Survival and Preparedness

How to Build Suture Kits

2009-07-16T09:16:00.000-07:00

Suture kits may not have always been considered part of being prepared. After all, once being prepared meant that you knew the telephone numbers for your physician, hospital and fire/police stations. Today being prepared has taken on a new meaning.

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Emergency Water Storage

2009-07-14T09:08:00.000-07:00

Emergency water storage is not something that most people think about; after all for most of us, there are a number of faucets in our home which supply our water needs. However, a breakdown of the water supply infrastructure could suddenly arise out of a natural or manmade disaster and totally disrupt the way we obtain water. It would therefore behoove every household to have a system of storing water for an emergency.

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Barter Goods

2009-07-10T05:00:00.000-07:00

Below is a list of barter goods considered by experts in the survival preparedness world to be vital for a barter currency in a post-TEOTWAWKI world. Remember, as valuable as goods are, skills will also be very valuable; learn to barber, make soap, about herbal medicine, etc.

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Suture Kit

2009-07-08T05:00:00.000-07:00

While having a suture kit in an emergency situation is a good idea, knowing how to suture wounds might be a better idea. Many who have had medical training have been taught suture techniques, however that’s no guarantee that such a trained person will be handy or that they will have sutures in their pocket.

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Emergency Food Storage

2009-07-06T05:00:00.000-07:00

In this day and age, the wise person will want to have a plan for long-term food storage. First, in the case of a natural disaster you may need that food. That emergency food storage can also be useful in the event of a wide-spread national disaster or terrorist attack.

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Barter Currency

2009-06-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

Barter currency could eventually mean the difference between being comfortable and healthy during an end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it (TEOTWAWKI) scenario. The ability to barter could replace the dollar as a medium of exchange, as trade for goods and services become the norm.

With that in mind there are a few things about barter that you need to know. Like what is meant by “barter”? What is used in barter? We will answer to those and other questions about the world of barter and barter currency. Continue...

How to Suture

2009-06-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

Knowing how to suture a deep cut or gash in the absence of trained medical personnel could be a handy skill to know. While some cuts can be closed with a butterfly bandage, deep cuts require suturing to hold the wound together so it can heal correctly.

Most paramedics and some nurses have received training on how to close wounds using sutures. But in an emergency situation where professional medical care may be hours or even days away, knowing how to suture a wound may save someone from an infection or worse. This will be even more important in a post-TEOTWAWKI situation, where trained medical practitioners will be hard to find. Continue...

Raising Rabbits for Meat

2009-06-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

Here is the perfect guide for those who are considering Raising Rabbits for Meat. Whether you are practicing preparedness or are just concerned about the economy there are some things you need to know before and after you make the decision to get your first couple of rabbits.

Once again CL Hendricks has produced a practical and informative eguide that is both timely and targeted in its approach. She also shares from her own experience in why she decided on rabbits over chickens, to how she acquired her equipment and other things she learned. Continue...

What do Rabbits Eat

2009-04-17T05:19:00.000-07:00

The next question would be what do rabbits eat? Rabbits are herbivores with an efficient digestive system capable of eliminating non-digestible fiber and at the same time fermenting digestible fibers. In the wild rabbits eat a wide range of vegetation such as grass, brush, weeds, shoots, leaves, twigs and bark. Of course we’re all familiar with rabbits and carrots courtesy of Bugs Bunny, but rabbits enjoy other root vegetables, as well as fruits and garden vegetables.

Aside from the question of what to feed your rabbits you’ll need to know that they should be fed twice a day. Because they like to chew it’s recommended that you use a feeder that hangs on the wall of the hutch. Only feed each rabbit what they will eat in a session and remove any extra afterwards. By feeding a bit less everyday, you will eventually figure out just how much each rabbit will eat to ensure they "clean their plate" without not getting enough to eat. Continue...

Old World Skills

2009-04-16T04:08:00.000-07:00

If you were faced with a disaster survival situation, what old world skills do you have that would help you survive? Better yet, what skills do you have that would make you a valuable asset to a community of survivors?

Just because one is skilled in today’s world of high tech and high finance, doesn’t mean that they will be a desirable survival partner. In fact, in a true survival situation, the homeless person on the street will have a better chance of surviving than the silver-spooned, trust-fund baby who has lived his entire life enjoying the benefits of living in a modern high-tech world.

What kind of old world skills should one learn in order to survive in a TEOTWAWKI situation? Continue...

Shelter Construction

2009-04-15T04:54:00.000-07:00

The ability to construct a survival shelter is one important requirement not just for a scout, but also for anyone who wants to make it through the night alive while out in the wild. The Boy Scouts of America has at least 15 proficiencies that must be met before a member may be bestowed with the Wilderness Survival Merit Badge, one of which proves their ability to construct a survival shelter.

There are several points of paramount importance in wilderness shelter construction. Consider the specific type of environment. Are there an enough construction materials? Is the area on a hill? Is there easy access to water? Is it mild, or is it snowing, windy, or raining?

Considering that information is very important when deciding what type of survival shelter you will construct. Continue...

Outdoor Survival Equipment List

2009-04-14T07:49:00.000-07:00

You can go online or to your local library to research what the experts suggest should be included on a comprehensive list of wilderness survival equipment. Some of the items will almost surely surprise you and seem unnecessary or even strange. However, an outdoor survival gear list is something that no one should be without when planning to go off into the wilderness.

In many cases, the items on a list for survival equipment are only there in the event that there is a need for them. The old saying “it’s better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it” definitely applies to any survival gear list. If there is room in your outdoor survival kit, you should also try to take along waterproof matches or a spark-striker, also known as: Continue...

Disaster Medical Kits

2009-04-13T04:41:00.000-07:00

While a small first-aid kit is a great addition to any car trunk, school backpack or purse, a comprehensive medical kit will contain items that go beyond a simple paper-cut or skinned knee.

Even without medical training, a good disaster medical kit is a must!"

Although there are emergency medical kits specifically designed and stocked for use by trained medical personnel, there are also kits designed to be used by the untrained. Such kits will usually contain sterile wound management bandages, resuscitation mouth guards, non-prescription pain medications, shock treatments items and an easy-to-understand guide to first aid. Continue...

Rabbit Breeds

2009-04-11T05:23:00.000-07:00

When discussing rabbit breeds we are only looking at those breeds preferred for their meat. For that reason there are a couple of criteria to keep in mind. The giant breeds like the Flemish Giants do produce large fryers with a lot of meat. However, they also have larger bones, so the meat to bone ratio is not as good as some of the smaller breeds.

The rabbit breeds most commonly raised for meat are the California and the New Zealand White. They are both known for high milk production, ability to be bred frequently, and for producing large litters.

The California is a meat rabbit developed in the United States. Typically they weigh about 9-10 pounds and have white fur with black nose, ears, feet and tail. They are usually rather plump but have fine bones. Continue...

Lewis And Clark Survival Techniques

2009-04-10T05:16:00.000-07:00

Rustic survival techniques where used when Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led the expedition that opened up the lands west of the Mississippi River. The Lewis and Clark expedition of 1804 to 1806 is perhaps one of the most well known expeditions of west expansion.

Because most of the members of the Lewis and Clark expedition were from the civilized lands in the East, they had to learn new skills to stay alive. Those survival skills are the same survival techniques that are taught in many of thewilderness survival schools today.

Students are taught using the same equipment that Lewis and Clark had available then, such as flint and steel, Continue...

Survival Homestead

2009-04-08T05:38:00.000-07:00

Survival or preparedness homestead is different than "homesteading" which used to mean settling on a piece of undevel-oped government land and making improvements to the property which then entitled you to own the land. That was a common method of settling the far West in days of old.

Now, however, the term usually refers to a property in the country, that is self-sufficient and hopefully capable of being totally off the grid. Usually that means a well or spring, some type of gardening and livestock.

There are a couple of different reasons why people choose to simplify. One reason is disenchantment with city living and the growing dangers of metropolitan areas. Another reason is that someone believes societal changes are coming and has chosen to live as close to nature as possible as part of their long-term survival preparations. Continue...

Wilderness Survival Knife

2009-04-07T05:31:00.000-07:00

The best survival knife should have all the desired features you want to have in case of an emergency. Some things to consider about the best knife blades are whether you want a smooth edge or a serrated edge.

The shape of the blade also might be something to consider. If you had to cut a heavy piece of material, would the hunting knife do the task? Large hunting knives should have a full tang that runs through the entire handle. That way if the handle breaks around the tang, another handle can be crafted out of bone, leather or wood. Other things to consider about the survival knife blade are whether you want a lock-back knife or a non-locking blade. Continue...

Survival First Aid

2009-04-06T05:11:00.000-07:00

While many situations necessitate the need for this type of wilderness survival first aid, or even combat surgery training for those fighting overseas, some regular everyday jobs require training for employment. The lifeguard at your community pool should be trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and simple first aid. Police officers, fire fighters, and several different government-employed positions demand the same training, if not more.

These people would do significantly better in a situation needing survival first aid. For anyone needing or wanting to be trained in CPR and/or first aid the Red Cross offers health and safety service courses, helping people achieve the proficiency of CPR, first aid, and even Automated External Defibrillator (AED) training. Continue...

Build a Rabbit Hutch

2009-04-03T04:59:00.000-07:00

The first step in raising rabbits is to build a rabbit hutch. Because rabbits are hunted by many animals and birds you will need to build their housing so that it is raised off the ground and sturdy enough to protect the rabbits from coyotes, foxes, wild cats and even the family dog.

There are a large number and wide variety of plans for how to build a rabbit hutch. However, they all agree that the purpose of the rabbit hutch is to protect the occupants from rain, wind and hot sun, be easy to clean and be at a convenient height for the caregivers.

While some of the basics of rabbit hutch design may differ slightly there is one material common to all designs. That is the use of wire mesh or hardware cloth with a maximum of ½ in. square mesh often used for the floor of, Continue...

How To Make A Trap

2009-04-02T04:26:00.000-07:00

One skill that could come in very handy in a survival situation is how to make a trap. Once it becomes impossible to get your food from the supermarket or grocery, especially in a case of TEOTWAWKI situation, then knowing how to hunt, trap and fish could mean survival for you and your loved ones.

