Thursday, December 12, 2013
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Hand Warmers!
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This is a hand warmer I picked up at an estate sale,, for free! I love the large size of it and the fact that when I have used it it stayed hot for 14 hours! So something like this in a bug out kit isnt far out of the realm or in a cache at your bug out location. Of course when this one breaks down it is scrap metal unless I can find a new catalytic burner for it. This one tossed in your jacket would be a great tool to keep your core warm. If you can keep the core warm you can of course stave off hypothermia,
So if your garage or estate browsing and find these old ones and they look in good shape,, grab them if they are cheap!
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Kelly Kettles
If your looking for a great product that is multipurpose. Look at the Kelly Kettles, you can get a kit that will allow you to boil water as well as heat food at the same time. These kettles are very packable and are time and tradition proven. A great way to warm your self is from the inside out, a few packets of hot chocolate or dried soup can go a very long way to warm your inside and boost your moral.
The best part is you can get them going and keep them burning using twigs and small branches. Remember survival is a lazy mans game. You dont want to over exert yourself if you dont have to. it is easier to gather twigs and small branches and try to get and chop large pieces of wood. You want to stay warm in the cold and not sweat. Also you will want to exert yourself less in the summer to stay cool and avoid sweating to much as well. These are great for camping or even as a cache item or to have at a bug out location. The prices are affordable so if your in the market for something like this, send them some business.
http://www.kellykettleusa.com/
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The best part is you can get them going and keep them burning using twigs and small branches. Remember survival is a lazy mans game. You dont want to over exert yourself if you dont have to. it is easier to gather twigs and small branches and try to get and chop large pieces of wood. You want to stay warm in the cold and not sweat. Also you will want to exert yourself less in the summer to stay cool and avoid sweating to much as well. These are great for camping or even as a cache item or to have at a bug out location. The prices are affordable so if your in the market for something like this, send them some business.
http://www.kellykettleusa.com/
...Another cool project to try out!
A DIY project for those who have a small bit of experience in electronics!
Great for a grid down/ power down situation. You could help out your neighbors by offering to help them keep their phones powered up with several of these!
http://www.instructables.com/id/Lithium-Heavy-Duty-Solar-USB-Charger-20/
Great for a grid down/ power down situation. You could help out your neighbors by offering to help them keep their phones powered up with several of these!
http://www.instructables.com/id/Lithium-Heavy-Duty-Solar-USB-Charger-20/
Check this out!
A pretty damned cool home!!!! also investment, you can charge rent to the open spaces!
http://www.viralnova.com/apocalypse-house/
How to winter proof your home if the power goes down.
OK, I was thinking the other day and was wondering what else can one do to help winterize your house in a grid down scenario.
Well several ideas came to me. First was to address the areas that will loose heat. Your windows are one of the biggest areas that heat loos will occur. Well to help reduce this loss you can use bubble wrap and tape it up over the windows. If it is really cold use a couple of layers, then tack up a wool blanket over the window as well. You can also buy cold weather covers/blinds/drapes that can cover the window as well.
Also use a heavy wool blanket and cover any outside doors as well. If you haven't invested the time or money yet, get and add extra insulation in your attic. you should have at least an R-50 above your head. Research what insulation will work best in your area. You can often rent the equipment to spray it out your self at a good price. If you can invest add extra insulation to your walls as well, both of these will also help guard against summer heat.
Remember to find the draft areas and plug them! Under doors, pet doors, etc. You can have a lot of heat loss through these. Also remember the room method. Any room you don't need to use, seal up and focus on how to keep the other rooms warm.
With just a few cold proofing ideas you can make your home more comfortable during an emergency.
Well several ideas came to me. First was to address the areas that will loose heat. Your windows are one of the biggest areas that heat loos will occur. Well to help reduce this loss you can use bubble wrap and tape it up over the windows. If it is really cold use a couple of layers, then tack up a wool blanket over the window as well. You can also buy cold weather covers/blinds/drapes that can cover the window as well.
Also use a heavy wool blanket and cover any outside doors as well. If you haven't invested the time or money yet, get and add extra insulation in your attic. you should have at least an R-50 above your head. Research what insulation will work best in your area. You can often rent the equipment to spray it out your self at a good price. If you can invest add extra insulation to your walls as well, both of these will also help guard against summer heat.
Remember to find the draft areas and plug them! Under doors, pet doors, etc. You can have a lot of heat loss through these. Also remember the room method. Any room you don't need to use, seal up and focus on how to keep the other rooms warm.
With just a few cold proofing ideas you can make your home more comfortable during an emergency.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
How to locate local sources of water
OK, so the grid goes down, you have no power. Well that means no water. No water means you die after several days. If you live in Texas it can be quicker than that.
How do you locate a water source? Well one way is to know where sources are is to use Google Earth and Google maps to search a head of time for sources. First thing is to start local, using Google Earth locate all the water sources in your neighborhood, this to include swimming pools, ponds, cattle tanks, etc. Next would be to go recon these areas and figure out how far they are in relation to your house or bug our location. If it is a house, is it occupied? You don't want to get into a fight over water that someone owns. If the house is empty or has been abandoned well its fair game. Also remember If the house is empty the water heater could possibly hold up to 60 gallons of water, an easy score. Don't go grabbing all the close water sources first and emptying them out. There will be times that you will have the need to have a source near by. Also look into improving a few local sources, lets say your neighbors leave and have a pool. Do they have a gutter system? If you have the time and materials you could divert the roof water to the pool and then when it rains you could easily capture several thousand gallons of water that could have been lost. Look at your own situation, do you have gutters? do you have a harvest system? You can easily have several thousand gallons on hand and be able to keep it going or on reserve. Are there parks near by that have ponds or lakes? I have several near me, one with in a mile. I can easily bike there and carry water home via a trailer.
Also figure out how much water you are going to need daily, that could be 3-5 gallons per person per day..Yup thats a lot, so plan accordingly, that means bathing is cut way down and laundry on an as needed basis. Hand washing sucks, but its how we use to do it. If your smart, all your gray water will go to your garden. or if you have a septic tank you can filter it and use it to flush your toilets.
If your like me I know of 2 fairly safe and secure wells I can get access too for quality drinking water, they are about 10 miles from my house, so I would have to plan and maximize my trip. one well also has its own generator there, so that's an extra bonus.
Also remember you need to keep your potable and non-potable sources marked and separated. this could also tie into a slow sand filter or any other filter system you may have. You could easily direct a Big Burkey filter to fill a 55 gallon drum and with someone keeping it full you could always have 55 gallons of potable water ready. Set up a couple of these and you could barter out or help out neighbors in need.
Also remember, when on a water run, fill your containers as quickly as you can. Do not filter on sight. If someone sees you have a filter you could quickly find yourself in a bad situation.
Something else I have thought of, I am about 1 mile also from my city well and water tank, in a grid down I would see if it was possible to get the pumps going again that way the community could benefit. A large enough generator and some work could easily keep water going for the community.
That would calm a lot of nerves....
So remember to scout your sources, map them and set a plan. That way your not a water statistic.
How do you locate a water source? Well one way is to know where sources are is to use Google Earth and Google maps to search a head of time for sources. First thing is to start local, using Google Earth locate all the water sources in your neighborhood, this to include swimming pools, ponds, cattle tanks, etc. Next would be to go recon these areas and figure out how far they are in relation to your house or bug our location. If it is a house, is it occupied? You don't want to get into a fight over water that someone owns. If the house is empty or has been abandoned well its fair game. Also remember If the house is empty the water heater could possibly hold up to 60 gallons of water, an easy score. Don't go grabbing all the close water sources first and emptying them out. There will be times that you will have the need to have a source near by. Also look into improving a few local sources, lets say your neighbors leave and have a pool. Do they have a gutter system? If you have the time and materials you could divert the roof water to the pool and then when it rains you could easily capture several thousand gallons of water that could have been lost. Look at your own situation, do you have gutters? do you have a harvest system? You can easily have several thousand gallons on hand and be able to keep it going or on reserve. Are there parks near by that have ponds or lakes? I have several near me, one with in a mile. I can easily bike there and carry water home via a trailer.
Also figure out how much water you are going to need daily, that could be 3-5 gallons per person per day..Yup thats a lot, so plan accordingly, that means bathing is cut way down and laundry on an as needed basis. Hand washing sucks, but its how we use to do it. If your smart, all your gray water will go to your garden. or if you have a septic tank you can filter it and use it to flush your toilets.
If your like me I know of 2 fairly safe and secure wells I can get access too for quality drinking water, they are about 10 miles from my house, so I would have to plan and maximize my trip. one well also has its own generator there, so that's an extra bonus.
Also remember you need to keep your potable and non-potable sources marked and separated. this could also tie into a slow sand filter or any other filter system you may have. You could easily direct a Big Burkey filter to fill a 55 gallon drum and with someone keeping it full you could always have 55 gallons of potable water ready. Set up a couple of these and you could barter out or help out neighbors in need.
