30 Days of Survival - Day 14 - MRE's Buy or Make Some

Meals Ready to Eat or MRE's are field rations for our military. They are also what FEMA will drop off to civilians during a disaster to feed them.

They are high in protein and store for a relatively long time, but not as long as freeze dried food. I have some dated 1984. I would hesitate to eat an entree from them but the crackers, peanut butter (hard as a rock) drink mixes, desserts and snacks are all still good. The cheese has turned to green baby poop...ICK! But all in all it would still save my life if I was starving. I had a case and now am down to three left.

There are a wide variety of MRE's and MRE type meals available from dealers. You can check out ebay.com for good deals. But be careful of dates since this is where I got my case of old MRE's. My mistake can be your lesson.

Several companies have started manufacturing civilian MRE's  you should shop around, and be aware of what is actually in them. Try to go for the most calories for the buck.

You can make your own if you have the desire. Any shelf stable prepackaged food can be assembled into a ziplock bag and stored away. Be sure to write a date on the bag and rotate them out every year or two.

When choosing foods to put in try to keep with the high protein of the military MRE. This is calorie dense and higher protein means you will be relieving yourself less often.

Start with a canned meat like Spam, canned ham, tuna or sardines. Then add some cheese or peanut butter crackers, some mixed nuts or trail mix or dried fruit. You can also look for a sale on prepared meals or closeout items from diet plans...as long as they are shelf stable they can go in your meal.

I like to add an energy bar to the mix..my personal favorite is a Power Bar...not necessarily the taste but they give me good long lasting energy...from a taste standpoint you can beat a Cliff bar. Toss in anything else shelf stable that you will eat and get energy from.

Accessory packs  have gum, matches, toilet paper, salt, instant coffee sugar and creamer. Round up the ones you want in your MRE's and put them in.

Shoot for 2000+ calories in these meals and each one can last you a whole day.

MRE's can be a real stop gap food source to get you through a tough time.

Still clinging to my God and my guns,

Randy

30 Days of Survival - Day 13 - Get Serious about Self Defense

For day 13 of 30 days of survival I want you to review any self defense training you have had.

Have you had any? Read any books on self defense? Gone to a seminar? Learned anything? Or are you just planning on winging it if you are confronted in the parking lot after work some evening, or shopping with your kids, or out for a jog.

Personal defense is a very important basic to learn.

Most towns of any size will have a martial arts studio. While you are checking them out make sure they are more interested in teaching than with getting you to sign up for something. Don't go with the money grubbers.

While you are at it see what they can teach your kids.

If not martial arts check with your local sheriff or police department to see if they have any classes for self defense available.

If you can't get to classes see what you can find on youtube...I know, I know there are all kinds of experts espousing all sorts of drivel...no one ever said it would be easy...watch more than one video...find something you are interested in then search for that technique and watch it from multiple teachers....and PRACTICE!!

Not just any practice but correct practice...don't try to learn new things full speed...go slow...let your body learn what it is supposed to do. Go slow enough so you make no mistakes.

Then learn about situational awareness...situational awareness is paying attention to what is going on around you...many situations where you might need to defend yourself can be avoided altogether if you are aware of what is going on, and see potential threats at a distance, while they are still avoidable.

So get  in a class and learn something...And most of all PAY ATTENTION to what is going on around you at all times.

You owe it to yourself and especially your family to be able to take care of yourself and them if the need should arise.

Still clinging to my God and my guns,

Randy

30 Days of Survival - Day 12 - Learn about Bees

Bees?

Yes bees.

Like worms, bees are very handy for a prepper to have some knowledge of. No matter where you live you can have bees if you are resourceful.

Even downtown big city apartment dwellers can have bees. You just need to find a building owner who will let you put some hives on the roof.

Before you tune me out completely notice the title "learn about bees". I realize bees are not for everyone, but everyone can get to know a bee keeper. And that is your task for day 12.

There are bee keeping clubs everywhere. If you can't find one just call your county extension agent and they should be able to put you in contact with a local bee keeper.