There are a number traps and snares that can be easily constructed to enable you to feed your family. Even if you live in an urban area there are a number of small animals such as rabbits, squirrels, opossum and raccoons that could be caught if you learn how to make a trap. A simple box trap can be built out of pieces of wood, small-holed fencing material or even sticks tied together. Just make Continue...

Subsistence Living

2009-04-01T05:16:00.000-07:00

Subsistence living is defined as living off of what you yourself can grow and make by taking only what you need from the land. Subsistence gardening and subsistence farming are ways that you can do this. By growing your own food you are no longer relying on the mass markets and vast retail networks of the world.

Some of the reasons for learning the art of living a subsistence lifestyle are similar to those scenarios so popular in modern disaster movies and books. The apocalyptic view portrayed in those describes what we are doing to ourselves. Through global warming or nuclear technology, we are tearing ourselves and our planet apart piece by piece. Continue...

Wilderness Survival Kit

2009-03-31T05:34:00.000-07:00

If you are planning a trip out in the forest, you are going to want to take along a wilderness survival kit. These kits are for your own benefit whether you think you will need them or not. If you get lost or if something happens, such as a fall that would prevent you from getting home, you need to have the right equipment. Keep in mind that you should alwayspack your emergency survival kit so that you have enough to last at least three days.

The first thing you will want is a lightweight backpack; polyester is a durable material yet lightweight and recommended for any wilderness adventures and the wilderness survival kit. The color of the backpack should be a bright color that stands out easily if someone is looking for you. The easier it is for you to be found, the quicker you can receive the help you need. The backpacks are made for children and adults, so that everyone has their own survival ingredients. This is very important for the survival of everyone, who explores the wilderness. Continue...

Wilderness Survival Equipment List

2009-03-30T04:07:00.000-07:00

To be properly ready to venture out into the great outdoors, you should follow an wilderness equipment list that you can prepare before you leave. Any list will surely have items on it that make sense to you. However, your personalized list may include ashovel, an axe or a hatchet and a bow saw. The list is up to you and based on your specific needs.

Having a hatchet, bow saw and compass makes sense when you plan to be in the wilderness for a long period. The hatchet and bow saw can be used to create a shelter from thin trees or branches to keep the elements off you and to keep you warm. In the absence of a hatchet or bow saw, a large hunting knife can often be used for similar tasks. Continue...

First Aid Kit Ingredients

2009-03-27T05:44:00.000-07:00

First aid kit ingredients are given in a comprehensive list below, should you decide to build your own first-aid kit. Years ago, I didn’t have the funds to buy a professional kit, so working from a list similar to this, I put together an emergency medical kit.

I had an 8”x20”x8” hard-sided old train/cosmetic case and filled it with items I picked up at the discount stores, pharmacies and even flea markets and garage sales (ace bandages, bandage scissors, etc).

I used this kits for years and there were many times it came in handy for cuts, bruises, splinters, etc. Thankfully, there was never a major emergency that required it’s use, but if there had been,
Continue...

Raising Rabbits

2009-03-26T05:36:00.000-07:00

Raising rabbits is often proposed as a way of providing meat in the event of a post-SHTF world. When supermarkets are no longer the source for food, feeding one’s family will entail changing how one “shops”. There will be basically two choices: hunt for food or raise it, or some combination of these two.

If you are thinking about raising your own meat animals, two that are most often discussed for the small backyard farmer are chickens and rabbits. When comparing cost, efficiency and productivity of the two meat-producers, many prefer rabbits over chickens for the following reasons: Continue...

Distilling Water From The Sun

2009-03-25T05:20:00.000-07:00

Understanding the basics of distilling water from the sun could come in very handy in a wilderness survival situation. One of the reasons why a tarp or sheet of plastic sheeting is listed on any good wilderness survival gear list is because either one can be used to collect or distill water from the sun.

This method is especially helpful in areas where it is hot during the day and yet, gets downright cold at night. Even in the driest desert this method of distilling water from the sun can be used to provide water.

The first step in solar water distillation is to dig a hole that’s about three feet across and about 18-24 inches deep. Place a pan or some type of container in which to collect the water in the bottom of the pit. Use the tarp or plastic sheeting cover the hole using rocks around the edges to hold it in place. Continue...

Solar Heater

2009-03-24T07:08:00.000-07:00

A solar-powered heater is created by collecting the heat generated by the sun and using it to heat a building. The possible intensity of the heat collected can be verified just by climbing into a car that has sat in the sun. If that car is in the American Southwest, it is possible to bake cookies inside that vehicle just by the heat that builds up.

To build a sun heater you will need a few components depending on what type of heater you will be creating. Maybe you are ready to build asun-powered heater for your home or even a camping trip. The quantity of supplies needed will be based on the heater’s intended use.

The first step is to know how to build a homemade solar cell. This solar cell is what you will need to create your solar-powered heater, because it is what collects the heat of the sun. Continue...

Survival Rifle

2009-03-23T05:05:00.000-07:00

Survival rifles are considered mandatory for survival because the caliber is larger. This means it can take down a larger target, such as a bear or elk. It is important to have the right caliber weapon when you are considering your safety. Gun Broker.com

Bears and other large carnivores can be extremely dangerous when they are wounded, therefore it is important that they are dropped with the first shot. You do not want to have to take a few shots to kill a charging grizzley. You better be a good shot and have a large-enough caliber rifle to kill it with a head or spinal shot. Continue...

Plants Used For Medicine

2009-03-20T04:40:00.000-07:00

In a survival situation it’s a good idea to know the plants used for for health and healing. Even if one is not in a survival situation medicinal plants are often the best choice. Currently of the 250,000 identified categories of plants, only about 2% are used medicinally.

Some of the most common plants used for medicine, often available in the supermarket, drug store and even convenience store are: ginseng, Echinacea, and gingko. These plants target energy, brain health and immunity.

There are a number of plants used for medicine that specifically target the area of pain relief. Giant hyssop (Agastache urticifolia) is an analgesic that grows in the sandy soil of the American West where it can get lots of sun. An infusion or tea made of the dried leaves will provide relief from pain, such as that with rheumatism. It can also be used to treat colds and measles. Continue...

Heirloom Seeds

2009-03-19T04:38:00.000-07:00

Heirloom seeds are those seeds that will faithfully reproduce after their own genetic kind. However, most seeds that are sold for vegetable gardening are hybrid seeds that have been genetically-modified to produce a plant with larger fruits, resistance to disease or bugs, etc.

While that may sound good on the one hand, what most people don’t realize is that hybrid seeds can be a threat to their very existence in a long-term survival situation. The problem is that the seeds from the fruits or vegetable produced by hybrid seeds cannot be saved and counted on to reproduce the following year a plant similar to the parent plant.

What this means is that in a survival situation if all you have are hybrid seeds you could find yourself starving. While those hybrid seeds that you’ve bought from those pretty seed catalogues might produce a fantastic garden the first year, saving the seeds won’t do a lot of good the next year. Continue...

How To Survive The Wilderness

2009-03-18T05:24:00.000-07:00

Here are a few commonsense suggestions on how to survive the wilderness, but by no stretch of the imagination could this be considered a complete guide to survival. This is meant to be just some information to get you thinking.

For more information on how to survive the wilderness, there are a number of comprehensive books, written by survival experts, who have spent years in survival situations.

For some people it could be their backyard or the gang-controlled streets of their urban neighborhood. For the purposes of this article it’s the great outdoors, the woods, the mountains…anywhere away from civilization. Since there are a wide variety of “wildernesses” such as hardwood forests, coniferous forests, desert, rain forest, swampland, snow-capped mountains, the suggestions given here will apply to any situation. Continue...

DIY Solar Battery Charger

2009-03-17T06:48:00.000-07:00

To build a do-it-yourself DIY solar battery charger you will need to solder the wire from back to front and front to back with three cells. You can wire the cells together for more amps (series) or for more volts (parallel).

You will have two wires on each side of the cell and you need to follow the solder lines that are marked on the cells. After you are finished soldering the three cells together using the back to front and front to back rotation, you now have to do the opposite on the other three, which will be front to back and back to front.

You will build a solar battery charger for a one point five (1.5) array with three cells. If you connect the first set to the second set, you will have a three-volt array. You will also have a wire coming off the front side for the positive connection and a wire off the back for the negative connection. Continue...

Outdoor Emergency Kit

2009-03-16T06:28:00.000-07:00

An outdoor emergency kit is probably one of the easiest ways to avoid problems in the outdoors. Unless you have received wilderness survival training and know that you can go into the wilds with nothing more than a Swiss Army knife and survive for three weeks, then there are a few things you should always take with you.

Even if you are only going for a short day hike on a well-traveled trail, a survival fanny pack containing the items from the list below, could be a life saver. We’ve all heard stories about someone who went for a “little” hike and ended up being the object of a massive search and rescue effort. Too often the hiker wasn’t dressed appropriately, had not taken any survival gear and supplies and had not followed common sense wilderness survival tips. What had started off as an enjoyable outing, turned into a survival experience and media event. Continue...

Plants That Cure Illnesses

2009-03-13T04:48:00.000-07:00

You may think that plants that cure illnesses are hard to locate or identify. This is not necessarily true. In fact many plants that cure sickness can be found in your backyard, or at least in your home state. There are even plants that are believed to cure cancers that cannot be cured by regular means.

Marijuana is just one medical plant that has been said to help those with cancer. While it cannot cure the cancer, it can make the sickness from the treatments go away. This is why it is considered one of the medicinal plants worth mentioning. Some individuals can legally secure this plant in order to help themselves. There are plants that can treat and cure illness that are far less controversial. Continue...

Seeds to Grow for Survival

2009-03-12T04:28:00.000-07:00

Survival garden seeds are an absolute must for any long-term food storage program. No matter what type of preserved foods you store, freeze dried, dehydrated, canned or MRE's, sooner or later that food will run out. Not only that, but eating beef jerky and freeze-dried ice cream for every meal will get old real fast.

Even if you are not a real vegetable eater now, in a world where potato chips and Big Macs are no longer on the menu, raw carrots, fresh corn and broccoli will have a brand new appeal. However, without some planning now, you’ll be facing the end of your food stores with nothing to replace them.

