Emergencies and disasters don't follow a schedule, and that's why being prepared is a survivalist's mantra. Your vehicle is often your lifeline in an SHTF scenario, so let's delve into the essential steps to ensure your car or truck is not just transportation but a reliable asset in times of crisis.
Survival is not just about gear; it's about habits. Start with your gas tank – never let it dip too low. Adopt the practice of topping up when it hits between three-quarters and half a tank. Ideally, maintain at least half a tank at all times. Track your mileage and know your vehicle's range.
Situational awareness is key. Anticipate challenges in your daily routes, especially through neighborhoods with higher crime rates.
Plan and test alternate routes for work, school, and other essential locations. The more you're aware, the better prepared you'll be.
Make it a habit to give your vehicle a weekly once-over. Check fluids, lights, tire pressure, suspension, battery, and hoses.
Learn the basics of vehicle maintenance. From changing a tire and oil to fixing coolant leaks and replacing air filters – having these skills ensures self-reliance in the face of challenges.
Enhance your vehicle's capabilities with purposeful upgrades:
Don't overlook the importance of a full-sized spare tire. The stock spare is a temporary fix; post-SHTF, tire shops won't be open. Be ready for self-sufficient tire repairs.
Every vehicle needs an emergency kit and a get-home bag. The emergency kit covers daily issues and proves invaluable in SHTF scenarios.
Include Jumper cables, road flares, a flashlight, tools, gloves – essentials tailored to your needs.
Your get-home bag should contain survival necessities tailored to your potential journey. Consider the distance and obstacles you might face. Include first aid, water, snacks, a multi-tool, and items for navigating urban terrain.
Prepare for worst-case scenarios with essential tools:
Conclusion
In the unpredictable world we live in, a well-prepared vehicle is a survivalist's best friend. By cultivating good habits, maintaining your vehicle, strategically upgrading, and kitting it out with emergency essentials, you're not just driving – you're mastering SHTF scenarios. Stay prepared, stay safe, and ride into the unknown with confidence!
]]>An IFAK, short for Individual First Aid Kit, is a critical tool with military origins that has found its way into the world of law enforcement, the military, and beyond. In the military, the IFAK, equipped with essential medical supplies, has saved countless lives. However, its importance extends far beyond the battlefield. Even if you're not in a high-risk profession, having an IFAK can prove invaluable during everyday emergencies like car accidents, violent attacks, or other situations involving severe bleeding, respiratory problems, broken bones, and more. Understanding IFAKs and knowing how to use them can make the difference between life and death.
Below, you’ll find a guide to individual first aid kits and some advice on avoiding rookie mistakes.
Let's get started!
M – Massive Hemorrhage
Bleeding was one of the most common battlefield deaths, in general, you should keep as much blood in your body as possible.
Tourniquet, is the single most critical piece of life-saving equipment in the event of penetrating trauma to an extremity, and probably the best investment in emergency medical gear for any trauma kit. It is highly recommended you become familiar with the tourniquet, practicing on others and yourself before you need it.
Wound Packing Gauze, effective wound packing involves forcing gauze into the wound cavity and maintaining direct pressure until the bleeding stops. You can use any sterile gauze or hemostatic gauze (gauze that helps clotting) for this purpose.
Pressure Dressing and Bandages/ISRAELI EMERGENCY BANDAGE, wraps around the wound and applies pressure over it to help further restrict blood flow from a penetrating wound by holding the gauze in place and adding more compression. One example of a pressure dressing is an Israeli emergency bandage, which has an elastic bandage with a built-in pad and a clip.
NPA(Nasopharyngeal airway), a flexible tube that is inserted through the nose into the pharynx (the back of the throat), easy to store & carry in an IFAK. It can help maintain an open airway in semi-conscious patients who have intact gag reflexes. When choosing it, please check the corresponding thickness and length to ensure that it is suitable for you. If contains lubricant, it will make the operation process more comfortable.
Cric-key, is an innovative open cricothyrotomy operation that allows you to quickly, easily and effectively establish an artificial airway in an emergency. It can perform a cricothyrotomy and establish a stable artificial airway in 30 seconds. It consists of two parts, Cric-Key and Cric-Knife, which only qualified personnel can operate.
Sucking chest wounds are another common and preventable killer. It is often caused by gunshot wounds, stab wounds, or other penetrating trauma, but you can help prevent damage and save a life by preparing the corresponding supplies.
Chest seal, it's smart to carry it in any IFAK. If you're struck by gunfire to the torso, then a chest seal is one of the primary ways to treat that wound, to keep the air from getting in and hopefully let the air out. If you don’t have a chest seal, you can improvise one with plastic wrap or other occlusive material.
Needle for decompression, a needle for decompression is used to relieve pressure from a tension pneumothorax by inserting it into the second intercostal space (the space between the second and third ribs) on the same side as the injury. This allows air to escape from the pleural cavity and restores normal breathing. However, don't use it if you're not trained and authorized.
Double-check your Care Under Fire (CUF, the medical treatment of casualties in a hostile environment) interventions, wherein your primary concern was stopping any life-threatening external hemorrhage, and make sure they’re still holding firmly(like TQ).
Gloves, if your clean-handed sweep yields blood on your fingers or palms, then you must pinpoint the wound site, expose and evaluate it, and take appropriate actions.
Splint, at this stage, if you discover broken bones, then they should be stabilized with a splint.
In penetrating trauma, what you cannot see occurring is the lethal triad of hypothermia, acidosis, and coagulopathy. The trauma triad of death is recognized as a significant cause of death in patients with traumatic injuries.
Emergency blankets, hypothermia or hyperthermia can kill you within several hours. You can use an emergency blanket to shield you from the sun, protect you from the cold, or construct a makeshift shelter.
Spray with antiseptic, another way to control germs and infection, small and easily stored if needed.
Sharpie, a black Sharpie is perfect for writing the time a tourniquet was applied, as well as vital information on the patient.
Light source, you can quickly assess a wound if needed. It's hard to treat what you can't see!
MOLLE compatible, a rip-away pouch you can alter to meet the needs of your tactical setup.
Attention: This is not an exhaustive list. Depending on your situation, you may alter your kit such as painkillers.
Wrong gear for the occasion. You need the right gear for the right situation. You should choose an IFAK that matches your needs and preferences based on factors such as size, weight, contents, durability and compatibility with other gear.
The IFAK is disorganized. You don't want gauze falling everywhere when you open it up. You should arrange your items in a logical order based on priority and frequency of use and label each item clearly so you know what it is and how to use it.
Keeping the IFAK out of reach. You should be able to reach your IFAK with both hands. If you must keep it with a backpack, try to attach it to the outside. Alternatively, you can wear it on your belt, vest or chest rig where it’s close to your body and easy to detach if needed.
It's not labeled. This is especially important for tactical environments where you may have multiple people with different types of kits or where someone else may need to use yours in case of emergency. You should label your IFAK clearly so others can identify it quickly and avoid confusion.
IFAK has become affordable, easy to find, and is coming from a variety of reputable manufacturers. You should know you have had a responsibility for your safety. Besides, take some time to evaluate your medical needs, enroll in a local first aid class to get some hands-on experience to grab the living chance when face the emergency.
When it comes to recruiting members for your prepper group, your inner circle of close friends and family is the ideal place to begin. However, it's important to acknowledge that not everyone in your immediate network may share your prepping mindset.
In the event that your loved ones aren't preppers, it becomes necessary to broaden your horizons and make new like-minded friends who can contribute to your survival network.
Start by casually incorporating prepping into your discussions with neighbors or acquaintances. A good way to segue into this topic is by referencing recent natural disasters featured in the news. From there, you can smoothly shift the conversation towards potential disasters specific to your region and discuss your own preparations.
This is also an excellent opportunity to mention the importance of FEMA and the federal government's recommendation for a 72-hour emergency kit. You can offer assistance in setting up such a kit and even contribute some surplus gear you might have on hand.
If the people you engage with show interest and begin preparing for short-term emergencies, you can gradually encourage them to contemplate longer-term scenarios. The news is a valuable ally in driving home the significance of these preparations. Neighbors who develop 72-hour kits might not instantly qualify for your prepper group, but those who take prepping seriously could eventually become ideal members.
Stay vigilant and observe their progress in their prepping journey, so you can identify the right moment to extend an invitation to your group.
Many hobbies align with the prepper and survivalist mindset, making them excellent hunting grounds for potential group members. Some examples of prepping-adjacent hobbies include shooting, ham radio operation, canning, hunting, food preservation, camping, backpacking, and overlanding.
It's highly likely that if you have an interest in any of these hobbies, other preppers in your community share the same passion. All it takes is some friendly conversation to introduce the subject of prepping. After identifying individuals interested in prepping, assess whether they possess the qualities and skills that align with your group's objectives.
When evaluating potential group members, engage in discussions about preparedness and inquire about their prepping endeavors. Be cautious about disclosing too much sensitive information. While you want to convey your commitment to prepping, you should avoid revealing the full extent of your preparations.
Keep in mind that dedicated preppers are often cautious about sharing the complete details of their preps as well. Building trust and relationships over time is crucial for sharing such confidential knowledge.
During these conversations, try to assess the following:
It's advisable not to divulge your intentions of forming a prepper group too early. Keep your interactions light and friendly until you have a solid understanding of each individual's suitability.
The key to forming a successful prepper group is assembling a team with diverse skills and training that can benefit the collective. A well-rounded group will ensure that each member can teach others valuable skills, fostering a culture of continuous learning and preparation.
Consider recruiting individuals with backgrounds in search and rescue, law enforcement or military experience, medical professionals, tradespeople, amateur radio operators, mechanics, and bushcraft experts. A balanced mix of skills is crucial, but interpersonal compatibility, teamwork, and the ability to learn from one another are equally important.
Before formally establishing your prepper group, arrange social activities or events where potential members can interact and gauge how well they work together. Compatibility is essential for the group's cohesion and effectiveness during an SHTF scenario.
Once you've identified individuals you'd like to include in your group, gather everyone together and determine the group's purpose. It could involve resource-sharing, mutual aid, or having access to a designated bug-out location where supplies can be stored.
Select a leader for your group, as having clear leadership is essential, especially during emergencies. Develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) and outline expectations for all group members. Document and have everyone agree to these guidelines.
While this may seem like a lot of effort, taking your prepper group seriously is essential to ensure it remains a reliable support system.
After your prepper group is established, regular meetings, training sessions, and practice scenarios are critical for preparedness. Without consistent training, your group won't be adequately prepared for real SHTF situations.
If your group has a designated bug-out location, practice runs to that location are vital to ensure everyone can reach it efficiently. Test and refine any procedures or plans you've developed to increase their effectiveness during emergencies.
The frequency and timing of your training will depend on your members' schedules, but strive to practice as often as possible.
Forming a prepper group is a substantial commitment, but the effort you invest will pay off when disaster strikes. This network of like-minded individuals ensures you'll have the support and resources needed to weather challenging times successfully.
]]>Before diving into the details, ensure you have all the necessary materials:
Begin by prepping your first container. Drill multiple small holes in the bottom; this top container will hold the unfiltered water. The second container, positioned underneath, will collect the purified water.
Now, let's get down to business. In the top container with holes, stack layers of filtration media, each with a crucial role:
Now, set up the system for action. Position the top container (with the filtration layers) over the bottom container. As you pour unfiltered water into the top container, it will gradually filter through the layers, collecting in the bottom container as clean, purified water.
Stay vigilant during the filtration process. As the media becomes clogged over time, water flow will slow. Regular maintenance is crucial to keep the system running efficiently. Replace the filtration media when it becomes saturated.
By diligently following these steps and implementing safety protocols, you'll master crafting a DIY water filtration system, turning even murky water into a reliable source during emergencies. In the world of survival and self-reliance, securing clean water is a vital skill. This system can be your lifeline when traditional water sources are compromised.
Empower yourself with this actionable knowledge and take immediate action. Maintain the spirit of self-sufficiency, stay prepared, and ensure you're equipped to thrive when challenges arise.
]]>For this article, I use leaf fat from my local butcher shop which usually surrounds and protects the organs in the abdominal cavity. You can use any type of fat with the two main methods we will be using today.
Tallow is amazingly versatile. It has been used in cooking, for making soap, and candles, as a healing salve and skin balm as well as a lubricant for wood, leather, and metal working. My favorite use is making pie crust.
Historically tallow was used as a lighting medium in the form of tallow dips, tapers or lanterns as in the earliest street lighting in London.
McDonald’s cooked their fries in tallow until 1990. It even has its own holiday Beef Tallow day on July 13th.
Since tallow has so many uses it is a must for any preppers out there. Tallow is both nutrient and energy-dense. A single tablespoon of tallow contains 110 calories and 12 grams of fat.
As long as tallow is kept at room temperature and properly sealed it will last a little over a year. Just make sure to give it a little sniff test to see if it’s gone rancid.
All you need for making tallow is a crock pot, a muslin cloth, beef fat table salt, a cooking sieve, and a knife.
I’m starting off with 3 pounds of leaf fat from my local butcher shop. It cost me $ 4.95 and makes 2 quarts of tallow.
Step 1: We’re going to chop the fat into about inch sized cubes. Since we’re using the dry rendering technique first, which is cooking the fat on its own.
We’ll put the fat into the crockpot (or stovetop) on low for six hours stirring every once in a while.
Step 2: Now we’re left with solids and the rendered fat.
You can blend it up and do another dry render for another three hours but the fried fat makes a wonderful little snack called cracklings which my kids can’t get enough of.
So we’ll strain the fat liquids from the fat solids into a mixing bowl, then feed the crackling to the kids.
Step 3: We’ll let our first render solidify overnight. Next we’ll pop the tallow cake out of the bowl and scrape off the bottom of any impurities such as granules or discoloration.
Step 4: Now for the rest of our renders we’ll wet render. Wet rendering is when you add water and salt to draw out as many impurities as we can. The more we render the purer the tallow and the longer it will last.
We’re going to chop the fat up and add it to the pot on the stove top with 2 cups of water and half a cup of table salt.
It needs to render on the stove for at least three hours on low heat. Once it’s finished we’re going to pour it into a new clean mixing bowl and stick it back into the fridge to solidify again overnight.
Step 5: Now, just as before, we’ll pull the tallow cake out but this time you can see how the water and fat separated pulling out impurities into the water.
We’re going to give it another scrape and repeat the wet render again for our 3rd render.
You may have to do more renders depending on how many impurities you get with each render.
This batch is done once I scrape off a few impurities and the water is clear, the tallow is ready to be canned.
You can reheat it and pour it into the jars but I’m chopping mine up to triple check for impurities and put it into the cans.
We’re going to use the pressure canning method to preserve our tallow. Pressure canning is the only safe method of preserving low-acid foods.
Low-acid foods include vegetables, meats, fish, and poultry. Pressurized steam creates the needed temperature of 240 degrees Fahrenheit or higher that will destroy the bacteria present in the tallow.
Step 1: Fill your pressure canner with 3 inches of hot water. Unlike the water bath method the jars don’t have to be fully covered. It is imperative to have adequate water level or risk damaging your pressure canner.
Step 2: Put a rack at the bottom of the pressure canner and add your jars. The stew will be hot so I recommend using jar tongs to avoid burning yourself or dropping the jars.
Step 3: Turn on the heat to high on your stove. Pop the lid of the pressure canner and tighten the seal.
Step 4: Once the vent starts steaming, set the timer to 10 minutes.
Step 5: When the venting period is complete, use an oven mitt to place the weighted gauge on the canner.
Step 6: Turn the stove to low heat. Process filled jars in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure 25 minutes.
Step 7: Release pressure from the pressure canner. Remove the jars carefully with jar tongs and allow the jars to cool. Check for the seal
Tallow should be on all preppers’ needs list along with a swiss multitool pocket knife and flint. It can do almost anything.
When S.H.T.F. you can’t go to the store and buy soap, but you can make it with beef tallow.
If food supply is low it can be an important source of calories and nutrition. Tallow can light your way when used to make candles. Above all else it makes the best pie crust so no matter the situation you can raise morale.
Making tallow is an easy process that reaps one of the most valuable things you can have in your pantry.
]]>For the rest of the novel, a major plot element is how few rounds he has left that didn’t get splashed, and the unreliability of the ones that did. Of course, if you’re familiar with Stephen King’s work you’ll have realized that he doesn’t actually know very much about guns.
Giving ammunition a quick dip, even in seawater, won’t do it any harm as long as it doesn’t stay wet for a long time. I’ve used ammo that had spent three or four days in a rain-soaked pouch; it still worked fine.
When it comes to long-term storage of ammunition, though, moisture does become a problem. Over time, dampness can make its way into the primer pocket and through the neck of the case.
Once it’s in there it will degrade the propellant and possibly the primer. Meanwhile, if there’s water inside the case when the round fires, that will evaporate and affect the chamber pressure.
Ammo that’s been stored for a long time in damp conditions might not fire. And if it does it will be inconsistent and inaccurate.
You also need to look out for corrosion on cases. While it’s unlikely cases will corrode badly enough to affect their strength, you could get more stoppages – especially with a semiautomatic weapon.
When you’re relying on a stockpile of ammunition to keep you alive in a crisis, you need to make sure it’s protected from moisture in storage.
The first step in protecting ammunition from dampness is to store it somewhere that isn’t damp. That sounds like a problem for many preppers; a lot of us store our supplies in basements, sheds or bunkers.
Basements have the extra disadvantage that if the rain gets too heavy or a local river floods, water can quickly find its way in.
Get around that by installing some shelves or racks, and storing your ammunition well off the floor. That way, if the basement does flood your ammo should be spared a ducking.
Avoid storing ammo where it’s in contact with basement walls, because these can often be damp.
Free-standing racks that don’t touch the walls are the best solution, but if you need to keep ammo on wall-mounted shelves be careful not to push it right to the back. Leave some space behind it for air to circulate.
Protecting your supplies from water or damp walls is only half the battle, though. There’s almost always some moisture in the air itself, too, and given time that can attack your ammunition.
That’s especially true somewhere the air isn’t circulating much, like your basement. To keep it safe from airborne moisture we need to look at packaging and sealing.
When ammunition comes out of the factory it’s generally not fully sealed. The primer and bullet fit into the case tightly enough that water can’t get in if the round gets briefly wet. But over time capillary action will draw moisture through the primer pocket and neck.
Most military ammunition, and some commercial types, have a ring of waterproof lacquer round the primer to fully seal it; steel cases, which are vulnerable to rusting, usually have some kind of protective coating on the steel. However, if you want truly waterproof ammunition you’ll have to proof it yourself.
Many gun shops sell products like X Sealant. Apply a little of this round the primer and neck, then cure it under a UV lamp, and it forms a completely waterproof seal.
As far as I can tell these products do a great job of keeping moisture out of the case, but they won’t protect the case itself from corrosion. And, if you have a large stockpile of ammunition, it would take you a very long time to seal it.
If you keep some ready-use ammo in a gun bag or tactical vest, sealant could be a good solution. For your main stockpile it isn’t a realistic option.
A better option is to pack your boxed ammunition into heat-sealed bags. An ordinary vacuum sealer is a great tool for this, but don’t use the vacuum function. Instead, just squeeze surplus air out of the bags before you seal them.
If you vacuum-seal them there will be air left inside each round. Over time this will slowly escape, equalizing the pressure in the cases and the bag.
Then, when you unseal the bag, the pressure inside the cartridges will be lower than the atmosphere and outside air will slowly be sucked in. This is bad news, because it’s going to bring moisture with it.
Not vacuum-sealing the bags means there will be a small amount of moisture trapped inside, but a silica gel sachet will take care of that. Heat sealing ensures no more will get in. If you don’t have a heat sealer use Ziploc bags and, again, add a silica gel sachet.
Heat-sealed bags will do a great job at keeping water out, but they’re relatively fragile. Give your ammunition some extra protection by picking up used military ammo cans.
These are made of tough steel, have convenient carrying handles on top, and their lids close tightly and have a rubber weather seal. In fact the military ammunition that comes in them is packed in plain, non-waterproof cardboard boxes. The Army trusts the can itself to keep moisture out even after years in storage.
Between sealing the boxes in plastic, then storing the bags in ammo cans, your supply should be completely safe from dampness.
The cans are also easy to grab off the shelf and throw into a vehicle if you need to bug out in a hurry, and you can take out as much ammunition as you need then reseal the can.
Modern ammunition is pretty robust stuff, but it can deteriorate if you don’t store it properly. The most important thing is to keep moisture away from it. And storing it inside an ammo can in a heat-sealed bag will do exactly that. Protect your ammo stockpile this way and you’ll be able to rely on it when it really counts.
]]>Less than a few hundred years ago, ships were crossing oceans, pioneers were trekking across vast distances and people were living in homes without any refrigeration or the FDA.
The lesson we need to learn is that food preservation and storage have been around for thousands of years. Electricity and fridges did not make food storage possible, only more convenient.
The FDA would probably have a fit if they saw your great-grandmother’s kitchen and pantry. Yet, here we are, alive and kicking, descendants of refrigerator-less people.
Shelf-stable means foods that can be stored at room temperature for prolonged periods. Shelf-stable bacon sounds like something that most modern people would think impossible. I mean, it is well known that meat outside a fridge spoils. Right?
Not so fast. You can cure and smoke bacon to be hung in an unrefrigerated area for a very long time. How long? Well, until it turns to dust.
It will lose nutrition and become hard as wood, but you can still cook and eat it. And even if it tastes awful, it won’t kill you. Shelf-stable bacon can be made by dry-curing your pork belly, smoking it if you want to, and then hanging it somewhere dogs, rodents, and insects can’t get to it.
I will rarely work with meat that I bought from a butcher, simply because it may have become contaminated. Irrespective, you will need a couple of slabs of pork belly.
I prefer something that fits into my curing pans, which can accommodate a slab of no bigger than 12 inches by 12 inches. Work according to the size of your containers or fridge.
The curing ingredients are simple. Salt, brown sugar, and some spices for flavor. Salt and sugar are essential. The flavoring depends on you.
Mix the salt and sugar in equal portions. I mix a cup of each at a time. Rub the cure onto the entire surface of the pork belly. Everywhere. Bottom, sides, top, little fold, everywhere.
I don’t use pink salt or nitrates of any shape or form. However, don’t confuse Pink salt with Himalayan Pink Salt. You are welcome to use it if you want.
Then place in an airtight container and put in the fridge or the pantry. The cooler the environment the better. You can place it on an oven roasting grid so it doesn’t sit in the moisture that leeches out.
Then, every day for about one to two weeks, you repeat the following procedure:
Once your pork belly has lost enough moisture and absorbed enough curing mix, it’s time to remove from the fridge and hang it out to dry. Many people say that you should rinse off all the cure from the belly and dry it with a towel before hanging. You can do that.
I just brush off the excess cure with a stiff brush and hang it immediately. There is a place toward the back of my kitchen, well ventilated, dry, and a fly-free zone. I just hang them there.
A friend of mine installed a UV light in his pantry to kill bacteria etc. The thing is, my grandmother didn’t have a UV light, and she was fine. It’s really up to you.
You have the option of cold smoking the pork belly at this stage. This adds flavor and deposits an extra layer of acidity onto the meat that will serve as additional protection against bacteria.
But to be honest, by now there are almost no bacteria that will grow on the outside of the pork belly and spoil the meat.
Modern food storage guidelines and sell-by dates have convinced us that food needs to be stored very precisely or it will become deadly, which is true, but not that hard to do.
It’s a fact is that food stored incorrectly is dangerous, but you don’t need to be a modern food scientist with a bag of chemical tricks and a building full of freezers to achieve what your great grandmother did in her kitchen daily.
]]>Just because you’ve picked all the meat off, there’s no need to waste those bones!
Making and canning bone broth is a great way to become more self-sufficient. There’s a misconception out there that it’s difficult to do but that is simply not the case. This is something you can do easily in just an afternoon, allowing you to always have broth on hand for soups, stews, sauces, gravies, and more.
A great way to save money while also improving your health and self-reliance, learning how to make bone broth at home is a smart choice.
Here’s what you need to know.
You can make bone broth out of any kind of animal bones. I love making broth from all kinds of leftovers, including chicken carcasses, beef bones, and even, as I mentioned, leg of lamb.
Before we get started, it’s important to clear something up – the difference between stock and broth. The two terms are often used interchangeably, but technically, stock is made from bones while broth also includes meat and vegetables. Many people (myself included) use bones in their broth to ensure a thicker liquid.
In the steps below, I’ll walk you through making bone broth out of leftover chickens. I use pasture-raised birds to make my bone broth, though of course, this is not necessary.
The idea behind making bone broth is simple. You’ll simmer bones in water, add some herbs and vegetables, then let it simmer. You can leave the vegetables in once the broth has finished cooking if you want to make a complete soup with the broth, or you can strain them out (they’ll have imparted most of their flavor to the broth, anyway).
Bone broth is loaded to the brim with collagen, gelatin, and all kinds of vitamins and minerals to keep you healthy!
● Cooked bones or carcasses (you can use the entire thing, even the feet, if you’re making broth out of chickens)
● Apple cider vinegar (helps to leach extra nutrients and minerals out of the vegetables and bones)
● Vegetables of your choice (carrots and celery are good options, as are onions and garlic – you can even use scraps and skins if you plan on straining your broth afterward)
● Herbs (basil, oregano, thyme, and rosary are my favorite)
● Salt and pepper to taste
You will also need to have either a large stockpot or slow cooker on hand along with various cooking tools like a colander and wooden spoon (for tasting).
You’ll see in the pictures that are included that I typically make my bone broth in a slow cooker to save time (that way, I don’t have to constantly watch the pot). However, you can easily do this in a stockpot, too. The choice is yours!
I made my stock out of a chicken I had roasted the night before – see below!
1. Put your carcass or bones in your slow cooker, along with your vegetables and herbs.
2. Cover everything with water and add a quarter cup of apple cider vinegar.
3. Bring the broth to a boil, then reduce it to a low simmer. If you’re working in a crockpot, you can do this by bringing the heat to high for about half an hour, then bringing it back down to low.
4. Keep it in the slow cooker (or on the stovetop) for about 12 hours.
5. After 12 hours, you can strain the broth through a colander.
6. Put the broth in the refrigerator overnight (or for 12 hours). This will allow the broth to firm up and form a layer of fat. This layer of fat should be skimmed off before you process the broth in the canner.
7. Didn’t get as much broth as you wanted from the first batch? Go ahead and run it through another cycle of simmering. You can reuse the bones and carcass twice for a thicker, meatier broth.
Bone broth must always be canned in a pressure canner – do not attempt to can it in a water bath canner, as this is unsafe. A pressure canner will warm the broth to much higher temperatures, making it safer for long-term storage.
Here’s how to make bone broth after you’ve made it according to the recipe above.
● Pressure canner with lid
● Canning funnel
● Pint or quart jars with lids and bands
● Jar lifter or set of tongs
● Spare kitchen towels
1. Once you’ve prepared your bone broth according to the instructions above, the next thing to do is skim off the fat. Your broth will be chilled at this point, so you need to heat it back up. Bring it to a boil in a large stockpot. If you try to can cold bone broth, it might not get hot enough when you attempt to can it.
2. While your broth is boiling, fill the pressure canner with a few inches of water.
3. Wash your canning jars in hot, soapy water. You can sterilize them in the dishwasher, if you prefer, to save time. Make sure none of the jars have nicks or chips.
4. Ladle hot broth into the jars, filling but allowing for about an inch of headspace. This is where the funnel comes in handy!
5. Then, wipe the rims of the jars with a clean towel to remove any residues.
6. Add your lids and bands, then tighten so that each is fingertip tight.
7. Use the jar lifter or tongs to load your jars into the canner. Cover the canner and secure the lid.
8. Turn the heat up to high and let the pot come to a boil. After a while, you will notice steam coming out of the vent. Let the steam escape for ten minutes or until the indicator pops.
9. Next, put the weight on the vent. Let the pressure come to 10 lbs, then start your timer. You will need to be at 11 lbs of pressure for altitudes of 1000 feet above sea level or lower. You will need to adjust for altitude if that is not the case.
10. Watch the canner closely as you may need to adjust the heat if the pressure rises or falls. If it rises slightly above 11, that’s okay – just reduce the heat to relieve some of the pressure. If it dips below 11, however, you’ll need to restart the timer when you get the pressure back up.
11. Process the jars for 20 minutes for pint jars or 25 minutes for quarts.
12. When the timer is up, turn off the heat and let the pressure canner cool down on its own – do NOT attempt to remove the lid, as this can be dangerous. It can take up to an hour for the canner to cool.
13. Carefully remove the lid and turn it away from you when you do so that you don’t suffer a steam burn. Remove your jars with the jar lifter and let them rest on a towel.
14. Let the jars sit for 12-24 hours, then store in a cool, dark location. When you store them, check to make sure each one is sealed. Jars that did not seal will need to be tossed.
As you can see as indicated by the title of this article alone, canned bone broth has an impressive shelf life – you can expect it to last for at least two years.
That’s right – two years with no freezing or refrigeration necessary! So while you’ll have to put in a little bit of extra legwork in order to make the broth, trust me when I say – it’s worth it.
So what are you waiting for? The next time you have some extra bones left after dinner, don’t toss them in the trash.
Make and can your own bone broth for a self-sufficient pantry instead!
]]>Combined with large quantities of falling nuts that quickly turn black and slimy, it’s no wonder it is often shunned.
Despite its negative qualities, black walnut has long been valued by herbalists for the potent medicine it can provide. Those nasty fall nuts are naturally rich in iodine, which you can easily extract in a tincture. You can use this iodine tincture for many things, including preventing radiation poisoning.
The situation in Eastern Europe is heating up, and it is important we prepare for the worst. As the threat of nuclear war increases, iodine is increasingly on our minds.
In case of an iodine shortage, it is imperative we know the natural resources that surround us and that can aid in a time of crisis. By preparing this black walnut tincture now, you can be prepared for when SHTF.
The first thing you need to do is locate a black walnut tree.
Native to Eastern North America, you can find Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) trees as far north as Ontario and as far south as Georgia and northern Florida. Their range reaches from the Atlantic Coast as far west as South Dakota.
But how do you distinguish Black Walnut trees from the other five species of walnut that grow in the US?
One way to distinguish between different types of trees is to examine the leaves.
All species of walnuts have feathery pinnate leaves. Black walnut has between 15-23 leaflets grouped together in pairs on each twig.
What black walnut doesn’t have is the extra leaf at the tip that other varieties do. This leaf is the easiest way to distinguish it from other species.
When the black walnut does have a terminal leaf, it is small. While very similar in other ways, English and butternut walnuts always have a large terminal leaf.
Black walnut bark is dark and deeply fissured. If you remove the bark, you can see the dark brown wood beneath it. The bark on the black walnut is darker than the bark on other walnut varieties.
The deep ridges in the bark are the most distinctive feature of this tree in winter. You can see diamond-shaped patterns in the ridges in the bark.
The nuts’ shape varies depending on which variety of walnut you have.
Since we are looking for Black walnuts, we want to look for round nuts rather than oval ones like the butternut variety.
You will also find black walnuts also have the hardest shells.
But we don’t need to worry about that now because it is the outer hull of these nuts that we use for our tincture. Later, you can decide if you want to struggle to enjoy the delicious nut inside.
We want to have iodine on hand in case of radiation exposure. Potassium Iodine tablets can help protect your thyroid gland from exposure to radioactive iodides.
But right now, our ability to procure iodine may be limited. You may already be finding tablets are on backorder, and who knows when they will arrive.
But people tell us that when other sources of iodine ran out after the Chernobyl disaster, a black walnut tincture was used. And it worked.
While the FDA will advise us only to use approved potassium iodine tablets, there are studies out there showing the topical application of iodine is as effective as oral potassium iodine in blocking radioiodine absorption in the thyroid. If you have access to a black walnut tree, you can easily make an iodine rich tincture in your home.
Even if there isn’t a nuclear attack, a black walnut tincture is useful to have in your household apothecary. It is antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and works as an antiparasitic.
You can apply it topically to your skin to help treat wounds, skin infections, and fungal infections. Or you can take it internally to expel parasites. It also has been used traditionally for upset stomachs, heart problems, and even as a hair dye.
You can easily make a black walnut tincture at home as long as you have black walnuts. Ideally, you will be using the hulls from walnuts you have harvested yourself, so you know that the ingredients are of the highest quality.
However, if you want to make this tincture and it’s not black walnut season, you can purchase dried and powdered hulls.
Black walnuts are usually ready to harvest in September or October. You want to harvest when they are underripe rather than overripe.
When the fruit is ready to harvest, your finger should slightly leave a dent when you press it. If it is overly soft or has many brown spots, then choose another.
You will want to remove the green outer hull from the shell to use for your tincture. For now, you can reserve the shell with the nut.
Later you can pit yourself against the hardest of all the walnut shells and try to release the delicious treat inside.
1. Cut the hulls and place them in the mason jar.
2. Cover the hulls with vodka to a minimum of two fingers above the top of the hulls. Do not exceed double the height of the hulls, or your tincture will not be as strong.
If using dry hulls, you may need to add alcohol as the hulls absorb the liquid.
3. Seal the jar and leave it in a cool dark place for at least two weeks.
4. When your tincture is ready, place a coffee filter inside a funnel and strain the liquid into a tinted bottle for storage.
5. Store in a cool dark place
For radiation protection, you can paint the tincture onto your skin rather than take it internally.
For internal use, dissolve no more than 15 drops into a glass of water and take it three times a day. Discontinue use after 14 days.
]]>The plants will filter the water naturally and this will create a clean environment for the fish to grow and thrive. At the same time, the fish will produce waste that will organically fertilize the plants.
The result of this symbiotic relationship are large, prolific plants and fish that can be harvested and eaten. Fish like tilapia, trout and catfish can all be grown in an aquaponics system.
The carcasses of these fish can even be used in the soil based garden so that your system creates virtually zero waste. This is why the aquaponics system holds such appeal to the homesteader.
We are going to build a DIY aquaponics system using a simple hydroponics setup as the base.
This system will produce food outside in the sunlight or you can bring the whole system indoors, under grow lights, to produce food all year long.
When you are setting up your aquaponics system, the germination of seeds and the development of seedlings will have you waiting weeks to get your system up and running.
You can bypass this long wait using a simple trick. Soil potted seedlings, like those at your local hardware or garden center, can be easily transferred from their pots to your new system.
1. Whether you decide to buy one or cut your own PVC you will need to assemble the hydroponics portion first.
2. If you are assembling your system from scratch do not forget to drill 2” inch holes evenly spaced the length of your growing pipe. These holes will house your growing cups.
3. Connect all of your growing pipes before adding a reducer for your pump hose. This should go on one end of the connected pipes.
4. On the other end you should connect your outflow pipe.
5. Your PVC frame can be built next to hold your system in place.
6. Using your basin or a small 5 gallon bucket you can test inflow and outflow of your system.
1. Seed starters like rock wool or even foam are great ways to get seeds started. Start by placing a seed or two at the center of each.
2. Place these in an area that can hold a shallow bit of water and allow the seeds to sprout.
3. Place the sprouts outside or under a grow light.
4. Meanwhile open your clay pebbles and soak them in a 5 gallon bucket. Shake them around a bit and then drain them. These will protect the roots of the plants in your system.
5. Once they become seedlings they can be transferred to your system.
6. Read the directions on your growing nutrient and make sure you have enough nutrient in your water to support the seedlings or plants that you are adding to the system.
7. Seedlings potted in dirt can have their roots rinsed clean and transplanted into a hydroponics system. They cannot go back into the dirt after this, but they can go from dirt to water without issue.
8. Test the PH of your water, and adjust if necessary, using a PH Test kit and then add your plants.
1. Fill your basin with water. If it is from the hose you will have to treat it for the chlorine. This is toxic to your fish and will kill them almost instantly. Water from rain barrels is much better.
2. Water from the hose will be cold and your fish can also die from shock if you do not allow them to acclimate to the temperature.
3. You can sit the bag in the basin water to allow the fish to get comfortable and acclimated in the new temperature.
4. Finally release them into the water. Some may die and that is ok.
5. We started our system with some minnows and goldfish to keep it cheap and easy. I suggest you do the same so if you have loss, you aren’t out $100 or more for fingerling trout.
6. Feed the fish daily and keep an eye on PH for your plants and your fish.
This system will require you to keep and eye on it but little more than a daily check in is required and the annual cleaning out of the whole system.
Owning an aquaponics system does require an initial investment, but it can be a very rewarding experience. There is nothing like the feeling of sitting down to a meal made completely from plants and fish grown and harvested from one’s very own aquaponics system.
]]>If you are one of those preppers, survivalists, or "preparedness minded persons," and your SHTF plan is to get your butt into a cabin and hide out for awhile with enough supplies to last you through the apocalypse, then you need to know this: an emergency radio could be the difference between life or death.
A Ham Radio is a portable radio that allows you to communicate with other ham radio operators around the world. It can be used for emergency communications, or just for fun. Getting a ham radio license is not as difficult as you might think, and it can be a great way to be prepared for when SHTF.
There are three main types of ham radios: base, mobile, and handheld. Base radios are the largest and most powerful and are usually stationary in one location. Mobile radios are smaller and can be mounted in a vehicle, while handheld radios are the smallest and most portable.
Which type of ham radio is best for you depends on your needs and preferences. If you plan on using your radio mainly for emergency communications, then a handheld radio might be the best option since it can be easily carried with you wherever you go. If you want to be able to communicate with other ham radio operators while on the move, then a mobile radio would be a better choice. And if you want the most power and range for your money, then a base radio would be the way to go.
So, you want to get your amateur radio license and be prepared for when SHTF? Here's what you need to know.
First, what is amateur radio? Amateur radio is a wireless communications service that hobbyists use to communicate with each other using radios, computers, and other electronic devices. It's a great way to stay in touch with friends and family during an emergency, and it can also be used for entertainment and educational purposes.
To get your amateur radio license, you'll need to pass an exam administered by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The exam consists of two parts: a written test and a practical test. The written test covers basic electronics and radio theory, while the practical test is designed to assess your ability to operate a radio station safely and correctly.
You can study for the exams on your own or take a class from an accredited institution. Once you've passed the exams, you'll be issued a license that is valid for 10 years. After that, you'll need to renew your license every 10 years to keep it active.
So there you have it! Getting your amateur radio license is a great way to be prepared for when SHTF. Good luck!
There are three main types of FCC licenses: Technician, General, and Amateur Extra.
All three examinations cover basic regulations, station operation, and electronic principles. In addition, the General and Amateur Extra examinations include questions on operating procedures, radio wave propagation, antennas, and electrical safety.
When it comes to emergency communications, ham radio is one of the best ways to stay connected. But what frequencies should you use, and what license class should you get?
There are three main classes of ham radio licenses: Technician, General, and Extra. The Technician class is the entry-level license, and gives you access to all VHF and UHF frequencies. The General class gives you access to all amateur radio frequencies, and the Extra class gives you the ability to operate on any frequency.
So which one should you get? If you're just getting started, the Technician class is a great place to start. But if you're serious about emergency communications, then the General or Extra class is a better choice.
As for frequencies, there are three main bands that are used for emergency communications: 2 meter, 70 cm, and 1.25 meter. The 2 meter band is the most popular choice for emergency communications, as it has good range and is relatively easy to use. The 70 cm band is also a good choice, as it has even better range than 2 meters. And the 1.25 meter band is a good choice for close-range communications.
One of the great things about ham radio is that it can be used to communicate over long distances.
On October 8, 2015, Ham Radio Operator Tonya K1QED made contact with another ham radio operator in Argentina. The contact was made using voice (SSB) on the 20-meter band. Tonya was using 100 watts of power and her antenna was a simple wire dipole.
The contact between Tonya and the Argentinean ham radio operator was brief, but it's a good example of how ham radio can be used to communicate over long distances. With a little bit of practice, you too can make contacts with hams all over the world.
I decided to get my ham radio license for when SHTF after seeing how useful it can be in an emergency situation. I went through the process of taking the test and becoming licensed, and it was a lot easier than I thought it would be. Here's my experience in getting a ham radio license.
The first thing I did was study for the test. I found a few good resources online that helped me understand the material. Once I felt confident that I knew the material, I scheduled a time to take the test.
Taking the test was simple and straightforward. I was able to answer all of the questions correctly and pass with flying colors. After passing the test, I had to submit my application for a license to the FCC.
The process of getting my license was quick and easy. Within a few weeks, I received my official ham radio license in the mail. Now, I am prepared for when SHTF and can use my ham radio to communicate with others in an emergency situation.
The first question we have to answer is will the knife be a fixed or folding blade? Conventional wisdom says a fixed blade is the superior choice. They are stronger, longer, and better suited for survival tasks and even self-defense. A fixed blade can be used for batoning wood, digging, hammering, along with the typical slicing, dicing, and stabbing a knife is commonly used for. A dedicated survival knife should be a fixed blade. The right fixed blade will take everything you can toss at it.
With this being said there is no rule saying you only need to carry a single knife. A folding blade can still be a handy tool for survival, provided it’s durable enough to do the job. This article is going to focus on dedicated survival knives but I bet most readers here carry pocket knives on a daily basis. Pocket knives are perfect for those smaller cutting tasks that a fixed blade knife may be a bit much for.
There is two factors to blade style, the point and the edge.
The Point – The point of your knife determines quite a bit about how your knife is designed to be used. A Drop Point is one of the best choices for a survival knife. A drop point has a nice long belly that makes skinning game easy. A drop point blade tip is very strong, and the blade design excels for batoning.
Other types like the tanto are good for stabbing and piercing, but poor for skinning game. The clip point is nice and controllable, but somewhat weak at the tip.
The Edge – The biggest question is going to be straight or serrated. I prefer straight blades. I find them easier to sharpen, and better for batoning wood. Serrations of course makes cutting through thicker materials a bit easier. Both are good options and its a personal preference situation in many cases.
In terms of blade design you want a single edge blade. A spear point blade with a dual edge is a good weapon, but a poor tool. The double sided design makes these blades difficult to use for batoning, striking ferro rods, and the dual sided blade can harm you on accident if the knife gets away from you.
A lot of people have a bigger is better mentality when it comes to survival knives. I personally find that to be untrue. A long blade can become unwieldy and if you want length go with a machete. A blade length between 4 to 7 inches is often a good range in terms of blade length. This keeps the knife easy to control, but large enough to work. The shorter the overall knife is the easier it is to carry.
A tang is a part of the knife blade that is hidden in the handle, or acts as the handle. A full tang knife is where the tang runs the full length of the handle. A full tang is the best option for a survival knife. It lends an extreme amount of strength to the knife and keeps the blade from breaking off at the handle. Cheap knives will have a “half” tang or no tang and have the blade just attached to the handle.
These knives are quick to break. It’s a shame how many people I see utilize knives with hollow handles as survival knives. The idea behind a hollow handle is that you can store survival supplies in the handle. That sounds like a great idea, but I’ll bet you 10 bucks the blade breaks before you can ever use those supplies.
Lastly, there is the false full tang, or rat tail knives. These knives may proclaim a full tang, but in reality the tang gradually gets thinner and thinner as it goes. These are also easy to bend or break.
The Spine of a knife is the portion of the blade opposite the edge. We already covered that spear point blades are a poor choice due to the fact they lack a spine. Typically there are two types of spine, rounded and squared. A rounded spine allows the user to control the blade with ease and use their thumb to drive the blade. This does increase the control of your knife, but its the best choice for a survival knife.
A square spine allows you to strike a ferro rod to create sparks and build fire a bit easier. A square spine is also easier to ‘hammer’ which allows you to split or baton wood. A square spine between a 3/16 and a ¼ inch is an excellent choice. A rounded spine is typically the better option for a pocket knife.
There are tons of different types of steel with slightly different composites. We can’t cover all of those here, but we’ll touch on the main two types of steel you are likely to see. Their subsections would be an article to themselves.
The first is stainless steel. Stainless steel is quite common and is an effective steel. It’s resistant to corrosion, tough as hell, and will last a lifetime. Obviously there are different types of stainless steel, but high quality stainless steel is tough, and easy to sharpen. The downside is that it tends to lose its edge faster than our second type of steel.
Carbon Steel is quite tough, durable, and can be sharpened to a fine edge. It can be honed to the point where it’s close to razor sharp. Carbon steel also holds an edge longer than stainless. God doesn’t give with two hands so you do have to deal with rust. If you are using carbon steel look for a knife that utilizes a strong coating to resist corrosion.
Generally you want a handle that fills the hand. A nice thick handle will fill the hand well, and prevent fatigue from setting in. Thinner grips often make the knife a bit lighter, and easier to carry concealed. However, in a survival situation concealment isn’t an issue. A nice thick grip is more comfortable, and is less likely to slip from your hand. The grip should also be textured to make it easier to grip and harder to slip out of the hand. You should be able to easily grip the knife while your hands are wet, cold, or when you are wearing gloves.
]]>No wonder the rate of obesity and diabetes have all risen up lately.
Besides the sugar that is already inside the foods we buy, we also consume a decent quantity that we add to sweeten stuff like coffee, tea or to make kompot and jam. So it makes sense to cut off the added sugar from our daily foods and replace it with another sweetener that is less processed, has no GMO’s and a lot of vitamins not only carbs.
The sweetener that I make at home is very flavored and smells absolutely delicious.
And although it is not sugar, I call it “apple sugar”. If you dehydrate apples and grind them into a powder, you’ll find out that this powder goes pretty well in your morning tea, coffee and can substitute your sugar for good.
Because “Apple Sugar” contains a high concentration of fructose and because fructose contains a high concentration of unprocessed sugar (found in all fruits) this acts like a sweetener.
And, of course it has the same survival properties as sugar.
So here is a very simple step by step guide to making your own apple sugar:
I know there are six apples in the picture, but I finally decided to use only four.
From four apples you can make “apple sugar” of approximately the weight of an apple.
Today I decided to make an experiment: I also used the cores to see what happens. So I labeled this step “Optional” because the sugar from apple cores was as good, maybe a little bit more flavored than the one from fruit itself. Interesting!
Don’t peel them!
Another thing that I do with apple cores is to make my own apple vinegar. Here is the step by step guide.
Why small batches? Because otherwise you’ll have to wait for ages.
You also need to pour some water from time to time if the apples get stuck.
It takes just 10 minutes to blend all four apples.
If you have a dehydrator you can spread the pureed apples on the dehydrator’s fruit leather sheets.
If you don’t have a dehydrator, don’t worry, you can also use your electric oven.
So, place a cooking paper on your baking tray and spread the pureed apples (just like in the image).
If you have a dehydrator you can set it at 150°F (65°C) and let it do its job for around 18 – 20 hours.
If you use an oven for the dehydration, set it at 170°F (77°C) and let the oven door slightly opened… just a little bit so the steam can exit. You should let it like this for 6 hours and then follow the next step.
In order to dehydrate the apples faster and if you don’t want them to get stuck to the cooking paper, you should peel off the apples, which now are like a sticking leather, and crumble them in smaller pieces using your hands (it’s easy and it smells nice).
Place it again in the oven over a cooking paper at the same temperature and let it there for at least 4 hours. If you want to make sure it’s ready take it out after another 8 hours.
This is how it should look when it’s ready to be ground into apple sugar.
It’s impossible not to taste it at this level. You’ll absolutely love the smell.
As you can see, the apple cored are drier… probably because they contain less water.
As you can see in the image, the apple sugar looks almost exactly like brown sugar and can be used exactly like it.
I mixed the powder I obtained from apple cores with the rest of the apple sugar because there was literally no difference in taste, smell or texture.
]]>Processed foods have more than enough sodium already packed into them, so people like me who never reach for the salt shaker get by just fine, but in a situation where the SHTF, processed foods might become scarce and knowing how to obtain this essential mineral will be necessary to survive.
Salt today has a generally unfavorable reputation in the developed world- everyone is trying to cut back on their intake for health reasons. This is obviously because there is so much of it, but it wasn’t always so.
Wars have been fought over it, nations have used it as currency, populations have been crushed by taxation on it; you can bet that if these times of civil unrest snowballs into the collapse of markets and industry, salt will again be respected, even becoming a valuable commodity for trade.
This value will most likely increase the more inland you go, far from the coasts where the vast oceans contain 35 grams of salt per liter of water, providing a limitless supply.
But this technique I will demonstrate works to extract it from saline waters inland, too, of which it might surprise you are quite abundant.
Related: How to Make Your Own Apple Sugar
All salt comes from the sea, and even the rock salt mined out of the earth is the remnant of ancient oceans which once covered the land. Freshwater streams collect salt as they flow over the soil, but because they are always moving the saltiness levels stay low.
When this water constantly flows in but has no outlet, as in terminal lakes like Great Salt Lake in Utah, all of this salt accumulates. Great Salt Lake ranges from 50 to 270 grams of salt per liter, and is therefore saltier than seawater.
Besides these salty lakes, brine springs are saturated with salt dissolved from underground and brought to the surface, which can be found in many parts of the world.
Salt’s soluble nature makes extracting it from water ideal for cleanliness.
Filtering the saline water (from a brine spring, salt lake, or ocean) first through anything such as cheese cloth, a shirt, even a sock, will extricate most of the sediment and debris contaminating it.
Then, all that is needed is a method to evaporate the water, leaving the salt behind. The fastest way to evaporate water is obviously to turn it into steam vapor by boiling it.
I have found through trial and error that boiling at high heat until half of the water has evaporated, then adjusting the heat gradually down to medium and low, will prevent the salt from scorching.
I also stir as much as necessary to keep less salt from accumulating on the bottom of the pot and risk being scorched.
As more water evaporates, the salt starts to become visible. It will have a “caked” appearance in this stage of the process, with the consistency of wet sand. I am using a stove for convenience, but boiling over an open fire works the same, while lifting the pot higher above the flames will reduce the heat similarly.
Use the back of your hand as a thermometer- if you can only hold your hand over the flames for five seconds before it starts to hurt, at that height your pot is on “high” heat.
Before the salt starts to burn, you will need to take it away from the fire and use a different method to evaporate the remaining moisture. The sun can be used at this stage, and in fact can be the only method if fuel sources for a fire are scarce.
Many salt work facilities of the old days went out of business after the surrounding timber was used up to heat the fires necessary to evaporate the water in salt brine, including the ruins of the one near where I harvested mine from.
The sun can take days or weeks to accomplish this depending on weather conditions, however, and again, for convenience, I am using the electric oven as a speedier substitute.
The setup is the same, either way. The thinner you have the water or damp salt spread out beneath a heat source, the faster it will dry.
Something like a glass baking pan or a metal baking sheet works well, but you can improvise with your imagination and whatever materials you find at your disposal.
If using the oven like I am, the pan just needs to be placed inside with the heat on the lowest setting, which in my case is 170 degrees Fahrenheit. If placed outside and under the sun, I would recommend using some sort of a covering that still provides exposure to the sun but not bugs and bird droppings, like a thin cloth or similar.
It is going to take some time to get the salt to have the consistency of the sort you buy at the grocery store or see on a restaurant table. The truth is, it might never be exactly like this, because companies add other anti-caking chemicals to table salt so that it falls so evenly out of a salt shaker.
The salt crystals you get in this home-made approach will more than likely be less uniform, and not unlike the fancy sea salts you see chefs use on television.
There is a trick I use to suck out any remaining moisture clumping the salt together once I store it, and you might have used the same trick if you’ve ever tried to dry out a cell phone you dropped into a puddle: rice.
Neither a salt shaker, nor a few grains of rice should be too hard to scavenge no matter what the world comes to in a SHTF scenario, and a small layer of rice grains at the bottom of a shaker will absorb so much of that remaining moisture.
This is just another very simple technique to help you be more self-sufficient and independent.
Salt is a mineral fundamental to animal life, but it doesn’t have to be anything to stress over. It is abundant, and with a basic overview of where it comes from, not much more than common sense is needed to attain it.
]]>I indicate the planting instructions on the jar when I save the seeds. This refreshes my old memory and ensures that inexperienced gardeners can use the seeds if I’m not around. This is a good practice for all your saved seeds.
You’ll hear this repeated often, but it is not a hard rule. Heirloom seeds produce a plant that is true to the parent with the same characteristics as the parent. Hybrid seeds give you characteristics from prior generations that may not be the ones you are trying to produce.
For example, hybrid seeds can produce plants that are a mix of the parents or possibly plants that have the worst characteristics of the parents or even grandparents. They may be poor producers, have poor flavor, produce small fruit, etc. I always prefer heirloom seeds; but, if hybrids are all you have, you can grow them. Just be sure to save a lot of seed so you can prune out the poor plants.
Gather the seeds from your best-producing plants, the ones you are most proud of. Hopefully, the seeds will produce an equally good plant the next year. Seeds from mediocre or poor producers will give you poor results. Always choose the best.
Harvest seeds from ripe fruits and vegetables. This one should be obvious to everyone but often is not. The fruits and vegetables you buy at the store are usually picked immature and will not produce mature seeds. For best results, let the seeds mature on the plant before harvesting. In most cases, this means leaving the vegetable or fruit on the plant longer than you usually would. Cucumbers turn yellow when mature, fruits become soft.
I have a friend who plants the seeds from everything she eats, including immature seeds. She has good results in growing plants this way, but not all the seeds germinate. She succeeds because she plants many seeds and some will germinate. In a survival situation, I would follow this strategy, if these were the only seeds I had.
Cucumbers, melons, and tomatoes have a slippery coating that is easily removed by fermenting the seeds. The seeds will grow without this step, but it makes it easier to clean the seeds and store them. If you are processing seeds from one tomato, you may get away with doing it in the kitchen, but fermentation is smelly so I usually put them in a warm, out of the way spot. Here is the process:
#1. Scoop out the seeds into a glass, jar, cup, or deli container. Add enough water to cover them and put the container in a warm spot. Avoid direct sunlight, but some light is ok.
#2. Stir the seeds daily. Initially, the seeds will float. As they drop to the bottom, they are ready. Rinse away the liquid and vegetable matter and spread the clean seeds on a screen or paper to dry. It will take from two days to a week, depending on the seeds.
#3. Dry the seeds on the countertop, or other warm spots, until completely dry. This can take two or more weeks. If the seeds are put away moist, they will mold in storage.
#4. Follow the directions for storing seeds below.
Some seeds require a period of cold weather in order to germinate. If you live in an area with ideal conditions, you can plant these seeds in a pot or in the ground in the fall or winter and they will be ready to germinate in the spring. You can also stratify them in the refrigerator or freezer before planting.
Stratification is usually needed for hard seeds like grape seeds and stone fruits. Some may need alternating periods of freezing and thawing. Other seeds need to be soaked before planting. It is a good idea to know the growing conditions for the plant when you save the seeds so that you can be successful with it the next year.
Most seeds only need to be dried thoroughly before saving them for the next year. Remove the seeds from ripe fruits and vegetables and remove any attached pulp. Some seeds, such as peas or beans, should be allowed to begin drying on the plant. Pick them dry, as they begin to burst open and lose the seeds.
Spread the seeds out on a screen or on paper to dry. Allow plenty of airflow around the seeds and dry them until they are completely dry. Allow one to three weeks, depending on the size and type of seed.
There has been much controversy about storing seeds, especially for long term storage. Most gardeners agree that seeds should be stored dry, with a desiccant, if possible. Moist conditions can cause mold and spoilage. However, I don’t recommend using an oxygen absorber in the jar. Seeds are living and need oxygen.
Store the seeds in a labeled, air-tight container. Some gardeners place the seeds in labeled envelopes and this works well for storing for one or two years. I prefer to place my seeds in air-tight containers with a desiccant for longer storage. The seeds will keep longer, but the germination rate will drop with each passing year.
Seeds need a cool, dry place. Many gardeners save them in the refrigerator, but I find it to be too moist for my needs. A dry spot in a cool basement or cellar is ideal. Keep them out of the freezer unless you are instructed to freeze for stratification purposes. Most seeds will not survive to freeze.
Like other vegetables, corn needs to be grown to maturity for the seeds to produce. Allow the ears to remain on the plant beyond the normal harvesting time.
The corn will mature and begin to wrinkle as it dries. You can pick it partially dry and complete the drying indoors, if necessary, but allow it to stay on the plant as long as possible. Because corn is wind-pollinated, I choose ears that are grown away from other varieties, as much as possible.
The pits of stone fruits can also be planted to grow a new tree. These seeds often need a period of cold stratification in order to germinate, so check the requirements for your particular fruit before planting. Pits from stone fruits have a hard casing around the internal seed.
They will sprout more easily if you tap the pit with a hammer to remove the outer casing before planting the internal seed.
When harvesting seeds from herbs and flowers, a different strategy is required. Allow the plant to flower and leave the flower to go to seed. (Once the plant flowers the herbs are usually bitter, so do this at the end of the season.)
As the flowers begin to die, either attach a paper bag over the seed head to catch the seeds or cut the seed head from the flower and place it in a paper bag to dry. Small seeds are easily lost if not contained for drying. The seeds usually turn dark brown to black when dry and mature.
Once the flower heads have dried and the seeds are released, separate the seeds from the other vegetable matter and store them as mentioned above.
]]>There are a lot of articles written about living out of a car. This one aims to provide a few tips and things to think of that may not have crossed your mind.
Related: 15+ Survival Items To Keep In Your Car At All Times For SHTF
Number one on your to-do list is to keep your car well maintained and properly insured. It is a good idea to have a basic tool kit on hand, plus a set of spare fuses, a tire repair kit, at least one replacement bulb for each bulb type on your car, a replacement fan belt, and spare oil and air filter.
If you have the available space, carrying a collection of fluids for your car is also not a bad idea.
Gather up all the gear you figure you’ll need to live out of your car, and then try it for a night or two. This will show you what you’ve forgotten and what you do not need, before you need to do it for real. Depending on your skill level and mindset, your bug-out bag might be all that you require to live out of your car.
I like to think of it as setting up a car for camping, but on a more permanent basis.
Safety must be your number one priority. Multiple hazards surround living in a car and you need to be ready for them.
Carbon Monoxide is a concern whenever you sleep in an enclosed space, especially if you leave the engine idling. There are battery-operated CO detectors on the market and some that are specifically designed for vehicles. If you plan on living in a car for any length of time, a CO detector is indispensable.
Since your car is now your home, you should keep all of your valuables, important documents, a change of clothes, toiletries, water, food, etc. in a backpack in case your car gets destroyed or stolen or you need to suddenly abandon it. This bag should be considered your ‘bailout bag’ and when you are not in the vehicle, it should be on your person and never left unattended.
Lastly, you are vulnerable when sleeping in a car in an urban environment, and protecting yourself is critical. First and foremost, it is always best practice to disengage from a threat as your first line of defense. Remember that you are driving a two-ton vehicle and escape is probably going to always be your best course of action.
Second, remember that even though your car is now your home it is, after all, only ‘stuff’ and not worth grievous bodily harm or death in defending.
When given the choice between your life and your car choose the one where you keep breathing.
All this being said, you may be forced to defend your life, and in that case, you must choose methods that are legal in your area and that you have the training and temperament to execute effectively.
Open every door and the trunk of your car. Check each door for storage compartments, inspect where the spare tire is, glove box, center console, and the seat pockets. Once you’ve done this, plan out how you are going to outfit your car. Take into consideration how many people may be living with you as well.
Keep items that you’ll need frequent access to in places like seatbacks and the pockets in the doors. Each person’s bailout bag should be compact enough to fit on the floor between their legs.
The trunk will be the primary storage area and you need to think about maximizing organization. Purchase containers with tight-fitting lids, that can be stacked one on top of the other. Try to find totes and containers that fit tight together to minimize the dead space between and around them.
Label these containers with their contents so you can quickly find what you are looking for. Also keep similar items or items that serve similar purposes (cooking, cleaning, entertainment, sanitation, clothing, etc.) in the same containers.
The area where the spare tire is often has a significant amount of room that you can store items that you may not frequently need ready access to. This is a good spot for tool kits and spare parts.
Unless you have a truck or van, you’re going to find that sleeping in a car is not the lap of luxury. A small backpacking tent and air mattress will make your slumber far more comfortable where it is legal to pitch a tent.
Solar-powered fans that fit into the window of a vehicle are available. They will remove the hot air and hopefully bring in the cool air. Using sunshades on the windows will also help to keep it cool inside the car.
Try to park in shaded areas whenever it is possible. Otherwise, carry a tarp or two and some paracord and bungee cords to rig up some improvised shade when parked, or to create an outdoor space covered from the rain.
Related: Emergency Shelters When You Are On The Move
We need water to survive and it is important to have some on hand in your vehicle as well.
Fortunately, water is not hard to come by in urban environments, so keeping a 5-gallon jug with a spout in your trunk will be sufficient, provided you have free access to water.
Having a few reusable water bottles for each of the people living with you in the car is also a good idea. Use one bottle for water and the other for mixing sports drinks, juices, protein shakes, etc.
You can not eat fast food for every meal, so you are going to have to do some cooking. A simple two-burner camp stove is portable enough for most vehicles and gives you the ability to cook a lot of meals. It is fairly simple to find pots and pans that nest together in your local camping supply store, as well as bowls that collapse flat, and cutlery.
Acquiring cookware that is designed for camping means that it will be lightweight and compact.
Sanitation is going to be an issue. In a pinch, you can use your camp stove to heat some water and use soap and a washcloth to give yourself a sponge bath. This is not a permanent solution though, so you are going to have to think about where the most accessible showers and washrooms are in your area.
Remember that COVID-19 has shut down or put restrictions on places like community centers and gyms, where one would normally be able to shower. You can buy camp showers which are water bags with showerheads attached, or you can wash in rivers or lakes. Another option is to lean on your social network to find some friends or family that will allow you to use their washrooms to clean up.
Going to the bathroom at night is also an issue that you need to consider when sleeping in an urban environment. Parking outside a 24-hour Walmart or other retailers that have washrooms open to the public is one way to solve this issue. Failing this, an empty gallon jug is another option to store liquid waste, make sure to clearly label it and secure the lid tightly.
GPS is omnipresent in 2020 and most of us have used either the onboard vehicle GPS or one of the handheld units. Every smartphone has GPS inside of it and Google Maps is amazing at getting you where you need to go.
But you need to have some paper maps and a compass in your center console or glove box.
More importantly, you need to learn how to read and orient a paper map. While this seems like an archaic method of navigation, having a paper map or a map book helps you to understand how the different streets and neighborhoods relate to each other. After you’ve used a paper map for awhile, your ability to get around the city will dramatically improve.
I hail from a generation before smartphones and remember how a glance at a map book would have me navigating around traffic problems. With a little practice, you can become better at getting around a city or finding an address than Google could ever be.
We live in an electronic age and even though you’re going to be living inside of what is effectively a two-ton generator, you’ll want alternative ways to charge your devices while parked.
Large roll out solar panels can be laid out on the car roof to trickle charge battery packs or devices directly.
If your car is an older model and lacks USB ports for charging, there are power inverters available that plug into your car’s 12V power outlet that can provide hundreds of Watts of power.
Finding public Wi-Fi is also something that you’ll need to do to save on data charges. Some unlikely places to find some unsecured public Wi-Fi is businesses that serve the public, such as medical/dental offices, retail/grocery stores, coffee shops, etc.
Some people love to live out of their cars, but for most of us calling a vehicle “home” is almost always a result of some kind of catastrophe. While driving around with a car that is always ready to be home is not practical, having totes, containers and a bailout bag ready to load up is never a bad thing.
]]>Generators, battery banks, and other off-grid power options can keep a refrigerator running but will rapidly consume valuable resources in the form of fuel and battery capacity.
Constructing an electricity-free refrigeration option will aid in preserving our battery and fuel stores.
The electric refrigerator is a relatively modern innovation, and commercially available models have only been in homes for about a century.
Before that, the simple icebox was the most common method of keeping food cold, and even during ancient times, people used ice houses to preserve food.
The problem with using ice is that it may be hard to come by in a grid-down scenario, which is where evaporative cooling comes into play.
Evaporative cooling has proven to be an effective method of keeping perishable foods from spoiling throughout history in areas where ice is not readily available.
The two elements required for an evaporative cooler are wind and water, which are far easier to obtain than large quantities of ice or snow.
The Zeer pot has been in use for thousands of years in one form or another but was resurrected from history by Mohamed Bah Abba in the 1990s.
Abba developed the pot in pot refrigeration system, using two unglazed clay pots. These pots are different sizes; the smaller one should fit inside the larger one leaving a gap of about an inch or so.
The inner pot is where the food you want to keep cold goes, and the outer pot serves to contain the sand that will fill the gap between the pots.
The Zeer pot can keep the inner pot cool because of the process of evaporative cooling.
For water to evaporate, it needs to absorb heat to turn the liquid water into vapour. As the water vapour absorbs this heat, it will be replaced by cool air that will settle in the inner pot.
The reason why the pots that make up a Zeer pot must be unglazed is to allow moisture to seep through the walls, which has a similar effect that sweating has on humans. Likewise, the moist cloth that is draped over the Zeer pot also aids in the cooling process.
Much like how a breeze can help cool your body when your clothes are damp or when you are sweating, the wind blowing across the Zeer pot is an essential component of its ability to keep food cold.
Constructing a Zeer pot is a very simple process and requires readily available materials at your local hardware store. The entire build process takes very little time to complete. In my case, I constructed a Zeer pot in less than twenty minutes.
1. If there are drainage holes in the bottom of either of the pots, you will need to seal them.
In my case, I decided to use plumbers’ putty, but you can use anything you have on hand to keep the sand and water from leaking out of the bottom. Of course, whatever you decide to use needs to be waterproof.
2. Pour a layer of sand into the bottom of the larger pot.
Related: How To Preserve Your Vegetables Using Sand
The goal is that when you place the smaller pot inside, the tops of both the pots will be at the same level or that the inner pot is slightly higher than the outer pot.
3. Place the smaller pot inside of the larger one.
Centre the pots as best you can and make sure the inner pot is not below the level of the outer pot, as this will mean that sand may fall into the inner pot.
4. Pour sand in the gap between the pots filling it to the top.
5. Pour water on the sand until the sand is saturated with water.
You will need to allow the pot to cool for a while before loading it with food. During this cool-down period, you will want to drape a damp cloth over the pots.
6. Fill the inner pot with whichever food you wish to keep cold.
7. Cover your new Zeer pot with a damp cloth or lid.
It is essential that the fabric stay moist to facilitate the cooling effect. Then place the pot where it will be exposed to the wind and remain out of direct sunlight.
8. Pour water on the sand a couple of times a day to prevent it from drying out.
There are several limiting factors for this style of electricity-free refrigeration:
If you live in a hot, dry region, the Zeer pot is a fantastic option for extending the lifespan of fresh produce without expending precious resources to generate the electricity required for conventional refrigeration. It is cheap, effective, and genuinely off-grid.
]]>Instead of freezing my veggies, or keeping them in a root cellar, our family has always stored our surplus crops in sand. Our home-grown root vegetables, such as carrots, parsnips, turnips, beets, rutabaga, onions, ginger, and radishes are buried year after year to preserve them. We also store apples and pears this way. Just be sure to store apples and vegetables in separate containers, due to the ethylene emission from apples.
Root veggies are also safe to keep in the ground as the temperature cools. After the first frost is typically when I wait to harvest. Be careful through; the longer you wait, the easier it is for rodents and bugs to infiltrate your crop.
I have found that a sand method of preservation is the freshest, most natural way of keeping my hard work in the garden paying off during the cold months. Preserving your crops in sand also offers the following:
Every prepper has their way of storing their vegetables in sand, but I wanted to share my method of storage. Our family sand-storage secrets have been passed down through generations, and it’s important to stick with what works for you. There are a few considerations that are non-negotiable in my sand preservation.
Root vegetables need the right temperature with the right moisture levels to keep well.
The ideal preservation temperature is anywhere between 32 to 40 degrees, with humidity at about 95 percent. Any colder and the veggies will freeze; any warmer and they will grow.
I use an insulated box that I made myself, which is just a large wood box inside a larger wood box. The larger box’s gap between the sand box is filled with straw, acting as insulation. You can also use sheet insulation inside a corner of your shed or garage for temperature control, as long as the structure is rodent-proof.
Rodents and bugs are a huge threat to your preservation.
If you are new to this method, your crisper drawer can be used as a last-minute solution to preserve your vegetables in sand. Take this into account and prepare for next year by planning a more permanent solution.
I keep my sand storage in my basement in a well-insulated room, ensuring the temperature is within that sweet spot consistently through winter.
I keep this room unheated and enclosed to keep moisture and humidity consistent.
If you do not have storage available in your basement, a corner of your shed or garage can be used. Be sure to insulate with sheet insulation to make sure the temperature does not go below freezing. Some sheds and garages can act as hot boxes, even in the winter sun, so be mindful of your location choice.
For years, my family has always consistently used “play” sand for storing, which is sand that is washed, screened, and dried. It is the safest type of sand to use around your food.
Typically, you will find play sand in children’s sandboxes and playgrounds.
I buy my sand in 50-pound bags at the garden surplus store. Upon purchasing, the sand is moist. If you find that your sand is not moist enough, spray lightly with a spray bottle and aerate the sand with your fingers. Do this before packing up any vegetables.
In three simple steps, you have fresh produce from your own garden throughout all of winter. Some other helpful tips I’ve picked up over the years are:
Keeping a large garden in the summer is the best way to ensure our families have enough to eat, since society is not stable enough these days to rely on. Once summer is over and you have a farmer’s market worth of produce to keep, it is time to get crafty in your storage solutions.
Storing vegetables using sand is not a new way of storage, but it is an efficient way. It retains the vitamins and minerals your family needs to survive, as opposed to freezing or canning.
Having a nice, fresh carrot in the dead of winter that you did not have to buy at the store is a rewarding feeling as a prepper, but also as a person who provides healthy food for their family.
]]>The first step to successful longer-term preservation is understanding what makes produce spoil in the first place. When it comes to food storage, your biggest enemies are:
Do keep in mind that any mishandled produce may contain unsafe microorganisms that can cause illness if ingested. Any pathogens in your fresh food can quickly multiply at room temperature, make your food spoil faster, and potentially spread to other foods nearby. Do not eat anything that you suspect may be contaminated or rotten.
With this information in mind, let’s look at the best ways to preserve your whole harvest with no refrigeration.
Some of your fruits and vegetable will store well for months under the right conditions.
For best results, choose unblemished items and check them regularly for signs of spoilage – it’s true that “one rotten apple can spoil the whole bunch.” Here are some tips for storing different items.
Potatoes, carrots, and beets are well-suited to storing.
Remove the leafy tops from carrots and beets and place them in a single layer without wrapping. A layer of sand can keep both from becoming rubbery.
For potatoes, harvest them on a dry day and leave them out in the sun to dry completely. Remove any mud and store in paper sacks in the dark.
Parsnips are a root vegetable exception: leave them in the ground over winter and harvest as needed.
These fruits will also store very well. Wrap each fruit in newspaper and store in a single layer.
Dry these veggies thoroughly and then braid before storing in a dry place.
Alternatively, you can cut off the tops and fill a net or an old pair of stockings with the bulbs.
Hang these to keep them dry, preferably in a breezy location.
Pumpkin, butternut, and spaghetti squash, for example, can last for several months, depending on the type.
Pumpkins won’t likely last past midwinter, but other squashes may keep well through early spring. Choose specimens in good condition and store them in a cool, dry place. Zucchini does not store well, unfortunately.
You can dry beans and peas for long-term storage.
There are different methods for drying beans at home – one method is to simply leave the pods on the plant until they are dry and hard and will break and spill the seeds out (but be sure to harvest before they break on their own).
Keep dried beans around to use in soups, stews, or as meals all on their own.
Leafy crops, such as spinach and lettuce, do not store well long-term. However, you can continue sowing these plants into early autumn so that there will still be fresh leaves to harvest after the weather turns colder.
You can dry some foods to produce interesting new flavors and textures to add to your dishes when you cook.
Tomatoes, apples, and peppers all dry well. Drying produce is easy; simply slice the food thinly and arrange in a single layer on a tray. You can then use the traditional method, which involves leaving your trays outside over long, sunny days.
Alternatively, you can use a quicker and easier process: set the trays in your oven on its lowest setting (250F) for a few hours or until the food has shrunk and become almost crispy. Then, store the dried pieces in sterile, airtight containers and use them within several weeks.
Beets and shallots taste delicious when pickled and will last for months.
Wash and prepare your beets but avoid removing the tops too close to the root, as this may allow the color to leach out.
Boil for half an hour or until the tops and skin rub off easily. Slice the beets, place in sterile jars, and cover in pickling vinegar.
Peel and trim the bottoms and tops. Let sit overnight in a shallow dish filled with salt to draw out excess moisture. The next day, rinse the shallots thoroughly, place in sterile jars, and cover with pickling vinegar.
Good news for zucchini lovers: you may not be able to store them dry for very long, but you can make chutney with them, as well as more or less any excess from your garden, such as tomatoes, plums, garlic, mint, onions, cherries, and much more.
You may also can a wide variety of vegetables and fruits for later use, including cucumbers, tomatoes, beans, corn, most fruits, squash, leafy greens, asparagus, carrots, and more.
If you own chickens or cows, you may also bottle stock.
You worked hard on the food you grew; a little know-how can help you keep it fresh and healthy well into the winter months. Congratulations on your great harvest!
]]>It is because of this, that shelter is prioritized before water in most survival situations and is one of the first survival tasks that one would undertake in a true survival situation.
While there are multiple shelters that one can construct, the debris hut is probably one of the simplest to build often requiring no tools or cordage.
The best way to describe the debris hut is that it is a pile of leaves and other debris that is held back from crushing you by a ridgepole and a whole lot of sticks.
The debris hut is not unlike any other shelter except that it requires no cordage or tools and relies on leaves and forest debris to provide insulation.
Related: Emergency Shelters When You Are On The Move
There are three ways in which we can lose body heat, convection, conduction, and radiation.
The debris shelter serves to insulate us from the ground, keeps out the cold wind and water, and traps the heat that radiates from our bodies.
Where you put your shelter is arguably as important as the shelter itself because a great shelter in a bad location can negate all the advantages a good, insulated shelter can provide.
When selecting a shelter site look for the following:
Related: 12 Things You Need to Know Before Choosing Your Bug Out Location
Wind – Be aware of where the prevailing wind is blowing and orient your shelter, so the wind does not blow into your shelter.
Widow makers – Look up at the branches above you. Dead branches may break which can fall on your shelter causing severe injury or death.
Water – You need a source of water close by but not too close. The air temperature around water is often lower than areas further away and higher up.
Also, walk around the area and look for any evidence of water moving through your camp area. The last thing that you want is a river flowing through your shelter at 3 AM.
Wood – Fire is almost as important as shelter and fire requires wood to burn. Aside from fire you also will need wood for the shelter construction.
Wildlife – Avoid setting up near game trails or anywhere you find tracks or scat.
To construct this shelter, you will need an area that has an ample supply of wood and dry leaves. For the insulation from the ground, it is also helpful to have access to evergreen boughs to lay down as a bed.
One point of note is that as with any shelter construction this is going to require a significant calorie expenditure. It will also take a lot more time than you think to construct so plan on starting several hours before the sun is due to set.
Step One – Now that you have a suitable location, you will need to set up a ridgepole. You will have to find something to lay one end of the ridge pole on which can be a fallen log, stump, or a fork in a tree. You may get lucky and find a fallen tree that is perfect.
The goal here is to have enough room to lay comfortably under with a bit of headroom. In this type of shelter, your body heat is going to heat the shelter so you will want to minimize the amount of air space inside.
Step Two – Figure out where your bed is going to be and then insulate the ground where you will be sleeping. Pile evergreen boughs at least 4 inches thick when compressed then test that you can still lay comfortably under the ridge pole.
I omitted the bed for the purposes of these photos as to not cause any undue harm to live trees in the collection of evergreen boughs.
Step Three – Lay sticks against the ridge pole tight together which will form the walls of the shelter.
Test out the shelter again before moving on.
Step Four – Gather all the leaves, sticks, boughs, and other forest debris you can find and begin piling it up on the shelter’s frame. Do not underestimate the volume of debris you are going to require.
The goal is about one foot of debris on your shelter but if the weather is colder the amount of debris needs to be at least two feet or more.
Step Five – When retiring to your shelter for the night the entrance needs to be filled in with some more debris but do not seal yourself in completely leave a little room for some airflow.
Related: 3 Quick Shelters (The Last One is Invisible!)
Building one of these shelters takes a lot of time and calories.
While building one of these shelters can and will save your life in an emergency it is not anything that you should rely on, instead build and bring an emergency shelter kit with you every time that you head out into the woods.
]]>One way to get the advantages of MREs without the drawbacks is to make your own. This isn’t all that hard, and gives you a lot of options. Military MREs come in a couple of dozen menus, but if you’re making your own the choices are almost infinite.
You can be pretty flexible when it comes to making your own MREs. There are a few basic approaches, but you can mix and match them to tailor your rations exactly the way you want them to be.
First, how do you want to break things down? The US Army approach is to have one pack for each meal. That keeps the individual packs light and compact, and means you can carry only as many meals as you’re going to need.
Most other armies do it differently, though. British military rations are a good example. Each pack contains rations for a full 24 hours; there are boil in the bag meals for breakfast and dinner, plus a snack meal – usually crackers and meat spread – for lunch. All extra space is stuffed with chocolate, candy, cookies and drink ingredients. This all comes in a box that’s bigger and heavier than a single MRE, but smaller and lighter than the three MREs that make up a day’s rations.
What you decide depends on how you plan to use your rations. Individual meals give you more flexibility; you can throw one in your pack when you go out hunting, or keep a couple in the car in case you get delayed on a trip. If you’re making multi-day trips on foot you’ll save weight and bulk by opting for 24-hour packs. For ultimate flexibility make some of each!
Your next choice is whether you’re going to assemble your MREs out of prepacked items, or pack food yourself. The first method is the quickest and simplest.
Here’s a suggested menu:
Breakfast
Lunch/Snack
Main meal
Sundries pack
You can pick up all the contents for a ration like that at your local grocery store; all you have to do is pack them in a small box or tough plastic sack, and you have a 24-hour ration. There’s a big drawback though – it’s not exactly lightweight. A pack like this will weigh in at close to four pounds, and if you’re packing a week’s worth of food that will add up in a hurry.
On the bright side you can eat most of it cold and without needing any water to prepare it – a can of cold stew isn’t the most appetizing meal in the world, but it’s a lot better than a bowl of dry mac and cheese. One point – you might be tempted to save weight by buying food in microwaveable bowls instead of cans. Don’t; these are nowhere near sturdy enough, and you’ll just end up with leaking sauce and spoiled food.
If you want to save weight – and money – as you prepare your MREs you should get yourself a vacuum sealer. These were designed for sealing food for the freezer, but they’re great for packing emergency rations too. Get the heaviest grade bags it will handle – they stand abuse better.
The first thing you can do is save money on your crackers and cookies. Instead of buying expensive single serving packs, just get a regular pack and break it down into single servings – then seal them yourself. For extra protection put all the components of each meal – except for large cans, obviously – in a bag then seal that. This also helps if you want to break down your ration. If all the lunch items are sealed in a bag you can just grab that, take it with you and leave the main meal in camp. You can seal the sundries pack in one unit or spread it through the meals – it’s up to you.
If you want to stick with the “meals” part of MREs, but you’re willing to compromise on the “ready to eat” bit, you can save a lot more weight. As long as you’re sure you’ll have access to water and time to cook, dehydrated foods will massively cut down on weight and bulk.
What sort of dehydrated foods? You have quite a few choices here. If you have a dehydrator you can make your own dried vegetables. Just about anything can be dehydrated – squash, corn, onions, beans and most other veggies. Dry what you like, divide it into portions and vacuum seal them. To rehydrate them just open the bag, pour in boiling water, stir and leave it to stand. Alternatively, you can empty the bag into a pot and cook it up in there. You can add seasonings or even powdered sauce mix to each portion, too.
With your vacuum sealer you’re free to buy in bulk and break it down into single-meal portions. You can do that with anything from Mountain House dehydrated food to boxes of mac and cheese; breaking bulk will save you a lot of money over buying individual portions. You can create your own meals, too. Seal a portion of dried vegetables, chopped beef jerky and seasonings, add that to a packet of dehydrated carbs – ramen noodles, or instant potato – and seal the whole lot in an outer package. If you’re sealing packets pierce them with a sterile pin first – otherwise they can swell under the vacuum and add useless bulk.
However you decide to make up your MREs, here are a few points to keep in mind:
Making your own MREs can be a lot cheaper than buying them, and you also get to avoid any foods you don’t like or can’t eat. It’s also very satisfying to fill your bug out bag with tough, tasty and nutritious ration packs you’ve made yourself. Even if the world’s going to hell, no reason why you shouldn’t eat well along the way.
]]>As the sun sinks closer to the horizon you hear one of the most terrifying sounds of all: A knock on the door!
Your family finds their places and weapons, you leave from the backdoor and flank whoever might be on your porch. To your surprise it is your cousin! You haven’t seen him in years, but he is here. He looks rough and he has his disheveled family of three along with him. He also doesn’t seem to have any food or supplies with him.
This is one of the prepper scenarios we all have thought about. However, it might not be as bad as you think!
So, what do you do when someone unexpected comes knocking? Now, that is an interesting word to use in conjunction with preppers. UNEXPECTED. The whole point of prepping is to consider the unexpected.
In a true SHTF situation people bring you power. Your community should be like a hive. Hardly worth the trouble of any small group that might wish to steal or worse. You must be able to sustain them or have them sustain themselves but there will be tremendous power in numbers. Big jobs become easier, you can make an area more secure with more people, and you have more brains to put towards a problem.
Of course, its not heaven. With people come people issues like fights, jealousy, and the like. However, good leadership and preparedness can give you the upper hand on things like that.
You must first make an honest list of “survival dependents” or people who will come to depend on you when everything goes to hell!
Trust me, your list is bigger than you think.
While it is nice to imagine that the calamity will never cross your threshold, the reality is that many more people depend on you than you think. Chances are, even if people don’t know you’re a prepper, you are the type of person who has it together. You are likely the person people go to for answers.
No matter how strong your OPSEC protocols are if you are a good and solid person, than people will look to you in times of crisis. These might be people you love or just people you know.
Now is the time to sit down and create a real list. You must take off the blinders and truly consider all the people who will depend on you in an SHTF situation. It would be perfect if your list consisted of 4 people but when you break it down you have groups of people to consider.
Your group of survival dependents could include people from each of these categories. How they depend on you may vary but this list will help you understand that there are more people than just your immediate family who will turn to you in times of calamity.
Of course, the question that comes to mind after you create a list like this is: Do I have enough?
For most people, the answer is no. It can be over burdensome to assume that you can prep for all the people who might be on your list of survival dependents. When these people show up asking for food, though, you need to have something!
Unless you subscribe to the idea that you are going to turn everyone away who comes to your door. If that is your game plan than you better also prepare for some serious backlash. How many fathers with kids can you turn away before one of them says, “No, we are coming in.”
What happens next cannot be good, with lots of harmful outcomes.
This doesn’t mean you should be a pushover and let any old person into your home and feed them.
Tip: When people approach you to ask for something, if they come to your door or see you outside, simply ask them for something first! Open the door and ask for food and medicine: “Oh, I hope you brought some food, we haven’t eaten in a week!”
From that list of survival dependents, you will likely choose people who you will bring into the fold. However, don’t let them in free of charge. The best way to handle someone who comes asking for help is to immediately give them some form of work to be done.
This is also a great gauge of the depth of that person. Those who are outraged by the work that needs to be done at “their new home” are people that you can easily weed out. Just make it truly clear up front that there is plenty to do and if they cannot do what is asked, they cannot stay.
By the way, there will be plenty to do! If you manage a household of four and all the sudden it jumps to ten you will have lots of extra work. It is not so much about room but about dishes, laundry, food production, security detail in the neighborhood, general cleaning.
In an off-grid situation, it might be about things like water procurement and sanitizing, renewable energy system maintenance, gardening, canning and everything in between.
There will be a serious list of chores to be done and the last thing you want is a house full of freeloaders laying around all day while you are red in the face.
Using a basic Excel spreadsheet, you will be able to create chore lists TODAY for issues that might come tomorrow. Print a stack of them and save them. They can be filled out by hand when the time comes or if you know the system you could print them with the duties listed.
It’s high time we stop looking at neighbors and friends as threats in the downfall. Many people can see something resembling collapse just on the horizon. Its hard not to look around and wonder how the unprepared will react to a future of scarcity, uncertainty, with up close and personal violence.
If America is facing balkanization or civil war it will be particularly important that you have a secure neighborhood with plenty of able-bodied individuals. Many neighbors will leave for a safer environment and you must be aware of that. However, that might free up homes and living areas for more of your survival dependents.
Your survival dependents are not the burden you once thought. Believe me. While you know the flaws of the people around you, they have two ears, two eyes and a heart that wants to survive. If you can find it in you to lead these people they will provide you with a true survival group that will keep you and yours from being acted upon by anyone with a group larger and better trained than you and your spouse!
]]>Just because you’ve picked all the meat off, there’s no need to waste those bones!
Making and canning bone broth is a great way to become more self-sufficient. There’s a misconception out there that it’s difficult to do but that is simply not the case. This is something you can do easily in just an afternoon, allowing you to always have broth on hand for soups, stews, sauces, gravies, and more.
A great way to save money while also improving your health and self-reliance, learning how to make bone broth at home is a smart choice.
Here’s what you need to know.
You can make bone broth out of any kind of animal bones. I love making broth from all kinds of leftovers, including chicken carcasses, beef bones, and even, as I mentioned, leg of lamb.
Before we get started, it’s important to clear something up – the difference between stock and broth. The two terms are often used interchangeably, but technically, stock is made from bones while broth also includes meat and vegetables. Many people (myself included) use bones in their broth to ensure a thicker liquid.
In the steps below, I’ll walk you through making bone broth out of leftover chickens. I use pasture-raised birds to make my bone broth, though of course, this is not necessary.
The idea behind making bone broth is simple. You’ll simmer bones in water, add some herbs and vegetables, then let it simmer. You can leave the vegetables in once the broth has finished cooking if you want to make a complete soup with the broth, or you can strain them out (they’ll have imparted most of their flavor to the broth, anyway).
Bone broth is loaded to the brim with collagen, gelatin, and all kinds of vitamins and minerals to keep you healthy!
● Cooked bones or carcasses (you can use the entire thing, even the feet, if you’re making broth out of chickens)
● Apple cider vinegar (helps to leach extra nutrients and minerals out of the vegetables and bones)
● Vegetables of your choice (carrots and celery are good options, as are onions and garlic – you can even use scraps and skins if you plan on straining your broth afterward)
● Herbs (basil, oregano, thyme, and rosary are my favorite)
● Salt and pepper to taste
You will also need to have either a large stockpot or slow cooker on hand along with various cooking tools like a colander and wooden spoon (for tasting).
You’ll see in the pictures that are included that I typically make my bone broth in a slow cooker to save time (that way, I don’t have to constantly watch the pot). However, you can easily do this in a stockpot, too. The choice is yours!
I made my stock out of a chicken I had roasted the night before – see below!
