LIVE FREE, USA ANNUAL PROGRAMS

Winter Survival Camp (Jan-Feb)

For: Members and guests only

Title: Camp Determination

Location: Campgrounds

Description: A cold weather training camp combining the winter camp experience with classes and testing of winter survival techniques

Spring Survival Education Program (April-May)

For: Public event

Title: Camp Independence

Location: Tippecanoe River State Park

Description: A combination of lectures, demonstrations and hands-on classes in a wide variety of survival, emergency preparedness and self-reliance subjects.

Summer Survival Camp (June – July)

For: Members and gusts only

Title: Camp Liberty

Location: Private land site

Description: A “hard core” survival training exercise based on worst case scenarios for serious and long-term survival.

Family Camp (Aug –Oct)

For: Members and Friends

Title: Camp Unity

Location: Campgrounds

Description: An informal recreational camp providing opportunities to network, share knowledge and swap and trade items.

9/11 Preparedness Programs (Sept-Oct)

Title: Operation Preparedness

For: Public events

Location: Cabela’s, halls, libraries, etc.

Description: Series of survival preparedness presentations focused around national preparedness month

LIVE FREE REPORT
Winter 2009-10
LIVE FREE USA, P.O. BOX 3295, MUNSTER, IN 46321

NOTCE! The Post Office Box in Dolton Illinois will be closed by March of 2010. All literature, letterhead, website postings and other references to Live Free, USA must show only the Address below:
LIVE FREE USA, P.O. BOX 3295, MUNSTER, IN 46321

LIVE FREE IS ON THE MOVE!

After several years of slow progress we are finally making real progress again. It’s nice to be able to write about good news for a change. Here is the situation as we end 2009.

1. Membership is up about 20-percent from 07-08

2. Funds are up about 15-percent from the start of 2009 even though we spent more than in past years

3. We held about twice as many activities as the previous year, but all the work was done by the same small staff.

4. We have a number of active younger members with the skills and enthusiasm to become leaders, organizers and instructors in 2010.

Of course, the most important item is number four. Only with more active leadership and staff help can we expand programs, support membership growth and use the funds effectively. That is the challenge for 2010. The plan is to build up the core group, improve the web site, publications and programs and then launch a full-scale advertising campaign to bring Live Free USA to the next level. That level is a nationally recognized force for promoting, teaching and defending individual self-reliance and independence. WE CAN DO THIS! The next few months are critical. We need all of you to keep contributing, keep helping and keep recruiting. Those of you that may have been discouraged in the past need to rededicate and jump back in. We have come so far and worked so hard for so long. Lets not let it go when we have the momentum.

Live Free Report
& American Survivor

Thanks to everyone for your favorable comments on our newsletter. But, it is a problem. The American Survivor (formerly Directions) newsletter is the oldest survival self-reliance newsletter in the USA. It started publication in 1976. Editors are hard to find and harder to keep. After going through our 4th editor in 5-years it got dumped back on me. I am already doing duties as President, conducting classes, and many other tasks. As a result of the added newsletter job, I have not been able to get out Live Free Report since last spring. I also have not run any ads to get more members. The only reason I was able to get the newsletter out through the year was because I did several issues ahead back in November of 08 while on disability from my job. At this point I have no extra issues in the pipeline and few new articles. We still need a reliable editor or we will start to lose somewhere. Hello!

Officers for 2010?

It is time to start working on a slate of officers for 2010. We have some officer doing a great job a few filling in, but unable to give the time needed to do the job, and several posts open. We also have very few Directors with Deputy Directors to help them get it done.

Ø Do not hesitate to step up for a Directorship or Deputy Directorship that is already filled in 2009. Many officers have help posts for over 10-years and would welcome and support a replacement with new ideas and energy.

Ø Do not wait for directions and permission to set up a program or act on an idea. I like to be told about what is being done more than what can be done or should be done. ACT!

A healthy organization should see changes. I would love to see 50% new officers on the slate. Maybe even a few contested offices. I would love to give the annual Members Service Awards to different members in 2010.

Elections are in March 2010, but we need to hear from candidates now.

Website Upgrades Planned

The website is one important area I have had to neglect in order to do the newsletter and the programs. We seem to have a shortage of technical skills in this area so no help was forthcoming. Without a world class website, Live Free USA simply does not exist for a great part of the world. Pouring money into the site without the staff to handle the resulting memberships, and communications would have been a waste. Now we have the opportunity to get back in the game. We have some new technical support and funds that we intend to use to build a site that will serve our members, provide great information and even rais some funds. We hope to be able to provide video programs and let members join and download publications through the site by early 2010.

DVDs and CDs On The Way

Another project slowed by lack of help has been the DVD, CD project. This is intended to get our great collection of survival and self-reliance programs and publications out to the public instead of gathering dust in our cabinets. Soon we will have available.

Ø DVDs with 3 or more US Army (1950s and 60s) survival and medical training films

Ø DVDs with 3 or more Live Free survival and preparedness classes and field programs

Ø CDs with 100 Survival Papers and the book Life, Freedom and Survival by Jim Jones as PDF files

Ø CDs with narrated Power Point class presentations

All will be available by mail order or through the website.

Hey Where Are The Photos?

With all of the action this year, why are there no photos of the Live Free activities in the newsletters? Well, we did get most of it on video tape for the coming DVDs, but NO ONE TOOK ANY STILL PHOTOS! So we don’t have any. We didn’t even have enough photos for the usual annual book. Oh well. Maybe someone will do that next year.

HOLD THESE DATES!

Sunday March 21st 2010 : Live Free USA Annual Meeting and Luncheon at Noon at Cabala’s Conference Center in Hammond IN.

Saturday May 1st 2010: Camp Independence at Tippecanoe River State Park Indiana. Friday (4/30) night check in and Sunday (5/2) morning checkout for cabins. Families and groups welcome. A full schedule of survival and self-reliance programs will be presented.

THE ORIGINAL LIVE FREE SURVIVAL PAPERS

ALL 100 PLUS TITLES ON ONE CD ONLY $15.00!
Add $2.00 per set for postage and handling

The best articles from 30-years of Live Free USA newsletters, The best training handouts from Live Free instructors. The best publication written by Live Free authors. These papers range from one page to over 30 pages. Many are illustrated. Subjects include:

1. Food & Water for Survival

2. Nuclear Biological & Chemical Survival

3. Self-Defense Weapons & Tactics

4. Survival Supplies & Equipment

5. Urban Survival Skills

6. General Survival Subjects

7. Survival Planning, Tactics & Philosophy

Send $17.00 payable to Live Free, USA To:

Survival Papers

P.O. Box 342385

Bartlett, TN

38183-238

SURVIVAL PAPERS CONTEST
Enter your paper on any subject related to emergency preparedness, survival, self-defense, or self-reliance. Entries must be in electronic MS-Word compatible format, Illustrations and photos are welcome.

