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Are Luxury Survival Kits Worth It?

Are Luxury Survival Kits Worth It?

Pricey Preppi bug-out bags are proof you’ll need more than wealth to survive.

 

After surviving a terrifying 4.4 earthquake in Los Angeles in 2014, Ryan Kuhlman and Lauren Tafuri decided to form Preppi, a company dedicated to providing luxury survival kits to the wealthy and clueless.

 

Naming a survival company Preppi, which evokes images of prep school students in pastel plaids, is something that would only make sense to those who have very little chance of surviving TEOTWAWKI. That is precisely why sales of the bag took off not among wealthy preppers, but among people who read Vogue and shop at Goop.

 

What Is in the Prepster Ultra Luxe?

Preppi’s most expensive product, the Prepster Ultra-Advanced Fireproof Emergency Bag, is available online for $4,995. For that price, what could be inside? After taking a closer look, we learned the price isn’t about what’s on the inside; it’s about what’s on the outside. It’s all about being seen with a superficial item that signifies wealth.

 

The problems with Preppi’s products will be apparent to anyone with a genuine interest in survivalism as soon as you take a look at the products on their website.

 

In the Prepster’s product description it mentions a lack of sling or shoulder straps, “so you’ll need to carry it like a giant purse.” When you’re using two hands to lug a giant purse around, whose hands are you supposed to use for actual survival tasks? Does it matter if the handle is made from natural bridle leather if you have to decide between carrying the bag and doing anything else?

 

Inside the Prepster Ultra Luxe you will find:

  • Solar panel
  • Two rain ponchos
  • Power & charging kit
  • Mylar sleeping bags
  • Water filter
  • Space pen
  • LED headband
  • LED lantern
  • Rope
  • First-aid kit
  • Field notes notebook
  • Flashlight
  • Dopp kit
  • A $55 tobacco-scented Malin + Goetz candle
  • $32 Malin + Goetz Essentials Kit, because are you really surviving if you don’t have a good grapefruit cleanser on-hand?
  • MAST Coffee Chocolate bar
  • Waterproof matches
  • Pricey Marvis dental products
  • Poker set
  • Satellite messenger
  • Water supply
  • Food supply and additional “emergency food”
  • Night vision goggles
  • Leatherman tool
  • Flask

 

Ironically, these products may represent that last taste of coffee and whiff of tobacco you may ever have, unless you trade the bag for actual coffee and tobacco later on.

 

Best of all, the Prepster comes with complimentary monogramming. That way after the SHTF, when someone kills you for the bag or what they imagine might be useful inside it, they’ll know what your initials were.

 

Preppi’s Mission

According to their website’s About Us page, at Preppi they “want everyone to be prepared when the unexpected happens.” In other words, the same goal every prepper company has. They also state that they want you help “you face real emergency situations with confidence.” In other words, the confidence only upscale designer goods can bring.

 

Here at Rob Raskin’s Millionaire Survivalist, the aspect of Preppi we found most unsettling was the focus on making sure you have only the most expensive items when paired with the complete absence of any mention of training. What good does it do anyone to have a high-end rope and designer gloves to use to jump out of their second-story loft if they’ll break their neck because they have no idea what they’re doing?

 

Preppi’s focus on style over substance isn’t surprising when you consider the owners’ professional backgrounds and the skills they bring to the table. Kuhlman is a a film director and Tafuri is a costume designer and stylist. It should surprise no one that their focus would be on aesthetics.

 

On Preppi’s site they state, “… it is no longer an option to treat the topic of preparedness lightly,” then they include a $72-per-case coffee chocolate bar in their most expensive survival kit to show you just how much weight they give the subject themselves.

 

Their Instagram features photos of Gwyneth Paltrow, people wearing their bags at expensive travel destinations, and their bags in carefully curated luxury properties, also with no mention of survival skills or training.

 

The good news is, Preppi offers a lifetime guarantee on their products. The bad news? In an apocalyptic event, if you’re relying on their products to survive, you’re not going to need to take them up on it.

 

Why Instant Survival Kits Aren’t Right for You

No matter what the price tag, every prepper will have different needs that no one-size-fits-all kit could possibly address. You have the means, so it’s worth taking the time to find out who the best people are to customize your survival plan and make sure you have the correct gear.

 

Next week at Millionaire Survivalist, we’re going to discuss who the top survival pros you can hire are in the US today.

 

 

Ready for a laugh? Take a look inside Preppi’s $5K bag.

Take a look inside this “doomsday closet” to see a better use of $5K.

 

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Mars One

Mars One: What Went Wrong?

Now that the company has dissolved, will we ever colonize Mars?

Travel to Mars would be dangerous, difficult, and expensive. So why do so many billionaires want to do it?

 

As long as there are people with unlimited means who believe the Earth’s days are numbered, they will be ready and willing to invest in their own survival. To determine whether or not space exploration is a sound investment for individuals, we must first look to the example of the failed Mars One, which aimed to establish a permanent settlement on Mars.

 

Mars One promised one-way tickets to space, where those who were lucky enough to secure an enviable position on a shuttle would become permanent residents of the Red Planet. However, it was recently discovered Mars One is bankrupt. What went wrong?