That does not have to be the case. By purchasing a good supply of... Continue...

Basic Wilderness Survival Techniques

2009-03-11T16:35:00.000-07:00

The Lewis and Clark survival schools offer training for wilderness expeditions. Even when you go into the wilderness fully supplied it helps to know the same type of survival techniques that Lewis and Clark used.

Most times when you are hiking a far distance, you want to take the minimal amount of equipment possible to make the backpack lighter, which is part of the basic wilderness survival techniques. During this time, you usually want to bring a minimum amount of food and hunt for the rest, which is more difficult to do given that there are laws governing the times of years in which it is lawful to hunt or trap.

The types of rifles we have today do make a bit of noise so it is important when learning how to hunt that you are good shot, otherwise you will find you do not have a second chance. Also, one of the basic wilderness survival techniques is the hunting rule that says that if you only wound your prey that you must track it until it drops or you can take a killing shot. Continue...

Build A Solar Heater

2009-03-10T07:51:00.000-07:00

To build a solar heater you will need to understand what constitutes a solar heater. First of all solar works off of the sun; this means you have to have sun in order for the item to work whether it is a distiller, a solar panel on a home, or even a solar heater.

When you build a solar heater it must not only be able to collect the heat collected from the solar cells, but there must be some type of delivery system. Some solar homes use a type of collecting system such as a water tank. The hot water is then circulated throughout the house, usually via pipes under the floor. This not only heats the house, but it means no cold floors. Continue...

Best Wilderness Survival Knife

2009-03-09T04:21:00.000-07:00

One knife that people find to be the best survival knife is the multifunction knife. There are many different types of knives, but choosing the right one might be difficult because there are so many.

The best knife is one that feels right in your hand and is not too big or bulky. You can buy a knife that has a fishing line, a weight and a hook, compass and a needle and thread. This is just one type of multifunction survival knife. You can also get a multi-function survival knife with a scissors, fingernail clipper and a screwdriver.

The solid-handle hunting knife is one that will not break under pressure. The lock-back knife is the ideal hunting knife for those that are unfamiliar with using a knife. A lock-back will prevent any accidents while you are using the knife. Continue...

Medicinal Plants

2009-03-06T03:26:00.000-08:00

Prescriptions filled now will only last for so long. What are you going to do when that happens?

With this 37-page eguide you can have true peace of mind when it comes to you and your family's health needs. This full-color guide, provides detailed information for which plants to use for which conditions, recipes and a complete index.

You need to give herbal medicine time to work. In other words, these are not miracle plants. Sometimes it may take as long as three months or more before thesenatural remedies are successful. While you may notice a lessening of symptoms, it can take some time before you realize total relief or healing. Continue...

Urban Gardening

2009-03-05T03:25:00.000-08:00

Urban gardening is the type of gardening that will be required in an urban survival situation. Even in these tough economic times, with food prices soaring, city dwellers are turning to container gardening and square-foot gardening as a means of supplementing their grocery bill. With a little forethought and planning even someone living in a tiny apartment can have a little garden of survival foods.

One of the easiest plants to grow in a container, typically a 5-gallon bucket, is the lovely tomato plant. Whether you like the Beefsteak tomatoes or the small cherry tomatoes, they can easily be grown on a small balcony or patio. Place rocks in the bottom of a 5-gallon bucket that has several drainage holes, and then fill with a mixture of potting soil and sand. Continue...

Alone In The Wilderness

2009-03-03T03:31:00.000-08:00

Okay, say through no fault of your own you are alone in the woods, desert or mountains. Perhaps you were hiking with some friends and wandered off to see what was “just around the bend” while those you were with went the other way.

Maybe your vehicle broke down leaving you stranded, or your boat sank, or your plane went down. As you can see there are a multitude of reasons why someone could find themselves alone in the wilderness.

Once you get over the shock and realize that panic isn’t going to help, it’s time to get down to surviving. While you may only be alone in the wilderness for a few minutes -you can only hope - a few minutes have been known to turn into days and even weeks. Continue...

Build A Solar Battery Charger

2009-03-02T03:49:00.000-08:00

To build a solar-powered charger you will need a few things. First, you need a windowpane cleaned on both sides so as not to prevent light from coming through.

You will need six to twelve solar cells; the number is up to you and depends on the size of the windowpane. You will also need 22- or 26-gauge wire, duct tape, a cardboard box and a diode blocker.

There are some tools such as a multi-meter tester that you’ll need, as well as a soldering gun with electronic or fine solder, a battery holder and some sun to test the cells. To build a solar battery charger, you do not necessarily need a solar battery charger schematic when you follow these do-it-yourself directions on how building a soloar-powered battery charger. Continue...

Cold Weather Survival

2009-02-27T03:19:00.000-08:00

Cold weather survival is really dependent upon a number of things, but the most important is shelter. While one can survive for 3 days without water and 3 weeks without food, in extreme weather conditions one can die in three hours. There are two basic types of shelter; structural and wearable.

Structural shelter is what first comes to mind when one hears the term “survival shelter”. In an outdoor situation that can be anything from a tent to a brush teepee to a cave. However, most people don’t really consider clothing to be a source of shelter, but anything that will protect you from the elements can be considered. Continue...

Wilderness First Aid

2009-02-26T03:34:00.000-08:00

It is not surprising to learn that when it comes to basic first aid, few people outside of the Boy Scouts of America and the national park rangers have even a basic knowledge. Camping, hiking, fishing, hunting, or even fighting in foreign lands can be made safer by at least knowing simple first aid.

One does not have to go camping in the forest to need first aid knowledge. A choking at the office, drowning in the back yard pool or any type of feasible life-threatening situation could require basic first aid.. Many of these situations necessitate the need for on-the-spot first aid, and fast. For that reason, several different aspects of wilderness first aid can be applicable in everyday life. Continue...

Hunger Survival

2009-02-25T05:11:00.000-08:00

In an urban situation, surviving hunger can be somewhat different than in a wilderness location. In the wilderness, depending on the season, it is possible to find edible plants and to capture by snares and traps animals for protein.

Avoiding starvation in an urban survival scenario isn't much different. It is possible to find wild edible plants, although care should be taken to avoid plants that have absorbed contaminants from vehicle exhaust. For the real hungry, there's a variety of urban livestock that can be captured and added to the cook pot. Continued....

In the Company of Dogs, Part 3

2009-02-23T04:01:00.000-08:00

Aside from training your dog to fulfill certain duties and thus contribute to his own continued existence, dog owners must consider how they are going to feed their dogs. In a long term survival situation, eventually those bags of kibble and cans of Alpo are going to run out. You need to be thinking now of how you are going to feed your dog.

Rabbits!

That’s right. Already many people raise rabbits for the sole purpose of feeding their dogs. They don’t give them to them live, of course. But after butchering, the dogs are fed the rabbits raw. The advantages to a raw meat diet are healthier teeth, less plaque, fewer vet visits, more energy, etc.

Since you can easily grow or gather the food necessary to feed your rabbits, they can then be raised to feed your dog(s). A side benefit would be that you can also eat the meat. Want to learn more? Check out “Raising Rabbits for Meat” an e-book by CL Hendricks.

In the Company of Dogs, Part 2

2009-02-20T03:42:00.000-08:00

From the beginning of domestication of wolves/dogs man has found was to put them to work. Working on some part of their natural instinct, man bred so that those characteristics were strongest, resulting in dogs that guard sheep, work cattle, pull a sled and protect their territory.

Many in preparedness are already training their dog to fill a role and pull their own weight (sometimes literally). In a walking bugout, medium to large dog can easily carry a pack with his own food and water bowl (collapsible) or even pull a travois with a small load.

Dogs can be trained to guard livestock to prevent wild predators (4 and 2-legged) from making off with the family’s meat stock (chickens, rabbits, goats, etc). They can also prevent deer and other grazers from invading and destroying your garden.

Speaking of “gardens”, do you know that those hybrid seeds will be good for only one planting and after that you could starve? Order “/Survival Seeds/” today.

In the Company of Dogs, Part 1

2009-02-18T04:03:00.000-08:00

Many of us find ourselves regularly in the company of dogs because for us, life just wouldn’t be as rich and rewarding without our canine companions. Whether they guard us, serve us, or just allow us to pet them, to one extent or another they are members of our family.

With that in mind, what are you doing to prepare for your pet’s survival in the event of a disaster? For most people, the answer is “nothing” just because they aren’t even prepared for their own survival. However, for those in the preparedness community, most realize they need to make preparations for their pets.

Of course, most will tell you that in the event of a mega-disaster, people come first, and that’s as it should be. However, in the event of the type of disaster that leaves you on your own without government assistance (interference) for years, a long-term survival situation, then everyone, including dogs will have to contribute to the survival of the group.

If you are not preparing for your pet’s survival, there’s still time. Get “/Preparedness for Pets/” and learn how to protect your furred companion.

Contriving footwear Part 3

2009-02-13T04:36:00.000-08:00

High moccasins rarely used a front lacing unless it was covered with a spat type wrap. Front laced high moccasins would allow snow and wind to penetrate chilling the skin. Side lacing was the preferred method of drawing the moccasins tight around the leg. The leggings were stuffed into the high moccasins and then laced.

If the weather was especially frigid or there was a lot of snow, an outer “boot” was made. These were usually made from a small animal. A simple sock type design pulled over the high moccasins and tied below the knee. The larger surface allowed for better walking on the snow preventing one from sinking into it. They lived close to nature and developed ways of surviving harsh winters.

Just remember that one of the skills that could be invaluable in the future is the ability to tan hides. Without commercial production of shoes and many other items we take for granted now, having a material like leather will make life much easier.

For more information on how to tan hides, without the chemicals used today and unavailable tomorrow, check out “Raising Rabbits for Meat”. Not only will you learn how to raise rabbits to feed your family, you will learn how to use the brains of almost any animal to tan it’s own skin (with the exception of the cow).

Contriving footwear Part 2

2009-02-11T04:31:00.000-08:00

Both genders wore leggings, usually made of fur lined thick leather. If you were a female you wore a thick leather skirt on top. You would then slip into your high moccasins. High moccasins were modified versions of the style of moccasins worn by any particular tribe.