• First Prize $100.00
• Second Prize $50.00,
• Third Prize $25.00

All entries become property of Live Free, USA.

Winter Survival

If your survival preparations don’t cover subfreezing conditions you are only 50% ready.

The great majority of survival skills and survival equipment work well in dry and temperate weather. In the dry summer conditions you can survive for a while by simply not doing anything stupid. Moderate clothing and basic shelter items will get you through the chilly damp conditions of late Spring and early Fall. At home, mild weather survival focuses on having safe water and enough food. But winter conditions make survival anywhere an immediate and constant challenge. In winter, Mother Nature tries to kill you. Cold takes no prisoners. Whole armies have been wiped out by General Winter. The survival battle comes down to maintaining the body’s temperature. This is accomplished four actions.

• Generating heat internally through the consumption and metabolization of high calorie food and the necessary water to process it. Consider this fueling your furnace. Food requirements are much higher in cold weather.

• Keeping cold out of the body. Eating cold food, drinking cold liquids and breathing in cold air quickly lower the body’s temperature.

• Preserving body heat. Breathing out warmed air, standing in cold winds, contact with cold ground, getting wet, not wearing adequate clothing and failure to cover the head will burn away calories (heat) and lead to hypothermia
• Gathering heat from external sources. Getting into a warm place, standing in the sun, drinking warm liquids, eating hot food, standing by a fire, breathing warmed air reduces heat loss.

Civilization has focused on providing a warm environment. Our homes are heated. Our vehicles are heated. Even in winter our exposure to cold is brief. Well-feed and warm most of the time we are all in poor condition to survive long-term cold under survival conditions. When we think of survival we think of winter fire, but all animals and some human cultures survive the harshest cold conditions without any form of external heat. They depend on heat conservation and high calorie food metabolism. Two things are certain,

• Inadequately fed and clothed humans who are exposed to sever cold or chilly wet conditions for too long will die

• If you live in most areas of the United States and Canada and have not acquired the skills and equipment for long-term cold weather survival you are at high risk 20 to 70% of the year.

The Body loses heat in 5 ways:

• Respiration: Breathing in cold air, heating it in your lungs and then exhaling the warmed air back out is a significant source of heat loss. A simple facemask, ski mask or muffler over the nose and mouth can conserve some of this heat.
• Evaporation: Sweat and dampness on clothing evaporates and carries away heat. Alcoholic beverages give the allusion of warming while evaporating through the skin and taking away more heat. Rain, snow and even fog will dampen hair skin and clothing to take away you heat.
• Convection: Air (wind) passing over the skin carries away heat. That’s great on a hot day, but deadly in the cold. Get out of the wind ASAP! On the move wear a wind proof poncho.
• Conduction: Nature hates an imbalance. If you are in contact with ground, rocks, metal, snow, etc. that are colder than you are, energy will flow from you to the cold surface. Minimizing contact and good insulation are the keys to preventing this heat loss. Wet clothing loses 90% of its insulation value with water having 240 times the heat conductivity of dry air STAY DRY!
• Radiation: the whole body radiates heat/energy into the environment. Adequate clothing is the only way to reduce this radiation.

Since heat rises the head and shoulders are the greatest source of heat loss and since the brain is most heavily supplied with blood circulation the head is the last part to feel cold. Listen up! Hoods, stocking caps and those big fur caps will save your life. One day we were out in 10 below zero winds. We entered an unheated building and just took off our caps. We immediately started to shiver until we put them back on. Another device for combating radiated heat loss is the “Space Blanket”. These aluminized blankets can be used as ponchos or rigged as shelters. They reflect body heat back to you. They can also be used to catch and reflect campfire, stove heat or solar warmth onto your body. I have recovered from damp cold clothing in this way.

Thee two chief dangers of cold exposure are hypothermia and frostbite. A person who is exhausted, hungry or sick is more susceptible to both of these life and limb threatening conditions.

Hypothermia

Hypothermia occurs when the body’s core temperature begins to fall. This happens when the body is no longer able to generate or hold more heat than it is losing. Being exposed to cold, wind and rain with inadequate shelter clothing and food are prime causes of hypothermia. Shivering is the warning sign of impending hypothermia. The body is using the heat generated by shivering as a last ditch effort to maintain its core temperature. This occurs as the body temperature drops towards 90 degrees. Below 90-degrees slurred speech, dulled comprehension and jerky muscle (staggered walking) movements indicate the need to immediately get this person out of the cold and introduce warm liquids.

At 80 to 85-degrees the victim will lose contact and drift into a stupor. Pulse and respirations slow indicating advanced hypothermia. At this point the person will continue to decline even with external warmth provided. In advanced hypothermia the cells reach a point where they are too cold to produce heat therefore creating a progressive condition that only a hospital can reveres with warm IV s.

This is why it is important to recognize hypothermia at its earliest stages and act. At 80 to 78-degrees the victim will become unconscious and will suffer cardiac failure and hemorrhage into the lungs resulting in death. In addition to getting the victim into a warn environment and giving them hot sugary liquids while they are still conscious you can rewarm them by placing heat packs under their arms and on both side of the neck. Forearm emersion in warm water is another effective rewarming method. Simply place both forearms under warm running water or wrap both forearms in warm damp towels. Caution, A person who has reached the advanced (semi conscious) stage should not be rewarmed too fast externally as this may drive the cold external blood into the core and cause cardiac fibrillation. Of course if immediate hospital treatment is not available you cannot wait to rewarm.

Frostbite

Is the actual freezing of external body tissues. Frostbite can result in loss of body tissues, amputations, gangrene and death. Fingers, toes and ears are the most often frost bitten, but prolonged exposure can result in the lose of larger (hands, feet, legs) body parts. Any part of the body that feels very cold can suffer frostbite if it is not protected and warmed promptly. The sensation of cold turns painful as circulation stops.. As nerves freeze the sensation is lost and nothing is felt. The skin becomes gray or yellow-white and ridged to the touch. Do not rub the part or forcefully remove shoes or gloves. Once the victim is brought into a warm environment and the area begins to thaw it will become swollen, red and painful. If the color goes to black tissue loss is probable. Frozen body parts can be thawed by emersion in warm (not over 105 f) water or placing them in the armpits. Never expose a thawed body part to potential refreezing! A previously frozen tissue is much more susceptible to refreezing and the loss of that tissue is much more likely after a second freeze. Damaged tissues should be wrapped in soft, thick, sterile (if possible) bandages and kept warm. Seek medical attention as soon as possible

Wear thermal sox in cold weather and have a spare pare handy. Tight fitting gloves actually make the fingers more prone to frostbite. Wear insulated gloves and in severe cold wear mittens.

