Survival Food Dehydrating

The art of drying food is one of the world's oldest methods conceived to preserve food in times of plenty for moments of need. From ages long ago people have reliably used the sun, wind, or a smoking fire to remove water from various fruits, grains, herbs and meats. By its very definition, the concept of food dehydration is listed as the process of removing liquid from a food by the use of circulating hot air around it.

There are several major benefits involved with dried foods such as the tastiness, the nutritional value, it's lightweight and the ability to easy store and prepare the items. The main advantage for a prepper lies in the minimum storage space needed when compared to that required for canning jars.

Drying has the minimum effect upon the nutritional value of dried food. An important point to remember is that even though vitamin A is retained after food has been dried, the vitamin itself is light sensitive and those foods which contain it should notably be stored in dark locations. For yellow or dark green vegetables like carrots, peppers, sweet potatoes and winter squash, these foods usually have a high vitamin A constitute. Another of our important vitamins is destroyed by exposure to heat such as vitamin C. An interesting paradox here is that pre-treating foods with lemon, pineapple or orange juice often increases the amount of vitamin C content in the final product.

Dried foods are considered high in fiber but low in fat which makes them a healthy choice. When drying your foods make certain they are completely dried or they are susceptible to mold development.

Specific equipment is absolutely necessary to ensure the quality and safety of the final product. A dehydrator is often recommended along with sharp knives and a mandolin. The mandolin will ensure consistent product cuts that are not too thick nor too thin.

Many guidebooks recommend blanching, pre-treating or steaming specific foods prior to placing them into the dehydrating equipment. Common equipment used for these processes will include a kettle and lid with a wire basket, perhaps a colander or some sort of open mesh bag that will hold the produce. When pre-treating your fruits and vegetables you should use a non-metal bowl to prevent discoloring. Select fruit which is ripe and not bruised. Trim off any bruised spots on the fruit and above all else never use moldy food for drying.

The main principle of food dehydrators is that the air is allowed to flow around the sliced foods which contribute to drying the surface area within the food. Usually try to cut the food into 1/8 to ½ inch slices. A simple rule of thumb here is that the higher the water content of the food the larger you should cut the slice size. Smaller slices of high-moisture foods like watermelon will disappear as the moisture begins to evaporate.

Pretreatments include blanching, candying, cooking or dipping. Its purpose is to prevent color changes from taking place in your foods. You can dip your fruits in orange or pineapple juice while dipping your vegetables in a diluted mixture of bottled lemon juice.

Blanching is frequently used for asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, green beans, peas and cauliflower. You should blanch foods for a very short period and then immediately check their skins for any damage or discoloration.

Copyright @2010 Joseph Parish

http://www.survival-training.info

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Expiration Dates of Canned Foods

One of the most frequent questions often asked by preppers who have recently begun their food storage program is how long specific foods will last before going bad. Although many companies list expiration dates for their products, I generally have found these were more of a CYA than anything else. Usually the corporation would rather err on the side of safety than risk a legal entanglement. I personally do not place much value in these dates for I have eaten canned vegetables that have expiration dates 5 years in the past.

I survived the food and found nothing wrong with it. In a nearby town we have a food discounter who purchases bulk supplies of expired foods. Once they have purchased these products at a drastic discount they re-offer them to the consumer at reduced prices. About the only product that I have had bad experiences with is the canned sauerkraut. I am sure it was not actually bad but I did not like the taste or texture of it and decided not to take any chances. Other then for the sauerkraut I have not seen any foods go bad as a result of their expiration date.

Certain foods should be checked at frequent intervals to ensure that they are still good for human consumption. These foods include not only the sauerkraut mentioned above but also fruit, canned tomato sauce and paste as well as meat products. These types of products have been known to go bad even before the expiration date has elapsed.

Olives usually are supplied in glass jars although you can often find some brands in cans. The olives which are purchased in the glass jars frequently remain tastier for a longer period of time then the ones in the cans. It goes without saying that the jars should be kept in a dark location prior to use. This is an excellent rule to follow regarding any products stored in glass jars. Naturally not being equipped to determine nutritional values of the foods I can not comment on whether the foods in the expired cans lose any value in this respect.

An interesting note on the life expectancy of canned foods is the tale of an old steamship which was raised from the depths of the Mississippi River. Upon salvaging the craft it was discovered that there was an abundance of canned food aboard the ship. The canned foods were sent to a lab and properly analyzed. The results of these lab tests revealed that even though the food was over one hundred years old, it was still nutritious and contained no bacterial contaminants. Since no one actually tasted the food no indication is provided as to the quality of taste involved.

In addition, the American military conducted several tests on new versus old medications. It was found that the older meds still retained as much potency as the new ones. The military readily admitted that the expiration date was placed on the meds for various safety reasons and not necessarily because the product goes bad. The Wall Street Journal had stated in an article which they published that the various food manufactures place expiration dates on their supplies under the same reasoning as the medical manufactures do.

I have been storing food up for over several decades and these rules have worked successfully for me. Naturally, they may not necessarily work for you. In conclusion you can enjoy your older canned foods but I employ you to use the proper caution.

Copyright @2010 Joseph Parish

www.survival-training.info

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Discover What The Best Survival Knives Have In Common

A Survival Knife is one of the most important survival tools that you can take with you during an emergency situation. A survival knife is created specifically for surviving in a backwoods environment, and it is the primary tool for making it through an unexpected emergency scenario. It is the survival tool that you're going to get the most use from and for that reason it needs to be one of the most durable and reliable pieces of survival gear that you own.

Survival knives are available in two different versions: the fixed blade and the folding blade. Foldable knives are occasionally favored since they're smaller and therefore much easier to carry. However, since their tang is really small, they are generally weaker and much easier to break. The folding knives most popular types are lock-back folding and pocket knives.

Fixed bladed knives are typically a lot more rugged and dependable then folding knives. The best survival knife should have something that is known as a full tang, in which the blade runs the length of the handle of the knife. Fixed blade knives including the Bowie Knife, or perhaps a heavy duty hunting knife, are excellent examples of top quality fixed blade survival knives due to their exceptional steel blades and durable handles. Fixed blade knives, nevertheless, are usually thicker, heavier, and very dangerous if not stored and handled properly.

The survival knife is sometimes called a tactical knife; however the two are not the same thing. Both styles of knives can be used for a survival situation, but they are designed to handle different tasks. The benefit of the tactical blade is its usefulness in a number of applications, from hunting to protection, from chopping wood to make other tools like spears or bows and arrows. Another essential feature which a tactical knife offers, which makes it completely different from the common survival knife, is definitely the design of the blade. The tactical knife is often designed with a serrated edge that provides it with the capability to cut through materials of any strength. The tactical knife is multi-functional by design, assisting the camper in a wide range of survival and camping activities.

The type of steel used to make the knife is another important factor. The steel quality of the blade determines the durability of the knife, its strength, how simple it is to hone, and determines how long it's going to keep an edge. Your best option of steel for any survival knife will be choosing one which isn't too hard, which would make the blade very brittle and tough to sharpen. This would limit its usefulness while in an emergency situation. Steel for survival knives come in two types: Stainless steel and Carbon steel.

Carbon Steel knives can rust if used frequently without covering the steel with oil. Survival Knives with Carbon Steel generally have a tendency to maintain a sharper edge longer than stainless steel. Carbon steel blades can be sharpened to a razor-sharp edge and is better to use for splitting or chopping wood, and other heavy duty camping tasks.

Stainless steel is harder steel making it more brittle then carbon steel and the blade doesn't retain a sharp edge as long as carbon steel, however it doesn't rust as easily.

There are a few new blade designs which try to provide the very best of both worlds by either making a high carbon stainless steel, or sandwiching high carbon steel between two layers of stainless-steel. These knives offer the strength of high carbon steel and the ability to resist rust like stainless steel.

In conclusion, any person who needs to use a knife in a survival situation, where their life depends on it, would need one that is created to be difficult to break with heavy duty use, and yet stay sharp, and handle like an extension of your arm.

Click here to learn more about choosing a survival knife.

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Preparedness 101 Or One Survivalist's Manifesto

After I'd been serious about preparedness and self reliance for a year or two, I realized that my buying, training, and planning had been based on whatever was the most exciting or urgent to me at the time. I'd go through a gun phase, then a food phase, then a natural medicine phase, but I didn't have anything to tie it all together.