All tribes had some form of winter moccasins that were adaptations of their summer ones. Tall sides were added, some extended the fold over collar to become sides and some just fashioned a type of spat. All of these were insulated inside and on the sole.

Soles were also modified, much like a Duck shoe, a thicker and occasionally rawhide sole would be used. These soles were dipped in goose grease, tallow, beeswax or bear fat to provide waterproofing. While the inner sole was still warm insulating materials would be added. Most tribes used either duck or goose down, felted animal hair, and animal fur. Some tribes used down from plants like Milkweed and Cattails. Some tribes would weave grasses and place these inner soles between the layers of insulation. (Learn other uses for common plants from the “Coast to Coast Survival Plants” ebook

Once completed the high moccasin’s seams were coated with a waterproofing such as tallow, beeswax or bear grease. The moccasin was placed near the fire to allow the material to seep deeply into the seam. There is a trick using heat on leather. Many times I have seen winter moccasins passed on to another because they were placed too close to a hot fire which caused the leather to shrink.

Contriving footwear Part 1

2009-02-10T05:19:00.000-08:00

When thinking about what things will be in short supply in a post-TEOTWAWKI world, many people forget about footwear. However, like it or not, shoes, boots, sneakers and sandals all come to their inevitable end. Of course, most people have never actually worn a shoe long enough to wear a hole in the bottom or to have the sole separate from the upper portion of the shoe. They simply have no idea just how fragile is that bit of gear that we put on every day that protects our tender feet.

So what will you do when the time comes that your shoes wear out or even worse your kids outgrow their shoes? You’ll get by. You’ll get inventive and devise ways to protect your feet. In fact, some of those ways may seem a bit outlandish in America, but in some parts of the world today people are using things like 2-liter soda bottles, tires and cardboard as shoes.

Now, before there was ever a cobbler to hang out his “open for business” sign, people were pretty clever about contriving footwear. In our own country, the Native Americans developed some very effective footwear with modifications to increase their effectiveness in all kinds of weather and use.

While the styles of Native American footwear varied somewhat from tribe to tribe, they were basically the same: made out of leather tanned from animal hides and cut to fit the individual. These were usually called “moccasins”. Some moccasins were only ankle high, while others were much higher; up to the calf and even the knee.

Raising Rabbits for Meat

2009-01-30T06:55:00.000-08:00

Here is the perfect guide for those who are considering Raising Rabbits for Meat. Whether you are practicing preparedness or are just concerned about the current economic depression there are some things you need to know before and after you make the decision to get your first pair of rabbits.

This is a practical and informative eguide that is both timely and targeted in its approach. It avoids the technical jargon and breeding by genetics guidelines, focusing instead on what you need to know to put meat on your table. From why rabbits are the perfect small livestock to raise for meat to what breeds of rabbits have the best meat to bone ratios, this eguide walks you through the entire experience.

I've read several books about raising rabbits and too many focus on breeding for show, breeding non-meat rabbits or contain more pictures than useful information. Raising Rabbits for Meat guides you thru the entire process at an affordable price.

Check out this eguide if you are looking to raise small livestock animals as a source of meat for your table. Click here: Raising Rabbits for Meat

Coast to Coast Survival Plants

2008-10-14T18:43:00.001-07:00

Do you know what plants growing in your backyard, in the field across the street, or in the woods down the road are beneficial, not just for food, but for medicine and other uses? You may not think you need to know that because you are comfortable in your retreat, however, what if you have to leave do you know what plants you might come across that could save your life?

There are plants found in almost every corner of the United States that can be used to treat a wide variety of ailments, keep you healthy and well-fed, comfortable and warm. Do you know the skills and techniques that the first inhabitants of this country used to stay alive and healthy?

Sunshine Brewer, a Native American lecturer, shares of her first hand experience of plants and their multiple uses, in her newest ebook "Coast to Coast Survival Plants". This is a must for every survival preparedness library. Get yours today.

Are You Going to be Next?

2008-09-15T08:13:00.000-07:00

This has been a devastating hurricane season for the south and eastern coasts of the United States. This weekend I was watching the news footage of the refugees evacuating the Texas coastline in advance of Hurricane Ike.

Most of them wore an expression of worry and almost panic as they clutched plastic shopping bags of a few items they'd grabbed before leaving home. However, in one shot showed what seemed to be a family waiting in line. Each person wore a backpack, while the father carried a large duffle. I didn't see any panic on their faces. They were evidently prepared.

Today I watched the news coverage as authorities went from house to house in Galveston checking for those who had decided not to evacuate. I also saw lines of people waiting for water and ice. There were also people shown waiting for a grocery store to open so they could get some food, while another woman was trying to get some gas for her generator.

My heart broke for those people who are suffering now because they didn't take time to do a little preparedness; some canned and dried food, some extra water, some extra fuel for the generator and a go bag or bug out bag for every family member. So little really, but priceless in situations like so much of the United States has experienced in the last few weeks.

Visit Survival Homestead for more information on what you can go to get ready. Do you need a Disaster Survival Kit? Do you want to try building your own Survival Fanny Pack? You will find that information at Survival Homestead.

Remeber: "Don't put off until tomorrow" when the hurricane is supposed to make landfall "those things you can do today" to be ready and safe.

Build Your Survival Preparedness Library

2008-09-10T10:12:00.000-07:00

Have you begun to build your survival preparedness library? If your answer is "No" or "what's that?" then you might want to read on. If you are like so many people, me included, anytime I want to know something I "google it".

I absolutely love the wealth of knowledge available instantaneously with just a few keystrokes. However, I do realize that there is one drawback to that "microwave" convenience...it relies on power...juice...electricity.

"So?" you ask. Have you considered how you will access all that wonderful information once the power goes out, which is highly likely in a real SHTF or TEOTWAWKI event. If not, then you still have time to do something about all that knowledge that could be lost.

You can visit your local bookstore, hoping they will have books on all the different types of information you want: sustainable living, gardening, animal husbandry, medicinal plants, edible wild plants, tanning hides, etc., etc. Of course, when the bookstore doesn't have what you're looking for, they can always order it for you.

You can visit Amazon.com and some of the other online bookstores and look for some useful books; trying to figure out which books will have the exact information you need. Of course, there is the wait involved waiting for snail mail to deliver your purchase.

In an effort to save gas, time, and confusion, you are invited to begin building your survival library in a matter of minutes. We have a growing selection of ebooks and eguides available for immediately download. With a few keystrokes you can download and print off some very useful information.

Here are just a few of the titles:
"What Will You do in the Coming Pandemic" free when you order a Survival Silver Generator
"Medicinal Plants, Wild & Cultivated"
"Real Wilderness Survival Tips from the Books of Louis L'Amour"
"How to Create Your Own Survival Meals-Food Dehydrating for Bug Out"
"How to Jerk Elk Naturally"
"Preparedness for Pets"
"How to Butcher a Deer"

We are also pleased to announce a new feature writer, Sunshine Brewer. Read about this woman who grew up living and learning all the skills of her Native American ancestors. Sunshine is currently working on a coast-to-coast guide to edible, medical and utilitarian wild plants, which will be available very shortly.

We presently have two of Sunshine's eguides available in our survival preparedness library.

Get a ream of paper, a little extra ink and a couple of binders and begin printing off all that information you may need in a survival situation.

Old Fashioned Skills for Barter

2008-05-16T04:52:00.000-07:00

Recently a group of online workers were asked what skills they had that they could barter with in a post-TEOTWAWKI world. Most answers reveal a practical understanding of old fashioned skills that will be valued. Unfortunately, there were a couple answers that caused some concern.

Answer 1: “I am a licensed psychotherapist. I am trained in crisis intervention counseling, Critical Incident Stress Debriefing, grief counseling and PTSD treatment. I believe I would be able to barter my services to help calm people down and reduce distress-related reactions which could otherwise be catastrophic.”

My Response: It is very unlikely that people who are scrambling to survive will have the time to sit down for counseling. Any type of therapy would have to wait until things settled into a semblance of normalcy…and that could take a long, long time.

Answer 2: I am able to get things I want by charming them with my charm. I would be able to get shelter and food by charming the locals, as well as using my intellect to convince them it is better to keep myself around than to not.

My Response: Male or female, this person is in for a rude awakening! Charm is NOT a skill; it is an excuse to avoid learning to be useful to society, which just makes such a person nothing but a leech. In a post-TEOTWAWKI world, such leeches will either find themselves on the back end of a shovel digging latrines or flat on their back being used in a less-than-charming way.

My advice would be to consider developing old fashioned skills that would be worth something and make you a valuable asset to any group.

Pet Disaster Preparedness

2008-05-15T08:06:00.000-07:00

As a responsible pet owner, there are a few things you can do towards pet disaster preparedness. There are 72-hour survival kits available for purchase designed specifically for either cats or dogs.

They come complete and can be stored in the closet, so that should an evacuation order come, the bag is ready to go. These disaster preparedness kits contain those items necessary to your pet’s survival; food, water, first aid and shelter.

Here’s what can usually found in a 72-hour pet disaster survival kit: Food, water, blanket, light sticks, bowls, 50’ rope, collar, leash, poop bags, chew sticks, can opener, first aid kit, and pet’s individual information often in a 3-gal plastic bucket with lid.

Pet disaster preparedness kits cost between $40 and $75. However, you can create your own version for much less. For under $20 I was able to create a well-stocked kit from items I had a home or picked up at the dollar store. I put it all in a large bag (black diaper bag) that I picked up at a garage sale for $1.

Now I can rest assured that survival preparations have been made for my dog.

Go to http://www.survival-homestead.com to learn more about disaster preparedness for you and your entire family.

Most Valuable Skills Post-TEOTWAWKI

2008-05-14T03:50:00.000-07:00

In a post-TEOTWAWKI (aka: the end of the world as we know it) world, people may find that hobbies and interests that were just ways of passing the time or relaxing when the world was “normal” will suddenly be what helps then survive or contributes to the survival of others.

