EJ Snyder is an Army veteran and experienced survivalist who has appeared on survival shows like "Naked and Afraid." Adhiraj Chakrabarti/American Essence
EJ Snyder knows a thing or two about survival. After 25 years in the U.S. Army, he emerged as the extreme survivalist “Skullcrusher” on television shows like “Naked and Afraid,” “Dual Survival,” and “First Man Out.”
“It’s been God’s path for me. I love getting the word out about these things,” he said. “It’s a matter of confidence if you do plan for these things. It makes the situation a little bit easier.”
At the time of this interview, Snyder is putting his survivalist skills into practice in North Carolina, aiding other veterans with Helene relief efforts. We tapped the former Army Ranger for advice on how best to prepare for any kind of emergency with survival skills he thinks are most important to our readers.
The Epoch Times: There are a lot of different approaches to prepping, and different personalities teaching about the subject. What’s different about you and your approach?
EJ Snyder: I try to approach teaching survival skills with skull-crushing common sense and based on reality. I want you to be able to do the tasks when it matters most. I teach super simply ... helping the everyday Joe or Joan to handle bad days and be sufficient.
The Epoch Times: How did you get interested in preparing for emergencies?
Mr. Snyder: When I was a little boy at 8 years old, I remember it was wintertime in the late afternoon, and we had been sitting in a tree stand. It was getting very cold. I followed the steps back a couple of miles to camp and it started snowing. I got distracted and I remember trying to follow my tracks, and I couldn’t see them because the snow covered them up.
I got lost and panicked. I saw a rock and thought I should get on the rock and call my dad. I was in the dark for an hour. My uncles and dad were looking for me and finally found me. My dad then taught me about a compass and it taught me to be prepared for any situation.
Later, I was a Ranger instructor and went to the U.S. Army SERE School and became the primary survival and tracking expert for Ranger students. But Y2K was the real catalyst. I wanted myself and my family to be ready. So I started with a plan with a list of what I needed, like bug-out bags and storing foods like rice. We had enough spaghetti for two years. If something would have happened, we would have been prepared. Several months later, we were able to help people survive a Category 3 storm.
That is how it all got started. It is critically important because we’ve got to save lives here. I’m passionate about survival to help people help themselves.
Snyder gathers wood in the forests of western North Carolina. Adhiraj Chakrabarti/American Essence
The Epoch Times: Can you tell us about emergencies that you may have been in, and how that went for you and yours?
Mr. Snyder: I remember there was a time when I was driving in the winter in upstate New York. I’m big about preparedness by this point and made sure I had a winter survival kit in the vehicle: blankets, meals, emergency, extra coats, and dry clothing with gloves and hats. We were driving in a blizzard and the minivan slid off the road.
We were way out, like three miles to the main road. Cell service was down and at that time cell towers were not that great but I was hoping my text would have gone through to a neighbor. My son, who was 3, was nervous and scared.
We were there three hours and low on gas, so I wrapped us up in blankets and shut down the vehicle. I started a survival candle in a coffee can because it raises the temperature in the car by 5 to 10 degrees. We sat there while I was keeping him calm, and we ate a little food and drank some water.
I decided to take action. I pulled out the sled and put my son in it, then got my winter boots and snow shoes on, and when we were bundled up we went hiking out three miles. Finally we got to an intersection and made it to a farmhouse, where I was able to make a landline phone call with my location. My neighbor with a four-wheel drive and skid plow picked us up and got us home. We had to wait a couple of days.
That’s being prepared and thinking through a plan. You want to be forward thinking about having the basics and think about what might be missing. Murphy is always waiting to ambush you when things go wrong.
The Epoch Times: What kind of emergencies do you foresee the need to be prepared for, given the current state of the world?
Mr. Snyder: It’s pretty cut and dry because we’ve seen a lot. Man-made disasters, natural disasters, war, pandemic, and civil unrest are the main situations. Or we have to deal with active shooter persons who want to hurt people.
When you have these situations, you plan for them and always rehearse. Check your survival kit.