I want to go over a few things that have acted as a compass for my personal preparedness planning. Yours should be unique to you, but feel free to use mine as a jumping off point to create your own.

1. I define survival/ preparedness/ self-reliance, in part, as the ability for my family to survive and possibly thrive during periods of civil breakdown without having to depend on government agencies or non-government agencies. This will be as a result of a combination of our family preparedness and because of relationships with friends who have also prepared in advance.

2. We have decided in advance that we will make the necessary preparations so that we don't have to compromise on our morals and values in civil breakdown situations. A large number of people's survival planning involves stealing/looting after a disaster. Ours does not. Remember, at some point, some form of stability will return and you'll have to live with the consequences of your actions.

3. We are not so focused on potential disaster that we miss out on daily fun. We continually evaluate our decisions and purchases based on how they will play out, regardless of whether we ever have to live through civil breakdown. This keeps us balanced. As an example, we tend to buy large quantities of food that we already eat rather than large quantities of MREs that, truth be told, we really don't like. We actually USE a lot of our survival supplies on a daily basis.

4. Preparedness planning should not only be useful in a disaster, but enrich your daily life. Increasing your situational awareness will cause you to see more beauty as well as more potential threats. Exercise will help you be more resilient in a disaster, but will also burn off stress hormones and help you sleep better every day. Learning trauma skills and natural health care will allow you to treat yourself when there are no doctors available and it will put you more in tune with your body.

5. Preparedness planning should be realistic. I'm always amazed at the number of people I talk to who's plan is STILL to "head to the hills" when "it" happens. I kind of laugh because if half of those people actually DO go to the wilderness, the wilderness is going to be hunted clear of food in no-time. Then all the people will die...except for the handful who actually know what they're doing. The reality is, most people live in urban areas (even communities of a few thousand) and will have to survive disasters in those areas.

6. "Survival" is not necessarily romantic, fun, or comfortable. If it was, it would be "Primitive Living." Understand it, prepare for it, practice it if you're able, and if you are ever forced into a situation where you need your skills to survive, you'll have a more realistic idea of what to expect.

7. Most people will never understand preparedness. Whether you call yourself "self-reliant", a "prepper", a "survivalist", or just practical and moderately observant...everyone is not going to share your passion. Fortunately, we have a community online that does share your passion.

8. You'll never be 100% prepared for everything that could happen...deal with it. We've got dozens of natural and manmade threats to contend with. Dirty bombs, EMPs, earthquakes, hurricanes, mud-slides, cyber attacks, economic collapse, attacks on the electricity grid, local accidents, etc. etc. Don't waste your time worrying about it...Just start taking steps to prepare.

If all of your gear is at home and an earthquake buries it while you're at the store, you're going to have to improvise, adapt, and overcome. (And maybe decide to set up some caches) Especially as you're starting out, try to focus on the basics...food, fire, water, shelter and then medical, security, and tools. These are all things that will help you on a regular basis and will help you if you go through rough economic times. They're also ways that you can get prepared that are more "tolerable" for relatives who aren't on board yet.

9. You don't have to be rich to get prepared. Focus on skills and double up on groceries as you're able and you'll be light years ahead of people who have a pallet of food in their garage but no manual can opener to get them open.

10. Since most people live in urban areas, most people are going to have to survive disasters in urban areas. Some have no intention of leaving and feel honor-bound to stay. Full-time law enforcement and first responders, sheepdogs, CERT personnel, and others who aren't willing to leave. It may not be ideal, but if your plan (or backup plan) for survival is to Survive in Place in an urban area, you aren't going to be on your own. After every disaster, there will be remnants who are currently training to be able to help stabilize neighborhoods, cities, and regions if necessary.

David Morris
Surviveinplace
Secrets of Urban Survival

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Hard Times Are Approaching

Let's be real for a moment and look at the state of the world around us at this time. We have revolutions taking place worldwide along with wars raging from one side of the globe to another. Economic chaos is threatening every major economy. More and more people are losing their jobs in America as the workload is transferred to foreign nations. We see on a daily basis the possibility of a market crash that could top that experienced in 1929.

What happens when the infrastructure comes falling down? First off we can expect to see shortages of food in our local grocery stores. With the cost of fuel on a continual rise this overhead has to be recouped somewhere and unfortunately it will be the consumer who must pay the price. Those items of food found at the market will likely be over-priced and out of the average persons economic reach. We are slowly witnessing this event now as the cost begins to skyrocket. This makes it more important than ever to be able to grow your own food supply.

Gasoline stations will lack the necessary supplies to keep America on its wheels so staying at home will quickly become fashionable. Learn as much as you can on things that your family can do together without leaving home. Camp out in your back yard, having a board game night or sit together and watch some television as a family unit.

Your local medical facilities will suffer as well with their inability to receive updated medical supplies. Take courses or teach yourself the principles of medical sufficiency. Learn of effective alternative methods to treat the common ailments which often plaque a family. Don't hesitate to take a local first aide or CPR class as you never know when you will need it. Stock up a good reserve of emergency supplies while they are available.

Save up a few extra dollars for an emergency. If the infrastructure begins to fall you can believe that the social security, any types of government checks, pension payments or welfare will rapidly come to a halt. It will be entirely up to you to support yourself and your family. Perhaps you should invest in some silver to hedge this issue should its ugly head rear up.

People are losing their homes to foreclosures on a daily basis. No money and with no home forces complete families out onto the street. Consider your investment in emergency food and supplies as a form of insurance policy again the hazards of our changing life style. Know how to deal with the loss of electrical power or be familiar with alternate means of heating your home. The more you learn the better prepared you will be. Is anyplace really safe?

As a survivalist or prepper we have to be prepared for emergencies as they get to us. It is absolutely necessary to have certain supplies stocked up in order to last the duration of the crisis. In the past we have covered foods necessary to get a family by this type of an ordeal so now I would like to discuss the topic of miscellaneous supplies that a family should store up on. After you have accumulated your emergency food supplies your next step should be to gather up miscellaneous supplies. These are also useful bartering assets in the event it comes to that.

* 24 bottles of dish detergent

* 24 bars of hand soap

* 50 pounds of laundry soap

* 55 gallons of kerosene

* 12 bottles of shampoo

* 146 rolls of toilet paper

* 16 gallons of unscented bleach for sanitation or laundry use

* Personal products, such as toothpaste or deodorant

* Pet foods and livestock feed as necessary

* Sanitary napkins as needed

The writing is clearly on the wall and we should be taking advantage of this time to gather and store those items we will need when the hard times fall upon us.

By Joseph Parish

Copyright @2011 Joseph Parish

http://www.survival-training.info

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Natural Aspirin

Since the beginning of medical history mankind has embraced certain types of tree barks which have been praised for there value in reducing fever, inflammation or pain. These barks have one common ingredient which allows them to retain foothold in medical value. It is the most potent pain killer found in nature.

Illnesses ranging from arthritis, bursitis, fever, headache, inflammation, menstrual cramps, muscle aches, osteoarthritis, tendonitis, and trauma are only a few of the problems treated with a healthy dose of this natural salicin. You may be asking where this wonder drug comes from. It is the natural byproduct of a species of tree barks.

The use of this bark reverts back as far as the 1800's, when scientists managed to identify and then to extract salicin as the pain killing medication found in the bark. From there they went on to develop a synthetic version known commercially as acetylsalicylic acid. We all know this is the name given to our modern day "Aspirin".

Aspirin is the most commonly used pain reliever found in the world with yearly consumption reaching over 90 million pounds annually. That's a lot of aspirin. Although as consumers today we now use the synthetic version of salicin the original bark from the trees is just as valuable from the survivalist or preppers view.

In a survival situation knowing how to both harvest the salicin and to use it could be one of the most important survival skills that you could learn. Salicin is found in the inner bark of several species of trees including the Willow family. These plants include:

* American, Trembling or Quaking Aspen

* Big tooth Aspen

* White willow or European willow

* Black willow or the popular pussy willow

* Crack willow

* Purple willow

* Weeping willow

In addition, a very readily available source is the popular tree. Using the inner bark of a popular tree is the easiest method of creating a natural aspirin. Usually the younger trees make the more potent products. Poplar trees are a fast growing tree that can often gain as much as ten feet or more in a single season. They have large leaves which grow directly from the plants main stem. When the tree grows in size these stems will form branches from which the leaves become much smaller.