 

Mars One Proposed Timeline

This was the initial timeline set forth by the ambitious Mars One corporation, which believed they’d be able to begin colonizing Mars within the next few years.

 

2012

In 2012, the Mars One organization and its founder Bas Lansdorp announced their plan to colonize Mars by sending groups of “pioneers” on a one-way mission to space, never to return to Earth.

 

2013

In 2013, the first round of astronaut applications closed. In total, over 200,000 people applied.

 

2015

In 2015, the final 100 astronauts were chosen, boosting them to instant celebrity status, even though it was short-lived.

 

2020

One year from now, in 2020, Mars One planned to launch their first robotic mission.

 

2023

In 2023, Mars One planned to deliver the first colonists to Mars. They believed at least six groups of astronauts would complete this first mission.

 

How They Planned to Fund It

As we discussed in last week’s post, there are a handful of billionaires racing to become the first to use their own money to colonize Mars. However, that is not how Mars One’s flights were going to be funded. Incredibly, the original plan was to turn the Mars million into a self-funded reality television program.

 

Mars One and Big Brother producer Paul Römer believed they’d bring in enough in revenue by giving the average person a glimpse into how people prepared for the mission, from training through the eventual landing on the planet. The end goal was to get enough people to Mars that a new society could be created as an alternative to a future Earth that has been decimated.

 

If all went according to plan, at some point the ad revenue and/or paid viewers would dry up, and of course everyone eventually tires of TV shows, but Mars One didn’t think that far into the future. Unless, of course, they planned spin-off shows about the colonizers’ lives after their arrival. Now we’ll never see so much as a pilot episode.

 

Those who aimed to become one of the Mars 100 paid a $40 application fee. With 200,000 applicants, they collected $8M off application fees alone—still a far cry from their $6B goal.

 

Swiss documents were exposed on Reddit that Mars One was bankrupt about about to be liquidated. At the time the bankruptcy was filed, the company had fewer than $25,000 in their account, a far cry from the billions that would be required for a single mission.

 

Why Scientists Said It Wouldn’t Work

From the beginning, prominent scientists and engineers said Mars One wouldn’t work. The evidence leans heavily in their favor.

  • Humans would need to grow their own food because they can’t bring enough from Earth to sustain them. These crops would produce oxygen, which would create pressure. If the nitrogen -generating equipment necessary to grow food should fail, everyone on Mars would suffocate within 68 days.
  • Whatever environment is present on Mars now would be irreversibly damaged once humans arrived—bringing billions of bacteria with them. If there is life there now in any form, we could wipe them out, along with the conditions that might allow us to survive.
  • The likelihood of the astronauts surviving the dangerous journey is highly unlikely. This equipment simply hasn’t been tested for long enough to make Mars One’s 2023 goal. In 2014 the company said they wouldn’t show a catastrophic event during a live broadcast, which is hardly comforting or confidence-inspiring.

 

Do you think Mars colonization is worth the money and effort? At TEOTWAWKI, would you trust today’s technology to safely usher you to a new society on a new planet?

 

Elon Musk’s SpaceX has plans to begin colonizing Mars as early as 2050. Musk has everything from new rocket fuels to refueling depots around the solar system in development. Will Musk reach his goal of seeing his Starship rocket make its first commercial flight in two years? It doesn’t seem likely, but with access to limitless funds and the most brilliant scientific minds of our times, it’s hardly out of the question.

 

 

Mars One goes bankrupt.

 

How the US Military could colonize Mars.

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The Billionaire Space Race: Who Will Win?

The Billionaire Space Race: Who Will Win?

No matter which one gets to Mars first, humanity will be the real winner.

 

 

If you had every resource in the world at your disposal, would you make survival on another planet your main focus? Billionaires around the world are doing just that. The billionaire space race has only just gotten started, and already some are closer to the finish line than others.

 

Who Will be the First Billionaire on Mars?

The race to Mars is about more than survival. Billionaires are in competition with each other for bragging rights as well. Who will win? Only time—and a whole lot of money—will tell. So far over $18.4 billion has been spent on space exploration, and we can expect that figure to skyrocket faster than a billionaire on his way to Mars in the future.

 

Who are the billionaires currently winning the race? These are the top three contenders.

 

Elon Musk

Elon Musk is a citizen of the U.S., South Africa, and Canada, and next he wants to become a citizen of Mars.

 

Elon Musk’s SpaceX has the ultimate goal of building a rocket that can carry 100 passengers to Mars once every 26 months, when the planets are aligned. So far the plan is to launch the first crew in 2024, with the possibility of beginning to colonize the red planet by 2025. The billionaire believes humans could live on mars within the next 30 years.

 

How much is SpaceX worth? In 2018 the company reported $2 billion in revenue, and they are continually improving their systems to increase profits. SpaceX is getting ready for a Mars voyage by perfecting human transportation here on earth. Their SpaceX Hyperloop will allow humans to travel via a system of sealed tubes.

 

Musk claims his motives are not about money or beating out the competition to become the first billionaire to successfully travel to Mars. Instead, the PayPal mogul says he is driven by the desire to help humanity overcome a catastrophic extinction event.