How about a fire in your home? Evacuate and make sure you know how to get out. If you’re bugging in, have you rehearsed your escape route? In emergency planning, you have to have a PACE plan which stands for primary, alternative, contingency, and emergency. This is your action plan. To sum it up, survival is simple. Keep your planning simple.
The Epoch Times: How long should people be prepared to ride out an emergency?
Mr. Snyder: 72 hours isn’t going to do squat! How many in your family times three meals per day, plus snacks and one gallon of water per day per person—enough to last for 90 days. Then, add another person who might knock at your door. You can help your neighbor out. If you have to stretch it out, do one meal a day.
With 90 days down, start looking at six months for however many are in your family, rationing what you have plus fishing or hunting. You can stretch it out over a year.
Have heirloom seeds and freeze them up just in case the grocery stores aren’t available. When you freeze the seeds, you extend their shelf life. You can freeze the seeds and they are ready when you need them.
Don’t be scared, be prepared. If you get some skills and preparedness skills, it builds your confidence up. If you have prepared in an emergency situation, that’s power and confidence.
Fear cripples people. Not doing anything in an emergency situation can cost you your life. One of the big things is to remain calm. Then you assess the situation, take care of the wounded and sick and after that you will make a plan. What resources do you have? Equipment available? Who is around you and what skills do they have? Make a detailed plan and share the details with everyone.
Rehearse and then execute. Have your situational awareness up. Adapt the plan as you go. Improvise if you have to and then, as they say, overcome. You’re a winner.
Don’t forget health and fitness. You should have on hand extra prescription glasses; prescription medications to last six months to a year; over-the-counter medicines; first aid kits to handle cuts and bruises. Learn basic first aid. Learn how to suture.
Food and Water
The Epoch Times: What water storage and purification equipment do you have and recommend?
Mr. Snyder: I recommend getting five-gallon water jugs from a home improvement store. You can store water in an easy way. If you can’t afford it, buy water in a jug and refill them. Get 55-gallon drums to collect rain water from your roof (to water plants or to wash).
Bottle Water Filtration System Sawyer.com
Lastly, consider one of several types of water filtration systems, including the Lifesaver Water Purifier or the Grayl GeoPress, a bottle that gives you crystal clear drinking water. I can boil water right in as there’s a nesting cup and an actual stove sleeve. Sawyer is a good brand to consider, too.
Most of my systems are simplistic. Unless you have a backup generator, once you lose power, you won’t be able to power those sources. What can I have on hand that I don’t need electricity to generate? In emergency situations, have tradable items that you use, like gold and silver, because certain items will be important. It’s possible to be set back by 200 years.
The Epoch Times: Please walk us through the essential foods in your own long-term storage pantry. What makes each item a good choice?
Lifesaver Water Purifier Iconlifesaver.com
Mr. Snyder: A good choice would be survival foods with nutritional value from My Patriot Supply. Store up on them as they are packed with a lot of calories. MREs [meals, ready to eat] are good too because they have a long shelf life. After that, choose canned goods and dry goods like rice, black beans, pasta, dehydrated fruits, fruit snacks, and jerky.
Supplement by fishing and hunting and trapping. You don’t have to complicate it. Use snares. Learn how to process fish and game. Eventually, supplies will run out and you will need to go out and get your own food.
The Epoch Times: What essential emergency food storage and cooking equipment do you have and recommend?
Mr. Snyder: Always have multiple ways to cook. I recommend a BBQ grill. I do keep propane in a storage cage for my Blackstone grill. Another option is the RockPot, a pot that doesn’t require flame. It is amazing. You can throw it on your stone or in the fire to heat it up; it cooks your food in the case.
I have a ton of cast-iron frying pans and pots from The Lodge. Aluminum-type pans are good for backpacks. I have a fire pit with a cooking area with bricks for open fire. Backpack stoves are good for one person. I’ve had a Coleman 2 Burner Stove in my camping gear forever.
Patented Portable Slow Cooker Rockpotusa.com
The Epoch Times: What are the most common mistakes people make when building up an emergency food supply?