The salicin which we want to harvest is contained within the trees inner bark which is scientifically known as the cambium layer. This inner bark is considered the living tissue of this plant and is found between the rough outer bark and its hard wood.

In the spring or early summer it is a fairly easy task to peel the outer bark of the tree and chew it directly or if you so desire it can be steeped in hot water to create an aspirin tea. Cut in the bark, striping it off. It will appear to be very slippery allowing you to carefully peel it in long continuous strips.

During other seasons you may not be able to peel the bark so easily from the tree. In such case you will need to scrape off the inner and outer barks using a sharp knife. You will quickly notice that the smell and the taste of the poplar bark appear to be very aspirin like. It presents a bitter taste which is undesirable to many people. If you are in a hurry you could simply chew some of the bark in your mouth while swallowing the liquid. If the bitter taste is an issue, an alternative method would be to simmer two teaspoons of the bark in one cup of water for a period of ten minutes. Let the liquid cool and then strain and drink it. You can safely consume 3 or 4 cups of this drink on a daily basis without any undesirable effects.

If you use a product provided by Mother Nature keep in mind to use only what you need and leave the rest for others. Never deface a tree by removing bark from its main trunk but instead use the small branches in order to limit the amount of damage done.

Copyright @2010 Joseph Parish

http://www.survival-training.info

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Places to Purchase Grain

As any prepper would tell you one of the major supplies that you should stock up on is grain. Bread has been stated to be the staff of life and as long as you have a means of preparing bread and related products you can and will survive. In this short article I would like to relate to you a few of the places where you can obtain these necessary grain products at reasonable costs. They certainly would be worth storing up on.

I wish to state immediately that I have no connection what-so-ever with any of the companies that I mention here in this article. The first company that I would like to mention is Pleasant Hill Grain. The company's website can be found by searching for Pleasant Hill Grain.

The nice part of placing an order with Pleasant Hill is they provide you with free shipping on order in excess of 99 dollars. Their grains are usually packed in Mylar bags containing oxygen absorbers which are then sealed in six gallon buckets. Their products arrive to you complete and ready to be placed in your food storage location.

The kind people at LDS will sell you cases of hard red winter wheat in # 10 cans for around $28.00. They are packed 6 cans to a case. Once again you are offered free shipping. You can call them at 1-800-537-5001 or find their catalog and order forms at: http://www.ldscatalog.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10151&storeId=10151&categoryId=10002&langId=-1&cg1=14087&cg2=&cg3=&cg4=&cg5

I deal a lot with Honeyville Grain. They are quick at shipping your products to you and their prices are generally very reasonable. As for shipping, Honeyville charges one set fee regardless of how much you order.

Although I have never bought anything from Walton Feed I have been told they too are reasonable in their prices at $100 dollars for 200 pounds of hard red wheat. I had explored the possibility of placing a dehydrated number 10 vegetable can order with Walton Feed until I went to the checkout and noticed the outrageous shipping costs. The shipping problem is likely not just the fault of the company as much as the postal system rates. It is extremely difficult to get inexpensive shipping rates when an item weighs so much.

The last entry I would like to bring to your attention is the Miller Grain House items. These people offer not only grain but also beans, spices, essential oils, etc. They also toss in free shipping as an added bonus. Visit your favorite search engine and search for Millers Grain House.

A search of the internet by way of Yahoo or Google will quickly reveal many additional sources as well. It would be to your benefit to shop around for the best deal and shipping rates.

By Joseph Parish

Copyright @2010 Joseph Parish

www.survival-training.info

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One Time at Survival Camp

I see more and more survival camps popping up every year. Even though the idea of them sounds cool, I'm not convinced that most of them are worth the time or money.

Don't get me wrong- I'm sure they're better than doing absolutely nothing. But can they really teach you that much better than just getting a few books? Plus these days there are video courses coming out on how to survive the apocalypse.

But I digress.

If you really want to go to one of these survival camps, that's fine. Just make sure that they teach you the following skills (at a bare minimum):

How to build a fire

Obviously this is one of the most important skills to have. Without fire you'll be pretty cold at night. You won't be able to cook meat, fish, eggs, or veggies. Fire is also one of the best ways to keep bugs away at night.

Learn how to build a fire with flint and with the tools nature gives you. You may not always have your flint to help.

How to build several types of shelter

Again, this is pretty freakin' important. You should learn how to build different types of shelter because you never know what you'll have at your disposal. If you end up in a city environment, you'll have processed wood and metal. If you're in the woods, you'll have animal skins. And if you're in the desert.... You're out of luck.

How to hunt and fish

I mean you could eat berries and mushrooms forever, but that would make for a boring survival camp. Besides, you'll need as much protein as you can get in a survival situation. Vegetarians will probably get by, but omnivores will be the healthiest and strongest.

How to fight (with a knife, fists, a gun, anything)

Oh wait- that survival camp doesn't teach you self-defense? Then what are you supposed to do when a crazed cannibal comes running at you with a butcher knife? You either make him your prey, or you become his lunch.

How to get clean water

There are a number of ways to get clean water out there. Even though we have a lot of tools to make it easier, you should still learn a few other methods. For example, catching rain water or gaining access to an underground spring.

How to navigate with a compass and the sun/stars

Okay so the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, right? Well, kind of. It's not due east and due west- especially as the seasons change. That's why the better bet is to learn how to use a compass and map.

Now I know a lot of these may seem like common sense. If so, I apologize, but as I said before I just don't see most of these survival camps as being worth the time and money. Instead get a few good guides, study the heck out of them, and spend that money on sweet survival gear instead.

The author is a professional writer and a personal trainer. You can visit his website about sinkholes at apocalypsesurvivalschool.com, you will find information and advice about natural disasters and survival at his website.

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Why Getting in Shape Before Doomsday Is Extremely Important

Have you ever watched that show on National Geographic, "Doomsday Preppers". It is a show about real life people who are preparing to survive the apocalypse. Survival experts rate their preparations and they are given a score based on how likely they are to survive. If you have ever seen this show, you know that a great deal of these "preppers" as they are called, are completely overweight and in absolutely horrendous physical condition. This begs the question, how do these people expect to survive doomsday when they look like they are in need of a quadruple bypass.

People preparing for "the apocalypse" are becoming more and more common because the way things are going in the world. But in their preparations, they often over look the importance of being physically fit. If doomsday really did happen and people were forced to leave their homes to "head for the hills" how many of these super out of shape preppers could actually hack it?

If you are forced to leave your home due to some apocalyptic scenario, you are essentially reduced to a refugee. You will need to wander in search of supplies, resources and food. You will need to hunt and gather and be physically fit enough to plant crops, defend yourself and perform a variety of tasks like chopping fire wood or walking long distances.

Most of the people on this show look like they couldn't run a full mile, let alone blaze a trail out into the wilderness surviving off the land. If you really were going to be serious about "doomsday prepping" wouldn't you consider physical fitness a primary aspect of concern?

Instead of all of their elaborate defenses to protect their home, they should be spending some of that money on a treadmill and getting their bodies as prepared as their defenses. After all, you can't expect to always be at home, you will need to eventually go out in search of supplies no matter how well stocked you are. Walking and running won't be options after your fuel supply runs out and tasks like chopping and splitting wood require a certain degree of physical fitness that would be completely overwhelming to an out of shape "prepper".

Developing a daily workout routine should be a critical aspect of preparing for doomsday, your physical body is your best defense and if you are in horrible shape how could you ever expect to last for any length of time anyway?

So my advice to these doomsday preppers is, spend a little time running on a treadmill everyday and it will benefit you even if doomsday never occurs.

If you are the type of person who has all of the gear you need to survive the apocalypse and you are actively preparing for doomsday, you probably want to invest in a treadmill and some workout equipment to keep your body as prepared for survival as your home. You can get some of the best treadmills for under $500, so their really is no excuse not to add this to your survival repertoire. Stay fit and healthy, body, mind and soul it will benefit you no matter what happens!

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Bug Out Questions

Often new preppers have questions which they find difficult to obtain an answer too as they acquire the necessary skills and supplies. Several of the more common questions were discovered as I roamed around the net recently.

1 Can you suggest a good backpack for immediate bug-out use? When selecting one what are the major qualities or features which I should search for?