 

Of this potential future event, Musk said, “The alternative is to become a spacefaring civilization and a multi-planetary species.

 

Richard Branson

Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic is also developing a Hyperloop system, and that’s just the beginning of what the adventurous billionaire has in the works. Rather than planning to take elite groups of human survivors to Mars, Branson wants to make the survival of an extinction event accessible to all humans by making it possible to fly outside of our atmosphere.

 

So far, Virgin Galactic is off to an impressive start. Since 2018, the company has been testing flights with human pilots. Branson has said he believes it will be a matter of months and not years before he personally is able to experience flight outside of the Earth’s atmosphere.

 

Beyond Virgin Galactic, Branson also has other companies working on space travel, including The Spaceship Company and Virgin Orbit. Of his future chances at success, Branson said, “Space is hard—but worth it.” The billionaire believes space travel is inevitable. For him, perhaps it is.

 

Despite Branson’s plans to make space flight accessible to average people, at this time each trip is projected to cost over $200K. Of travel in space, the billionaire said, “This fascination with flying, breaking boundaries, and exploring the great unknown has never left me.”

 

Jeff Bezos

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’s space company Blue Origin was founded because the billionaire believes space travel is going to be necessary if humans are going to survive into the future. At the rate we’re destroying our planet, he may be correct.

 

Blue Origin is the billionaire’s most important project. Of space travel Bezos said, “In order to preserve Earth, our home, for our grandchildren’s grandchildren, we must go to space to tap its unlimited resources and energy.

 

Bezos believes that because of his wealth he has an obligation to invest in the long-term survival of the human race because this area of research isn’t accessible to anyone except those who are in a position of extreme wealth.

 

Blue Origin is on a more modern timeline than the other billionaire-led space companies, however. This company expects to have humans in space within 200 years, and at the soonest in a few decades.

Bezos has mentioned how important Blue Origin is to him not just because of what can be accomplished in his lifetime, but for what is to come. “This is super important to me, and I believe on the longest time frame — and really here I’m thinking of a timeframe of a couple of hundred years, so over many decades — I believe and I get increasing conviction with every passing year, that Blue Origin, the space company, is the most important work I’m doing,” Bezos said.

 

As many accomplishments and advancements as these three billionaires have enjoyed, the are not the only members of the 2% in the space race. American billionaire Paul G. Allen’s Vulcan Aerospace and Russian billionaire Yuri Milner’s Breakthrough Starshot are also working on improving space exploration and travel.

 

Be sure to check back next week, when Rob Raskin’s Millionaire Survivalist takes an in-depth at what went wrong with the Mars One project.

 

Can Mars be colonized?

 

Learn more about Elon Musk’s plan to colonize Mars.


 

 

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Drones for the One Percent

These are the world’s most expensive drones, and they’re worth every penny.

Despite their high price tag, premium drones have been selling like crazy, and it’s easy to see why the wealthiest preppers are investing in them.

 

Once the SHTF, there will be myriad dangers lurking outside your shelter, especially if the other survivors know what you have inside and they want it for themselves. Once people who didn’t prepare become desperate for resources, they will be ready to die and kill for them.

 

On top of that, in a natural disaster, terrorist, or wartime situation, there is also likely to be structural damage blocking your path. If you take the risk of trying to reach a destination, you’ll want to know whether or not it’s still standing and you are physically able to reach it before you go.

 

There is no better way to assess your level of risk than by sending your drone out on a reconnaissance mission instead of putting yourself and your team in harm’s way.

 

Why You Need a Drone for Survival

Once the grid is down, the devices most of us use for communication are going to be rendered useless. The last thing you want to do is venture outside with no idea who or what awaits you. If you want to know what’s going on in the world outside your luxury bunker, a drone will give you the bird’s eye view you’ll need to get real-time intelligence that will allow you to make informed decisions.

 

Drones are also essential for defending your perimeter. Your high-end drone will be among your first line of defense. It’s mobile video surveillance technology will alert you to any trespassers so you can react quickly, before they have the chance to sneak up on you. Many have long stream broadcast distance capability that will allow you to view what their cameras pick up from over 1,000 yards away.

 

Sending your team out on a reconnaissance mission when you could have just sent a drone instead is never worth the risk. Once you see the following drones, you’ll be looking for an excuse to invest in one—or many—anyway.

 

The Most Expensive Drones of 2019

Are you ready to experience the world’s most luxurious drones? If you want a drone of the very highest possible caliber, these two models are the very best that money can buy. In fact, one of them you may not be able to buy even if you can afford it.

 

EHang AAV 184 – $300,000

If you’re looking for a drone that is Eco-Friendly and designed with green technology that you can fly in, the EHang AAV 184 is for you. This autonomous aerial vehicle provides Medium-Short Distance communication, and it’s powered by electricity.

 

The owners of this passenger drone especially appreciate its fail-safe system. If anything unexpectedly goes wrong while the passenger drone is in flight, the EHang will immediately land rather than crashing. If you’ve ever had a pricey drone crash before and lost your investment as a result, you know how much that hurts. Now imagine how much worse it would be if you were inside the drone, and then you’ll understand why this is an incredible feature.