Winter Survival At Home

Fortunately survival threats like civil disorder and terrorist attacks are les frequent in cold weather, but power outages, fuel and food shortages are greater. When balancing the hunker-down vs. hit-the-road options, staying home as long as possible may be best. Even an unheated house is better than a tent. You may be able to ride-out the situation or at-least hang on until the weather improves before evacuating. You must be set up to get by without any utilities (e.g. gas, water, electric) and support (e.g. medical, fire, police, groceries) for several months. It is highly unlikely that you will be able to store enough fuel to run a generator and heat your whole house for several winter months. So you will have to adopt a “camp at home” configuration.

Camp at home simply means that you will reduce your needs by utilizing camping supplies in the home. You can take an interior room and seal it off with plastic sheeting. This will be your one room shelter for the duration. You may be able to have enough fuel for a small camp heater to help heat one room. Even better, put up a tent in your living room and stay in there. A small tent will be easy to heat and will conserve body heat as well. The best way to stave off the effects of cold is to heat hot food and drink hot liquids. A good camp stove with lots of fuel cylinders is a must. Get good sleeping bags for everyone! An army surplus “mountain” rated bag is good to about 10-degrees above zero and costs about $40.00. In an unheated house, on a mattress with a few blankets it will be good at colder temperatures. For about $180.00 you can get the army surplus “extreme cold/arctic” bag rated to 40-degrees below zero. Of course commercial bags are available at higher prices with equivalent ratings.

The body burns a lot more calories in cold weather, so you need to have hearty foods stored away. Fortunately the food in your freezer can be kept frozen or at least refrigerated for some time if the power goes off. You will need to have a strong animal proof box to store this food outside in the shade. You can store food in an unheated garage or shed or in large metal ammunition boxes like the ones designed for 40mm rounds. If you have a wood stove or fireplace stock up on wood. Stoves are efficient to heat a room or two, but fireplaces without a running fan are not much help. You will need a good camp heater to keep your indoor tent or sealed (not air tight) room warm.

A Coleman ™ 3000 BTU heater will run 7-hours on one 16 oz propane cylinder. That’s enough to heat a tent or small room for part of each day. You are going to have to spend about 12-hours a day in those sleeping bags to conserve your own heat and energy. The heaters will have to be turned off when you’re in your bags. Even so, you will need to have 50-100 cylinders to heat and cook with through the worst of the winter. You will want to have crank powered flashlights and radios, but in the case of winter survival, candles and gas lanterns are sources of heat as well as light and should be used safely.

Keep your carbon monoxide detector and smoke detector working. Have fire extinguishers handy. Avoid leaving unattended candles, stoves and lanterns. Although the camp heaters and stoves are generally safe for indoor use they are hot and they burn oxygen, thereby creating a hazard you must be aware of. While the survival pack and the ability to survive on your own is an essential. If your home gets below freezing for any length of time the water pipes will freeze and burst, causing flooding. If you cannot keep them warm, let the water trickle from each faucet. If that fails, turn off the water and drain the pipes. The prepared home is a key element of independent, self-reliant survival capacity, abandoning the home is always a last resort. This is especially true under winter weather conditions.

Vehicular Retreating

If you must leave home and you can drive your vehicle to a safe destination that is what you should do. You should have your survival packs in tote bins ready to load in the vehicle. Other tote bins should have your additional sleeping bags, tents, stoves, heaters, fuel and food. The scenarios to follow assume that you will either not be able to drive out or will have to abandon your vehicle at some point. This is a possibility you must consider.

Short Distance Retreating

If you cannot stay in your home you will want to minimize the distance to a safe place. Your good weather destination may be too far to carry what you need for winter survival so you may need to have a short term site within a few hours hike to hole-up in until the weather improves. Abandon buildings, barns, sheds, stored boats or motor homes, etc may be considered. If you have a roomy vehicle and a place to hide it off the main roads that may be your optional shelter for a while. Things like tents, heaters, sleeping bags and food can be hauled a short distance to establish this temporary retreat.

Load Sharing

If you have a large family or group your chances of a survival in winter are greatly improved. By spreading the loads of extra shelter, fuel and food over more people you can all be warmer and better fed. Sharing body heat in shelter will also be a big help.

Sleds and Snow Shoes

If there is more than 4-6 inches of snow on the ground walking with a full pack will be difficult, but pulling a sled becomes a good option. If heavy snow is frequent in your are you may want to get into snowshoeing or cross-country skiing as a healthy sport. Its great exercise and gives you mobility others will not have. Pulling any kind of toboggan or sled will let you carry along what you really need for winter survival.

Caches

If safely stashing extra supplies of food, fuel, blankets and shelters along your rout are an option, do so. Unfortunately there are few safe places to stash anything today and locating your cache in winter may be challenging. Buried stashes may be hard to remove from snow covered and frozen ground. Depending on these life saving items being there when you arrive cold and hungry could be risky.

Using Natural Resources

One of your best options is learning “back-to-basics” survival skills. The pioneers and the early explorers did survive winter after winter without most of the “survival” supplies we now take for granted as necessities. They hunted, fished, trapped and foraged for food. They used hides and bark and branches to build shelters. They made fires and kept warm. They made beds from pine branches, grass and leaves. They were not “comfortable” and they were not “well fed”, but they did survive through winters. If you acquire some of these basic “wilderness survival” skills combined with your pack full of modern survival equipment you could survive through a winter without additional supplies. I must point out that the having a good knife, sharpening stone, hatchet, small shovel, fire starters (flints, magnesium, etc), fish hooks, line, and of course, a small caliber (22) pistol or rifle in your gear would be essential to using natural resources for food, shelter and warmth.

Conserving Body Heat and Energy

Always be prepared for what the weather could be for the time of year, not what it is. Those nice warm fall and spring days can turn into cold, wet windy days that can bring on hypothermia in a few hours. Even a summer night can be deadly for someone in shorts and T-shirt. The old theory that if you fall asleep in the cold you will never wakeup is a myth. Yes, if you exhaust yourself fighting a storm or you allow yourself to get wet (rain or sweat) and tired before you stop and fall asleep you may not wakeup. But if you stay dry and conserve your body’s heat and energy supply your chances of survival are actually improved.

Generally a sleeping person will wake up when the body gets too cold and move around just enough to generate a little heat. There are cases where survivors huddled together under a few tarps or dug into a haystack and for weeks and dozed on-and-off for weeks before emerging to be found. Always have a rain poncho available in your pocket, purse, locker, and glove compartment and of course a good one in your pack.

The greatest heat loss is through to top of the head. The body supplies the brain with warm blood and heat rises so the head seldom feels cold, but it is sucking heat from the rest of your body. The neck also radiates a lot of heat that can be conserved with a turned up collar and/or a scarf. A wool cap are ski mask is a must have item. Another big source of heat loss is respiration. You breath in cold air that then sucks heat from inside the body which you blow away when you exhale. A simple facemask or the ski mask can help conserve some of this heat. So a pocket poncho (or large plastic bag) a dust mask and a wool cap alone could save your life if caught in bad weather. Keep a pair of thermal sox under your shirt when out in winter. If your feet get wet you have dry sox if your gloves are lost, you can use them as mittens.

