Top 10 Survival / Prepper Websites on the Internet

Caution: please judge yourself!

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If you are anything like me you have a long list of favorite survival/prepper websites that you visit everyday.  Each site has its own qualities with respect to appearance, community of followers and specific techniques for trying to reach the public.  With that in mind I decided to rate as many of these sites as possible in order to come up with a top 10 list.  Before I get into the criteria I should mention what made me immediately rule out any of the contenders.  If I logged onto the home page of any one site and was immediately greeted by an annoying pop up ad it was off the table.  I hate pop up ads, and by that I mean I despise them.   That being said let’s get on the with the criteria which I used to review each site.

Initial Appeal:  This happens within the first 3 seconds of visiting a site.  I formulate an immediate impression as to how good/bad I think a site will be mere seconds after visiting a site and you do it as well.  Are the eyes greeted with a pleasing color?  Is it possible to identify within that first 3 seconds what the site is about, or must one dig around through a bunch of strange links and banner ads?  Did someone get overzealous with widgets in addition to .gif ads (bombarded with flashing images) or is there a nice conservative mix of images and text? Like the old phrase goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.   There might have been a site out there with ridiculous amounts of information, a prepper’s dream website, but if I couldn’t get past the first 3 seconds it didn’t have a chance.  Think recruiter with a stack of 500 resumes to go through, each one gets about 3 seconds of consideration before going into the “take a second look ” pile or the trash.

Layout / Navigation:  When you load a page on a site your eyes naturally move from the top left of the page to the right.  Additionally what’s “above the fold” (what you see before you have to scroll down) is most the important content on the page when considering what type of  initial impression it leaves on the visitor.  That said what I’m looking for is ease of navigation, does the information on the page flow or is it a jumbled pile of links and images?  There is nothing wrong with ads but are they placed neatly on the page and are their sizes consistent, or did the website owner not even take the time to standardize the banner sizes (thus leaving the page looking sloppy).  Does the page render properly in IE, FF and Chrome?  Links to other pages or categories should be laid out consistently and easy to find, in the world in which we live if someone cannot find what they are looking for withing 3-5 seconds they are off the page and onto something else.

Relevant Content:  Not only related to survival / prepping, but also as far as variety is concerned.  There should be a good mix of all topics, not just homesteading, or guns and ammo.  Posts should be informative and not random, i.e.  ”I had Applebees for dinner!”  The website NAME should be relevant which alludes to what the site is about.  I should also mention if I click on a link and it gets redirected to yourwebsitename.blogspot.com that’s a no-go right off the bat.  The domain name should correlate with what is displayed on the home page.

Post Frequency:  Preferably there would be updates or new articles daily, but 3-4  times a week still gets a decent score.  If not daily there should definitely be a consistent manner with which updates are made (i.e. every Wed and Sat).  Posting at random is the best way to lose readers because you have to keep them guessing as to when the next post will be.  There are some sites that are more a repository of information rather than daily blogs, and depending on the relevance of the info (and scope) they indeed have a shot of making the list (and some do).

Speed Test:  This one purely data driven, no subjectivity.  I simply went to IWebTool.com,  typed in all of the website addresses I was grading and waited for the results.  A load time was displayed in seconds, which helped to drive the score.  Click here for a screenshot of the test results (note that the order is random).

The Top 10 Survival / Prepper Websites on the Internet

1-Survivalblog.com:  The standard by which all other sites are judged.  JWR’s site is updated daily and his published writing contests bring in a variety of experience of knowledge from all around the globe.  The design is a bit “plain jane” but the information is easy to access and the layout is pleasing.  New and seasoned preppers could visit this site and literally spend hours learning and downloading relevant information.  While this site did have the slowest load time of the bunch, I can only speculate that is because of the sheer amount of data stored on the server and possibly because their server is located in Sweden.

2-SHTFBlog.com:  Another three column blog which loads quickly, has a clean layout and immediately lets you know what the content of the site is about.  Three contributors to the blog give it some great variety and all of the other relevant information (there is lots of it) is easily accessed from links on the right side of the page.  There are quite a few ads but they aren’t “in your face” and are all standardized when it comes to size.

