D.C. suburbs. If you’re in Maryland, a region already known for political protests and occasional flare-ups, you need to be ready now—not after the first bottle hits the pavement.

I’ve been a survival prepper for over two decades. I’ve trained in everything from urban self-defense to wilderness survival. This guide isn’t about fear. It’s about readiness. Below, I’ll give you practical, field-tested advice on how to stay alive, protect your loved ones, and navigate the chaos with a cool head and a strong spine.


1. Know When to Bug Out and When to Hunker Down

One of the most important decisions during a riot is choosing whether to stay put or leave. If you’re in an apartment near a protest route or your area has been flagged for unrest, consider leaving early. You don’t want to be making escape decisions with mobs in the street and roads blocked. If escape isn’t possible, fortify your home: lock all doors and windows, draw blinds, and turn off lights to avoid drawing attention.

Prep Tip: Keep your vehicle gassed up and parked facing outward for a quick getaway. Have a bug-out bag in the trunk with a flashlight, water, trauma kit, cash, maps, and power bank.


2. Situational Awareness is Your First Line of Defense

Most people walk around like zombies—head in their phones, ears plugged in. In a riot, that can be fatal. Your head needs to be on a swivel. Learn to read body language, watch the crowd’s mood, and listen for escalating tension.

Practice the “OODA loop” (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act). It’s what fighter pilots use, and it works just as well in chaos on the ground. Every decision should cycle through this loop.


3. Self-Defense Skill 1: Verbal De-escalation

Sometimes you can talk your way out of danger before fists fly. Stay calm, use open palms, and never escalate a confrontation unless you have no choice. Be firm but non-threatening. Control your voice tone and never argue emotionally.


4. Self-Defense Skill 2: Breakaway Techniques

If someone grabs your wrist, neck, or clothing, you need to break contact fast. Learn simple joint manipulations and leverage-based techniques that use minimal strength. Krav Maga offers excellent training for real-life breakaway maneuvers.


5. Self-Defense Skill 3: Targeted Strikes

In close quarters, forget choreographed kicks. Use your elbows, knees, and fists for targeted strikes—eyes, throat, groin. Your goal is to disable and escape. A strike to the throat or a kick to the knee joint can create the space you need.


6. Self-Defense Skill 4: Improvised Weapons Training

You may not have a firearm or blade on you, but anything can be a weapon—keys, a belt, flashlight, even a pen. Practice using common items to block or strike. A tactical pen is one of the best EDC (Everyday Carry) tools for this reason.


7. Self-Defense Skill 5: Situational Escape Tactics

Always plan multiple exit routes from your home, work, or any building you’re in. Know how to get to rooftops, alleys, basements, and side streets. Practice moving quietly and avoiding well-lit or loud areas that draw attention.


8. Self-Defense Skill 6: Shielding and Cover

Not all cover is good cover. A wooden door won’t stop a bullet; a concrete wall might. Know the difference between “cover” (stops threats) and “concealment” (hides you but doesn’t stop projectiles). Use trash bins, vehicles (engine block area), and structural pillars when moving through riot zones.


9. Self-Defense Skill 7: Tactical Driving

If you’re in a vehicle during unrest, remember: stay calm. Drive slowly through crowds, hands on the wheel, don’t provoke. If attacked, never stop unless you’re boxed in. Use your horn sparingly, and avoid ramming unless life is at risk—this can escalate or land you in legal trouble.


10. Self-Defense Skill 8: Non-Lethal Tools Proficiency

If you’re not comfortable with firearms or knives, carry non-lethal options like pepper spray, a stun gun, or a high-lumen tactical flashlight. The key is knowing how to deploy them under pressure. Practice drawing and using them until it’s muscle memory.


3 DIY Survival Skills to Build Your Own Weapons

DIY Skill 1: The Sock Sap (Improvised Sap Weapon)

Take a heavy padlock or rock and place it inside a sturdy sock. Knot the end and swing like a flail. It’s easy to carry, quick to deploy, and highly effective in a close-quarters ambush.

DIY Skill 2: PVC Pipe Baton

Cut a 24-inch section of thick PVC pipe. Fill it with sand or bolts and cap the ends. Wrap the grip with duct tape or paracord. This creates a powerful, durable baton that can be hidden in a backpack.

DIY Skill 3: Spear from Broom Handle and Knife

Lash a fixed-blade knife securely to a broom handle using paracord or zip ties. This gives you reach and leverage. It’s not elegant, but it’s lethal enough for defense when necessary—and it keeps distance between you and the threat.


Shelter in Place Strategy (If You Can’t Evacuate)

Secure your perimeter. Push heavy furniture against doors. Use blackout curtains or duct-tape thick garbage bags over windows. Have a fire extinguisher ready in case of Molotov cocktails or flares. Stay silent and avoid drawing attention—don’t post your location on social media.

Also, designate a “safe room” inside your home—preferably with no windows and a solid door. Keep food, water, medical supplies, and defensive tools inside. Charge all devices and set emergency alerts.


Communications Plan

Don’t count on your cell phone. Have a battery-powered or hand-crank radio. Use signal mirrors or flashlights for visual signals at night. Agree on check-in times with trusted family or friends. If you’re in a high-risk area, establish code words for safety or danger.


Mental Fortitude: Your Ultimate Survival Tool

Panic kills. It clouds judgment and causes people to make fatal errors. Train your mind by visualizing scenarios and walking through your plan. Survival is 90% mindset, 10% gear. Stay calm. Stay focused. You’re the protector of your domain.


Maryland-Specific Notes

  • Baltimore: Know the difference between protest zones like Inner Harbor vs. residential areas like Canton.
  • Annapolis: Avoid main roads near state government buildings—riots there can escalate fast.
  • Suburbs & Rural Areas: Your threat is less likely to be mobs and more likely break-ins or isolated incidents. Prep accordingly.

Whether you’re in the thick of the city or living out near Deep Creek Lake, these strategies will help you stay ready and stay alive. Don’t depend on the government. Don’t assume your neighbors will be calm. In a riot, only you stand between chaos and safety.

Be smart. Be ready. Be silent until it’s time to act.