The following account has been generously contributed by The Prepper Project.
When it hit, it wasn’t like the movies, there were no zombies. It wasn’t World War III, and the attack itself was barely visible. The aftermath, however, was far worse than any Hollywood movie could ever portray. A weakened world economy paved the way for what would become known as worst rash of cyber terrorism in the history of the human race. With a crippling national deficit and costly military actions, coupled with a plummeting G.D.P. from the mass exodus of American jobs to foreign markets, the United States government couldn’t afford the best and brightest computer scientists anymore. Unfortunately for America, and the rest of the world, the ones who could afford the top minds in computer science were also the ones who wished to cause harm – to disrupt the free world, and use the power of technology to their own selfish ends.
Drug lords, terrorist groups, extremists – the people who made their money illegally had plenty of it. Shootings and bombings had suddenly become obsolete once the enemies of the free world acquired the power to attack and wreak havoc using computers. It started small enough; identity theft on a mass scale, attacks on credit card companies, border control databases, city surveillance, but then they crashed Wall Street. After that, things got worse and worse, government documents were stolen and sold on the black market, attacks were made on power grids and municipalities, the very infrastructure of America and major cities around the world were beginning to lose stability. By the time they began accessing military operational commands via the Pentagon mainframe, governments around the world had no choice but to take it all out and attempt to start over.
Without warning, the government detonated massive E.M.P. devices in every major city. America first, then most of Europe, Asia, and onward, each continent going dark, city by city, like falling dominoes. Within a week, there wasn’t a single inhabited area on the planet that hadn’t had its electronics fried by the devices. All of the technology, vehicles, and machines that relied on electricity had become nothing more than empty useless shells of a once prosperous and advanced society, and the world as it was known was completely and devastatingly changed.
Jason Jones was a man who paid attention. A veteran with twenty-two months of service in both Iraq and Afghanistan, he was no stranger to the chaos and violence that existed in his fellow man, no stranger to the atrocities men were capable of when the conditions were right. As each day’s news reports poured in, telling of the continuing cyber attacks and growing instability around the country in the months leading up to what had been dubbed “Dark Dawn”, Jason knew better than to trust the talking heads and politicians who assured everyone that everything was under control.
He loved his country, and his countrymen, he’d proven that by earning his decorations in combat, including two silver stars for bravery, and the purple heart for taking three shards of shrapnel in his right leg from an I.E.D.. But he also loved his family, and knew that there could come a time when the systems in place to keep them safe would fail. It was this love for his two sons Jim and Dale, his wife Patricia and his young daughter Cathy that pushed Jason to prepare, to become self-reliant, to ignore the mutterings from his neighbors about paranoia and overzealous behavior and to plan for what he hoped would never happen.
He was at work on that steamy morning in early July when the E.M.P. device was detonated in the heart of downtown Chicago. His warehouse supply company’s headquarters, which occupied the fourteenth floor of one of Chicago’s smaller skyscrapers, was in a frenzy.
They’d been trying to respond to a lost shipment of forklifts that had been shipped but never received. Jason had suspected cyber terrorists and had put in a formal complaint with the Pentagon’s new cyber terrorist prosecution department, which was needless to say, unimaginably backlogged with thousands of similar requests from all over the country. All of a sudden there was a great sucking thud from outside, like a blast from a tuba, low and resonant and loud enough to shake the windows of the building. The entire office fell silent. The usual cluttering noise of ringing phones, clicking computer keyboards and whining printers was replaced by a haunting stillness in the wake of the echoing thud outside. The lights, the screens, cell phones, emergency systems, everything had gone dark.
In an instant, Jason recognized the onset of something much larger than a power grid failure. He ran to the window and looked out over the city, the intersections below were jammed with smashed vehicles, not a single car or truck or motorcycle moved, all the other office windows of the adjacent buildings were dark, no planes, no choppers, nothing. Nothing moved outside, except for the people exiting their cars and wandering around in confusion. Around him, his co-workers were cursing the utilities company, and wondering aloud what had happened to their cell phones, and how long it would be until they had the power back on. There was only one word in Jason’s mind as he gazed out over the mounting chaos on the streets below, “Bug-out.”
He turned, and headed for his office, but stopped half way, remembering that as the boss, he was responsible for his employee’s safety.