Go to some club meetings, take a seminar (most clubs put one on every year), and find a keeper who will take you with them once in a while (even if you stand 50 yards away while they work the hives). Work your way into it slowly if you are interested.

So why bees?

Bees are pollinators, they will improve your garden. They also produce this wonderful thing called honey. Honey is and will be a wonderful barter item if there is ever a SHTF situation. There is also the wonderful bees wax that will be good for all sorts of things from candles to herbal salves.

Take some time and learn about these little insects, you won't bee sorry.

Still clinging to my God and my guns,

Randy

Gift ideas for your prepper dad

So what to get your prepper / survivalist dad....Hmmm...

What a hard question...

Here are some gift ideas for dad that you can get him anytime, not just fathers day.

-Kindle Fire
Oh how dad will enjoy downloading the latest survival manuals on his new Kindle fire. Amazon.com often gives away free downloads. Trust me dad will love watching Red Dawn on his Kindle as he shouts "WOVERINES"!

- Apple ipod touch 4g or newer
If your dad is into more than just reading. The ipod touch will let him take pictures and video to upload to his survival youtube channel. Costs a little more than a Kindle but it does a little more also. If you have lots of money go all out and get him an Apple ipad. (what a great kid you are)

-A gift card to Cabelas.com
 Come on, what dad couldn't use a little dough to spend at everyone's favorite online hunting store?
If he isn't a Cabela's kind of guy try the sportsman's guide. They have something for everyone.

- A box of ammo
Get dad some cool ammo for his favorite gun. Make it something good like Hornady Zombie Max, your dad will thank you all the way through the zombie apocalypse.

- A Katadyn water filter
Dad can always use a good drink. Katadyn makes a plethora of different filters, you should be able to find one he likes.

- A Buck Knife
Come on who can't use a good Buck knife? If not a Buck how about  one from DeadwoodKnives.com?

- A case of MRE's
All I can say is YUMMY!

- Night Vision
Help your dad to see better while he is out training, at night, in other people's back yards.

- A good book
Get him some real info on prepping/survival. Something intense like Ditch Medicine.

Think outside the box when it comes to buying gifts for dad. Look at some prepper blogs to see what kind of products they are reviewing. Then pick something your dad can use, and he will be forever greatful.

Still clinging to my God and my guns,

Randy

Friday Night Light 6/14/13

God Delivers His People

Exodus 3:9-11
9)Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. 10) Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt." 11) But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?"

We have heard the story many times, the Israelites were in bondage in Egypt, God called Moses at the burning bush to go and deliver them, but Moses wanted nothing to do with it and offered excuses.

How many times has God called each of us to do something that we were afraid to do? We must remember when we are born again we have the power of Christ in us.Our tiny excuses are nothing compared to the power available to us through Him.

If we will answer the call God can do mighty works through us. When Moses said "Who am I" God said "I am"...When God calls you, He will equip you for the work at hand.

Still clinging to my God and my guns,

Randy

30 Days of Survival - Day 11 - Start a Worm Farm

I can hear the questions already as I am typing this post. What does a worm farm have to do with survival and prepping?

All I can say is plenty.

Worms are the intestines of the earth. They improve soil and get rid of garbage.

So why a survivalist worm farm?

Like I said they get rid of garbage...you can toss most of your food scraps into the worm bin. Even apartment dwellers can raise worms.

Folks are working on worm based septic systems...they are taking hold in Australia. 

They make great fishing bait...just think no digging for worms before you go catch your supper.

They are an awesome protein supplement for your chickens...if you are raising chickens worms are a good for them treat...if you scale it up they can be the major protein source.

They can be a source of income sold to others for the above reasons.

And for the hardcore they can be a protein supplement for you in a true emergency.

Here is a good post on making a worm bin composter

Another method uses a cheap Styrofoam cooler with holes punched in the bottom and a drip pan to catch all the good stuff that leaks out. Just fill it with a bunch of damp newspaper and add your worms.

Be sure and feed them only what they can clean up before it starts to get rotten. And be sure to avoid citrus, onions, garlic, meat and grease.

A worm bin is a handy skill for all preppers to get started with.

