Are you ready?

For those preppers that can't be bothered to lose such a luxury when disaster strikes...

The date is fast approaching. It's next Friday, to be precise.

As most of you know, that's when the Mayan calendar ends and a lot of people say it will be the end of the world as we know it.

Is there credibility to it? That depends on who you ask, to be honest. Many people are saying that the date is actually wrong, because Western calendars were created so much later on and have leap years and whatever else there is. There's arguments against that as well, but I'm not vested enough in the details to give you all the proper information.

Anyways, back to the question: is there credibility to it? The answer is the same as it always is: maybe.

There is always the possibility that something could happen. Maybe the Mayans really did know what they were talking about. Maybe they ran out of stone. Who really knows?

There have been plenty of doomsday dates set over the years. We've survived them all thus far, unscathed. There have been epidemics. There have been wars. There have been droughts and famine.

I'm not telling you this to make you more comfortable. As always, preppers should be ready for anything. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.

It's been a while since my last post, but hopefully I can get back into the swing and get regular posts going again.

So, what is this video? Politicians in the U.S., first predicting the economic recession in 2007 and then talking about the possible collapse of the U.S. dollar.

Why is that important? They were right the first time around, talking about the bursting of the housing bubble. Could they be right the second time around? It's a possibility.

What would happen in the event of the U.S. dollar's value collapsing? Ordinary people would take the brunt of the hit. Food prices would skyrocket. If you think $4 for a gallon of milk is bad, think about having to pay $15+ for it instead. Energy prices would skyrocket as well. How does a $600 electricity bill sound?

Long story short, the collapse of the dollar would result in unhappy wallets and unhappy people.

I've been in the process of moving, which is why there haven't been any posts for a few days.

I'm not sure many have considered this - I didn't really think about it until I just made that last post - but you may want to create a couple year's worth of calendars to pack with your supplies.

If there is an all out collapse, there's not really going to be a way to tell the day or time. If you want to keep track of the days, a calendar would be a good idea.

Unfortunately, when you start buying food to build your stockpile, the packaging from the store isn't going to keep it good for very long (unless it's canned food). You're going to need to take steps to keep bulk flour, wheat, beans, rice, etc. good.

Remember my post from a while back about food-grade storage buckets? You'll want to invest in some of those, or find a place that will give you them for free. You can store your bulk items in these containers.

However, just dumping the food into the buckets won't be enough. You need to make sure there's a good seal on the container, to keep oxygen out.

There is some debate about what's food-grade and what's not - whether any plastic containment systems are truly safe over a period of time. The plastic can start to break down over time, and contaminate your food if you aren't careful.

To prevent this from happening, you can line your bucket with Mylar - a common trick that preppers use. This will keep your food lined safely, and you won't have to worry about contamination from the bucket.

Now, you'll need to make a tight seal on the container to keep oxygen out of it. Just sticking the lid on isn't going to cut it. What you want to get are Oxygen Absorbers. Don't take them out of their packets until you're ready to use them, though.

Once you get your food into the bucket, quickly place the Oxygen Absorbers inside and put the lid on - using a board and hammer or mallet to make sure it's on tight. It will take a few hours, but the Absorbers will create a vacuum and the lid will pop down, indicating the seal has been made.

I agree with you, war is a disaster and definitely a threat in today's world. It can break out anywhere that people are - even on American soil. It all depends on who's got the motivation to attack and who they're attacking.

I stumbled across a very useful gem of information this evening, one that everyone can put to use.

There is some debate between homesteaders, preppers, and canning enthusiasts alike about what is better: store-bought canned food or canning food yourself. Personally, I'd suggest canning your own food: not nearly as many preservatives, you can make it to your own tastes, etc.

However, if you don't have the means, time, or patience to can your own food, buying it from the store is an acceptable alternative.

Some would say that items from the store simply don't have a long enough shelf-life. You'll have to replace everything every two years... right?

Wrong.

If you're living in a medium- to highly-populated area, you're not the only one that will try to get out during the apocalypse.

Anyone who survives will also be trying to get out to open country - which would supposedly still be unpopulated, or at least have a lower population.

What you need to consider is that it may not be completely abandoned. Preppers look for places that are out in the middle of nowhere, with no one else around. There will also be other people who managed to get away from population centers before you.

