Sunday, April 30, 2023
When Venezuela Starved, Fruit Helped Keep Us Alive.
By J.G. Martinez D
We live in very verdant territory, where trees can grow without too much effort. We all increased our fruit consumption exponentially as a result. One of the most abundant fruits in Venezuela is the mango, which played a crucial role. The mango helped to keep us from starvation.
Saturday, April 29, 2023
8 Deadly Mistakes When Storing Water For SHTF
Storing water may be the most vital part of our preparations for SHTF events as we need daily intakes of water to keep our bodies functioning properly.
We may be able to survive for up to 2 months without food. However, we can barely last past 3-5 days without fluids or water.
Public water supplies could be disrupted due to drought, floods, quakes, pollution or civil unrest. The need for a stored supply of water is essential for our survival.
Being such an important aspect of our preparations, we need to make sure that the water is stored in the correct ways. Otherwise, we may risk catching some serious diseases that could end up being fatal.
Friday, April 28, 2023
8 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About a Budget
By Linda Loosli
Today I want to share 8 things you probably didn’t know about a budget. Are you someone who struggles with your finances? Whether it’s because you spend your money on things that you don’t need, you have a job that doesn’t pay as much as needed with the higher cost of living right now, or you simply don’t have a good strategy for saving money, a budget can help put some of these financial woes to rest.
After all, you want the best for your family and probably don’t want to end up working past the normal retirement age. We also have rising costs we have no control over, so we must budget now more than ever before, right?
But without a plan, living pay check to pay check for years to come may be exactly what you’ll have to look forward to. I’d like to share some valuable tips that I’ve learned along the way to help put you on track. These are several things that you may not have thought about when it comes to budgeting.
Thursday, April 27, 2023
Is it Safe to Heat Food in a Can?
Canned food is a reliable, convenient option, and aside from being an everyday staple in the kitchen it also serves as a fundamental part of a long-term food storage plan.
You might have seen various depictions in media of people heating up canned food right in the can prior to eating it, but is this safe? Is it safe to heat canned food in the can?
Wednesday, April 26, 2023
Constipation Off The Grid
BY
In difficult times, storing a good supply of long-shelf-life food is a wise move. Folks in the preparedness community have, for decades, filled pantries and freezers with enough food to get them through any disaster. Long-lasting food items, however, can sometimes cause digestive issues when combined with the stresses associated with apocalyptic settings. One of these is constipation.
Constipation is usually defined as having less than three bowel movements a week. Stools tend to be hard, dry, “lumpy,” and difficult to pass. Patients complain of abdominal bloating and discomfort. In some cases, there’s significant pain associated with prolonged efforts to have a bowel movement. Afterwards, there may be a feeling that the evacuation of feces was incomplete
One-sixth of the general population experiences constipation, with percentages rising significantly higher with age. There are millions of doctor visits due to problems relating to it and 250 million US dollars spent on treatment each year. Women have the problem more often than men.
Tuesday, April 25, 2023
How to Prep for an Emergency with Food Allergies
By Linda Loosli
If you have allergies, prepping for an emergency situation is a little bit different than it is for someone without allergies. I know several people who have food allergies and I get asked all the time how they should try to prepare for an emergency. The truth is, it’s a lot more work to prep for someone with allergies than for someone without allergies, however, it’s worth doing the work now so you’re prepared later. You’ll want to check out these tips for how to prep for an emergency with food allergies. Stay tuned to FoodAllergy.org for up-to-date information on this topic.
Items I Recommend:
Monday, April 24, 2023
How To Safely Catch A Skunk Step By Step
Skunks. Nobody likes them – but they’re an inevitable part of living in the country. In fact, skunks can be helpful, preferring to eat plants and insects and thereby keeping various pest problems under control.
That’s not very helpful if you’re dealing with a skunk infestation on your homestead. If you do, you’re likely worried about the skunk spraying your home, belongings, or pets – or worse, going after your chickens’ eggs.
Do you have a skunk problem on your homestead? This helpful guide will teach you how to safely catch a skunk without getting sprayed. You’ll need a trap, some bait, and some gloves – it’s easy to do!