Also remember, when on a water run, fill your containers as quickly as you can. Do not filter on sight. If someone sees you have a filter you could quickly find yourself in a bad situation.
Something else I have thought of, I am about 1 mile also from my city well and water tank, in a grid down I would see if it was possible to get the pumps going again that way the community could benefit. A large enough generator and some work could easily keep water going for the community.
That would calm a lot of nerves....
So remember to scout your sources, map them and set a plan. That way your not a water statistic.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
slow sand filters.
One way to clean water is through a slow sand filter. A slow sand filter uses sand as a medium to produce a biological medium/layer that traps and filters bacteria and viruses. They are pretty easy to build and only require a few parts and a little patients. A rookie could build one with basic tools and a good set of instructions.
There are still many municipalities that use slow sand filters to treat water so if you have concerns about its reliability, you can put those to rest.
For a decent home size unit you will need a 55 gallon drum, some PVC pipe some wood, sand, gravel in pea size and also 1/1/2 in size. I also like to use landscape fabric to keep layers separated.
Here is a PDF I copied that explains it better than I most likely can.
http://www.preppers.info/uploads/Water_-_Slow_Sand_Filters.pdf
note,, most of the items can even come from salvage! or found cheap!
http://en.howtopedia.org/wiki/How_to_Filter_Water_with_a_Sand_Filter
http://www.slowsandfilter.org/illustrations.html
Sam at The Human Path has a working model they use at the school and also teaches classes on this subject. If you are interested and live in the area let me know and I am sure Sam will let you take a look at his and also let you know when he will run a class on it again.
http://thehumanpath.com/
There are still many municipalities that use slow sand filters to treat water so if you have concerns about its reliability, you can put those to rest.
For a decent home size unit you will need a 55 gallon drum, some PVC pipe some wood, sand, gravel in pea size and also 1/1/2 in size. I also like to use landscape fabric to keep layers separated.
Here is a PDF I copied that explains it better than I most likely can.
http://www.preppers.info/uploads/Water_-_Slow_Sand_Filters.pdf
note,, most of the items can even come from salvage! or found cheap!
http://en.howtopedia.org/wiki/How_to_Filter_Water_with_a_Sand_Filter
http://www.slowsandfilter.org/illustrations.html
Sam at The Human Path has a working model they use at the school and also teaches classes on this subject. If you are interested and live in the area let me know and I am sure Sam will let you take a look at his and also let you know when he will run a class on it again.
http://thehumanpath.com/
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
pandemic flu and family
How do you deal with a pandemic flu and family?
Should it occur you face some serious challenges. The medical system will sooner or later collapse if the load of sick become to great. The hospitals will quickly become overloaded with sick and dying people. What do you do where do you go? Well, the most likely scenario would be to keep family members at home and do what you can to keep them alive. First reality is the flu is spread by a virus, antibiotics do not work on viruses! Second reality is you are going to have to isolate yourselves and also isolate at sick members of your family.
One way to do this is to be pro-active. That means be ready before cold and flu season, have all your ducks in a row. This also means if you do get them, flu shots and pneumonia shots. Not everyone will agree about the flu shot or will have other reasons not to, but I wont get into that. Also have a flu kit handy, this means OTC meds to treat the symptoms of the flu. This is also a good time to learn some herbal medicine and have your herbal tinctures and herbs on stand bye. There are lots of herbs that have anti-viral properties and there are some good OTC remedies out there as well. Find a qualified and well educated herbalist and take some lessons.
Once you have a really well stocked kit you will want to go to the hardware supply and get some items like tyvek suites, M-99 or 95 mask, several roles of 3-4 mil plastic sheeting, a staple gun and duct tape and even a few extra tarps. You will use the hardware store items to create an isolation room for anyone in your family who gets sick. You will want to also have items like bleach, medical gloves, a bucket several sponges and anything else you might need to keep things sanitized. Also do not forget to block the air registers in the isolation room, and if you can afford it get an air filter with HEPA filters and keep that sucker running! get one that will clean more square footage than the room, if it has a UV light crank that as well.. IF you know how, create the room to have a negative pressure, if not do what ever you can to keep the air contained to that room. Also remember to properly sterilize your self or anyone else that enters that room.
You can also find recipes for Thieves vinegar, which can be used as a disinfectant as well.
Should anyone get a pandemic flu you will have to react quickly, if its early get them to your Dr, do not go to the emergency room! The place will be full of sick people as well, there is no need to risk your health more than it already is. If your Dr is cool, he might hopefully get you some extra anti-viral meds. but these will be going quickly so don't count on it. Remember if you can successfully treat the flu symptoms your loved one can make it through.
Designate 2 people as the contact persons to treat sick ones(Shift work), these folks should be doing an herbal regiment to help prevent them from getting the flu. Have a disinfection station next to the room, make sure everyone follows procedure! The sick person/persons should be monitored and symptoms treated as needed. If you have access and they are having respiratory issues treat them with some oxygen or medicate a steam humidifier or nebulizer. You can also create a tent and use a steam humidifier to add various medicines or herbals to help them breath and remove congestion and mucus. You will want to make sure they don't develop pneumonia. Work hard to make sure keep symptoms under control. This is also why you will want to have a large flu kit! you can use up your meds real quick...
Trash and refuse that comes out of the room should be double bagged and removed directly to the trash, if it has to be stagged, stage it in the room but remove it as quick as you can.. Get some red colored bags or as close to red as possible to let everyone know not to mess with this waste.
When this person recovers you will want to quickly sanitize the whole room, to include washing or even destroying bed linens and the cloths they wore. If your lucky you can find some hospital gowns and have extra bed linens on hand for this.
If your family member doesn't recover you will need to be prepared for this as well. I will cover this at a later date.
I will add to this as I find info, so check back often.
Here are a few links for you.
http://altmedicine.about.com/od/coldsandflu/a/fluremedy.htm
http://www.diynatural.com/natural-cold-and-flu-remedies/
http://www.holisticonline.com/remedies/flu/cold_herbal-remedies-for-cold.htm
http://www.cpginteractive.com/sam/faqs.html
http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/seeds/seeds.php
https://www.horizonherbs.com/
http://www.medicinalherbfarm.com/
Should it occur you face some serious challenges. The medical system will sooner or later collapse if the load of sick become to great. The hospitals will quickly become overloaded with sick and dying people. What do you do where do you go? Well, the most likely scenario would be to keep family members at home and do what you can to keep them alive. First reality is the flu is spread by a virus, antibiotics do not work on viruses! Second reality is you are going to have to isolate yourselves and also isolate at sick members of your family.
One way to do this is to be pro-active. That means be ready before cold and flu season, have all your ducks in a row. This also means if you do get them, flu shots and pneumonia shots. Not everyone will agree about the flu shot or will have other reasons not to, but I wont get into that. Also have a flu kit handy, this means OTC meds to treat the symptoms of the flu. This is also a good time to learn some herbal medicine and have your herbal tinctures and herbs on stand bye. There are lots of herbs that have anti-viral properties and there are some good OTC remedies out there as well. Find a qualified and well educated herbalist and take some lessons.
Once you have a really well stocked kit you will want to go to the hardware supply and get some items like tyvek suites, M-99 or 95 mask, several roles of 3-4 mil plastic sheeting, a staple gun and duct tape and even a few extra tarps. You will use the hardware store items to create an isolation room for anyone in your family who gets sick. You will want to also have items like bleach, medical gloves, a bucket several sponges and anything else you might need to keep things sanitized. Also do not forget to block the air registers in the isolation room, and if you can afford it get an air filter with HEPA filters and keep that sucker running! get one that will clean more square footage than the room, if it has a UV light crank that as well.. IF you know how, create the room to have a negative pressure, if not do what ever you can to keep the air contained to that room. Also remember to properly sterilize your self or anyone else that enters that room.
You can also find recipes for Thieves vinegar, which can be used as a disinfectant as well.
Should anyone get a pandemic flu you will have to react quickly, if its early get them to your Dr, do not go to the emergency room! The place will be full of sick people as well, there is no need to risk your health more than it already is. If your Dr is cool, he might hopefully get you some extra anti-viral meds. but these will be going quickly so don't count on it. Remember if you can successfully treat the flu symptoms your loved one can make it through.
Designate 2 people as the contact persons to treat sick ones(Shift work), these folks should be doing an herbal regiment to help prevent them from getting the flu. Have a disinfection station next to the room, make sure everyone follows procedure! The sick person/persons should be monitored and symptoms treated as needed. If you have access and they are having respiratory issues treat them with some oxygen or medicate a steam humidifier or nebulizer. You can also create a tent and use a steam humidifier to add various medicines or herbals to help them breath and remove congestion and mucus. You will want to make sure they don't develop pneumonia. Work hard to make sure keep symptoms under control. This is also why you will want to have a large flu kit! you can use up your meds real quick...
Trash and refuse that comes out of the room should be double bagged and removed directly to the trash, if it has to be stagged, stage it in the room but remove it as quick as you can.. Get some red colored bags or as close to red as possible to let everyone know not to mess with this waste.
