Cleaning after the SHTF...

As a Kid one of my monthly chores was to help my Great -GrandMother make soap. A total pain in the butt and time consuming. Anybody that wears clothes knows they have to be washed. How to do this when the SHTF and ya can't get to Harvey's?

So I was searching internet the other day and came across a thread on making your own laundry detergent, so I figured I would try it. It worked great for me, its cheap and easy to make, you can make much more than 1 batch, and the items are multi-purpose; all of which are a BIG plus.

The Recipe: Liquid Laundry Soap Makes Enough for About 180 Loads 1 each, Bar - Fels Naptha soap (or Ivory) 1 cup - Washing soda 1/2 cup - Borax 1 - 5 gal. HDPE plastic utility bucket with lid. Grate the Fels Naptha soap into small pieces. You can chop it with a knife, cheese grater, or food processor (the finer, the better).
Heat four quarts of water in a large, heavy saucepan on top of stove and add soap, stirring constantly till melted. This will take a while depending on the size of your grated pieces.

Meanwhile, fill the five gallon bucket half full with warm water. Add the 1 cup of washing soda and the 1/2 cup of Borax and stir well. When soap is melted pour into bucket, then continue to fill bucket with warm water until full. Stir well and let sit overnight until cool. This "concentrate" will thicken as it sits. Stir before using.

Now, I use this concentrate straight out of the bucket and use 1/3 cup per large load. The original instructions said to save an old laundry detergent container, fill half full with concentrate then add water to top. Shake and use 5/8ths cup per large load. Repeat till your concentrate is gone. This will give you 10 gallons of laundry detergent. That just seemed more trouble than necessary. So I use the concentrate as-is.
No need to have to make room for another container. You will have enough leftover soda and Borax to make approximately five more buckets of detergent.

My results:I was extremely impressed in how EASY this was to make. I made a 5 gallon bucket in under 30 minutes, and thats with grating the soap. Now I could not find the Fels Naptha soap at several grocery stores and Walmart, so I used 1 bar of Ivory soap. Check your local Ace hardware store, they may have Fels there. And as the instructions say, after you are done mixing, let cool overnight, it will kinda gel up that is Normal, just stir it and get the amount you need.
I have washed several loads of laundry so far and I was (and my wife) pretty impressed (and the wife was skeptical, especially when it calls for 1/3 of cup per large load). The clothes come out clean and have a gentle smell to them. If you want your clothes to smell more, add some liquid fabric softner to the load or a dryer sheet. This will cost under $15.00 to make.

If you're not set up with alternative energy, the washing machine ain't gonna work. Get a large metal tub. Heat water on a fire and add to clothes. Make a strong stir stick. After the wash, let the water cool, pour out and add clean water for rinseing. Squeeze out and hang up to dry. If you want to get wrinkles out. Go to a flea market or antique store, buy a metal iron. Heat and Iron. This is also a pain in the butt but...

Good Morning Patriots. I am posting this link so that if there are any interested People who feel that they want to join a group or form a group in their area, try this link:

http://www.americanresistancemovement.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=616&p=5618&sid=545358ec8c1d8944359472810d85f1bd#p5618

I also am re-posting a post I received from another group I am a member of. I am currently involved in too many groups to keep up with. I suffered burn out for awhile due to over-load. There are so many things going on at once that it's hard to keep up. I am culling these groups to what "fits my needs". This site, A.R.M., Alarm & Muster, and Tea Party Patriots are my limit for the new year. We must be ready when the ball drops. Phone calls, emails and faxes aren't working on this government. At some point America's Patriots are going to be to the test, Are WE up to the task? I think so. I also think its going to be long, hard fight but WE will prevail.

http://neithercorp.us/npress/?p=159
Please read this link. It explains what it means to be a survivalist today. I am sure some of you have family that think if you prep, you're a little crazy/paranoid. Mine does but as soon as the SHTF they'll be asking for shelter. This link will help/give ideas on how to respond.
Let me wish all a MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Missing in action

As I explained earlier in a post, I have been very active with TEA PARTY PATRIOTS and ALARM AND MUSTER. I don't feel its enough to tell you how to prep, I put my butt out on the front lines also. Trips to Washington, Savannah and Atlanta keeps me moving. More should do this, not just to show solidarity but to also make contacts with like minded People who You will need when the SHTF.

When I tried to log in to do a post early November, it was a bit8h to log in and/or get back to this site. I have just now managed this. The first thing I saw was a warning concerning copy righted material. I had nothing to do with this. I apologise if this caused any problems. Maybe I can keep it from happing again.

Meanwhile, continue to put up extra food. What I do is, one week I spend extra for things that will help stretch meals, the next I buy ammo. I am set pretty well as it is. I would like to extend a hand out to some that may not be as fortunate. I have room for 10 People (prefer couples) kids are a plus and I don't count them - even though they eat also. They can work gardens, gather eggs etc. We have women that are teachers, child care providers and cooks. We will all find our niche in time. Must be dedicated to self-defense and the betterment of the Group.

More than anything, I want to wish everyone a MERRY CHRISTMAS this year. WE will see what next year brings....

Survival in a Backpack?

Backpack Survival - by Duncan Long, 1989

Many of us who are preppers know a person or two who plans to just "bug out" at the first sign of anything bad - let's look at this in more detail and see what it would actually take for someone to survive with just what they could carry on their back.

Excerpt:

There's a lot of confusion about what survival means. To some, it's getting through the aftermath of an airplane wreck in a desolate area. It can mean knowing when to avoid walking in radioactive wastes. Or, it can mean knowing how to barter with troops in the aftermath of riots, war, and looting. To others, survival has to do with avoiding danger and knowing how to deal with it when it breaks into your home in the dead of night.

Survival ideas abound and there are as many definitions and strategies as there are survivalists. Some have good ideas for survival and some have unsound tactics. Bad ideas can mean extra work or trouble in everyday life; bad ideas during a survival situation get you killed. On-the-job training doesn't work when you're dealing with poison and gunfights. Or survival.

One of the most dangerous ideas--as far as I'm concerned--is that of "backpack survival."

A "back-pack survivalist" is a survivalist that plans on leaving his home ahead of a disaster and taking to the woods with only what he can carry out with him. He plans to survive through a strategy that is a sort of cross between the Boy-Scout-in-the-woods and Robinson Crusoe. The backpack survivalist plans on outrunning danger with a four-wheel drive or a motorcycle and hopes to travel light with a survival kit of everything he might need to cope with the unexpected. He hasn't cached anything in the area he's headed for because, chances are, he doesn't know where he's headed. Somehow, he hopes to overcome all odds with a minimum of supplies and a maximum of smarts. Certainly it is a noble cause; but it seems like one destined to failure. And that's not survival. . . . .more here

originally posted on TN Preppers Network by Prepared In TN

Great First Aid Kits

Here's another great article from Popular Mechanics that I thought I'd share with you all:

The 7 Best First Aid Kits For Any Situation

Happy Thanksgiving

What is Hardship?

Guest post from Ohio Preppers Network.

Hardship drill

Fire drills. Hurricane/tornado evacuation drills. Home intruder drills. Bug-out drills. All essential activities to engage in as part of your and your families preps. However, these address preparing for more or less single isolated events-- although you should also prepare for the aftermath. But what about preparing for hardships like job loss? Sure, you have a cache of food stores, hopefully of cash on hand, etc. What more can you do?

I'd like to suggest the "Hardship Drill." A Hardship Drill is a longer-term prepping activity designed to help you and your family learn how to deal with deprivation. Here's what I have in mind, but each family could tailor this to their own situation and habits.

I'm suggesting that each family member give up something for a week. That something should now be a regular item in the family's budget, and preferably one that ain't cheap. It could be a service like home internet, cable TV (hey Dad, can you live for a week without NFL ticket?), or cell phone service (or maybe just the texting feature). Whatever it is, it should be something you are now spending money on that might find itself on the chopping block if you are forced to cut expenses. Alternatively, the entire family could give up the same thing and go through withdrawl together!

I know some of you are living a real Hardship Drill that's lasting longer than a week. What do you think? Is it worth preparing for the psychological effects of "downsizing" a household?

Saving Electricity Dollars

Saving on your electric bill

If you're a frugal prepper then you want to save money everywhere you can. You're electric bill is probably the easiest place to find waste that you can start to cut out. I'll tell you a little bit about what we've done to kill the watts in our Bug-In-Location. (I call it that, because we've always lived in areas that we would want to be if things ever get real bad...if the SHTF, we're bugging in, not out)

Our first choice was location. If you have a choice on where to live and want to focus on reduced energy costs, then choose a place in the northern states, preferably where firewood is accessible. I'll get into firewood more in a bit, because the focus right now is how my wife got our electric bill down to $51 in the month of July and about $60 in the month of August.