Don’t eat snow. Dehydration is a real danger in cold weather. The humidity is usually low and moisture is lost through respiration. Plan on drinking plenty of liquids, but not cold liquids that will lower your bodies core temperature. Stop and heat water. Make tea or coffee if you have it. Warm sweetened liquids will add heat and energy. Avoid long exposure to wind that will take heat from you by convection. Avoid long-term contact with cold ground or objects such as rocks, metal, etc. that will pull away heat through conduction. Avoid sweating or becoming wet from snow and rain as this will ruin the insulation value of your clothing. . Stay dry! Avoid drinking alcohol that takes heat away as it evaporates through the skin. Do increase your food intake and drink hot beverages to fuel your bodies heating system.

Winter In Camp

Camping out for extended time in winter is a last resort. The requirements for adequate food, water, fuel and shelter are much higher than for mild weather. Most people will not be able to haul the necessary weight far from their vehicle (road). Large groups will be able to do better than small families or individuals under these conditions. Camp locations must be selected with care. Select a site that is sheltered from the wind and has adequate access to fuel (wood) and water. Cold air travels down, so avoid valleys and ravines. Camp in the lee side of ridges. If you can build up a sleeping platform a few feet off the ground it will be 5 – 10 degrees warmer. Underground shelters and basements are miserable in cold weather.

Most “camping” tents are designed for mild weather. They are too well ventilated. This is great for hot weather, but not so good in cold weather. Look for “expedition” or “mountain” tents that are designed to withstand wind and have smaller closable vents, large rain fly’s, and strong tie downs. Select a tent that is just a little bigger than the number of people who will occupy it. If there are two of you, get a “three-man tent”, etc. Too large a tent will be impossible to keep warm. Too small a tent will bring you into contact with the cold walls and not let you do anything but sleep in it.

If you can have only one tent and it is a warm weather tent, consider making up a cover for the ventilated roof. Better yet, cover the roof under the rain fly with reflective Space Blankets to reflect the heat back into the tent. Years ago, I spent two very cold night in an improvised dome shelter made from clear plastic tarps spread over bent saplings. It was quite warm at night and was a greenhouse of warmth when the sun came out. Clothing, blankets and sleeping bags become damp from outside moisture and sweat. This causes them to lose significant insulation value. They should be dried each day by hanging them out in the warm sun or letting them freeze and then beat out the ice crystals each day.

Conclusion

Winter survival is all about energy (food & fuel) management. You must be able to internally and externally create more calories of heat than you lose staying warm and doing work. You must create, gather heat, and save heat. Summer forgives errors, winter does not.

Website Posting July 2008

From the Presidents Desk

American Survivor May Not Survive

Once again we have no one to do the American Survivor newsletter for our members.

Richard Fleetwood has resigned from three years. Richard did a great job, but became overloaded with other issues and had to give up. He will still keep up our website.

Last year the member that did the mailing of the newsletter had to quit after doing it for ten years. We had hoped to increase the size and frequency of the newsletter from 6 x 8-page issues to 8 x 10 page issues by 2007, but we were barely able to get out what we did. Last year we simplified the layout so that anyone with basic MS-Word skills could create the newsletter. While I can get a few issues to get us to 2009 it will take me away from organizing programs and other Live Free activities. Fewer publications and fewer programs will probably result in loss of membership that we have worked hard to gain.

Our best hope is to get several volunteer editors to do 2 or 3 issues per year. This would remove the pressure from any one parson and even improve the publication. If no one steps forward we will probably loss regularity or ceases publication altogether by mid-2009. We have continuously published a survival newsletter since 1977. It would be a shame to stop right when it is needed the most.

Survival Papers Available On CD

We have over 100 of the best articles from past newsletters and training programs available on CD. These papers range from one page to over 30 pages. Many are illustrated. Subjects include: Food & Water for Survival, Nuclear Biological & Chemical Survival, Self-Defense Weapons & Tactics, Survival Supplies & Equipment, Urban Survival Skills, General Survival Subjects, Survival Planning, Tactics & Philosophy. Send $17.00 payable to Live Free, USA

To: Survival Papers, P.O. Box, 342385 Bartlett, TN 38183-238.

Almost Broke Again!

Outside of membership we get very few contributions. Fund raising programs have been few and far between and even members often attend events without making the voluntary, but needed contribution. Book sales at gun shows and a few regular small contributors keep us going. Printing, advertising, mailing eat up funds faster than the trickle of dues replaces it. Breakout projects like the production of training videos, website upgrades or a bigger batter publication take hundreds of dollars that we don’t have. We have no grants or large contributors at-all. We are looking at a deficit year that will call for cuts in 2009.

Videos Old & New

We are hoping to create and sell a variety of survival education programs on CD and DVD by the end of 2008. This could bring our programs to many more people and solve our funding problems. We have three programs in the works. We are creating new programs that are specifically produced as training videos. We have gathered up dozens of videos of past Live Free training programs that can be converted to CD or DVD. We have several extensive Power Point programs that we will narrate and automate so they can be used by anyone.

Live Free Has A New Address

While our old Dolton Illinois PO box will remain open for another year, we have established a new PO box in Indiana. All future literature will be changed to this address. LIVE FREE USA, P O BOX 3295, MINSTER, IN, 46321.

Choices For Survival

I completed Choices for Survival last year. The book is about 90-pages at 8 ½ x 11 (more in book size pages) and is directed towards the psychology and philosophy of survival and self-reliance as I see it. I put lot of work into it, but only a few friends have seen it. Paper printing is pretty much out of the question because of cost. I may just post the whole thing on the site.

Thanks to all the members who continue to support Live Free and its mission. We struggle on and hope to survive.

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STORM WARNING
The Perfect Storm of Change and Disaster in the Years to Come and How to Prepare For It
By Jim Jones, CHCM, EMT

In the Twentieth Century, we put in less and less and took more and more. In the Twenty-first Century, survivors will be the ones who do more and more with less and less. The twentieth Century was the time of waste and consumption and luxury. The Twenty-first Century will be the time of conservation and self-reliance.

In the movie “The Matrix” agent Smith (a virtual being) says, “Humans are the only mammal that acts more like a parasite, moving from one area to the next while growing exponentially until all of the resources in one area are gone and the area is dead and then moving on to the next area”. In fact, archeological and anthropological data supports this assertion. The arrival of humans always correlates to extinctions of animal, vegetable and mineral resources. In cases such as islands where the human population was unable to move on, they fought with each other over the little remaining resources and then died out or lingered in misery and poverty.

In the twentieth century, America has populated and consumed itself into a dead end. We were the last place to go. There is no place to move on to. The entire world is now populated beyond the remaining resources. We have a fast growing population seeking higher living standards on a nearly used up planet. There are as many people alive now as there were during the whole of recorded history combined and that will double in the next 40-years. Windmills, hydrogen power, solar power and better farming will buy a little time, but this is a race that humanity cannot win.