2 How should I determine which relatives I should share my supplies with and which I should refuse assistance? What would be the cutoff criteria that I should use?

3 How can I possibly secure an adequate supply of daily prescription medications since my doctor and insurance provider will only issue a 90 day supply at a time?

These questions are valid inquiries and should be respectfully answered in an honest and sincere manner.

In response to the first question you must first know what your intended purpose is for your bug out bag. If it is intended to be carried with you in the event you must leave work and try to get to your home than you will need items which will aid you in traveling to your destination. It will also depend upon what and how much of the specific items you will be totting with you.

If you are walking than you will need a good pair of shoes, the proper clothing and some food and water. Are you transporting dried foods or MRE? Will you have small children in your group? Remember that the distance which you may be able to drive in one hour may now take several days by foot. Consider whether you will need to take anything with you to survive at your final destination keeping in mind that it would be impossible to take everything that you would possibly need. Trained military troops can march 20 miles a day for 5 days however the average person with a backpack will have a difficult time accomplishing a mere 10 miles in two days.

You will also need to consider the other people whom you may encounter on your trip. Should you join them in their venture or perhaps wait a period of time prior to starting off on your venture? If you are heading out on the first day it may be better to join them but after the situation and the people start to become ugly you may wish to avoid them.

Practically any type of backpack found in the department stores will serve your purpose as a bug out bag. Select one that provides a measure of comfort to you and would not attract un-necessary attention as you travel. Cost should not be the deciding factor here. A $15 dollar child's bag could very well serve your purpose. I purchased camel-backs for all my grandchildren and you might wish to consider one of these for use in conjunction with your backpack so you can drink without stopping to take your pack off. Bear in mind that the purpose of the bag is to stash your supplies in and keep readily at hand within your vehicle or at work. Make sure it has an abundance of pockets to accommodate all the various supplies you will need to carry with you. I would recommend a "fanny pack" to hold a few medical supplies and sun screen.

In response to the second question, the answer can get tricky. I firmly believe that there are simply no rules set in stone for this question therefore you must decide yourself based upon your circumstances. Several sub-questions tend to pop up as you think about this response. How close are you to those relatives? Can they be trusted? How long can you afford to support other individuals with the supplies you have accumulated? I am generally more conducive towards the children and elderly. I first look to see if the person is trying to help themselves or just along for the ride. What were these people doing while you were scrimping and saving for a crisis? Were they partying and vacationing while you worked your behind off? If someone plans to sit on their duff as I do all the work they would certainly not be welcome. The fewer relatives and friends whom you allow to share your supplies mean that the more supplies you have for your family and the longer they will last. I would work hard to help those who are also working just as hard but if they are free-loaders they can forget it. It can only be suggested that you use good judgment and rely upon your own code of guidance.

I am blessed at being fairly healthy and not requiring any serious types of medications. However, for those that do this last question has several solutions you may choose from. All insurance programs cover only a 90 day supply and even than it will depend upon the prescription. If you have one which you take when needed you may be able to accumulate a small emergency supply. You may decide to substitute your meds with certain veterinarian supplies as used with farm and domestic animals. In many cases these may be the same, exact medications which humans use but they do not require a prescription. Examples of these medications are the commonly available fish antibiotics which you can readily purchase at your local pet store or online. Another solution at hand is ordering medical supplies from Mexican or Canadian pharmacies. These suppliers can ship you antibiotics and prescriptions legally at a fraction of their cost here in America. Keep in mind however that no insurance company will pay for these items and the cost will come out of your pocket.

Copyright @2012 Joseph Parish

http://www.survival-training.info

For more information relating to survival visit us at http://www.survival-training.info

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Natural Remedies for the Common Cold - A Preppers Guide

What do you do when you get sick in a world without drug stores?

I caught a cold last week. Something that happens to all of us and should not be a big deal. I find that as I get older these run of the mill illnesses seem to get worse and longer in duration. I have gotten to the point where I need a prescription cough syrup to sleep at night once the cough starts.

If you look at the counter in my bathroom there will be cough drops, cough medicine, Ibuprofen, decongestants and whatever I can think of that might ease my suffering. I'm not trying to come off as a wimp here but having a cold sucks. I can't sleep or even think for the duration - which seems to get longer all the time. Back in the day I could count on being 100% after a week or so. Now the symptoms can last two weeks or longer.

I thought about going cold turkey on the meds to see what it would be like but decided that keeping my house awake all night with my chronic cough would not be worth it. I also suffer seasonal allergies and know just how ugly that scene gets if I don't take my meds.

Modern diseases tend to center around inflammation. Inflammation is a reaction that occurs when the auto immune system is not functioning properly. Inflammation can be traced as the cause for everything from heart disease to arthritis.

So what did we do without pharmacies and medicines to ease our suffering? A quick internet search yielded some clues to start with: garlic, cinnamon, apple cider vinegar, coconut oil. Another question arose from my research that although won't cure the common cold may explain some things. Maybe paleo man did not get colds the way we do. I am pretty sure that allergies are prevalent in our modern society because of pre and post natal care. The introduction of formula to replace breast feeding has done damage to our autoimmune function. The decrease in good gut flora has had the same affect. The introduction of antibiotics as a cure for everything in the 60's and 70's harmed a generation of people. I think that I was raised on formula and given antibiotics regularly. Diet also plays a role in disease and inflammation.

Many of our current diseases such as diabetes and arthritis were not prevalent in paleolithic times. Examination of remains show good health. Infections were the most dangerous things in these times. Our diets and lifestyles have opened pandora's box for neolithic diseases.

So the next time I get a cold I am going to give the natural methods a try. Gargling with apple cider vinegar, teas and inflammation control are going to be my priorities.

For more information on surviving in uncertain times check out What is a prepper

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Everyday Reasons for Becoming a Prepper Besides a Doomsday Scenario

The prepper movement has become more and more mainstream over the last year or two but there are still some with odd reactions. Im sure we have all heard some of the comments about preppers like they are nuts, paranoid worry warts, and onward. There are many who don't believe that any sort of doomsday scenario will ever occur with in their lifetime. But the doomsday or end of world scenario alone is not the only reason to do a little prepping.

There are reasons which are a little more mainstream and may even make a little more sense even to those of you who don't believe in prepping. We have listed here some reasons to have emergency supplies and stock piles like many modern day prepper would have. You may want to consider some of these reasons to prep even though you still wouldn't consider yourself a prepper.

Natural Disasters - Most of us live in an area that can be hit by some kind of natural disaster be it a hurricane, tornado, or earthquake. This may not be a doomsday scenario but having a bit of preparedness could go a real long way to making your life easier on you and your family in this sort of situation.

Unemployment/Job Loss - With the economy in the shape its in these days job security is shaky for more Americans then ever before. Having a emergency food and supplies stock could be a huge edge for keeping you and your family fed and house running if you happen to have a sudden job loss or a massive cut in hours

Evacuations - Never know when something happens in your area which causes you to make a quick evacuation from your home. Having a bug out type bag that can be grabbed quickly containing important documents and supplies can be very important. Having all your important papers and supplies organized can be a lifesaver.

Power Outages - Sudden and possibly extended power outages are something everyone has to deal with at some point. Having some emergency prepper supplies packed away can make a huge difference in keeping your family fed and as comfortable as possible.

House Fire - This could happen to any of us at any time and having a evacuation plan and a bug out type bag could be a life saver. With little to no time to get out of the home to avoid death or injury a little prepping could make the difference in saving the lives of you and your family and getting out some of your important paperwork, information, and supplies.

Mechanical Car Problems - I know not all of us travel in out of the way area's at least on a consistent basis but if you do having a little prepping done could be very important. A breakdown can happen anywhere so having a way to communicate for help along with keeping you and your family hydrated, fed, and warm if needed until help arrives is a must. So a little prepping in this case can go a long way.

Becoming a prepper doesn't mean you have to believe the world is going to end tomorrow or next week but simply being a little more prepared for various situations. You also don't have to have massive stockpiles of food and supplies to be a prepper simply putting away enough to keep you and your family fed and hydrated should something unexpected happen can be enough for you. There is no set way or set of rules for being a prepper each and every one of us can be a prepper in our own way.

For more great prepping information, tips, and techniques check out http://www.preppersandbunkers.com

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What Does Vince Lombardi Have to Do With Prepping?