“Listen up people!” he shouted over the rising din of complaints, “I don’t believe we’re dealing with an ordinary situation here.”
The office fell deadly silent again as the fourteen employees all turned to face their boss with looks of concern in their eyes.
“I can’t say exactly what’s happened, but if you look out the window, it seems to be effecting far more than just our building.”
A few employees close to the window, looked out and gasped at the stopped traffic and gathering crowds.
“What’s going on?” asked Brenda, Jason’s sales team manager.
“Like I said,” Jason continued to address the crowd, “I’m not exactly sure what’s happening, but I know it’s big, so I’m shutting down the office and advising you all to get home immediately.” “What about our families, my cell phone’s dead, and I can’t reach my wife!” Chris, from accounting called out over the commotion brewing amongst the employees.
“Don’t you have a bug-out plan?” asked Jason. “A what?”
“A bug-out plan!” Jason repeated, “A set of protocol to follow in case of emergencies!” Jason couldn’t believe that he had to explain it.
“No…” Chris said softly, with a look of worry on his face.
“Okay, look,” Jason said to the agitated workers, “The most important thing you can do is to get home, and gather food and water, and secure your house.” Jason looked around the room at the astonishment and fear on the faces of his employees and knew that none of them had made bug-out plans, or had any idea what one was until the moment he’d explained it. He felt sorry for them, but it was too late now, he thought. Time is of the essence, and each minute wasted, the window for getting home safely could be closing. “Remember,” he said once more to the crowd, “Get home, gather food, water, and lock your doors.” It was the best advice he could give to the unprepared group of employees, but he knew there was so much more to be done. Even getting out of the city was going to be difficult, he thought, and I’m sure none of them are prepared for what’s to come.
“Good luck!” he said, and walked into his office and closed the door. He reached into the bottom drawer of his desk, and retrieved a compact Kevlar pack, light and durable, and packed to the brim with supplies. Jason pulled the drawstrings and riffled through his “Get Home Bag.” He pulled out a pair of hiking boots and set them on the desk. Reaching in again, he retrieved his folded map of downtown Chicago, one of the three bottles of water, and the small Beretta 9mm pistol. He double checked the rest of the gear before closing the bag – pry bar, medical supplies, a day and a half worth of freeze dried food, window punch, whistle, compass, long sleeve shirt, extra socks and underwear, and a pair of black tactical pants and two red bandanas. The noise outside the office had grown into an uproar as the employees grabbed their things preparing to leave, some still trying the phones in desperation.
Jason decided to change his clothes and shoes, and stuffed his work trousers, and dress shoes in the bag. He kept his white polo shirt on, stuffed the pistol into the back of his pants, pocketed the map and the small flashlight, then closed the bag again and tossed it on his back. As he ran down the stairs using the small flashlight to light his way, he decided it would be useless to try his car. Even if it was working, which he doubted after seeing all the cars on
the streets below, the traffic backup would be impossible to get through. Others in the office building had already gathered in the lobby by the time he reached it. They were watching in dazed helplessness as police officers, some on horseback, were attempting to get people to stay in their vehicles. Without working radios to coordinate their efforts, they were just as lost and a part of the chaos as everyone else. Jason noticed that no one else in the lobby seemed to be prepared with a Get Home Bag, and he shook his head softly in wonderment. He thought to himself, Am I the only one prepared for this?
The noise outside was almost deafening, even without motors and beeps and all the other missing mechanical sounds of the city. People had begun to panic and the streets were filled with shouting and yelling and masses of people running around without a clue as to where to go or what to do. Keep cool, Jason told himself, you’re prepared to handle this, you have a plan. He watched a family, a dad and mom and two young children, duck into a store entrance to escape the herd of people stampeding up and down the avenue. The girls were crying and the mother clung to the man’s arm, but he was as wide eyed and helpless looking as the people in the lobby. The sight of them made him think of Patricia, and his own children. Thank God we made a plan, he thought to himself. The boys would have been at school by this point, he thought, which, luckily, was towards the outskirts of the city. They each kept a GHB in their lockers, minus the pistol of course, and they knew to get home immediately, and begin preparing the house for lockdown. Patricia was at home that morning taking care of their 5- year-old daughter Cathy, who had been running a fever the night before.
