Captain Dave's Survival Center

Captain Dave's Survival Guide

Second Edition
December 2007

Forward

Captain Daves Survival Guide was originally written in the mid 1990s. Since then, weve had 9/11, anthrax in the mail, the war in Iraq, SARS, nuclear tensions between India and Afghanistan, news of North Korean nuclear missiles that could reach the U.S., rising gas prices, the War on Terror, subway bombings in London, Hurricane Katrina and other big storms, the threat of an avian influenza pandemic, California wild fires, summers of drought, and the bursting of the housing bubble. Underlying this we have the ever present threat of terrorism by radical Islamists bent on destroying our way of life. Kind of makes us yearn for the days when the only thing we worried about was the end of civilization as we know it due to the Y2K computer bug.

Clearly, a second edition was required to address these new and different threats, so we started revising it as early as 2003, worked on it some more in 2004, incorporated lessons learned from events in 2005 and 2006 before finally finished it in late 2007 to coincide with the update of our web site design. Thank you to those who made suggestions over the years, and to our many readers who have e-mailed us with positive feedback.

Please note that Captain Dave's Survival Guide, Second Edition, is a copyrighted work and my not be copied, reproduced, posted, mirrored, or otherwise duplicated without specific written permission from Captain Dave, Inc. Individuals are free to print copies for their personal use. If you would like to purchase an e-book or license it for distribution to a survival group, church, or other organization, please contact Captain Dave, Inc. at the address below. Copyright 2008 by Captain Dave, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Captain Dave Inc.
P.O. Box 27798
Durham, NC 27722
Contact us by email or phone

Introduction

For too long, the term "survivalist" has called to mind paranoid separatists or white supremacists who give up the conveniences of modern society, drop out of the government's database, and live in one-room backwoods cabins like the Unabomber.

Well, Captain Dave and the good folks at Captain Daves Survival Center (captaindaves.com)know that survivalists are much more likely to be:

Floridians buying hurricane shutters, batteries, and bottle water before the next hurricane season
Californians preparing a three-day cache of food and water in case the next "big one" rocks their town
Midwesterners who keep a few blankets, a pair of old boots, warm socks and a few Power Bars in the car during winter
An urban resident storing food, water and gas masks because they are worried about a potential terrorist attack.
A father worried about inflation, unemployment and the ability to support his family if he loses his job
A mother making plans to pull her children out of school if a virulent flu or other contagious disease should strike

Survivalism isn't paranoia; it's just good planning. Captain Dave believes that storing food for an emergency is like carrying a spare tire or having homeowners insurance: You hope you never need it, but it is sure is good to have it handy when you do need it.

By reading this guide, you can equip yourself with three important things: A good plan, a good attitude, and the knowledge of what you will need to do to prepare.

Putting the plan into action and actually taking steps to prepare is up to you. We urge you to start today rather than waiting because it is cheaper, easier, safer, and smarter to prepare well before an emergency strikes. Wait for the next hurricane warning, and those batteries and bottled water will be gone. Wait for a terrorist attack using chemical weapons, and gas masks will triple in price if you can find one on the market. Wait for a pandemic, and the medicines will be gone and the food shelves empty. After a dirty bomb, potassium iodate and Geiger counters will be sold out. Being prepared can only be effectively done before an emergency strikes.

Beyond the Three Day Kit

There are plenty of online resources for people who just want to prepare a three-day kit. Captain Dave's Survival Guide is designed to take you a few levels beyond the bare minimum of preparedness that FEMA or the Red Cross recommends. Because in a true emergency, as we saw in Hurricane Katrina, three days is not long enough.

A three day kit wont prevent you from being a refugee in a shelter, separated from your family members; it will just delay the inevitable. A three day kit wont keep your kids from getting hungry when they quarantine your town or stop interstate transportation to halt the spread of a deadly disease. A three day kit wont help you if terrorists use biological weapons or in the event of a nuclear disaster. A three day kit is better than nothing, but it is only scratching the surface of truly being prepared. This guide will take you far beyond the level of preparedness you will receive in a three day kit.