By living up north the need for air conditioning is minimal...Even if it's what we'd consider hot, it's not like you're going to die if you don't have air conditioning. Yes we do have one small window mounted unit, but it's rarely ever used and only as an amenity.

Here are some more tips:
*Insulation: If you are looking for a home, then get one with thick walls and adequate insulation. Our home is built with 2x6 exterior walls. Now I'm not a building expert but I do know the better the R value the better insulated your home is. This is even good to pay attention to in hot climates as you want to keep the heat out and the cool in. Make sure you have proper vapor barriers, and have sealed all drafts and that the attic and floor are also well insulated. Solid Core wood doors and double pane insulated windows are also a must. Wood transfers less heat than metal.

*Color: For siding, go with light colors rather than dark. Light colors reflect heat better and will actually reduce heat build up by several degrees. Do this with the roof also as that is where the direct exposure to the sun is. Now if you live in an area that is normally cool in the summer and very cold in the winter you may just want to do the opposite to absorb as much heat as possible.

*Shade Trees: we have tall trees and mountains where we live so our home receives a substantial amount of shade keeping it cool even in the summer months

*Windows: In the summer, when it's cool outside at night open your windows to cool the inside, then close them during the day. Keep the curtains closed to keep the sunlight out. In the winter, keep the windows closed and curtains open to draw in the sunlight for natural warmth

*Appliances and electronics: Keep them unplugged when not using them. Yes, most appliances and electronics still continue to consume energy even when they are turned off

*Hot Water Heater: We use this as a convenience...Really, do you need hot water to survive? If we did away with this amenity I'm sure we would have had a $25 electric bill rather than a $51 bill. But if you must use it, then turn the temperature down so that it's bearable to run your hand in the hot water even with the cold water turned off.

*Dryer: This is probably the next biggest loser of electricity next to hot water heaters....Come on now, use a clothes line! This one isn't rocket science.

*Turn out the lights: We see no need to have the lights on during the day, and go to bed when it's dark. Do you have kids and find this to be a tough rule to enforce? Then swap out your switches with switches that have motion detectors, light sensors, and timers. They can be set to only come on when it's dark and when someone moves in the room, this also makes for a great safety feature. When no one is moving in the room they will shut off automatically. We're staying with the incandescents because while they may use more watts they are dirt cheap to buy compared to the CFL's and are non-toxic. We plan to stock up on them before 2010 when they will no longer be sold in stores...If you rarely use them to begin with, then why not? I'd almost bet that I have incandescents that are used so rarely that they'll last longer than a CFL bulb that gets used constantly.

*Buy Energy Star Appliances: All of our appliances are new...Our newest addition is a Kenmore Energy Star freezer and is said to only use about $35 worth of electricity per year. Got more time on your hands, then can your food...Who says you have to have a freezer to store food anyway? If the grid goes down your freezer will only work as a box to store dry goods in anyway. This is another amenity.

And lastly, my favorite, Wood Stoves:

It's easier and cheaper to keep a home warm than it is to keep it cool if you have access to firewood. We live in Northern Idaho on acreage so wood is basically free. Despite what environmentalists say, it's good to burn firewood if you have an efficient wood stove. A dead tree is breeding grounds for beetles that kill more trees and adds to the danger of forest fires if not removed. Do the forest and your neighbors a favor and remove the dead trees, check local laws first. If it's gonna burn, might as well be inside your fireplace keeping your house warm and reducing the strain on the grid rather becoming a danger to the forest. If the dead tree rots, termites and other insects that devour it will release methane into the atmosphere adding to the infamous "Global Warming"...LOL...If Environmentalists had any sense they would be proponents of efficient wood stoves for heating homes....A wood stove can also be used to cook your food, heat water, and dry your clothes (No, don't put your clothes on the stove, hang them a safe distance well away from the stove so they don't catch on fire.) Always consult with a professional and follow proper instructions on the usage of wood stoves. Our Wood stove is installed in the basement which is common practice where we live. Heat rises, therefore the whole house is heated more uniformly, again, check local laws and codes and seek professional advice before installing a wood stove.

I have several more tips about saving on power, just cant seem to think of any more off the top of my head at the moment. The most important thing to remember is every little bit helps. If it wasn't for "wanting" the amenities like the hot water, computer, and freezer, we could go off grid tomorrow, and use a generator when we really need power.

Posted by American Prepper

Window Greenhouse

Ultra Micro Greenhouse

Author The Scavenger
JohnsonFamilyFarm.blogspot.com

This was just an experiment and it worked great for me. I took a plastic juice jug which I have plenty of and made a Ultra Mirco Greenhouse. I just cut the jug in two, placed some compost inside and planted my seeds. Add a little water and put the top half back on, be sure to replace the lid this also it helps to keep the heat and the water inside. I only watered them when I first planted them and that's it. Seeds sprouted in just a few days. Set them in the window sill so they can get some sun and watch them grow. After your sprouts get a few inches high move them into a larger container.

This is a great idea to get a jump start on your Victory Garden. Raising food is a must for any long term survival situation or self sufficent life.

I used what I had on hand at the time which must be practiced in these situations.

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Personal Security - Get A Dog?

Before you get a dog

Before you get a dog, planning and research are in order. After all, this dog will become a member of your family and survival group. As in all things, the 5 P’s prevail: Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance.

First, list what you want from the dog. Is the dog expected to protect people, protect property, give alarm, reduce vermin (rats and such), hunt, raise morale, more? Put those characteristics in order of priority. Most breeds of dog are specialized. They will do some things superbly, and others not at all. Hunting dogs are further specialized into hunting by sight (grayhounds, etc) and by scent (most hounds, among others). Only one breed of dog has been successful at both guarding and hunting as far as I know, that would be the Rhodesian Ridgeback. Hunting dogs generally will protect the person and family, but will not protect property – my neighbor’s Golden Retriever ignored the people that ransacked his house while he was working. Guard dogs are normally hopeless at hunting – my herding dog simply doesn’t understand fetch, let alone hunting.

Next, list your care constraints. How much room do you have? How much can you apply to purchase, training and continuing care? How much time will you give to the dog? Larger dogs need more room, some breeds need room to run. Walking and grooming the dog are continuing needs that take up different amounts of time depending on the dog and breed. Long-hair breeds need lots of combing, but handle cold weather well. Short-hair breeds don’t need as much grooming and are better in warm weather (but they still shed lots of fur, it just comes off easier). If there are allergies to consider, a poodle may be the only choice. Because of their hair, poodles can be kept by people that are allergic to dogs.

Once you have your two lists, research to find the best fit. http://www.justdogbreeds.com/ is a good place to start. Settle on the breed(s) that will work for you.

Posted by tweell
Visit: Arizona Preppers Network


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Grab and Go Info

A Prepping Essential: The Grab-n-Go Binder

Author: The Survival Mom
TheSurvivalMom.com

In a panic situation, which happens around my house quite often, actually, people lose their wits. The extra adrenaline produced by the human body at such a moment causes confusion and the sense of events happening in slow motion.

It can even cause some of the same symptoms as a heart attack.

Can you imagine the level of adrenaline in your body if you suddenly got news of a dangerous chemical spill in your area or of a wildfire that had taken an abrupt turn toward your neighborhood?

Officials tell you to evacuate now.

Where on earth do you start??

Being prepared beforehand will calm your nerves and give you focus. A Grab-and-Go Binder is a vital part of your Family Preparedness Plan, and is one of the first things you should put together. This binder will contain all of the most pertinent information in one place for any type emergency.

You can be at least one jump ahead of all that adrenaline because you’ll have your important documents all together in one place. It may take some time to gather all the records you need, but start now with what you have. In my opinion, “prepping” is no time to be a perfectionist. Do what you can, when you can, and you’ll be far more prepared than the average person.

For this project you’ll need a 1-2″ three-ring binder, a set of tabbed dividers, and a copy machine. A box of plastic page protectors will keep your documents clean and unwrinkled. Your binder will be unique to your family, but here are some suggestions to get you started.

Financial Documents:
1. copies of the fronts and backs of debit/credit cards
2. copies of house and car titles
3. copy of your will
4. names, addresses and phone numbers of all our banks
5. other important documents related to employment and/or a family business
6. copies of your insurance policies (life, health, auto, homeowners, etc.)

Personal Documents:
1. names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses of relatives and close friends
2. include copies of:
* marriage license
* birth certificates
* drivers licenses
* CCW permits
* pet vaccine records
3. a list of firearm serial numbers
4. legal documents pertaining to child custody matters
5. recent photos of each family member and each pet
6. color photos of your house and each room in the house
7. photos of anything of particular value
8. passports — put them in a plastic page protector and seal the top with tape

Medical Documents:
1. copy of health insurance cards
2. a list of blood types for each family member
3. names, addresses and phone numbers of all doctors
4. medical histories of each family member
5. immunization records

With your finished Grab-and-Go Binder, you’ll have the peace of mind knowing that your family can focus on a quick bug-out, without trying to retrieve important family records.