Follow these simple steps and you can get that pesky skunk off your property for good.
Sunday, April 23, 2023
27 Important Things You Should Know About Saving Seeds
By
Saving seeds is a science, an art, and a valuable skill for any preparedness-minded person.
Even for those with small-scale backyard gardens, learning how to save seed increases your food security by reducing your reliance on outside sources.
If you’re new to the idea of saving garden seeds, bookmark this page to use as a reference as you learn more. If you’re not new to it, have you created an emergency seed kit yet?
Why Seed Saving is Important
Saturday, April 22, 2023
How to Get Teens Interested in Prepping and Self Sustainability
By Miles Oliver
Teens these days live in a different world than many of us did growing up. They are surrounded by technology, constantly in contact with friends, and exposed to ideas from all over the world at the click of a button. Though there are many positives associated with the technological advances taking place in the world today, there are also some real negatives.
Perhaps one of the most troubling of these negatives is that many teenagers these days are completely disconnected from foundational skills that are necessary for survival. Many don’t have a strong grasp on where their food comes from, how to use tools to fix things, or what to do in an emergency. For thoughtful preppers, this lack of skills poses a significant safety risk to the entire group.
Building interest in prepping skills and self-sustainability is the first step to rectifying the situation. Finding ways to connect with teenagers may take some creativity. They may look at you like you’re crazy if you try to teach them things for “survival purposes.” Instead, try to subtly tie lessons in prepping to things they are interested in and care about.
Friday, April 21, 2023
The Top 3 Mistakes I Made BEFORE the SHTF
By J.G. Martinez D
There’s a lot of concern out there over rising fuel prices as the US and European economy heads off a cliff. As an outside observer who already passed through one of the worst economic downturns in the world, I can identify with that concern. There were mistakes I made before SHTF that rocked my world.
I learned from that experience, however, and I think I have valuable advice to share you may find beneficial here. I took my time to elucidate the things I regret the most, so you don’t fall for the same pitfalls that I did. My three biggest mistakes were…
Thursday, April 20, 2023
6 Off-Grid House Plans for Your Survival Retreat
Living off-grid is seen as the ultimate goal for many preppers. Reduced dependency on society, its regulations and its luxuries that invariably make you softer and weaker.
Quite a few of us want to free ourselves from the rat race entirely, living in a way that is much closer to what our great grandparents experienced.
Back then, it wasn’t cold survival, it was just called living, and this harder but a pure way of life is revealing itself today with ever greater appeal.
But making the transition from urban or suburban dweller with an on-grid, mass-produced house that is one step removed from apartment living to live full-time on an off-grid homestead is challenging stuff.
The list of prerequisites seems to be endless, not the least of which is what kind of house is suitable for off-grid living.
Space considerations, efficiency, best use of natural resources, and overall quality of life are all pertinent factors and if you are starting from scratch with no architectural experience you could be setting yourself up for wasted time, wasted money and dented dreams.
This doesn’t have to be you, however. In this article, we are bringing you six superb, ultra-efficient off-grid house plans that are well within the reach of any skilled DIY’er.
Wednesday, April 19, 2023
How to Recondition Gasoline Step-by-Step
by
If you live on a hard-working homestead, chances are you have plenty of vehicles and other machines that use gasoline to run.
Smart homesteaders will always keep a good supply on hand so they don’t get caught short at a critical moment.
However, it rarely fails that some stored gasoline, either in a can or a barrel, will be forgotten in the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
When you remember it, or even worse, when you need it you find out that the gasoline is old, cruddy, and probably unusable. Tough break when you need to fuel up and get back to business!
It’s just the way things are. All gasoline but particularly our modern gasoline will break down over time, lose potency and eventually fail to function in the engines that use it.
But, with the right know-how and a little bit of luck, it is possible to recondition old gasoline and bring it back to life where it will work nearly as well as new in an engine.
This article will tell you how and everything else you need to know about the process.
Tuesday, April 18, 2023
How to Relieve Airway Obstructions When You’re Choking
How many times have you swallowed a piece of food that was too big and started panicking that it won’t go down? While you may have been lucky and eventually managed to swallow that piece of food, others weren’t as lucky.