When this person recovers you will want to quickly sanitize the whole room, to include washing or even destroying bed linens and the cloths they wore. If your lucky you can find some hospital gowns and have extra bed linens on hand for this.
If your family member doesn't recover you will need to be prepared for this as well. I will cover this at a later date.
I will add to this as I find info, so check back often.
Here are a few links for you.
http://altmedicine.about.com/od/coldsandflu/a/fluremedy.htm
http://www.diynatural.com/natural-cold-and-flu-remedies/
http://www.holisticonline.com/remedies/flu/cold_herbal-remedies-for-cold.htm
http://www.cpginteractive.com/sam/faqs.html
http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/seeds/seeds.php
https://www.horizonherbs.com/
http://www.medicinalherbfarm.com/
A few more sites on how to deal with poo!
A special thanks to my friend Lesa! for sharing and finding these!
http://www.wormfarm.com.au/
http://milkwood.net/2011/04/18/compost-toilet-specifics-the-bins/
The idea behind all this is to get folks to think outside the box. If there was to be a grid down situation you would be able to successfully handle one issue that will plague us. Without running water you cant flush, if you cant flush, what do you do with your poo... plain and simple. Learn, have a plan and if the worst comes, you execute that plan and then share it with others. ..This could also be easily incorporated into your bug out location and into a future homestead.
http://www.wormfarm.com.au/
http://milkwood.net/2011/04/18/compost-toilet-specifics-the-bins/
The idea behind all this is to get folks to think outside the box. If there was to be a grid down situation you would be able to successfully handle one issue that will plague us. Without running water you cant flush, if you cant flush, what do you do with your poo... plain and simple. Learn, have a plan and if the worst comes, you execute that plan and then share it with others. ..This could also be easily incorporated into your bug out location and into a future homestead.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Katadyn Hiker water filter
.I own one of these. It is an excellent filter for your water needs. It has a .3 micron filter which will remove 99.9% of bacteria and parasites from your water, this isze will also remove a few viruses as well. CAUTION! If you are in an area that has viral issues with water you will want to look into addition ways to purify your drinking water. There are some filters that remove them, but I will do those later.
This filter is light and easy to use, it also comes with a carry bag and an extra bag to help keep cross contamination from occurring. It has an adjustable float to keep you from sucking mud and bottom debris and mucking up your filter. I will give a caution. If you are in an area that you have really mucky water you might want to prefilter it before you use your water filter. This will save the life of your filter and also possibly save you.
This filter also comes with attachments to make connecting to various bottles and hydration packs easy. This also avoids cross contamination.
It takes a few minutes to fill a 1 liter bottle of water, but the pump action is easy and it self primes which is a big advantage.
I also carry micropur tablets as well. You should always carry atleast 2 ways to purify water with you. A main and a back up! I think its a good rule..
.These tablets will kill viruses!
So if your looking for a good water filter and want one on a budget, this is the filter for you!!
Here is a link to a video that discusses the filter. Great video as well
http://www.realitysurvival.com/katadyn-hiker-water-filter-review/
Here is a few links for those looking to buy
http://www.katadyn.com/usen/katadyn-products/products/katadynshopconnect/katadyn-micropur-micropur-mp1-purification-tablets/micropur-mp1-purification-tablets-package-of-20/
http://www.katadyn.com/usen/katadyn-products/products/katadynshopconnect/katadyn-water-filters-backcountry-series-products/katadyn-hiker-microfilter/
You can also find them at Academy, Bass Pro, and Cabela's
OH, here is a kit to upgrade and extend the filter life
http://www.katadyn.com/usen/katadyn-products/products/katadynshopconnect/katadyn-water-filters-accessoriespartskits/hiker-field-maintenance-kit/
Sanitation, what to do when you have to poo!
What do you do when the the power is down and your water isnt flowing and you have to well,, poo..it is really something we take for granted. Many third world countries have to deal with this on a regular basis. People just poop where they want,, on the side of the road, in the corner, in a field, just where ever. This will cause the spread of disease sooner or later. It is truly amazing how even civilized people can become filthy even when we have been conditioned to be poopaphobic. So how do you deal with these issues.
I found and article on Doom and Bloom about this subject.
http://www.doomandbloom.net/emergency-sanitation-basics-part-1/
Here is another good article from them on how to prevent food and water borne illness.. Remember sanitation is the key to health in a grid down situation.
http://www.doomandbloom.net/preventing-food-and-water-borne-illness/
A really good idea is to have a sanitation kit on hand. That could be as simple as having a bottle of bleach, a spray bottle, clean rags/wipes, or if you have the ingredients Thieves Vinegar http://www.herbs-info.com/blog/how-to-make-four-thieves-vinegar-and-oil/. You can also use just plain vinegar as well. Also it is handy to have hydrogen peroxide on hand to use. Make sure you also have anti-diarrhea medicines on hand and electrolytes just in case someone does get sick.
http://armypubs.army.mil/doctrine/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/fm21_10.pdf
http://www.humanurehandbook.com/humanure_toilet.html
http://www.poohsolutions.com/sites/default/files/Pooh-Solutions_Composting-Toilet_%20Construction-Guide.pdf
http://www.greatnorthernprepper.com/pool-shock-making-your-own-bleach/
http://www.truthistreason.net/downloads/Solar-Distillation-Meeting-Small-Scale-Water-Demands-1970.pdf
http://www.yourownhomestore.com/living-without-running-water/
http://www.homedepot.com/p/TXI-50-lb-Hydrated-Lime-5195/202080968#.Unl8R2fCanM
Here is a great page on how to build a septic tank out of 55 gallon drums.
http://www.wikihow.com/Construct-a-Small-Septic-System
This is just to give you some ideas, plus you can always build an outhouse.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Outhouse/
http://www.brighthub.com/environment/green-living/articles/108266.aspx
Quick update to this page! With my fiend Sam's permission I am posting a link to his site and a podcast on field sanitation. Sam is extremely knowledgeable in herbal medicine and is a former member of the special forces. He also has an extensive amount of medical knowledge as well.
http://thehumanpath.podbean.com/2012/01/25/090-wilderness-first-aid-hygiene/
Here is a list of his other podcast.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-human-path/id449698140
Hopefully this will spawn some ideas, just in case.
I found and article on Doom and Bloom about this subject.
http://www.doomandbloom.net/emergency-sanitation-basics-part-1/
Here is another good article from them on how to prevent food and water borne illness.. Remember sanitation is the key to health in a grid down situation.
http://www.doomandbloom.net/preventing-food-and-water-borne-illness/
A really good idea is to have a sanitation kit on hand. That could be as simple as having a bottle of bleach, a spray bottle, clean rags/wipes, or if you have the ingredients Thieves Vinegar http://www.herbs-info.com/blog/how-to-make-four-thieves-vinegar-and-oil/. You can also use just plain vinegar as well. Also it is handy to have hydrogen peroxide on hand to use. Make sure you also have anti-diarrhea medicines on hand and electrolytes just in case someone does get sick.
http://armypubs.army.mil/doctrine/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/fm21_10.pdf
http://www.humanurehandbook.com/humanure_toilet.html
http://www.poohsolutions.com/sites/default/files/Pooh-Solutions_Composting-Toilet_%20Construction-Guide.pdf
http://www.greatnorthernprepper.com/pool-shock-making-your-own-bleach/
http://www.truthistreason.net/downloads/Solar-Distillation-Meeting-Small-Scale-Water-Demands-1970.pdf
http://www.yourownhomestore.com/living-without-running-water/
http://www.homedepot.com/p/TXI-50-lb-Hydrated-Lime-5195/202080968#.Unl8R2fCanM
Here is a great page on how to build a septic tank out of 55 gallon drums.
http://www.wikihow.com/Construct-a-Small-Septic-System
This is just to give you some ideas, plus you can always build an outhouse.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Outhouse/
http://www.brighthub.com/environment/green-living/articles/108266.aspx
Quick update to this page! With my fiend Sam's permission I am posting a link to his site and a podcast on field sanitation. Sam is extremely knowledgeable in herbal medicine and is a former member of the special forces. He also has an extensive amount of medical knowledge as well.
http://thehumanpath.podbean.com/2012/01/25/090-wilderness-first-aid-hygiene/
Here is a list of his other podcast.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-human-path/id449698140
Hopefully this will spawn some ideas, just in case.
MRE info
I found this pretty cool little website the other day... MRE info, its got some pretty interesting info on MREs and MRE's from other countries. After some reading, I am glad I am not in Russia,, but if I were hungry, I dont think I would be complaining...to much.
http://mreinfo.com/
http://mreinfo.com/
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
MRE's vs. Freeze Dried vs. Dehydrated foods
OK, while we are on the subject of food, what foods would be best for long term food storage. Well actually a mix of all of them. Remember you must set up and cycle your food stores in a way that would rotate items out of stock before the expire.
.