What’s in your Binder? I’d love to hear of anything unique to your family that you included!

Instant Survival Tip: Grab-n-Go Updates

Author: The Survival Mom
TheSurvivalMom.com

Two of my readers offered excellent tips for the Grab-and-Go Binder. Squantos suggests having more than one copy of the Binder. Keep one copy in a home safe or fireproof lock box. To keep it waterproof, double-bag it in two Zip-Loc style bags or use a SEAL bag for safekeeping.

A second copy of your binder should be kept in a safe deposit box in a location at least 50 miles from your home. I think this is a great idea if you find yourself unable to return home to get your hard copy. Additionally, consider electronic storage of your information on something like a USB Fob (can keep it on a keychain or hang around your neck, example here), a mini disk or other storage device. Thanks, Squantos!

Reader Apple Pan Dowdy reminded me of the need for good maps! I can’t tell you how many times we have been halfway to Disneyland only to realize we don’t have any road maps and we have to guess our way there. Maps are vital to a safe evacuation, and I have much to tell you on the topic, but for now have a good road map of your state and the surrounding states. That would be a very good start.

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Gadgets and Tools

Here's a neat list over at Popular Mechanics that you should check out:

8 Tools and Gadgets to Prepare Your Home For Any Disaster

About Firestarters

Gear Review: Fire Starters

Author: Mathiasj
Kentucky-Preppers-Network.blogspot.com

Making a fire is the most important thing in a survival situation. It can provide you with warmth, food, and a huge moral booster. Fire is also useful when camping and for fellowship of friends and family. There are many different ways to start a fire and knowing different ways to start a fire is important whether you're in a survival situation or not. A fire needs 3 elements to burn (fire triangle) heat, fuel, and oxygen. Sufficient heat is needed to start any fire, and the proper fuel to oxygen ratio is needed to keep a fire going.

First off is the trusty lighter or matches. Every prepper should have a few packs of quality Bic lighters put back, and a few thousand matches. This is the easiest way to start a fire. When starting any fire you will need something to burn to get the wood going. Newspaper is good to use to start a fire, and those free want ad papers at gas stations are great to have on hand. You want to stay away from using fuels to light a fire, especially if you plan on cooking over the fire. You run the risk of getting those chemicals on your food.

The next best thing to a lighter or matches is a firesteel. A firesteel should be part of every preppers survival kit. Whether it's your get home bag, everyday carry, bug out bag, or camping supplies; a firesteel is invaluable. If you're lighter runs out, or your matches get wet, your fire steel is your last line of defense so to speak. A firesteel works by moving a metal blade across a magnesium alloy to create sparks that can get up to 5,500°F. Those hot sparks can be thrown on a number of different types of tinder to start a flame that will light your fire. Firesteels can even be used in the rain or snow and will last for around 12,000 strikes.

Here are some ideas for tinder:
-Vaseline Soaked Cotton Balls
-Hand Sanitizer Soaked Cotton Balls
-Dryer Lint
-Pine Needles
-Dried Grass
-Unraveled twine

There are a lot of ways to start fires in the wilderness if you don't have a lighter or firesteel. I will do a part 2 to this post detailing some ways to start a fire without them. This post is to show that you need to have these things on hand so you don't have to rub sticks together to try to keep yourself warm at night. A firesteel can fit in your pocket and is a crucial part of your everyday carry.

Why Store Food?

The Basics of Being Prepared with Food & Why We Should Do It

In this country, we have become used to a certain way of living. We don’t have to hunt for food any more, our time is taken up with making or spending money and we have time for leisure activities and hobbies. Time for household chores has been cut dramatically, and cooking can be as quick as you want it. You can “drive thru”, go to a restaurant, cook on the bbq, create a home made masterpiece or “nuke” a hot pocket. Your local grocer has everything you could ever want to feed your family.

There are several problems with this.

The first is especially obvious in these current times, and that is the economy. Food prices are rising, nothing goes down…well, unless you believe in Wal Mart’s “roll back” pricing signs! Our very paycheck is at risk these days with such high unemployment. The prices go up even more when gas prices increase, which brings us to reason #2.

Our lovely, fully stocked grocer is only 3-7 days away from being almost empty! Your grocer (drug store, gas station, home depot) depends on a delivery to remain stocked. Raise the price of transport, raise the price of groceries. Stop the transport (due to a flu pandemic, an electrical outage, a natural disaster etc) and stop the groceries.

Nasty stuff is out there…we’ve heard of the poisonings and illnesses created by eating contaminated food. The government has the controls in place to prevent much of that, but they’d rather create more restrictive bills that will have us relying on big agribusiness. (another rant and a debate for another time lol). However, from time to time, things will slip by FDA and inspectors. Much of the problem is because we are spoiled and continue to demand food from other countries, out of season. We can add to that, our needs are so great that farms use chemicals to ensure the demand is met. This all can be solved by following what is called “The Hundred Mile Diet”. Eat food that is locally grown! Not only are you supporting local economy, you are eating food that is better adapted to your body. It’s also more likely to be less contaminated with harsh chemicals. Better yet, grow your own! A by-product of our eating habits is that we don’t always make meals that were once considered wholesome, hearty and healthy. We view them as too plain or fattening. This need not be true! All we need to do is make appropriate substitutions. But by fixing your own food from scratch, you definitely help with a variety of issues. Not to mention that your family will be very happy.

So, what does this have to do with Being Prepared? Well, the first thing that you need if something goes wrong, is food. FEMA, Homeland Security, Ready.gov, every state in the country, and even the White House suggest that every family be prepared for an emergency/interruption of services with food and water for 72 hours. However, that wouldn’t have done the people stranded in Katrina much good! The NEW suggestion is that you have at least 2 weeks worth of food, if not 30 days. That is the beginning of your basic food “preps” (preparations/emergency supplies).

So, how do you go about getting 2 weeks to 30 days worth of food? Do you have to resort to buying MRE’s (meals ready to eat like Army rations)? Are you going to turn into one of those wierdo’s that lives in a bunker with a thousand cans of Spam? Of course not, and it’s easy to do!

I follow the principle of “storing what I eat and eating what I store”. It’s kind of like having my own grocery store. It’s what used to be known as a full pantry in the old days.

Every time I go grocery shopping, when something I use is on sale, I get as many of that item as I can afford. For instance, we eat spaghetti often. When pasta is on sale, I pick up 10 boxes instead of two. When spaghetti sauce is on sale, I pick up 10 cans/jars. The shelf life of pasta (properly stored) is about 10 years. The shelf life of your canned/jarred sauce is about 5 years. I know that I have enough food for 10 meals without my family noticing that I haven’t been to the store! Of course, I do the same with tuna and mayo, flour and sugar and many other things. Make a menu for three meals a day for a week. All the stuff you would normally make, include comfort foods like brownie stuff) and then multiply the ingredients by 4 and then as the items go on sale, you can purchase enough. Soon, you will have enough to feed the family for a month with no hassles.

Consider why this might come in handy:
Economic/unemployment
Flu/quarantine (yes, the government CAN quarantine you for 2 weeks! NO trips to the store)
Natural disaster (hurricane, earthquake, fire)
Civil unrest (probably due to unemployment and high taxes lol)
Martial Law
Terror Attack

Your first responsibility to yourself and your family is to feed them, then defend them…can’t defend, can’t start a new life, can’t wait till the problem is solved if you starve to death!) You can’t be a Patriot and fight the government when they have food and you don’t.

Author: HerbalPagan
Visit: GreenSurviving.blogspot.com
Massachusettspreppersnetwork.blogspot.com

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Introducing Children To Prepping

INSTANT SURVIVAL TIP: Survival-Savvy Kids Literature

Author: The Survival Mom
TheSurvivalMom.com

Are your kids wondering why, all of a sudden, they’re seeing buckets of wheat around the house, and Mom is reading up on how to can meat? Our kids are already hearing about job losses, families losing their homes, and it’s no wonder that many of them are pretty anxious about current events.

A great way to talk with them about your own plans for being prepared for hard times is to read together, books like Little House on the Prairie, Farmer Boy, Hatchet and My Side of the Mountain.

The Sign of the Beaver is one of my family’s favorites about a boy left on his own in Indian country. Your kids will be impressed with his ingenuity.

These books, along with many others, illustrate people working to be self-sufficient and prepared for the future. Summertime is a great time to spend reading together. Why not choose a book that illustrates your own values and goals and learn together?

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Power's Out - Now What?