Patricia, if she was aware of what was happening, would be preparing the bug-out-bags at that very moment. Jason smiled, proud of the peace of mind being prepared was bringing him, he jogged confidently around the corner in the direction of home, but what lay before him wiped the smile clean off his face.
They’ve already started looting? He thought, a little surprised, It seems a bit early. The street Jason stood on was lined with bodegas and restaurants, and a handful of convenient stores. All the windows were broken in and frenzied bodies were streaming in an out in a constant flow of madness, carrying bags and boxes and sometimes just handfuls of whatever they could grab. Jason was glad that their bug-out retreat, packs and house were well supplied with food, as he watched the carnivorous looting before him. He walked cautiously forward, aware that his pack made him a desirable target for the maniacal crowd who when whipped into such a fury, lost all sense of right and wrong. As he neared the first set of shops, he paused, there was a commotion flaring up in the middle of the street. Two men were shouting at each other, he couldn’t see them through all the people and stalled-out cars, but it didn’t sound pretty.
Jason stretched his head to try and catch a glimpse of what was going on, and as he did, three shots rang out. Pop! Pop! Pop! Screams erupted from the already terrified crowd and the people ducked and ran in every direction, some dropping the bags and boxes they had just stolen. Jason ducked out of view into an alley between two shops and kept his eyes trained on the streets, letting the chaos ensue, reaching back for his pistol. That’s when he felt a cold steel barrel press against the back of his neck.
“What’s in that fancy bag there buddy?” the gruff voice asked menacingly.
Jason Jones slowly raised his arms in the air at his sides as the barrel of the gun pressed harder against his skin.
Be sure to catch next week’s installment to see what happens to Jason Jones and the rest of the world gone mad in “The Aftermath”.
Click here to read Aftermath Part 2: Bugging Out After An EMP Attack
Michael Ulanski is a fiction writer and freelance journalist currently traveling and working in the Middle East. Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, he is working on a series of short stories entitled Maps of a Midwest Suburb, as well as maintaining a travel blog, and working on his first novel. He holds a masters degree in English Education and teaches writing to secondary students in the United Arab Emirates.
Visit The Prepper Project for more excellent preparedness and survival information, and connect with them via Facebook, Twitter and Youtube.
Oil lamps and lots of spare oil.
Available at WalMart cheap.
Not a pretty sight\site to be in
Currently posted on Drudge report…
-VENEZUELA GOES DARK
-‘CHAOS’
(links below)
Power outages do happen. It helps to be prepared.
As a former teacher, I think this would make a good article to read with your family (teens & up) and discuss with afterward.
Get everyone thinking. Review refresh plans to get home.
Here are a few questions that it brought to mind:
-Did you think the story gave an accurate depiction of what could/would happen?
-Did anything in the story surprise you?
-If this were to happen in our area, what things would be different?
-If you were away from home and this happened, what plans do have to get home?
-What, if any additional items would you pack in your bug out bag?
A massive blackout left more than half of Venezuela without electricity yesterday…
http://news.yahoo.com/blackout-hits-venezuela-interrupts-presidential-broadcast-204030360.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/venezuela/10932299/Venezuela-blackout-brings-panic-to-roads-and-cuts-short-presidential-address.html
Want to know what it will be like when the power goes out???
Go to the water shutoff valve and turn it off. Then have your family deal with toilets that won’t flush and more importantly no water coming out of the faucet. People will be screwed without lights and electric power for essentials such as the refrigerator and/or freezer. People will be royally F@#$ED without water.
The pumping stations that get that water to people’s homes are likely going to be in the same spot as most everyone else, without power to operate everything. People can bump into each other in the dark, and this is inconvenient or sometimes dangerous. People will die without water and without proper sanitation people will get massive diseases not seen in outbreaks in 3 or 4 or more generations.
I cannot say enough about learning water purification and catching of water from rainfall. There will be people that will panic and literally drink completely deadly water from whereever they see it. Thrist as a way of driving a human or animal totally mad and irrational. People also don’t usually think about just how much water they really will need either for even the short term.
Everyone ready for the power going out should have an extensive supply of candles as these provide light and a almost safe way of cooking and heating items. Too many candles can give a person some carbon monoxide. Candles are dirt cheap at most garage sales as people are too naive selling these little gems to understand their value WHEN they need them.
