preparedness
8 Maps You Should Have in Your Bug Out Bag

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One of the worst things that can happen during a bug out scenario is getting lost. You could accidentally wander into a dangerous area and get mugged, or you could run out of supplies and end up starving. And since you won’t be able to count on your phone, you should definitely have some maps with you.
In a world where most everyone has a GPS in their pocket at all times, reading physical maps has become a lost art. But in a disaster scenario, GPS apps in smartphones won’t work without an Internet connection, making your smartphone little more than an expensive paperweight.
In this article, we’ll cover eight types of maps to pack in your bug out bag. You don’t necessarily have to pack all eight of these, but make sure you have enough maps so that you can take detours, find alternate destinations, and never get lost.
1. City Maps
Your bug out will begin in the city that you live in, so its essential to have a map showing all the roads in your city. Even if you are already familiar with your city, keep in mind that the roads you are used to using may be shut down or otherwise inaccessible. Having a city map that shows every possible route could prove invaluable as you navigate out of the city.
2. County Maps
County maps bridge the divide between city maps and state maps. They encompass a larger area than city maps but don’t cover as much area as a state map, meaning they will still include some rural roads that may be left out of a state map.
Remember that even once you make your way out of the city, you still may have to be creative in your routes. Having a county map available can help you find alternate routes out of the county that may not show up on any other map.
3. State Maps
Maps that show the highways and interstates in your state are great for providing you with a big-picture understanding of the various routes you are able to take. While state maps won’t be as detailed as more area-specific maps in regards to all the possible roads that you could take, they do provide you with a good understanding of the major roads across your entire state.
4. Fire Road Maps
Also known as forest service maps, fire road maps show an overview of the fire and logging roads that snake through national forests and public land. Should you need to get off the main road, having knowledge of these alternate routes could prove invaluable. Likewise, if your bug out plan entails you staking out in the wilderness, a fire road map will help you get to where you need to be.
5. Topographical Maps
Rather than showing the roads and destinations in a given area, topographical maps are designed to tell you an area’s geography. In the event that you have to go off-road, knowing what type of geography you are heading for can be incredibly valuable.
It’s important to note that topographical maps can be challenging to read if you don’t know what it is that you are looking at, so take the time to learn how to read a topographical map before you stow one away in your bug out bag.
6. Photo Maps
Photo maps show a satellite picture of a given area as it is, typically without any additional markings. While photo maps may not provide as much of a sense of an area’s topography as a topographical map, or as clear an idea of the roads in the area as other maps, photo maps can still be useful for locating water sources and other areas of interest that mapmakers may have missed.
When you’re looking at a satellite picture of your area, you can rest assured that you’re seeing everything there is to see. Best of all, photo maps can be easily acquired by searching your area or any other area of interest on Google Earth and making a printout of the image.
7. Hunting Maps
Hunting maps are maps put out by a state’s game and fish department in order to help hunters find locations to hunt. Even if you are not using them to locate game, hunting maps can still be useful for getting a better understanding of an area. Hunting maps show property lines, road closures, and terrain, though they don’t show terrain as detailed as a topographical map will.
8. River Maps
Land travel might not be your only bug out option, but if you’re planning on taking to the water, you will certainly want to have river maps available. Thankfully, there are river maps for every navigable river in the United States. These maps not only show where rivers flow and what other waters they connect to, they also show important details such as the terrain and topography of the river and dangerous areas.
Final Thoughts
A map is only as good as the person reading it, and none of the maps mentioned above will provide any value if you aren’t comfortable reading a physical map. Whichever maps you put in your bug out bag, take the time to familiarize yourself with them and learn how to read them. You may also wish to mark potential bug out routes along the maps in your bag.
In addition to a collection of maps, other important navigation items include a compass and a battery-powered GPS. A compass is incredibly useful for helping you navigate using a physical map, as it can sometimes be difficult to orient yourself on a map without one. A battery-powered GPS doesn’t need an Internet connection as long you download the data you need ahead of time.
Between a collection of maps, a compass, and a GPS, you should have the ability to find your way anywhere you want to go in a bug out in a disaster scenario.
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This article first appeared on urbansurvivalsite.com See it here

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preparedness
4 No Cook Meals For Surviving The Pandemic And Food Supply Shortages