Off Guard and Off Grid

Off grid means many things to many people but for this post we will be addressing off grid as not have any electric power from an outside source, electric power company, ect.. Most of us depend on this outside source to provide all of our electric needs and wants. Many dream of living off grid, I'm one of them, but it's not for everyone I know. But what happens when the electric company is unable to provide you with your electric power for what ever reason? I have, and I'm sure many of you have too, been left in the dark due to a power outage, downed power lines are common during winter storms, even summer storms for that matter. Fire, auto accidents and flooding are just a few of the many other things that can and do interrupt electric service. What I'm saying is that you could be caught off grid unintentionally. But you don't have to be caught off guard during this time. Power outages can last only a few minutes or in some cases a few weeks. You can go here to read one families adventure during a power outage and some of the things they wish they had prepared for. Here are a few things you can do to make this time a little more pleasant or at least comfortable.

First, don't panic. It's not the end of the world, you are not going to die. Keeping your head during this time is the most important thing you can do for your safety.

Know where your flashlights are and have fresh batteries in them. You do have a flashlight??

Gather all family members in the same room to make sure all are accounted for and assure them that everything is and will be ok. Give each family member a flashlight to use as necessary. Candles are always important during an emergency, find them and light them to provide light for all to move freely and safely around the house.

I always shut off my main power breaker and you need to make sure any gas appliances are shut off too. Some use an electric thermostat or pilot light and may not perform as they should without electricity. This is for the safety of the whole family.

Check to see if your neighbors or family close by have electricity. You may be on a different power grid than they are and they could have power when you don't. If conditions are favorable you could go to their house and wait out the power outage. If road conditions, the weather or you vehicle is not up to par, STAY PUT !!

Next, if it's a cold weather situation you need to stay warm. Put on your socks and shoes or boots. Layer clothing to stay warm. Put on a jacket or coat, gloves and hat. It's much easier to stay warm than it is to get warm again.

Do you have an alternate heat source? A wood stove or kerosene heater, small propane stove. Any of these will help keep you warm through this outage. Make sure to provide ventilation for any gas burning heater.Once you have a little heat and some light this situation will be feel much better for all.

Do you have some water stored?? I hope so because many times water service will be lost during these times too. You will need water to drink to help keep you hydrated during this outage.

Now, where's that battery operated radio. Listening to the radio will give you some idea of how long this outage may last and inform you of any road conditions as well as provide some form of entertainment.

Speaking of entertainment, how about those board games. This will keep everyone in a little better spirit until things get restored. If this outage doesn't last too long it can be really fun for the whole family. Sort of a camp out of sorts.It's a good idea to keep a note pad and pen or pencil handy too.

This is a good time to make notes of things that you should have had ready for an emergency. You will think of many things that would have made this time much more comfortable for you and your family.

So, let's review the basics that we need to be safe and comfortable.

Light source-- flashlight, candles, battery operated lantern, ect..

Heat- Wood stove, kerosene heater, warm clothes, ect..

Radio-- Weather Radio, AM/FM radio will do fine to keep you informed of the situation.

Batteries, Batteries, Batteries. You can never have too many extra batteries.

Entertainment--board games us no power source at all and are a lot of fun for everyone.

Sit back and relax until the electricity comes back on. With these few simple ideas you can be safe and secure during this time. Get a few preparations in order and don't get caught off Guard and Off Grid.

I know these are not all the things that may be useful during these times. I also know that many readers will have other ideas as to what to do. Let me know your ideas and anything I may have left out of this small list. We would love to hear from you. Be sure to leave us a comment.

Author: The Scavenger
Visit: johnsonfamilyfarm.blogspot.com


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Ideas For Prepping On A Budget

4 Super-Cheap Prepping Resources

Author: The Survival Mom
TheSurvivalMom.com

Our family is simultaneously trying to become debt-free, save as much money as we can, have at least six months of food on hand, and take care of some badly needed DIY home projects. Believe me, I need every cheap resource I can possibly find to help me toward my prepping goals! The four cheapest resources I have found are all available to you, too!

1. Garage and Estate Sales

Been there, done that? Aren’t thrilled about buying other people’s junk? When you’re prepping, your shopping will have a focus, and I think you’ll find these sales a useful resource. Keep a list of items still needed for your 72 Hour Kit or general preparedness. This list will help you visit more garage and estate sales in less time because usually, with a quick glance, you can tell if a sale has what you need.

Even better, use online garage sale locators. Google “local garage sales” or something similar. You’ll be surprised at what pops up! Often, these sites will list items at the sale, and this can help you choose which sales to visit. You can also find estate sales in your area here. I prefer estate sales since everything in the house will be sold, down to half used bottles of Windex. Here are a few things I’ve been looking for:

* tools — I don’t want to count on, “Made in China” if we’re ever truly in a bind. Tools made decades ago will be high quality with lots of years still left in them.
* backpacks, gym bags — I need two more backpacks for our personal 72 Hour Kits and miscellaneous gym-size bags are great for holding all kinds of gear to take camping.
* camping equipment — we have a tent but nothing else. My husband is hardly Grizzly Adams! I would especially like an outdoor cook stove.

Remember, once you know what you want, the search goes much more quickly!

Oh! BONUS TIP! Retirement communities often run their garage sales Thursday through Saturday.. You can get a jump on all the other bargain hunters by heading to these neighborhoods early on Thursday mornings!

2. Freecycle.org

Freecycle is exactly what it sounds like. Recyling things you own by giving them away for free. Once you’ve signed up with a Freecycle email group in your area, you’ll begin receiving regular notices from other members with offers of free “stuff”.

I’ve seen some great items offered on Freecycle that would help out any prepper. Watch for glass canning jars, camping equipment, water barrels, dog crates, and so much more. Usually what is offered is mentioned in the email’s subject line so you can scan through them quickly. Remember to offer things hanging around your house or garage that you no longer want or need!

3. Dollar Stores

Don’t forget to visit your local dollar store! Apparently, dollar stores are becoming quite trendy. Who would have guessed?

I took a stroll through one near my home last weekend, and here are some of the best bargains I found.

* binders starting at just $2
* a package of 8 small memo books for $2. These are great for keeping in your car, your 72 Hour Kits and your purse.
* vinyl shower curtain, $2 Multiple uses for this including a ground cover and a quickie tent.
* can opener, $1.25
* chess game, $4. Would be useful in providing entertainment during a crisis.
* triple antibiotic cream, $2.30, along with a good variety of other pharmaceuticals
* large bottles of spices for $1
* a can of Quick Flat Fix, $3
* a 6-pack of Top Ramen, $1.10

Not everything is a great bargain, but you won’t know that unless you’re paying attention to prices at regular retail stores. Would you believe, I didn’t think my town even had dollar stores until I checked out these websites. What a find!

* Dollar Tree
* Family Dollar
* Big Lots!

4. Friends, Relatives, Neighbors, Casual Acquaintances…

You get the idea! Every one of us has stuff around the house, in the attic, out in the garage, in a storage unit, etc., etc. that we’ll never use again, and so do your friends, relatives, neighbors, and so on. When you get to the end of your prepping list, and you still have items you need, why not ask around?

Consider a casual barter agreement to get what you want, such as a few hours babysitting in exchange for a tent or a set of sleeping bags. Here’s a great article on the age-old practice of bartering.

We don’t know when an emergency will happen, and it just makes sense to get your preparations in order as quickly as you can. If you’re like me, your don’t have an infinite amount of money to prepare for everything, perfectly, all at once. I decided to jump in and do what I can, when I can, and I’ve been pretty impressed with how quickly my prepping has come together with these four money-savers!

Check out these four cheap resources and see if your dollar doesn’t go a whole lot farther! Soon, you’ll be ready for just about anything!

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Prepping: It is the most important thing you will ever do..

1. Learn to garden and use whatever space you have available. From a back yard area, raised beds, container gardens on a deck or small herb pots in the kitchen window, people can grow more than they think with a little creativity and effort. Use edible landscaping for plants that are decorative as well as that provide food. Need a couple shade trees? Why not use fruit or nut trees – they will supply shade as well as food. If not, visit a local farmer and buy what you can put away. Learn to can!

2. Learn to “put up” food – canning, food dehydrating and other methods are easier than ever with modern gadgets designed to preserve food. It takes a little effort – but on a kitchen counter you can dry enough herbs for a year; you can make real powdered and flaked pepper, garlic and onion.

3. If you freeze food, be sure you have a means to keep it going in a crisis. If the electricity goes off you don’t want to lose a year’s supply of food! Have a generator and fuel, get a propane freezer, have some means of keeping that food cold. Putting food aside is only part of insuring your food supply – storing it safely is the other issue.

4. Be discreet. Don’t brag about your food supply and don’t spread the word you have six months of food in your basement. If you do, and there’s a crisis, you may be overrun with people who know you have plenty stocked away. Are you then prepared to defend your food supply?