Here are just a few hobbies that you might want to learn something about:

Basketweaving
Soapmaking
Candlemaking
Gardening
Weaving
Knitting/Crochet
Moonshine/beer/winemaking
Hunting
Fishing
Hide tanning/leather working
Trapping
Welding
Blacksmithing
Gunsmithing
Pottery
Woodworking
Metalworking

With a little thought you will begin to look at your hobbies as something that could be a survival skill or something with which you can barter for food and other goods. If you have a hobby that currently is dependent upon electricity is there a way that it can be done without power? Is it a skill that in the past was actually a living skill, such as weaving and blacksmithing, that you might need to learn more about to be able to do it without modern conveniences. For instance, if you weave, do you know how to build a loom or a spinning wheel?

If you know how to shear sheep for their wool, do you have the tools to do it if the power goes out? Those that raise sheep, might want to consider how you are going to sheer those sheep to retrieve that valuable wool if you don’t have those electrical clippers.

Just a few things to consider.

Most Useless Profession Post-TEOTWAWKI

2008-05-13T03:42:00.000-07:00

What current profession or occupation will be totally useless in a post-teotwawki world? If “the end of the world as we know it” should occur (“when” might be a better word to use) do you have a profession or occupation that would be absolutely without value?

Since the focus would be on survival, it is very unlikely that professions that currently deal with money, entertainment or law would be much use. Also jobs that are dependent upon electrical power would be “dead in the water”.

Here are just few that I came up with.

Mental health workers (psychiatrist/psychologist/psychotherapist) – some of the first people to die in a TEOTWAWKI event will be those without the internal, mental and emotional, stamina to adjust and survive. The ones that do survive will be too busy scrambling for survival, to seek professional help.

Politicians – I would advise all politicians to keep their previous profession a secret as there will be many people looking for a scapegoat.

Lawyer
Real estate broker
Mortgage broker/Banker
Actor/Actress
Car sales
Computer programmer/software designer
Stockbroker

Anyone with these professions would be advised to take up a hobby that would translate into a skill that would contribute to survival either directly or as a barter skill to obtain those things you might need to survive.

Most Valuable Profession Post-TEOTWAWKI

2008-05-12T04:29:00.000-07:00

Have you ever stopped to think about whether or not you have a profession or job that would enable you to survive in the event of a TEOTWAWKI (aka: the end of the world as we know it)? Such an event would result in a complete loss of power, which means: no computer, no gas, no refrigeration, no communication…

Here are just a few that I came up with:

Doctor/Nurse/EMT – anyone with medical training will be extremely valuable
Veterinarian – both for animals and humans
Dentist
Teacher – children will still need to be educated
Farmer/Rancher – anyone with the ability to grow food
Hunter/Trapper
Cook
Seamstress
Barber
Herbalist
Mechanic
Plumber
Botanist

If you are in one of those professions or occupations you may want to consider what you can do now to get prepared for such an event. Are there additional skills you need to brush up on to allow you to continue to perform your job without the use of electricity? Are there some tools you should have on hand in case the power goes out?

Think about it…I am.

Medicinal Plants, Part 3

2008-05-02T03:20:00.000-07:00

Here’s the third installment about these common garden and backyard medicinal plants.

Oregano leaves and stems when used in an infusion can be used as an expectorant, to treat colds and coughs.

Rose hips are an excellent source of vitamin C and as such can be used to treat colds, flu and bladder problems. Two or three of the hips dried, chopped and steeped in boiling water are an excellent source of vitamins A, B3, C, D and E.

Rosemary leaves help preserve meats, can be used as a digestive aid. An infusion of the dried leaves will treat headaches and low blood pressure. It’s an astringent, antibacterial, antispasmodic and aids circulation.

Spearmint/Peppermint leaves and flower tops make as excellent tea that can treat indigestion and morning sickness. The leaves can also be rubbed on your clothes to ward off bees.

Thyme like rosemary can be used to help preserve meat. An infusion of the leaves can be used to treat cough, emphysema and headache. It has antifungal and antispasmodic as well as antibacterial properties.

Whether you are at home or in the wilderness there are a multitude of plants that you should know how to recognize and use. In a survival situation where medical help may not be possible, you need to know how to treat a number of physical ailments using the plants in nature’s pharmacy. To learn more about plants that and cure illness, click here.

Medicinal Plants, Part 2

2008-05-01T03:36:00.001-07:00

Here’s the next installment about these common garden and backyard medicinal plants.

Dill seeds can be mashed and steeped in boiling water to create an infusion for treating indigestion, urinary tract infections, e. coli and some suggest even high blood pressure. The seeds can be chewed to freshen the breath.

Fennel seeds in an infusion treat gas, acid stomach and aids digestion. The seeds can be powdered and used as a flea repellant. There is an estrogenic effect from the seeds which caused them to be used to stimulate menstruation and post-birth milk production.

Garlic juice can be applied to skin infections. One medium clove of garlic is equal to penicillin for some uses. When treating an infection use 2 – 3 cloves a day. To treat high blood pressure eat 3-10 cloves per day. (This mainly works for HBP that is aggravated by people…eating that much garlic pretty much guarantees that everyone will stay far FAR away!...kidding). It’s also be used to treat: athlete’s foot, fungal infections, diabetes, stomach cancer, lead poisoning, worms, insect bites and as an antibiotic. To get rid of “garlic breath” chew parsley or fennel.

Iris roots and rhizomes can be used to treat abscesses, painful infections, swollen lymph and thyroid glands, excessive salivation and constipation.

Marjoram leaves and flower tops have been used to treat menstrual cramps and to aid in digestion.

Marigold flowers can be used in a poultice or infusion to treat chilblains, burns, scalds and stings. It also has antiseptic and antibacterial properties and has been used as an anti-fungal and to treat impetigo.

Click here for more information about medicinal plants.

Medicinal Plants

2008-04-30T19:40:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few medicinal plants and their uses. Some of these plants can be found in your own garden, others may be growing in your own backyard.

Basil is good for intestinal parasites and infections. Stimulates the immune system and contains vitamins A and C. Use the leaves and flower tops, either fresh or dry. Make an infusion by steeping one or two leaves in a cup of boiling water.

Blackberry is good for treating diarrhea, wounds, bleeding and wounds (leaves); sore throat, mouth sores (berries). Make an infusion using the leaves, berries or bark. To apply topically soak a cloth in the cooled infusion and press to the wound or even hemorrhoid.

Cilantro is used as a digestive aid and an anti-inflammatory. Steep the seeds in 1 cup of boiling water and drink three times a day.

Dandelion roots and leaves have a number of uses. The leaves can be eaten in a salad while the roots can be roasted and used as a coffee substitute. An infusion can be made from the dried leaves and used to treat high blood pressure and heartburn, hepatitis and jaundice (most yellow “weeds” seem to have the ability to treat liver problems (which can cause one to turn yellow/jaundice).

In addition to these “domestic” plants there are a wide variety of plants that are found in the wilderness that can heal and cure.

Survival in the Wilderness

2008-04-29T03:31:00.000-07:00

Watched Man vs. Wild today with Bear Grylls. It was pretty interesting this time as he was showing how to survive in the deep canyons (Copper Canyon) of Mexico, a land of desert, scorpions and heat.

He showed several ways to use the yucca plant. He used a yucca stalk to create a fire-starter saw. Earlier he used the fiber of the yucca leaves as sewing thread to fix a tear in his clothes. Later several leaves of the yucca plants were pulled apart to create narrow strips that were then tied together to make a 50 ft line. He then tied one end around a big rock that was ten dropped into a pool at the bottom of a waterfall to measure the depth before jumping into the pool.

Today I learned how to cut the tail off a scorpion and crunch down on it, to find a grub and eat it for protein and also how to kill a river trout by hitting it with a stick. Oh yeah! I now know I can survive in the wild!! (That’s sarcasm in case you couldn’t tell!)

Container Gardening

2008-04-28T03:42:00.000-07:00

The last time I put in a garden was about 8 years ago. It was only about an 8’ x 8’ square enclosed by chicken wire that I planted with cherry tomatoes, broccoli, eggplant and potatoes. I was only able to harvest tomatoes (bunches of ‘em), a few eggplant and broccoli.

This year, knowing I was going to be moving to a real home instead of an apartment, yet acknowledging that there’s no way I can crawl around on the ground in a real garden, I decided to do container gardening. So last Saturday, I found a bunch of little buckets (a fast-food promotional kid’s meal) at the thrift store. I also purchased potting soil, seed starter soil and plant food.

In tiny seed-starters pots, (12 tiny pots per set) I planted broccoli, lettuce, summer squash, cucumbers, green beans, eggplant, bell peppers and spinach. One week later, I have scrawny little broccoli and lettuce reaching for the sky. Just yesterday two summer squash pushed their way out of the soil. Today a cucumber has appeared. So far no beans, spinach, eggplants or peppers have appeared, making me wonder if I did something wrong.

At the same time that I planted the other things I also planted tomato seeds in six of the kid’s meal buckets. Three days ago about four of the pots were showing signs of life.

If I can manage to keep these alive until I move in four weeks, I’ll have the start of a good garden. I know that I’ll have to probably repot many of them at least twice before I move. Once I get to my new home, I’ll repot them in large containers and have a container garden.

Hopefully by the end of the summer I’ll be harvesting a bunch of my homegrown produce. I’ll dehydrate what I can and possibly even freeze some. Hopefully I’ll grow enough that I can give away or trade. At least I’ll have grown foods that can help hunger survival.

Rice Shortage, Natural or Planned

2008-04-25T06:52:00.000-07:00

By now you’ve all heard that there’s a rice shortage that in causing the prices of rice to sky-rocket. However, I’m really wondering if this shortage is natural or planned. Here’s my thinking: while more people are eating rice…one of the reasons being touted is that as more and more Chinese are able to afford better food…wait a minute! Even when they were poor, weren’t they eating rice?

Okay, the bad weather is another reason for the rice shortage.

However, if the news wasn’t suddenly reporting it, would there be a sudden run on rice in the stores? Are the news reports contributing to the shortages? I believe so.

After all, when people start hearing about a shortage in one particular product, suddenly they feel they’d better get their share while they can. So they rush out buy as much as they can afford, and when the neighbor goes to the store and can’t find that item, then suddenly there’s a world-wide shortage!