When it comes to your food supply, you just can’t risk not having enough. These no cook meals will be a great addition to your food supply planning. Check out the recipes below!
No Cook Meals to Help You Through the Pandemic
As of the writing of this article, there are 20 meat processing plants that have been shut down due to COVID-19 infections. We have been worrying about these types of effects on our food supply for months now, and this is the first real sign of how infections can affect the food supply.
When you walk into a supermarket, you might not see all the choices you had in the past. An empty meat case is a humbling thing for your eyes to fall upon. It’s the shocking realization that the seemingly infinite supply of chickens, pigs, and cows that are butchered for us has begun to run dry!
To deal with this issue, we are going to present four no cook meals that will help you create dinners at home that will feed your family without worrying so much about what’s available, or unavailable, in the meat case.
1. Smashed White Bean, Avocado and Salted Pork Sandwiches
As preppers we get beans. There are a bunch of ways to use beans and this a great example of how you can pack a sandwich with great nutrition and protein.
Serving: Makes 4 sandwiches
Ingredients:
- Can of White Beans
- Olive Oil
- 1 Avocado
- 8 Slices of Whole Grain Bread
- 8 Slices of Salted Pork (Prosciutto, Ham, Virginia Ham)
Instructions:
- Begin by draining your beans in a colander then smashing them up in a bowl add a few glugs of olive oil, salt, pepper. This little mix is delicious. If you add some minced rosemary, you can even turn this into a delicious dip.
- Pit your avocado and cut it in half and then quarters lengthwise. Leave the skin on.
- Lay the bread out on a clean work surface for assembling the sandwiches.
- Spread your mashed bean mix onto one side of the bread.
- Peel your avocados and slice 1 quarter for each sandwich. Spread slices over the bean spread.
- Add a few slices of your pork to over the top of the avocado.
- You can finish this sandwich with some lettuces, fresh sprouts, or just eat it as is.
2. Delicious Crab Salad
Canned crab is a protein option that will likely be around through much of this meat crisis. It does have to be kept in refrigeration, but it’s delicious and this chipotle mayo salad is great in the spring and summer.
Ingredients:
- 1 Can of Crab Meat
- 1 Bunch of Asparagus
- Chipotle Mayo
- 1 Bunch of Green Onions
- 1 Bunch of Cilantro
Instructions:
- Drain your crab in a colander and set it in the sink.
- Slice your asparagus into 1-inch pieces. Throw them into a bowl.
- Thinly slice your onions and your cilantro and throw that into the bowl, as well.
- Gently toss in the crab meat.
- Squirt on enough Chipotle mayo to coat everything and toss gently not to break up the crab meat.
- Chill in the fridge and serve.
3. Simple Greek Salad
The combination of simple summer ingredients makes for an incredible quick salad that you could add other proteins, too, if you wanted. These could be canned meats.
Ingredients:
- 2 Large Tomatoes
- 1 Cucumber
- 1 Red Onion
- ¼ Cup of Feta Cheese
- A Few Sprigs of Fresh Mint
- ½ Cup of Kalamata Olives
- Balsamic Dressing
Instructions:
- I like to cut the tomatoes in large chunks and have them kind of be the main course in this salad. Peel and slice your cucumber in half. Remove the seeds and either dice or slice in half-moons.
- Peel and slice your red onion in half. Julienne your, or thinly slice, your half onion.
- Add all these ingredients to a bowl. Finely slice your mint.
- Add your olives, crumbled feta, and mint to the bowl and add enough dressing to coat everything.
- Stir it up and allow this to chill for at least an hour for the flavors to really blend.
4. Mediterranean Tuna Lettuce Wraps
Using some similar ingredients and adding a protein like tuna, you can create some delicious lettuce wraps. The key to a good lettuce wrap is to have most of the items around the same size. So, consider that when you are preparing this dish.
Ingredients:
- Iceberg or Butter Lettuce
- Canned Artichokes
- Canned roasted Red peppers
- Fresh Cucumber
- Feta Cheese
- Minced Olives ¼ Cup
- 2 Cans of Tuna
- Green Onions
- Basil
Instructions:
- Start by peeling all the full leaves from your lettuce. Set them on a plate either cover them with a wet paper towel or put them back into the fridge.
- Dice the peppers, artichokes, and cucumbers into cubes. Go no larger than ½ an inch.
- Thinly slice your green onions and basil and add them to a bowl with your diced vegetables. Add your loves to this bowl and mix them thoroughly.
- Crumble your feta cheese over the mixture.
- Drain your tuna thoroughly and then add that to the bowl, as well.
- Gently toss this mixture. Try not to break up the tuna and the cheese too much but incorporate it thoroughly.
- If you want, you can add some olive oil to the mix or a few glugs of balsamic vinegar. It’s also delicious just how it is.
- Scoop a few tablespoons into a lettuce leaf, wrap it up and eat up!
These no cook meals should help lessen the stress you feel when thinking of what to feed your family. If you don’t have the specific ingredients, use your creativity, and use what you have. You might discover a new recipe while you’re at it!
What’s your favorite no cook meal recipe? Please share it with us in the comments section!
Up Next:
- Essential Survival Fuel: No-Cook Overnight Oats
- Dehydrated Foods to Try This Weekend
- 13 Dried And Canned Foods With The Longest Shelf Lives
This Article Was First Found at survivallife.com Read The Original Article Here
preparedness
Billionaire Whistle Blower: Wuhan Coronavirus Death Toll Is Over 50,000