Still clinging to my God and my guns,

Randy

30 Days of Survival - Day 10 - Eat a meal of wild plants

On day nine we learned  to identify some local edible plants in your area.

What we are going to do for day 10 is go out, gather some of those plants and eat them for a meal.

Okay I will give you a break you can eat them with a meal instead.

A simple way to eat the salad greens is to wash them and mix them in a bowl and sprinkle some vinegar over them. If you want to cook them boil them in some water, change the water, then eat with some salt, pepper and butter on top.

I cooked a mix of wide and narrow plantain, clover and ground ivy. A little bitter but hey it's food.  I then ate a few handfulls of mulberries.

A note on my "day 8" post...it accidentally got deleted...but I was able to recover it with the help of some internet searching...Remember what I said about looking for your own information...well it works

Still clinging to my God and my guns,

Randy

30 Days of Survival Day - 9 - Identify Three Edible Wild plants In Your Area

Today on day nine I want you to do some research to see what kinds of wild edibles you have in your area. Everyone can do this even apartment dwellers in the big city.

I had toyed around with posting pictures of some of the most common things in my area but that would make it too easy for you. Do some research...do an internet search...look at pictures. Part of being a serious prepper is finding information when you need it.

I went out yesterday while I was mowing and looked for plants I knew I could eat here on the farm.

Here is a very superficial list...

Plantain - I have both wide leaf and narrow leaf. Eat raw in a salad or cooked like spinach.

Dandelion - leaves, flowers and roots. Leaves raw in salad or cooked like spinach. Flowers battered and fried. Roots roasted and brewed for coffee.

Chicory - Leaves and root. Leaves raw in salad or cooked like spinach. Root roast and brewed for coffee

Clover - Leaves. Raw in salad, cooked like spinach or dried and powdered added, to extend flour.

Goldenrod - Leaves make a tasty tea.

Ground Ivy - Leaves raw for salad.

Pine - Needles make a vitamin C rich tea.

Mulberry - Fruit eaten raw, cooked or made into a juice or wine. Two of the many trees are bearing right now, and several others are loaded with fruit that will ripen over the next couple weeks.

Wild Rose - Flowers in salad or cooked in a soup.

Lambs quarters - Leaves eaten in a salad or cooked like spinach

When cooking wild greens sometimes it is good to do it with a change of water. While this will remove some vitamins it will also remove some of the bitterness. It also helps to pick the small young leaves as they will be less bitter.

As you can see there is a large variety of greens available in my yard and weed patches.
You should be able to find similar foods where you live.
Take the time and learn the skill.

Still clinging to my God and my guns,
Randy

30 Days of Survival - Day 8 - Buy a Book on Prepping

30 Days of Survival – Day 8 – Buy a book on prepping

Being the bibliophile I am, I own a lot of books. I am a firm believer of having information you might need at hand if possible. Do a little shopping and get a book on prepping that you can refer to again and again.

So prepping books teach skills or are good reads just for learning one or two things. I think you should have plenty of both kinds, but if you have none now, get an all around prepping book.

Here are some that I own(just a small sampling), with a little commentary of my own after each.

The Art and Science of Dumpster Diving - by John Hoffman

Cool book giving you lots of ideas for dumpster diving

The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live It - by John Seymour 
Very good book on homesteading and being self sufficient                                                                  

 Life after Doomsday – by Bruce D. Clayton 
Detailed book on dealing with the after effects of nuclear war…excellent all around prepping book

Foxfire series – by George P. Reynolds, Eliot Wigginton and Foxfire Fund 
Lots of first hand interviews of people who have been living self sufficient lifestyles for generations

The Encyclopedia of Country Living: An Old Fashion Recipe Book – by  Carla Emery   

This is the very first prepping type book I ever bought. It has been through many editions even at least two since Carla died…We were one of her “testers” for one of her editions

The Survival Retreat by Ragnar Benson

Very good background info but not a lot of detailed instruction

Back to Basics by Readers Digest

Lots of basic prepping info

You Can Farm by Joel Salatin

Not a prepper book but has lots of info to get you thinking on how to be self sufficient

One Acre and Security by Bradford Angier

Details for living on an acre and feeding yourself

Living Well on Practically Nothing by Edward Romney

Good book and saving, making do and living on a lot less

Backwoods Home Magazine Anthologies by Backwoods Home Magazine

Years of articles on every aspect of prepping

Best of Backwoodsman by Backwoodsman Magazine

Several volumes out now. Another magazine that covers just about every aspect of prepping. This is my personal favorite magazine…If you are throwing any away I will take them!!!

