As a former US Army ranger, Jeffrey McCaskill once taught soldiers survival skills. The 58-year-old North, now a Vancouver resident, leads the Ready to Thrive Survival School, preparing civilians for survival in the city and wilderness.
“I have been in places overseas where the economy is collapsing before my eyes. I know I can take it. It will always be ‘big dog jumping on small dog‘ Scenarios were played all over the place,” McCaskill said in an interview.
McCaskill’s 8-hour Urban Survival Classes are offered to groups of approximately 12 people and run for 3 hours on Friday evenings and 5 hours on Saturday mornings. His students range from new parents to seniors, he said.
“I have been humbled by the array of students. There was a 70-year-old woman from Singapore two classes ago and she came against the wishes of her entire family. I even thought I was thinking this kind of thing, away from ‘Wow.’ And she actually shared her story and it brought me to tears,” he said.
McCaskill said an earthquake, flood or electromagnetic pulse attack are scenarios that disrupt normal life for weeks. He advises people to stockpile food, water and supplies for a month.
“By putting that food on the scene, you don’t have to find it anywhere else and put you in the sights of the villainous actors who will undoubtedly show up on the streets. We will be looking for medical supplies, perhaps clothing, fuel for vehicles,” he said.
McCaskill offers advice for people facing this kind of scenario.
“Make your place look deserted. Use blackout curtains or trash bags taped to prevent false light from windows. , I also teach you how to make it look like it’s already been looted,” he said.
“If you hear birds chirping continuously for two days, it might be safe enough to stick your head out and start assessing things.”
importance of water
McCaskill said flooding in southern BC a year ago washed away a bridge and cut him off from his “Bagout Property,” a five-acre off-grid organic farm that includes a 32-foot greenhouse near Princeton. He said the situation was a “real lesson” that led him to anticipate a broader scenario.
“Hydration is a big issue. Drinking just plain water can get boring, so I recommend getting these water flavor drops. Guaranteed the water they have is actually safe to drink.” So I set them up with a three-bucket system,” he said.
“If there is still water in the faucet, fill all pots, all containers. In fact, some people fill bathtubs. It’s a gallon.”
Taps are likely to run out of water in about three days, he said, after which you’ll have to go out and find a source of water.
“That’s where danger lurks. You have to act as a party and act tactically to minimize danger. Dusk is a good time to move unnoticed.”
McCaskill recommends purchasing a waterproof and fireproof safe to store important documents. He also recommends having an “emergency survival kit,” an “emergency survival bag.” Weighs 30 lbs for men, 20 lbs for women, and 15-18 lbs for children.
Protecting your food from strangers is part of your survival strategy, but McCaskill also encourages building relationships with people you trust.
“I’m emphasizing community-based networks that reach out to their immediate neighbors through barbecues or whatever. [even nearby blocks],” He said.
“Find people who are awake, who are interested in getting ready, and join forces to combine resources. If someone is a welder, the mutual aid network makes welders accessible to everyone.”
McCaskill said his own network includes a group called the Union of the People. Some of his students have taken canning classes from the union, and he wants to add a knife-making class. Therefore, I am also working on a book on preparation.
“When you go on the website it sounds like someone is craving chaos and apocalypse happening. They lust for all these weapon systems and the tons of ammunition they have and how they get it Suppose you’re talking about impatiently — you’re dealing with an idiot.
MacAskill website, ReadyToThrive.proAlso listed are wilderness survival classes offered to classes of five students over two days each.
Level 1 includes basic shelter building, fire building, map reading and land navigation, animal tracking, basic bushcraft, wild plant foraging, simple trap and snare making, and water catchment techniques. I will explain.
Level 2 teaches advanced shelter construction, tracking, and long range dead reckoning, move and watch at night, advanced traps and snares, and build improvised weapons. Dead reckoning is a navigation skill that uses basic direction, time, speed, and distance calculations to estimate your current location and predict how long it will take to get from point A to point B.
rural alternatives
In southeastern Saskatchewan, Living Stream Institute We offer courses for “settlers, preppers and freedom fighters” to help those who want to reduce their reliance on governments and mainstream supply chains.
Founder John Graff, a pastor, consultant, and shepherd from Whitewood, Sask, said the institute was designed to help those who might otherwise “see no way out” in darker times. It says it exists to “give hope”.
“The aim is to provide employees, employers and everyone with a way to deal with supply chain problems and energy shortages and social fabrics,” Graf told the Epoch Times.
The off-grid energy class covers how to make home heaters, how to make biodiesel, how to replace oxyacetylene with water-based fuels, how to install solar power, and how to find off-grid fuel sources for home generators. I will even teach you how to make it. Each side takes 1-4 days. Graduates have the skills to take a working unit home and use it to repair as needed.
“Many classes are hands-on, with participants not only learning technical aspects and theory, but actually building and performing tasks. , many need to be directly involved in order to work on the practical aspects,” said Graff.
Lee Harding is a Saskatchewan-based journalist, think tank researcher, and contributor to The Epoch Times.