The goal of this guide is to help you to prepare mentally, emotionally, physically, and financially to survive any emergency on any scale. That means first preparing, planning, and making life choices that improve your degree of preparedness so that you can survive a local or regional natural disaster. And second, taking your level of preparation to the next step to improve your ability to survive a massive disaster or social upheaval on a national or global scale.

Some
Common
Terms and Abbreviations

We define survival as living through a natural or manmade disaster in a better position than the average victim. Our goal is to help you not only survive, but to thrive, so that you are not dependent on outside assistance or government support.

Preparedness means making preparations before disaster strikes to improve your chances of survival. Surely you remember the old saw about closing the barn door...

Survivalists choose to prepare on their own or in a small group rather than rely on the government to help them survive a disaster. Survivalists are self reliant and take responsibility for their own safety and the safety of their family. They survive by choice, not chance.

Survivalism is the art of being a survivalist. There are many degrees of survivalism, and most people start out on a small scale and expand their level of preparedness over time as their budget allows and their commitment to Survivalism grows.

Patriotsare prepared to fight for liberty, for their country, and to uphold the Constitution. While others prepare for natural and man-made disasters, Patriots prepare to defend this country and the values on which it was founded from foreign or domestic threats. They are the Minute Men of the 21^st century. Patriots may or may not be survivalists, but in our experience, there is often some overlap. Not all survivalists are patriots, but many patriots are survivalists.

People who are self sufficient often live well beyond the sidewalks (to borrow a phrase from Countryside Magazine). They may be off the grid, and are able to live comfortable lives without support from external resources. Sure, many who are self sufficient go to town regularly, watch satellite TV, use cell phones and take advantage of modern-day machines, but in a pinch they could survive without doing so. People who live a self-sufficient lifestyle may be unintentional survivalists, that is people who can survive a nuclear event, a terrorist attack, or an epidemic because of their isolated location and lack of reliance on outside support.

TEOTWAWKI stands for "the end of the world as we know it," which is a survivalist jargon for a catastrophic disaster that changes the world we live in to such an extent that your every day life changes. This could be anything from nuclear war to a stock market crash similar to 1929.

WTSHTF is another common survivalist abbreviation. Itstands for when the sh*t hits the fan. Also sometimes referred to as when the balloon goes up.

Why Prepare?

As we finish this update in late 2007, approximately ten years after the first edition of Captain Dave's Survival Guide was written, there is more reason than ever to prepare for the unexpected. Since the first edition was written, we have:

Seen Americans killed in multiple terrorist attacks, including 9/11
Learned that Al Qaeda is seeking and/or developing nuclear, chemical and biological weapons
Seen terrorist attacks on U.S. targets abroad and on our European allies, including the London subway bombings and Madrid train attack
Experienced the anthrax crisis, which scared a national already scarred by 9/11
Invaded and occupied Afghanistan and Iraq and fought Al Qaeda in the Middle East
Been threatened by a nuclear-armed North Korea
Seen Iran refuse to halt its nuclear development programs and increase its support of terrorists in Iraq
Witnessed an escalation of conflict between India and Pakistan, which is now at a simmer instead of a boil
Faced the possibility of Pakistan's nuclear weapons falling into the hands of militant Islamists
Experienced the emergence of a new diseases, such as SARS and new variants of avian influenza
Lived through the dot.com bubble burst, followed by a recession and economic woe, only to repeat some of the same problems with a housing bubble
Paid more and more for energy, including gasoline, natural gas and heating oil
Witnessed the dollar tumble against the Euro and other currencies
Seen increased trade imbalances and growing government debt as well as warnings of inflation
Watched terrorists blow up hotels, night clubs and Saudi Arabian compounds
Seen the worst tsunami in memory
Experienced substantial flooding, harsh winters, above-average hurricane seasons and record droughts and heat waves
Witnessed the failure of state, local and federal hurricane preparations in Louisiana and Mississippi
Watched a terrorist group take over Palestine and set back the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians
Heard the president of Iran threaten to wipe Israel off the face of the map
Seen the continued moral decay of our youth and the concurrent lack of discipline in our schools
Raised a generation of obese, helpless people who are so spoiled they cant lift a finger for themselves and think they are owed a television, a car and a living.