You may end up stumbling upon their settlements - don't expect them to welcome you. In fact, it's more likely you'll be shot at then questioned or brought inside their homestead.

If you approach someone or a group that's already made a settlement, approach with extreme caution. Be prepared to leave - quickly - if necessary.

It's about that time when wildfires can turn into a very dangerous threat. I'm sure most of you that live in the more wildfire prone areas have an escape plan and tactics to deal with it. Even if you don't live there now, wildfire problems won't stop with the end of the world - it could get worse because there will be no emergency personnel to battle the blazes.

The best thing to do in the case of a wildfire is to evacuate - and do so as quickly as possible. If the order is given to leave, then don't wait, fire can travel much faster than you can run. Try to keep to a downhill route, as fire travels faster uphill because of updrafts. Also, try to make sure your route has little to no fuel for the fire.

If you become trapped, don't panic. There are still measures you can take to save yourself. The best choice is to find a cave, barren crevice, drainage pipe, or an underground hole to seek shelter in - laying low and curled up inside. You'll want to cover up any exposed skin to keep thermal burns at a minimum. If that's not an option, dig your own trench and cover yourself with a foot of dirt. Make sure to lie face down and try to make a small pocket under your face to trap oxygen in.

If you are near water, submerge as much as possible. Try to avoid surfacing as the fire is moving overhead.

Letting the fire pass over you would be nothing short of terrifying. If you must resort to that, know in advance that the fire is going to suck all of the oxygen out of the area as it moves. Try to remain calm during that period, oxygen will rush back in once the fire moves past.

You can find many recipes for making soap on the internet, but most of them require items that may be difficult to find after the end of the world. So if you need soap and don't have any, what are you going to do?

There's a fairly simple way to make your own soap... it's not the most glamorous thing in the world, but it will work and it's what the U.S. Army Survival Guide suggests to use when nothing else is available.

Now how do you go about making your own soap? Start with animal fat. If you need to hunt for food, that won't be a problem. You'll want to take grease from the fat by cutting it into small pieces and cooking it. Don't cook it too quickly, and stir frequently. Once it is ready, pour the grease into a container and allow it to harden.

Next, you'll take ashes (possibly from the fire you use to cook the fat) and put them in a container with a spout, or a strainer. Pour water over the ashes and collect the liquid that drips out - this is potash or lye.

In your pot, mix two parts grease to one part lye. Heat it over a fire and boil it until it thickens. Once the mixture cools, you can use it in the semi-liquid state or put it into a container to harden.

Firstly, I cannot stress enough that preventative care is the best care. Keep your teeth in good condition now so you don't run into major problems that could have been altogether avoided.

You'll want to stock up on oral hygiene products, but of course, there's always an end to the supply when no more is being made. In case you run out of toothpaste, don't just go without. Do you really want to yank out your own tooth? No pain killers or professional who actually knows what they're doing?

If you're forced from your home, you'll need to know how to make a shelter. The poncho or tarp lean-to is the fastest, easiest shelter to make. It requires the least amount of supplies to make, too.

What are you going to need? A poncho or tarp (obviously), stakes, rope or parachute cord, a tool to dig with, and a couple of poles or trees that aren't too far apart.

First, find the ideal spot to set everything up and stretch out your poncho or tarp to see what area you need to clear of debris. You don't want to sleep on a bunch of sticks and leaves, right?

Once the area is cleared, use your tool to dig a foot or two underground. This step is optional, but a good idea. You can use the dirt that you've moved to build a small wall around the shelter to prevent wind and rain from getting in.

Next, use your stakes to tie down the bottom of poncho or tarp. Use part of your rope or parachute cord to stretch directly from one tree/pole to the other. After that, you'll drape your tarp over it, and tie off the corners with a couple more stakes. This will give rain somewhere to run off, instead of dripping inside the shelter.

Finally, you'll probably want to build a fire close to your shelter to help keep warm and cook food.

For you visual learners, the finished product could look a little something like this:

To go along with my most recent post, I've put together a list of tools you'll need to make repairs yourself.

What you should keep in your vehicle:

A set of wrenches

Ratchet wrench and sockets

Phillips screwdriver

Pliers

Floor jack

Tire iron

Pressure gauge