The Survival Group Handbook by Charley Hogwood

Review: The Survival Group Handbook
by Charley Hogwood

I read a lot because I am always learning.  I'm a fan of Prepper Fiction because it is entertaining, instructive and an excellent method of bringing non-preppers into the fold. But there comes a time when you need to get down to the brass tacks. Survival Guides fit the bill.
 

 

I was honored to review The Survival Group Handbook by our friend Charley Hogwood whose resume as an expert in survival and preparedness is extensive.  I can consume Prepper Fiction in a day, or two (I read fiction fast, like watching a spell-binding movie). Survival Guides take a little longer due to my extensive note taking.

Water Storage for Preppers

One of the basic principles of prepping is the survival rule of threes. Under extreme conditions, you can only live:

Three Minutes without Oxygen
Three Hours without Shelter
Three Days without Water
Three Weeks without Food

Water is life. A person can only survive a few days without water. The easy availability of clean drinking water right now often makes us complacent about our water storage. However, you cannot assume that the current water infrastructure will be intact after a major disaster or other emergency. Water is delivered to your home through a series of buried pipes of various sizes and materials. If these pipes are damaged, it could take from a few days up to a few weeks to get them repaired to deliver water to your home again. Natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes may cause such damage, and pollute or disrupt public water supplies. It is wise to prepare now for such an event by storing appropriate amounts of water that will meet your water needs in an emergency.



For preppers, having an adequate water supply requires three steps: Catchment, Purification + Storage. Here we will deal with water storage for preppers as an integral part of a preparedness plan.

Food Storage in Mylar Bags

We believe that the single best, most cost effective method of storing food for long term survival is sealing it in mylar bags. Food storage in mylar bags is inexpensive and the method to seal food in mylar bags is simple.

 

Mylar bags are an integral component of any good food storage systems and have been used for many years. Food grade aluminized mylar bags are used by filling them with dry goods such as beans, pasta, rice and oats. Mylar bags create an oxygen barrier to protect food during extended long-term food storage because the oxygen is removed using food safe oxygen adsorbers. Mylar bags for food storage can be sealed with a standard heat sealing unit or with an ordinary clothes iron.

Author Page: G. Michael Hopf

G. Michael Hopf is the best selling author of THE NEW WORLD series. He spent two decades living a life of adventure before he settled down and became a novelist full time.  He is a combat veteran of the Marine Corps and a former executive protection agent including a tour with the Saudi Royal family.

He is also an entrepreneur collaborating on the Conflicted: The New World Series Deck 3 Card Game based upon his renowned post apocalyptic The New World series. He is also developing his own "Stay Frosty" brand which will entail a variety of survival and preparedness merchandise.

Hygiene + Sanitation for Preppers

In a post-SHTF world, sanitation and hygiene will be important to keep yourself and your family healthy. Running water may no longer be an option or a healthy choice, and you need to know how to practice good hygiene, proper sanitation and  keep your environment healthy. Very important considerations in a SHTF situation. Due to a lack of available medical facilities or treatment, health and disease prevention are going to be more important and more difficult to treat than ever after the TEOTWAWKI.

 

Improper hygiene or a lack of sanitation when you are off the grid is one of the key contributors to hundreds of thousands of deaths throughout the world each year. Although most of these incidents occur in third-world countries, recent history has shown that even in short-term grid-down situations, major sanitation issues can quickly escalate into huge health problems. Combine that with a lack of medical services and you’ve got some serious problems.

Evade + Escape Techniques for Preppers

The US Military spends a considerable amount of time training its soldiers in the SERE program. SERE is an acronym for Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape. The program encompasses many survival skills including bushcraft and wilderness survival, emergency first aid, land navigation, camouflage techniques, methods of evasion and how to make improvised tools.

 

 

Evade and Escape for Preppers  involves self-preservation when your survival location cannot be defended or is overrun. The axiom "Live to fight another day" applies to evade and escape techniques for Preppers. Evasion also is important if you are bugging out to your survival retreat. Sadly, as all preppers know, our biggest enemy after TEOTWAWKI will be our fellow man due to the desperate situation. Your best chance of survival will be to evade contact with others until you get where you are going.

 

EBOLA Virus: A Basic Primer for Preppers

Without being dramatic, you do not want to mess around with the Ebola virus. Sometimes it's hard to get the straight story from the news media. Oftentimes, an internet search reveals so much technical jargon that you give up. Let's keep it simple.

Over time, symptoms of the Ebola virus become increasingly sever and may include:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea, may be bloody
• Red eyes
• Raised rash
• Chest pain and cough
• Stomach pain
• Severe weight loss
• Bleeding, usually from the eyes and bruising

The following is a primer on how the Ebola virus attacks, its symptoms and a graphic showing the timetable from symptoms to final stages.

Video Preview of Practical Prepping: No Apocalypse Required

This is a video trailer we made for Steve Konkoly and Randy Powers promoting their new survival guide:

Practical Prepping: No Apocalypse Required

I reviewed this book on our website here:

Steven Konkoly Author Page

SITUATIONAL AWARENESS FOR PREPPERS

Situational awareness is very important, not just for personal security but as a fundamental building block in your security plan and the security of your Prepper Group. Because of this importance, we have stressed the importance of situational awareness for Preppers many times in the past.

 

It is important to note that situational awareness -- being aware of one's surroundings and identifying potential threats and dangerous situations -- is more of a mindset than it is paranoia, although one could argue that an ounce of paranoia will help you develop a keen sense of situational awareness. Because of this, situational awareness is not something that can be practiced only by highly trained government agents or specialized corporate security teams. Indeed, it can be exercised by anyone with the will and the discipline to do so. Situational awareness is not only important for recognizing day-to-day threats, but it also serves to identify other dangerous situations after TEOTWAWKI.