 

When you’re in the AAV, you’ll be connected online with a low-altitude command center. Your communication will be kept confidential, as this communication is completely encrypted. They can alert you to dangerous conditions and even prohibit you from taking off if it’s too risky. In favorable weather conditions, you can fly this passenger drone anytime, day or night.

 

 

Another thing EHang owners appreciate is the full-redundancy design. Even if one component of the power system malfunctions, this drone will continue its normal flight plan, keeping both passenger and passenger drone safe.

 

The EHang AAV flies in a unique inverted U shape you should never pass up the chance to experience. When you’re ready to come back down to earth, you’ll have a landing camera feature that will allow you to land safely and accurately.

 

Augmented AERIGON MK II + Phantom Flex4K – $250,000

The Augmented AERIGON MK II + Phantom Flex4K is one of the world’s finest camera drones. When AERIGON needed to develop a drone that could be used in conjunction with powerful equipment like the Phantom Flex4K camera, they turned to Brain Farm for help. This fantastic camera drone is the result of that collaboration.

 

Unlike the previous drone, this one is not electric. The AERIGON takes 45 minutes to charge, and it requires six batteries. The camera drone is capable of flying anywhere from seven to 15 minutes, and it has a signal range of up to one kilometer.

 

If you’re a photographer who is using drones to take your work to the next level, this is the camera drone for you because it can carry 14+ pounds of weight.

 

The owners of this elite camera drone appreciate having a precise level of control, thanks to its advanced stabilization system.

 

According to their website, this drone is no longer for sale. If you want the Aerigon, you’ll have to persuade someone who already owns one to part with it.

 

 

Learn more about the world’s most expensive drones.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OwKQExoh3o

 

These are the best drones of 2019.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJRyfNPTpUs

 

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Virtual Reality Can Help You Survive TEOTWAWKI

The Latest VR Technology Is a Must-Have for Serious Preppers

Who doesn’t like to buy the latest electronic gadgets? If you have the means, there is a never-ending stream of new technology available to you. One of the most exciting innovations to come out of our modern technical era is virtual reality.

Today virtual reality is being used for everything from training surgeons to the treatment of PTSD. In an episode of the show Billions, virtual reality is used to sell real estate when a group of characters use VR goggles to experience the premium amenities in a luxury doomsday facility.

Here are some other ways VR technology is being used to transform the world:

  • Training people to manage their pain
  • Helping people on the autism spectrum with social cognition
  • Teaching people how to manage and treat their anxiety
  • The development of new automobiles
  • Transporting museum visitors to another time or place
  • Crime scene evaluations for the courtroom
  • Job recruitment and training
  • Shopping
  • Training airline pilots

 

Today there are wireless devices available that you can run via your phone with a Wi-Fi connection, leading to an even more authentic experience. The computer-generated simulations that are available today are nothing short of incredible, and it is speculated that the technology is only at the midpoint of its development. What we can expect to see from this sector in the future should be nothing short of spectacular.

 

One way virtual reality technology is ushering the future in is through the development of haptic suits, which are also known as tactile or gaming suits. These are wearable devices that use vibrations and other sensations to make the wearer experience being able to feel and touch in the virtual world. Haptic suits are a literal game-changer, and once you’ve tried it you’ll be signing up to buy the newest technology.

 

Here are a four ways virtual reality can help you train to survive the apocalypse.

Virtual Bear Attack

When you find yourself face to face with a bear, the split-second decisions you make will mean life or death—for both you and the bear. Wouldn’t it be great if you could have unlimited trial runs of this situation before you retreat to a bug-out location in an area that has bears? Thanks to virtual reality, you can.

VR Training Solutions offers a VR Bear Safety Training Program that allows you to experience not only being attacked by a bear, but being attacked by the specific kind of bear that frequents your region. You can also choose other animals like cougars and coyotes. If you’re bugging-out in Alaska, you can even choose a simulated polar bear attack.

This virtual reality simulator will allow you to practice your survival skills ahead of time, with a vicious predator that can’t kill you. This will help you develop muscle memory through repeated use that can help you to act quickly and instinctively if and when the time comes and you are facing-off with a bear in the wild.

Physical and Emotional First Aid

Virtual reality programs like Bravemind and Strive are helping soldiers prepare for combat both physically and emotionally through VR-based exposure therapy. Soldiers are able to recreate scenes that include combat, first aid, the death of other soldiers, and working in a medical tent that is filled with injured soldiers. These are all scenes that could potentially be in your future after a disaster situation.

These programs don’t work by erasing traumatic memories, but rather by helping soldiers to respond differently to challenging situations on an emotional level. By allowing soldiers to experience realistic war experiences, they are learning how to develop emergency response and crisis skills that can help them cope emotionally when these situations happen in real-life.

Active Shooter

Enhanced Dynamic Geo-Social Environment, or EDGE, is a virtual reality program the U.S. Department of Homeland Security developed specifically to train teachers to manage school shooters, but it is also useful to preppers. In the wake of the collapse of society, shooters could become commonplace for a variety of reasons, so it’s best to be prepared.

 

EDGE allows you to develop the critical skills you’ll need to keep it together emotionally, to save yourself, to save others, and to fight back. You can also experience a shooter situation from the perspective of a responding officer. Interestingly, the game also allows you to experience the shooter’s perspective. By seeing the situation from the shooter’s perspective, you can see what they see and know what to do to protect yourself.