The other day a prepper curious friend asked me what kind of gun he should buy. I was excited that he was thinking of taking care of his need to protect himself and his family. The ability and right to protect our persons, family and property come with being human. They are a God-given right, not as some would consider a man-made right.

Before I gave him an answer about weapons, I had to stop and think a bit. (usually I just say something then think later, ask my wife, she'll agree) This time, I asked him a question instead. "Do you have the basics covered?" "Do you have a one year supply of food and water for your family?"

I kind of expected the answer I received, "No, I don't have any food stashed...yet." I didn't want to discourage him about protecting his family but at the same time I feel that FEEDING your family is protecting them also. I gently encouraged him to start thinking about starting his food purchases FIRST, then as money allowed to consider purchasing his weapons.

Psychologist Abraham Maslow developed his theory of Hierarchy of Needs. The basic necessities at bottom of his list of needs are the physiological needs. Breathing, food, water, shelter. Just above that comes security.

So many times we want to get the coolest gadget, radio, solar panel, gun, that we forget about taking care of the basics FIRST. Even though I am constantly ADDING to my already deep larder, I am able to move up and concentrate on security of body, family and property.

The Green Bay Packers' legendary head coach, Vince Lombardi led them to 5 world championships in 7 years including the first two Super Bowls. Although each season, many hardened veterans would return, to the Packers, Coach Lombardi would start with the basics. On the first day of practice each year, Lombardi would hold up a football and say, "Men....this is a football!"

You can't get any more basic than that. So, remember in your quest to prepare your family for uncertainty, start with the basics. Take care of those, then move up.

This link is a really neat little tool that helps calculate just how much food you need for a given amount of people. It is developed by some Mormons. I am not Mormon, but I do respect their deep knowledge and (food) preparedness beliefs.

http://lds.about.com/library/bl/faq/blcalculator.htm

As well as encouraging people to start their own business. William Feller also teaches how to survive in a possible severe economic downturn. Through his blog/audio podcast, http://AwareAndPrepared.com William reaches thousands of people worldwide with practical tips and tools on how not only to survive but thrive in any downturn.

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Doomsday Preppers: How to Doomsday Prep?

Many people have seen the show Doomsday Preppers and their first question always seems to be? How do I become a doomsday prepper? Just by asking the question it shows that you are already on your way. A doomsday prepper isn't made overnight, it takes time and effort usually and also funds to buy stuff.

Several articles on this site have touched on the basics but this one will be a bit more advanced.

Before you go out and buy a bunch of gear you need to think about what you are prepping for? Are you concerned that the government won't be able to provide for your safety and well being? Are you concerned because you live in a tsunami or hurricane zone where you may be without resources for more than a couple of days? Or are you worried the power grid will go down and will take weeks or months to get repaired? All of these are good reasons to start your survival preparations today.

As a prepper my hope is that I will never need to use the items I have in my prepper cache. At the same time though I don't want to be the one to be saying OMG I can't believe that just happened and not have the stuff I need to survive the aftermath of any given survival situation.

So to become a prepper you will want to assess what threats you face that you need to be prepared for. If they are chemical in nature or nuclear a gas mask and iodine pills should be in your survival kit for sure. If you are in a place where a natural disaster is going to be an issue it'd be good to keep your prepper supplies mobile and have a well stocked bug out bag and items like a water bladder for your bathtub to give you access to clean water.

If you are thinking hyperinflation is going to be a problem then having a ready supply of food will be the answer. You might be interested in learning to can food or buy prepared dehydrated or frozen food, or even survival bars. This will allow you to buy products now that you will need in the future and may not be able to get. Having a 3 month food supply or a 1 year food supply will give you a lot of security when it comes to hyperinflation.

Security is on item that will also need to be taken into account. Most people believe that people are inherently good, but that is only when they are not faced with adversity such as you'd see when there are no products on the store shelf or when gas is $5.00 a gallon. Many people that you would assume to be nice, won't be so nice. Having ample security to be able to protect your family and your home is very critical. If you can't afford a gun, maybe a stun gun, or even a baseball bat is better than nothing. But assume if you have it and others don't they want yours.

So to start your doomsday prepping efforts begin by assessing what you have and what you need. What is your weakest point. Once you have that look at what you need to improve those areas that are weakest.

Generally a survival cache will include: food, water, security items, person hygiene items, first aid items and survival gear such as a tent, sleeping bags etc.

Good luck and if you have any questions please post a comment below.

At http://www.doomsday-preppers.com you will find a wide variety of survival products for everyone from urban survivalist to the hard core emergency prepper. We have Gas Masks, Survival food and much more available.

If you are looking for information on Doomsday Bunkers and how to build shelters, check out http://www.doomsday-bunkers.net

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2012 - Just Another Y2K or Prepping for Something More?

So by now everyone knows that this is 2012, but unlike Y2K you don't hear something about it every night on the evening news. Why is that do you suppose? Is it just not that big of a deal, I mean it's only supposed to be the end of the world right? Is it because there are too many other major events going on around the world that are more news worthy? Syria, Iran and Israel are on nightly, scary stuff there and let's not forget your nightly dose of politics. I mean come on it's been the talk of civilization for years, let's take a look at who's been talking about it for a moment here. You have the Maya, The Hopi Prophecies, Norse Vikings, and the New World Order, oh let's not forget Nostradamus. It's all over cable television in one form or another; you can't go a week without some new 'Doomsday Show' or 'Survival Show' being put in front of you. So you have to stop and think is there something really going on here or am I just crazy or paranoid, or both?

Let's look back for a few years and see what we find, is there a pattern of thing's leading up to the 'Grand Finale' of 2012? Here is what has led up to us all feeling a bit uneasy and maybe that's why we don't like talking about it.

2004-Indian Ocean Tsunami an estimated 229,866 people died.
2005-Hurricane Katrina 1836 dead and thousands displaced.
2008-Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar 146,000 dead.
2010-The Haitian and Chilean Earthquakes over 230,000 died and towns reduced to rubble.
2011-Japan Earthquake and Tsunami as of Sept 11, 2011 a total of 15,850 deaths, 6011 injuries, and 3287 are still missing.
2011-Tornados in the United States for the year, 1894 total (NOAA) causing mass destruction and death.
2011-Hurricane Irene causes major flooding and power outages for weeks in the North East.

We can look back on 2011 to be one of the most natural disaster filled years on record and that makes it even more likely something else could be right around the corner. I remember when I was a kid back in the 70's natural disasters seemed to be a lot fewer and less often. Now you can't turn on the TV and not hear something erupted or flooded or shook the ground. These are not meant to scare you but natural disasters such as flood, fire, earthquake, tornado and windstorm affect thousands of people every year. You should know what your risks are and prepare to protect yourself, your family and community.

Now we have NASA talking about the Solar Maximum or Solar Max which is the period of greatest solar activity in the solar cycle of the sun which could send massive solar storms our way this year and into next. Why is this a big deal? Solar storms of this size can take down our power grid and send us back to a time before we had electricity. Great, like it can't get any worse but think of not having power for let's say probably like a year or maybe more, some experts say as much as 2-5 years, the time it would take to repair to a partial state of operation depending on how severe the damage to the power grid is. Everything we do or use in some way revolves around having power. How will I communicate without my cell phone or computer? How will I eat if the trucks that restock the grocery store don't have fuel? How will I cook or refrigerate my food, if I can find any food? Where will I get water to drink if all the water stations are down? If you can't go to work because of an emergency do you think the government workers will be able to? Who will fix everything? If you think the government is going to save you just look at what happened after Hurricane Katrina and I think you'll find your answer. Governments around the world are stockpiling supplies. So why no 2012 hype, is there something they don't want us to know that would cause wide spread panic and civil unrest?

Nobody knows for sure what's going to happen on December 21, 2012 but it might not be such a bad idea to just be prepared for whatever we might encounter on the 364 other days. Recognizing impending hazards and knowing what to do to protect yourself and your family will help you take effective steps to prepare beforehand and aid recovery after the event. A good boy scout is always prepared and ready.