Also when trying to provide light it is an excellent idea to put reflective material, such as the shiny side of aluminum foil around the light source to shine off as much light as possible to the room. I have known people that have built these neat little candle holders that have extremely reflective material around them and instead of 3 candles for a large room they only use one or two. Just like using the most sunlight for a garden, you want to try to use as much of a source of light as possible to safe the rest of the candles or LED lanterns, whatever, for use later. Aluminum foil can help with this and you want to keep it as smooth on the shinier side as possible. Also try to just light one area instead of many rooms. Many people will burn up their candle sources unnecessarilty too fast.
Re: water;
Most places out West have gravity-fed water systems; a water tower is rare out here.
This doesn’t make the water systems impervious to an outage, just that the pain is postponed a little bit (a power outage means that nothing is purified, but the stored water is usually purified first.)
Personally, the only way to tell if an outage is just a normal blackout or if it’s (way remote possibility) of an EMP is to check your cellphone, laptop, car radio, etc… that way you’ll know for certain. Takes only a second to check. If the juice goes out and your cellphone won’t power up (or acts very squirrelly), your battery-powered car radio is fried, and your laptop refuses to run on batteries where before it would run just fine? Well… guess you got something ugly on your hands, so you’d better get to immediately filling that water-bob, spare trash cans, rain barrel, etc. I say this because even with pumped water, the water tower that feeds your faucet will still feed H2O via gravity for awhile, so you may as well get your share while it’s still there.
By the way, if you have a private well for water, a cistern and a hand-pump (or two) should be at the top of your renovation budget.
Take your forty to work with you….
Just a question. Does anyone on this site have a ” Oppositional Defiant Disorder” ???? Trekker Out. Si vis pacem, para bellum!
@Trekker:
The Government on all levels have “Oppositional Defiant Disorder”.
Hillary had a addadicktome surgery.
Careful about that term. Alot of preppers in Oakland, St Louis, Memphis, Brooklyn, New Haven, Compton and Fresno carry a 40. A 40 oz malt liquor in a bag. They don’t go to work or pay taxes, but they can afford the beverages.
Been running off-grid for 14 months. Was hard at the beginning; not now. Lighting options are solar, propane, oil, wood, candles and luminescent film. I use them all. My key appliances all use low watts so they run on solar. I have manual versions of all. Wintered at -34C without heaters to see if I could. Still here.
Too many fantasize about what it will be like. Do it and you will know. It is hard but not impossible. If SHTF in the dead of winter, there will be few survivors aside from those with e tensive firsthand experience. I lived it. I know.
For those who want the firsthand account: http://www.goldismoney2.com/showthread.php?48459-Lessons-from-a-personal-SHTF-experience
Awesome Sookie…you MUST feel empowered.
I am empowered for you!
Is there any way to run a small (say 400 watt) heater off of solar? I’m still trying to figure this one out. Any suggestions? Thanks.
TO USER IOWA. sorry for the confusion yes in CR Iowa and would like to talk to you more. Near Marion or on that side of town near the walmart a few miles by the marion pool. sorry again if you see clinthospo and CRIowa same users me. I just had been using firefox browser and needed to put a name down so I used that. I have been on here for at least 5-6 years longer than a lot of these people. Durango has been on longer. Rich 99 was a old user and Be informed has a good heart. Daisey has been as well and gets some good arguements. Sometimes we get the little trouble maker joeinNC, he likes to say a lot of crap and that we are all stupid.
Anyone know how many watts or amps a Queen size heated blanket uses? I think it uses a pulsed 110vac supply and I can’t seem to decipher what I get with my “Kill a watt” meter. Trying to size how many 250 watt Solar panels/Bat’s/Inverter watts I need. Don’t believe the 12vdc blankets are a better way to go. Anyone with answers?
A twin 12v heating blanket uses 60 watts. Have one but didn’t use it so I can’t comment on performance.
Along with candles I have 2 UVPAQLITEs they are high grade glow in the dark crystals (charged by light) sealed in plastic. The large size is equivalent to a bright nightlight, and they will glow till the sun comes up. They also make reusable glow sticks that are a little dimmer than chemical ones.
Kinda like what is happening in Detroit right now. We should all keep an eye on Detroit’s water cutoffs.