When the food doesn’t go down, and you have trouble swallowing, it becomes a medical emergency. However, biting more than you can chew is not the only thing that leads to airway obstructions causing you to stop breathing.
In this article, we will look at some of the common airway obstructions, and we will learn what we can do to relieve them.
What is the Airway?
The Airway can be described as the gateway to your respiratory system and is divided into two sections: the upper Airway and the lower Airway, or the upper respiratory tract and the lower respiratory tract.
The upper respiratory tract (upper Airway) is comprised of the nose, mouth, sinuses, pharynx (upper section of the throat), and larynx (voice box). The lower respiratory tract (lower Airway) is comprised of the trachea (windpipe), bronchial tubes, and lungs.
What is an Airway Obstruction?
Monday, April 17, 2023
Hoarding These Items Might Get You Arrested
RANDY A.
It is risky not to be on the alert at all times. You don’t want to take chances on your security, protection, and welfare. An effective way to protect yourself is by stockpiling survival items.
Stockpiling these items will get you safe in any unforeseen dangerous events and circumstances. The fire extinguisher can be the only item you would need to prevent your house from getting ablaze in a fire incidence. You can use your survival knife as a self-defense weapon.
Also, if the circumstance demands erecting a shelter (usually temporary), you can use your knife to trim limbs. In cases of blackouts, your headlamp would provide you with illumination. I can go on and on in pointing out the importance of stockpiling survival items.
But hey, that is not just all to it! You can be arrested for hoarding some items.
Sunday, April 16, 2023
What’s the Safest Place in the U.S. During an SHTF Scenario?
The best place to be in an SHTF scenario is one where there’s no disaster at all. However, if a nationwide crisis does occur, some areas will be easier to survive in than others.
Having the right materials and knowledge will go a long way, but you can’t overlook the importance of location. Whether you’re looking for a place to move before an SHTF scenario or want somewhere to flee, you’ll need to know which states are safest. Here’s a closer look at what those are.
What Makes a Safe Place for an SHTF Scenario?
Saturday, April 15, 2023
When A Shooter Targets A Crowd
BY
Originally published at Americanthinker.com
On July 4th, 2022, parade spectators in Highland Park, Illinois were exposed to the worst kind of fireworks you could imagine: an active shooter. This time, it was a 120-pound 22-year-old man who calls himself “Awake the rapper.” Dressed in women’s clothing, he fired more than 70 rounds into the crowd from a nearby rooftop. When the perpetrator was done, 7 were dead and 38 injured.
Friday, April 14, 2023
10 Ways to Cook Without Cooking Gear
By
The ability to cook our food is a crucial part of survival. While we tend to think of cooking food as a way to tenderize it and make it more edible, there’s an even more important reason for cooking it: The act of cooking kills any bacteria contained in that food, making it safe to eat.
Yet the average bug out bag doesn’t have room for an entire kitchen, let alone a smaller survival kit. Most of the time, we’ve got to be more creative than carrying a heavy cast-iron pan just so we’ll have a way to cook in a survival situation. Fortunately, there are alternatives we can use, if we know how.
Of course, any cooking method is going to require fire to produce heat. But we need a way to get the food close to the heat and a way to remove the food once it’s cooked. Both parts are equally important.
So, what can we do?
Thursday, April 13, 2023
Food-Stretching Tips From The Great Depression
The great depression was a time of intense fear and uncertainty for America – and the world. The economy was completely destroyed. Families struggled to survive through sickness, poverty, and hunger.
Unemployment and homelessness skyrocketed. Food was scarce and finding creative ways to make meals stretch and last longer was the only way to secure steady meals for your family.
While we all have high hopes of never seeing an economic crisis of this magnitude in our lifetimes, people who lived during the great depression know to never say never. This is probably because people who survived that time didn’t think it could happen to them either.
The cost of food has increased 8.3 percent globally in the past year alone. Here in the USA, prices for groceries have risen by almost 11 percent. Seeing National food prices soar to the highest they’ve been in 40 years is enough to make anyone look for practical ways to stretch their meals further.