Practical Skills by Gene Logsdon

Covers most basic homesteading skills

Small Scale Grain Raising by Gene Logsdon

Give detailed info for raising most small grains

The New Organic Grower by Eliot Coleman

How to grow most anything, anywhere, without chemical inputs

The Have More Plan By Ed and Carolyn Robinson

This is the book that launched the modern homesteading/prepper movement

Making the Best of Basics by James Talmage Stevens

The charts alone make this book worth buying…this would be a good one to especially if you are just starting out

Do your best to find something that speaks to you and study it well. Do a search on Amazon.com and read the reviews...you will find something.

Still clinging to my God and my guns,

Randy

Friday Night Light 6/7/13

Friday Night light June 7, 2013

 Genesis Chapter 12: 1-7

1) Now the Lord had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, From your family And from your father's house, To a land that I will show you. 2) I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. 3) I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." 4) So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5) Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan. 6) Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land. 7) Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

Genesis Chapter 15: 5-8, 13-15

5) Then He brought him outside and said, "Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be." 6) And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. 7) Then He said to him, "I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it." 8) And he said, "Lord God, how shall I know that I will inherit it?"

13) Then He said to Abram: "Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. 14) And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15) Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age.

The calling of Abram gives us an Old Testament glimpse into the redemption of mankind.

God calls us unto Himself just as He call Abram in 12:1-3. Abram was call to take a leap of faith and leave everything he knew and follow God. We likewise are called to take a leap of faith and trust the redemptive power of Christ’s sacrifice for our eternal salvation.

The response of Abram to God’s call showed the obedience of Abram.

Abram did just what God called him to do by picking up and traveling to a land he didn’t know. He followed God without question. Not to say we are not allowed to question God, especially if His will is unclear. But once we are certain of what we should do we must do it if we want to be truly obedient.

Obedience started a relationship with the Father.

In chapter 15 God brings Abram outside and shows him the stars. God made promises of further blessings to Abram as a result of his obedience. And Abram believed what the Lord said and it was counted to him as righteousness.

Our righteousness comes from acceptance of the free gift of Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf. That is our obedience and then we can continue deepening our relationship with the Father.

Still clinging to my God and my guns,

Randy

30 Days of Survival - Day 7 - A Look at Batteries

Batteries... The world runs on batteries, do you ever have enough?

Years ago just about everything ran on "D" or "C" size, now it is "AA" or "AAA". The really good thing about that is you can get great deals on bulk packs of them and really stock up. The only thing I have to store D batteries for is my MagLite...and if I would spend the money I could get a rechargeable one like the police use now.

As I wrote in my article for Off the Grid News "Six Things Preppers Can Overlook" "Batteries (alkaline) stored at room temperature or cooler lose less than 2 percent of their charge per year. When the temps get up to 85, the rate climbs to 5 percent, and at 100, the rate is 25 percent. So, as you can see, cooler is better for storing batteries. You may have heard to store your batteries in the freezer, but experts say the colder temps add very little to storage life. A cool, dry place seems to be the best idea."

Rechargables lose their energy much quicker in storage than do alklines but have the advantage of being recharged. To be truly sustainable you should pick up a few solar chargers for your batteries. I say a "few" because they take quite a while to actually recharge those batteries so you might have a few sets recharging at a time.

So your assignment for day seven is to figure out what equipment you have that requires batteries. Figure out what size batteries you will need to run it, and start shopping for good deals so you can stock up. You better shop for some rechargables also along with a couple solar chargers.

Still clinging to my God and my guns,

Ramdy

30 Days of Survival - Day 6 - Three sources of light

For day Six of 30 Days of Survival we are going to look at your sources of light.