Prepping is nothing new; families have done it for years in some form or another. Whether it be growing their own food in a garden and canning the harvest, or raising livestock for food, or to just keeping the pantry filled with canned goods. It's only in the last 100 years that people have been more reliant on technology and government for their daily needs. Since the recession began families have started to figure out they need to have additional plans and resources to get through these hard times, thus we have 'Preppers' in the main stream. Some of the things you can do to prepare for the unexpected, such as assembling a supply kit that includes food, water and developing a family emergency plan, are the same for all types of hazards. However each emergency is unique and knowing the actions to take for each threat will impact the specific decisions and preparations you make. By learning about these specific threats, you are preparing yourself to react in an emergency. Prepping for whatever may or may not happen, today, tomorrow or on December 21, 2012 is going to be essential to your family's survival. Even if nothing happens you can always feel confident and secure in any situation knowing you are prepared for what life throws at you.

I would recommend a good place to start is at http://www.thesurvivalplace.com where you'll find emergency supplies you and your family will need to be prepared. TheSurvivalPlace.com offers a wide range of Wilderness Survival Gear, Emergency Survival Kits and Food Storage, Discount Hunting Supplies and Cool Camping Gear. So whether you're looking for the best camping gear for that annual trip this summer to the lake, that big hunting excursion deep in the backcountry, or just want to be prepared for what Mother Nature throws at you, they've got you covered! They offer top brands at affordable prices with a 100% satisfaction guarantee so you can always feel confident and secure in the products they sell.

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Doomsday Preppers Must Include This Essential Element in Their Emergency Preparations

Planning for your own health should generally be at the core of virtually any doomsday preppers' plans. All the food, water, as well as supplies in any part of the world are actually not going to aide you in a catastrophe provided you are not adequately healthy to perform your emergency action plan. People are commonly forced to push theirselves physically immediately after a tragedy due to abrupt challenges and the increased loss of modern-day conveniences. Are you aware that more than seventy thousand Americans wound up with a personal injury warranting a doctors visit in 2008 after shoveling snow.

Moreover, hundreds of those appointments happened to be due to cardiac arrest as reported by the Consumer Products Safety Commission? If this many people are severely injured merely because of shoveling snow, just how many of them could have been competent at running a few miles to refuge or cutting up/lifting rubble for some time. Remaining in good physical condition can give you numerous benefits in emergencies:

Healthy Individuals Tend to Be Less Prone to Health Problems and Medical Conditions

Exercise allows you to decrease the bad cholesterol (LDL) which results in coronary disease and will increase the good cholesterol (HDL) that may protect against heart related illnesses. Doomsday preppers that work out regularly are likely to decrease their risk of serious health issues and infirmities which actually could easily develop to be serious issues in a crisis.

Exercise Enhances Your Overall Strength

Planning for a disaster should always consist of getting ready for the heightened physical demands of an unexpected emergency. The more you engage in physical activity and build your all-around degree of physical fitness at this time, the more you will be able to take on when calamity happens in the future. By building up your endurance and strength through regular physical exercise, you can expect increase your personal autonomy in a disaster.

Bodily Exercise Enhances Your Mind

An individual's mental wellness will sharpen with consistent workouts as well. Physical activity in many cases can be a powerful antidepressant as well as can decrease the symptoms of depression. Maintaining strong mental wellness is imperative during the stressful situations generated in a disaster. Staying nimble physically will most likely help you stay agile mentally, they are both essential to your security in an emergency.

Act by committing to make your health a priority as you plan for a serious event. Start modestly by doing little things like walking around your area to better acquaint yourself with your environment. Create aspirations for yourself based on your current day circumstances and crisis plan. It may be the most significant prepping endeavor you do in your life.

For more information on disaster preparation visit http://thesmartpreppers.com/fitness/.

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Why Do I Need a Survival Seed Bank?

A survival seed bank is just what it sounds like: a bank, or savings account, of seeds stored away for use when survival tactics are needed. The seeds in a survival seed bank are there for a rainy day (or worse!) Typically, a personal seed bank will be comprised of a few dozen different kinds of heirloom seeds that a person knows will grow well in their environment. There's no point in having melon seeds if you live in, let's say, Greenland!

These seeds are stored in such a way (usually in cool, dry conditions and vacuum sealed) so that their life expectancy is as long as possible and their viability is protected. If something were to happen, whether is be a man-made disaster (nuclear war) or a natural catastrophe (earthquake, meteor, etc.), the seeds that have been securely saved can (hopefully) be planted post-disaster and provide us and our animals with a food supply.

Can you imagine the state we would be in if, all of a sudden, all the crops we currently have growing in America were destroyed? Or what if major earthquakes took out our roads and delivery trucks had no way of bringing food to us? What if our satellite and radio communications were disrupted--how would we tell anyone that we needed help, food, water, medical support?

Now, I realize I'm being a bit extreme here, but I'm just trying to get the point across. And the truth is, apparently me and my other "preppers" are not the only ones who think having a survival seed bank is a good idea. To date, there are nearly 1,500 seed banks owned and operated by organizations and governments around the world--these are not private personal seed banks! The numbers of personal seed banks is probably in the millions.

The Svalbard Seed Vault, also known as the Doomsday Seed Vault, is definitely the largest and most well know seed bank. It's located in Norway, holds over 500,000 different types of seeds, and is ran by the Norwegian government along with support from the Bill Gates Foundation and the Rockefeller family. For more information, click here.

The bottom line is this, whether you just want to be a little cautious, or you're convinced that the end of the world is coming soon, it doesn't hurt to have a back-up plan. Whether you save your own seeds or you purchase some type of Survival Seed Bank kit, I would recommend taking some kind of action--just to be safe!

http://www.growlikecrazy.com/

My number one focus is growing my own food. I don't think that really counts as a hobby. For some people it is, but for me, growing my own fruits and vegetables and saving my own seed is the key to survival. The only person you can count on is yourself, if you ask me. The government is trying to "help" us all with GMO's and welfare, but it's all a crock. We need to know how to survive on our own.

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Does Your Family Have an Emergency Plan in Place?

Since the nature of emergencies are that they happen when they happen a good Doomsday Prepper needs to be prepared for many different contingencies.

Obviously most survival preppers will think of the obvious like food, shelter and security but what about actually planning for the emergency itself? What if a train car derailed and it was loaded with potentially letal chemicals and the plume were blowing your way? Your spouse is at work, the kids are at school and all hell breaks loose, or as we like to call it, when the shit hits the fan.

Within minutes of the announcement of the disaster streets are filling with cars, people are ignoring road rules such as which lane to drive in and 4 ways stops. This leads to accidents and issues further snarling traffic. To make things worse you try and contact your family on the phone, but you get the all circuits are busy message.

Luckily you are at home and have access to Gas Masks, plenty of food and all but your spouse and kids are no where near. You have to leave your home because of the safety issues but what about the rest of your family, what are they thinking? Where are they going to try to go?

Quite likely they are trying to get to you and the gear which you are looking to take and leave with.

This is a common scenario that does happen and will happen again. Having a plan in place for these sorts of emergencies can be the difference between life and death. Every family should have plans in place as to what to do in such a scenario.

Maybe have a family members house that is out of town as your meeting location. Maybe it's just an address in the city to get to and leave a message as to a final destination.

The point is everyone in the family needs to know where to meet if they are separated and need to get back with each other. This plan needs to be discussed regularly so when the emergency situation comes up everyone knows where to go and what to do at least.

Creating a survival plan is as easy as having a family discussion and coming up with some locations. You should also plan on who should grab what when the time comes. Also plan for several scenarios. A train derailing would be much different than a terrorist attack or an earthquake.

Take a few minutes to get this done. It might just save your life and the lives of your family members.

At http://www.doomsday-preppers.com you will find a wide variety of survival products for everyone from urban survivalist to the hard core emergency prepper. We have Gas Masks, Survival food and much more available. We also have a wide range of articles on a variety emergency topics that can help you learn more and become more prepared.

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Disposable Consumerism in the Modern World

I've been thinking quite a bit lately about the waste and junk in our lives. I think I have reached a point where I can almost say I have everything that I need. Plenty of times in my past I had recorded lists of items to be purchased in the future, when the money was there. Now i'm not talking about a kid rattling off a list of anticipated gifts to a man in a red and white suit at a shopping mall. The sort of things I had longed for were what I consider to be durable goods. You might debate my person selection, but to each his own. My intention comes from a place of long term use. One may swear a Sig is the best handgun out there today, others may reach for a CZ. In the end, neither are a shitty knock-off or severely over-hyped new trendy gizmo.