5. Storage a problem? Use areas most don’t think of. The pantry is good for many things but if you’re putting up dozens of jars of spaghetti sauce, preserves, soups and other sauces you’re going to need room. Have a protected corner of the basement up off the ground (enough that a wet floor won’t damage the food!). The attic is also a good place to store jar/can goods.

6. Along with your food supply have a means to prepare food including water, grill and gas/wood/charcoal, etc. If a storm knocks an area down for 2-3 weeks be able to rely on your own resources for those 2-3 weeks. Have on hand not only necessity items but a few luxury items as well. These could include a little candy, or cookies or something that just makes things a little more like home.

7. Don’t forget storing personal hygiene items – you can make a ‘composting toilet’ from free plans online…having this available with sawdust or shavings, toilet paper and other items can greatly increase the comfort in an emergency.

8. Don’t rely on the government helping – or on people being friendly. A catastrophic situation such as New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina showed the government cannot handle it – people have got to be able to rely on themselves. Prepare and have plans in place for tornado, fire, emergency evacuation and sheltering in place (being confined to home). Remember a train derailment or other issues can change things in a hurry! Practice that evacuation. You have 10 minutes- what do you grab? Hesitating can be deadly…having a plan can mean survival.

9. Be able to cook from scratch, make bread and do other skills to get through if you had to. If you have the food stocked up it doesn’t do any good if you can’t use it. If you rely on mixes make your own mixes in Ziploc ™ bags that seal tightly – label with a marker right on the bag with how much liquid, egg and oil to add. In a pinch, that bag can be the bowl – simply put wet ingredients in and mix, then pour into a baking pan. Experiment with your grill to make things before you have to.

10. Being able to hunt and fish can mean having an ongoing food supply. Having fishing gear and hunting supplies can mean the difference between eating or not. In the depression some spoke of having a small dog that would go through culverts and flush out rabbits while the large dog at the other end dispatched the rabbit as it ran out. Sporting? Perhaps not…but if it comes to eating or not, how ethical will you be after not eating for 4 days?
Get prepared now. Work on getting things growing, on learning the skills you have to in order to survive. When the public food supply is interrupted it will be too late.
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I've been busy

I want to tell everyone I am sorry for not staying active here. I have been busy with other things related to the TeaPartyPatriots. I went up to Washington on 9/12 to add my voice and presense to the other Patriots that went. It was one hell of a turn out.

The H1N1 (swine flu) is a hot topic. I don't believe anything coming from the "elected officals" anymore. I will not be taking the vaccine, period. Vitamin D and stay away from anyone showing symptoms. It can't be worse than the 1976 Flu and a old Tennessee woman in Marysville saved my butt on that one.

Keep buying ammo, a box here and there. You don't have to buy 10,000 rounds at once. Pick up a shotgun, rifle and a sidearm if you haven't already. Pack a couple of dufflebags with items (clothes, medicine etc.) for quick grabbing in case you have to leave sudden like. Plan ahead of where you will go if the SHTF. Large cities will be in chaos so make sure you know the back roads. Road blocks will probably be a problem.

There's alot of talk about a global currency coming, buy some gold if you can afford it. Most of you are probably on the ball already, talk to your neighbors, feel them out on their opinion but keep your preps a secreat until you're ready to talk about it. You don't need some wannabe thugs trying to take yours away. Besides, dead bodies are a health hazzard...

As a sidenote, if you are on facebook - look me up at tnl_legal@yahoo.com - Theres alot of good info coming out about the current situation in America. Most of my friends there are good Patriots from all over the Country. We also have a Alarm and Muster Group (kinda like Paul Revere) so word will spread quick if anything kicks up somewhere. God Bless!

compare future(present) with the past

Comparing history to the future (present?). With the simple replacement of just the names of key individuals the facts ironically remain the same.“Nazi Germany under the leadership of Hitler soon became a dictatorship. A dictatorship requires one person and one party to be in control of a nation and a climate of fear - this was provided by Himmler's SS. Personal freedom disappeared in Nazi Germany.When Hitler was appointed chancellor on January 30th 1933, it was at the head of a coalition government. It was very clear in his mind that it would not remain this way for long. By the end of March 1933, he had acquired much greater powers than the former leading politicians of the Weimar Republic could ever have foreseen when they supported his appointment as chancellor.”
(http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/Nazi_Germany_dictatorship.htm)

The same paragraph but with the names updated to reflect possible future (current?) events in America.“The United States, under the leadership of Barak Hussein Obama soon became a dictatorship. A dictatorship requires one person and one party to be in control of a nation and a climate of fear - this was provided by Acorn. Personal freedom disappeared in America.When Obama was inaugurated President on January 20th 2009, it was at the head of a thin Democrat majority government. It was very clear in his mind that it would not remain this way for long. By the end of March 2009, he had acquired much greater powers than the former leading politicians of the Bush administration could ever have foreseen when they preceded his inauguration.” History is a subject that has gradually lost its importance in American academia over the past few decades. The lack of historical awareness, as a nation, has enabled a mass of “useful idiots” who have no historical perspective on current events, much less the future. “Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past; for human events ever resemble those of preceding times. This arises from the fact that they are produced by men who ever have been, and ever shall be, animated by the same passions, and thus they necessarily have the same results.” - Machiavelli

I don't like the direction this Country is headed in. My food is ready, my location is very secure and secluded so for the most part I am prepped and ready.

Domestic Terrorist

I received this from a affiliate, it is re-posted with his permission:

ATTORNEY GENERAL TO CLASSIFY PRO-LIFE, PRO-GUN AMERICANS AS TERRORISTS

http://www.newswithviews.com/NWV-News/news152.htm

An amendment to a bill swiftly moving through the US Congress will allow the Obama Administration's Attorney General to classify Americans as domestic terrorists if they are pro-life, pro-gun and anti-big government.Impeached Florida judge -- now a Democrat Party member of the House of Representatives -- Rep. Alcee Hastings introduced what some claim is a disturbing piece of legislation. Hasting's amendment calls for the Attorney General to have discretion over who is called a terrorist and what groups will be treated as terrorist groups."This is arguably one of the worst pieces of legislation to come down the pike in a long, long time.
In essence Attorney General Eric Holder -- a Bill Clinton retread -- will have the discretion to label Americans terrorists. Hastings is a dangerous man and should be forced to resign from congress. He's also proposed the creation of "emergency camps" that are nothing more than prisons," warns political strategist Mike Baker."This amendment is part and parcel of the trend in this country to suppress dissent by patriots by calling them domestic terrorists," he added.In an unclassified report entitled "Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment," Secretary for Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and her agency included the following description of "extremists:""Rightwing extremism in the United States can be broadly divided into those groups, movements, and adherents that are primarily hate-oriented (based on hatred of particular religious, racial or ethnic groups), and those that are mainly antigovernment, rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority, or rejecting government authority entirely. It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration.
Last Thursday, Congressman Trent Franks (R-AZ) made the following remarks on the House Floor regarding Congressman Alcee Hastings’ (D-FL) amendment to the National Defense Authorization bill:"The Hastings Amendment to the National Defense Authorization bill (which now is being considered en bloc) prohibits the recruitment, enlistment, or retention of persons with known affiliations to "groups determined by the Attorney General to be of a violent, extremist nature. Members on both sides of the aisle support the purpose of this amendment because "we recognize that there are legitimate concerns about the enlistment of persons who may seek to use their military training to cause harm to innocents", but we should take pause to consider the breadth of this amendment carefully. I just want to express concern about the language of this amendment, and my concerns are shared by many in this House," said Rep. Franks. While the amendment seeks to keep gang members and members of violent groups out of the military, the amendment by its language is much more broad. Specifically, it confers upon the Attorney General the ability to categorize groups as hate groups, and this sounds an alarm for many of us because of the recent shocking and offensive report released by the Department of Homeland Security which labeled, arguably, a majority of Americans as "extremists," warned Franks. I take extreme offense that the federal government -- through a report issued under the authority of a Cabinet-level official -- would dare to categorize people who are "dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition or abortion or immigration" as "right-wing extremists" and it begs the question of whether the Attorney General, under Mr. Hastings' Amendment, can look to the Napolitano report to decide who is an extremist, or can make the same categorization of the majority of Americans as extremists who may then be kept from joining the military, or who may be discharged," said Rep. Franks. I want to state unequivocally that I believe that it is not the intent of this Congress to label pro-lifers, federalism proponents, and pro-immigration enforcement groups and their affiliates as extremists under the bill. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle should make a strong effort to assuage these concerns and make our intentions clear.
If the intent of this amendment is to go after citizens because of their political views and moral convictions, then the amendment is unconstitutional. I hope that the sponsor of the Amendment will make clear tonight that this is not the intent," he added.Rep. Alcee Hastings also introduced what many say is another disturbing piece of legislation. That new bill calls for the Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano to build at least six facilities that can be designated as "emergency centers. Hastings rationale for such facilities is to gather and "house" civilians on what are basically detention centers guarded by armed soldiers or paramilitary troops.The House bill (HR 645) -- National Emergency Centers Establishment Act -- is not even on the radar of members of the elite media. According to critics of the plan, if passed the government will create camps or centers that by their nature restrict the activities of US citizens herded into them.In fact, one provision -- Section 2 (b) (4) -- states: "[To] meet other appropriate needs, as determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security."One critic, political strategist Mike Baker claims the idea of such detention center smacks of the type of concentration camps for political dissidents, such as occurred in Nazi Germany, Americans find repugnant."Why aren't the news media covering this story? Could it be because they fear being the first occupants of these so-called emergency installations? Where is the outrage by our nation's Fourth Estate?" asks Baker.Hastings bill is suspected of attempting to help expand the President Obama's military and law enforcement powers.
While Hastings pushes this bill, even Republican congressmen are hesitant to remind one another and the nation that this Florida congressman was impeached while he sat on Florida's federal court bench.Appointed by President Jimmy Carter in 1979, he became the first African-American federal judge in the state of Florida, and served in that position for ten years. He’s still called “Judge” by some of his colleagues, but one would think he’d rather forget his days on the federal bench.In 1989, Judge Hastings was impeached by the US House of Representatives for bribery and perjury. The Democratic-controlled Senate convicted Hastings of accepting a $150,000 bribe in 1981 in exchange for a lenient sentence and of perjury in his testimony about the case. Hastings said the charges against him smacked of racism.Even Rep. John Conyers, who is also black, said he “found no trace of racism during the investigation.” He urged his colleagues to remove Hastings from the bench. He said, “[Hastings] is unfit to serve.
When the ultra-liberal Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi nominated Hastings for the chairmanship of the House Intelligence Committee, even members of her own political party balked."The prospect of Rep. Alcee Hastings becoming the chairman of the House of Representative’s Intelligence Committee was proposed by Congressional Black Caucus, who had been pressuring the new House Speaker Pelosi to appoint blacks to key leadership positions and Hasting benefited from the pressure on the radical left Pelosi, said former Detective Sidney Frances (NYPD-ret.), himself an African-American.