We should keep an eye on if and how the UN gets involved. That would set a precedent and be very dangerous. The US should not need or want the UN sorting out US legal issues.
A better route would be for millions of Americans to contact Detroit officials and put pressure on them and on their state to find a solution that is financially and socially reasonable.
But people who can not pay for the utilities that they use, should also get reeducated to understand the world is different now. There are not unlimited funds to pay their bills for them. Governments and churches are tapped out. And what is your priority? If you want water you must pay for it and use less.
My son lost his job. His field was very slow and the usual job offers just weren’t there. He used up his savings and unemployment. He ended up driving 3000 miles to take a contract job for 6 months to buy time to find a job closer to home. He camped out in an apartment by his new job and was able to pay his mortgage and keep his home. All the while he was job hunting. And now he has a job back home. His response to this issue was “Sometimes you have to do the unthinkable. Sometimes you have to cut your losses and just go.”
I know this is a complicated issue with many personal stories but the bottom line should be “If you buy it/use it you pay for it.” It is called personal responsibility. It used to be an American character trait.
So happy to cross off a major accomplishment (in my eyes) this year — a hand pumped well.
Has eased my worries about grid-down, either water/power or both, completely.
~GV
I have to do the same thing, we have a 2500 gallon tank. that lasts us about 8 to 10 days.I’ve got a generator that will run the house or the pump, not both. The creeks not too far and it’s year round. Yea, hand pump is next for sure. 80 feet down in my neck of the woods.
BI
When the power goes off better think about sewage intrusion into your home. Need to dig up the cap access and plug the line.
Hey, water is getting shut off in Detroit for all those folks who didn’t pay their bill:
Nearly half of Detroit’s water customers are delinquent, and the city is cracking down
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-detroit-water-20140629-story.html#page=1
Speaking of cracks, look at the poor, starving, 300 lb+ fashion model for BET on the page. Baby Got back(fat)!
My water company will cut your water if you are more than 10 days late. Not one hour more. Payment in full or no water.
However $200 a month of an apartment sounds wrong. Maybe the state should evaluate how bills are calculated and what capital improvements costs are being allocated to residents vs businesses. And why are they not cutting off businesses. One report stated that millions of dollars are owed by several Detroit businesses.
I would pack an MRAP , M16 and a couple shoulder fired missle launchers.
And beef jerky. Well, make that venison jerky.
But thats just me.
So what can you get today for a $1 dollar bill?? Besides 4 quarters in change….lol
My homemade venison jerky.
A package of small rubberbands.
And some real bad advice !
A 97 cent solar yard light at Wal-mart. A 1000 Ct roll of TP, Lots of stuff, So cut the smart crap. Prepping takes brains, the money is easy. I taught retirement years ago. and the average person didn’t save $1 a day during a working lifetime, If they did they would have been rich. People die broke because of pop, beer cigarettes, and junk food. No pity here.
PARANOID – Just where did you tell folks to save their money while teaching retirement ?
mason jars ?
As a carpenter and farmer i have learned to do the impossible with absolutely nothing.
THIS is what is most important , not saving some here today and gone tommorow fiat currency that will be confiscated from you upon the whims of an out of control government.
I was never taught that there is such a thing as “retirement” , the end of work involves dirt bein thrown in your face while you lie in a hole.
NO smart crap , only levity.
As a “prepper” you should not concentrate so hard on the phisical things that you can purchase (consumerism) and focus more on sustaining yourself .
Dear H, back then, you could get over 7% on T-Bills and over 8 on some A rated bonds. $1 a day at 8% is over $100,000 in 40 years. Back then, the data showed the average person at 50 had only $2,600 in invest able cash, Roughly the amount that could have been saved if they had turned in 3 empty pop cans a day for deposit. Myself, when the Fed drove 30 year T Bills over 14% I bought 0 coupon bonds with my retirement money. I retired at 50.
You will say: Well it’s not “Back then”: That’s what everyone always says. Back then, I knew 14% could not continue or the Gov would go bankrupt, I didn’t have much but I bet a bunch. Today there are the same opportunities. I am not an investment adviser, so forget what I say, but I will say this: IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE US TO KEEP RESERVE CURRENCY STATUS AT THIS RATE OF SPENDING, GOLD, SILVER, AND PT ARE ALL BEING PRODUCED AT RATES THAT CANNOT BE MAINTAINED AT THESE PRICES.