 

The engineers who designed this VR experience took details from real shootings to make sure it was as authentic as possible. As the people who have already been present at shootings know, when it comes to shooting events, you only get one chance to get it right. Who wouldn’t want to practice the skills you’ll need to survive in a safe virtual reality environment?

 

The Haptic suit allows you to touch and feel virtual reality.

 

Learn more about how VR headsets work.

 

 

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Would You Buy This GA Luxury Bunker?

How much is your survival worth? In this Georgia bunker, $92 per square foot.

Can you put a price tag on survival? The seller of one luxury bunker in Tifton, Georgia did: $17.5M This bunker went on the market in 2105, and though it was listed at $17.5M, the next year the price was dropped to $16M. According to REALTOR.com, the property is currently off the market.  Just because it failed to find a buyer the first time, however, doesn’t mean it’s not the right bunker for you.

At the time of listing, this property, which is known as “The Facility,” was the only privately-owned luxury bunker in the United States. Incredibly, it has been certified to withstand the force of a 20,000-ton nuclear blast, with a spring system that was designed to help absorb the impact.

The shelter sits approximately 10 miles from the I-75 interstate, 45 feet underground, on an ultra-private 20-acre parcel in Tifton, which has a population of 16,568 and a median income of just $31,114. Despite its small population, Tifton has been named as one of Georgia’s most dangerous cities.

Once you consider what a city that is dangerous now might be like after the collapse of civilization, it’s easy to see why this property failed to find a buyer despite the price drop and the enviable amenities. However, after TEOTWAWKI, the areas that are less populated will become less dangerous than larger cities that are filled with desperate people who weren’t prepared. The danger level of this city could change drastically in a postapocalyptic world.

History of the Tifton Bunker

The facility was originally constructed in 1969, during the Cold War era. During this time, tension between the United States and Russia was high. In October of 1969, the US was so leery of a Russian nuclear attack that they conducted an operation that involved sending B-52 bombers that were nuclear-armed to the Soviet border. They wanted to instill a level of fear in the Soviets that would ensure they would be too afraid of American retaliation that they wouldn’t make the first strike.

Despite the paranoia of the times, The Facility has never actually been occupied by survivalists, as other bunkers here in the US sometimes are. Instead, it was originally used as a commercial training facility for communications. The building is not able to be penetrated by electromagnetic interference thanks to three-foot-thick walls that are made from 4,000-6,000 PSI hardened concrete, which made it ideal for that purpose.

This bunker was constructed under a cloud of secrecy. Those who worked on the project did not break their confidentiality agreements. This was just one of many commercial training facilities that were used by AT&T and the Bell System. There are others across the country, including others in Georgia. In the 1960s, all of these facilities were fortified against nuclear attacks.

The Facility was renovated to meet government standards during a $2.5M 2012 upgrade. Today, it is rated to accommodate 20 people for a year. If it’s estimated you’ll only need to be in the bunker for a shorter time period, the bunker can accommodate 40 people. Think nuclear blast vs. short-term social unrest.

At the time of the sale, Harry Normal REALTORS’s public relation manager Jeanne Shannon told The Blaze, “The type of buyer would (be) someone who is of substantial wealth and (likes) privacy, or (is) with the government.” If this describes you, for the right offer, who knows? They might just put The Facility back on the market.

Features You’ll Find in The Facility

Speaking of enviable amenities, there are amenities in this bunker that you’d expect to find in a modern luxury property. These include…

  • Four high-end apartments
  • Five staff bedrooms
  • 12 bathrooms
  • A theater that seats 15 and doubles as a classroom
  • Environmental monitoring sensors
  • Private kitchens
  • A heavy-lift elevator
  • A first-aid room
  • A gym
  • A recreation area
  • A workshop
  • Conference rooms
  • Security internet with two DSL broadband lines
  • An HVAC system
  • A decon shower system

Believe it or not, that is only what The Facility has to offer underground. Above ground there is so much more. This includes a 2,000-square-foot commercial space, a 1,000-square-foot caretaker’s home, a 100-yard firearms range, a three-phase power plant and backup solar power system, aquifer access, and a four-car garage.

Whether you should buy an existing luxury bunker or have a luxury bunker custom built is a personal decision with many factors involved. Even if you decide you don’t want to ride TEOTWAWKI out in the South, you can still take inspiration from the features in the Tifton shelter when you’re deciding what your next move will be.

This property may be off the market, but you can still see the video from the listing here.

 

Learn more about why billionaires like Bill Gates are investing in luxury bunkers.

 

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Is AI the Key to Eternal Life?

Tech billionaires are betting on artificial intelligence to help them survive TEOTWAWKI.

What if your body couldn’t survive TEOTWAWKI, but your mind could? This may sound like the plot of a science fiction movie, but it’s closer to becoming reality than you may think.

This past Tuesday, Elon Musk announced his intention to use his company Neuralink to usher humans into a future in which they can merge with artificial intelligence so their lives can transcend their human bodies. This opens up the possibility of surviving a catastrophic event, even when the rest of humanity couldn’t. When you consider the number of potentially humanity-ending events we are facing, such as nuclear annihilation, disease warfare, climate change, or even our planet’s potential collision with a comet, it is very exciting to know that this possible solution is on the table, even if it is still far into the future.

