Looking Back at the Future
With all good intentions, I had planned today to post a philosophical article about mindset – the survival mindset to be exact. And indeed, the article has been written but with a bit of serendipity, I decided to put the deep thinking piece off until another day. Instead, I thought it would fun to recap and share the most popular Backdoor Survival articles of 2012 along with some of my views on what I see happening in 2013.
I call this looking back at the future.
The Top Articles of 2012
Coming up with the top articles was a bit of challenge. First of all, many of you visit my home page that changes with each to article. So, for all intents and purposes, the ever-changing home page would be the top article. But that’s not fun.
Then, to add to the challenge, much of my work is also posted to Activist Post, Before Its News, Wake Up World and other sites. I have no way of coming up with statistical totals from those sites other than the feedback from the site owners themselves.
Still, I do have some traffic status so – for what it is worth – here are the top articles of 2012.
Survival Gear Checklist – 15 Items to Get You Started
Written in 2011, this article is one of the top articles viewed in 2012. In taking a new look at it, some changes are due. In some cases I have discovered new and better products and in others, I have found a higher quality item for less money. Watch for an update in 2013.
9 Mistakes Typically Made by Preppers
This article from last week clearly found a voice among both beginning and experienced preppers. Given another month or two, this article may prove to be the most popular article of all time here on Backdoor Survival.
12 Months of Prepping – The First Year and Getting Prepared: 12 Months of Prepping, One Month at a Time
The two together – with the “The First Year” version being an update of the “Getting Prepared” version, are still popping up as weekly favorites. I had hoped to layout the 12 months of year 2 in December but am now on track to do so in about a week followed up with Month #1 of Year 2.
Year 2 will focus a lot of skills in addition to the expansion of basic food supplies to a month or even longer. There will be some new gear as well, but again, the primary focus will be on the skills you will need to survive following a disaster or crisis.
40 Items to Barter in a Post-Collapse World
I don’t know why I was surprised by this one. If you missed it, be sure to check out my list of barter items. There may be a few surprises you had not considered.
The Coming Collapse of the Internet
Have you considered the possibility of a total collapse of the Internet? In the book Broken Web, George Ure outlines why the coming collapse is something we all need to be concerned with – government kill-switch notwithstanding.
5 Things You May Not Have Thought of When Planning for an Emergency
People love lists and my readers are no exception. This particular list went a bit viral and includes some common items you may have overlooked when putting together your survival supplies.
What are Antioxidants and Why Should the Prepper Care?
I write about healthy eating a lot and am thrilled that this particular article was one of the most popular in 2012.
How to Build an Outdoor Mud Oven for Use Now and When the SHTF
Do it yourself articles (DIY) are popular too. Of all of the DIY articles posted last year, this was the number one fav.
Ten Tips That Will Guarantee You Have Food if SHTF
Anytime the term “SHTF” in the title, the viewer count escalates. SHTF is an interesting concept and in 2013, I plan to explore how “SHTF” means different things to different people.
FEMA Faceoff: Truth as an Urban Legend
This article literally took months to complete. A promised interview with a top FEMA executive took place but the PTB within his organization did not allow him to release his interview answers to me. Instead, read the sanitized answered provided by the FEMA PR department. A must read.
The Rising Tsunami of the Police State
I try not to subscribe to conspiracy and fear but sometimes I do need to speak my mind on political and government related matters. This one was a bit hit among readers.
The Six Enemies of Food Storage
This became a classic around the net and was the topic of a couple of guest appearances on radio shows. Just goes to show you that whether you are new to prepping or an old hand, getting back to the basics is something we all revisit time and time again.
Looking forward to 2013
So what do I see coming up in 2013? Here are five to get you started.
1. Preppers will move more in to the mainstream in spite of the “out there” depiction on Nat Geo’s Doomsday Preppers series. Grocery stores, warehouse clubs, online merchants and everyone else selling something will try to compete for our dollars. Buyer beware. Spend carefully on products that are part of your overall prepping plan. This is not the time to make impulse purchases.
2. Second amendment rights will dominate the news. The shooting of innocents has provided fuel to our government and steps will be taken to limit our right to bear arms and to defend ourselves. Be forewarned and stock up on ammo and magazines if you favor firearms. If not, continue to acquire defensive skills including the proper use of pepper sprays, martial arts, and the like.
3. Food and fuel prices will continue to escalate in a slow and insidious manner. A nickel here, a dime there. It all adds up and affects our ability to get by either on income from our jobs or our retirement savings and social security.
4. The cost of healthcare will go up and the quality will go down. Obamacare is part of the reason and greedy and deceptive health insurers are another. The trickle down to working physicians does not exist and many are choosing to retire. Furthermore, young people see the writing on the wall and realize they can make more money as a computer programmer than a physician so why bother with the time and expense needed to become a physician?
5. Monsanto and the like will continue to take over our food supply and the government will ignore our call to recognize and study the ill-effects of GMO foods. Unfortunately, I wish things were different but see no change on the horizon. Our best bet is to grow (or catch) our own food.
These are just starters and to be honest, some of the others I have been thinking about are just too depressing to articulate.
The Final Word
Those of you that subscribe to my newsletter should have found a little New Year’s gift in your inbox this morning. To everyone else, I want to pass on that I am having a dilemma with the newsletter in that I don’t know how to separate newsletter content from blog content. Oy! That will be something I need to work on in 2013 but if you have any thoughts, be sure to let me know.
In the meantime, I wish you all a happy, healthy and prepared New Year. Thank you for being loyal to Backdoor Survival.
Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!
Gaye Levy The Survival Woman at Backdoor Survival
Related articles
- 101 Prepper Resolutions for the New Year (thesurvivalplaceblog.com)
- What Does It Mean to “Prepare for the Economic Collapse”? (thesurvivalplaceblog.com)