Mr. Snyder: The problem is storage. You want to store it to be safe. You don’t want rodents or bugs to get at it or moisture to get into the freeze-dried food. Storage is the biggest mistake. Be organized on food and understand when they go past their usefulness, including medicine. Purchase a few laying hens, goats, hogs, and rabbits for meat.
The Epoch Times: What are your best tips for someone prepping on a budget?
2-Burner Propane Gas Camping Stove Coleman.com
Mr. Snyder: Make a list and plan. What are your priorities? What do I absolutely need? Food? Start there. If you can’t do 90 days, knock out the first 72 hours, then come back and do the next 72 hours. Take it in little bites. Then make the next goal. If there is a need for freshwater, then plan for that.
Keep it simple. Survival is simple—just don’t die. Whatever it takes to survive. Be comfortable being uncomfortable. It might be ramen noodles and soups; that’s OK. You’re at least doing something to give yourself peace of mind and security.
Power
The Epoch Times: In case of a power outage, how long should people be prepared to be out of power?
Mr. Snyder: Depending on where you’re located, expect to be without power for at least a week.
Get a very good generator with dual fuel for both gas and propane. They are very affordable and can power up your house. If you have to get one for smaller sizes, Nebo is a good brand. Having good rechargeable solar panels that can recharge are always advisable. Good luck if you have an electrical vehicle.
The Epoch Times: Walk us through your plan and essentials to deal with power outages. Tell us about specific products you use and trust.
Mr. Snyder: For outages, I was a big fan of oil hurricane lanterns. Have candles and strategically place them along with flashlights like the round lights with 3M sticky tape near light switches so you have instant light.
Know where your flashlights are. Use solar spotlights around your property. Good radios that have both battery power and solar recharging with a crank is helpful so you can get critical information even about the weather.
Consider a generator for the fridge. You do not want to open that fridge! Keep extra ice bags in the extra freezer and throw it in the fridge and it keeps food from spoilage.
I’m not a fan of people going to their car to recharge your cell phone. Don’t waste gas!
Communications
Satellite Messenger Findmespot.com
The Epoch Times: Walk us through your communication plan and essentials to stay connected to loved ones and news outlets. Tell us about specific products you use and trust.
Mr. Snyder: I recommend everyone get a ham radio. Take a class and get certified, even the basic level. It doesn’t work off electronic or radio waves. I also have a CB radio. With people I trust, I use a handheld walkie-talkie radio that we charge and back up with AAA batteries so we can talk vehicle to vehicle.
I don’t trust that cell phone services will be available in an emergency, so I carry a satellite phone everywhere. For those in the wilderness, use the SPOTX brand. If you get lost or in trouble, your device will send up coordinates to the satellite to get you out of the trouble you’re in.
Go Bag or Bug-Out Bags
The Epoch Times: When is it better to stay put, and when is it better to “bug out”?
Mr. Snyder: Assess the situation first. When it is dire and your life is in danger … if you choose not to initiate your bug plan immediately, realize you have 72 hours to assess the situation. You could extend your stay as long as you have supplies but eventually after two weeks, store shelves might be empty. Is the power gone? What’s the water situation? Once you leave the city, don’t plan on coming back (even for a peek) for at least 90 days. But stay out of the city center for 72 hours. The bad actors will mount up and they will take what you have. Be ready for that fight. People will get desperate when shelves are empty, they haven’t made a plan, and they’re starving.
For me, it is a matter of assessing the situation and knowing your Rubicon—the point of no return. Be ready to go in a minute’s notice with your go bag. Things can be rebuilt and replaced but people can’t. Life is precious and when a situation is so bad, like a hurricane and tidal surge at your door, in your mind you have to figure out your Rubicon moment. Minutes are everything.
The Epoch Times: If you were to pare it down for an average reader on a budget, what absolute essentials would you recommend?
Mr. Snyder: Cover the basics with five essentials. Go out the door with a fixed blade knife, fire source, water purifier like a canteen, 200-foot parachute cord, and tarp for shelter. A fishing kit or snare wire and sling shot to get food would be helpful.