The use of corn for fuel has instantly caused a food shortage. Many stores in the US are rationing rice and other staples. Africa is starving and there have been food riots in Egypt, the Philippines, and Mexico. 37 countries have declared being in a food crisis. Some countries have banned exports of grain to assure local supplies. The falling value of the dollar has resulted in more of them being needed to buy the same amount of oil. The drive for biofule is leading to less food crops and massive deforestation in third world countries.

Grain reserves are at a 30-year low. A bad harvest anywhere could be catastrophic. Massive legal and illegal immigration from “have not” to “still have” nations is generating instability, crime and unrest throughout Europe and the US. This will only get worse. In some cases food is the new drugs. Criminal gangs known as “boosters” are beginning to steal food and resell it on the streets. The “black market” and government price controls will be more and more evident over the next 5 to 10 years. Water is the new oil. There are already legal conflicts developing between states in the United States and between many foreign nations over access to water. Water is currently classified as a “resource” belonging to everyone, but that could change. There are motions afoot to classify water as a “commodity” to be owned, bought and sold like oil.

Think about the consequences of that! Even freedom from thirst may not be a human right. Urban sprawl is eating up farmland. When I was a boy, I lived on the edge of Chicago at 97th street south. There were open marshes, wood and farms nearby. Now, 60-years later I have to go out to 225th street to see similar areas, and that is being developed fast. With exponential growth, Chicago’s sprawl could reach the Mississippi by the end of the Century. The oceans are no longer international territory. As resources dwindle nations are reaching out for the ocean and the ocean floors. The Russians recently planted their flag on the sea floor at the North Pole to claim any mineral resources that may be there. Other nations are trying to extend their boundaries or are disputing current limits. There is no doubt that in the future, every inch of the Earth’s land, ice and water area will be claimed by someone. This will of course result in serious border conflicts and probably wars.

Americans once lived the “American Dream” with one working parent, good vacations and benefits while buying with cash and saving regularly. Today it takes two working parents taking few vacations with few benefits and high debt to desperately hang on to a vanishing dream. As the late George Carlin said, “we spent money we didn’t have on stuff we didn’t need” and know we are broke with a lot of junk. The politicians will continue to try to fool the public with smoke and mirrors to get reelected and since false hope gets more votes than hard choices, the issues will not be faced. So there will be an ever-increasing series of ups and downs, but the downs will always be greater than the ups. The elite will thrive, the unprepared will perish and the prepared will survive and stay free.

What Will Happen?

In essence, the entire social, economic, political and environmental structure of the planet will be progressively stressed to the breaking point. Virtually everything we consider “normal” will be subject to change.

Cuts in police, fire and medical services will put every family in growing danger. Trauma centers in cities and suburbs are closing at an alarming rate.

The aging infrastructure will continue to degenerate faster than it can be maintained, causing failures in power distribution, water service, sewer systems, bridges and roadways.

Natural disaster will become more and more lethal due to the increased population densities, a more dependent population and declining emergency services.

Climate changes will kill hundreds of thousands. Climatologists agree that heat waves of weeks with temperatures of 110f – 120f will be common in cities like Chicago and New York by the end of the century. Don’t even think about Arizona or California! Recent heat waves in Chicago and Paris killed thousands. As the population doubles and the sources of water and energy for air conditioning diminish, heat alone could be enough to bring down civilization. The fire season in California was a few months in the 90’s, but is all year now. There is a clear water path through the North polar cap.

No doubt, epidemics and pandemics will occur, with or without terrorist involvement. It is simply a natural phenomenon when populations become too dense. There are millions of viruses that could mutate and spread quicker than they could be controlled. Bubonic plague hit India as recently as 1994. Influenza killed millions in the last century and mutate constantly. Antibiotics are becoming less and less effective and resistant viruses are multiplying every year. Experts agree that a world-wide pandemic is inevitable within the next 10 to 20 years,

The power of gangs and international criminal organizations will grow dramatically as they begin to control access to food, medications and other vital needs. The so-called “black market” will return. The gangs will often be able to offer better protection than the state. This is already a fact in poorer communities and third-world countries. Citizens may have a choice between being a ward and slave of a corrupt and oppressive state or a member of a brutal gang.

Prices will continue to rise faster than income. This will dump the lower income people and smaller businesses into bankruptcy. Service jobs such as landscaping, waiters, cleaners, general labor will be the first to go. Then semi skilled jobs will go. Being poor is a bad survival plan.

Shortages of just about everything will result in rationing, price gouging, increased theft, violence and the rise of the “black market” as in “I know a guy that can score you some cornmeal”.

Massive legal and illegal immigration will occur as people flee from countries where the economy, food supply and water sources are already inadequate. These people will flee towards any adjoining country where prospects are even a little better. This trend will result in increased border conflicts and civil disorder.

State and national governments will greatly increase regulations and confiscation (laws and taxes) in an attempt to sustain programs and authority. They may well attempt to institute socialist economics and unconstitutional laws. Hungry and desperate people will accept false promises of security in exchange for their (and your) freedoms. Even the Constitution and Bill of Rights will be at risk of being scrapped.

When things get tough, those who seem to be doing okay will be regarded with suspicion and even anger. We are talking about the folks who stayed out of debt and were better prepared to survive. The politicians will gladly blame them for hording, conspiring and hurting the economy. They will do this to deflect blame from themselves and their associates. This is what Hitler did to the Jews (they know about survival) in Germany.

Demigods and fanatics of all kinds will rise out of the chaos to offer solutions that will involve hate, violence, obedience, and the surrender of freedoms and property. They will be more dangerous to survival than any of the man made or natural disasters that may have occurred.

Local governments are closer to the people and will struggle to cope with changing conditions. Some may collapse, some may become corrupt, but some may restructure to involve citizen volunteers, local food co-ops and other innovations to maintain and secure their communities.

This will all work out in one of three ways:

There will be one or more population reducing events such as wars, pandemics, famines or other disasters that will bring the population to a sustainable level where “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” can still exist.

The entire society will degenerate into a constant state of conflict on a local and world basis. In this scenario, the wealthy elite and the gang leaders will live well, while the masses obey, pay and struggle to survive.

The world population will exist in a regulated, pacified, crowded and meaningless subsistence existence under the rule of a world state.

What, exactly will happen, how it will happen and how soon it will happen is hard to predict, but grim and dangerous changes will happen. There will be three groups of people involved in these struggles.

Predators exist on the bottom and top of society. They believe they have the right to take the property, freedom and even the lives of others. On the top end, we have the politicians, bureaucrats, ultra rich and corporate executives. Of course they are not all evil conspirators (some may be), but as a culture they tax, price, exploit, manipulate, regulate and confiscate. On the bottom we have the “criminal class” that steals, intimidates, drugs, destroys and murders. When things get tough, these people thrive and multiply like rats. The rules and natural inhibitions that kept them in check tend to breakdown. They will steadily fight over the decreasing resources of the general population. They have always survived at the expense of the welfare and safety of good and hard working people. But in the hard times to come they will survive at the expense of the very survival of those people.