This is what I mean about consumerism gone stupid in today's world. We have too often fallen prey to this money trap looking for cheap solutions. If you look at you collection of purchases, leaving the standard consumables aside(food and energy), what are you left with? How much crap do you buy that survives to an acceptable lifetime and was it worth it? If I look back at all the junk that has been bought and discarded, would we have been better off investing in something that lasts for decades or skimping on the cost just to throw it away and buy it again? Changing the vision of stuff into tools has been rather eye opening. Each thing we gather in our lives should be a tool, and being a tool it should last and perform to a high standard. Now I know that there are items, brands and styles that could be considered 'the world's best' like Rolex and Stradivarius but why fall to the opposite end of the spectrum and buy a handful of junk that will end up failing and filling junkyards?

Who is the number one retailer in the world? Walmart. How did they get that way? They sell cheap junk and people buy it. I admit that I use Walmart to buy consumables(ammo, food, some clothing) but the other stuff they sell is just like burning a fistful of dollars. Too often have we accepted that this buy cheap and replace mentality is OK. How much of your financial freedom has been stripped from you by thinking this way? I have always been searching for quality items, within reasonable price ranges, that are built to last. Made in the USA has never been a part of this, I just look for solidly engineered and crafted products that can solve a problem and be used over and over again. I could care less if something is made in Taiwan, Germany or Ireland.. if it's built well, it's built well. Countless purchases of knives has taught me this well. I have purchased many a knife that failed to perform under stress, most were nameless brands in the knife industry, some well known. In the end they were not quality purchases. A hypothetical example: You buy a $20 knife, it lasts a season under hard use and now you're out $20. Even rigorous sharpening and care won't bring it back to life. So you go and buy another $20 knife and it craps out on you. Would an investment of $40 in a better knife up front have saved you the loss? Where is your limit of quality to cost ratio? If I were to offer you a knife for $200 that would last you 40 years.. and you turned me down buying that cheap junk instead, you would end up spending 3 times as much(assuming no inflation rise in cost of your piece of junk knife).

I guess where I'm going with this thought is that quality upfront can relieve some of the burdens of inflation and hassles of replacement. I hate the disposable mentality and the trap it puts people in both mentally and financially. From our example above, what could you have used that extra $400 on over the course of your knife's lifetime? The initial investment can save you big in the long term. As preppers strive to become more self-sufficient and self-reliant. We think of investments that meet those needs and provide return through time which can weather inflationary changes to our monetary system. We may look at solar or other alternative energy systems with fairly steep tickets to get up and running, but in the end they will pay for themselves at the least. So when you go out to buy that next thing at the mall, take a look at your personal inventory and see if something already meets your need. If you're replacing a broken item, would it be better to spend the extra cash on going for quality. And don't DON'T fall for the credit scam that lets you buy more now.. you are getting double screwed in the end.

Torch & Sword Blog - Knowledge in Action

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Do You Need a Gas Mask in Your Emergency Kit?

If you are like me you have probably seen many doomsday preparation shows on TV and have seen many people with gas and biological filtration devices. I have been asked by a couple visitors if it's something you really need in your survival kit.

Answering that question really depends on what the gas mask is used for. If you were in an emergency where chemical or biological weapons are used then having a gas mask would really be the difference between life and death. If on the other hand there were a swine flu, bird flu or other pandemic that is airborne nose and mouth filters would probably work better.

The gas mask isn't really an item you would be able to wear all the time. It's for a short duration use in an emergency situation. Many don't have any way to drink in them and aren't exactly the most comfortable survival items that you will wear. The paper filter masks can be worn with regularity and not be nearly as cumbersome as a gas mask.

So with that said should you have a gas mask in your survival gear kit? I like to think as a prepper that I try to be prepared for a variety of emergency situations. If I prep for only the super volcano eruption in Wyoming, or a chemical attack I am limiting my readiness.

For about 20-40 dollars you can get a gas mask and be ready for whatever emergency survival situation comes up. I would also make sure to have a supply of paper masks for airborne pathogens in case of the spread of infectious disease. Some of the most popular Gas Masks right now are those that come from Israel as they are constantly updated with new innovations. For most survival situations having a filtration masks of any make is likely to provide survival protection for both you and your family.

Remember as a prepper you need to think about being prepared for many different situations. You will most likely never be able to have all of your bases covered but the more you have covered the more you will be prepared. Learning about emergency survival is the best way to start. The more educated you are on what it would take to survive any emergency whether it be a hurricane, nuclear disaster, wide spread electrical disruption or just a local emergency, the better off you and your family will be.

At http://doomsday-preppers.com you will find a wide variety of survival products for everyone from urban survivalist to the hard core emergency prepper. We have Gas Masks, Survival food and much more available.

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Survival Preparation - To Bug Out or To Bug In?

As with many preppers I wonder if I should consider bugging out when the shit hits the fan or staying put and protecting the place I am at. This dilemma has been debated a countless many times by many a doomsday preppers.

The question really boils down to this. Is being mobile a better choice than being in a stationary position?

If you are planning to "Bug In" at your current location you have a couple of advantages that aren't as easy for the mobile prepper. You can have a larger cache of survival products and food available to you. You have familiar surroundings which is also a distinct advantage. The drawback on the other hand is that if people know or learn what you have that might make you more of a target for others who because of desperation resort to other than friendly means to get what they need.

Many preppers believe that they will be able to trade with people and that will be much better than any form of force by arms. This might be true if you have an overhwhelming amount of firepower where they know that the only recourse is trading politely, barring that the darker side of human nature will probably take over and they will use whatever means necessary to get what you have and they don't.

So if you plan on bugging in when the shit hits the fan you need to consider having the means to protect what you have. You should also consider hiding much of your stash in multiple locations outside and away from your primary location. If you do get raided and lose what you have you still have fallback supplies. Plan on having a very good security plan in place. Don't rely on the good nature of people around you. Your life could be in danger and no one will be there to bail YOU out.

If you are planning on a more mobile prepper lifestyle you need to consider the ramifications of not having as many supplies available to you in most cases. You will want to learn the skills of living off the land. You should have a couple of books at your disposal, one is a book on edible plants and the other would be on the medicinal use of plants. This will allow you to forage much more effectively saving valuable space in your bug out bag for other supplies.

Your bug out bag should contain items you will need to survive while moving from place to place. You're top concerns should be shelter and security. Having both will allow you to stay in more secure hiding places although you won't have as much in the way of creature comforts. A small tent and/or tarps that you can build them from would be ideal to have. Items that allow you to start fires will be a must as would be some sort of pot for boiling water and cooking needs. You want to be well stocked with first aid, as they say bullets, band-aids and beans.

You will also want to have a good pair of boots. Although tennis shoes are comfortable for day to day living now if you are walking a lot they will wear out, you will want a good pair of military grade water proof boots that are both comfortable and broken in. The last thing you want to have to do when you bug out is deal with blisters because your boots aren't broken in. Warm clothing might be a consideration too thought it's likely you would be able to scavenge clothes from abandoned homes.

Whether you choose to bug in or bug out, the important thing is to be prepared and stay alive.

At http://www.doomsday-preppers.com you will find a wide variety of survival products for everyone from urban survivalist to the hard core emergency prepper. We have Gas Masks, Survival food and much more available. We also have many articles on prepping as well as a very active forum that can be found at http://www.doomsday-preppers.com/forum/

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Reasons to Prepare - Don't Wait, It Will Be Too Late

We all mention it in jest. What will you do when the end comes. Perhaps at a party or at the bar with friends. The fact is that one day the end will come and when it is here it will be too late to get ready. There is no need to panic now however. A little forethought and perhaps a small investment you too can be ready when the apocalypse arrives.

This end can come from many sources. All a person has to do is watch the news, read the paper, or just look at an online current events site. There is always some event being thrown at us that has some potential cataclysmic outcome. I am sure that is why some people even avoid the new all together. The barrage of evidence is obvious and now is the time to take note and get ready for the inevitable.

The first area of potential catastrophe and probably foremost is the environment or a natural disaster. The recent floods, hurricanes, global warming, and water crisis have probably brought a drop of sweat to your brow. It has mine. Our planet sees us as a pest that is destroying it and is trying to get rid of us. This is a battle that we cannot win as we live on this earth and are damaging it beyond repair.