Not to mention global issues such as a corrupt and ineffective UN, unchecked killing in Africa, the spread of HIV in third-world countries, the emergence of radical Islam, a festering resentment of America in the developing world, a growing economic superpower in China, a decade of recession and deflation in Japan, a decade of widespread illegal immigration into the U.S., and an increasingly socialist European Union.

Im sure that by the time you read this, you can add a few more to the list. It's enough to make the late 1990s look pretty calm.

Some of the threats we face are natural. As we build closer to the sea, we are threatened by the waves and the hurricanes. As we build in wilderness areas, wild fires threaten more homes. As the world grows more crowded, new diseases emerge.

Some are unintended consequences of our way of life, such as rising oil prices, threats of inflation, obesity and laziness.

But many threats are man-made. The sad truth is that many disgruntled outsiders resent the United States emergence as the sole super power. They resent our economic clout, our size and natural resources, our wealth, our politics, and the way in which our culture slowly overtakes theirs. While the end of the Cold War brought us victory and a decade of peace and prosperity, it also made America and Americans the number-one target for every angry fanatic with a gun or a bomb and a grudge. Americans and especially our government (regardless of who is president) are resented in much of the world and hated by the most of the rest.

Militant Islamists have made no secret of their desire to destroy the United States and our lifestyle, which they see as a threat to their plans to re-conquer Europe.

There are multiple groups of people who object to our policies, our positions on certain issues, our power and even our religious beliefs. These people would like nothing more than to knock us down a few notches. Americans have two choices: Expect our government to protect us as individuals from these threats, or take our survival into our own hands. While it is the governments duty to protect the country from foreign aggressors, the government will seek first to preserve itself, our institutions and the bulk of our population. Preserving the life, liberty and wellbeing of each individual citizen is at the very bottom of the government's list.

In short, the government will protect and ensure the continuity of the government and our country, but the individual citizens had better look out for themselves.

Take Personal Responsibility

Many people have come to realize that just as the police rarely prevent a crime from occurring, the government cannot stop a terrorist attack. They didn't stop the World Trade Center attack, or Oklahoma City, and the Israelis cannot stop every Palestinian with a suicide bomb. The government couldn't stop anthrax from being delivered through the mails and it won't be able to stop the next flu epidemic. Homeland Security may stop some attacks, but they will not be able to stop every attack, and one day it is very likely that a biological weapon or a nuclear device will be smuggled into the country.

While the United States is excellent at retaliating when attacked, it cannot be as good at preventing attacks. And the threat of retaliation cannot prevent a madman with a nuclear weapon from bombing us or our allies. The threat of death does not deter a martyr.

Too many people have grown comfortable with the belief that the government is a benevolent force that will protect you. If you believe this, give yourself a whack on the side of the head to knock that thought loose, because that kind of complacency can get you killed. When TSHTF, there is only one person ultimately responsible for your safety, and you see him or her every time you look in the mirror. It is natures law: Once you become an adult, you're responsible for your own safety, security and personal survival. The animals know this, but most of us have forgotten it.

You cannot prevent a terrorist attack, but you can avoid being a target and prepare to survive the aftermath.
You cannot cure SARS or avian influenza, but you can take steps to avoid contracting these or other contagious diseases.
You cannot prevent a hurricane, blizzard, flood or earthquake, but you can take steps to avoid them, protect yourself, and to improve the outcome if you are in a target area.
You cannot prevent a nuclear exchange in Asia or even a bomb on our shores, but you can learn how to protect yourself and your family from fallout.
You may not be able to prevent layoffs and economic uncertainty, but you can be prepared to weather the storm without losing everything.

It comes down to simple choices: Do you want to sit back during the next emergency and demand that someone else saves you, or do you want to take steps to save yourself? Do you want to be powerless, or to you want to be able to take the initiative? Do you want to sit forlorn on your roof waiting for a rescue chopper or boat, or do you want to be the one others turn to for help? The choice is yours. If you choose to prepare, then this guide will give you the tools you need to prepare and prosper in a survival situation.

If you expect others to rescue you, feed you, clothe you, transport you, house you in refugee camps, control your destiny, and make the rules you live by, then there is no reason to read further. If you want to not only think for yourself, but also to act for yourself and to take responsibility for your survival, then take a moment to congratulate yourself. You have made a choice that society discourages, and you have shown commitment, courage and willfulness in making it. Theses are all character traits you will need to survive!