Victims are the great majority of the world population that remains in denial of reality and dependent on others for survival. In the poorer communities and countries, it is people that even now are barely able to obtain enough food, water and shelter to get by from day to day. They exist in dwindling resources and the excess of the better off. These resources and excesses will continue to diminish with predictable and horrible results. In the richer nations it is the middle class that works harder and harder for less and less in the face of increasing debt, crime and taxation. They have more time, but are on the same road to losing life, liberty and property.

Survivors are people that are not dependent on exploiting others or being supported by others. They take full responsibility for the sustenance and security of themselves and their families. While they are hard working and productive members of society, they have not become fully dependent on that society. While they enjoy life, they avoid waste, unnecessary consumption and debt. They tend to live a bit below their means and have at least some reserves and backup systems if things get bad. Their sense of responsibility makes them good citizens and good neighbors who are often involved in volunteer work. In the gravest extremes most of them will manage to stay alive without harming others or surrendering basic freedoms.

Predators will say “let me save you”. Victims will say “who will save me”. Survivors will say “let’s save ourselves together”.

What Can We Do?

To quote yet another movie (Terminator Three), “We were not intended to prevent the catastrophe, just to survive it”. You must survive without becoming predators or victims or slaves. You and your children have the mission of surviving physically, mentally, morally and spiritually. Compassion, knowledge, responsibility, freedom and hope must survive with you. The past belongs to those who took more and more while giving less and less back. The future belongs to those who can do more with less and fight those who would take what is not theirs. The past was the age of dependency and waste. The future must be the age of self-reliance and efficiency. You and your children must be ready and able to adapt to painful and deadly changes. You and your children must be ready to outlast, outsmart and even outfight the predators and opportunists that will victimize the unprepared. While it may or may not be necessary to “take to the hills” or drop off the grid entirely, you must consider that possibility. Meanwhile, you need to change your habits and take serious steps to improve your survivability before it’s too late.

Reduce your “needs” and consumption. There is a big difference between what society calls “needs” and what you really need. Society says you need golf, Statbucks™ coffee, Gap ™ cloths, every new DVD that comes out, and bottled water. Most tap water exceeds bottled water in safety; beats bottled water in blind taste tests and is 240 to 10,000 times cheaper. Stop using credit cards to buy everyday items. Cash makes you think and visibly see what you are spending. Resist fast foods. Brown bagging or home cooking is much cheaper and healthier. You do not need to go to a health club to get exercise. Walking, home exercise, gardening and other activities along with a good diet will do the job, but you need to have will power. Leave the Starbucks ™, health club, designer labels, fast food, and credit card rip-offs to the future victims. And of course you don’t need to smoke. That eats up your money and endangers your life.

I am not advocating that you adopt an Amish life style. Treat yourself occasionally, go out to dinner from time-to-time, but think and stop wasting your resources. They are not endless and what you waste today you cannot get back for what you may really need later.

Stop wasting. Use real plates and cups instead of paper plates and cups for everyday meals. Use washable rags instead of paper towels. Use all the contents of containers of food and household cleaners. Turn off lights in rooms you are not using. Plan “right sized” meals that leave a clean plate without an overfull stomach. This will save money while you lose a little of that extra weight. Here’s a good weight loss tip, “You do not need to eat every time you feel hungry!” Rain barrels on downspouts can catch thousands of gallons of water you will not have to pay for. Yes, water will be the new oil. If you do not have one, install a fireplace or wood stove in your home now. Dry your clothing on a clothes line or at least get clothesline and pins so you will be able to. Buy fans and use them as much as you can in place of A/C. If things get tough you will have fans that can run on less power. Learn how to can, dry and vacuum pack foods.

Learn to do more with less. Instead of making several trips to stores, plans a loop trip that gets the most done in one trip to save gas. Plan menus carefully to avoid throwing out leftovers. Swap books and CDs with friends to save money, close off unused rooms in your house so you do not need to heat or air-condition them. Remember; survival is 50% what you can do with and 50% what you can do without.

Build your reserves. Put real needs and future needs first. The first step in build reserves is to get out and/or stay out of debt. While there are some opportunities where limited, short-term borrowing is justified, you need to get on the positive side by accumulating property, assets (equipment, tools, trade goods) and life supplies in place of debts for luxuries, expendables, and services you could do for yourself.

Think smaller. While you may be able to “live large” (big refrigerator, whole house A/C, big SUV, light on in every room) today, you must have the ability to downsize your need quickly. Electric bills and fuel bills could quickly become unaffordable. Have a small refrigerator. You can use it for cold drinks in summer, but it could replace your big one if things get tough. At least half of what you now keep in that big refrigerator (bread, cheese, soft drinks, water, pickles, etc.) does not need to be there. Have enough fans and small heaters to keep a few rooms comfortable if you cannot run that big furnace and A/C unit. Replace all your incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents. Another benefit of these steps is that you will be able to get by better with a portable generator, solar or wind power if the need arises. Unless you need it for business, trade in that big SUV for something smaller. If you must have that big SUV to “make a statement”, you are already a victim of the system. Consider getting a bicycle for short trips in good weather. Save gas and get exercise. That’s a win-win. Bicycles are also the ideal survival escape vehicles. You can carry more, move faster and go almost anywhere. Bikes are actually more efficient than walking. The Vietcong used them to move and supply a whole army in Viet Nam.

Buy durable and simple stuff. If you need to, spend a bit more on tools, generators, vehicles, tools, weapons, electronics, etc. Do some research? When possible, buy military surplus equipment that is specifically designed for hard use and easy maintenance. Be sure to buy essential spare parts, tools and manuals for all essential survival and self-reliance items. You may not be able to afford or even access a replacement part or a repair shop when you need it most.

Stock up on essentials like non-perishable foods (e.g. pasta, honey, sugar, vinegar, molasses, rice, corn meal, etc.) and essential supplies such as toilet paper, soap, toothpaste, light bulbs, batteries, LP gas cylinders, water filters, socks, underwear, ammunition, candles, clothesline and clothespins, matches, over the counter medications*, canning equipment, how-to books, and don’t forget a spare sump pump.

Stock up on tradable goods such as batteries, toilet paper, ammunition, over the counter medications*, cleaners, lubricants, disinfectants, salt, kerosene (does not evaporate, less flammable, used for heaters and lanterns), vegetable seeds (vacuum packed), insecticide, tools, anything that would be badly needed and hard to get. Actually, just about any necessity bought today will be worth more later if you can safely store it. There are still lots of well-built World War Two bolt-action rifles in new or like new or good condition (e.g. Mosin-Nagant 1938, Lee-Enfield 303, Gewehr 43) that can be had for less than $150.00 and ammunition is cheap and available. What will a good rifle and say 500 rounds of ammunition are worth in trade to unarmed survivors in the future?