Merge with AI or Die

Musk assured an interviewer, “This is not a mandatory thing, this is something you can choose to have if you want.” Maybe so, if you’re a billionaire, but for the rest of humanity, this is a solution that will be far out of financial reach. In a hypothetical future in which this option is available to the everyman, Musk has not speculated what might happen to those who refuse, or whether or not anyone will be willing to take that risk in the first place.

It is safe to assume that Musk, who is willing to risk travel to Mars, would also be willing to risk being uploaded to the cloud. However, would anyone else? So far at least one other tech billionaire has signed-on for this futuristic experiment, and he’s put his money where his mouth is.

Sam Altman, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, is on the waiting list for Nectome’s brain-storage service. Nectome was founded by artificial intelligence researchers from MIT, and they are pioneers in aldehyde-stabilised cryopreservation technology. Altman paid over $10K to ensure that someday, when the technology has been perfected, the contents of his brain will be preserved forever on a computer.

That is a lot of money to bet on a computer’s ability to do anything at all forever when most of us have lost our entire contacts list off even the most high-end phones at least once. Along with this technology, computers that will survive the apocalypse and can run eve without the power grid will also need to be developed.

Elon Musk’s Neuralink isn’t quite there yet, but they’re off to a strong start. The company started in 2017, and since then it’s been shrouded in a veil of secrecy until their official launch party last week. Neuralink has been conducting trials on primates in California, and they will begin human trials next year. The initial trials will be focused on treating brain injuries and diseases using a chip that is implanted directly into the brain. At this time, Neuralink has not yet received FDA approval for this implant.

 

How the Implant Works

This device is a collection of micro-thin wires that will be inserted into the brain via incredibly sensitive electrodes that are able to be connected to individual neurons. To give you an idea of how many individual neurons that is, each of these chips will contain 1,024 of these wires. At this time, researchers plan to begin by implanting four of these chips into human test subjects. Later on, they believe they can implant as many as 10 of these chips into a human brain. That’s 10,240 micro-wires. There are 100 billion neurons in the human brain, so those wires have a lot of work ahead of them.

For brain disease and injury patients, these chips will be able to help them regain control of their brain’s functions via a pod that is worn behind their ear, which will control software that utilizes the data that is received by the chips.

The research Neuralink and other companies are conducting in this area potentially has tremendous benefits for mankind in the immediate future, which is hopefully long before we’d need the technology to continue as a species. Or at least as a new version of the species we are now.

In the foreseeable future, Musk’s Neuralink will give us the power to overcome Alzheimer’s, dementia, paralysis, and myriad other disorders. The possibility of being able to upload our own consciousness to live on beyond these conditions and even beyond the limits of our own mortality is incredibly exciting. Musk’s “full brain interface” will completely change the way we live and die, and it will put survival back on the table in otherwise hopeless situations.

 

 

Hear what Elon Musk has to say about the future of artificial intelligence.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbzVdUwPnrI

 

Elon Musk makes predictions about the use of cyborgs in the future.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSl0HPLGFUU

 

 

 

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Surviving Doomsday in a Condo

In Kansas’s Survival Condo Project, you can ride out the apocalypse underground.

There are many reasons the ultra-wealthy may choose to live in a condo rather than a stand-alone home, from wanting to be in the middle of a heavily populated urban area to enjoying the country club-style amenities. However, after TEOTWAWKI, the rich may choose condo living for a different reason, and that is strength in numbers.

So far Larry Hall’s Kansas’s Luxury Survival Condo Project has been a tremendous success. These 12 premium condominiums were built deep underground in a former missle silo. Despite the steep $3M price tag, all of the full-floor 1,820-square-foot units have sold out. The 900-square-foot half-floor units, which run $1.5M, have also sold out. Hall is currently building a second, as any developer who is onto a good thing would.

Why are so many individuals of financial means choosing to invest in survivalism in Kansas? The Sunflower State is certainly a lot closer than New Zealand, making it more likely that you’ll survive the trip to shelter before time runs out. Many of the investors in these condos have children—at this time 19 in total. They may simply not be willing to risk trying to travel farther when their families’ lives are at stake. In a state that is known for its flat geography, it’s also comforting to be able to see everything for miles around, even though others can’t see you.

Take a Look Inside the Silo

Once you realize how many features these underground condos have, the price tag seems a lot more reasonable.

 

  • Nuclear, biological, and chemical air filtration
  • A volcanic ash scrubber
  • Chemical air filtration
  • Five separate sources of power, including generators and wind turbines
  • Design that is meant to survive a nuclear blast
  • Three armories with tactical gear and heavy artillery
  • A remote-controlled sniper post
  • Armored vehicles
  • Armed guards
  • 10-foot-thick walls
  • A school
  • A digital weather station
  • Elevator and stairwell access
  • Outdoor guards
  • Hydroponic gardens
  • Stocked aquaponics rooms
  • A reverse osmosis water filtration system
  • Tanks that hold 75,000 gallons of water
  • A jail cell
  • Dental and medical facilities
  • Storage and walk-in freezers with five years of food and supplies
  • A 50,000-gallon swimming pool and spa
  • Workout facilities
  • A bar
  • A general store
  • A movie theater
  • A library
  • A climbing wall
  • Air hockey and other games
  • A pet park

 

Yes, you read that right. Even the dogs and cats of the owners of these high-end units will survive when the SHTF. At least two of them will, as there is a two pet, 75-pounds or less limit on pet ownership.