This is a trend that keeps bobbing to the surface, Progressive liberals want this passed to keep us from re-taking the Goverment from the Socialist Agenda.

Food storage

The fruit tree's are producing good, all except the pears, for some reason their not doing too good on the fruit. Black berries are plentiful, blue berries are coming along good. Squash and tomatoes are doing their job but other veggies are slower.

For those that can't wait, find a produce stand. Here we have "Tattnall Fresh" stands, these are from select farmers. The trick is knowing which use heirloom seeds and those that use hybreds. Anyhow, if you're in a hurry to start canning, buy from the produce stands and start putting up.

Nobama is pushing us into a hyper inflation mode. IMO, we are gonna feel the shock waves by mid-October. The cost of everything is going up, except wages. The less food you have to buy will mean extra money in your pocket, the food you're getting in stores is exported in from other countries.

In Georgia, homestead exemptions are stopped so expect higher taxes, another good reason to prep now.

Stay Focused

I have been busy trying to get more People involved in what the goverment is doing and of ways to fight back. I am posting a link to what happened to a member of one of the groups, that wrote to his representive.
http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=99352

I guess this is something to be expected in the upcoming months. I fully expect the SHTF to occur around October or November of this year. IF, obama passes the 25% national sales tax there will be alot of People unable to afford to buy food, or anything for that matter, it is highly possible that there will be civil unrest across the Country. Preppers won't be as bothered by the crunch but we have to be prepared for what will follow.

By now, gardens should be going strong and food will be added to the pantry. I would suggest that attention should also be focused on home security and self-protection. Buy extra ammo and firearms when you have a little extra money. If you live in the city, take the time to plan where you will go -IF and WHEN- food riots begin. When this happens it will be hard and dangerous to travel. Don't wait until the last minute.

Our money is getting less valuable each day. The more obama has printed up the less it is worth. He, and congress, are close to achieving their goal in turning this country into a socialist country. I, for one, will do what is required to fight it. I am slowly building a network in my county of like minded people so that we can rely on each other should the need arise. I encourage everyone to write their representives and let them be aware of your concerns. I haven't been contacted by any FBI, or the like, but it is possible. This won't stop me from what I am doing to show my displeasure at the goverment.

1st Georgia case reported

The first confirmed case of this new flu has been found in LaGrange (outside of Columbus).
http://www.ajc.com/news/content/health/stories/2009/04/30/swine_flu_georgia.html


Please take precautions. We are all preppers but many are still dragging their feet. It is not going to hurt anyone to stock up on a months worth of food. If the outbreak jumps higher, and I'm sure it will, are you going to want to go to a store shopping? I have food put up and I am buying more just in case. I get my water from a well so I don't have to worry about that.

Think of your love ones, I'm not going to risk my family because I don't want to look weird wearing a mask. Wash your hands frequently, if sneezing -use your sleeve- try and avoid crowds.

More later.

Flu Protection

There is alot going on in our Country today as it is, now they have added this swine/bird Flu to the mix. Not only is illegals bringing it over the border but students on spring break have brought it home. Kansas and New York are reporting it. I guess the FEMA Camps are starting to make sense. I thought that those reports were of the "tin foil hat" variety but.....

I have a cousin who happens to be a Doctor. She recommends the N95 masks (see link) they run $17.90 for a box of 20.
http://www.preparedness.com/3m82n95h5avb.html

Please use precaution, keep updated on this issue. If you have to go around a large group of People I would wear one. We all know how fast a flu/cold can spread. With a large population of illegals (such as those that work in the onion feilds) it could spread quick. As more information becomes availiable I'll update.

Seasoning Cast Iron cookware

One of my Nephews suggested that I write a piece on the proper way to season cast iron cookware. We do alot of camping and I am fanatic about my Dutch Oven and skillets. I love the way the food taste and the simple cleanup of these. So, here it is. In addition, if you run across some cast iron frying pans (skillet) at a flea market and its rusted up, what I do is build a fire and set it in the coals. After about 15 minutes I pull it out, scrub it down with steel wool (careful not to burn my hands) and then rub it down with fat or raw bacon to season it as below. It will smoke up a kitchen.

This is how to season a dutch oven:
1. Preheat your grill or oven to 350 degrees.
2. If you are using your kitchen oven, wrap a large cookie sheet with a raised edge in aluminum foil and place it on the lowest possible shelf of the oven. This cookie sheet catchs oil that drips from the dutch oven so make sure it is bigger than the diameter of your dutch oven.
3. This will be only time you will ever use soap on your dutch oven! After this, never use soap unless you are stripping your oven to perform a completely new Initial Seasoning. Wash your cookware in soapy hot water. Use a scouring pad or steel wool to scrub away all coatings down to the metal. Remember, after this you don't use soap to clean up.
4. Thoroughly dry the dutch oven and lid with a cotton towel or paper towels. Place it in the grill for a minute or two to really dry it and heat it up a bit. Use an oven mitt to remove the dutch oven from the grill and let it cool just enough so you can touch it.
5. Rub vegetable shortening all over the inside and outside of your dutch oven and its lid. Use plain Crisco or Wesson - do not use butter or butter flavored shortening. Using a paper towel or cotton rag, rub the shortening into all the pockmarks, holes, and dimples in the metal surface.
6. Place the dutch oven upside down in the grill or kitchen oven and close the door or grill lid. By being upside down, the melted shortening will drain out of the dutch oven leaving an even coating rather than a pool in the bottom.
7. Place the lid in the grill also so it bakes along with the dutch oven.
8. Bake the dutch oven for 45 to 60 minutes. Remember to open windows and temporarily disconnect your smoke alarm while doing this. (I open the door and place a fan there)
9. Turn off the grill and leave the dutch oven inside to cool for 15 minutes.
10. Using an oven mitt and paper towels, remove the cookware from the grill.
11. Use paper towels to wipe off excess oil from the inside and outside of the dutch oven and lid.
12. Repeat steps 5 through 9.
13. Allow the cookware to cool until you can pick it up.
14. Wipe off all excess oil with paper or cotton towels and you're ready to go!

Periodic Seasoning:
As you use your dutch oven, the grease, oil, and fat from the food you cook will continue to season the cookware. Some acidic foods such as beans and tomatoes can remove some of the coating. So, frying bacon, deep-frying fish, making doughnuts, or cooking fatty foods will improve the protective layer while acidic foods will harm it. Once seasoned, your dutch oven will most likely not need to be seasoned again (as long as you use it often and clean it correctly). It never hurts to reseason it and some folks like to do that at the start of a cooking season. It also may be necessary to reseason if food seems to be sticking too much or your cookware has been abused or stored incorrectly. If there is rust or the oven just doesn't look well coated, it's a good idea to season it again.