I’m not saying that there’s not a genuine rice shortage, however, I remember in the past when there was a toilet paper shortage rumor and suddenly the stores were stripped bare. There wasn’t really a shortage until the report created one.

By the same token, while there’s a rice shortage, there’s also a shortage of other grains. Personally, I believe that the shortage of corn for food is a purely manufactured shortage. If the farmers weren’t getting more money for planting corn for fuel, there would be plenty of corn for both man and animal. From what I understand, converting corn into fuel to burn in a car uses more fuel than it produces!

DIY Disaster Kit

2008-04-24T04:15:00.000-07:00

To say you can’t afford to buy a emergency survival kit, is just an excuse. You can make a DIY disaster kit that is just as good, if not better than the others.

Check thrift stores and garage sales for one of those black diaper bags, courtesy of Enfamil, often given to new mothers by the hospital after giving birth. Some women don’t like to use those black bags so they soon end up in the discard pile. That’s all right. Those bags are perfect for a DIY disaster kit. I’ve never paid more than $2 for one at a thrift store or $1 at a garage sale.

Then head off to your nearest dollar store. There you can find: a folding, lock-back knife, matches, dust masks, a bandana, a first aid kit, moist wipes, hand sanitizer, flashlight, pocket-sized radio, bottled water, beef jerky, canned meat, hard candies, gloves, rain poncho, batteries and almost anything else you can think of.

For under $20 you can have a well-stocked emergency survival kit. If you want more information about what a DIY disaster kit should contain, click here.

Bug Out Vehicle

2008-04-23T03:53:00.000-07:00

When you mention “bug out vehicle” to anyone who practices survival preparedness you will hear about all types of customize motorized vehicles that people are planning on using in the event of a bug out. The one thing those folks are counting on is the continuance of gasoline or diesel to keep the vehicle running, or being able to survive an electromagnetic pulse (pulse).

Even if all those things happen, surviving an EMP and enough fuel to get going…but eventually that handy-dandy motorized bug out vehicle will become totally useless. What then? Are you going to leave behind all those necessary supplies and just take what you can carry on your back? Worse are you going to set up camp next to wherever your BOV came to a stop and hope that it’s in a good location?

Tell you what, long timer before there were motorized vehicles, there were muscle-powered wheeled vehicles. The muscle power was either supplied by animals or humans. The vehicles came in all shapes and sizes but the one thing they had in common were wheels.

Every motorized BOV should also contain a folding cart or other wheeled vehicle that can be used to haul supplies when your primary BOV comes to a stop. Some of the ideas I’ve heard lately are bowling bag carts, golf bag carts, shopping carts (the folding kind), luggage carts, etc. Of course, if you don’t have a motorized BOV, then a sturdy grocery shopping cart (ask a homeless person how handy a shopping cart is) will fill the bill.

For information on other bug out plans, click here.

Drought Monitor

2008-04-22T04:14:00.000-07:00

I don’t need a drought monitor to know that in the very near future water is going to become a bigger problem than food. Just this morning there was a program about the Colorado River and how it is no longer providing enough water to keep the desert cities of Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Diego and Tucson green.

Put aside the fact that it was very short sighted to build huge cities in the middle of a desert wasteland, and look for a moment at the stupidity of trying to create a Seattle style green lawn in a land of cactus, scorpions and rattlesnakes. What does that mean for someone who lives in a part of the country where there are plenty of lakes?

What does that have to do with survival preparedness? Everything! If you are limiting your preparations to food and medical supplies, then you are overlooking one of the most important aspects of preparedness: water storage. Remember if the electricity goes out, there won’t be any water flowing out of the tap. So if you don’t have plans for water storage then you are running a real risk.

If you are not filling water storage containers because you have a stream, pond or well on your property then you are banking on the drought not reaching you. Unfortunately that puts you in the same class as those folks who don’t believe there’s a reason to set aside food and other supplies…foolish.

To learn more about water storage containers, click here.

Survival Food

2008-04-21T04:36:00.000-07:00

Survival food is that food that will provide the nutrients and calories to keep you alive. Then there’s the food that satisfies a physical need that you don’t even recognize that you have. Years ago, during a personal wilderness survival situation, I came to know the real famine for protein…not just protein, but meat! You can read the story here.

But one thing I learned was how to take fresh venison, elk meat, and use the power of the sun to turn that meat into delicious jerky. Now you can learn how to take that deer that you kill for survival food and preserve it to help it to last longer.

Not only do you get the directions how to create the drying racks out of sticks and string, but you get my favorite elk jerky marinade. You also get a free bonus gift.

If you think there is a possibility that you could find yourself trying to save the meat of a deer or elk during a survival situation then you need to know how to turn the venison into a survival food.

Get it now, only $9.95

Create Your Own Survival Meals

2008-04-20T05:25:00.000-07:00

Whether you are a backpacker looking for lightweight nutritious meals to carry along on your next adventure, or a concern parent wanting to know that in the event of an emergency evacuation (bug out) that your family will have something to eat, then you need "How to Create Your Own Survival Meals - Food Dehydrating for Bug Out".

These are nutritious, easy-to-prepare meals that you dehydrate yourself and then vacuum seal so that they will retain their goodness far into the future. If you've been wanting to buy those commercially-prepared survival meals but just can't afford to lay out that kind of money, then this e-book will show you how to create your own meals for a fraction of the cost!

For those who purchase from this site, you will receive a 20% discount off the regular price of $24.95 to just $19.95! Plus you will receive the free e-guide "How to Jerk Elk Naturally" and a Bonus Gift. That's a value over $50 for only $19.95. Don't pass up this opportunity to add "How to Create Your Own Survival Meals" to your own preparedness library.

$19.95! Get it now!

Ragnar Benson

2008-04-18T04:13:00.000-07:00

Who or what is Ragnar Benson. Well, he’s the author of several survival and preparedness books, including, but by no means limited to: “Urban Survival: A Hard-Times Guide to Staying Alive in the City”.

When I first began learning about survival preparedness all I heard about was either running away to live in the woods, or better yet having a survival retreat all prepared where you could hermit away while the rest of the world fell into rack and ruin. I’d done my bit in the woods and am fairly certain I can do what it takes to survive. However, when I moved to the city I began to wonder how I could possibly survive in an urban setting in the event of a large-scale TEOTWAWKI event.

So when I found Ragnar Benson’s book on urban survival, I was thrilled. Finally, a book that addressed my concerns about trying to survive in a large metropolitan area. This book gives the city survivor instructions on how to get water, find food, including wild game, and how to prepare and store that food.

The book also addresses concerns about how to set up and secure an urban retreat as well as how to approach bartering with fellow survivors. Then based on the experience of others who’ve lived in foreign-troop occupied cities, he describes how to avoid the military.

If you live in the city and are concerned about survival and preparedness, this book is an absolute necessity. For a link to order the book, click here.

Survival Gear

2008-04-17T05:21:00.000-07:00

Survival gear comes in all shapes and sizes, and in all price ranges, and varies according to the individual. For instance, while you might need a large backpack, hiking boots, handy-dandy survival knife and your locked and loaded survival rifle, my needs might be totally different.

While I might have the backpack and hiking boots, I’m also wise enough to know that in the event of a walking bug out, I’m not going to go too far very fast carrying a 50 pound pack. I know there are those folks out there who can easily throw on a backpack loaded with a hundred pounds of survival gear and hike 20 miles without breaking a sweat!

Unfortunately there are many people who can’t do that. For those folks, let me tell there is a way…or two. I keep a folding two-wheeled luggage cart with me. By using bungee cords I can attach a plastic milk crate to the cart, and then slip a collapsible net laundry basket/bag inside the crate.

I’ve found that I can place four (4) gallon water bottles or milk bottles in the crate, and then rest the bag on top. I can then place a bunch of smaller items in the laundry bag. Currently I use this arrangement to bring in the groceries when I get home from shopping. However, in a walking bug out, this arrangement could prove to be a life-saver.

I could easily carry a couple of gallons of water and some other items in the crate. In the bag I can place the 2-man tent, the complete first aid bag, and even a bag containing about a month’s worth of dehydrated meals. In the backpack would be those items for absolute survival and navigation: compass, survival blanket, fire-building equipment, poncho, knife, flashlight and other survival gear.

Edible Plants

2008-04-16T03:26:00.000-07:00

Edible plants are the only type of plants I’m really interested in gardening. And, in fact, with growing water shortages, I would imagine that many home gardeners who have grown both flowers and vegetables, will eventually leave the flowers behind and focus solely on vegetables.

I’ve been reading this week about container gardening and self-watering containers. For me these show a lot of potential, as I don’t have the equipment necessary to till the ground. Also weeding containers gardens is practically, if not totally, non-existent. In addition, there’s the added advantage of not having to crawl around on the ground.

With the economy like it is, every person with a bit of a yard, a porch or patio can grow a few fruits and vegetables to put on their table. For those who insist on growing a few flowers, then you can do a bit of camouflage gardening, by growing vegetables in between your flowers. If you plant the right combinations, your neighbors only notice the lovely flowers, unaware that you are actually producing food right in front of them.

If you really want to hide your food production efforts, plant your yard with wild edibles like dandelions. While they see you outside muttering about getting rid of the dandelions, they don’t have to know that you’re actually harvesting a nice bit of salad greens and buds to cook in that evening’s stew!

Storm Shelters

2008-04-15T04:27:00.000-07:00

If you’ve ever lived in northern Texas when a tornado was bearing down on your home, you’ve found yourself wishing that storm shelters were a little more common. I like Texas, but for a state with so many violent storms and tornados, you’d think God would have made sure the soil would be such that basements would be easily built.

I don’t have a home (yet, still living in an apartment), but from what I understand a few feet below the surface of the ground is a layer of hardened clay that is like concrete. I guess this stuff is so nasty, that the average homebuilder cannot afford to put a basement under his home.

Now I grew up in Michigan, and every house we lived in had a basement. Some were really more storm shelter or fruit cellar, while others were finished and provided extra living space.

If you have a home with a basement you can turn that into a handy shelter against coming hard times. That basement will also prove to be the ideal place to store your long-term storage foods, as the average temperature in a basement is usually 75° or below.

Storm shelters, tornado shelters or any underground shelter will be valuable when the SHTF. With a little ingenuity and MacGyvering one can turn an underused basement into a nice hidey-hole.