MRE's , Meals Ready to Eat. This is pretty much the standard soldier in the field ration. They are calorie dense and have everything you need in a nice package. MRE's have a 5-7 year shelf life when stored at room temperatures. If you can keep them cooler add several more years, if you store them in a high heat it drops to months really quick, so it is best to store them someplace on the cooler side. MRE's are a complete meal. They have an entree, a side and a desert. They also come with a heater to heat your food and an accessory pack with things like a wet napkin, coffee, sugar etc. They are great in the fact they are grab and go, but they do take up a lot of room and they can be heavy. Throw several in a pack and see what I am talking about. You will gain a bit of weight quickly and loose a lot of space. Many soldiers have learned to field strip their MRE's in order to lighten the load and make space back up in their packs. You can find videos and articles on field stripping them on the internet. Overall they are for the most part pretty good, and there is a good menu choice out there so you wont get bored quickly.
.Another alternative to the MRE, is the more civilian Heater Meal. Same set up, you can get it as a complete meal, it has a heater and about the same shelf life. The company that makes heater meals also makes a self heating soup, coffee, and hot chocolate.
http://heatermeals.com/
, Freeze dried meals are simply food items that have been frozen then exposed to a vacuum to remove all water. What you get is a dried meal that is considerably lighter but retains its flavor and its nutrition. The advantage to these is they often have 7-20 years shelf lives. They are a great long term solution for those looking for a food storage solution to last them several years. They are also very light and take up a lot less space that an MRE or Heater Meal. I have tried lots of these and really have found one that I wouldn't eat. There are a lot of choices and companies to choose from so you are sure to find menu's to suit your needs. The downside of these is they do require water to rehydrate them, in an emergency situation that is something to think about.
http://www.mountainhouse.com/
http://shop.katadyn.com/category/655322/AlpineAire_Foods
https://wisefoodstorage.com/
http://www.foodinsurance.com/
http://www.thrivelife.com/foodstorage
Dehydrated foods are foods that have been either slow dried naturally or slow heat dried to remove the moisture. These are similar to freeze dried foods but these will still have a small amount of moisture left in them. Many stores sell food dehydrators now days so this is something you can learn to do yourself. If you have a large garden this is also one good way to preserve and save your hard earned harvest. There are also many companies out there that sell dehydrated foods as well. In a P.A. world this would be one valuable skill and some good equipment to have on hand to help preserve what you grow or hunt.
http://www.backpackingchef.com/dehydrating-food.html
http://www.thereadystore.com/food-storage/preparation-method/dehydrated-food-storage
http://www.nitro-pak.com/products/food-types/nitro-pak-dehydrated-foods
http://www.amazon.com/b?node=1090752
http://www.basspro.com/Camping-Game-Food-Processing-Food-Dehydrators/_/N-1z0ux6t
http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/choosing-a-food-dehydrator-zmaz03jjzgoe.aspx
Foods for your pets.
http://www.primalpetfoods.com/product/list/c/14
http://www.naturesvariety.com/InstinctRaw/FD/dog/all
http://www.preparewise.com/food-storage/pet-food-storage.html?gclid=CKrY-p33vboCFS8S7Aodol4AvA
.MRE's , Meals Ready to Eat. This is pretty much the standard soldier in the field ration. They are calorie dense and have everything you need in a nice package. MRE's have a 5-7 year shelf life when stored at room temperatures. If you can keep them cooler add several more years, if you store them in a high heat it drops to months really quick, so it is best to store them someplace on the cooler side. MRE's are a complete meal. They have an entree, a side and a desert. They also come with a heater to heat your food and an accessory pack with things like a wet napkin, coffee, sugar etc. They are great in the fact they are grab and go, but they do take up a lot of room and they can be heavy. Throw several in a pack and see what I am talking about. You will gain a bit of weight quickly and loose a lot of space. Many soldiers have learned to field strip their MRE's in order to lighten the load and make space back up in their packs. You can find videos and articles on field stripping them on the internet. Overall they are for the most part pretty good, and there is a good menu choice out there so you wont get bored quickly.
.Another alternative to the MRE, is the more civilian Heater Meal. Same set up, you can get it as a complete meal, it has a heater and about the same shelf life. The company that makes heater meals also makes a self heating soup, coffee, and hot chocolate.http://heatermeals.com/
, Freeze dried meals are simply food items that have been frozen then exposed to a vacuum to remove all water. What you get is a dried meal that is considerably lighter but retains its flavor and its nutrition. The advantage to these is they often have 7-20 years shelf lives. They are a great long term solution for those looking for a food storage solution to last them several years. They are also very light and take up a lot less space that an MRE or Heater Meal. I have tried lots of these and really have found one that I wouldn't eat. There are a lot of choices and companies to choose from so you are sure to find menu's to suit your needs. The downside of these is they do require water to rehydrate them, in an emergency situation that is something to think about.http://www.mountainhouse.com/
http://shop.katadyn.com/category/655322/AlpineAire_Foods
https://wisefoodstorage.com/
http://www.foodinsurance.com/
http://www.thrivelife.com/foodstorage
Dehydrated foods are foods that have been either slow dried naturally or slow heat dried to remove the moisture. These are similar to freeze dried foods but these will still have a small amount of moisture left in them. Many stores sell food dehydrators now days so this is something you can learn to do yourself. If you have a large garden this is also one good way to preserve and save your hard earned harvest. There are also many companies out there that sell dehydrated foods as well. In a P.A. world this would be one valuable skill and some good equipment to have on hand to help preserve what you grow or hunt.http://www.backpackingchef.com/dehydrating-food.html
http://www.thereadystore.com/food-storage/preparation-method/dehydrated-food-storage
http://www.nitro-pak.com/products/food-types/nitro-pak-dehydrated-foods
http://www.amazon.com/b?node=1090752
http://www.basspro.com/Camping-Game-Food-Processing-Food-Dehydrators/_/N-1z0ux6t
http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/choosing-a-food-dehydrator-zmaz03jjzgoe.aspx
Foods for your pets.
http://www.primalpetfoods.com/product/list/c/14
http://www.naturesvariety.com/InstinctRaw/FD/dog/all
http://www.preparewise.com/food-storage/pet-food-storage.html?gclid=CKrY-p33vboCFS8S7Aodol4AvA
Places to score canned goods!
Ever wonder what happens to scratch and dent cans? Well I found an article that talks about it and also list places to get them. A great way to save $$ and stock up on goods!
http://www.moneytalksnews.com/2009/04/16/salvaged-grocery-store-list/
http://www.moneytalksnews.com/2009/04/16/salvaged-grocery-store-list/
Your food could get you killed!
OK here is a great little article that follows up on what I talked about when bugging in.
Just the odors/smells from food you are cooking could get you killed or become a serious target.
http://www.shtfplan.com/emergency-preparedness/they-will-smell-your-food-from-miles-away_10232013
Think about when someone in your neighborhood grills... carries around the whole neighborhood. Makes you hungry, and if this was a post ap event,, that person just announced to everyone with in a large area,, I have food! Come and get it!
Like it says,, the zombies will come!
Just the odors/smells from food you are cooking could get you killed or become a serious target.
http://www.shtfplan.com/emergency-preparedness/they-will-smell-your-food-from-miles-away_10232013
Think about when someone in your neighborhood grills... carries around the whole neighborhood. Makes you hungry, and if this was a post ap event,, that person just announced to everyone with in a large area,, I have food! Come and get it!
Like it says,, the zombies will come!
Mountain house try
.
So I decided to try this for lunch the other day, Over all not that bad, I did find it a bit bland for my taste though. I also found I had to add a bit more water than it called for. about a 1/3 of a cup more. There was enough in the package to make 4 wraps. Once I got it all rehydrated the texture was pretty good. could have used some more cranberries and maybe a bit more onion, but then again that is me.. I added some raisins to it and some season salt to kick it up. I tried it with some tortillas and some crackers. I preferred it with the crackers. Although if you had some salad fixings and some cheese the wrap might taste a wee bit better. All in all not bad, I will keep it in my stash.. just making sure I have a little extra stuff to add in.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Weapons for a cache or stash location.
OK, been thinking about this for a while. What weapons would you put in a cache or stash location.
Also considering space. The old standbye AR-15 broke down comes to mind, but what other weapons also would work. The AR-7 is another but due to its long history of complaints, I might be shy of it, atleast till I get one in my hands and give it a torture test. The is also the new Ruger 10/22 takedown rifle. It has Ruger reliability and has the ability to be broke down into 2 pieces.
http://www.ruger.com/products/1022Takedown/models.html
.
Its small size and using the 22lr makes it a decent cache weapon.Plus you have the option of lots of aftermarket accessories to add and customize your weapon. This cached and several hundred rounds of ammo make it a great weapon and being priced in the $300 range makes it very affordable.
This paired with a good .22lr pistol and you have a decent combo. NO your not going to go looking for a fight with these, in a survival/bug out situation I would avoid looking for a fight and focus on defense and avoiding any hostile situations.