Who are Survivalists

Survivalists are individuals who have come to the inescapable conclusion that the world is a dangerous, unpredictable place. They acknowledge that while they may not be able to eliminate the danger, they can take steps to reduce the threat and to make sure they and theirs are better able to survive whatever dangers materialize and the aftermath. In short, survivalists have taken responsibility for their wellbeing and the wellbeing of their loved ones by preparing for the worst-case scenario.

Survivalists are people who have accepted responsibility for keeping themselves and their family safe. Survivalists are prepared to feed, shelter, protect and keep themselves and their families healthy under extreme circumstances without relying on outside resources. Depending on the situation, survival may be uncomfortable, frightening and difficult, but it will be better than the alternative.

In our experience, the average survivalist reached a specific point where they made a decision to protect their family from the randomness of life. Maybe they had a close call, or maybe they witnessed something happen to someone else, and they said "There but for the grace of God go I." Maybe they had a child and realized how vulnerable that tiny creature was. Maybe they lived through a long power outage or a terrible ice storm and wanted to be better prepared next time. Maybe they read something in the newspaper or watched Fox News Channel and saw someone else suffering and decided they did not want to be a victim. But from the time they first decided to take steps to protect themselves and their family, they started down the path of preparedness, which ultimately leads to survivalism.

Captain Dave not only practices survivalism, he has spent the past decade dealing with survivalists, meeting them in person, talking to them, reading their literature and answering their e-mail. So he knows them pretty well. And he knows that there's not an "average" survivalist. Survivalists come from all walks of life. But typical survivalist tends to be:

Smart and often well educated
Conservative
Christian
Family-oriented
Hands-on
Although not necessarily the majority, many survivalists:
Have military or law enforcement experience. (Captain Dave believes this is because they have seen the other side and know how vulnerable out society is.)
Are gun owners. (If they weren't when they became survivalists, they probably quickly became gun owners once they adopted the survival mindset)

It is interesting to note that survivalists do not skew towards one sex or another, although male survivalists tend to be a bit more gung ho. There are certainly plenty of vocal, active female survivalists, some of whom are preparing their families for TETWAWKI in spite of their husbands. In our experience, one spouse often tolerates or goes along with the other's survivalists leanings, not fully endorsing it, but willing to let him or her make some preparations "just in case." Clearly, the best situation is when both like being prepared and approach survivalism as a team. But it is better to prepare in spite of your spouse or partner instead of not preparing at all.

Don't worry whether or not you fit any of these descriptions. The above generalization is just to show you that we're not camo-wearing, assault-weapon-toting, tobacco-chewing, veterans who live in the woods eating grubs and building man traps to catch the unwary. However, an experienced survivalist may keep camo in the closet, own an AR-15 as well as a deer rifle, have tobacco seeds so they can grow it for trading after TEOTWAWKI, and know how to build a trap or snare to supplement the long-term storage food they have stashed in their basement or a closet.

The First Steps

This guide is intended to help you embark on the journey of preparedness and adopt a survivalist lifestyle. That doesn't mean you have to start pouring concrete for your bomb shelter or move to Idaho. You can be a survivalist in a city or the suburbs. Your most important resource is your attitude. How you look at things and how you use your best weapon your mind are what determine the difference between a successful survivalist and a pretender who crumbles when the going gets tough.

Like any good guide, we give you the steps and guide you down the path toward survivalism with an eight-step program. We'll also give you plenty of tangents and side streets to explore, and you can decide whether these fit your needs or not. But keep in mind survivalism is not a destination, it is the journey itself. When you are finished with the guide, you have only just begun the journey to preparedness.

A warning: In many emergencies, your computer will be inaccessible, so we suggest you print this out and keep a copy of sections you find most applicable to your expected situation. A printer-ready version is available as a downloadable pdf file for $6. The same file is available on CD $11, including shipping and handling to the continental U.S. You can also download a copy as an e-book or for your Palm Pilot for $7.50.

Contents

OK, What do I Prepare For?
Bug Out or Batten Down? The Basics
1. Food
2. Water
3. Shelter
Beyond the Basics
Survival First Aid
Protecting What You Have
How can I Afford all this?
Adding Others to Your Plan