Periodic Seasoning is just like the Initial Seasoning except that you don't wash with soapy water. If there is rust present then you may want to strip down everything and do a complete Initial Seasoning. Otherwise, clean your cookware normally and follow the steps above except for using soap.

The finish on your dutch oven should be dark brown or black, the darker the better. It should be glossy, but not sticky. If it is sticky, you left too much oil on and you'll need to heat it more. Over time, with proper cleaning, this glossy coating will become thicker and stronger. You should notice that foods are easy to remove and clean up is simple.

If we do encounter a SHTF scenerio, cooking outdoors (or over a fire) is easier with cast iron. I use a 12 inch Dutch Oven and can feed 12 people out of it easily.

Tax Protest

By now, everyone should be aware that a protest is brewing. This is not just about taxes to me, this is also about the way the goverment is forcing everything down our throats. Even France and czechoslovakia is telling the obamamites to pull his horns in, We are getting to Socialist for the Socialist. Our Dollar is becoming worthless, other Countries have quit buying our Treasury Notes. No one trusts the USA anymore.

This isn't just all about the obamamites, I blame the Republican Party for letting it happen also. Both Georgia Senators (Isakson and Chambliss) voted in favor to increase the americorps...5.6 billion dollars worth of volunteers. This will be to form another group similar to acorn. Another faction to garnish support for the democrat party, at our expense.

We can't sit back and wait on a 3rd Party to emerge. I love Ron Paul's way of thinking but, as usual, he'll wait until the last minute to jump on board. This only divides the Republician ticket and waste votes. No 3rd Party group will be on all 50 states ballots. We need to organize and refuse to vote for any sitting member of Congress. Lets clean house. If they are opposed by anyone, vote for the new guy. If no one runs against them, don't vote for them. Something needs to be done to wake them up. Hopefully this TeaParty will do so.


http://taxdayteaparty.com/teaparty/georgia/ ( For all Georgia locations)

http://taxdayteaparty.com/ ( For locations in other States)

We Owe Them More Than What We Have Given

When I think about the birth of our nation, and the men who sacrificed so much to see it born, I feel sick to my stomach. Not because of anything they did…our forefathers gave more than we could ask for, setting a foundation for a nation like the world had never seen. No, I feel sick because of what came after, because of how this current brand of Americans has let them down in every way. Each generation that followed the creation of America in 1776 had a simple responsibility- to protect and defend our rights as citizens, and to better our nation for the men and women that follow. Sometime during the past few decades, we have failed our mission completely.

The American citizen is not supposed to be a delightful pawn of the government. We were not destined to sit in silence with our hands held meekly out, waiting for those in government to provide us with basic essentials. We were not meant to never question but blindly obey; we were not meant to care more about feelings than about what is right and decent; we were not meant to accept and even protect the guilty while ignoring the cries of the innocent.

The American citizen was born as a pain in the ass to its government. We are supposed to question every decision; we are supposed to demand honest answers even if the answer is ‘hell if I know’; we were meant to sit in the yard with a loaded shotgun, daring our government to screw us over. American citizens are supposed to be full of piss and vinegar, supposed to be hellraisers who refuse to simply settle. We are supposed to expect and demand the very best of our nation’s leaders, and even more so every person who resides in our great land. Where is our frontier spirit when we need it the most?

Instead thousands of us sit on welfare, bitching about how we can’t get a job. We sit there and turn the other way when we watch the common man get trampled into the ground again and again. Organizations abound to ‘protect’ the rights of any and every group of people imaginable, but when I say protect the rights I really mean watch out for the feelings. Lord forbid we offend a pedophile, a rapist, or an illegal immigrant. Hell, we're even afraid to offend terrorists for crying out loud. We have become so damn politically correct that we have lost our identity, our moral compass, and essentially everything that made Americans great.

Our politicans do whatever they want with little regard to what is best for the country. The current Congress has done absolutely nothing, fullfilled none of their promises, but they aren’t dragged out of the hall and horsewhipped. No, we sit in silence as our economy fails, as our people struggle to make ends meet, and Congress bumps up its salary just a tad bit more. We have paperwork circulating declaring any defender of the Constitution (that document that was the birth of our nation) to be a domestic terrorist, and still we say nothing.

America has been falling for a long time, longer than eight damn years, and I don’t know if we can ever get her back. We have become fat and lazy, and we lack the initiative, heart, and kiss my ass attitude that made our country stand tall when others faltered. I hope I’m wrong. I hope that America can shake off this pathetic apathy we have, and reclaim our right. We owe our forefathers that. We’re supposed to have the right to pursue life, liberty, and happiness but nobody gives a damn about anything but happiness. Liberty is gone. Freedom is gone. The American spirit has withered away, but the fault is not that of our government.

The fault belongs to each and every one of us. We did it to ourselves every time we settled, every time we shut up, every time we looked the other way instead of pulling up our bootstraps and kicking the damn door open. We have lost everything that our forefathers gave us, and we have no one to blame but ourselves.

If we never regain our destiny it is no more than we deserve. Because the government has not failed us. We have failed us.

Introduction

I just wanted to stop by and introduce myself before getting to work on this blog. I'm still a novice when it comes to survival, but I am an expert at looking at our world, our country, and our government and wondering what the hell happened. I go by the name JessiB, and reside in a wonderfully small town in southeast Georgia. I'll pitch in survival ideas once I get my feet wet a bit, but for now I'll probably be tackling news issues, and basically just things that should piss off every red-blooded American. I look forward to getting to know y'all!

Where did America go?

After listening and reading all I can about the shape our Country is in, I am really disgusted with the Republican Party and the Republican leadership. I have always voted Republican and encouraged others to do so because this was the Party that was closest to my values. No more! I just watched obamasan explain how he was going to save the American People $40 Billion a year by cracking down on wasteful goverment contracts. Standing to his left was John McCain. I almost puked.

The chairman of the RNP is in a scrap with Rush Limbaugh because he was honest in his opinion of obamasan's policies. IMO, This kind of in-fighting is the major reason the Republicans are sitting in the cornor while our Country is going down the socialist drain. UNITE, dummies. Stand together for a change. The demo's were able to join arms with a sleezy group (acorn) and get crackheads, wino's, street people in general to step up with the liberals and get this garbage elected. The Republicans that side with these idiots should be shunned by the RNP, they should be made to forfeit the Party name and be run out of office. I am sick of seeing McCain hold onto obamasans coat tail. I used to have the upmost respect for McCain, just because of his Military record. I'm a vet also. I honor all Military members but McCain is wearing thin. If he is going to be a Liberal, then so be it. Drop the Republican title and go lick boots.

I want the "old school" back. I can't have Reagan again (God Bless him) but I can't believe someone close to him don't exist. Right is Right - Wrong is Wrong, period! I have worked hard for what I have, its mine. It doesn't belong to some lazy, mal-content that blames the white man for all his troubles. $200,000 for tattoo removal in California, What? You want it off? Get a hot Iron and remove it. Next time you want to draw on something, get paper. You want health care? Get a job. I pay too much for my health plan but I do it. I have to do without buying something so my family is covered but I do it. Others can too.

America ( on whole) has gotten fat and lazy. There is no more accountability, no one is is responsible for their own actions. Its time to trim the fat. All we have is career politicans that worry about themselves and their friends. To hell with the rest of us. Who speaks for us anymore? No one. For too long People like us have been silent. We worked, went home and took care of our families the best we could. Most of us have watched the loonies on TV and just shook our heads. We have voted for the Party relying on them to look out for our interest. What did we get for being "good citizens"? We have been screwed by the very same People we elected to speak for us.

I'm sick of it. I don't know where it will end but my garden will be ready, my smokehouse prepared and my guns oiled.

Apology

I want everyone, that follows this blog, to know that I have been under the weather. I thought I would be up to commenting on the CPAC but I just ain't up to it. I will be back in a day or so.

Militia's

I have been approached twice about joining a militia. Both times I turned the offer down. I have been called names and have had my values questioned. This issue totally pisses me off!

FOR THE RECORD. I believe that by joining a Militia, I would be putting a target on my back I don't want or need, at this time. I am by nature a survivalist/prepper. To openly join such a group, I would have to confine myself to one area that could be easily surrounded and conquered. I would then either be dead or imprisoned. Neither is acceptable. Read the link:
http://www.adl.org/learn/ext_us/Militia_M.asp?xpicked=4&item=19

In Georgia, the GBI used an uncover operative to infilitrate its group. Alot of people went to jail based on evidence the informer planted himself. What matters is, it caused the militia to disband. RubyRidge was brought about under similar circumstants. Waco is another. Right or wrong, the goverment disbanded them, death and/or imprisonment followed. The key to survivalism is "Do not bring unwanted attention to yourself".