Canned Food

2008-04-14T03:54:00.000-07:00

Canned food items are just one of the types of long-term storage foods that you can put by against times of need. However, you can’t just go down to the nearest Piggly Wiggly and toss a bunch of canned chili, canned soups and canned fruit in your basket.

There’s something called an expiration date, although on canned goods it’s really a date which indicates the product inside will still be at its best. For most of us, in our day-to-day use, we simply ignore the use-by date, believing that if it’s on the shelves it’s gotta be good. Wrong! There’ve been many times that I’ve gone to purchase a can of something, or a box of biscuit mix only to see that it was getting close to expiring, or….had already expired!

Most canned goods will last a maximum of two years from the date of purchase…but as I’ve just told you, you cannot count on that. The optimal time to use is also affected by the storage temperature; the ideal temperature being 75° or below. In fact, if kept at temperatures well below 75°, but above freezing, canned food will stay perfectly edible for decades.

The next time you’re in the store stocking up on canned goods, be sure to check the “best by” date. Then when you get the canned food home, make sure you store them in a cool place.

Survival Chat

2008-04-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

At the suggestion of the folks on the survival homestead group we at Survival Homestead have created a chat room focused on survival. In Survival Chat anyone who is interested in survival preparedness.

The idea is to have times when people can get together and discuss ideas for disaster preparations. If you are interested in survival preparedness (you must be or you wouldn’t be reading this) the you are invited to join us in the chat room.

Do be aware that there will be no discussion of politics, religion or other controversial subjects. This is strictly a place to help each other prepare to survive.

Emergency Preparedness Checklist

2008-04-10T03:19:00.000-07:00

Do you have your emergency preparedness checklist done? Do you know what you need to do to prepare you and your family to survive in an emergency situation? What if the river a mile down the road flooded and you had to suddenly evacuate you home, are you ready? If you live in a flood-prone area, probably…hopefully.

I would like to say that most people who live in areas likely to be hit by a hurricane or earthquake have their emergency preparedness checklist and most of the items on the list are marked off. I would like to say that. Unfortunately, history and recent events have shown us that most people live in a world in their head where disasters like that only happen to “other people”. Too late they wake up to realize that they are the “other people”.

Here are just a few items that should be on every emergency preparedness checklist: food for a minimum of three days, three days worth of water, shelter (tent, tarp, survival blanket, etc), light, heat, first aid, sanitary products (tp).

For a full list of what you should have in your survival pack (aka “bug out bag”) as part of your emergency preparedness checklist, click here.

Old Fashioned Skills

2008-04-09T07:05:00.000-07:00

What exactly is meant by ‘old fashioned skills’? I’m talking about those skills that our ancestors had that have been replaced by modern conveniences and electricity. For instance, when was the last time you had to pluck the feathers from a chicken before you could cook it and eat it? Better yet, when was the last time you cooked chicken? For me? Don’t ask! I have a personal relationship with the fried chicken place just down the street.

What other skills? What would you do if you needed a container to haul something but didn’t have a plastic tub around? Could you take plant material and weave a basket? A few winters back, I rented a book from the library and taught myself basket weaving. Never know if I’ll need that skill, but it could come in handy.

How about an old fashioned skill that could save your life? Can you build a fire using only what you find in the woods, no flint, lighter fluid or matches? That might be a fairly handy skill to develop.

Here’s just a brief list of old fashioned skills that might be helpful to learn: fire building, butchering, building a shelter from material available in the outdoors, setting snares or traps. Those are just the basic old fashioned skills that could save your life in an emergency situation.

Water Purification

2008-04-08T03:05:00.000-07:00

The importance of clean drinking water cannot be emphasized enough. There are several methods of water purification that one can use to ensure that the water you are drinking is pure.

There are the little water purification tablets that you purchase in the camping section of WallyWorld or other camping supply outlets. One little tablet will purify one liter of water and make it drinkable. Unfortunately after about 50 days (the quantity of tablets available in one packet) you will run out of tablets and be face with how to purify your drinking water.

How about those handy little filter straws? After a little research I found one called LifeStraw that is being touted as the best thing for allowing a person to sip nasty water and actually ingest clean water. However, they are not for sale to the public (although you can donate to a third-world country) and they DO NOT remove parasites such as cryptosporidium and giaridia. Don’t despair there are survival straws that will purify the water.

What happens when you run out of little water purification tablets and you’ve used your last filter (whether in a straw or a Big Burkey)? You can do what we did in the mountains. We poured that water from the river into another bucket, filtering it by pouring it through a white man’s t-shirt. The t-shirt caught all the little bits and pieces of debris floating in the water, including sand and dirt.

We repeated the process a couple of times, using a clean t-shirt for each pour. We then boiled the water over the fire. We never had a problem with illness from drinking the water. So in a pinch, filter and boil.
If nothing else you can learn to distill water over the fire.

Home Food Storage

2008-04-07T03:15:00.000-07:00

For you that have been purchasing commercially prepared long-term storage food for your home food storage you need to be aware that the government has become one of the largest purchasers of these items. This means that ship time for long-term food storage orders could be greatly delayed.

If you are feeling an urgency to prepare, then don’t limit your home food storage to the items you order from retailers of long-term storage foods. Watch for the sales at your local stores and begin stocking up there.

Here’s a recommendation, if you are concerned about your food purchases being tracked. Don’t suddenly begin buying an enormous quantify of canned and boxed foods, and if you do, pay cash. Unfortunately, paying cash also means that you can’t use those handy little membership cards to get the “sale” price. Because those memberships also track your spending habits.

Home food storage can be accomplished one step at a time, and by using a little common sense. Using coupons, shopping sales, checking expiration dates and buying a little extra each week, is an easy way to increase your chances of survival in a food shortage situation.
For some ideas on how much food to store, click here

Food Preparations

2008-04-04T03:39:00.000-07:00

I’ve often heard people say “don’t stock food that you don’t normally eat.” I must say that I tend to disagree with them. I’ve been in a place where food variety was somewhat limited, living off beans, squirrel and dandelions. I can tell you that as supplies were dwindling, SPAM became a delicacy and I would have cherished the taste of canned spaghetti.

History has shown when people get hungry they will eat just about anything; including bugs, grass, tree bark, shoe leather and paper. I know in a survival situation where starvation was imminent, I would even eat pecans…which I won’t touch with a stick!

It is for that reason that when I see Vienna sausages, spam or spaghetti-O’s on sale that I’ll stock up. I know that when a person is hungry that food they wouldn’t normally touch will get them through another day.

What about when it comes time to rotate out that food? Easy: eat it or give it away. You can always donate unwanted canned and boxed goods, as long as they haven’t expired, to local women’s shelters or food banks. Often the donation will also be a tax deduction.

Do stock up on anything you can afford when it comes to food preparations.

For more information about long-term food storage, click here

The Rules of Survival

2008-04-03T03:53:00.000-07:00

One of the rules of survival is to keep quiet. Don’t be telling people what you have stored. Even if you think you can trust the person you’re talking to, you never know who that person’s going to tell.

In the event of a disaster your own security could be greatly threatened by a horde of desperate folks showing up on your doorstep. Without some means of protecting yourself, you could easily see your carefully collected items walk out your door.

So learn to play your cards close to your chest and don’t let everyone know what you are doing. This is especially important in an urban situation where you probably have neighbors who are enjoying their boats and vacations, while you spend every extra penny of preparedness.

For more information about urban survival, click here.

Survival gardens

2008-04-02T03:26:00.000-07:00

It’s the end of March and in some areas of the country people are already putting in their survival gardens. If you live in the southern part of the US you’ve probably already got at least a few items in the ground. If you’re up north you may be waiting to see if the snow and freezing weather is finished for the year (you hope).

Even if you live in an apartment, you can create a garden. Container gardening is one of the ways that many people are able to grow tomatoes, peppers and even cucumbers while living in an apartment. A few containers on the balcony or patio can grow enough produce to supplement your grocery bill. In these times of financial insecurity, every one could benefit by growing some edibles.

Click here for more information. http://www.survival-homestead.com/hunger-survival.html

Survival Gifts

2008-04-01T06:56:00.000-07:00

If your friends and family think you’ve gone off the deep end with your survival preparations and don’t make any effort to prepare, then you can get them started by survival gifts. Even if they don’t use the survival gift as an incentive to start their own preparations, you will have the peace of mind knowing that they have something that may help them in an emergency.

A 72-hour emergency bag is one of the best survival gifts you can give. They usually come with enough food and water for one person to last for three days. They also include an emergency blanket, a first aid kit, a flashlight, a radio and dust mask.

You can also create your own homemade emergency go bag or bug out bag by purchasing a small backpack and filling it with items you pick up from the dollar store. In fact for less than you would spend on a commercially prepared 72-hour kit, you can completely stock your own bag.

The average 72-hour kit runs between $25 to $35 dollars. You can pick up a used backpack for a less than $5 at a thrift store. Then stock it with the following items: Flashlight, lighters, water, sandwich crackers, granola bars, Vienna sausage, dust masks, first aid kit, sanitizer, tissues, radio, batteries and knife for $13. For under $20 you have a stocked kit for less money that a commercially created 72-hour kit.
http://www.survival-homestead.com/create-a-survival-fanny-pack.html

Homemade Survival Equipment

2008-03-31T16:37:00.000-07:00

One of the best ways to save money on survival preparations is to invest in homemade survival equipment. An item often overlooked when talking about survival is the walking stick.

Until I spent time in the mountains I used to think a walking stick was an affectation, an item for show. However, once I started hiking in the mountains I soon learned just how helpful a walking stick can be. Not only can it help steady you as you are moving, especially if you are carrying a load on your back.

Here are just a few ideas about the uses of a walking stick:
1. To steady your walk
2. Test the firmness of the ground
3. Push aside brush or limbs
4. To lift or toss away snakes in your path
5. As a defense against wild animals (four and two-legged)

Some of the best woods to use for walking staffs are hickory and ash; the two most recommended. Another wood that was recommended was bamboo, which can also be used to carry items in the hollow core.