Another potential weapon I like is the Kel-Tec Sub2000. Its not pretty but it has a good reputation and is a solid design. The nice part about this weapon is you can match it to use the same mag as the GLK22, GLK23, Berreta92, GLK17 and GLK19, as well as SIG and S&W models. IF your forced to bug out you can use one mag and same ammo either 9mm or .40cal and avoid ammo and mag issues. The Sub 2000 also breaks down and thus makes a great weapon for a small stash space.
.
.
It can be reduced in size to 7 inches. That's pretty compact!
Kel-Tec also has another good weapon for a cache. The SU-16D, it collapses down to 20 inches another good cache/stash size! Plus its fires 5.56 or 223 ammo and uses AR 30rnd mags. I like that!
.
There are also many Bull-Pup designs out there that can be fitted into a tight space.
Anyways, I will add more to this at a later date.
If you have a preferred cache weapon let me know.. Would love to hear about it.
Also considering space. The old standbye AR-15 broke down comes to mind, but what other weapons also would work. The AR-7 is another but due to its long history of complaints, I might be shy of it, atleast till I get one in my hands and give it a torture test. The is also the new Ruger 10/22 takedown rifle. It has Ruger reliability and has the ability to be broke down into 2 pieces.
http://www.ruger.com/products/1022Takedown/models.html
.Its small size and using the 22lr makes it a decent cache weapon.Plus you have the option of lots of aftermarket accessories to add and customize your weapon. This cached and several hundred rounds of ammo make it a great weapon and being priced in the $300 range makes it very affordable.
This paired with a good .22lr pistol and you have a decent combo. NO your not going to go looking for a fight with these, in a survival/bug out situation I would avoid looking for a fight and focus on defense and avoiding any hostile situations.
Another potential weapon I like is the Kel-Tec Sub2000. Its not pretty but it has a good reputation and is a solid design. The nice part about this weapon is you can match it to use the same mag as the GLK22, GLK23, Berreta92, GLK17 and GLK19, as well as SIG and S&W models. IF your forced to bug out you can use one mag and same ammo either 9mm or .40cal and avoid ammo and mag issues. The Sub 2000 also breaks down and thus makes a great weapon for a small stash space.
..It can be reduced in size to 7 inches. That's pretty compact!
Kel-Tec also has another good weapon for a cache. The SU-16D, it collapses down to 20 inches another good cache/stash size! Plus its fires 5.56 or 223 ammo and uses AR 30rnd mags. I like that!
.There are also many Bull-Pup designs out there that can be fitted into a tight space.
Anyways, I will add more to this at a later date.
If you have a preferred cache weapon let me know.. Would love to hear about it.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
My reliable SKS.
This is my reliable old SKS, she isnt very accurate beyond 300 yards, she only holds 10 rounds but this gun has performed. Its been in the mud, dirt, and had some serious carbon build up. I have neglected her on purpose a few times and she keeps firing. Now she considered an out dated relic, but you know what, still a DAMNED DECENT GUN!!!
If you own an SKS and are looking for parts, look at these locations
Monday, October 14, 2013
bugging in
So what is your plan? Bug Out or Bug In? or is it a combo of both? I know some folks who plan on trying to stay it but do have a fall back location in case things get to bad. I have a similar plan.
If your going to bug in, what are your options, such a security, water, power, food, etc. These are things you must think about. How do you keep a group of folks at bay? How do you maintain an appearance to keep up OPSEC? These are serious considerations. Cooking generates smells. If your neighbors smell food, they will come looking! A hungry person can be desperate! a person with hungry kids is dangerous! Look for pouch meals, freeze dried or MRE's. These will have low odors and only require you to boil hot water to make them. Thus reducing the food smell that will draw folks in. How do you not advertise your eating well,, eat less! reduce your calorie consumption , enough to help you loose some weight but not affect your ability to perform under pressure or maintain a needed energy level for what could be often hard work. Also add vitamins and supplements to help with this, remember if your not healthy you are more vulnerable to picking up what ever nasty bug is creeping around!
Wear your cloths a few more times, or have work (outside cloths) that maintain a certain level of dirt. How do you not advertize you may have electricity or a power source, black out curtains, foil and even spray paint your windows. Use low voltage lighting, or dim lights at nights. Also use a solar style generator,, it works all day and makes no noise! at night you could attempt to add a vertical wind generator to it and hope a breeze will come along and help it. In the winter close off extra rooms, its a waste of resources to try to heat the whole house, heating 1-2 rooms is more efficient.
Water,,, find Google maps, make notes of where water sources are around you, to include pools and ponds. A bonus is if the house is vacant there might be pool chemicals you can use to purify water.
Learn how to build a slow sand filter! its a great way to clean water for drinking. Build water storage! Rain gutters and a few holding tanks can be a blessing! You can keep them very low profile!
Turn your backyard into a whole garden space! why not use it for something useful !!! grass is pretty but it wont feed or supplement your food stores.
If you have a bug out location, have everything you need to garden there, ready to go, you will want to get your garden up as soon as possible. You can extend your food/emergency food very quickly if your on top of it!
Security! OPSEC is most important. Also situational awareness is most crucial! Be aware of whom is around, who is watching you, who lives where and also people out scouting for the victim of the day. Be ready to defend everything with your life! One thing to remember there are leaders in groups, if faced with a situation where you have to shoot, shoot the one who looks to be in charge! If they are unorganized and lack discipline they will most likely break contact. Take the fight to them if possible and keep the pressure on. The message will be sent. If the problem looks to become major or a hard threat you may want to consider bugging out at that point. Every situation requires thought and a plan and training! Train,, train,, train!!!
Also look at upgrading your home security to include fortifying windows and doors. You may also want to create a safe room with added security such as ballistic blankets http://www.bulletproofme.com/Ballistic-Blankets.shtml or sheet steel http://www.metalsdepot.com/catalog_cart_view.php?msg= added to the walls to stop bullets. YOUR HOUSE isnt bullet proof! There is a company that sells door re-enforcement kits called Door Jamb Armor http://armorconcepts.com/ this will help make your doors way more resistant to kicking in. Also consider hurricane shutters or security shutters http://www.rollashield.com/products/shutters, this could also help deter or add resistance to your home being attacked.
Another idea is ballistic paneling, but this isnt cheap!
http://armorco.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=3
http://www.armortex.com/
You can also fortify rooms with 1/2-3/4 in plywood.
Also consider a video surveillance system with a few extra cameras on standby. If a few were to be damaged they can quickly be replaced. Use a mix of HD and good quality infrared with their own light source.
I know alot of this is very pricy but they are options...
Remember to also cache items around your area. If you have to un-ass real quick you will be able to hopefully rely on your caches to get you through till you can safely get to your bug out location or a safe second location.
Also think about hiding stuff with in your home. Adding thickness to an interior wall will give you a great place/space to hide items. If you have to bail, think like this, make some items Gimme Items, easy to grab, and a few items that a bad guy will have to look for. they will most likely not waste to much time looking for things. I had an idea once on a house of building the interior walls with 2x6 instead of 2x4 and even a few walls made of 2x8. Yes you loose square footage but what you gain is a great place to stash critical items. A wall between two bedrooms made of a 2x6 or 2x8 is a lot of hiding space. You can hide/stash ammo there, food, and critical items. That way if you need to you can come back later or take back later your house and have supplies on hand.
If you decide to cache, pick a few places close to your house, and several locations in route to your other locations. GPS them and then encrypt that coordinate. Also keep what you put in them limited, just in case someone else finds your cache. Think food, water, first aid and a 200rnd battle pack of ammo. At other more remote locations add extras like cloths, an extra weapon (if possible) and anything else you might need. Remember to also water proof everything before you seal your container, THAT means waterproof individual items then place them in waterproof bags then in a heavy mil trash bag, seal your container with a heavy bead of silicon. when you bury it you might want to also through a heavy mill trash bag or plastic sheet over the top. This way your cache is kept dry! It seems a bit overkill but beats finding a drum or large container full of water logged goodies.
ALSO do this at your bug out location/locations.
If you even decide to you can also do a few exterior walls as well. Or in bedrooms build built in book cases create a shallow case or even false bottoms and stash stuff behind and under them. Interior walls are ideal because window depth of exterior walls could potentially give something away...
Be sure to learn basic and advanced first aid, if you can learn some emergency combat medicine skills. Stock up on meds, to include antibiotics http://www.fishmoxfishflex.com/ and learn when and how to use them. Also learn some herbal medicine skills, you can stave off infections, you can cleanse wounds with herbs, you can do a lot with herbs, learn how and when to use them because you will have limited amounts of antibiotics and they have a shelf life. Dont use them unless you have too. I usually get sinus infections come cedar season. By learning how to use a nettie pot and learning to make some tea's and use saline to flush my sinus's I have not had one in years! Saves me a trip to the Dr and expensive drugs as well as steroid shots. Keep several well stocked first aid kits on hand and also ready to grab at a moments notice. Have a good one in your bug out bag!