The Epoch Times: What are the most common mistakes people make when buying or putting together a go bag?
Mr. Snyder: They don’t do their research. When you get the items, get an extra. Get one for the bag and get one for practice.
The Epoch Times: Where do you keep your go-bag?
Mr. Snyder: With me at all times, especially when traveling. My toolbox is my entire survival class.
The Epoch Times: What type of bag would you recommend?
Mr. Snyder: Be the gray man. If you grab a military-style bag, it makes you noticeable. Find a very good basic backpack that is comfortable on your shoulder that you can travel with long-term. Spray it to be waterproof. Insert a nice heavy-duty trash bag inside to keep the inside dry. I recommend the brands Highland Tactical or Maxpedition.
Some of the items in Snyder's go bag. Adhiraj Chakrabarti/American Essence
The Epoch Times: What should go in an emergency car kit?
Mr. Snyder: Have your go bag with you in case you have to camp. Throw a box of MREs in the trunk. It doesn’t take anything to put cooking pans in there. Include ways to make fire. If you have to fix a flat, it’s a good idea to have a couple cans of Fix a Flat. Add jumper cables and road flares (which can help make a fire, too). Duct tape is a good friend. Flex Seal can repair anything like metal.
My trunk space is filled with items like these. A case of water bottles is not that good because of BPAs. Have water stored in glass instead. With your car, it is season dependent. You need an extra raincoat if it is hurricane season. For winter, add blankets to help protect your core body temperature.
The Epoch Times: Can you offer suggestions for safe bug-out locations to consider?
Mr. Snyder: When you’re bugging out of a city, you want it to not be on the beaten path. It depends. Look for a cabin in the woods with good access to an alternative water source or something easily defendable and off the beaten path with good routes to it.
The Epoch Times: What is your advice for people living in urban areas?
Mr. Snyder: If you’re in an apartment, pay extra money to rent more than you need. The third bedroom isn’t a guest bedroom; Use it for shelving and storage and supplies. It’s at least a 10x10 and you can fill it with shelves, extra water, food, medicines, etc.
And then you want to make sure to get security for your doors, like having a deadbolt. If you’re on the ground floor, and to keep people from getting in the windows, install wooden shutters on the inside so you can close those and add a security bar.
The Epoch Times: If readers have not started preparing for emergencies, what initial steps should be their highest priority?
Mr. Snyder: Start right now. Don’t get overwhelmed; go with little bites. Make your list and figure out what is most critical.
Snyder encourages people to maintain a positive attitude when dealing with emergencies. "Having hope, faith, and prayer are huge morale boosters," he said. Adhiraj Chakrabarti/American Essence
The Epoch Times: What is your advice for readers with family or other loved ones who are not open to preparing?
Mr. Snyder: Sometimes people won’t understand. They will come to you though, so always plan for an extra one, two, or three people showing up. Share things online about preparedness. Hurricane Helene, for example—if that’s not enough to convince people to prepare, I don’t know what will.
The Epoch Times: What’s the best mindset to have as we prepare for emergencies?
Mr. Snyder: A positive, can-do attitude is what you need to have. Be logical in your thought process and keep it simple. A lot of it is about mindset. If your mind is positive and you have an iron will, you will do what it takes to survive. Learn from mistakes and keep improving.
The Epoch Times: How do you personally maintain morale when an emergency strikes, both for yourself and your loved ones? What tips do you have for others?
Mr. Snyder: Morale starts with the person in charge—like the mom and dad or grownups. If they stay calm, the kids won’t freak out. It will be a stressful situation, but it goes back to if you just stay with a positive attitude. When everyone is out of sorts, have a little patience. If you don’t have power, it’s time for the family to have fun. Play yard games like corn hole, horseshoes, or board games. It is time to reconnect.
Emergency and survival situations are tough enough. Having hope, faith, and prayer are huge morale boosters. Prayer and meditation has gotten me through some pretty hard times. It will help in the long run. If you put that positivity out into the universe, it will come back and pay you tenfold.