Now I move to the issue of the man-made disasters. I am speaking to issues like a gas shortage, financial collapse, terrorism, or biological warfare. Once we run out of the sources we need for our "modern" appliances it is sure that some sort of chaos will break out. Everything that we now rely on to survive will be useless once our electricity goes out or we run out of the gas for our cars. A terrorist can also pose a big threat to us by releasing a biological weapon or perhaps even nuclear attacks. We are in a dangerous and pivotal point in time when the balance can be easily be tipped.

Finally, I am going to address the matter everyone has heard of the Mayan calendar prophesy. On December 12th of 2012 the end is predicted to come as the Mayan calendar is over. This is believed to relate to a great number of things. However, it is significant that the most intelligent culture on earth ended its calendar that day. Could this day be the end?

This is not meant to be a scare tactic. However, it never hurts to be aware of the current goings on and how they can relate to the end. We may be put in this situation. It's easy to say, "not in my lifetime" but looking at what is going on this great planet earth one has to wonder.

Check out http://www.preppersandbunkers.com for tons of great prepper information. Learn to become the most effective prepper possible.

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Living Underground in a Doomsday Bunker / Shipping Container

As an avid prepper I long ago converted my wife into like thinking. She's as much of a prepper as I am now and in some cases even more so. When it comes to a doomsday bunker that's where we part ways. She has her mind set on not being able to live in a "coffin" as she calls it. Ideally I'd like to bury a couple of shipping containers that are built specifically for living in. I would be content with the top of the containers being maybe a foot up above ground level and letting a dirt berm or shrubs block the visibility.

My ideal shelter would have quite a few windows in that exposed area so you wouldn't get that feeling of being buried. Even with that said she still doesn't think she could live in it. I asked how that's different than being in a basement with windows and she said it would feel more confined. With nearly 400 square feet of living space a shipping container would work very well and give ample room. If you had several of them there would be even more space.

So one of the big items to address if you are looking to turn a shipping container into an underground house is how it will be received by your family members. I obviously didn't take the time to properly discuss it with her so she'd understand the details of living in a shipping container. I think had I taken time to talk more about things I'd do to make it a liveable doomsday bunker I'd have a much smaller hill to climb right now.

So assuming that I get past that I have started thinking about the ideal configuration for an underground bunker built from a steel shipping container. I think using 4 containers together would make for an ideal configuration. The goal would be to make living areas for 4-6 people.

With 4 of these you would have nearly 1,600 square feet of underground bunker space and 2 large living areas and 4 smaller areas. One large living area I would dedicate to a kitchen, food storage etc. The other large living area would be dedicated to a more family or group oriented room where similar to what a living room is now.

The 4 smaller rooms would probably amount to 2 or 3 bedrooms and one bonus room for storage and all the other stuff one would need to live underground for a longer period of time. With limited space it would need to be well organized but certainly a 1,600 sq foot bunker would work well.

The layout would be 4 of these staggered back and forth with a 50% overlap. The 2nds would start halfway up the first, the third would be the same as the first and the 4th the same as the 2nd. Giving you a center that is 20x40 and 4 nodes each of 20x10. In further articles I will discuss what I would need to stock an underground bunker and what items I would want in my storage cache for living underground.

Each bedroom would be 10x20 so there would be a good amount of space, the living room and kitchen would be 20x20 which is also very spacious. Between he kitchen and the living room would be a door and or pass-through or it could be completely open to make one large room. Ideally the entry way would be through the storage room and that would be the access point.

If you have any thoughts or ideas I would love to hear them.

At http://www.doomsday-bunkers.net we have information on how to construct your own bunkers, where to buy bunkers, information on living in a bunker and supplies you might need and much more

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Personal Protection - Do You Need a Gun?

As an avid prepper one of the things that I constantly think about is security. Whether that be when we are out and about or in an actual doomsday scenario and working to protect my family and food stores from those that are looking to take it from me

No matter what the reason is I have had a few conversations with family and friends about security and the role of guns for protection and seem to be getting somewhat of a mixed response.

There are clearly two groups here, those that believe that in a situation where there is little or no government and order when a major emergency happens and those that think it may be bad for a day or two then all will be well.

The problem here is that if group two is right, group one only wasted money on guns and ammunition. However, if group one is right then group two is likely to become part of the problem because they are suddenly going to be the have nots in a world where they need to survive.

So as far as having protection whether that's a gun, knife, stun gun or whatever it seems only logical to err on the side of caution. Having a gun and ammo doesn't mean you are going to turn into a Harley ridin' tattoo covered gun slinger. It's only a tool that if needed it's too late if you don't have it.

I am not advocating that everyone go buy a gun and when they answer their door they have a loaded handgun, but having one just in case and knowing how to use it only makes good sense.

So in talking to friends and family the ones in group two seem to like to say most people are shot with their own gun. I don't dispute that because many people who have guns aren't prepared to use them or have never taken the time to learn about their use after the initial purchase and maybe firing a little bit at a range.

In real life if you feel the need to pull out and aim your gun at someone two things need to happen. One you need to be sure that the situation you are facing calls for the potential use of lethal force and two that you actually have the skills and ability to proceed if that is needed. If you don't have those then you probably shouldn't have a gun and I'd recommend something less dangerous like a stun gun.

Remember guns don't shoot people, people shoot people. If you use good judgement and are security conscience you may never need to use your gun, but if you do need it, it'd be a bad time to be thinking "I should have bought a gun."

At http://www.doomsday-preppers.com you will find a wide variety of survival products for everyone from urban survivalist to the hard core emergency prepper. We have Gas Masks, Survival food and much more available. We also have many articles on prepping as well as a very active forum that can be found at http://www.doomsday-preppers.com/forum/

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Are You a Good Doomsday Prepper? Are You Prepared?

As a Survivalist, it certainly is important that you be vigilant in your prepping so that you can leave in a moments notice. I confess that I'm a procrastinator. I purchased four 5 gallon plastic gas cans and stored them in my garage. They sat there empty for pretty much 60 days. It so happened the price of gas went lower by 20 cents while they were sitting there, but had gas skyrocketed my survival preps may have been useless.

One of the most important steps to being self sufficient is to make sure you work towards your goal before you are at crunch time. As a prepper you should be taking time at least once a month to look at what you have done, what you still need to do and assess a plan of action to complete these goals. Even something as simple as checking expiration dates on items can become critical so you need to be sure to check on your survival cache on a regular basis. After you have done this a couple of times it will become second nature.

This appears to be somewhat usual among survivalists. Many have plenty of things in the works that are not complete so that when the shit does hit the fan they're barely ready for that emergency. Perhaps you have fallen into this category? Do you got a bug out bag that either sits empty near a lot of other products or possibly hidden in certain place where it is sometimes complicated to access? When was the final time you checked the products so you'd be sure you have the right products inside and that none of them are past it's expiration? Have you thought about various survival situations to re-asses items you have inside your bug out bag and what else that you might need to get? The reality for many is that they haven't.

Why haven't you, do you expect once the shit hits the fan you will have the time to proceed making your B.O.B. or have enough time to get everything prepared? Or would you imagine getting the stuff is as far as you have to go. What could happen if something happens that precipitates bugging out really fast. Say a nuclear blast, a train derailment with toxic fumes, as well as something similar to a large sink hole near your house like happened in Florida in May of 2012. These situations could cause you to quickly evacuate your home. Would you like to be prepared or would you like to be caught with your pants down like countless People in America who barely possess the resources and whits to last even a few days after a major incident?

If you are wanting to learn more about survival training then you should look for forums that can help you find the knowledge that you need to help you become more aware for any doomsday situation. On these sites you will often find many good people willing to guide you along your path to become a prepper. Beware that not everyone on there has your interests at heart so be sure to be safe and not give out too much info about your state of readiness.

Many sites have articles on items such as food canning, dehydrating, drying food, personal safety and many other great topics. When you first start to look at becoming a prepper these topics are often daunting and take a while to jump in and get going, but once you have done this you will find that you learn to take on challenges more easily and that's going to be a mighty fine ability to have if the proverbial shit hits the fan.

Don't be afraid to participate in the conversation as you might have more information than others and might be as much a teacher as a student.

At http://www.doomsday-preppers.com you will find a wide variety of survival products for everyone from urban survivalist to the hard core emergency prepper. We have Gas Masks, Survival food and much more available. We also have many articles on prepping as well as a very active forum that can be found at http://www.doomsday-preppers.com/forum/

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