Weapons, well thats a tough one,, if your at your home it will most likely be a CQB battle unless you live in the country. If your in the city, shotguns for home defense are handy as well as the M-4 style rifles. Any weapon with a bull pup design is also decent. Also have several good pistols, personally the smallest round I would carry is a 9mm. My personal view! stay away from odd weapons, or hard to find calibers, why? well it limits your ammo a lot. Stick with common calibers! or be ready to have reloading equipment on hand and be good at reloading! Again,, train train train!! You will have the advantage and confidence when placed into a situation where gunfire starts.
Keep a good variety of weapons, like a hunting rifle, a shotgun, several pistols, and an assault rifle. Hunting rifles can be dual purpose, a 30-06 rifle has a very long range and as such can be used as a sniper weapon in needed. a 12 gauge shotgun makes for a multi-use weapon as well. I have a bird barrel and an 18inch for my Remi 870. Several pistols of different calibers! I like .45 and 9mm. Also get a .22 rifle,, great for neighborhood squirrels! and small game.
I will cover this subject some more later, remember these are my opinions and not always the best solutions for everyone! DO your research like I have done and find a plan that works best for you!
Remember if your going to bug in,, prepare, prepare, train, train, train, and be ready to get the hell out of dodge if you have too!
Comments are most welcomed on this BTW! Keep them clean! I am always up for discussion on this,
If your going to bug in, what are your options, such a security, water, power, food, etc. These are things you must think about. How do you keep a group of folks at bay? How do you maintain an appearance to keep up OPSEC? These are serious considerations. Cooking generates smells. If your neighbors smell food, they will come looking! A hungry person can be desperate! a person with hungry kids is dangerous! Look for pouch meals, freeze dried or MRE's. These will have low odors and only require you to boil hot water to make them. Thus reducing the food smell that will draw folks in. How do you not advertise your eating well,, eat less! reduce your calorie consumption , enough to help you loose some weight but not affect your ability to perform under pressure or maintain a needed energy level for what could be often hard work. Also add vitamins and supplements to help with this, remember if your not healthy you are more vulnerable to picking up what ever nasty bug is creeping around!
Wear your cloths a few more times, or have work (outside cloths) that maintain a certain level of dirt. How do you not advertize you may have electricity or a power source, black out curtains, foil and even spray paint your windows. Use low voltage lighting, or dim lights at nights. Also use a solar style generator,, it works all day and makes no noise! at night you could attempt to add a vertical wind generator to it and hope a breeze will come along and help it. In the winter close off extra rooms, its a waste of resources to try to heat the whole house, heating 1-2 rooms is more efficient.
Water,,, find Google maps, make notes of where water sources are around you, to include pools and ponds. A bonus is if the house is vacant there might be pool chemicals you can use to purify water.
Learn how to build a slow sand filter! its a great way to clean water for drinking. Build water storage! Rain gutters and a few holding tanks can be a blessing! You can keep them very low profile!
Turn your backyard into a whole garden space! why not use it for something useful !!! grass is pretty but it wont feed or supplement your food stores.
If you have a bug out location, have everything you need to garden there, ready to go, you will want to get your garden up as soon as possible. You can extend your food/emergency food very quickly if your on top of it!
Security! OPSEC is most important. Also situational awareness is most crucial! Be aware of whom is around, who is watching you, who lives where and also people out scouting for the victim of the day. Be ready to defend everything with your life! One thing to remember there are leaders in groups, if faced with a situation where you have to shoot, shoot the one who looks to be in charge! If they are unorganized and lack discipline they will most likely break contact. Take the fight to them if possible and keep the pressure on. The message will be sent. If the problem looks to become major or a hard threat you may want to consider bugging out at that point. Every situation requires thought and a plan and training! Train,, train,, train!!!
Also look at upgrading your home security to include fortifying windows and doors. You may also want to create a safe room with added security such as ballistic blankets http://www.bulletproofme.com/Ballistic-Blankets.shtml or sheet steel http://www.metalsdepot.com/catalog_cart_view.php?msg= added to the walls to stop bullets. YOUR HOUSE isnt bullet proof! There is a company that sells door re-enforcement kits called Door Jamb Armor http://armorconcepts.com/ this will help make your doors way more resistant to kicking in. Also consider hurricane shutters or security shutters http://www.rollashield.com/products/shutters, this could also help deter or add resistance to your home being attacked.
Another idea is ballistic paneling, but this isnt cheap!
http://armorco.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=3
http://www.armortex.com/
You can also fortify rooms with 1/2-3/4 in plywood.
Also consider a video surveillance system with a few extra cameras on standby. If a few were to be damaged they can quickly be replaced. Use a mix of HD and good quality infrared with their own light source.
I know alot of this is very pricy but they are options...
Remember to also cache items around your area. If you have to un-ass real quick you will be able to hopefully rely on your caches to get you through till you can safely get to your bug out location or a safe second location.
Also think about hiding stuff with in your home. Adding thickness to an interior wall will give you a great place/space to hide items. If you have to bail, think like this, make some items Gimme Items, easy to grab, and a few items that a bad guy will have to look for. they will most likely not waste to much time looking for things. I had an idea once on a house of building the interior walls with 2x6 instead of 2x4 and even a few walls made of 2x8. Yes you loose square footage but what you gain is a great place to stash critical items. A wall between two bedrooms made of a 2x6 or 2x8 is a lot of hiding space. You can hide/stash ammo there, food, and critical items. That way if you need to you can come back later or take back later your house and have supplies on hand.
If you decide to cache, pick a few places close to your house, and several locations in route to your other locations. GPS them and then encrypt that coordinate. Also keep what you put in them limited, just in case someone else finds your cache. Think food, water, first aid and a 200rnd battle pack of ammo. At other more remote locations add extras like cloths, an extra weapon (if possible) and anything else you might need. Remember to also water proof everything before you seal your container, THAT means waterproof individual items then place them in waterproof bags then in a heavy mil trash bag, seal your container with a heavy bead of silicon. when you bury it you might want to also through a heavy mill trash bag or plastic sheet over the top. This way your cache is kept dry! It seems a bit overkill but beats finding a drum or large container full of water logged goodies.
ALSO do this at your bug out location/locations.
If you even decide to you can also do a few exterior walls as well. Or in bedrooms build built in book cases create a shallow case or even false bottoms and stash stuff behind and under them. Interior walls are ideal because window depth of exterior walls could potentially give something away...
Be sure to learn basic and advanced first aid, if you can learn some emergency combat medicine skills. Stock up on meds, to include antibiotics http://www.fishmoxfishflex.com/ and learn when and how to use them. Also learn some herbal medicine skills, you can stave off infections, you can cleanse wounds with herbs, you can do a lot with herbs, learn how and when to use them because you will have limited amounts of antibiotics and they have a shelf life. Dont use them unless you have too. I usually get sinus infections come cedar season. By learning how to use a nettie pot and learning to make some tea's and use saline to flush my sinus's I have not had one in years! Saves me a trip to the Dr and expensive drugs as well as steroid shots. Keep several well stocked first aid kits on hand and also ready to grab at a moments notice. Have a good one in your bug out bag!
Weapons, well thats a tough one,, if your at your home it will most likely be a CQB battle unless you live in the country. If your in the city, shotguns for home defense are handy as well as the M-4 style rifles. Any weapon with a bull pup design is also decent. Also have several good pistols, personally the smallest round I would carry is a 9mm. My personal view! stay away from odd weapons, or hard to find calibers, why? well it limits your ammo a lot. Stick with common calibers! or be ready to have reloading equipment on hand and be good at reloading! Again,, train train train!! You will have the advantage and confidence when placed into a situation where gunfire starts.
Keep a good variety of weapons, like a hunting rifle, a shotgun, several pistols, and an assault rifle. Hunting rifles can be dual purpose, a 30-06 rifle has a very long range and as such can be used as a sniper weapon in needed. a 12 gauge shotgun makes for a multi-use weapon as well. I have a bird barrel and an 18inch for my Remi 870. Several pistols of different calibers! I like .45 and 9mm. Also get a .22 rifle,, great for neighborhood squirrels! and small game.
I will cover this subject some more later, remember these are my opinions and not always the best solutions for everyone! DO your research like I have done and find a plan that works best for you!
Remember if your going to bug in,, prepare, prepare, train, train, train, and be ready to get the hell out of dodge if you have too!
Comments are most welcomed on this BTW! Keep them clean! I am always up for discussion on this,
Hard Truth
The following article has a lot of hard truth in it. What would you do? What would you risk? He talks about OPSEC. I have heard from a lot of people if the shit hits the fan I am coming to your house! Well dont bother! Cause I will not be there and I wont answer the door if I am. I tell them all I will gladly teach you, show you and inform you. If you show up empty handed you are a burden I will not short my family to feed yours.