- Exiled Chinese businessman Guo Wengui recently revealed leaks from Wuhan crematoriums. He claims based on the number of bodies their furnaces are burning, the death toll could be as high as 50,000.
A Chinese billionaire and whistleblower who lives in U.S. exile says Wuhan crematoriums have burned 50,000 coronavirus victims. | Credit: Chinatopix via AP
- The official coronavirus death toll in China is a little over 800. But an exiled Chinese businessman says crematoriums are leaking the real figure.
- A billionaire whistleblower alleges Wuhan has crematoriums working 24/7. He claims they’ve cremated some 50,000 coronavirus victims.
- Guo Wengui is a Chinese billionaire living in exile in the United States.
The official coronavirus death toll is some 800 people in China. The current official death toll worldwide, outside of China, is 774. But a Chinese billionaire with a history of blowing the whistle on his former government says the real figure is much higher.
Exiled Chinese businessman Guo Wengui recently revealed leaks from Wuhan crematoriums. He claims based on the number of bodies their furnaces are burning, the death toll could be as high as 50,000. Wengui made the bombshell allegations in an interview with former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon.
Whistleblower: 1.5 Million Coronavirus Cases In China, 50,000 Coronavirus Deaths In Wuhan
He also claims to have inside information that there are 1.5 million confirmed coronavirus cases in China. Wengui is emphatic that these are not merely quarantined or “under observation” but confirmed cases of coronavirus infection:
China has struggled to contain the coronavirus. But it has also struggled to contain public outcry against censorship and tight control of information. Dr. Li Wenliang, who sounded the alarm about the disease, succumbed to an infection and died this week. The Chinese government arrested him for blowing the whistle.
Then officials tried to suppress news of his death. Afterwards, millions of Chinese citizens saw the hashtag #IWantFreedomOfSpeech on Mandarin language social media. But the Chinese government censored that too.
Are Wengui’s Crematorium Claims Credible?
Watch VICE’s 2017 profile on Guo Wengui. At the time, he published bombshell documents alleging corruption in the Chinese government. He got the attention of the media and reportedly the U.S. State Department.
preparedness
5 Types Of Ammunition To Stockpile For A Collapse

Every prepper knows it’s a great idea to stockpile ammunition when preparing for a major disaster.
You can use it for hunting, self-defense, or barter.
But which types of ammo should you stockpile?
If you plan on bartering, then you don’t want a bunch of calibers that nobody wants. And that’s just one consideration.
In this video, Reality Survival & Prepping talks about what he thinks are the 5 best types of ammunition to stockpile for a collapse.
Here are his picks:
- .22 LR – Very common, good for hunting small game, very light and small.
- 9mm Luger – Great for self-defense, fits in a wide variety of handguns.
- 5.56×45mm or .223 Remington – Also very common, cheap and effective.
- .308 Winchester – Widely used, works in AR10 and bolt-action platforms.
- 12 Gauge – You can do a lot with it — hunt, defend yourself, etc.
In the video below he makes a much more detailed case for each caliber. What do you think of this list?
This article first appeared on urbansurvivalsite.com See it here
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