Some inventive folks have chosen to make their walking stick out of lightweight pipe, with threaded ends that can be capped. If the staff is created using several 24” lengths with a threaded coupling, the stick can be dismantled. Another advantage of the pipe walking stick is that small survival items like a compass, knife, fishing line, and matches can be carried inside the staff.

For information on other survival gear and supplies, click here.

American Refugees Flood into Canada

2008-03-26T20:04:00.000-07:00

I caught a mention of this when I stopped in a checked out a survival group I belong to. The person who had posted also provided links to the actual news articles telling about how Canada is dealing with the problem of an influx of American homeless.

It's interesting that one woman says "it feels like a concentration camp". Another article says that most of the refugees crossing from America into Canada are Mexican.

If that's the case then it seems that when the economy of America begins to crumble that illegal aliens have no problem leaving the "land of opportunity".

You need to read this articles so that you know what's going on...and if you get booted out of your home, don't plan on heading to Canada...you're liable to get locked up or have your vehicle confiscated.

http://www.mathaba.net/rss/?x=586176

http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/story.html?id=eb24c2f6-7372-4da6-abdc-806fad175d18&k=57287

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/orange/la-me-tents18mar18,1,7073495.story?page=2

New Survival Preparedness Group

2008-03-25T16:11:00.000-07:00

There's a new survival preparedness group that has been created by the owner of this blog and the Survival Homestead website.

While there are many such groups online, the main focus of this group is sharing ideas about preparing on a budget. In these days of financial instability it is even more important that we prepare. There are people managing to set aside some long-term storage foods and other survival necessities even though they are living on a limited income.

I personally know the importance of preparing, especially of putting food aside. I once spent 10 months living in the forest completely unable to get to town. Thankfully I had spent the previous winter stockpiling food. Those preparations really helped us make it through.

A few years later when both of us were without a job (again) the food I had stockpiled while employed it what brought us through.

If you want to know more about preparedness visit both the group and the website.

Emergency Food Supplies – Part 5

2007-08-31T03:54:00.000-07:00

Some people say that you only need to prepare emergency food supplies for three days; some people think it’s great to prepare for a year. Most people agree that a 30 day preparation is ideal, but the longer you can prepare for the better. Make sure all food and drink preparations are made.

Don’t forget to include infant needs, if that applies. Being smart about preparation isn’t hard especially since there’s so much information about it online. To survive, be informed!

To learn more about Emergency Food Supplies, click here:

Emergency Food Supplies – Part 4

2007-08-30T03:17:00.000-07:00

For some people do it yourself (DIY) home dehydrating, canning, freezing is the route they want or need to take for their emergency food supplies. If that’s the case in your situation, then here are some things to know to help get you started. There’s plenty of information online to help you in your DIY preparations.

Freeze-drying food is basically taking the water out of the food and freezing it at the same time. Dehydrating foods means you put it into an atmosphere where the temperature is just low enough to dry the food – it’s not low enough to cook the food. There are machines that you can purchase for dehydrating and freeze-drying your food.

To learn more about Emergency Food Supplies, click here:

Emergency Food Supplies – Part 3

2007-08-29T03:52:00.000-07:00

As already mentioned, commercially prepared dehydrated and freeze-dried food is an option for your emergency food supplies. The obvious benefit of commercially-prepared food is the time factor. You won’t have to spend time with the buying and preparing of the food. Just go online and find the food that you want. Most of the stuff you’ll find is light weight and easy to store. Because of the demand of foods like this they’re being made tastier for the picky palate.

Some commercially prepared dehydrated and freeze-dried foods that you’ll find are: meats, vegetables, fruits, soups, pasta’s and even desserts. There’s such a wide variety and many times you can get a survival pack that’s made for a family to last 30 days or more.

To learn more about Emergency Food Supplies, click here:

Emergency Food Supplies – Part 2

2007-08-28T03:46:00.000-07:00

There are different types of long-term storage foods. There is commercially prepared and of course you could do it yourself. You can have food that’s dehydrated and or freeze-dried. There are also plenty of canned and boxed non-perishables that you can store.

Things that you can buy in bulk for long-term storage are, flour, yeast, wheat, cornmeal, pasta, beans, dry soup mix, peanut butter, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and vinegar. Check online to see how much you should store, how to store and how to prepare for the size of family that you have. Also make sure to check for infant needs, if that applies.

To learn more about Emergency Food Supplies, click here:

Emergency Food Supplies – Part 1

2007-08-27T07:48:00.000-07:00

One of the best ways to survive is to prepare, that includes having emergency food supplies. Although one can live longer without food than without water, food is still going to be one of the most important things to prepare. There is much information online about emergency food supplies because of the different scares that we’ve had in the last few years, Y2K and terrorist related scares.

When preparing emergency food supplies you’re going to need to cover food as well as drink. Store plenty of water for drinking, hygiene and cooking. The average person will need a gallon a day, just for drinking. That’s a safe estimate on how much to plan for. The sick, elderly, and nursing mothers may need more; you may also need more if you’re in a hotter climate. If water is stored too long you’ll have to purify it, you can boil, chlorinate or use purification tablets.

To learn more about Emergency Food Supplies, click here:

Wild Mushrooms – Part 5

2007-08-24T04:44:00.000-07:00

The last type of wild mushrooms that you’ll learn about here is the Puffball. So named because of the ball of spores it releases when it matures. It’s a closed mushroom that bursts open at maturity letting out its spores all at once. You can find puffballs in woods, lawns, or meadows. When you find a puffball and they have a white and fleshy appearance they’re ripe for eating. The giant puffball can grow to a foot and if you find it before it breaks, it’s good for eating.

The remaining part of the mushroom after the spores break out can be used as tinder or a styptic for minor wounds. If you have to use it for that, make sure you have some aloe to sooth as it may cause pain that can be worse than the wound itself. To make sure you’ve got a non-poisonous puffball cut it in half. It has an inner cup shape instead of a T shape.

For more information on wild edible mushrooms and plants, click here.

Wild Mushrooms – Part 4

2007-08-23T04:20:00.000-07:00

The morchella or the true morel is a wild mushroom that is often sought out for French cuisine. Besides the value placed by chefs, they’re often hunted because of their great taste and for fun of the hunt. Another name for morels is Dryland Fish because of their similar taste to fish. Morels grow for two to three years after a forest fire but in areas where fire suppression is practiced you may be able to find them every year. The most commonly known morel is Morchella deliciosa. True morels are spongy and gray or tan in color.

Be careful when looking for morels to not be mistaken and accidentally eat a false morel which is poisonous. The false morel looks like a brown brain. The false morels will have a solid stem and the true morels have a hallow stem.

For more information on wild edible mushrooms and plants, click here

Wild Mushrooms – Part 3

2007-08-22T04:27:00.000-07:00

Another type of edible wild mushrooms is the Cantharellus also known as the Chanterelle. You can find Chanterelle mushrooms in North-America, Asia, Europe and Australia. The species most commonly known is the Yellow Chanterelle. It’s yellow or orange in color and is shaped like a funnel. It smells fruity and tastes peppery making it a tasty option.

Beware when looking for Chanterelle mushrooms because there are look-a-likes that are harmful. The Omphalotus olearius or more commonly known as Jack-O-Lantern is a highly toxic mushroom that you would be sorry to mistake for a Chanterelle. Before looking for any kind of Chanterelle, make sure that you know what you’re looking for so you won’t make a possibly deadly mistake.

For more information on wild edible mushrooms and plants, click here.

Wild Mushrooms – Part 2

2007-08-21T04:16:00.000-07:00

Perhaps one of the most interesting wild mushrooms is the Laetiporus sulfurous, or the Chicken Mushroom. Named Chicken Mushroom because of its taste which is similar to chicken, it can grow to be very large in size and very bright in color. Depending on which type of chicken mushroom you’ve found it can be bright orange or salmon in color. It also may have a white edge.

Chicken Mushrooms are actually a polypore and don’t look like an umbrella, but more like a group of lettuce leaves connected in the middle. There are no Chicken Mushroom look a likes so if you find one, be happy and don’t worry about poison. If you find it dry – it’s past eating. It should be a moist, soft mushroom. It grows most commonly in the fall, but you can find it in the spring and summer.

For more information on wild edible mushrooms and plants, click here.

Wild Mushrooms – Part 1

2007-08-20T04:05:00.000-07:00

In the need to survive you might be forced to find food in a form you wouldn’t normally think, wild mushrooms. In nature mushrooms have very specific purposes. There are so many different kinds of wild mushrooms and they require different settings to grow. Some only grow under a specific tree. Others won’t grow under that three, but will under another. Some wild mushrooms help in the process of death and life in nature. They help the decay process of things like leaves and other natural pieces.

There has been no scientific testing to mushrooms to test the toxicity of them. Mushrooms are called edible or not because of someone eating them and not having adverse consequences or becoming ill or dying after eating something. The only way to make sure you fall into the first category is to know for sure what types you can eat to survive.

For more information on wild edible mushrooms and plants, click here.

Survival Fishing – Part 5

2007-08-17T04:59:00.000-07:00

If you aren’t nature savvy and don’t know how to do any of this, but need a meal or two you can always try chop fishing. Take a blunt object (if you have a machete use the back side of the blade) and hit the fish. At night you can use a light to attract the fish (flashlight, watch, mobile phone).

Survival Fishing is a skill that would prove very useful if you are in a desperate situation. If you’re in nature you should be prepared to use this skill. Make sure you have the proper tools to fish so that it’s easier for you and takes up less energy, something you need to conserve in survival.

For more information on wilderness survival, including survival fishing, click here:

Survival Fishing – Part 4

2007-08-16T05:26:00.000-07:00

Another very effective way of survival fishing is using fish poison. It allows you to be unseen by the fish while it’s working. You can also kill multiple fish at once. Be sure to gather all the affected fish, because you don’t want to send dead fish downstream.

There are plants you can find in warmer weather climates that will stun or kill fish, but won’t harm the person eating it. Some plants you can use are: Lime, Nut husks, Tephrosia, and Duboisia Rotenone is a fish poison that works best in water that’s 70۫ F or above. It works slowly in 50۫ F to 70۫ F water, and doesn’t work at all below 50۫ F water.

For more information on wilderness survival, including survival fishing, click here: