by Jonathan Hunt
Many of you know but I'm not a big fan of the bug-out survival strategy. In a nutshell your voluntarily becoming, a refugee, but looking at the recent disasters in New Orleans and Haiti it is obvious that some sort of bug-out bag and strategy is not only feasible but required for anyone who is prepared.
A few days ago we talked about bugging out with children and several months ago I went into detail about my bug-out strategy and contents of my bug-out bag.
When reading such lists it is important to keep in mind that any list is only a suggestion. Everyone should look at their skills, situation and location and plan accordingly.
No two bug-out strategies will be the same nor will the content of the bug-out bag.
Today we will take a quick look at choosing firearms for the bug-out bag. Anytime, I mention firearms or survival guns I get flooded with comments from readers giving their suggestions and advise.
I hope this post will elicit such a response. If you have suggestions or questions, by all means feel free to post them in the comments below.
Please keep in mind that we are only discussing the head for the hills concept here and not the other possibilities available to the survivor.
Most survivors will suggest a .22 caliber rifle and often this is a prudent choice. A .22 caliber rifle can take small game as well as larger game such as deer with proper shot placement.
For foraging purposes, firearms such as the Remington International 410 Ga/22 LR Over & Under are difficult to beat. With the addition of the 410 Ga shotgun being a significant advantage over having just to 22 LR.
22 LR ammunition is cheap and lightweight when compared to other rounds and packing several thousand rounds in a bug-out bag isn't out of the question.
Another advantage is relatively low report especially when using CB caps and the ability to be effectively silenced with a homemade sound suppressor. (See Green Buttons to the right for Homemade Silencers)
Just remembered that such a device is illegal without proper government approval and will land you behind bars if caught, and is suggested here for a worst case scenario only.
The downside of the .22 Long rifle round is limited range, penetration and stopping power when used in a self-defense mode.
I suggest a backup handgun chambered for a cartridge suitable for self-defense . I would not go below a 9 mm or 38 special here. Anything less powerful isn't sufficient.
Even with a 9 mm and 38 special, I would seriously consider using only the + P rounds such as the 115 or 124 grain JHP +P in the 9 mm or 158-grain lead semi-wadcutter hollowpoint .38 Special +P for defensive purposes .
Your location would also determine weapons selection. For example those bugging-out in grizzly country should definitely consider something more powerful than the aforementioned 9 mm or 38 special.
My first choice for protection against such large game would be a centerfire rifle chambered for 30.06 or larger. My second choice would be a magnum revolver with a 5.5" to 7.5" barrel chambered for .44 Magnum or larger.
I think it is wise to avoid any armed confrontation if possible. Trust me you are not a coward if you avoid the possibility of being shot in the head.
You are not expendable - neither are the lives of your family or those in your bug-out group. Those with the macho kill 'em all attitude will not last very long.
With that being said, a semi-auto military type rifle could be considered especially if you are trying to get from an urban area to the country, where facing organized gangs or other threats attempting to block your exit could be a possibility.
An AR-15 with collapsible buttstock or folding stocked AK could help get you out of a dangerous situation.
What are your thoughts or choices for bug-out firearms? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below...
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
What You Should Know About Water Purification And Storage
First off I'd like to say thanks to anonymous who asked about water storage and filtering in the comments of yesterdays post. I've spent a lot of time talking about food and food storage, while neglecting water. This was a mistake on my part. Sometimes I overlook the obvious and need to be pointed in the right direction.
A death by contaminated water
A few years ago my grandfather told me a story that illustrates how deadly contaminated water can be. It happened in the summer of 1934 when he was only 9 years old. He was out in the fields gathering corn, with his dad, brothers and sister. He said it had to be at least 100 degrees because the sun was bright in the sky and the sweat burned his eyes.
His eleven year old sister got thirsty and instead of going to the house to get water, she drank from a nearby stream. She died a few days later. Upon further investigation it was discovered that a cow, from a nearby farm had died upstream from where she drank, contaminating the water.
They had used the water from this spot for years with no ill effects. They thought it was safe but it wasn't - at least not at that point in time.
From U.S. Army Field Manual 21-76
By drinking nonpotable water you may contract diseases or swallow organisms that can harm you. Examples of such diseases or organisms are:
* Dysentery - Severe, prolonged diarrhea with bloody stools, fever, and weakness.
* Cholera and typhoid - You may be susceptible to these diseases regardless of inoculations.
* Flukes - Stagnant, polluted water--especially in tropical areas--often contains blood flukes. If you swallow flukes, they will bore into the bloodstream, live as parasites, and cause disease.
* Leeches - If you swallow a leech, it can hook onto the throat passage or inside the nose. It will suck blood, create a wound, and move to another area. Each bleeding wound may become infected.
Not to mention pollutants from human activities that often find their way into the water - trash, pet wastes, fertilizers, herbicides, oils, heavy metals, salts, pollutants from vehicles etc. and it's impossible to tell what is safe without laboratory testing.
But there are some general guidelines that can help:
* Running water is generally safer than still water.
* Look for clear water
* Avoid water that has algae growing in it
* Avoid discolored water
* Avoid water from marshes / swamps
* Avoid cloudy water
Homemade Berkey
The spring water here at the homestead kitty runs in a constant flow from the side of the mountain and it's as clear as bottled water, but I won't drink it or use it for cooking without first running it through my homemade Berkey filter.
My dad and grandfather drive out here on the weekend and fill their jugs from the spring - drinking and cooking without any filtration or other purification. They've never had any trouble but I'm the paranoid type and can't risk getting sick over something so easily avoided.
The Berkey filters are extremely effective at removing pathogenic bacteria, cysts, parasites, chemical contaminates and impurities – the elements have an indefinite shelf-life and will filter at least 3000 gallons before needing replaced. I store mine in zip-lock bags until ready to use.
If you suspect the water to contain viruses, add 1/8 teaspoon (or 8 drops) of regular, unscented, liquid household bleach for each gallon of water, stir it well and let it stand for 30 minutes before you use it. Or boil for 5 minutes, then filter through the Berkey. This may sound like over kill, but it's not – you can never be cautious enough with your health.
Boiling
Boiling is one of the the surest methods of water purification. All you need is a heat source, suitable container and water. Bring the water to a boil for at least five minutes to kill any viruses or bacteria that maybe present. Boiled water tastes like crap but can be improved by pouring back and fourth between two containers to reoxygenate and improve taste.
Storage
As for water storage, I have six – five gallon containers bought at Wal-Mart in the sporting goods department. Thirty gallon isn't much , but I don't see water being a major issue for me at my location.
If you live in a dryer region, water would be a major concern that may necessitate the storage of hundreds of gallons for an emergency.
Don't store water in used five gallon milk jugs. They're not strong enough for long term storage and eventually breakdown and leak. The five gallon containers sold in the sporting goods section of most department stores work great, as do the 55 gallon plastic drums. Just be sure the drums are clean and contained no harmful chemicals before filling.
If you must us small containers, empty 2-liter pop bottles work well. They are stronger than the afore mentioned milk jug and have better lids and are more covenant. Avoid glass containers because they break to easily.
Rotate as needed.
Tap water
If your storing tap water from a municipal water system there's no need to add bleach as suggested by some. Water from the municipal tap already contains enough chlorine to thwart any bacterial growth and can be stored without any other additives.
Your Thoughts
I’m interested to hearing reader thoughts on this topic – know of a better more effective way of purifying or storing water, please share your thoughts in the comments below.
by Jonathan Hunt
A death by contaminated water
A few years ago my grandfather told me a story that illustrates how deadly contaminated water can be. It happened in the summer of 1934 when he was only 9 years old. He was out in the fields gathering corn, with his dad, brothers and sister. He said it had to be at least 100 degrees because the sun was bright in the sky and the sweat burned his eyes.
His eleven year old sister got thirsty and instead of going to the house to get water, she drank from a nearby stream. She died a few days later. Upon further investigation it was discovered that a cow, from a nearby farm had died upstream from where she drank, contaminating the water.
They had used the water from this spot for years with no ill effects. They thought it was safe but it wasn't - at least not at that point in time.
From U.S. Army Field Manual 21-76
By drinking nonpotable water you may contract diseases or swallow organisms that can harm you. Examples of such diseases or organisms are:
* Dysentery - Severe, prolonged diarrhea with bloody stools, fever, and weakness.
* Cholera and typhoid - You may be susceptible to these diseases regardless of inoculations.
* Flukes - Stagnant, polluted water--especially in tropical areas--often contains blood flukes. If you swallow flukes, they will bore into the bloodstream, live as parasites, and cause disease.
* Leeches - If you swallow a leech, it can hook onto the throat passage or inside the nose. It will suck blood, create a wound, and move to another area. Each bleeding wound may become infected.
Not to mention pollutants from human activities that often find their way into the water - trash, pet wastes, fertilizers, herbicides, oils, heavy metals, salts, pollutants from vehicles etc. and it's impossible to tell what is safe without laboratory testing.
But there are some general guidelines that can help:
* Running water is generally safer than still water.
* Look for clear water
* Avoid water that has algae growing in it
* Avoid discolored water
* Avoid water from marshes / swamps
* Avoid cloudy water
Homemade Berkey
The spring water here at the homestead kitty runs in a constant flow from the side of the mountain and it's as clear as bottled water, but I won't drink it or use it for cooking without first running it through my homemade Berkey filter.
My dad and grandfather drive out here on the weekend and fill their jugs from the spring - drinking and cooking without any filtration or other purification. They've never had any trouble but I'm the paranoid type and can't risk getting sick over something so easily avoided.
The Berkey filters are extremely effective at removing pathogenic bacteria, cysts, parasites, chemical contaminates and impurities – the elements have an indefinite shelf-life and will filter at least 3000 gallons before needing replaced. I store mine in zip-lock bags until ready to use.
If you suspect the water to contain viruses, add 1/8 teaspoon (or 8 drops) of regular, unscented, liquid household bleach for each gallon of water, stir it well and let it stand for 30 minutes before you use it. Or boil for 5 minutes, then filter through the Berkey. This may sound like over kill, but it's not – you can never be cautious enough with your health.
Boiling
Boiling is one of the the surest methods of water purification. All you need is a heat source, suitable container and water. Bring the water to a boil for at least five minutes to kill any viruses or bacteria that maybe present. Boiled water tastes like crap but can be improved by pouring back and fourth between two containers to reoxygenate and improve taste.
Storage
As for water storage, I have six – five gallon containers bought at Wal-Mart in the sporting goods department. Thirty gallon isn't much , but I don't see water being a major issue for me at my location.
If you live in a dryer region, water would be a major concern that may necessitate the storage of hundreds of gallons for an emergency.
Don't store water in used five gallon milk jugs. They're not strong enough for long term storage and eventually breakdown and leak. The five gallon containers sold in the sporting goods section of most department stores work great, as do the 55 gallon plastic drums. Just be sure the drums are clean and contained no harmful chemicals before filling.
If you must us small containers, empty 2-liter pop bottles work well. They are stronger than the afore mentioned milk jug and have better lids and are more covenant. Avoid glass containers because they break to easily.
Rotate as needed.
Tap water
If your storing tap water from a municipal water system there's no need to add bleach as suggested by some. Water from the municipal tap already contains enough chlorine to thwart any bacterial growth and can be stored without any other additives.
Your Thoughts
I’m interested to hearing reader thoughts on this topic – know of a better more effective way of purifying or storing water, please share your thoughts in the comments below.
by Jonathan Hunt
CIA has in effect carried out a "coup" against the US government
by Jonathan Hunt
US House Rep. Ron Paul says the CIA has in effect carried out a "coup" against the US government , and the intelligence agency needs to be "taken out."
Speaking to an audience of like-minded libertarians at a Campaign for Liberty regional conference in Atlanta this past weekend, the Texas Republican said:
There's been a coup, have you heard? It's the CIA coup. The CIA runs everything, they run the military. They're the ones who are over there lobbing missiles and bombs on countries. ... And of course the CIA is every bit as secretive as the Federal Reserve. ... And yet think of the harm they have done since they were established [after] World War II. They are a government unto themselves. They're in businesses, in drug businesses, they take out dictators ... We need to take out the CIA.
Paul's comments, made last weekend, were met with a loud round of applause, but they didn't gather attention until bloggers noticed a clip of the event at YouTube.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
They Want to Stop Glenn Beck and the "Tea-Baggers"
Help-wanted ads are appearing on Craigslist that offer to pay citizens $24,000 a year, plus health insurance, to "counter the hysteria and lies of Glenn Beck and other talking heads" and "stop the tea-baggers!"
The ads are being posted by Grassroots Campaigns, a for-profit canvassing group that has performed services for the Democratic National Committee and MoveOn.org. Its postings can be found among Craiglist listings in Chicago, Ill.; San Francisco, Calif.; Boston, Mass.; Philadelphia, Penn. and Austin, Texas.
In case you missed it the "other talking heads" clause means blogs like this one or anyone else they disagree with.
The ads are being posted by Grassroots Campaigns, a for-profit canvassing group that has performed services for the Democratic National Committee and MoveOn.org. Its postings can be found among Craiglist listings in Chicago, Ill.; San Francisco, Calif.; Boston, Mass.; Philadelphia, Penn. and Austin, Texas.
In case you missed it the "other talking heads" clause means blogs like this one or anyone else they disagree with.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
No Recovery: Economic Stats Have Been Faked
by Jonathan Hunt
Author, investor and longtime Wall Street observer James Dale Davidson says the government is lying to us: There is no genuine economic recovery happening.
“I think what we have seen ... is a simulated recovery which has been generated by the government faking it in a lot of different ways," putting out what he calls statistical falsehoods on economic numbers "to make it seem that the economy is stronger than it is,” Davidson told Newsmax.
For example, calculations for the recently released unemployment figures released failed to include the fact that the Bureau of Labor Statistics had undercounted the number of unemployed people in 2009 by 824,000 persons.
"A lot of the supposed improvements have been faked by the government," Davidson says.
Davidson believes the government secretly used quantitative easing as an excuse to funnel money into U.S. capital markets.
“It’s not a coincidence that the market started to rally in March at the same time they announced they were going to do the quantitative easing,” he observes.
“In my view, it’s all created by the government as a hoax.”
The whole administration is based on one lie after another, he says.
Author, investor and longtime Wall Street observer James Dale Davidson says the government is lying to us: There is no genuine economic recovery happening.
“I think what we have seen ... is a simulated recovery which has been generated by the government faking it in a lot of different ways," putting out what he calls statistical falsehoods on economic numbers "to make it seem that the economy is stronger than it is,” Davidson told Newsmax.
For example, calculations for the recently released unemployment figures released failed to include the fact that the Bureau of Labor Statistics had undercounted the number of unemployed people in 2009 by 824,000 persons.
"A lot of the supposed improvements have been faked by the government," Davidson says.
Davidson believes the government secretly used quantitative easing as an excuse to funnel money into U.S. capital markets.
“It’s not a coincidence that the market started to rally in March at the same time they announced they were going to do the quantitative easing,” he observes.
“In my view, it’s all created by the government as a hoax.”
The whole administration is based on one lie after another, he says.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
An Economic Emergency
by Jonathan Hunt
How loud do the alarms have to get? There is an economic emergency in the country with millions upon millions of Americans riddled with fear and anxiety as they struggle with long-term joblessness, home foreclosures, personal bankruptcies and dwindling opportunities for themselves and their children.
The door is being slammed on the American dream and the politicians, including the president and his Democratic allies on Capitol Hill, seem not just helpless to deal with the crisis, but completely out of touch with the hardships that have fallen on so many.
While the nation was suffering through the worst economy since the Depression, the Democrats wasted a year squabbling like unruly toddlers over health insurance legislation. No one in his or her right mind could have believed that a workable, efficient, cost-effective system could come out of the monstrously ugly plan that finally emerged from the Senate after long months of shady alliances, disgraceful back-room deals, outlandish payoffs and abject capitulation to the insurance companies and giant pharmaceutical outfits.
The public interest? Forget about it.
With the power elite consumed with its incessant, discordant fiddling over health care, the economic plight of ordinary Americans, from the middle class to the very poor, got pathetically short shrift. And there is no evidence, even now, that leaders of either party fully grasp the depth of the crisis, which began long before the official start of the Great Recession in December 2007. - more here.
How loud do the alarms have to get? There is an economic emergency in the country with millions upon millions of Americans riddled with fear and anxiety as they struggle with long-term joblessness, home foreclosures, personal bankruptcies and dwindling opportunities for themselves and their children.
The door is being slammed on the American dream and the politicians, including the president and his Democratic allies on Capitol Hill, seem not just helpless to deal with the crisis, but completely out of touch with the hardships that have fallen on so many.
While the nation was suffering through the worst economy since the Depression, the Democrats wasted a year squabbling like unruly toddlers over health insurance legislation. No one in his or her right mind could have believed that a workable, efficient, cost-effective system could come out of the monstrously ugly plan that finally emerged from the Senate after long months of shady alliances, disgraceful back-room deals, outlandish payoffs and abject capitulation to the insurance companies and giant pharmaceutical outfits.
The public interest? Forget about it.
With the power elite consumed with its incessant, discordant fiddling over health care, the economic plight of ordinary Americans, from the middle class to the very poor, got pathetically short shrift. And there is no evidence, even now, that leaders of either party fully grasp the depth of the crisis, which began long before the official start of the Great Recession in December 2007. - more here.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Unemployment Funds Running Out
The record 20 million Americans who collected unemployment insurance benefits last year landed on a safety net that was already deeply frayed.
New Interactive: ProPublica Predicts if Your State's Unemployment Insurance Fund Is About to Hit the Skids
A historical compromise has left responsibility for unemployment benefits largely in the hands of states, and they have fulfilled this charge with varying degrees of effectiveness.
In a series last summer with public radio’s Marketplace, we reported that only a handful of states had built up reserves sufficient to weather the Great Recession – and forecast a spate of borrowing by states where reserves ran out.
Half a year later, the direst predictions seem to be coming true: So far 25 states have borrowed more than $25 billion to keep benefits flowing after their trust funds ran dry. In many other states the situation is deteriorating fast.More Here...
New Interactive: ProPublica Predicts if Your State's Unemployment Insurance Fund Is About to Hit the Skids
A historical compromise has left responsibility for unemployment benefits largely in the hands of states, and they have fulfilled this charge with varying degrees of effectiveness.
In a series last summer with public radio’s Marketplace, we reported that only a handful of states had built up reserves sufficient to weather the Great Recession – and forecast a spate of borrowing by states where reserves ran out.
Half a year later, the direst predictions seem to be coming true: So far 25 states have borrowed more than $25 billion to keep benefits flowing after their trust funds ran dry. In many other states the situation is deteriorating fast.More Here...
Saturday, January 23, 2010
No Recovery: Economic Stats Have Been Faked
Author, investor and longtime Wall Street observer James Dale Davidson says the government is lying to us: There is no genuine economic recovery happening.
“I think what we have seen ... is a simulated recovery which has been generated by the government faking it in a lot of different ways," putting out what he calls statistical falsehoods on economic numbers "to make it seem that the economy is stronger than it is,” Davidson told Newsmax.
For example, calculations for the recently released unemployment figures released failed to include the fact that the Bureau of Labor Statistics had undercounted the number of unemployed people in 2009 by 824,000 persons.
"A lot of the supposed improvements have been faked by the government," Davidson says.
Davidson believes the government secretly used quantitative easing as an excuse to funnel money into U.S. capital markets.
“It’s not a coincidence that the market started to rally in March at the same time they announced they were going to do the quantitative easing,” he observes.
“In my view, it’s all created by the government as a hoax.”
The whole administration is based on one lie after another, he says.
“I think what we have seen ... is a simulated recovery which has been generated by the government faking it in a lot of different ways," putting out what he calls statistical falsehoods on economic numbers "to make it seem that the economy is stronger than it is,” Davidson told Newsmax.
For example, calculations for the recently released unemployment figures released failed to include the fact that the Bureau of Labor Statistics had undercounted the number of unemployed people in 2009 by 824,000 persons.
"A lot of the supposed improvements have been faked by the government," Davidson says.
Davidson believes the government secretly used quantitative easing as an excuse to funnel money into U.S. capital markets.
“It’s not a coincidence that the market started to rally in March at the same time they announced they were going to do the quantitative easing,” he observes.
“In my view, it’s all created by the government as a hoax.”
The whole administration is based on one lie after another, he says.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Are you a Survivalist or Prepper?
by Jonathan Hunt
From The Urban Dictionary - 1. Prepper: Someone who focuses on preparedness, generally for various worst-case scenarios like peak oil or Armageddon. Sometimes used to avoid the more loaded term survivalist.
By all indications political correctness has found its way into the ranks of the preparedness movement. In the late 1980s those preparing for an uncertain future embraced the term survivalist - a term Kurt Saxon claims to have coined.
Whether he did or not is beside the point as it appears that most survival planner's are now embracing the more politically correct term "prepper."
It appears that the term survivalist has been effectively demonized by the mainstream media and the liberal left. With survivalists themselves falling victim to this latest ideology toward political correctness.
It has always peeved me off when the mainstream news media lump together the terms white supremacist, militia and survivalist as if one and the same. When in fact they are very different.
According to the news media if you are a survivalist you are also a white supremacist, a militia member and may be even a skinhead or Klan member.
It is an effective tactic that has swayed the opinion of the public, as well as that of survival planers who are now trying to distance themselves from the politically incorrect term survivalist and the stereotype attached to it.
Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against the terms prepper or prepping - I've use them here on the survivalist blog in the past and will continue to do so. Not for purposes of being politically correct, but in an attempt to rank for those terms when people enter them in google search.
Who knows perhaps these new, less offensive labels will attract more people to the preparedness movement. At-least until the media starts a new smear campaign...
What do you consider yourself - a survivalist, prepper or both? Why
From The Urban Dictionary - 1. Prepper: Someone who focuses on preparedness, generally for various worst-case scenarios like peak oil or Armageddon. Sometimes used to avoid the more loaded term survivalist.
By all indications political correctness has found its way into the ranks of the preparedness movement. In the late 1980s those preparing for an uncertain future embraced the term survivalist - a term Kurt Saxon claims to have coined.
Whether he did or not is beside the point as it appears that most survival planner's are now embracing the more politically correct term "prepper."
It appears that the term survivalist has been effectively demonized by the mainstream media and the liberal left. With survivalists themselves falling victim to this latest ideology toward political correctness.
It has always peeved me off when the mainstream news media lump together the terms white supremacist, militia and survivalist as if one and the same. When in fact they are very different.
According to the news media if you are a survivalist you are also a white supremacist, a militia member and may be even a skinhead or Klan member.
It is an effective tactic that has swayed the opinion of the public, as well as that of survival planers who are now trying to distance themselves from the politically incorrect term survivalist and the stereotype attached to it.
Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against the terms prepper or prepping - I've use them here on the survivalist blog in the past and will continue to do so. Not for purposes of being politically correct, but in an attempt to rank for those terms when people enter them in google search.
Who knows perhaps these new, less offensive labels will attract more people to the preparedness movement. At-least until the media starts a new smear campaign...
What do you consider yourself - a survivalist, prepper or both? Why
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Guest Post: Finding Free Food
by Jonathan Hunt
Being the Frugal Fraulein that I am, the word free gives me tingles. This is my favorite time of year. The gardens are calling to be harvested, the trees are laden with fruit, the fish are moving up the streams and the deer and elk are fattening up in orchards and berry thickets. I hear the sound of plink, plink, plink in my head while I have visions of full canning jars filled with free food.
Did you pick up on the word free? Yes, this time of year there is free food everywhere I look. I happen to be among the 9.7% officially unemployed but no boo hoo hoo from me. I have stored food as a way of life for years and live simply.
Let me share with you some ways to get free food.
1. Be observant. All year I keep my eyes open for fruit trees and easy access berry thickets on the side of the road and in yards. It is fairly simple to tell which homes are probably not picking their fruit because it is still hanging on the trees. If the tree sits in a yard, I stop and knock on the door and politely ask if I might pick some fruit in exchange for either leaving some picked fruit on their doorstep or bringing back some canned items. I have never had anyone say no to me in all the years I have done this. Right now I am watching a plum, apple, Bartlett pear, Asian pear, crab apple and elderberry trees for the right moment to pick. I have already picked all sorts of wild berries and blue berries. In the Pacific Northwest if you do not pick free blackberries there is something wrong with you!
My supplies are always in the car. I have a couple of “pickers on a stick” and tubs for large fruit and stainless steel bowls, zip lockable bags, hand held pruners and hand wipes for berries. A picker on a stick is simple to make. A bleach bottle is cut and bolted to a broom handle. This tool allows you to reach higher and pull the fruit off the tree without having it fall and get bruised. Two Christmas’s ago a commercially produced fruit picker was given to me which I also like. I also have a hands free container which is a coffee can that has a wire coat hanger that hooks over the top of my pants.
I always clean up the area where I pick as a service to the homeowner and rake up the drops and deposit them on their compost pile. There are a few homes that actually look forward to my annual visit. I don’t know why they don’t seem to want any canned items but I don’t argue because that is more for me. They just don’t know what they are missing! All for free.
2. Put the word out. Tell everyone you know you are willing and very happy to take their year end produce. Towards the end of the season some folks are tired of zucchini boats, cabbage that might have some brown leaves or slug trails, too many tomatoes or cucumbers or can’t bear the thought of picking any more beans. I volunteer to clean out the garden and take home the left over produce. I put up signs, let church going friends know, club members, post signs on Craigslist and at supermarkets and am not bashful about putting the word out that I will take garden leftovers. All for free.
3. Make an exchange. This year I offered to advertise for a fellow with a produce stand near my home in exchange for produce. He called me when he had leftovers and I was able to either get them free or at a very low price. Daily these guys have to throw away perfectly good food. You are doing them a favor by cutting their disposal costs. This arrangement can be made with your local produce man as well. I have known people who said they were picking up produce for their chickens when they were really talking about kids, the human kind. All for free.
4. Gleaning. A friend of mine who happens to be a member of the L.D.S. church invited me to join a group of ladies that glean a corn farm annually. I thought I was bold taking two plastic tubs with me but to my surprise these ladies showed up with pickup trucks! It seems the farmer picks two to three times a season and the last of the corn is not worth his effort. Some is small but most was perfect. It is always an adventure to travel down the tall aisles of corn stalks looking for leftover ears of corn and smelling the sweet smell and hearing the fall crickets and birds chirping. We have always done this activity late in the day so the sun is setting and fall is in the air. Since my first experience I have picked corn, cucumbers and pumpkins as gleaning activities. Most often a percentage is brought to the local Food Bank so others are benefiting as well. All for free.
5. Barter. This year I bartered my canning experience for fresh tuna fish. A local fisherman brought 60 pounds of fish ready to go and I did the canning. Yes, it was labor intensive and time consuming but I now have jars of the most delicious tuna in my food storage that is not comparable to that stuff in the can from the supermarket. I also barter fresh salmon from a neighbor in exchange for babysitting and some extra camping equipment I had. The salmon is usually eaten fresh but I have canned it before. One year the local Native American Tribal caught more salmon than the market could handle and they put out the word to come and get it. I brought home about 15 very large salmon and canned it. This year I have posted ads for hunters to can meat in exchange for a percentage of the bounty. All for free.
6. Learn to forage. Take a class on foraging in your local area to learn which local plants are edible. Once you have a knowledge base of what is out there, you can go out and pick, pick, pick. Items can be canned, dehydrated or made into tinctures for healing nutritional purposes. This year I am picking wild elderberries to make a tincture. Elderberry tincture is good for the flu and since we are in a swine flu alert it is a great additive to anyone’s medical kit. I have foraged fiddleheads, many types of greens, mint, leaves for tea, wild onions, Oregon grapes, berries, mushrooms. All for free.
Being the Frugal Fraulein that I am, the word free gives me tingles. This is my favorite time of year. The gardens are calling to be harvested, the trees are laden with fruit, the fish are moving up the streams and the deer and elk are fattening up in orchards and berry thickets. I hear the sound of plink, plink, plink in my head while I have visions of full canning jars filled with free food.
Did you pick up on the word free? Yes, this time of year there is free food everywhere I look. I happen to be among the 9.7% officially unemployed but no boo hoo hoo from me. I have stored food as a way of life for years and live simply.
Let me share with you some ways to get free food.
1. Be observant. All year I keep my eyes open for fruit trees and easy access berry thickets on the side of the road and in yards. It is fairly simple to tell which homes are probably not picking their fruit because it is still hanging on the trees. If the tree sits in a yard, I stop and knock on the door and politely ask if I might pick some fruit in exchange for either leaving some picked fruit on their doorstep or bringing back some canned items. I have never had anyone say no to me in all the years I have done this. Right now I am watching a plum, apple, Bartlett pear, Asian pear, crab apple and elderberry trees for the right moment to pick. I have already picked all sorts of wild berries and blue berries. In the Pacific Northwest if you do not pick free blackberries there is something wrong with you!
My supplies are always in the car. I have a couple of “pickers on a stick” and tubs for large fruit and stainless steel bowls, zip lockable bags, hand held pruners and hand wipes for berries. A picker on a stick is simple to make. A bleach bottle is cut and bolted to a broom handle. This tool allows you to reach higher and pull the fruit off the tree without having it fall and get bruised. Two Christmas’s ago a commercially produced fruit picker was given to me which I also like. I also have a hands free container which is a coffee can that has a wire coat hanger that hooks over the top of my pants.
I always clean up the area where I pick as a service to the homeowner and rake up the drops and deposit them on their compost pile. There are a few homes that actually look forward to my annual visit. I don’t know why they don’t seem to want any canned items but I don’t argue because that is more for me. They just don’t know what they are missing! All for free.
2. Put the word out. Tell everyone you know you are willing and very happy to take their year end produce. Towards the end of the season some folks are tired of zucchini boats, cabbage that might have some brown leaves or slug trails, too many tomatoes or cucumbers or can’t bear the thought of picking any more beans. I volunteer to clean out the garden and take home the left over produce. I put up signs, let church going friends know, club members, post signs on Craigslist and at supermarkets and am not bashful about putting the word out that I will take garden leftovers. All for free.
3. Make an exchange. This year I offered to advertise for a fellow with a produce stand near my home in exchange for produce. He called me when he had leftovers and I was able to either get them free or at a very low price. Daily these guys have to throw away perfectly good food. You are doing them a favor by cutting their disposal costs. This arrangement can be made with your local produce man as well. I have known people who said they were picking up produce for their chickens when they were really talking about kids, the human kind. All for free.
4. Gleaning. A friend of mine who happens to be a member of the L.D.S. church invited me to join a group of ladies that glean a corn farm annually. I thought I was bold taking two plastic tubs with me but to my surprise these ladies showed up with pickup trucks! It seems the farmer picks two to three times a season and the last of the corn is not worth his effort. Some is small but most was perfect. It is always an adventure to travel down the tall aisles of corn stalks looking for leftover ears of corn and smelling the sweet smell and hearing the fall crickets and birds chirping. We have always done this activity late in the day so the sun is setting and fall is in the air. Since my first experience I have picked corn, cucumbers and pumpkins as gleaning activities. Most often a percentage is brought to the local Food Bank so others are benefiting as well. All for free.
5. Barter. This year I bartered my canning experience for fresh tuna fish. A local fisherman brought 60 pounds of fish ready to go and I did the canning. Yes, it was labor intensive and time consuming but I now have jars of the most delicious tuna in my food storage that is not comparable to that stuff in the can from the supermarket. I also barter fresh salmon from a neighbor in exchange for babysitting and some extra camping equipment I had. The salmon is usually eaten fresh but I have canned it before. One year the local Native American Tribal caught more salmon than the market could handle and they put out the word to come and get it. I brought home about 15 very large salmon and canned it. This year I have posted ads for hunters to can meat in exchange for a percentage of the bounty. All for free.
6. Learn to forage. Take a class on foraging in your local area to learn which local plants are edible. Once you have a knowledge base of what is out there, you can go out and pick, pick, pick. Items can be canned, dehydrated or made into tinctures for healing nutritional purposes. This year I am picking wild elderberries to make a tincture. Elderberry tincture is good for the flu and since we are in a swine flu alert it is a great additive to anyone’s medical kit. I have foraged fiddleheads, many types of greens, mint, leaves for tea, wild onions, Oregon grapes, berries, mushrooms. All for free.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Security – Be Careful What You Say
By Jonathan Hunt
As time goes by and we converse our thoughts and plans on forums and blogs one issue becomes extremely important… Operational security. In this day and age even someone with modest knowledge of network concepts can learn quite a bit about a person. Let me introduce you to a site called IP-Adress.com. Follow this link and type in your computer’s IP address, it will give you the last known location of that IP. If you don’t know how to find your IP click here.Your IP is logged on virtually every site you visit from stores, to forums to blogs. Anyone with access to these logs can determine your general location within a couple minutes.
If you’re active online here is another thing to try. Take your email address, any websites you are affiliated with, even your name and location and put it into Google to see what shows up. You may be surprised by what you find. There are also many sites that offer detailed information about a person using a phone number or name and location. On these sites you can find past addresses, other contact information, relatives and more.
With a few minutes, public resources and just some scraps of information someone can find out quite a bit about you. Be careful what you say and what you share. As you discuss plans, preps, even opinions, know that this information could be used for malicious purposes. As the future moves towards increasing government control, with the possibility of gun sweeps and people who disagree with the government being pegged as a domestic terrorist, it is time to be vigilant and take steps to protect yourself.
How to Stay Secure
Surf the web using an anonymous proxy server. An anonymous proxy server takes all of your computer’s requests and processes them through that server. In this way your IP appears as the proxy server’s IP. A quick search will show you the mountain of options out there. Some can even be obtained for free but these may block certain content and offer slow connectivity.
Not only is it important to keep you IP anonymous but your other information. Your email addresses, physical location, phone number, even your real name can give people a lot of information about you. It is imperative that you release this information selectively and with security precautions.
Also be aware of the opinions and personal facts you share with others. Today trigger words in phone or email conversations can send a red flag to government agencies for review. In the future, or even the present, your online activity could do the same. In a future of mandatory gun registration, fear of violence from pro-gunners or those against the government direction, any information you say or type could be used against you and place you under investigation. It may sound far-fetched to some, but as we move into these uncertain times nothing should be taken for granted.
Be Careful Out There!
As time goes by and we converse our thoughts and plans on forums and blogs one issue becomes extremely important… Operational security. In this day and age even someone with modest knowledge of network concepts can learn quite a bit about a person. Let me introduce you to a site called IP-Adress.com. Follow this link and type in your computer’s IP address, it will give you the last known location of that IP. If you don’t know how to find your IP click here.Your IP is logged on virtually every site you visit from stores, to forums to blogs. Anyone with access to these logs can determine your general location within a couple minutes.
If you’re active online here is another thing to try. Take your email address, any websites you are affiliated with, even your name and location and put it into Google to see what shows up. You may be surprised by what you find. There are also many sites that offer detailed information about a person using a phone number or name and location. On these sites you can find past addresses, other contact information, relatives and more.
With a few minutes, public resources and just some scraps of information someone can find out quite a bit about you. Be careful what you say and what you share. As you discuss plans, preps, even opinions, know that this information could be used for malicious purposes. As the future moves towards increasing government control, with the possibility of gun sweeps and people who disagree with the government being pegged as a domestic terrorist, it is time to be vigilant and take steps to protect yourself.
How to Stay Secure
Surf the web using an anonymous proxy server. An anonymous proxy server takes all of your computer’s requests and processes them through that server. In this way your IP appears as the proxy server’s IP. A quick search will show you the mountain of options out there. Some can even be obtained for free but these may block certain content and offer slow connectivity.
Not only is it important to keep you IP anonymous but your other information. Your email addresses, physical location, phone number, even your real name can give people a lot of information about you. It is imperative that you release this information selectively and with security precautions.
Also be aware of the opinions and personal facts you share with others. Today trigger words in phone or email conversations can send a red flag to government agencies for review. In the future, or even the present, your online activity could do the same. In a future of mandatory gun registration, fear of violence from pro-gunners or those against the government direction, any information you say or type could be used against you and place you under investigation. It may sound far-fetched to some, but as we move into these uncertain times nothing should be taken for granted.
Be Careful Out There!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Preppers: Don’t Be a Fat Ass
One of the biggest drawbacks of reading survival blogs and related books is that you sit – A LOT. And if you’re not careful, it will catch up with you.
What good will it do you to have a ten year supply of survival foods and related survival gear if you die of a heart attack while walking across the room?
Over the past year I've spent more time than I would like in front of this computer - usually about three hours working on this blog and another three or four on my upcoming book. It's beginning to catch up to me.
OK, if you saw me in person, you probably wouldn’t think so. I’m about 5′9" and am currently sitting at anywhere between 190 and 197 pounds, depending on when I jump on the scale. My ideal weight is probably around 170 pounds. So, I am overweight. Not a fatty, but overweight.
I try to workout everyday, push-ups, sit-ups, walking mixed with running etc., but still I've gained 15 pounds over the past six months. Apparently I'm not doing enough... I need to get even more exercise into my daily routine.
Navy Seal workout video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlMP6rIrmtI&feature=player_embedded#
What about you - are you a fat ass? Do you exercise? What do you do and how much?
"This may not be the latest post! Check out The Survivalist Blog dot Net to see if you're missing anything."
What good will it do you to have a ten year supply of survival foods and related survival gear if you die of a heart attack while walking across the room?
Over the past year I've spent more time than I would like in front of this computer - usually about three hours working on this blog and another three or four on my upcoming book. It's beginning to catch up to me.
OK, if you saw me in person, you probably wouldn’t think so. I’m about 5′9" and am currently sitting at anywhere between 190 and 197 pounds, depending on when I jump on the scale. My ideal weight is probably around 170 pounds. So, I am overweight. Not a fatty, but overweight.
I try to workout everyday, push-ups, sit-ups, walking mixed with running etc., but still I've gained 15 pounds over the past six months. Apparently I'm not doing enough... I need to get even more exercise into my daily routine.
Navy Seal workout video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlMP6rIrmtI&feature=player_embedded#
What about you - are you a fat ass? Do you exercise? What do you do and how much?
"This may not be the latest post! Check out The Survivalist Blog dot Net to see if you're missing anything."
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Will there be a shortage of vegetable seeds for gardeners in 2010?
by Jonathan Hunt
It is possible, says Barbara Melera , owner of the oldest seed house in the country, D. Landreth Seeds, formerly of Baltimore and now of New Freedom, Pa.
After back-to-back good years — 2008's salmonella scares and 2009's poor economy send homeowners into the garden to grow their own food — you might expect a backslide in seed sales, Melera said. New gardeners get discouraged or bored.
But, she said, “In 2009, we had the worst growing season in 50 years.” Rain and disease destroyed crops and with them, the seeds for next year's garden. “We are being told that many, many varieties simply won't be available.”
I don't know how bad this will be or even if it will even be an issue, but one thing is certain you need to stock up with Non Hybrid Seed now to be ready for the coming growing season.
What do you think - will there be a seed shortage in 2010?
It is possible, says Barbara Melera , owner of the oldest seed house in the country, D. Landreth Seeds, formerly of Baltimore and now of New Freedom, Pa.
After back-to-back good years — 2008's salmonella scares and 2009's poor economy send homeowners into the garden to grow their own food — you might expect a backslide in seed sales, Melera said. New gardeners get discouraged or bored.
But, she said, “In 2009, we had the worst growing season in 50 years.” Rain and disease destroyed crops and with them, the seeds for next year's garden. “We are being told that many, many varieties simply won't be available.”
I don't know how bad this will be or even if it will even be an issue, but one thing is certain you need to stock up with Non Hybrid Seed now to be ready for the coming growing season.
What do you think - will there be a seed shortage in 2010?
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Earthquake Survival Guide
by Jonathan Hunt
In light of the horrible disaster that is happening in Haiti, I thought your readers would be interested in a booklet that the Los Angeles Fire Department has available for download off the web.
It has quite a few earthquake and survival tips that I was unaware of until I read it. Because most of us think we don't live in an earthquake zone, this might be a good review for all of us. How many know of the New Madrid fault line that runs through Missouri and Illinois?
It was the location of one of the strongest earthquakes in US history back in 1812. It was so strong, it made church bells ring in Boston. Not many people were living there at the time, so there were very little buildings to damage.
That's not the case today. There were warnings given that a strong earthquake could strike Haiti and similar warning can be made for the New Madrid fault area today.
"This may not be the latest post! Check out The Survivalist Blog dot Net to see if you're missing anything."
Friday, January 15, 2010
Living In A Van By The River
by Jonathan Hunt ATU 757 Portland
Mondays post, 17 Random Things You Probably Didn’t Know About M.D. Creekmore seems to have stirred the interest of several readers who sent emails asking for more details about my 2005 experiment living in a van down by the river .
Most asked for elaboration on my set-up inside the van, so that is where I will concentrate my efforts today.
Granted this lifestyle will not appeal to everyone, but for those with the desire and mentality, it could be an alternative to the 30 year mortgage. And even cheaper than the travel trailer on junk land concept. You can literally have a roof over your head for under $1200.
If I were doing this again, I would choose a 4WD truck with camper instead of a van. My wife Melissa says the van is to cramp. But in my opinion the van worked well, but being forced to stay humped over while inside grew old quickly. At least with the truck and camper there would be more head room, and it is already equipped with most of the stuff you need to be comfortable.
I spent around $500 on the conversion. First I built a frame for a bed behind the drivers seat with room for storage underneath. Then mounted a 13 inch TV on the wall above the bed and built cabinets along the wall opposite the bed. Nothing fancy - just open shelves large enough to hold cardboard boxes that were held in place by bungee cords.
Under the shelves on the same wall, I built a kitchen area large enough to set a two burner propane camp-stove. On the wall I mounted a power inverter and underneath, I built a battery box with sealed lid vented outside. I charged the batteries with the alternator in the van.
The passenger side chair was affixed with a swivel base allowing it to turned 180 degrees, this made a comfortable place to sit, read, sleep or whatever.
For the sink, I used one taken from an old RV. I hooked up the sink so it would drain into a 5 gallon water bottle underneath. Between the bed and sink, I built a divider of 1/2 inch plywood to separate the two areas.
On the other-side I built another partition from the same sheet of plywood, creating a small closet and extra storage space. I left enough space to pass between the two partitions and out the backdoor of the van.
For refrigeration I used a 12 volt refrigerator that plugged into the vans cigarette-lighter outlet. I also kept stuff cool by submerging a Styrofoam cooler in a shallow spot along the riverbed.
As I said before; if I were to do it over again, I'd choose a 4WD truck with camper instead of a van, and a small pull behind trailer would be a good idea to haul extra survival gear. This could could easily be the ultimate bug out system, or freedom from a mortgage. You can even build your own camper.
Have you lived in a car, van or camper? We would love to hear about your experience in the comments below....
Mondays post, 17 Random Things You Probably Didn’t Know About M.D. Creekmore seems to have stirred the interest of several readers who sent emails asking for more details about my 2005 experiment living in a van down by the river .
Most asked for elaboration on my set-up inside the van, so that is where I will concentrate my efforts today.
Granted this lifestyle will not appeal to everyone, but for those with the desire and mentality, it could be an alternative to the 30 year mortgage. And even cheaper than the travel trailer on junk land concept. You can literally have a roof over your head for under $1200.
If I were doing this again, I would choose a 4WD truck with camper instead of a van. My wife Melissa says the van is to cramp. But in my opinion the van worked well, but being forced to stay humped over while inside grew old quickly. At least with the truck and camper there would be more head room, and it is already equipped with most of the stuff you need to be comfortable.
I spent around $500 on the conversion. First I built a frame for a bed behind the drivers seat with room for storage underneath. Then mounted a 13 inch TV on the wall above the bed and built cabinets along the wall opposite the bed. Nothing fancy - just open shelves large enough to hold cardboard boxes that were held in place by bungee cords.
Under the shelves on the same wall, I built a kitchen area large enough to set a two burner propane camp-stove. On the wall I mounted a power inverter and underneath, I built a battery box with sealed lid vented outside. I charged the batteries with the alternator in the van.
The passenger side chair was affixed with a swivel base allowing it to turned 180 degrees, this made a comfortable place to sit, read, sleep or whatever.
For the sink, I used one taken from an old RV. I hooked up the sink so it would drain into a 5 gallon water bottle underneath. Between the bed and sink, I built a divider of 1/2 inch plywood to separate the two areas.
On the other-side I built another partition from the same sheet of plywood, creating a small closet and extra storage space. I left enough space to pass between the two partitions and out the backdoor of the van.
For refrigeration I used a 12 volt refrigerator that plugged into the vans cigarette-lighter outlet. I also kept stuff cool by submerging a Styrofoam cooler in a shallow spot along the riverbed.
As I said before; if I were to do it over again, I'd choose a 4WD truck with camper instead of a van, and a small pull behind trailer would be a good idea to haul extra survival gear. This could could easily be the ultimate bug out system, or freedom from a mortgage. You can even build your own camper.
Have you lived in a car, van or camper? We would love to hear about your experience in the comments below....
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Why Are We Bankrupt?
by Jonathan Hunt
Has anyone ever thought about us just making Mexico the 51st state? It would be a lot easier.
You think the war in Iraq is costing us too much? Read on...
Boy,was I confused. I have been hammered with the propaganda that it is the Iraq war and the war on terror that is bankrupting us. I now find that to be RIDICULOUS.
I hope the following 14 reasons are forwarded over and over again until they are read so many times that the readers gets sick of reading them. I also have included the URLs for verification of all of the following facts.
1. $11 Billion to $22 billion is spent on welfare to illegal aliens each year by state governments.
Verify at: http://tinyurl.com/zob77
2. $2.2 Billion dollars a year is spent on food assistance programs such as food stamps, WIC, and free school lunches for illegal aliens.
Verify at: http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html
3. $2.5 Billion dollars a year is spent on Medicaid for illegal aliens.
Verify at: http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html
4. $12 Billion dollars a year is spent on primary and secondary school education for children here illegally and they cannot speak a word of English!
Verify at: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.0.html
5. $17 Billion dollars a year is spent for education for the American-born children of illegal aliens, known as anchor babies.
Verify at http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html
6. $3 Million Dollars a DAY is spent to incarcerate illegal aliens.
Verify at: http://transcripts.cnn.com/ TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html
7. 30% percent of all Federal Prison inmates are illegal aliens.
Verify at: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html
8. $90 Billion Dollars a year is spent on illegal aliens for Welfare and Social Services by the American taxpayers.
Verify at: http://premium.cnn.com/TRANSCIPTS/0610/29/ldt.01.html
9. $200 Billion dollars a year in suppressed American wages are caused by the illegal aliens.
Verify at: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRI PTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html
10. The illegal aliens in the United States have a crime rate that's two and a half times that of white non-illegal aliens. In particular, their children, are going to make a huge additional crime problem in the US.
Verify at: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0606/12/ldt.01.html
11. During the year of 2005 there were 4 to 10 MILLION illegal aliens that crossed our Southern Border also, as many as 19,500 illegal aliens from Terrorist Countries. Millions of pounds of drugs, cocaine, meth, heroin and marijuana, crossed into the U. S. from the Southern border.
Verify at: Homeland Security Report: http://tinyurl.com/t9sht
12. The National Policy Institute, estimated that the total cost of mass deportation would be between $206 and $230 billion or an average cost of between $41 and $46 billion annually over a five year period.'
Verify at: http://www.nationalpolicyinstitute.org/pdf/deportation.pdf
13. In 2006, illegal aliens sent home $45 BILLION in remittances to their countries of origin.
Verify at: http://www.rense.com/general75/niht.htm
14. 'The Dark Side of Illegal Immigration: Nearly One million sex crimes Committed by Illegal Immigrants In The United States.'
Verify at: http: www.drdsk.com/articleshtml
The total cost is a whopping $ 338.3 BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR AND IF YOU'RE HAVING TROUBLE UNDERSTANDING THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY; IT IS $338,300,000,000.00 WHICH WOULD BE ENOUGH TO STIMULATE THE ECONOMY FOR THE CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY...
Are we that stupid? Yes, for allowing the criminals in the U.S. Congress get away with this year after year.
If this doesn't bother you then just delete the message. If, on the other hand, it does create some righteous anger and indignation, I hope you forward it to every legal resident in the country including every elected representative in Washington , DC - five times a week for as long as it takes to restore some semblance of honesty and intelligence in our government policies and enforcements.
Has anyone ever thought about us just making Mexico the 51st state? It would be a lot easier.
You think the war in Iraq is costing us too much? Read on...
Boy,was I confused. I have been hammered with the propaganda that it is the Iraq war and the war on terror that is bankrupting us. I now find that to be RIDICULOUS.
I hope the following 14 reasons are forwarded over and over again until they are read so many times that the readers gets sick of reading them. I also have included the URLs for verification of all of the following facts.
1. $11 Billion to $22 billion is spent on welfare to illegal aliens each year by state governments.
Verify at: http://tinyurl.com/zob77
2. $2.2 Billion dollars a year is spent on food assistance programs such as food stamps, WIC, and free school lunches for illegal aliens.
Verify at: http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html
3. $2.5 Billion dollars a year is spent on Medicaid for illegal aliens.
Verify at: http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html
4. $12 Billion dollars a year is spent on primary and secondary school education for children here illegally and they cannot speak a word of English!
Verify at: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.0.html
5. $17 Billion dollars a year is spent for education for the American-born children of illegal aliens, known as anchor babies.
Verify at http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html
6. $3 Million Dollars a DAY is spent to incarcerate illegal aliens.
Verify at: http://transcripts.cnn.com/ TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html
7. 30% percent of all Federal Prison inmates are illegal aliens.
Verify at: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html
8. $90 Billion Dollars a year is spent on illegal aliens for Welfare and Social Services by the American taxpayers.
Verify at: http://premium.cnn.com/TRANSCIPTS/0610/29/ldt.01.html
9. $200 Billion dollars a year in suppressed American wages are caused by the illegal aliens.
Verify at: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRI PTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html
10. The illegal aliens in the United States have a crime rate that's two and a half times that of white non-illegal aliens. In particular, their children, are going to make a huge additional crime problem in the US.
Verify at: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0606/12/ldt.01.html
11. During the year of 2005 there were 4 to 10 MILLION illegal aliens that crossed our Southern Border also, as many as 19,500 illegal aliens from Terrorist Countries. Millions of pounds of drugs, cocaine, meth, heroin and marijuana, crossed into the U. S. from the Southern border.
Verify at: Homeland Security Report: http://tinyurl.com/t9sht
12. The National Policy Institute, estimated that the total cost of mass deportation would be between $206 and $230 billion or an average cost of between $41 and $46 billion annually over a five year period.'
Verify at: http://www.nationalpolicyinstitute.org/pdf/deportation.pdf
13. In 2006, illegal aliens sent home $45 BILLION in remittances to their countries of origin.
Verify at: http://www.rense.com/general75/niht.htm
14. 'The Dark Side of Illegal Immigration: Nearly One million sex crimes Committed by Illegal Immigrants In The United States.'
Verify at: http: www.drdsk.com/articleshtml
The total cost is a whopping $ 338.3 BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR AND IF YOU'RE HAVING TROUBLE UNDERSTANDING THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY; IT IS $338,300,000,000.00 WHICH WOULD BE ENOUGH TO STIMULATE THE ECONOMY FOR THE CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY...
Are we that stupid? Yes, for allowing the criminals in the U.S. Congress get away with this year after year.
If this doesn't bother you then just delete the message. If, on the other hand, it does create some righteous anger and indignation, I hope you forward it to every legal resident in the country including every elected representative in Washington , DC - five times a week for as long as it takes to restore some semblance of honesty and intelligence in our government policies and enforcements.
Monday, January 11, 2010
18 Random Things You Probably Didn’t Know About me, Jonathan Hunt
I thought that I would do something a little different; today. Most of my posts are more "how to" oriented than personal in nature. To shake things up a bit here are 17 random factoids about yours truly that you probably wouldn’t know by just reading this site.
1. I am not a loner. I haven't always been - as a child I did preferred to be by myself. I always thought the other kids were stupid. There are sometimes, that I can spend weeks alone and never get bored. You could say I'm my own best friend.
2. My wife, Melissa and I first met when we both worked for the same company. We've known one each other for years - I think we have the perfect relationship.
3. I listen to the Glenn Beck radio show nearly everyday. Don't always agree, but I do find him entertaining. I admit being easily amused.
4. I've held several jobs over the years, from the U.S. Marine Corp to working for a military contractor. My last job; before diving into this blog full time, was working maintenance at the Merlo Garage for Trimet.
5. I have a fifth degree black belt (Nidan) in Shotokan Karate. I competed heavily for several years winning numerous trophies and awards. Now days, I try to stay in shape but any competition is in the past.
6. I’m a big classic rock guy, although I do like some country. My favorite band is AC/DC - especially the early years. When I was young (I'm now 37) I was into heavy metal, Iron Maiden, Metallica - all the headbanging stuff.
7. I used to own a 750 Honda Nighthawk. It was so fast it was scary, I swapped it for a pickup truck. I think that decision saved my life.
8. I love food. Especially southern food. I would choose fried taters, pinto beans and cornbread over the finest steak.
9. During 1989 I spend just under 6 months living in a van on the Snake River in Oregon. My days were spent fishing, trapping, hunting, reading and sleeping. I have to say it was one of the best times of my life.
10. In the spring of 1989 I started walking. I walked from OR down to California and back again.
11. My favorite color is olive-drab.
12. I love dogs but hate cats and I even ate one in Okinawa one time.
13. I've been in several car accidents - but never while I was driving. Apparently I make people nervous and they drive into things...
14. Can't sleep with any noise in the background, even the sound of a clock ticking prevents me from going to sleep. Even the faintest sound will wake me from the deepest sleep.
15. One of my favorite movies is Dances With Wolves, and I also love Porn.
16. In the early 90's, I became a member of the militia group here in Oregon. We train hard, but like most groups never actually used our training for anything.
17. In school I was good at history, science and reading comprehension. I sucked at math.
18. And for the past 4 years I have been the President of ATU 757, A White Supremacist Organization here in Portland.
1. I am not a loner. I haven't always been - as a child I did preferred to be by myself. I always thought the other kids were stupid. There are sometimes, that I can spend weeks alone and never get bored. You could say I'm my own best friend.
2. My wife, Melissa and I first met when we both worked for the same company. We've known one each other for years - I think we have the perfect relationship.
3. I listen to the Glenn Beck radio show nearly everyday. Don't always agree, but I do find him entertaining. I admit being easily amused.
4. I've held several jobs over the years, from the U.S. Marine Corp to working for a military contractor. My last job; before diving into this blog full time, was working maintenance at the Merlo Garage for Trimet.
5. I have a fifth degree black belt (Nidan) in Shotokan Karate. I competed heavily for several years winning numerous trophies and awards. Now days, I try to stay in shape but any competition is in the past.
6. I’m a big classic rock guy, although I do like some country. My favorite band is AC/DC - especially the early years. When I was young (I'm now 37) I was into heavy metal, Iron Maiden, Metallica - all the headbanging stuff.
7. I used to own a 750 Honda Nighthawk. It was so fast it was scary, I swapped it for a pickup truck. I think that decision saved my life.
8. I love food. Especially southern food. I would choose fried taters, pinto beans and cornbread over the finest steak.
9. During 1989 I spend just under 6 months living in a van on the Snake River in Oregon. My days were spent fishing, trapping, hunting, reading and sleeping. I have to say it was one of the best times of my life.
10. In the spring of 1989 I started walking. I walked from OR down to California and back again.
11. My favorite color is olive-drab.
12. I love dogs but hate cats and I even ate one in Okinawa one time.
13. I've been in several car accidents - but never while I was driving. Apparently I make people nervous and they drive into things...
14. Can't sleep with any noise in the background, even the sound of a clock ticking prevents me from going to sleep. Even the faintest sound will wake me from the deepest sleep.
15. One of my favorite movies is Dances With Wolves, and I also love Porn.
16. In the early 90's, I became a member of the militia group here in Oregon. We train hard, but like most groups never actually used our training for anything.
17. In school I was good at history, science and reading comprehension. I sucked at math.
18. And for the past 4 years I have been the President of ATU 757, A White Supremacist Organization here in Portland.
Friday, January 8, 2010
10 Ways to Keep Warm
Since I opted to turn off the electric heat this winter and use wood I have learned so much! First it can be done. I not only have lowered my electric bill but I am getting exercise collecting, cutting, splitting and hauling in wood.
It is true that there are other things that can be done to keep warm besides changing the source of your heat.
1. Wear layers of clothing. Your body creates heat and wearing layers contains this free source of heat. Did you know polyester underwear and long underwear is considered by survivalists to be the superior fabric of choice for undies? The reason is it wicks away moisture. Both cotton and wool hold moisture which can lead to hypothermia. I choose to have many polar fleece articles of clothing. I have hats, gloves, mittens, scarves, vests, jackets, pants, pullovers, socks and a bathrobe all made from polar fleece. My mother (who is 80 years young) now loves her polar fleece pants and loved the fact that she could hem them by simply cutting them off at the bottom. Polar fleece does not unravel or fray! If you are really cold, wear a warm hat as most heat escapes from your head and the brain gets the cold message immediately.
2. Throws and lap blankets. I have one on each of my easy chairs. If I feel chilled I pull one on and snuggle with Mister T. I have wool, down, cotton and polar fleece throws and again polar fleece wins the contest for being the warmest. Last Christmas I received a Snuggle which was one of the most popular gifts of the season. It is a great idea and design but the quality of fleece used is not warm enough for my taste so I use it in the warmer months.
3. Cover furniture with polar fleece. (Sounds like I am doing a commercial for polar fleece but I am not. If there is a polar fleece company that would like to hire me to do endorsements of course I am available.) I covered my sofa with polar fleece at first to keep it clean when I had two dachshunds. What I discovered was it very warm to sit on the couch and I have noticed that company seems to head straight for the couch and always comments on how comfy it is. I highly recommend a large piece of a good quality polar fleece for your favorite perch to keep you warm.
4. Socks and Slippers. I am not a fan of socks and would prefer to be barefoot. There is a huge difference in the warmth of my body when I wear socks so I have come to accept their importance to my well being in the winter months. Coupled with a great pair of warm slippers you will not feel drafts that creep around the floor. Since hot air rises, feet are subject to this cold air.
5. Down Comforters. For years I would not even consider a down comforter for my bed. Since most birds fly south for the winter why would down be warm? Silly me. Years ago when I still lived in New England I had opportunity to go to a sleeping bag factory. At their outlet store I purchased a down sleeping bag before the zipper had been installed. This "blanket" was very toasty and held in my own body heat. It was a simple army green and I made a duvet cover for it. I had that blanket for many years and it finally met its demise to mold while being stored. Two summers ago I chanced upon a very good quality down comforter that was being sold by a woman who thought it was too warm. Since I absolutely love a cold bedroom and have my window open at night 365 nights of the year, I was thrilled to steal it for $10. Again I have a duvet cover to keep it clean and I love the warmth I feel when I cuddle with Mister T (for those of you that don't know, Mister T is my best buddy my mini black and tan dachshund).
6. Use Door Draft Stoppers. Door draft stopper or guards are filled tubes that keep cold air from creeping under doors. They can be purchased new or made easily by filling a tube sock or tube of fabric with rice, beans, sand or stuffing. They look a bit like a snake and really do the trick. If you have a dog like mine that likes to pull the innards out of stuffed animals don't make yours with stuffing!
7. Close Doors. Keep the doors closed to rooms that do not need to be heated. Just heat the areas that you sit in during the day.
8. Do leave the Bathroom Door Open. Showers and baths create lots of heat but more importantly humidity. In the winter the house dries out and the moisture from the bathroom can help tremendously. Now I understand in some family’s privacy is important. Just leave the door open after showering and don't use the fan.
9. Do Leave the Oven Door Open. Leave the oven door open after cooking and turning off the oven. Let that heat escape to warm the kitchen.
10. Do Open the Dishwasher When Washing Cycle is Finished. Once the dishes are washed open the door and let the dishes air dry. This will let the heat escape, allow the moisture to escape to humidify the house and save a bundle on electricity over a period of time.
Hopefully one or more of these suggestions will help you stay snuggie warm in the cold months. If all else fails go to the animal shelter and get a Dachshund. Dachshunds love to snuggle under the blankets and curl up and sit in your lap. They are loving, loyal, small and great substitutes for hot water bottles. Your other alternative is to go to bed early with a good book.
by Jonathan Hunt
It is true that there are other things that can be done to keep warm besides changing the source of your heat.
1. Wear layers of clothing. Your body creates heat and wearing layers contains this free source of heat. Did you know polyester underwear and long underwear is considered by survivalists to be the superior fabric of choice for undies? The reason is it wicks away moisture. Both cotton and wool hold moisture which can lead to hypothermia. I choose to have many polar fleece articles of clothing. I have hats, gloves, mittens, scarves, vests, jackets, pants, pullovers, socks and a bathrobe all made from polar fleece. My mother (who is 80 years young) now loves her polar fleece pants and loved the fact that she could hem them by simply cutting them off at the bottom. Polar fleece does not unravel or fray! If you are really cold, wear a warm hat as most heat escapes from your head and the brain gets the cold message immediately.
2. Throws and lap blankets. I have one on each of my easy chairs. If I feel chilled I pull one on and snuggle with Mister T. I have wool, down, cotton and polar fleece throws and again polar fleece wins the contest for being the warmest. Last Christmas I received a Snuggle which was one of the most popular gifts of the season. It is a great idea and design but the quality of fleece used is not warm enough for my taste so I use it in the warmer months.
3. Cover furniture with polar fleece. (Sounds like I am doing a commercial for polar fleece but I am not. If there is a polar fleece company that would like to hire me to do endorsements of course I am available.) I covered my sofa with polar fleece at first to keep it clean when I had two dachshunds. What I discovered was it very warm to sit on the couch and I have noticed that company seems to head straight for the couch and always comments on how comfy it is. I highly recommend a large piece of a good quality polar fleece for your favorite perch to keep you warm.
4. Socks and Slippers. I am not a fan of socks and would prefer to be barefoot. There is a huge difference in the warmth of my body when I wear socks so I have come to accept their importance to my well being in the winter months. Coupled with a great pair of warm slippers you will not feel drafts that creep around the floor. Since hot air rises, feet are subject to this cold air.
5. Down Comforters. For years I would not even consider a down comforter for my bed. Since most birds fly south for the winter why would down be warm? Silly me. Years ago when I still lived in New England I had opportunity to go to a sleeping bag factory. At their outlet store I purchased a down sleeping bag before the zipper had been installed. This "blanket" was very toasty and held in my own body heat. It was a simple army green and I made a duvet cover for it. I had that blanket for many years and it finally met its demise to mold while being stored. Two summers ago I chanced upon a very good quality down comforter that was being sold by a woman who thought it was too warm. Since I absolutely love a cold bedroom and have my window open at night 365 nights of the year, I was thrilled to steal it for $10. Again I have a duvet cover to keep it clean and I love the warmth I feel when I cuddle with Mister T (for those of you that don't know, Mister T is my best buddy my mini black and tan dachshund).
6. Use Door Draft Stoppers. Door draft stopper or guards are filled tubes that keep cold air from creeping under doors. They can be purchased new or made easily by filling a tube sock or tube of fabric with rice, beans, sand or stuffing. They look a bit like a snake and really do the trick. If you have a dog like mine that likes to pull the innards out of stuffed animals don't make yours with stuffing!
7. Close Doors. Keep the doors closed to rooms that do not need to be heated. Just heat the areas that you sit in during the day.
8. Do leave the Bathroom Door Open. Showers and baths create lots of heat but more importantly humidity. In the winter the house dries out and the moisture from the bathroom can help tremendously. Now I understand in some family’s privacy is important. Just leave the door open after showering and don't use the fan.
9. Do Leave the Oven Door Open. Leave the oven door open after cooking and turning off the oven. Let that heat escape to warm the kitchen.
10. Do Open the Dishwasher When Washing Cycle is Finished. Once the dishes are washed open the door and let the dishes air dry. This will let the heat escape, allow the moisture to escape to humidify the house and save a bundle on electricity over a period of time.
Hopefully one or more of these suggestions will help you stay snuggie warm in the cold months. If all else fails go to the animal shelter and get a Dachshund. Dachshunds love to snuggle under the blankets and curl up and sit in your lap. They are loving, loyal, small and great substitutes for hot water bottles. Your other alternative is to go to bed early with a good book.
by Jonathan Hunt
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
10 Traits Of A Successful Survivalist
1. They have a thirst for knowledge. There's no such thing as knowing too much, no matter how much we think we know, there is always areas where we can expand our knowledge base and survival skill set - increasing our survivability.
2. They stay busy. Preps are never complete, there's always something more we can do to increase our chance of survival. The successful survivalist knows this, and strives to do at least one thing every week to increase their level of preparedness.
3. They use what is useful. There is so much written about preparedness, both in books and on the web, that it's easy to suffer from information overload. The successful survivalist realizes that all the information given, does not pertain to their individual needs or situation, and that they must pick and choose from the information to formulate their personal survival plan.
4. They find solutions. When something doesn’t work as expected the successful survivalist will find a solution to the problem. They will make it happen.
5. They stay calm. Disaster; whether it be worldwide, nationwide, regional or personal, will be stressful - pushing many individuals past the breaking point. Those who stay calm and use reason to sort things out and determine their course of action will be the ones that survive.
6. They take responsibility. We are responsible for our survival and that of our family. A successful survivalist does not rely or count on anyone to save them. Help from neighbor's or community will be welcome but not guaranteed.
7. They are persisted. Expect most things to be difficult - acts that are commonplace today may be nearly impossible after a collapse. Survival will demand persistence, testing the fiber of even the strongest individuals.
8. They are open-minded. A successful survivalist acknowledges that advice given 30 years ago, may not be applicable to the needs and situation currently at hand. To further their chances of survival, they welcome new ideas and suggestions.
9. They don't procrastinate. A successful survivalist knows what needs to be done and does it without hesitation. In a survival situation decisions will need to be made and quickly - there will be no time for self-doubt or indecision.
10. They adapt. It has been proven that humans have an uncanny ability to adapt to their surroundings, the successful survivalist will need to be more preternatural than most, if they are to survive what is ahead.
Are you a successful survivalist?
by Jonathan Hunt
2. They stay busy. Preps are never complete, there's always something more we can do to increase our chance of survival. The successful survivalist knows this, and strives to do at least one thing every week to increase their level of preparedness.
3. They use what is useful. There is so much written about preparedness, both in books and on the web, that it's easy to suffer from information overload. The successful survivalist realizes that all the information given, does not pertain to their individual needs or situation, and that they must pick and choose from the information to formulate their personal survival plan.
4. They find solutions. When something doesn’t work as expected the successful survivalist will find a solution to the problem. They will make it happen.
5. They stay calm. Disaster; whether it be worldwide, nationwide, regional or personal, will be stressful - pushing many individuals past the breaking point. Those who stay calm and use reason to sort things out and determine their course of action will be the ones that survive.
6. They take responsibility. We are responsible for our survival and that of our family. A successful survivalist does not rely or count on anyone to save them. Help from neighbor's or community will be welcome but not guaranteed.
7. They are persisted. Expect most things to be difficult - acts that are commonplace today may be nearly impossible after a collapse. Survival will demand persistence, testing the fiber of even the strongest individuals.
8. They are open-minded. A successful survivalist acknowledges that advice given 30 years ago, may not be applicable to the needs and situation currently at hand. To further their chances of survival, they welcome new ideas and suggestions.
9. They don't procrastinate. A successful survivalist knows what needs to be done and does it without hesitation. In a survival situation decisions will need to be made and quickly - there will be no time for self-doubt or indecision.
10. They adapt. It has been proven that humans have an uncanny ability to adapt to their surroundings, the successful survivalist will need to be more preternatural than most, if they are to survive what is ahead.
Are you a successful survivalist?
by Jonathan Hunt
Monday, January 4, 2010
The Perfect Storm - Overpopulation and Lack of Resources
I know a lot of people think we have room for a few billion more and in a sense we do - If all you consider is sheer volume of land mass and not available resources, then yes, we have standing room for a few billion more.
But land mass does not equal sustainability, fertile productive land does. Alaska has over 378,242,560 acres or roughly one acre for every American. But try to support that population with the resources available solely in that area and you will experience a lack of resources leading to mass die off to a sustainable level.
All land is not created equal, nor suitable for human habitation, food production, clean water, energy, waste disposal, housing etc, should all be taken into consideration when weighing carrying capacity against population. The amount of land needed to support an individual goes far beyond were he lives.
We should also consider population of a given area, take for instance San Francisco or New York City - both major population centers who's populations are sustained through importation of necessities. If outside imports were suddenly cut off, neither could sustain their populations for very long.
To put it another way, say you have three people in a given area but only sufficient resources to sustain two of them - then the area is essentially overpopulated no matter how vast the land area maybe. They have exceeded the carrying capacity of their environment.
With that being said, overpopulation is not the most significant contributing factor (at least not yet) to a lack of resources, but an inefficient use of the resources available. For example; Despite steadily increasing need for food production, we continue to divert prime agriculture land into other non-sustaining forms of land use.
Another problem is many feel a need to "keep up with the Joneses" and the sense of entitlement, whimpering at the slightest inconvenience, delay, or restriction. Why have a 3,000 square foot home when 1,000 would suffice? Why a Hummer when a small compact car will get you from point A to point B as just as quickly while consuming fewer resources?
They have what I call "the look at me" syndrome, were their entire existence consists of trying to impress everyone else around them, no matter the cost or expenditure of resources. I'm fully convinced that at least 75% or more of the average family's financial assets are dedicated to feeding this syndrome.
As you can see; overpopulation is only one of many contributing factors to resource depletion, poor management of existing resources, greed and a sense of entitlement are also taking their toll.
If the resources required to sustain a given area are consumed faster than they can be renewed, then that area is overpopulated and will collapse without huge amounts of cheap imports from other areas.
The availability of cheap oil has made this possible by keeping shipping cost and retail prices low at a consumer level. As the demand for oil and other resources outstrip production and supply, look for prices to rise and supplies to contract accordingly, leading to shortages and chaos especially in areas suffering from overpopulation.
As individuals there isn't a lot we can do to change this, the only feasible thing for us to do is to get out of major population areas and become as self-reliant as possible, by simplifying our life and reducing our needs, for outside imports.
While it may be impossible to become totally self-reliant, at least for an extended period of time, we as survivalists should see this amount of self-sufficiency as our ultimate goal, and plan accordingly.
What do you think - do we need a few billion more people or have we already passed our limit?
by Jonathan Hunt
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Living In A Travel Trailer In Winter
Travel trailers are hot in summer and bitter cold in winter. There isn't much you can do about that, it's the nature of the thing and something you've got to live with, if you decide to live in a tin box.
I do whatever I can to keep the temperature at a bearable level - even a gain of five or ten degree is a big deal when you wear thermal underwear to bed and.
The first thing I did was tape plastic over the windows and check the seal around the door. Next I replaced the light weight "summer curtains" with heavy weight acrylic fleece curtains (made from material bought at Wal-Mart) to further block drafts and keep the heat in and the cold out.
My trailer has two ceiling vents, one in the bedroom and another in the bathroom. These are great in summer to let the heat out, unfortunately during the winter months they let a lot of heat out and cold in.
I cut two pillows from a four inch thick piece of foam bedding. These were cut slightly larger than the space for the vents so they could be pushed into place and held by friction.
From an old emergency blanket, I cut pieces large enough to cover the pillows on all sides then neatly folded and taped this over the pillows forming a reflective cover. They are easily removed if needed and should keep the heat in and cold out.
Travel trailer doors are poorly insulated and have single paned glass, as a result they aren't very energy efficient. I taped plastic over the windows. I hang a heavy wool blanket over the door during cold snaps.
I also lined the walls inside the closets, shelves and under my bed with reflective type insulation. This is the first time I've used this type of material, so I can't guarantee the performance, the reviews I've read were positive. If you've used this material or have other ideas for winterizing a travel trailer, please leave feedback in the comments below.
by Jonathan Hunt
I do whatever I can to keep the temperature at a bearable level - even a gain of five or ten degree is a big deal when you wear thermal underwear to bed and.
The first thing I did was tape plastic over the windows and check the seal around the door. Next I replaced the light weight "summer curtains" with heavy weight acrylic fleece curtains (made from material bought at Wal-Mart) to further block drafts and keep the heat in and the cold out.
My trailer has two ceiling vents, one in the bedroom and another in the bathroom. These are great in summer to let the heat out, unfortunately during the winter months they let a lot of heat out and cold in.
I cut two pillows from a four inch thick piece of foam bedding. These were cut slightly larger than the space for the vents so they could be pushed into place and held by friction.
From an old emergency blanket, I cut pieces large enough to cover the pillows on all sides then neatly folded and taped this over the pillows forming a reflective cover. They are easily removed if needed and should keep the heat in and cold out.
Travel trailer doors are poorly insulated and have single paned glass, as a result they aren't very energy efficient. I taped plastic over the windows. I hang a heavy wool blanket over the door during cold snaps.
I also lined the walls inside the closets, shelves and under my bed with reflective type insulation. This is the first time I've used this type of material, so I can't guarantee the performance, the reviews I've read were positive. If you've used this material or have other ideas for winterizing a travel trailer, please leave feedback in the comments below.
by Jonathan Hunt
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Build a Survival Arsenal You can be Proud Of
Some time ago I wrote The Poor Man's Survival Arsenal and The Poor Man's Survival Arsenal Revisited, both articles detailed a bare bones set of firearms – this basic set of firearms would cover everything from foraging to self defense, yet be low cost.
This post expands on the concept of building an arsenal while considering different budgets and needs. For some (myself included) spending $5,000 or more for a set of firearms is impossible, for others this would be no problem.
Below I’ll outline five arsenals covering a broad range of tasks, needs and budgets. If nothing else my suggestions should generate discourse.
I work at Wal-Mart Arsenal
1. Mosin Nagant 91 rifle
2. Single Shot .12 gauge
3. Smith&Wesson model 10
The Government Welfare Arsenal
1. Short Magazine Lee-Enfield
2. Mossberg Maverick 88 12 gauge pump
3. Smith&Wesson model 10
4. Ruger 10/22
I have a full time Job Arsenal
1. Ruger Mini-14 Ranch Rifle
2. Mossberg 500 12 Gauge
3. Glock Model 19
4. Ruger 10/22
Two Jobs and Maxed Credit Card Arsenal
1. Ruger Mini-14 Ranch Rifle
2. Reminton 870 express with spare riot barrel
3. Glock 19
4. Ruger 10/22
5. Winchester Model 70 in .308 Win.
6. Taurus CIA Model 850 .38 SPL. Revolver
And Finally the Yuppie Survival Arsenal
1. L1A1 Rifle chambered in .308 Winchester
2. Remington Model 7 bolt action chambered in .223
3. Winchester Model 70 in 308 Win.
4. Remington 870 express with spare riot gun barrel
5. Colt 1911 A1 .45 ACP
6. Taurus CIA Model 850 .38 SPL. Revolver
7. Savage Model 24F .223 Remington over 12 gauge (if you can find one used)
8. Ruger 10/22
"So - what do you think? What would you add or take away from the suggestions given above (had to ask)?"
Pocket Pistols For Survival
I'm sure many readers will question the logic of including a “pocket pistol” in the survival battery. After all there are better, more effective tools available for self-defense and survival.
I agree there are better weapons for saving your skin. But the pocket pistol, being small and light is likely to be with you when you need it and not left behind because you didn't want to carry the weight and bulk of a more effective weapon.
Even a mid-size handgun like the Glock19 can be a pain to lug around all day, especially while doing chores like cutting firewood, mending fence or tending the garden. A small handgun like the Beretta 21A Bobcat can be carried all day, without any trouble and be available when needed.
For example; a few days ago I was picking tomatoes from the garden, dusk was filling the sky and I was in a hurry to get what I needed to fill the canner, before the last minutes of light slipped into darkness.
Just as I was reaching in to pluck a big juicy red one from the vine I spotted a torquata lying beneath the plants on the ground - to be honest, when I saw the thing, I nearly pooped my pants.
The first shot from the little Beretta Bobcat missed by about two inches (danged small sites) it quickly curled into strike mode, the second and third shot found the target.
It measured 30 inches end to end and was as fat as I've ever seen. I hope this is the same one that bit my dog a few nights ago. He has been bitten two times within the last four months. Looks like after getting hit the first time he would have learned his lesson. But then he's always been kinda slow.
I always carry the Beretta in my hip pocket when working around the place, it's not the best defensive tool, but it's always there; unlike the 12-gauge taking up space in the rack.
It's been said before that a handgun is best used to fight your way back to your shotgun or rifle. I couldn't agree more.
What do you think are pocket pistols useful for the Survivalist?
Let me know your comments on this.
Friday, January 1, 2010
How To Survive 2012
Fear of an uncertain future, spurred by disasters protections put forth by interpretation of the ancient Maya cyclical calendar, have many people clamoring for answers and advice. For example; over the past several months, I've received over 100 e-mails from readers, seeking information on how to survive 2012.
The general consensus is that on Dec. 21, 2012, when the Maya's "Long Count" calendar ends, the world will be thrown into apocalyptic chaos. Predictions range from polar reversal, shattering earthquakes, massive tidal waves, simultaneous volcanic eruptions, sunspots and sun flares, to peaceful transition into 2013.
The truth is no one knows for certain what will transpire Dec. 21, 2012. Throughout history there have been many predictions of the end of the world, but the end hasn't happened - yet. I put little faith in doomsday predictions or dates - most are nothing more than guesswork motivated by the agenda of the prophesier.
Yet, doomsday predictions for the year 2012 do have at least some validity, backed by scientific evidence, for example; NASA published predictions of a new solar cycle in 2011 or 2012, that it (NASA) says could wreak havoc with the power grid and electronic medium during that time.
I don't know what, if anything, will happen on Dec. 21, 2012 - no one does. My advice is to plan and prep as usual and to be as prepared as possible for whatever the future may hold, whether it be economic collapse, tyranny, peak-oil, climate change, infectious disease or Mayan doomsday.
by Jonathan Hunt
The general consensus is that on Dec. 21, 2012, when the Maya's "Long Count" calendar ends, the world will be thrown into apocalyptic chaos. Predictions range from polar reversal, shattering earthquakes, massive tidal waves, simultaneous volcanic eruptions, sunspots and sun flares, to peaceful transition into 2013.
The truth is no one knows for certain what will transpire Dec. 21, 2012. Throughout history there have been many predictions of the end of the world, but the end hasn't happened - yet. I put little faith in doomsday predictions or dates - most are nothing more than guesswork motivated by the agenda of the prophesier.
Yet, doomsday predictions for the year 2012 do have at least some validity, backed by scientific evidence, for example; NASA published predictions of a new solar cycle in 2011 or 2012, that it (NASA) says could wreak havoc with the power grid and electronic medium during that time.
I don't know what, if anything, will happen on Dec. 21, 2012 - no one does. My advice is to plan and prep as usual and to be as prepared as possible for whatever the future may hold, whether it be economic collapse, tyranny, peak-oil, climate change, infectious disease or Mayan doomsday.
by Jonathan Hunt
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