The owners of the units don’t have to wait for the apocalypse to enjoy the amenities. At $5,000 per month for a full-floor unit, it’s not surprising to learn that many owners are already using their condos as vacation getaways. From the minute you enter the front door uning biometric keyless access, you can tell these are no ordinary condominiums. Each unit has modern amenities that include Kohler fixtures, full-spectrum LED lighting, gorgeous hardwood floors, walk-in closets, built-in desks, children’s bunk beds, full kitchens, television, and a large fireplace. Owners are also able to view live video feed of the world outside.

This facility is designed to function like a mini-society. In the event the worst should happen, the owners of these units will no longer be responsible for making payments. Instead of mere owners, they will become a part of an ecosystem that is designed to keep things as normal as possible. There is a board of directors, and the owners who own a full-floor have twice the say of those who own half-floor units. Adult residents will take turns performing necessary duties like food prep and teaching the children.

According to Larry Hall, the owners of these condos are not typical survivalists. They are simply families who came together to give themselves the very best shot at survival in incredibly unstable times. Many people have concerns about the government’s ability to protect us in even the best of situations. If the grid collapsed, the economy collapsed, there is social unrest, there are terrorist attacks or an invasion, or there is an outbreak of deadly disease, these families are ready, willing, and able to go underground and wait it out.

Take a tour of the Kansas Survival Condo Project.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ftc6igmfWtk

 

Learn more about luxury survival bunkers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQtjZFUyvSA

 

 

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Next-Level Luxury Security Vehicles

Want to drive like Batman? These vehicles offer features that will allow you to do just that.

Did you know that 80 – 90% of terrorist attacks take place while the victims of these attacks are in their vehicles? There are over 100,000 armored security vehicles on the road today. The average person may have encountered one of these specially equipped cars, SUVs, and trucks already, but they’d never know it because these vehicles look like any other luxury vehicle from the outside. Inside, however, they are anything but ordinary.

 

Why the Wealthy are Investing in Bulletproof Vehicles

Many parts of the world are plagued with violence, from terrorist attacks to war zones to kidnappings. In these places, the wealthy have been purchasing armored vehicles for many years. However, these vehicles have not been as popular in the United States until recent increases in social unrest made the wealthy begin fearing for their own safety. Today politicians, diplomats, and executives can often be found driving these vehicles worldwide, courtesy of companies such as International Armoring Corporation, Conquest Vehicles, Alpine Armoring Designs, Armortek, INKAS Armored, Texas Armoring Corporation, and more.

 

The Ultimate Getaway Vehicles

Many of these features will be familiar to you because we have all seen them in action movies. You don’t need to be a superhero or an international spy to own a vehicle that will allow you to reach your definition safely, to throw pursuers off the trail, and, if necessary, to defend yourself.

 

The options that are available for these vehicles are insane. There is really nothing these companies haven’t thought of. You can order a luxury car, SUV, or truck equipped with everything from bulletproof vests to first aid kits. These cars are also available with heavy-duty 80 AMP batteries, front and rear ram bumpers, roadblocks, and even IED jamming systems that have been specifically designed to counter roadside bombs.

 

By the time you’re finished reading this detailed list of the features that are available, you’re going to be wondering why you don’t own one of these super-cars already.

 

Remote Start

You don’t even have to be inside one of these vehicles to start it. If you’re trying to get away fast, this is a feature you definitely want to have because it will allow you to jump in and race away without wasting time starting your car up. After all, when every second counts, those are precious seconds you can’t afford to waste.

 

Bomb Blankets

If you’re concerned about hand grenades and pipe bombs, you’ll want to have a bomb blanket in your vehicle. These innovative blankets are designed to absorb the impact from improvised explosive devices, and they will lessen the impact of shrapnel while absorbing the impact from a blast.

 

Road Tacks

We’ve all seen these in cartoons and movies, but who knew road tacks were something people are already using in real life? Having a vehicle equipped with a road tack dispenser means you will be able to remotely release tacks that will tear the tires of anyone who is pursuing you to shreds. And yes, there is a red button marked “tacks” you will be able to push. How much fun would that be?

 

External Mic

You’ll love the mobile communications capabilities these vehicles come equipped with. The external mic will allow you to enjoy protected communication with anyone outside your vehicle, whether they are a threat or not. You won’t have to worry about opening yourself up to danger by exiting your vehicle for necessary communication when you have this capability.

 

Run-Flat Tire Systems

With run-flat tires, you won’t have to worry about being stopped while you’re trying to escape because you have a flat tire. These tires will carry you at 50 – 70 miles per hour, which is fast enough to escape the vast majority of dangerous situations.