One of the best things we can do now is look to the past at how our ancestors stretched their food during some of the hardest times in history. If they can do it, we certainly can too.
Wednesday, April 12, 2023
Medicinal Uses of Bentonite Clay
Disclaimer. I am not a licensed health practitioner. This is just another post on knowledge and understanding you might wish to acquire in advance of a disaster in case no higher care is available. As long as our society is functioning, you should leave anything more substantial than applying a Band-Aid to the professionals. No medication, including those available over the counter, should be taken without consulting a physician. Information shared here is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not medical advice nor a substitute for licensed medical care.
Bentonite clay, a fine powder derived from volcanic ash, has been used since ancient times to treat a variety of conditions. Very similar to Montmorillonite clay, which is found near Montmorillon, France, bentonite clay is named for the place where it occurs in large amounts--Fort Benton, Montana. This and a significant source in Wyoming provide about 3/4 of the US supply. When mixed with water, this naturally occurring clay that forms a paste that is often used for treating acne and rashes. It's also the basis for many cosmetic skin masks.
However, there are several other uses of bentonite clay that merit consideration. Bentonite clay works in a manner very similar to activated charcoal--it adsorbs toxins and oils and removes them from the body. Like activated charcoal, it does not enter the bloodstream, so it is only used for conditions on the skin and in the intestines. Unlike activated charcoal, bentonite clay also contains calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, and potassium, all of which may facilitate healing. Calcium bentonite is much more effective than sodium bentonite. Following are some of the ways it is used medicinally:
Tuesday, April 11, 2023
Glycerin for Survival: 8 Surprising Uses
Any prepper can get ready for a disaster by accumulating the gear and supplies they think they will need to take care of the problems they will face.
But only clever preppers will gather supplies that will allow them to craft the things they need to take care of unexpected problems.
When you are facing the unknown, especially for a long period of time, adaptability is paramount.
Is it better to have one hundred things that are the perfect solution for one hundred different problems, or only ten things that can be modified, blended or otherwise crafted in a hundred different ways to solve those hundred different problems?
When you start considering economies of scale, space, and financial investment you’d be wise to pick the latter.
One skillset that preppers typically overlook in their survival toolbox is also the one that can afford you this incredibly versatile capability, and that skill set is chemistry.
You don’t have to be a scientist or even a bonafide nerd to take advantage of the versatility, potency, and effectiveness that simple chemicals can bring to your survival stash.
Among all the chemical compounds out in the world, one of the most accessible, most affordable, and flat-out most useful is glycerin.
Monday, April 10, 2023
Mental Stability as a Part of Survival
One of the most important and least talked about parts of survival is your mental attitude. Every military manual you open on survival starts out with a chapter talking about the survival mentality. Considering that the military can spend pretty much whatever they need on the creation of those manuals, if they say something, we should probably pay attention.
Putting it simply, a survival mentality is all about believing that you can and will survive. That’s important when you’re going through it, as you have to believe that what you’re doing in order to survive is going to make a difference in order to motivate you to do it. Let’s face it survival is difficult at best, so it is easy to become discouraged when things don’t seem to be going right.
That discouragement is something we all need to avoid. Just as motivation is critical for the effectiveness of the soldier, so it is with the survivalist. So, just how do we keep that motivation?
Sunday, April 9, 2023
30 Inconvenient Truths About “The End of the World as We Know It” (TEOTWAWKI)
By
What does TEOTWAWKI mean?
At its most basic level, “The End of the World as We Know It” is defined as a complete and utter breakdown of all existing institutions. The governmental, societal, and political institutions we rely on to hold our civilization together in a (mostly) civilized fashion fail spectacularly, and life becomes a Mad Max world. The typical norms of society vanish. Contrary to R.E.M.’s assertion, we won’t feel fine.
TEOTWAWKI is a catastrophic event resulting in harsh survival conditions for a prolonged period.
TEOTWAWKI vs. SHTF
TEOTWAWKI is different than SHTF. SHTF is an acronym for “Shit Hits the Fan.”
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