Myself, I have no wish to make more money, got enough, but opportunities are everywhere.
WOW , steppin out at fifty ?
Thats way to young to hang up yer hat .
But good for you , best wishes.
As for the financial jargen , I dont have a clue, LMAO.
I guess i will just hafta follow my plan of dyin with my boots on .
you can get sally struthers christan child fund. For just 1 dollar a day you can have a child of your dreams and a picture sent to you, who half the country get the same picture of the same kidd, lol!!!!
As a Christian, this made me throw up just a little….
Hey CR-IOWA:
You must be new. Never seen you posting here. I’m from Cedar Rapids too. Are you a prepper?
Sally Struthers eats those kids you know…
I work in Marion.
Not half the country. Just a bunch of the fools who sent money to this “charity”. Chubby Sally doesn’t work for free.
BTW, why couldn’t somebody on the film crew give that kid a sandwich? Are we all to believe Sally & co. are going to feed THAT kid and keep everybody else at bay while he/she eats?
@ WhoWuddaThunkIt
For a dollar you can get
a gallon of sterile water at Food Lion
a 4 pack of lighters at Save a Lot
a “Mainstays” 3 oz candle at Wal Mart
a 3 pack of disposable ear plugs at Harbor Freight
a bar of Kirks and Castile soap at the Dollar Store
One thing that surprised me is that this guy thinks like me. He had a 9mm in the GHB. In Chicongo! Thats ILLEGAL!!! But, i would do it anyway. …and the scenario spelled out before you is exactly why i would do it.
All the punks and thugs have weapons. …and you dont! How dare they try and convince me i dont have the right. No one is responsible for your safety but you. Liar governments piss me off!.
Hiya KY mom,
I think it is fairly accurate. I was in the 1992 LA Riots, and once things start, it gets crazy faster than you can imagine. I agree, not a bad thing for kids to read.
Keep your powder dry,
JJsan
@jjsan
I too was in the LA riots and it was the 1st and only time I heard the emergency broadcast system say “this is NOT a test” Scary shit for real! I recieved a meritorious award for working security protecting a…….wait for it! …a giant beer manufacturing plant! $17 an hour was great money and at 22yrs old all the black smoke in the air didn’t scare me a bit! Honest to God! Now at 44 yrs old well I digress:-)
Having been through two disasters in Los Angeles, I think this is absolutely accurate. After the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, the gangbangers were looting the Glendale Galleria and Sherman Oaks Galleria within 20 minutes of the main shock. In addition to the impact on the city, it was total lawlessness. As well, and it goes without mentioning, the LA Riots resulted in the same thing. If you plan right, for about $300, you can stock up on enough food, water and fuel to last two to three weeks for two people. This would be enough time to at least weather the initial shock and figure out what to do.
Sylmar earthquake 1970 (L.A.) Began the white migration north.Mom ,Dad,brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins. My family as well as my wifes family. All went to NorCal.
This would make a top rate weekly tv show. Not only that but it would get people prepared.
Agree this would make an excellent TV show or even a mini-series or movie.
To inject a TV show on purpose here, for purposes of similarity only:
Jerico
A short lived show on broadcast TV [CBS] (not cable). It was similar to this in a different way. It dealt with thermonuclear war and the effect it had on a fictional small mid-western town – Jerico, Kansas .
If you get a chance to watch it – do so. It could help those who doubt, understand the effects of societal breakdown. There are other examples, but this may be a good example for this discussion…
Granted it is fictional (as most TV shows are and can be) but it is worth a look. It can be like a soap, but try to look beyond any detractors and look at how it deals with the situations that arise everyday.
…without regard to the morality of patronizing a business that depends upon slave labor???
Few and far between in the northeast…I had to get my stuff while I was in MS. Extra wics, the whole 9 yards
Try Lehman’s, the Amish store in Kidron, Ohio. (You can order on-line, surprisingly.) We bought three Aladdin Lamps and extra mantles, wicks, etc., and the lamps put out a lot of light. Lehman’s is pricey, but they carry many things you can’t find elsewhere.