1. Put your carcass or bones in your slow cooker, along with your vegetables and herbs.
2. Cover everything with water and add a quarter cup of apple cider vinegar.
3. Bring the broth to a boil, then reduce it to a low simmer. If you’re working in a crockpot, you can do this by bringing the heat to high for about half an hour, then bringing it back down to low.
4. Keep it in the slow cooker (or on the stovetop) for about 12 hours.
5. After 12 hours, you can strain the broth through a colander.
6. Put the broth in the refrigerator overnight (or for 12 hours). This will allow the broth to firm up and form a layer of fat. This layer of fat should be skimmed off before you process the broth in the canner.
7. Didn’t get as much broth as you wanted from the first batch? Go ahead and run it through another cycle of simmering. You can reuse the bones and carcass twice for a thicker, meatier broth.
Bone broth must always be canned in a pressure canner – do not attempt to can it in a water bath canner, as this is unsafe. A pressure canner will warm the broth to much higher temperatures, making it safer for long-term storage.
Here’s how to make bone broth after you’ve made it according to the recipe above.
● Pressure canner with lid
● Canning funnel
● Pint or quart jars with lids and bands
● Jar lifter or set of tongs
● Spare kitchen towels
1. Once you’ve prepared your bone broth according to the instructions above, the next thing to do is skim off the fat. Your broth will be chilled at this point, so you need to heat it back up. Bring it to a boil in a large stockpot. If you try to can cold bone broth, it might not get hot enough when you attempt to can it.
2. While your broth is boiling, fill the pressure canner with a few inches of water.
3. Wash your canning jars in hot, soapy water. You can sterilize them in the dishwasher, if you prefer, to save time. Make sure none of the jars have nicks or chips.
4. Ladle hot broth into the jars, filling but allowing for about an inch of headspace. This is where the funnel comes in handy!
5. Then, wipe the rims of the jars with a clean towel to remove any residues.
6. Add your lids and bands, then tighten so that each is fingertip tight.
7. Use the jar lifter or tongs to load your jars into the canner. Cover the canner and secure the lid.
8. Turn the heat up to high and let the pot come to a boil. After a while, you will notice steam coming out of the vent. Let the steam escape for ten minutes or until the indicator pops.
9. Next, put the weight on the vent. Let the pressure come to 10 lbs, then start your timer. YOu will need to be at 11 lbs of pressure for altitudes of 1000 feet above sea level or lower. You will need to adjust for altitude if that is not the case.
10. Watch the canner closely as you may need to adjust the heat if the pressure rises or falls. If it rises slightly above 11, that’s okay – just reduce the heat to relieve some of the pressure. If it dips below 11, however, you’ll need to restart the timer when you get the pressure back up.
11. Process the jars for 20 minutes for pint jars or 25 minutes for quarts.
12. When the timer is up, turn off the heat and let the pressure canner cool down on its own – do NOT attempt to remove the lid, as this can be dangerous. It can take up to an hour for the canner to cool.
13. Carefully remove the lid and turn it away from you when you do so that you don’t suffer a steam burn. Remove your jars with the jar lifter and let them rest on a towel.
14. Let the jars sit for 12-24 hours, then store in a cool, dark location. When you store them, check to make sure each one is sealed. Jars that did not seal will need to be tossed.
As you can see as indicated by the title of this article alone, canned bone broth has an impressive shelf life – you can expect it to last for at least two years.
That’s right – two years with no freezing or refrigeration necessary! So while you’ll have to put in a little bit of extra legwork in order to make the broth, trust me when I say – it’s worth it.
So what are you waiting for? The next time you have some extra bones left after dinner, don’t toss them in the trash.
Make and can your own bone broth for a self-sufficient pantry instead!
]]>The bowline knot is a loop tied at the end of a line and can retain two-thirds of the rope’s strength, whereas often, a knot will reduce the breaking strength of a rope by 50 percent.
The drawbacks to the bowline are that it can loosen when not under load and form a slipknot under certain circumstances.
Despite these few drawbacks, the bowline is a reliable knot that needs to be in your knot-tying arsenal.
In nautical terms, the bowline is the line that secures the square sail to the ship’s bow. John Smith’s work “A Sea Grammar,” published in 1691, mentions a knot by the name of the Boiling Knot, which is thought to be what we consider today to be a bowline knot.
Evidence of bowline use was even found on Pharaoh Khufu’s solar ship during an excavation in 1954, making the bowline knot quite possibly thousands of years old.
A bowline knot finds use anytime that you want a fixed loop at the end of a line. A couple of personal examples of what I use a bowline for are detailed below.
Related: The Only 4 Knots That You’re Going To Actually Use In A Survival Situation
There is a couple of knot-tying terms that I will be using throughout this article which are defined below.
Standing End – This is the end of the line that is not involved in the tying of the knot. This portion of the line will largely remain stationary.
Working End – This is the end of the line that you are actively using in the tying of the knot.
Tag end – The tag end is the portion of the knot that’s the remainder of the working end. Tag ends can be trimmed or tied off using a half hitch or two.
The procedure for tying a bowline knot is very straightforward, and after practicing a few times, it will become almost second nature.
1. Start with an overhand loop in your line. Consider how large your loop is going to be and leave enough rope to form the loop.
2. Pass the working end up through the loop like shown above.
3. Bring the working end around the backside of the standing end.
4. Pass the working end of the line down through the loop, as shown above.
5. Tighten and dress up the knot.
There are a couple of variations that are worth mentioning.
The first is to simply tie a half-hitch or two with the tag end around the line below the knot. This is a redundancy that I like to use only if I find myself with more of a tag end than I’d like.
These next two variations are similar to the traditional bowline but require a few additional steps to complete.
The double bowline is a more secure knot than the traditional bowline and is often used by sport climbers. One of the advantages is that it is easier to untie after sustaining a weighted fall.
The disadvantage to using a double bowline to tie in while climbing is that it is a less secure knot than the traditional figure-eight knot.
To tie a double bowline, follow these steps:
1. Start with an overhand loop like the traditional bowline knot.
2. Then make a second loop over the top of the first one like shown.
3. Pass the working end up through both of these loops.
4. Bring the working end around the standing end.
5. Pass the working end down through both of the loops.
6. Tighten and dress up the knot.
The Yosemite bowline is more of a method of finishing the knot than a separate knot. This is another knot that has found a place in the climbing community and is often referred to as the Yosemite finish.
This variant is designed to prevent a bowline knot from collapsing and forming a slipknot.
Tying the Yosemite Bowline is much the same as a traditional bowline, with the only difference being the finishing of the knot.
1. At the end of tying the bowline or double bowline, and before tightening and dressing the knot, pass the working end behind the portion of the loop directly below the knot.
2. Wrap the working end around the front of the line below the knot.
3. Pass the working end behind the knot as shown.
4. Bring the working end up through the uppermost loop, as shown above.
5. Tighten and dress up the knot.
Anytime that you are using cordage, inspect it to ensure that it is still in good condition. Check for excessive wear, fraying, or any other damage and dispose of any damaged cordage that you find.
Always inspect the knots that you tie, confirming that they are indeed tied correctly.
If there is any doubt about whether a knot is tied correctly or not, re-tie the knot and, if possible, get another person to check your work.
The bowline knot is one of those knots that once you have learned to tie it, you will be finding all sorts of scenarios in which to use it.
I have put this knot into use in the woods, at home, and at work on a regular enough basis that I can tie the bowline almost instinctively.
]]>This is where a Dakota Fire Hole comes into play. Concealing the flames below ground hides the light of the flames from view while also shielding them from the wind.
While the Dakota Fire Hole effectively conceals a campfire, that was not the original intent when the Dakota people started using this style of fire lay. Instead, these first peoples would use the Dakota Fire Hole while hunting Bison on the plains because it is resistant to the strong winds and requires less wood to make a very hot fire.
Because of their innovation in fire making, this style of fire lay bears the name of the Dakota people to this day.
A Dakota Fire Hole is a fire that is built below ground and fed oxygen through a second hole and tunnel dug adjacent to it. As the fire burns, the hot air will rise up through the hole, which will create a suction effect through the tunnel and second hole.
The result is that the fire is given a continuous supply of fresh oxygen, which allows it to burn hotter.
The hotter fire of a Dakota Fire Hole is also far more efficient, requiring less wood to achieve the same heat output of a traditional fire built above ground.
With all of its advantages, this hole has one significant disadvantage. While constructing the Dakota Fire Hole is not tricky, building it requires time and calories before a fire can be made.
Also, this style of fire lay would not be suitable for areas where water may seep in and fill the hole or where the soil is too loose to support the construction of the two holes and tunnel.
When constructing the Dakota Fire Hole, all the usual rules for building a fire remain the same. However, there are a few special considerations for a Dakota Fire Hole site selection.
It is advisable to dig the hole under a tree with leafy branches to diffuse the smoke. This will help to reduce the possibility that the limited amount of smoke that the fire emits will give your position away. That being said, you should not choose a location that has a lot of roots.
It would be best if you also avoided areas that are too wet or have loose soil that won’t support the construction of the Dakota Fire Hole.
Building this fire hole requires a few tools to be successful:
1. Pick a suitable site for the construction of the Dakota Fire Hole. Be mindful of the potential of forest fires and the presence of combustible materials below the ground. Constructing the Dakota Fire Hole beneath the canopy of a tree will help diffuse what little smoke the fire will make.
2. Clear the area of any debris and combustible material until you have gotten down to bare dirt.
3. Dig the main hole about 12 inches deep and between 8-10 inches in diameter.
4. Dig a second hole 8-10 inches away from the main pit. Dig this hole at a slight angle towards the main pit.
5. Connect these holes with a tunnel. Take care to build it so that it will not run the risk of collapse.
6. Build a fire in the main hole feeding it with small sticks and twigs until it burns hot.
7. You can then place pots, pans or cups directly over the hole to boil water or cook.
8. To extinguish the fire, douse it with water and ensure that the bed of the fire is cool to the touch before filling in the hole with dirt and concealing it as not to leave any trace that there was a fire built there.
The primary consideration for this style of fire lay is that, since it is below ground, in some areas, you could inadvertently create a fire that will burn below the surface and could potentially cause a forest fire.
Another consideration is that, though this is a very hot and efficient fire, it will not provide the same heating effect as a traditional campfire. Therefore, while the Dakota Fire Hole is great for cooking, it is not appropriate for heating a shelter.
Even if you do not intend on using the Dakota Fire Hole to conceal your location, it is a valuable tool to have in your fire building toolbox for those times where you need to keep the flames out of the wind, or you need a hot efficient fire to cook over.
These fire holes are straightforward to construct and, in most cases, take little time to dig. Once you build a few of them, you will begin to see their utility and certainly employ the Dakota Fire Hole in many different circumstances while enjoying the outdoors.
]]>Heirloom Seeds – Heirloom seeds taken from plants that have not been force bred to become a hybrid. They are not modified and have the ability to reproduce generation after generation.
Hybrid Seeds – Hybrid seeds have been modified by breeding– usually to produce larger varieties, more colors, pests resistant qualities, etc. Most hybrid seeds do not have the ability to reproduce generation after generation like heirlooms, partially because the reproduction is often bred out of them.
GMO Seeds – GMO seeds are hybrid seeds that have been genetically modified to resist pests and pesticides/herbicides.
Clearly, there is a lot of debate about GMOs, but for prepping purposes, as well as for other reasons, GMOs are NOT a real effective addition to your seed bank. Hybrids are also less desirable though a few hybrids do have reproductive qualities, for the purpose of preparing for a disaster or a New World scenario they are generally less useful for long term sustainability and bartering situations.
That’s not to say there are not reasons to save hybrid seeds. If you live in a less favorable climate for growing, you may find a certain hybrid that has been cultivated for harsher conditions is a better fit for your stockpile. It’s not a bad idea to have some hybrids just in case, as even if you know the climate and conditions of your area now, these things might change later depending on what kind of disaster you may be presented with.
Of course it is important to stockpile the seeds that will grow the food you and your family will enjoy, however, you will want to have as large a variety as you can. The more you have, the more you can share or use for trade when the times comes. These popular vegetables are a good list to start with to give you a wide variety of foods that will nourish your family when they need it most.
Squash – Squash and zucchini are wonderful for you and can be used in multiple applications in the kitchen. Specific squash plants that are also popular including Butternut and Spaghetti varieties.
Onions – Onions will be a popular item for barter as well as a needed flavoring agent when spices and other seasonings become harder to acquire. Beware of short-lived onions and leeks whose seeds do not have a very long shelf life.
Beans & Peas – Green beans and peas grow in vine and bush varieties, though the bush variety might be more useful for growing in situations with limited space and resources.
Lettuce & Greens – Lettuce, cabbage, and greens can come in a variety of forms. Consider the basics, romaine, red leaf, iceberg, and spinach first. Once you have those stockpiled, be creative; think arugula, mustard greens, kale, and all the desirable leafy greens you won’t want to do without.
Beets, Radishes, & Carrots – The root vegetables like beets and carrots are full of nutrients and easy to grow and harvest. Their seeds will always be in high demand.
Tomatoes – Tomatoes are a given; they are popular and when ripe can well to store with ease.
Peppers – From bell peppers to jalapenos, peppers will always be popular. There are a lot of hybrid varieties of these, so carefully choose your seeds to start with.
Remember, not everyone is a green thumb, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t save seeds. While harvesting them is the cheapest way, purchasing your seeds is just as acceptable; just as long as you’re prepared. If you are harvesting your own seeds, you will need to educate yourself on the cycle of your plants to know how and when they will produce seeds. With things like tomatoes and peppers you know right where the seeds are, but how do you get seeds from a lettuce plant? While there will be some research you’ll likely need to do based on your specific plants, there are a few general rules every seed harvester should follow.
Seeds of most plants will dry right in your garden. If you’re not quite sure if the seeds have reached maturity you may need to move it inside if the weather gets colder, or if birds are harvesting your seeds for you. As long as the crop is close to reaching maturity, the seeds will continue to ripen.
If you’re not sure if it’s time yet, let it wait a few days. Even after you’ve harvested them, it is a common rule of thumb to let harvested seed dry for a few more days. Of course, if the seed is a larger variety it will require a longer drying period. Most seeds will dry for storage if spread on screens or even just some newspaper. They will dry faster and more effectively if you turn your seeds over several times during the drying period.
Another method is to place seed heads or stalks in an open paper bag. You should also look for a dark place as the drying process can be rushed if the seeds are exposed to too much warm light. If you’re in a hurry, however, you can speed up drying with gentle heat that does not exceed 100°F.
Storing Your Seeds
Seeds, like most of your prepping stockpile, should be stored under cool, dry conditions. The difference with seeds is temperatures well below freezing will not harm them, if they have been adequately dried. In fact, with most seeds freezing prolongs their shelf life. Sealing most seeds from air, though there is an exception in the case of beans and peas, prolongs their viability.