 

Smoke Screen

When the SHTF, this feature will allow you to become a magician and do a disappearing act with the touch of a button. The machine works by heating an oil-based mixture that will mix with the air and condense into a mist that will render you invisible. It’s an especially fun way to throw someone off your trail, too.

 

Oil Slick

The oil slick feature is just what it sounds like—with this option, you’ll be able to release a slippery trail of oil behind your vehicle that will prevent any vehicle that is trailing you from continuing. In ideal conditions, it’ll cause them to crash and render them immobile, giving you plenty of opportunity to escape.

 

Electric Shock Handles

One excellent way to keep unwanted intruders from entering your vehicle is to shock them with a 120-volt current when they touch your door handles. Who is going to be able to climb into your car while they’re being shocked? No one, and that’s exactly the way you want it.

 

Weapons

Last on our list, but definitely not least—weapons. You can get a security vehicle with forward-facing M16 assault weapons, rear-facing mine-launching tubes, and more. There are options for 9-millimeter Uzis, 44 magnums, and any other weapon you can dream of. If you can shoot it, a luxury security vehicle maker can build it.

 

 

 

Take a closer look at the 10 most powerful security vehicles in the world.

 

Meet the king of bulletproof cars.

 

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You Know You Want to Buy a Tank

You Know You Want to Buy a Tank

It has been estimated that there are as many as 1,000 private tank owners in the United States today. Why aren’t you one of them?

Here at the Millionaire Survivalist, we’re not saying you’re going to need a tank after the apocalypse. But we’re also not saying you’re not going to need one. Once you’ve experienced driving a tank yourself, you’re going to be looking for excuses to add one to your personal arsenal anyway.

It is 100% legal to own a tank in the United States, though laws do vary by country. After the SHTF, law and order will most likely be right out the window anyway. Currently, you can legally purchase a tank online for just $25K, which is a small price to pay for a weapon that makes a statement like this one. However, that is for a very basic tank. There are many high-end options available. Russia’s T90 is a bargain at $2.23 million, South Korea’s K-2 Black Panther is available for $8.5 million, and Leclerc, France’s AMX-56 will set you back $27.183 billion.

It is completely legal to own a tank in the US and many other countries. There are no US Federal restrictions if you own a tank that has been demilitarized, but that’s not going to do you any good if society has collapsed. However, if you want a tank that has had the main gun disabled so you can

practice driving it on your own private land, you will be free to do so without restrictions in most areas. Just make sure to check your local and state laws first. If they prohibit tank ownership, consider moving.

Registering Your NFA Weapon

Tanks that have not been demilitarized are classified as destructive devices by the NFA. There is an amnesty period of 30 to 90 days involved if you want to buy a tank. That means there’s going to be a background check, you’ll need to register it, and you’ll need to prepare yourself for the fact that there’s going to be a ton of paperwork and you’re going to pay a lot of taxes. The transfer process is involved, but you’ll get there, eventually. This is definitely a case where good things come to those who wait.

Because of their NFA classification, if you want to take your tank across state lines, you’re going to have to report it to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives first.

Take a Tank for a Test Drive

If you want to take a tank for a test drive before you invest, you’re in luck because there are plenty of places to do so all across the US.

Nevada At Battlefield Vegas you will find a British Chieftain Mk8 that has been refitted to become an M1A1 Abrams replica. Yes, you will be able to drive it over a car. One of the fun things about going with this company is they’ll send a military Humvee to get you from your hotel. This is the place to go if you don’t want to deal with safety classes

Minnesota At Drive A Tank in Kasota, you will be able to drive tank models FV433 Abbott SPG, FV432 APC, Russian T-55 MBT, Chieftain MBT, and Sherman E8 right over a car. They also offer a two-car package, and, yes, you are reading this right, there’s a mobile home package. Expect a comprehensive experience here, with safety training and a look into the history of tanks.

Georgia It just isn’t right to visit the South without a trip to Tank Town USA. This is your chance to see the Blue Ridge Mountains. You’re going to want to bring a friend here, because they offer “adventures” involving a second driver and the option to add a second car crush. They also have an excavator operation package. That’s like the Tonka Truck you had as a child, but so much better.

Florida If you’re in Florida for the winter, check out Melbourne’s Tank America. Their Advanced Tank Package offers a terrain course and car crush in an FV433. Their Tier Elite Package is billed on the site as “Drive Crush Shoot.” Sounds good to me! Tank America’s tank expeditions are only available on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, so book your trip on the weekend.

Texas You can’t crush a car at Texas’s Ox Hunting Ranch, but you can drive and shoot real WWII tanks. And they’ve got flamethrowers! This place has a fantastic selection of tanks to choose from, including a Sherman Tank, a Leopard Tank, a Chieftain Tank, and a Russian T-34-85. If you own property in Texas, consider a demilitarized tank on your own private land if you want to run a car over. Go here to the Ox Hunting Ranch to shoot.

If you’re serious about buying a tank, you can sometimes find them on ArmsList and at DriveTanks.com.

Do you have what it takes to buy a tank? https://www.wsj.com/video/do-you-have-what-it-takes-to-own-a-tank/EEB37855-CC85-4BFA-8D0A-92687FF83DF3.html

Take a closer look at the world’s most expensive tanks.