If some of you find this offensive, remember the grasshopper and the ant... Who do you want to be? I will help you move to that goal. But you have to be willing to listen and learn!
http://www.shtfplan.com/headline-news/controversial-post-why-i-wont-be-charitable-when-the-shtf_10142013?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+SHTFplan+%28SHTF+Plan+-+When+It+Hits+The+Fan%2C+Don%27t+Say+We+Didn%27t+Warn+You%29
If some of you find this offensive, remember the grasshopper and the ant... Who do you want to be? I will help you move to that goal. But you have to be willing to listen and learn!
http://www.shtfplan.com/headline-news/controversial-post-why-i-wont-be-charitable-when-the-shtf_10142013?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+SHTFplan+%28SHTF+Plan+-+When+It+Hits+The+Fan%2C+Don%27t+Say+We+Didn%27t+Warn+You%29
Building a warm shelter out of everyday household items.
Here is a link to a great article on building a shelter out of everyday household items. So what if you lived in a cold zone and the power went out. How do you heat an entire home with out power? You really cant. By building a shelter or reducing the area down to the size of a room you can efficiently create a space where you can manage heat and warmth. Also build a shelter with in your house. What if your house was damaged in a storm? Same principle, find the least damaged/safest area and create a shelter with in it.
http://readynutrition.com/resources/how-to-build-a-warm-shelter-out-of-everyday-materials-in-your-home_12102013/
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You will be surprised what you can do with out-of-the-box thinking!
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http://readynutrition.com/resources/how-to-build-a-warm-shelter-out-of-everyday-materials-in-your-home_12102013/
.You will be surprised what you can do with out-of-the-box thinking!
.Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Medicinal Herbs.
I am going to be doing some more stuff on medicinal herbs in the near future. I will be asking my friend Sam Coffman to help explain herbal medicine and some of the basics for you. I will also post info as well. If you are interested in herbal medicine or herbal therapies or supplementing a health condition with herbs, Sam teaches classes on this very subject. His school is known as The Human Path. Sam is an excellent teacher and very knowledgeable in herbs and their uses. In a post collapse society or in an emergency situation knowing something about herbs could be a potential life saver.
Sam is a great guy and I am glad to call him a friend.
Sams School link is
http://thehumanpath.com/
his blog is
http://blog.mysanantonio.com/samcoffman/
If your interested in herbs sign up for one of his classes or come out to one of his free herb clinics for what ails you.
Sam is a great guy and I am glad to call him a friend.
Sams School link is
http://thehumanpath.com/
his blog is
http://blog.mysanantonio.com/samcoffman/
If your interested in herbs sign up for one of his classes or come out to one of his free herb clinics for what ails you.
Corn
Growing Corn can sometimes be a risk, pending weather and water. But you can grow old varieties of corn that are drought tolerant and heat tolerant. Varieties like Hopi Blue and Anasazi do well in the Southwest. There are many varieties of Indian old world corns that will prosper and because they are open pollination you can save seed and always hopefully have a supply.
Remember when planting corn, that it does like a lot of fertilizer. So one way to help your corn is to plant a cover crop with it. Planting a crop such as red clover will help fix nitrogen to the soil and keeping the corn from stripping out the nitrogen out of the soil. This will also help keep your soil going as green manure later and or after harvest let the goats and cows in for a field treat.
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Also remember, after you have harvested and dried your corn, when preparing it to soak it in some lye or fire place ash before you cook it! IF you dont you will not release the wonderful nutrition that is in the corn. The Spanish learned this the hard way before almost starving to death. The Indians knew to add some fireplace ash while preparing their dried corn, whether or not they understood why is another thing. The lye unlocks corns nutrition making it available for digestion.
Here is some reading on it.
http://www.mayadiscovery.com/ing/history/corn.htm
http://givemetheinfo.com/prepping-food-storage/uncategorized/making-lye-water-for-treating-corn/
http://www.tuscaroras.com/pages/history/cornsoup_recipe.html
http://www.preparedsociety.com/forum/f36/how-make-hominy-field-corn-8557/
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Can_people_eat_feed_corn
http://www.howtomakehominyfromcorn.com/hominy-made-using-lye.html
http://mrssurvival.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=46799
Remember ,, use old world corn varieties, use lye, learn HOW to lye your corn and you will be living pretty well!!
Remember when planting corn, that it does like a lot of fertilizer. So one way to help your corn is to plant a cover crop with it. Planting a crop such as red clover will help fix nitrogen to the soil and keeping the corn from stripping out the nitrogen out of the soil. This will also help keep your soil going as green manure later and or after harvest let the goats and cows in for a field treat.
.Also remember, after you have harvested and dried your corn, when preparing it to soak it in some lye or fire place ash before you cook it! IF you dont you will not release the wonderful nutrition that is in the corn. The Spanish learned this the hard way before almost starving to death. The Indians knew to add some fireplace ash while preparing their dried corn, whether or not they understood why is another thing. The lye unlocks corns nutrition making it available for digestion.
Here is some reading on it.
http://www.mayadiscovery.com/ing/history/corn.htm
http://givemetheinfo.com/prepping-food-storage/uncategorized/making-lye-water-for-treating-corn/
http://www.tuscaroras.com/pages/history/cornsoup_recipe.html
http://www.preparedsociety.com/forum/f36/how-make-hominy-field-corn-8557/
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Can_people_eat_feed_corn
http://www.howtomakehominyfromcorn.com/hominy-made-using-lye.html
http://mrssurvival.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=46799
Remember ,, use old world corn varieties, use lye, learn HOW to lye your corn and you will be living pretty well!!
Cover Crops
What do you do to improve soil structure, soil fertility and over all health. Cover crops! Cover crops are important for the homesteader, farmer and backyard gardener. In a post collapse society those that have the knowledge will have a valuable key to food production. Cover crops improve soil nitrogen content, soil carbon content and organic matter. Certain cover crops can also keep root knott nematodes at bay and from attacking your plants.
So when your not growing in a field or in a bed you should be planting and growing cover crops, you can also grow cover crops before you even start planting a field or bed to help kick it up and improve it. Also saving your cover crop seeds for continual years of usage. You can use buckwheat, vetch, clover, rye grass, and even certain peas as a cover crop. Do your research and also remember to rotate your cover crops from year to year to help your soil even more.
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Here is a list of places to get seed.
http://www.dkseeds.com/
http://www.seedsofchange.com/productcategory.aspx?c=716
https://www.horizonherbs.com/group.asp?grp=3
http://greencoverseed.com/
http://www.highmowingseeds.com/organic-cover-crop-seeds.html
http://www.territorialseed.com/category/cover_crops
http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Acover%20crop%20seeds
http://sustainableseedco.com/compost-cover-crops/
So when your not growing in a field or in a bed you should be planting and growing cover crops, you can also grow cover crops before you even start planting a field or bed to help kick it up and improve it. Also saving your cover crop seeds for continual years of usage. You can use buckwheat, vetch, clover, rye grass, and even certain peas as a cover crop. Do your research and also remember to rotate your cover crops from year to year to help your soil even more.
.Here is a list of places to get seed.
http://www.dkseeds.com/
http://www.seedsofchange.com/productcategory.aspx?c=716
https://www.horizonherbs.com/group.asp?grp=3
http://greencoverseed.com/
http://www.highmowingseeds.com/organic-cover-crop-seeds.html
http://www.territorialseed.com/category/cover_crops
http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Acover%20crop%20seeds
http://sustainableseedco.com/compost-cover-crops/
Amaranth Grain.
OK Guys something to think about is how are you going to eat when all hell breaks loose. Once things settle down and if your still vertical, you need to consider long term solutions. Sure you have your food stores but at some point they will dry up. By having a large enough garden and livestock program in place you can supplement your stores and extend them for months or years if needed. Easy to grow is the key. Amaranth is easy to grow..
Amaranth is also close to a super food, you can eat the seeds, and leaves. The Aztecs used it very extensively as well as the peoples of the Andes. People in Africa also grow it and use it as food security. Remember that Food Security
Cooked amaranth leaves are a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and folate; they are also a complementing source of other vitamins such as thiamine, niacin, and riboflavin, plus some dietary minerals including calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, copper, and manganese. Cooked amaranth grains are a complementing source of thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, and folate, and dietary minerals including calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, and manganese - comparable to common grains such as wheat germ, oats and others.
Also amaranth is gluten free for those who have gluten sensitivity.
H
Here is a list of seed companies that sell amaranth. Be sure to add it to your seed bank/stores or even find and store it bulk.
http://www.botanicalinterests.com/products/view/0146/Amaranth-Edible-Red-Leaf-HEIRLOOM-Seeds/category:vegetables
http://www.seedsofchange.com/productcategory.aspx?c=195
http://www.rareseeds.com/red-garnet-amaranth/
http://www.rareseeds.com/store/vegetables/amaranth/
https://www.horizonherbs.com/group.asp?grp=37
http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3AAmaranth%20grain
http://www.nuts.com/cookingbaking/grains/amaranth/organic.html
Remember to add this to your storage, seed bank and also your diet, that way you will know how to prepare it and also find different recipes to avoid food burn out!
