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A Framework to Consider

A couple of years ago we developed this concept based on the layered “survivability onion” model I had worked on while working on the Abrams tank follow on project in the Army. The idea is there is a series of layers in a system that work together to address threats to the protected. We adapted the same model to apply to readiness and prepping, after a couple of iterations it really made sense for the community. We introduced the concept in the CM-4 last summer, with the influx of new subscribers I wanted to hit the highlights again this week. It is a framework for planning your training, self-development, and physical prep items such as gear, water filtration devices, food etc. We refer to it as the “Prepper Onion” since it is layered like an onion. The three outer layers must be present in some form while the importance of the inner core categories can ebb and flow as things change. Some can be more urgent than others, the key is to understand how these elements are interrelated. From the CM-4:

All the parts work as a whole

Faith. Faith is the ever present outer layer. Faith is what allows us to carry on and persevere when things get tough. Whether your Faith is Christ-centered like our family, or you subscribe to something different it must be there to give you purpose. Some may equate faith to hope; without hope and belief in a future what is the point of this whole thing?

Security. Security during a tactical mission is first, last, and always. Security in our daily lives gives us the freedom to live without outside forces being able to negatively affect us. It allows us to sleep at night in our homes with a reasonable expectation we are safe. It is physical security such as door locks. It includes situational awareness and the actions and crime prevention actions we have in place to protect us from threats. Security includes protecting your personal and electronic information from theft. It is being disciplined to not post everything you do on social media. Security includes the tools associated with security and defense, anything from a flashlight to a firearm or running a security plan in a patrol base.

 Finance. Money is the engine that drives society, we need money to survive and thrive. Without financing a prepper at any stage or any age is at a significant disadvantage. Building financial strength is critical. Having the means to address an emergency, pay for the physical elements of prepping (food, gear etc), and preventing financial hardship is critical. Get ahead of this as a teen, the sooner you build healthy financial habits the better. You can’t get ahead if you are still paying for items or events you bought on credit 8 months ago. Protect your financial data. Be deliberate how you spend money, and don’t invest in things you don’t understand. Be quick to learn but slow to buy when it comes to gear. And always do your best to not finance companies who work against you and your values. Unfortunately, this is very difficult in today’s world, but every dollar withheld from bad companies is one less dollar they can use against you.

Medical. Prevention and treatment of medical issues is top of the inner core list. Everything from personal hygiene items and practices to lifesaving trauma kits with tourniquets and pressure bandages. Make sure you have similar versions of medical kits at home, in your vehicle, and in your backpack. The key is not only having them readily available but also knowing how to use the items. CPR classes are usually free at your local fire department and only take a couple of hours to complete. Even basic first aid training is a good way to start your journey but you must expand the training into advanced lifesaving and preventative medicine tasks. This task begins with physical fitness and lifestyle, fitness is a non negotiable.

Shelter. You can only survive a couple of hours in extreme weather without shelter. Your primary means of shelter are your home, a vehicle, or the buildings you are in during a typical day. Depending on changing conditions, a shelter may be effective one minute and useless the next. For example, a lightweight tarp may provide you with excellent shelter from rain, but it will do nothing to shelter you from a baseball sized hailstorm or a tornado. The CM-1 and CM-9 manuals both discuss shelter options in more depth.

Water. Water is life. It is a lot like air because we usually don’t think about it or miss it too much until we can’t get it. You need more water than you think, dehydration will creep up there is no way to “catch back up” quickly. Hydrating before physical activity is needed, only consuming water during will not keep up with hydration requirements. Having water stored at home in a cool dry place to use if public systems are contaminated or shutdown should be a priority for you as well. Even having a couple of cases of bottled water can go a long way to helping in a disaster (bottled water is not recommended for normal day to day use due to the microplastics and cost). Just realize once you start consuming those bottles in a crisis they will be used up quickly. Having a home or dorm room water purifier is always a good idea to backstop your emergency storage. Always keep a small water filter in your bag. The more options you have the better; a water source such as a neighborhood lake becomes usable if you have the proper equipment to process it.

Food. We have been conditioned by society to eat more often than necessary and for the wrong reasons. Humans can get by with less food than many believe, however there is still a requirement for calories. We saw our family’s ability to go grocery shopping disrupted during the “lockdowns” in 2020 and 2021. You probably witnessed the negative effects of that limited interruption of the supply chain. The US operates on “just in time logistics”, meaning grocery stores only have about three days of food supply on hand. The truck deliveries keep them supplied; you need to visualize what will happen when those trucks stop running.

Energy. Power, electricity, fuel. Whatever you want to call it our modern lives require energy. We must find a way to keep electronic devices (anything that requires electricity) powered or charged and engines fueled. Disruption of the US electric grid is rare, but when they occur it is incredibly inconvenient. During a severe crisis these disruptions can progress from inconvenient to life threatening. The chain of deterioration grows quickly as power outages continue; refrigerated food begins to spoil, and then frozen spoilage follows soon after. Disruption of security / alarm systems, communication systems, comfort heating and cooling all stop. You must have backup items and a plan to implement them when you do not have access to the grid. Some examples of energy sources are battery packs, a home generator, or a small canister of stove fuel in your backpack.

Information. Information is critical to the prepper since we use information to make decisions. The type of information we need is not “nice to know” kind of things, it is info we need to take action in a crisis. We need to know where our family is, which roads are open, what streets being blocked by the rioters, and even what food has been recalled due to e coli contamination. Know where to look for news and info. You must collect and protect information; both are equally important. Internal info about your family must stay family business. Peers like to talk a lot about internal family dynamics or what the family has done to prepare for a disaster. Even seemingly innocent statements such as “our power went out last night; we just ran our generator” or “we are headed out of town for a week starting tomorrow.” You don’t have to be some secretive weird dude who doesn’t talk about anything, but we should be careful about what and how much we say. This is especially true on social media and in non-family group chats. Information includes your emergency communications plan, having radios and backup systems that you have practiced with is a critical component. Voice and digital comms can be easily disrupted, have a plan for both.

Summary. The takeaway for this week is have a layered plan that covers you and your family. We must have tools and frameworks to build our mental models, this is not a pro-forma endeavor - the framework and systems you choose to use will guide your preparedness effort. It allows you to build a viable plan for you and your family and prevents blind spots. it can also conserve resources by keeping you from spending your budget on unnecessary items. A dose of reality that keeps us honest with ourselves, the $15k Zodiac boat for your family to escape down the Ohio when SHTF becomes low priority when you layer in reality and realize you don’t have a way to talk to your elderly parents if the cell phone towers drop.
 

CM-4 Discount

The excerpt this week is from the CM-4 Manual, Teenage Prepper. In retrospect I feel like we misnamed this manual as it applies to far more community members than just teens. Newer entrants in the self-reliance community get a lot out of this manual, it isn’t only for teens. Use the discount code TUESDAY11 for 15 percent off the CM-4 on our site (discount is good until midnight today).

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