3-TheSurvivalistblog.net:  A very clean website (think google), very minimalistic when it comes to colors (black and transparent) but it works well.  Lots of great information on the site which is very easy to access, and a very active community which contributes in a way which is productive (no internet fights and insults allowed).   Content beyond what is displayed on the main page is easy to access, and the ads are clean and standardized.

4-AmericanPreppersNetwork.com:  A combination website, blog, forum, store and gathering place for preppers from all around the USA.  Tons of relevant information is available via articles written by members, podcasts and videos.  Additionally if one would like to link up with like minded individuals near a specific area this site can help to facilitate that.

5-OffGridSurvival.com:  One of the few sites where a dark theme/layout works well.  Drop down menus above the fold allow the user to quickly access information, with relevant links to the latest articles a popular topics flowing down the right side of the page.  The main page of this site is great, although it doesn’t follow the typical blog (daily update) format it has snapshots of articles from many different categories (outdoor, survival, news, off grid, hunting etc).  I like not having to dig around for information and this site delivers nicely.

6-SurvivalCache.com:  This site is very similar to offgridsurvival.com in that it does not follow the traditional daily update format.  However the sheer amount of information available on the main page along with a very orderly and pleasing layout make this site worth visiting.  I love the fact that on the main page there are no banner ads, very nice indeed.  The site also has a newsletter you can subscribe to and a forum community.

7-GreatNorthernPrepper.com:  A very clean website with an awesome collection of dropdown menus right below the main banner.  You don’t even have to scroll down on the page to find specific articles by category, simply hover over each main topic (e.g. food preps) and a drop down menu is displayed (sometimes with subcategories) which allow you to quickly access information.  There is a link titled New Preppers which is a great thing to have considering how many people are “waking up” these days.  Some of the ads did not render properly when I had the page up (or show up at all), small deductions there but nothing major.

8-TheSurvivalMom.com:  It’s quite obvious that someone with website design skills put this site together, the layout is great and the colors compliment each other nicely.  While content is king this site goes about pleasing the eye quite nicely as well.  Once again dropdown menus are utilized to help the user quickly access relevant information, with recent posts updated quite often just below the fold.  I like the link to “the basics” which is a great place for any new prepper to start.  The ads are clean and out of the way, although one image showed a broken link.  If I had to be picky, I’d wonder why the contact form was displayed in the footer, but that’s just me.

9-SHTFPlan.com:  A great site which offers a mix of survival/prepper articles in addition to daily news (heavy on the news).  This website is updated many times a day with articles and videos.  A clean layout which is easy on the eyes and tons of relevant links down the side of the page to other great websites are a bonus.  The *only* downside to this site is that specific survival/prepper categories (e.g. food storage, water, guns) are not displayed on the front page, but since there are so many articles all you have to do is a search and you are bound to find something worth reading.

10-PrepperWebsite.com:  Not a blog and not particularly at the cutting edge of website design, but nonetheless it’s place on the list is well deserved.  A no frills website which won’t win any design awards however the sheer amount of data compiled on this site is quite impressive.  Think of it more like an information portal where you can not only see the best daily updates from around the web but also access other relevant sites (which are divided by type).  There is also a link to The Preparedness Review (TPR) an insanely popular eReview put together and published by the owner of Prepperwebsite.com.

So there you have it, the list in its entirely and the criteria which was used to create it. What are your thoughts? Do you agree or disagree and did I miss one of your favorites?

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This article appears courtesy of Prepper-Resources.com, one of the premier prepper/survival blogs online today. Whether you are a new or experienced prepper feel free to visit and check out all of the other valuable information posted there.

Source: http://www.prepper-resources.com/top-10-survival-prepper-websites-on-the-internet/

Source : 2012 Glorious Hope - Soli Deo Gloria: Top 10 Survival / Prepper Websites on the Internet

70 Things That Can and Will Go Wrong in a Disaster

As hip as it may sound to talk about zombies, the end if the world and a doomsday apocalypse, the reality is that a disaster is anything but cool and hip.  As we look back in modern history, we will find countless instances where a disaster, whether man-made or a freak of nature, has wreaked unexpected havoc, destruction and panic.  The recovery process is long, and the level of organization and dedication required to successfully mobilize resources is huge.