Amaranth is also close to a super food, you can eat the seeds, and leaves. The Aztecs used it very extensively as well as the peoples of the Andes. People in Africa also grow it and use it as food security. Remember that Food Security
Cooked amaranth leaves are a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and folate; they are also a complementing source of other vitamins such as thiamine, niacin, and riboflavin, plus some dietary minerals including calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, copper, and manganese. Cooked amaranth grains are a complementing source of thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, and folate, and dietary minerals including calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, and manganese - comparable to common grains such as wheat germ, oats and others.
Also amaranth is gluten free for those who have gluten sensitivity.
HHere is a list of seed companies that sell amaranth. Be sure to add it to your seed bank/stores or even find and store it bulk.
http://www.botanicalinterests.com/products/view/0146/Amaranth-Edible-Red-Leaf-HEIRLOOM-Seeds/category:vegetables
http://www.seedsofchange.com/productcategory.aspx?c=195
http://www.rareseeds.com/red-garnet-amaranth/
http://www.rareseeds.com/store/vegetables/amaranth/
https://www.horizonherbs.com/group.asp?grp=37
http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3AAmaranth%20grain
http://www.nuts.com/cookingbaking/grains/amaranth/organic.html
Remember to add this to your storage, seed bank and also your diet, that way you will know how to prepare it and also find different recipes to avoid food burn out!
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
The Solo Stove...
OK Guys this is a really cool piece of gear! The Solo Stove! It works on the wood gas principle. I am looking forward to getting one, one day soon and giving it a serious testing!
http://www.solostove.com/?utm_source=Modernsurvivalonline.com&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=Modern%2BSurvival%2BOnline
http://www.solostove.com/?utm_source=Modernsurvivalonline.com&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=Modern%2BSurvival%2BOnline
Dominant eye and non dominant hand issues
Guys here is a good article on issues we might have or come up against. What if your dominant eye and dominant hand dont line up/ are on the same side. I have this issue, and need to train more in this dept.
http://www.guns.com/2013/09/25/dealing-cross-dominance/
http://www.guns.com/2013/09/25/dealing-cross-dominance/
Black out Materials
Here is a link to black out materials for those who want to learn light discipline at their retreat location. We all know that light and noise discipline can be very critical. especially at a bug out location.
http://www.rosebrand.com/product34/Blackout-Lining-IFR.aspx?tid=2&info=blackout
Here is a link for black out tape
http://www.rosebrand.com/product906/Shurtape-A-E-P-743-Ultra-Black-Matte-Photo-Masking-Tape.aspx?tid=2&info=opaque%2btape
http://www.rosebrand.com/product34/Blackout-Lining-IFR.aspx?tid=2&info=blackout
Here is a link for black out tape
http://www.rosebrand.com/product906/Shurtape-A-E-P-743-Ultra-Black-Matte-Photo-Masking-Tape.aspx?tid=2&info=opaque%2btape
Neat little short wave radio
Here is a link to a neat little short wave radio that uses a low to the ground antenna. It has a range claimed to be 200-300 miles. Would be great used in a local net type situation. Or those with the skills possibly a relay set up...
http://www.qrpkits.com/survivor.html
http://www.qrpkits.com/survivor.html
Monday, September 30, 2013
Boiling water
SO it took about 15 minutes for the water to start to boil. The outside of the canteen by them was black with soot! The candle burned for almost 2 hours! I am glad I kept it in the hobo stove because it really flared up once the fat wood burned up. It burned hot the whole time! I am glad I was able to use my hobo stove for this, The heat rising up through it got the water boiling pretty quick! I am pretty proud of this one!
Candle in the hobo stove
I broke out my trust old hobo stove and decided to boil some water on it using the stove as a cooking source. OK, this little thing kicked some serious ass, but on side notes. There was a lot of soot! DO NOT use something like this inside. There was also a point at which the whole thing started to burn! and it burned hot! another reason not to use it in doors!! So I would say this is a great out door success !!!
UPDATE: This candle put out a lot of soot! the canteen was solid black and the water had a waxy film on the top. It took me a brillo pad to get it clean, and I mean some serious carbon. I will tweak this some more. But I say do not use this indoors at all. and also consider covering your canteen!
Burning candle!
OK, so here is a pic of a candle I made from a cat food can, gulf wax, some paper hole punches and some fine wood shavings. I used fat wood for wicks, I also soaked the wood shavings and the paper in a bit of lighter fluid. This candle did great!
Project 300
This is Project 300... My first build of an AR-15 from the ground up. Most of the parts came from Alamo Tactical and lots of advice from the guys there as well. I built this one in the 300 AAC Blackout round. A .30 cal round with a re-sized casing. I like the fact that I can use bolt and bolt carrier from a 5.56 mm round as well, That means I can shoot either 5.56 or 300 aac and only have to have 2 different uppers. The rest of the parts are the same. essentially the barrel is the only difference. I am looking forward to finishing this and getting her to the range. The 300 also makes a serious bad ass hog gun! So I will hopefully be able to shoot a few piggies and maybe through some meat in the fridge!
My back up pistol
This is my back up, Its an old Smith and Wesson K Frame 45. It was made in Brazil and has the Brazilian coat of arms stamped on it. The barrel has been replaced and my only complaint is the short barrel. I would like to put a longer barrel on it, maybe a 4 or 5 inch but have been unable to find one for it. Might have to be a custom job.... Grrrrr. I also added some Pachmayr grips and glad I did, I would also like to find some more full moon clips for it. Need to hit a gun show or two... But she is solid, rugged and being a 45 has some serious knock down...
My main side arm
Here are a few pics of my main pistol/side arm
Its a Beretta 92fs or M-9. I use this because of the training from the military and my familiarity with this pistol. I have shot over 5000 rounds through this gun and have had one issue, I had to replace the locking block. I also like the fact it is easy to field strip and maintain. I added the extended ported barrel to it and had some trigger work done. It is smooth and accurate. Next project is to replace the rear sights with a combat sight and I think I will be done. Some folks seem to bash the 92 but I have had good luck and I give it lots of praise. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion,,,,dont be a hater.
My attempt at an emergency candle.
 | |||
| a scratch built attempt at an emergency candle/flame source |
OK this is a prototype candle/flame source I did today, I used gulf wax, wood shavings and some paper from a hole punch. I also added some fat wood as wicks and the wood chips and paper were soaked in a small amount of lighter fluid to hopefully increase or give it a better burn. I made 3 of these so tonight or tomorrow I will light them up and test them out. The container is a cat food can by the way...if this works I will make a bunch of them and also switch to a candle wick and store them for a rainy day..
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Diabetes
OK folks this is something serious to think about,, we all know folks who are diabetic or have family members who are...What do you do when there is an emergency?
http://www.doomandbloom.net/diabetes-and-survival-part-5-natural-remedies/
http://www.doomandbloom.net/diabetes-and-survival-part-5-natural-remedies/
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Food Stroage
Food storage, you either do or dont,, get it or wont.. You should have a minimum of 3 months on hand. at all times, you should also consider having several weeks on hand ready to be part of your vehicle bug out plan. BEst situation keep 3 months at your house and the bulk at your bug out location if you have on..
http://knowledgeweighsnothing.com/1-year-emergency-food-storage-for-a-family-of-4-for-less-than-300/
http://knowledgeweighsnothing.com/1-year-emergency-food-storage-for-a-family-of-4-for-less-than-300/
Friday, September 27, 2013
How to control bleeding
This is a serious subject... If you know how to effectively control bleeding you can save a life. Plain and simple. Knowledge is power and it weighs nothing. Its easy to learn how to to do bleeding control. Also make sure you have the things you need to make sure you can effectively do it..
http://www.norcalsurvival.com/all-bleeding-eventually-stops/
http://www.norcalsurvival.com/all-bleeding-eventually-stops/
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Coconut Oil
This is a pretty cool article on coconut oil and its many uses. I like it personally on toast..
http://www.norcalsurvival.com/160-reasons-to-stock-coconut-oil/
http://www.norcalsurvival.com/160-reasons-to-stock-coconut-oil/
Solar project from scrap parts...
Here is an instructable on how to build a solar panel from scrap parts and old solar lights. This is way cool especially if your into salvage use like I like to do..
http://m.instructables.com/id/Recycled-Solar-Power/
http://m.instructables.com/id/Recycled-Solar-Power/
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Clean water! Life Straw Family
Guys check this link out.. for the price and return on investment this is a great deal and a great tool! Something simple that could save your families life or keep them from a lot of misery! Great to have if you go back woods camping and also if you are prepping for emergencies. I cant say enough how important it is to have clean water!
http://eartheasy.com/lifestraw-family-1-0
http://www.vestergaard-frandsen.com/lifestraw/lifestraw-family
http://www.buylifestraw.com/
http://eartheasy.com/lifestraw-family-1-0
http://www.vestergaard-frandsen.com/lifestraw/lifestraw-family
http://www.buylifestraw.com/
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