Most seeds will be usable for years in proper storage though some such as leeks and corn, which are just generally more susceptible to age.
Some people store seeds in envelopes, though if you have the space sealing most of your seeds in airtight jars or moisture proof plastic containers helps keep the air and moisture out. You could also consider storing seeds in Mylar envelopes if available. Either way, carefully label everything. Accuracy with seeds, including names and dates, will go a long way to create a more effective stockpile.
If you are harvesting your own seeds, make sure to add to your stockpile each year to create a cycle that will keep the seeds you save as fresh as possible.
Food is life, we simply cannot survive without it. Your stockpile is your lifeline in a disaster scenario and being able to grow your own food is a basic function you will need to have to ensure your family’s long-term survival. Being able to know how to garden is just not enough; creating a seed bank is truly the “seed” of it all and something you must add to your stockpile today.
]]>Being fairly busy and I used to think I didn’t have the time for canning, so originally I stocked up on MREs and dehydrated foods for the most part. I realized, however, that in a SHTF scenario my family is going to be much happier and more satisfied with a variety of food options – it’s sort of one of the little things I can do to make life a little better in a potentially dangerous and uncertain world. Besides, once I got into, I found out that canning was actually really fun and produced foods that my family loves to eat regardless of the reason.
There are two basic ways you’ll be canning in your home and for more reasons than one I recommend getting comfortable with both water bath canning and pressure canning. There are certain foods that require different canning conditions, and when it comes to preserving food you don’t want to make any mistakes.
Pressure canning may simply deter more people due to the need of a pressure canner, which looks sort of like, but should not be confused with, a pressure cooker. You should not let this deter you, however, because both methods are important if you want to become a well-rounded canner.
Canner’s Rule of Thumb: Low-acid foods must be processed in a pressure canner. Items you pickle and most fruits can be canned in a water bath. Pressure canning allows your jars to reach a much higher temperature, allowing you to can more types of foods. If you are using a water bath canning method, your food must have a high acidic level (or have something like vinegar that has a high acidity in it) in order to preserve properly at a lower temperature. In other words, if you pickle asparagus in a vinegar brine, the vinegar raises the acidic pH level and therefore can be canned without the extreme temperature a pressure canner provides. If you want to preserve your asparagus in water, however, you will need a pressure canner. You will also use a pressure canner for soups, stews, stocks, sauces and really anything you can imagine canning.
The steps to prepare your jars for water bath canning or for pressure canning are similar and often come with the recipes you use. However, there are a few common steps that are present in all forms of canning preservation.
Whether you are pickling, making jam, or just trying to preserve some basic vegetables you will want to have some good recipes that you family will enjoy. Most canning sets also come with a recipe or cookbook to help you get going. I’ve included a few of my favorites at the end of this article.
You want to make sure that you have your canning jars, even if they are brand new, washed thoroughly. Then place a rack in the bottom of your canning pot and place the jars you are using in place. Fill the jars and the pot generously with water in order to bring it right to the edge of boiling. This sterilizes the jars and keeps them at the best temperature for canning conditions. You can finish the rest of the steps while this is coming to a boil.
You will want your jar lids (not the rings) warm to make a better seal. Keep a sauce pan with water on a low simmer and keep the lids in here until you’re ready to use them.
Once you’ve prepared for food according to your recipe, remove the jars from the boiling water in the canning pot, carefully pouring the water back in. This will be when you are really glad you got that canning set and you have that jar holder to keep your hands safe.
Now fill with your prepared food product. You will need to leave usually between ¼ and 1 inch between the food and the top of the jar, the exact headspace should be indicated in your recipe. This is important, to get a good seal it must not be too full. Place on the lid, wiping it clean before you twist the lid ring on to secure it and return the jar to the pot of boiling water.
Start a timer and cook for the time allotted in the recipe. Once they’ve been in the water bath or pressure canner for the allotted time, remove the jars carefully and set them on a towel to cool. If canning went properly you will begin to hear the ping of the jar lids soon after they are removed from the heat. This ping means that a vacuum seal has taken place and you’re canning project is a success.
It never hurts to be certain, especially in food preservation, as simple mistakes can be life threatening. After the jars have cooled to room temperature you can remove the jar lid bands and check the seal is secure.
I like to wash off all my jars one more time before I store them, just in case any food residue still remains. My family never minds if I have a few jars that don’t can properly, we just eat those one right away and store it in the refrigerator for safe keeping. The rest of your jars can stay safe for up to a year, certain food even longer.
There are a million recipes out there, so get to looking. You might find an investment in a great canning cookbook might be a good idea for you, but here a few of my favorites to get you off and going. I included recipes that could be used in a variety of different applications, but with the same process so be creative and come up with your own recipes too.
Makes approximately 48 oz of jam
Bring the apples, lemon juice (you can add some lemon zest too if you’d like) to boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer until apples are soft. Remove from heat and stir in pectin. Add raisins, nutmeg and cinnamon. Return mixture to the stove to boil again for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sugar.
Pour hot jam into the jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace between the jam and the lid. Place in boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes. Remove jars and cool.
Makes 6 – 16 oz Jars of Dilly Beans
Place the beans, dill and garlic evenly spread between the 6 jars and leave 1/2 inch headspace at the top. Fill the jars with the vinegar liquid, leaving the same amount of headspace. Be sure to remove any air bubbles you can from around the green beans themselves.
Seal the lid and cook in water bath canner for 10 minutes. Remove jars and cool.
Makes approximately 64 oz of Beef Stock
Bring water and beef bones to a boil over a high heat. Reduce heat to a medium low temperature and add vegetables and seasonings. Boil for around 2 to 3 hours. Season to taste. Some people add bouillon if they want a stronger flavor.
Remove the bones and strain stock through a fine sieve. Allow the stock to cool until a layer of fat solidifies on the top. Remove the fat. You will want to heat up the stock again before you fill the prepared canning jars with the liquid. Ladle the hot stock into the jars leaving 1-inch headspace.
Seal the lid and place the jarred beef stock in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure for 20 minutes if you are using pint jars or 25 minutes for quart jars. Remove jars from canner and let cool.
]]>Regardless of what you would like to use a pepper spray for, making your own at home is quite easy. Sure, there are a few complicated recipes you could find. But, you can have it made relatively quickly, inexpensively, and with the exact ingredients you prefer. In other words, you can customize your own pepper spray to the strength you prefer.
Pepper spray is often thought of as a self-defense tool, and it is. It’s effective and easy to carry wherever you go. A small amount of a potent spray can help you get out of a dangerous situation. The key would be to make sure it’s potent. The hotter the peppers you use, the better. Another important tip when making it for self-defense is to store it in a small bottle that can shoot a long distance. When using it for self-defense, it would be far better to be able to reach the attacker before they could reach you. This might take some time in finding the right container. But, they do exist.
Or, maybe you want a less potent batch, one just strong enough to shoo away unwanted guests in the garden. If so, you wouldn’t necessarily need a sprayer that reaches long distances. Something such as an empty window cleaner bottle would work just fine. And, it wouldn’t matter how big or small the bottle is, because you wouldn’t have to carry it with you.
So, what about the peppers?
Related: Make Your Own Peppermint Oil – The Best Insect Repellent
If you like spicy foods, then you might be familiar with the Scoville scale, which measures the heat index of various peppers based on heat units. The higher the heat unit number, the hotter the pepper is.
If you are thinking of a pepper spray for self-defense, use a more fiery pepper, such as the habanero or hotter. Cayenne could work as an irritant, but probably not enough to stop the person for very long. So, you would have to be quick in your getaway. The stronger the pepper, the longer it should incapacitate the assailant. And, to add yet another layer to slowing the attacker down, add some black pepper to stimulate coughing.
However, please keep in mind that a pepper spray will have the same effect on an innocent person as it does an assailant. So, be careful where you store the spray, as well as how it’s handled.
For getting rid of the garden nibblers, something as low on the Scoville Scale as the jalapeno could work. You can also combine peppers to make your own strength.
I’m going to make a batch with a mix of cayenne and habanero. I don’t want the heat to be too high, because I will use it primarily to protect the plants. However, with a little bit of added habanero, I will add a little to a smaller spritzer that I can carry for self-protection.
The hotter the pepper you use, the more important using gloves, masks, and goggles becomes. I’m not going to be using anything excruciating, so I will just wear gloves and my glasses.
Here is a complete list of supplies you should have on hand for the recipe I am going to make:
That list of supplies might make it seem as though the process is complicated. But I assure you, it’s not.
Can’t stress this enough…if you are working with fresh peppers at 10,000 level on the Scoville Scale, make sure to wear gloves. If it’s hotter than that, add glasses or goggles. And, make sure to not rub or go near your eyes until the gloves are off and hands are washed.
#1. Add 2 tablespoons red cayenne to a bowl
#2. Chop fresh peppers (make sure to wear gloves), and add to the cayenne
#3. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (optional, but will help the spray to adhere to the target)
#4. Add 2 tablespoons vodka (optional, to preserve the spray longer)
#5. Add enough water so that all the pepper and seeds are fully immersed.
#6. Pour (using the funnel) the content into your spray bottle
#7. Let the content in the bottle sit for a few hours, up to a week (shaking occasionally)
#8. Strain the mix (using the coffee filter)
#9. Place the mix back into the spray bottle…and you have homemade pepper spray!
#10. Spraying the plants to protect them
#11. A little leftover for self-protection
After taking out a little for my personal pepper spray, I added a little water to the mix because it doesn’t need to be quite as strong for plant, and I wanted it to go a little further. But, in concentrated form, this could help you get out of a bad situation. Just aim for the eyes…their eyes!
]]>First, using flour in our household goes in waves. Some months we are using it several days a week and go through quite a bit of it. Then, we go through a dry spell and it can sit in the cupboard for quite a while. So, I really never know how much to have on hand, because it might not be any good the next time we get into a baking frenzy.
Second, I know I can store it in airtight containers, which will help boost the shelf life. However, airtight containers can be bulky, especially if you have an abundance of flour to store.
Canning it in individual jars that can sit all together on a shelf, or spread them out to fit your space issues, makes a lot of sense for our household. And, it just might for yours as well. Please note that this method provides shelf life for at least 5 years, depending on how cool and dry your storage space is during that time.
A side tip before we begin: freezing flour will also help in killing off weevil eggs that may, or may not have entered a bag of flour before you even purchased it. Do this before you can it, or even if you don’t plan on canning.
The supply list is a simple one, with many of the items probably already on hand. Take a look:
You can do this method with any size bag or bags of flour as you want. The size of jars needs to make sense to your particular needs. If you go through a lot of flour, then larger jars would be best. However, if you don’t use it that often but came across a good sale on flour, then smaller jars would work.
For this particular project, I am using small jars, and not as much flour as I normally would work with, due to a shortage of flour in our area at this current time. All the more reason to buy in bulk and can it when the opportunity comes up!
This process is so simple, you will wonder why you haven’t done this before now! Before beginning, make sure to sterilize the jars and lids, and thoroughly dry them before adding the flour. Any moisture in the jars or lids at all, and you could ruin the batch.
Preheat the oven to 215° Fahrenheit. Fill each sterilized jar, using the funnel, to the rim.
Tap down the jars to settle the flour so you can get more in each one. Fill it to the rim again. Repeat this step until you are sure the flour is settled down as much as it will go.
Place the filled jars on a baking tray or pan so they don’t tip, then place in the oven WITHOUT lids. Heat for 90-120 minutes.
Once time is up, carefully remove each jar from the oven, one at a time. With a paper towel, wipe just the rim, so there isn’t any flour residue that could prevent a good seal.
Place the lid on and tight it. Leave them out on the counter for several hours or overnight to cool completely, and the lids should seal.
Let it cool before placing in a cool and dark storage space. Once they are cooled, you can also use a marker to write down the date you canned this batch. This will help to know when the shelf life is nearing its end.
And, that is it! You can safely keep your abundance of flour for a few years, without taking up so much bulky space that airtight containers can bring.
]]>Pemmican was light, compact, high in protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, and if done properly can last anywhere from a few years (decades) up to a lifetime without refrigeration!
Pemmican consists of lean, dried meat which is crushed to a powder and mixed with hot, rendered fat. Back in those days the natives made it with bison, deer, or elk but nowadays it is usually made with beef. Crushed, dried berries can be added as well.
A man could subsist entirely on pemmican, drawing on the fat for energy, the protein for strength and vitamins for health. There are a few cases in history of people living for months (in good health) only out of pemmican.
So, it’s easy to understand why I choose pemmican as the ultimate survival-superfood.
People really should avert their gaze from the modern survival thinking for just a bit and also look at how the guys who wandered the west 130 or so years ago did it. As I’ve said it in a recent article (30 Lost Ways of Survival from 1880) the “SHTF” we all prep for is what folks 150 years ago called “daily life:” No electrical power, no refrigerators, no Internet, no computers, no TV, no hyper-active law enforcement, no Safeway or Walmart.
You’ll need:
Get about a pound and a half of lean, grass-fed shoulder roast and let it firm up in the freezer so you can slice it thin.
Add salt and pepper. Set the oven to the lowest possible temperature (around 150 degrees) and put the strips of meat directly onto the rack. Crack the oven door to prevent moisture buildup.
At this point, you can also put a handful of frozen wild blueberries on a small oven pan to dry out with the meat.
Let the meat dry out for about fifteen hours, or until it is crispy. Toss it in the food processor until it becomes a powder. Do the same with the blueberries. In the old days they’d pound it with a rock to turn it into a “powder”.
For the fat portion of pemmican, you can use tallow (rendered beef or mutton fat) or lard (rendered pork fat). Cut up your fat in small pieces and place the fat into the crockpot. Set the crock pot on low heat and remove it only after it becomes completely liquid. Use a strainer to avoid all the crispy bits; you just want the pure, liquid fat.
Mix the meat and berry powder together, then slowly add the hot liquid fat. Pour just enough so that the fat soaks into the powder – slowly.
Let it firm up, then cut it into squares or roll it into a ball.
If done and stored correctly it can last for decades.
Wrap these “pemmican balls” in wax paper and store them in a ziplock bag in a cool, dark place.
Back in the 1800, the Metis (one of the recognized Aboriginal peoples in Canada) would go southwest onto the prairie, slaughter buffalo, convert it into pemmican and carry it north to trade at the North West Company posts.
For these people on the edge of the prairie the pemmican trade was as important a source of trade goods as was the fur trade for the Indians further north. And this is because for a serious journey, almost all foods would have been too heavy to carry.
If you’ll ever have to bug out – especially without a car – keep this in mind: Pemmican is the most compact, light, natural and nutritious supply you can take with you.
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