That brings me to the topic of today’s article: “70 Things That Can Go Wrong in a Disaster”.

I recently came across a listing of things that can go wrong during and following a disaster and while the list is not my original work, I felt that it was a list worth sharing.  Some of the points are common knowledge, but others were surprising and to be honest, a bit disconcerting as well.  Most of the 70 items are negative and many go against what we commonly believe will occur as first responders and rescuers come on the scene.

So what is a prepper to do?

Read through the list, remind yourself that trained personnel are human too, and that even with the best of training, mistakes will be made.

Things that will go wrong in a disaster

1. In an earthquake, there may be violent ground shaking; it will seem to last much longer than it actually does.

2. Fires will occur, caused by electrical shorts, natural gas, fireplaces, stoves, etc.

3. Fires in collapsed buildings will be very difficult to control.

4. The extent of the disaster will be difficult to assess, though this will be necessary to assure proper commitment of resources.

5. Emergency equipment and field units will commit without being dispatched. There will be an air of urgency and more requests for aid than units available to send.

6. Communications will be inadequate; holes will appear in the system and air traffic will be incredibly heavy.

7. Trained personnel will become supervisors because they will be too valuable to perform hands-on tasks.

8. Responding mutual aid units will become lost; they will require maps and guides.

9. Water will be contaminated and unsafe for drinking. Tankers will be needed for fire fighting and for carrying drinking water.

10. Citizens will volunteer but their commitment will usually be short-term.

11. There may be a multitude of hazardous materials incidents.

12. Aircraft will flood the area; law enforcement, fire, media, civilian, commercial and military aircraft will be a major concern.

13. The Command Post and/or EOC will be overrun with non-essential personnel; media, geologists, architects, engineers, representatives from other jurisdictions, etc.

14. Staging will be essential; the flow of personnel, equipment and supplies will be overwhelming.

15. Although it is an EOC function, the Field Command Post will become the temporary seat of government.

16. Electric power will be interrupted or will fail completely.

17. It will be difficult to shut off the gas; valves that are seldom, if ever, used will be difficult to find, and may not work when they are found.

18. Phone service will be erratic or non-existent. Pay phones will be the most reliable.

19. The media will have the best communications available; be prepared to share or impound their resources.

20. Fuel will not be available because there will be no electricity to run the pumps.

21. There will be an epidemic of flat tires; police, fire, and emergency medical vehicles will sustain a multitude of flat tires that will require repair in the field.

22. Fires will need to be investigated; mutual aid should include arson investigators.

23. The primary police department concern will be law enforcement; there will not be sufficient time or manpower to provide miscellaneous services.

24. It will be dark; there will not be enough generators or lights available.

25. Portable toilets will be in demand; there will be no place to go, and if a place is found there will be six photographers there to cover the event.

26. The perimeter will be difficult to control; citizens and media alike will offer good reasons why they should be allowed to enter the restricted area.

27. Search dogs will be needed early in the operation.

28. Documentation will be very important; there will be a multitude of requests for information later.

29. Riveted steel (oil and water storage) tanks may fail.

30. Streets will be impassable in some areas; it will be necessary to clear streets of rubble in order to conduct emergency operations.

31. The same buildings will be searched more than once unless they are clearly marked.

32. In earthquakes, there will be after shocks; they will hamper emergency operations, create new fears among the citizenry and may cause more destruction than the original shock.

33. Many injured people will have to find their own way to medical treatment facilities.

34. Volunteer and reserve personnel may be slow to respond; they will put their own families’ safety first.

35. On-duty public safety personnel will be concerned about their own families, and some may leave their posts to check on them.

36. Law enforcement and the media will clash; all media representatives should be referred to the Public Information Officer.

37. Very few citizens will utilize evacuation/mass care centers; they will prefer to stay with friends and relatives, or to camp out in their own yards.

38. Structural engineers will be needed to evaluate standing buildings for use as evacuation centers, command posts, information centers, first aid stations.

39. The identification of workers and volunteers will be a problem; it will be difficult to determine who is working where and on what.