Maintain a stock of bleach. It will be essential for water purification, sanitation and decontamination. Rotate the supply because it will lose strength over years. Soap and Listerine â„¢ for decontamination and insect repellent are other things to stock up on.

Buy crank powered and solar powered radios, lanterns and flashlights and any other devices that work independently of batteries or plug-in power sources.

Take up gardening. Until the late Twentieth Century almost everyone raised vegetables for their own use. Even chicken coops were common in the city. During World War Two they were called “Victory Gardens”. Big lawns, swimming pools and supermarkets became part of the lazy and dependent life after the war. It is time to turn some of that grass back into food. These would be truly “Freedom Gardens” or “Survival Gardens”. You save money, eat better, get exercise. No down side!

Consider adding solar or wind power systems. Generators are great for short-term emergencies, but how much fuel can you store and how much will there be in a future economy.

Arm yourself. If you have not already done so, consider purchasing at least one firearm and at least 500 rounds at ammunition. At the very least, have a 22-caliber handgun (revolver or automatic) and a rifle of the same caliber. These will give you some deterrent against predators, animal and human. Much better, get yourself a reliable (e.g. Glock, Colt, Ruger, SIG, S&W) 9mm, 40 or 45 caliber auto loading handgun that will stop any home invader or looter. Even if you lock them up in a safe place for now, you should get them. Their value will increase faster than just about any other investment and when and if you really need them, they will be worth more than any amount of money you spend.

Consider taking up hunting and fishing. These hobbies could have real value in tough times. Not only could fish and game supplement your own food supplies, but also you can use them as trade items. Consider also learning to dry and smoke the meat and fish that you get.

Always be prepared for an emergency. While you can’t go around carrying a pack and wearing a protective suit, you can keep items on your person, in your locker, at your desk and in your vehicle that will give you an edge in an emergency. Wherever possible, carry a pocketknife. A good quality single blade or the ubiquitous “Swiss Army ™” knife will be invaluable in a number of situations. Carry a folding N95 respirator in your pocket for when smoke, dust and perhaps biological hazards fill the air. One of those tiny LED flashlights can go on your key chain. Include some painkillers and Band-Aids ™. Large plastic bags can become rain, wind and chemical protection. A water filtration straw (available at sporting good stores could come in handy) and a whistle may be something to consider. If concealed carry is legal and practical, a small firearm may be your choice. If not, go with a small pepper spray. Wear sensible shoes that you could run through debris in if necessary.

Develop alternative income sources. Don’t give up your day job, if you still have one, but do start to develop a backup source or sources of income. If you have skills, consider developing them into a home business. Accumulate the tools and supplies you may need to make money in a desperate economy. Auto repair, home repairs, gun repair, reloading, food preservation, clothing repair, shoe repair, and many other skills will be in high demand. Gathering and rehabilitating broken and discarded appliances, tools and furniture could be a good business. Surplus sales and the sale of survival and self-reliance products would surely be a good choice.

Stay Healthy. Get regular medical and dental checkups. Keep your teeth in good condition. Stock up on prescription and non-prescription medications. Have extra pairs of glasses. Once good medical care becomes unavailable or unaffordable, it will be a bad time to discover that you have a problem that could have been treated or prevented earlier. Learn first aid and stock up on basic first aid items such as gauze pads, tape, bandages, splints, antibiotic cream, disinfectants, etc.

Prepare for serious disaster. Kits, caches, plans, packs. While “slow disaster” of climate changes, economic decline, shortages and crime (by the criminals and the state) will challenge survival for most, “fast disasters” such as riots, epidemics, floods, storms, etc. will be more frequent and more devastating in many areas. With less and less help available, it will be critical for every home to have the capacity to sustain itself for weeks or even months without outside sources of water, food, sanitation services, heat and power or even police, fire, medical services. In addition, each person (including children) should have a “survival pack” that is light enough to carry, but contains all of the necessities (necessities only) to survive in any weather for several days in the event that you are forced to evacuate. There should be a small quantity of water and a water filtration device, non-perishable foods, shelter and warmth (sleeping bag, blanket, tent, and plastic sheets), a first aid kit, spare socks, underwear, medications, weapons, fire starters, a knife and everything you would need. There are many sources of lists on how to put together a “survival pack”, but don’t wait. Any pack is better than no pack.

Have emergency plans. Consider what we have said about the future. Consider the various emergencies (fire, assault, flood, epidemic) that could happen in your area. Think “what if”? Make basic plans for each situation. Think “If this happens I will do this”. Consider what skills you need, what supplies you need, who you can work with, priorities, routes, alternate routes, communications. When others (family and friends) are involved, passwords and rendezvous locations are necessary. Remember that many emergency situations may develop while you are not at home or while you are asleep. Where will you be? Where will you loved-ones be? If you are one of those people that thinks “I don’t want to think about it” then you are already a victim and so are those you care about.

Be Prepared 24/7. Do not go out into the world prepared to be a victim! Carry a pocketknife (were you can) a firearm when conditions require, a small respirator, matches, a mini-flashlight, a whistle, extra medication (if you need it). A few Band-Aids â„¢ are advised. A large plastic bag if there is room. These pocket items will be a big help in the unexpected emergency. A more complete survival kit should be in your vehicle, brief case or locker.

Network and team up. There are a lot more self-reliance, self-defense, survival ready oriented people than is generally visible. The media and the governments generally discourage independence and self-reliance. Practitioners are often low profile and disinclined to share their ideas with others. Even though self-reliance is essential, family, community and group support (not dependence) is critical to long-term survival, greatly enhanced potential and recovery. Self-reliance does not require isolation. Self-reliance means you have a choice as to who, when and how you support and are supported by others. In the short-term, the capacity FOR individual self-reliance is critical. In the long term, the option and capacity exist for mutual voluntary support

Teach the children to survive and value freedom. A recent study indicated that many young people become stressed if they lose their cell phones. They are no longer individuals. They think and act as part of a network of cell phones and web sites. They may confuse reality with computer games. Their grasp of history is so shallow that they are truly “doomed to repeat” the errors that ruined and enslaved past societies. It is the most important parental responsibility to assure that their children have the will, knowledge and capability of taking care of themselves in emergencies and through hard times. The cruelest thing you can do to your children and grand children is to set them up for disaster by over protecting and under preparing them. It is the duty of every responsible parent to empower children with a sense of self-reliance and independence. This is the gift of life and freedom.

Use technology, but do not become dependent on it. The Internet, computers and cell phones are great tools for gathering information, networking, communicating, ordering equipment and books, and making some extra money, but these tools will be the first to fail or be used against you when you need them most. So use them, but don’t need them. Keep hard copies (books, papers, tapes) in a safe place. Develop direct communication systems based on those used by the underground and spy crafts of the pre-computer age. Set up things so that at any point things (emergency plans, organizations, teams and business) can go on without regular communication.