Most people in industrialized nations simply flip a switch when they need light...This holds true for some even in third world countries. The only difference is third world inhabitants know they can lose power at any time...sometimes for weeks on end.

I live in the corn belt of the Midwest between two small cities. I have lived here a little over ten years, and in that time we have lost power countless times. Twice we have lost power for a week at a time. True we are in a more rural area, but the last time was a year ago and someone I work with lives in the city (of 50k+) and was without power for two days longer than I. No matter where we live we may be without power for an extended period of time.

So let's look at a couple light sources...as the old saying goes "two is one and one is none"... Meaning if you need it one of something can get lost or broken and leave you without. It is better to have at least two of something just in case. That being said I recommend having at least three sources of light to fall back on in case of an extend emergency.

Candles
Candles are great for low light situations. They are cheap to stock up on if you watch for sales. (think after Christmas) And the open flame lends a calming effect to stressful situations. The drawback of course is the open flame which can be a fire hazard. Plus they are  easily blown out with air movement.

Oil Lamps
Oil lamps are a really good source of light and even heat. They are decorative when not in use and if you watch dollar store sales and clearance sales you can pick up lamp oil cheap. Oil lamps will burn Lamp oil, kerosene, Tiki fuel, citronella oil. Vegetable oil can be used but will plug your wicks and be smoky. Wicks can be improvised from folded paper towels if necessary.

Lanterns
Lanterns that burn whitegas or coleman fuel put out a lot of light and heat. They are a little noisy and use special mantels that may or may not last a long time depending on how careful you are.

Kerosene lanterns are basically an oil lamp made of metal with a handle to carry it. They put out a usable amount of light and can burn the same fuel as the oil lamp.

An LED battery powered lantern will last quite a while on a set of batteries and put out useable light. They are cheap and handy.

Flashlights
Everyone should have flashlights (as in more than one) in their home. I have a big D cell mag lite and a couple others that use LED's to create a bright light that uses little battery. lots of preppers will have a weapon light on one of their guns also. You should have a flashlight stashed in several handy places in your home, so you can get to a light without too much trouble no matter what you are doing when the lights go out.

Glow Sticks
Glow sticks are a fast disposable light source. I really don't care for them but I admit they are handy in certain situations. You can pick up a few and stash them around along with your flashlights.

So your job for this day is to figure out how you will get three different light sources that do not depend on each other to work. Choose these to see you through your powerless times.

Still clinging to my God and my guns,

Randy

30 Days of Survival - Day 5 One for me, One for a Friend

For day five of 30 days of survival we are going to start working on your pantry. Your pantry is your food supply. If you couldn't walk out your door for an undetermined amount of time this is what you have to live on.

How long would that be?

Your first pantry goal should be to have a 30 day supply of food for each person in your household on hand.

"But I can't afford that"! you say.

Trust me I understand.

So how do you start building up your pantry to a basic 30 day level?

You start with the one for me, one for a friend technique, every time you go grocery shopping. When you buy a canned good or some other food that won't spoil, you buy one extra (one for a friend). If you do this with one or two things every trip you will never notice the increase in cost and soon you will have a small stockpile of food in your pantry.

Extra cans of tuna, soup, veggies, poptarts, sardines, canned fruit or coffee...all this will store well. Just make sure you rotate your stock so the same can of tomatoes is not stuck in the back of your cupboard for five years and tastes metallic when you finally open it. (don't ask how I know) A good idea is to write the date on the top of the can when you put it away.

Boxed mixes need to be monitored closely, because sometimes they will get bugs even if unopened...I always tell my wife there is nothing in the buggy box that wasn't in there before the bugs hatched, but she still gets upset and throws it away or feeds it to the chickens.

You can do this with other things than food too. Ammo, toilet paper, toothpaste or even motor oil...anything you consume, and will store well.

After you have your 30 day supply of pantry food it is a good time to start buying small quantities of storage food. Freeze dried #10 cans, grain buckets, etc.
Most serious preppers strive for at least one year of storage food for each family member.

Start today and build up your pantry.

Still clinging to my God and my guns,
Randy