40. There will be rumors; people will be listening to their radios and must be given accurate information.

41. There will not be enough handie-talkies; batteries will soon go dead.

42. Many fire hydrants will be inaccessible (covered or destroyed by rubble) or inoperable.

43. Generators will run out of fuel; jerry cans of fuel must be obtained early to maintain generator powered lighting and communications.

44. Critical facilities will have to be self-sufficient; gas, lights, water and sewage may be out for days.

45. Emergency responders will require rest and must be relieved. Local personnel may be of value as guides for mutual aid responders, or as supervisors for volunteer crews.

46. Equipment will be lost, damaged or stolen, and may never be accounted for.

47. Someone will get the bill; record-keeping and accounting procedures will be important.

48. Traditional non-emergency personnel will want to go home at 5 o’clock; all public employees must be made to realize that they are a part of the emergency response team.

49. People will die and there is nothing that can be done about it. Non-public safety personnel will not understand why everyone cannot be saved. Priorities must be set to save the most lives possible.

50. Dead bodies should not be an initial concern. Rescuing the living should be the first priority.

51. If phones are working, the number of requests for service will be overwhelming. People will have to fend for themselves; it will be difficult for dispatchers to ignore these pleas for help.

52. Some field units will disappear; you will not be able to reach them and will not know where they are or what they are doing.

53. Security will have to be posted at hospitals, clinics, and first-aid stations to control hysterical citizens demanding immediate attention.

54. Representatives from public agencies throughout the United States and many foreign countries will want to come and observe the operations or offer assistance. They will be a significant problem.

55. Department heads (EOC) staff may not have a working knowledge of their assigned areas of responsibility, and will play it by ear.

56. Some citizens and media representatives will question your decisions because they will not recognize that the safety of field responders is paramount.

57. There are no critically injured in a disaster; only those who are dead or alive.

58. Handicapped and disabled persons will probably die unless personal family and friends can care for them and maintain their life-support systems.

59. Management will not be familiar with field response procedures, and may attempt to change standard operating procedures.

60. Emergency responders (public safety and medical alike) will not be adequately trained to respond efficiently.

61. There will be initial chaos; supplies, materials and equipment needed will not be readily available.

62. There will be a general lack of necessary information; coordinators will want to wait for damage/casualty assessment information to establish priorities.

63. Emergency equipment will not be able to reach some locations because of traffic jams. Tow trucks will be at a premium. Parked or abandoned vehicles will block streets, and emergency responders will be the worst offenders.

64. Even though there will not be enough people to initially deal with emergencies, many available personnel will never be identified and never used. After the initial shock, there will be too many volunteers.

65. General information will be offered in response to specific questions because field units cannot verify the requested information.

66. Individual public safety officers will be asked to do the work of squads or companies; they will have to recruit volunteers on the spot to provide assistance to their efforts.

67. The message flow to, from, and within the EOC and Field Command Post will break down and become inefficient and unmanageable.

68. There will be an over critical desire to verify all incoming information. If it is received from a field unit, it should be considered as verified.

69. Some EOC and Command Post personnel will become overloaded; some will not be able to cope with the volume of activity and information they have to deal with, and some will not be able to cope with the noise and distractions.

70. Things will get better some time after they have become considerably worse.

Credit for this list:  A July 6, 2006 article by Lt. Dan Blackston, Chula Vista Police Department

As you read through this list of 70 things that can go wrong following a disaster, realize that while many of these things may not happen each and every time there is an emergency, many of them will indeed occur.  And it is true.  Things will get better – eventually – but they may also get a lot worse than you can imagine before the road to recovery begins.

As a layman citizen, think about your own needs now and how they might be impacted in an emergency.  Recognize and acknowledge up front that if things can go wrong, they will.  Go back and re-visit your most basic prepping skills and supplies by reviewing 12 Months of Prepping.  And of course, continue to stow away extra food, water and especially tools that will help get you through if a disaster occurs in your community. Couple that with basic outdoor skills and a bit of faith and you will have done your best to prepare.

Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!

Source : 2012 Glorious Hope - Soli Deo Gloria: 70 Things That Can and Will Go Wrong in a Disaster