As it is now, I can prep for what I feel is coming so that my family and I can survive without becoming puppets of a controlling goverment. I have the freedom of moving about day to day without drawing attention I don't want. I have the freedom of planting/raising /foraging the food it will take us to survive.

Do not take this as a weakness. If pushed into a corner, I will fight and fight hard. If outnumbered, I have bug out plans that will enable me to live to fight again. I believe in guerrilla warfare. If attacked I will hit back, leave the area and hit back again. If a movement against the goverment was called for and a large number of patriots joined in, I might change my mind. As it is now, and as it was in the 1700's, the men that fought for our Freedom from oppressive goverment were men of ordinary lives. When the time to fight came they left their farms, stores and families and marched off to fight with the regular armies.

I believe I can do the most good as I am. I stay in contact with like minded people, if help is needed it will be offered. Until that time, I will continue to prep and help others to do so. Please do not take this as a weakness. I firmly believe that the Constitution gave Americans the right to correct a goverment that becomes too oppressive, or one that no longer cares about its citizens. I am sure we will all soon know exactly what the obamamites have in store for us.

New Gun Bill

Rep.Roscoe Barlett of Maryland, has introduced a Bill HR 17 to insure the Rights of Citizens to protect themselves.

111th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 17

To protect the right to obtain firearms for security, and to use firearms in defense of self, family, or home, and to provide for the enforcement of such right.


http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-17

Read the bill and take the time to write Rep. Barlett and thank him for helping Americans keep their 2nd Amendant Rights.

A Sheepdog

This is a long post but one I feel is important to explain how I look at Myself and other Patriots. It was passed on to me by a friend that is a cop, I do not trust cops per se. There are too many of them, that in my opinion, are sheep themselves. Whenever you are called "crazy" for your desire to be prepped and/or being a Survivalist, think of this. We are the sheepdogs. We are the ones that will stand up and say"HELL NO" to the NWO and our own Socialist bent Goverment. Please read this:

We know that the sheep live in denial; that is what makes them sheep. They do not want to believe that there is evil in the world. They can accept the fact that fires can happen, which is why they want fire extinguishers, fire sprinklers, fire alarms and fire exits throughout their kids’ schools. But many of them are outraged at the idea of putting an armed police officer in their kid’s school. Our children are dozens of times more likely to be killed, and thousands of times more likely to be seriously injured, by school violence than by school fires, but the sheep’s only response to the possibility of violence is denial. The idea of someone coming to kill or harm their children is just too hard, so they choose the path of denial.

The sheep generally do not like the sheepdog. He looks a lot like the wolf. He has fangs and the capacity for violence. The difference, though, is that the sheepdog must not, cannot and will not ever harm the sheep. Any sheepdog who intentionally harms the lowliest little lamb will be punished and removed. The world cannot work any other way, at least not in a representative democracy or a republic such as ours.Still, the sheepdog disturbs the sheep. He is a constant reminder that there are wolves in the land. They would prefer that he didn’t tell them where to go, or give them traffic tickets, or stand at the ready in our airports in camouflage fatigues holding an M-16. The sheep would much rather have the sheepdog cash in his fangs, spray paint himself white, and go, “Baa.”Until the wolf shows up. Then the entire flock tries desperately to hide behind one lonely sheepdog. As Kipling said in his poem about “Tommy” the British soldier:While it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, fall be'ind,"But it's "Please to walk in front, sir," when there's trouble in the wind,There's trouble in the wind, my boys, there's trouble in the wind,O it's "Please to walk in front, sir," when there's trouble in the wind.

The students, the victims, at Columbine High School were big, tough high school students, and under ordinary circumstances they would not have had the time of day for a police officer. They were not bad kids; they just had nothing to say to a cop. When the school was under attack, however, and SWAT teams were clearing the rooms and hallways, the officers had to physically peel those clinging, sobbing kids off of them. This is how the little lambs feel about their sheepdog when the wolf is at the door. Look at what happened after September 11, 2001, when the wolf pounded hard on the door. Remember how America, more than ever before, felt differently about their law enforcement officers and military personnel? Remember how many times you heard the word hero?Understand that there is nothing morally superior about being a sheepdog; it is just what you choose to be. Also understand that a sheepdog is a funny critter: He is always sniffing around out on the perimeter, checking the breeze, barking at things that go bump in the night, and yearning for a righteous battle. That is, the young sheepdogs yearn for a righteous battle. The old sheepdogs are a little older and wiser, but they move to the sound of the guns when needed right along with the young ones.

Here is how the sheep and the sheepdog think differently. The sheep pretend the wolf will never come, but the sheepdog lives for that day. After the attacks on September 11, 2001, most of the sheep, that is, most citizens in America said, “Thank God I wasn’t on one of those planes.” The sheepdogs, the warriors, said, “Dear God, I wish I could have been on one of those planes. Maybe I could have made a difference.” When you are truly transformed into a warrior and have truly invested yourself into warriorhood, you want to be there. You want to be able to make a difference.While there is nothing morally superior about the sheepdog, the warrior, he does have one real advantage. Only one. He is able to survive and thrive in an environment that destroys 98 percent of the population.There was research conducted a few years ago with individuals convicted of violent crimes. These cons were in prison for serious, predatory acts of violence: assaults, murders and killing law enforcement officers. The vast majority said that they specifically targeted victims by body language: slumped walk, passive behavior and lack of awareness. They chose their victims like big cats do in Africa, when they select one out of the herd that is least able to protect itself. However, when there were cues given by potential victims that indicated they would not go easily, the cons said that they would walk away. If the cons sensed that the target was a "counter-predator," that is, a sheepdog, they would leave him alone unless there was no other choice but to engage.

As a human being, you can be whatever you want to be. It is a conscious, moral decision. If you want to be a sheep, then you can be a sheep and that is okay, but you must understand the price you pay. When the wolf comes, you and your loved ones are going to die if there is not a sheepdog there to protect you. If you want to be a wolf, you can be one, but the sheepdogs are going to hunt you down and you will never have rest, safety, trust or love. But if you want to be a sheepdog and walk the warrior’s path, then you must make a conscious and moral decision every day to dedicate, equip and prepare yourself to thrive in that toxic, corrosive moment when the wolf comes knocking at the door.

Some individuals would be horrified if they knew this police officer was carrying a weapon in church. They might call him paranoid and would probably scorn him. Yet these same individuals would be enraged and would call for “heads to roll” if they found out that the airbags in their cars were defective, or that the fire extinguisher and fire sprinklers in their kids’ school did not work. They can accept the fact that fires and traffic accidents can happen and that there must be safeguards against them.

Their only response to the wolf, though, is denial, and all too often their response to the sheepdog is scorn and disdain. But the sheepdog quietly asks himself, “Do you have any idea how hard it would be to live with yourself if your loved ones were attacked and killed, and you had to stand there helplessly because you were unprepared for that day?”The warrior must cleanse denial from his thinking. Instead of saying,“If it happens then I will take action,” the warrior says, “When it happens then I will be ready.”It is denial that turns people into sheep. Sheep are psychologically destroyed by combat because their only defense is denial, which is counterproductive and destructive, resulting in fear, helplessness and horror when the wolf shows up. Denial kills you twice. It kills you once, at your moment of truth when you are not physically prepared: You didn’t bring your gun; you didn’t train. Your only defense was wishful thinking. Hope is not a strategy. Denial kills you a second time because even if you do physically survive, you are psychologically shattered by fear, helplessness, horror and shame at your moment of truth.

Denial is a save-now-pay-later scheme, a contract written entirely in small print, for in the long run, the denying person knows the truth on some level."And so the warrior must strive to confront denial in all aspects of his life, and prepare himself for the day when evil comes. If you are a warrior who is legally authorized to carry a weapon and you step outside without that weapon, then you become a sheep, pretending that the bad man will not come today. No one can be “on” 24/7 for a lifetime. Everyone needs down time. But if you are authorized to carry a weapon, and you walk outside without it, just take a deep breath, and say this to yourself... “Baa.”This business of being a sheep or a sheepdog is not a yes-no dichotomy. It is not an all-or-nothing, either-or choice. It is a matter of degrees, a continuum. On one end is an abject, head-in-the-grass sheep and on the other end is the ultimate warrior. Few people exist completely on one end or the other. Most of us live somewhere in between. Since 9-11 almost everyone in America took a step up that continuum, away from denial. The sheep took a few steps toward accepting and appreciating their warriors, and the warriors started taking their job more seriously. The degree to which you move up that continuum, away from sheephood and denial, is the degree to which you and your loved ones will survive, physically and psychologically at your moment of truth.

Because I have a family I care about, I am a Sheepdog. Please Prepare.