Don’t let your guard down. The recent Supreme Court decision to support at least part of the Second Amendment, a temporary drop in the price of oil or a slightly improved economy does not mean that all will be well. The UN (United Nations) wants to ban small-arms on an international scale and over-ride the US Constitution. The weakening dollar guarantees that fuel and everything else but your pay check will go up as your living standard goes down. Those in power will use every trick to disarm you and render you poor and dependent. You will have to fight for your freedoms and struggle for survival. Hold on when you must. Advance when you can. Know your friends and your enemies.

Build up a self-reliance library. There is lots of great, free information on virtually every survival and self-reliance subject available on the Internet. Google “survival” “self-reliance”, self-defense”, “water purification”, “first aid”, etc. Print what you find and make up binders that you keep in secure containers. When things get tough, you may not be able to access the Internet, so print it now. Order the Paladin Press catalog from: www.paladin-press.com or Paladin Press, Gunbarrel Technical Center, 7077 Winchester Circle, Boulder, CO 80301. Checkout www.modernsurvivalmagazine.com & www.survivalring.org. Subscribe to Backwoods home magazine at www.backwoodshome.com or Backwoods Home Magazine, 29545 Ellensburg Ave., Gold Beach, OR 97444

Above all, don’t give up and don’t doubt yourself. Those who live in challenging times have the opportunity to make a profound difference in the future. You will be the ones that decide if your children and grand children survive to be free, creative and happy.

* A Department of Defense study found that most medication last far past the expiration dates on the labels.

Conclusion

Live Free has been fighting for freedom and self-reliance for over 40-years. We have seen the threats of the Soviet Union, Red Dawn, Y2K and many others come and go. We have also seen a lot of panic peddling by various groups trying to promote products or sell fear and hate. We have seen dozens of so called survival organizations come and go. We have never been a big organization and we have never received a large contribution or grant, but we have endured and retain a reputation for responsibility and integrity. We have never claimed to know exactly what will happen, when it will happen or who to blame. What we do know is that changes and disasters will happen and they will happen to many of you. We also know that only through emergency preparedness, self-reliance and a steadfast determination to hold on to every inch of personal freedom and survival capability is there any hope for the future. If you have not seriously thought about changing your life style to a prepared, self-reliant, freedom first mode, do it before it’s too late. If you already call yourself a “survivalist” or a “self-reliance practitioner”, redouble your efforts and reach out to friends and neighbors now. If you do not happen to things, things will happen to you. You can happen to the future before it happens or you can chose to be a future victim.

Sources
Here are a few sources for the items you may need in your move to preparedness and self-reliance. Send for their catalogues or shop online.

Emergency Essentials
Be Prepared.com
1-800-999-1863
653 N. 1500 West
Orem, UT 84057

Campmor
Campmore.com
1-800-226-7667
P.O. Box 600
Mahwah, New Jersey, 07430-0680

Cheaper Than Dirt
CheaperThan Dirt.com
1-800-421-8047
P.O. Box 162087
Fort Worth, TX 76161

Golden Nugget Surplus
GoldenNuggetSurplus.com
1-800-942-8769
215 Glob Street
Radcliff, KY 40160-9504

Brigade Quartermaster
BrigadeQM.com.
1-800-338-4327
1025 Cobb International Dr.
Kennesaw, GA 30152

Cabela’s
Cabelas.com
1-800-237-4444
One Cabela Dr.
Sidney, NB 69160

Paladin Press (survival books, etc.)
Paladin-press.com
1-303-443-7250
Gunbarrel Technical Center
7077 Winchester Circle
Boulder, CO 80301, USA

Bridge Statement
This will be used to carry the reader from one serialized part of this article to the next

In the next issue we will continue this article with What Will Happen / What We Can Do in the coming hard times and catastrophic events.

In the past issue(s) we discussed the causes and results of the combination of overpopulation, declining resources, economic degeneration and climate shifts that will greatly endanger the life and freedom of every human being. In this issue, we will explore some of the actions the potential survivor of the 21st Century challenge may want to consider in preparing to survive.

Hi members, friends, and visitors,

After quite a few months of other projects taking precedence, I’ve finally started the update to the latest software tools for our website here. We’ve just updated this site to WordPress 2.5.1, and updated all of our plugins as well.

Chat will be coming back online shortly, with a better secured version, and we’ve looking at upgrading our Message forums to a new and difference package. More on that later.

Current tools, as we’ve got installed and updated as of tonight, give us audio and video players built into our website, and many new tweaks. Future tools to be installed over the next month include store management software to handle the Survival Papers, photo gallery software for us to share years worth of our projects, new video productions that will appear here on the site, and also be available for download, or on DVD, and many new and cool things.

We’re also setting up a new members only section on the website for managing tons of new content. The information on how to use this will appear in one of the next few newsletters that get mailed out.

So, stay tuned, and thanks for your long time support of Live Free, and this website.

Rich
SIte Administrator, Live Free Publications Director

Updated pages. As of 12/28/2007 I have updated the following pages:

“Events” now lists the 2008 programs as they are scheduled at this time

“Survival Stuff” has a number of new items added

“Live Free Report” now has the most recent issue posted

“American Preparedness Survey” now has the results of the 2-year survey.

 We are looking at ways to provide you with on-line training programs and our new electronic publication “Choices for Survival” one of the few books that looks at the psychological and philosophical aspects of personal and human survival in the 21st century.

From the Presidents Desk

   We are at a very critical point in the development of Live Free, USA.  We have reorganized and we have the best “core group” since the early 1980’s.  We have increased membership and the level of activities.  But we still have difficulty getting the American Survivor out on time even 6-times a year and membership outside the Midwest is less than it was in the 1980’s.  Some of our founding members are ready to retire, but newer members are not stepping up to take on the challenges.  Live Free, USA is the oldest and most respected survival and self-reliance advocacy organization in the USA (maybe the world).  We defined the philosophy in the 70’s, defended it in the 80’s and maintained it through the 90’s until it is now “main stream” accepted thinking.  We should be moving towards becoming a major organization with paid staff and a formal office and/or training center.  We are moving in that direction, but we could also fade way.   Live Free, USA was created in the 20^th Century, but it is obvious that its primary mission is to save life and freedom in the 21^st Century.  There simply is no comparable organization with our mission.   The next 12 to 18 months are critical.  We cannot simply continue our current level of actives, publications and funding.  We must grow exponentially and develop a whole new core of officers, instructors and organizers.  Look at our mission.  Think about how important preparedness and self-reliance are to the preservation of independence and freedom today and tomorrow.  Think about what will happen to the unprepared and the dependent as the predictable economic, political and environmental events impact future generations. How important can Live Free, USA be? 

IT ALL DEPENDS ON YOU!