The lights won’t go out if you have been building your solar backup system for years and have several thousand gallons of fuel treated for storage, several generators, a shitload of oil, etc…, oh, and the firepower to protect it.
@fuckingpissed…we do have some solar back-up but in our part of the country we have more clouds than sun. Our solar back-up is concentrated more for small appliances and radio. Diesel is the only fuel for motor vehicles we can store, gasoline we can only store in small quantities (what we can use regularly) we do have generators but again, that is short term because of the fuel cannot be stored long term. I do have boatloads of motor oil, lamp oil and candles.
The reason I replied to your post is because solar is not a viable option depending on your region. It helps…but not reliable.
Hydro and wind are options too and hopefully one of those are viable options for you. Certain solar panels will charge batteries in any ambient light as others won’t. All that stuff is too expensive but I felt I had no choice but to do it. Fuel stabilizer for diesel and gas work well. Pri-G or Pri-D is the best stuff. It will bring dead gas back to usable and if applied every 6 mos will keep regular gas good for several years as I have done it.
Our solar only works if it senses utility power. If the power goes off the solar stops generating. I think its a safety thing so it wont energize the grid.
But i have heard of a device that when attached to your sub panel will fool the solar into thinking is sense utility power and continue generating power. At least in the day time.
Does anyone know what that device is or how to make one?
I think it takes a battery and an inverter but thats about all I know….
Thanks for any info.
Yes, you will need batteries, and another “sink” for excess power. The fail safe sink is usually just a large electrical heater that will kick in should the battery become fully charged. Do not try to get around, or skip the heat sink. Continued charging of an already full battery array would ruin your entire day.
@steve
what joe said is correct, plus you’ll need a manual switch to go from grid tied inverter, to off grid battery backup inverter. could have a second breaker box installed next to current one, with only the essentials tied into it. if installed properly, when turning on the backup breaker panel, it will automatically turn off grid-tied breaker panel.
Sorry got pulled away from computer.
You might try http://www.magnumenergy.com
Magnum Energy
I love mine.
Magnum 4k sine.
700 ah LiFePo4 bank.
2600 watts of solar.
Power out? Not here.
The grid-tie only inverters are specifically configured to shutdown when their is a loss of grid power. This feature protects both your inverter, prevents it from trying to power you entire neighborhood, and protects the linemen when they’re working to restore ‘dead circuits’.
If you want to use your solar array while the grid is down you need a different kind of inverter. I would strongly suggest installing a battery bank and have a ‘load shedding’ plan in place.
At our house: Major system loads (water heater, stove, elec heater, etc) are between the grid connection and the inverter. These lose power when the grid goes out (ie stage 1 load shed). TV, house lighting, servers et all are powered by the inverter which draws from the battery bank. When battery bank capacity reaches 60% stage 2 load shedding kicks in. The final stage provides minor power for the home automation/security system and ‘battle lighting’.
We can keep some lights on for almost 96 hours with no power inputs, good solar input extends this time.
Picked up a 1927 hitmiss engine, stored coleman fuel by the gallons to fuel it, old generator off yesteryear car, voltage regulator, and voila, power source charger for batteries. Oh, and by the way, can also grind wheat with it. A little noisy though and would not work well in large metro area. I live in the boonies and will operate said engine in the barn.
Water problems taken care of with hand pump. For those on a budget for water purification go to the web and check out–EMERGENCY WATER FILTER SYSTEM SHTF–Scroll down and watch the video. You can make a water purification system for approx. $40.00. The last time I checked, you can still pick up candle filters at Cheaper than Dirt.. Good luck to all, God bless, See ya on the other side.
Npgh I am in greensburg pa
Strasburg, PA for me… How many other PA SHTF’s out there?
I’m near Apollo pa
…and lots of blankets to cover the windows with.
Agreed on the oil lamp idea; works beautifully (especially during blackouts/brownouts), but you don’t want the neighbors knowing that you’ve got light, eh? 🙂
A useful tip: when lamp oil gets more expensive in winter, that tiki-torch oil (essentially the same stuff, just scented and colored) is dirt cheap. Vice-versa in summer, when the tiki-torch oil is pricey, but lamp oil is cheap.
…and in a pinch, olive oil and similar works too (just that it’s a bit dirtier, so you’ll have to clean the lamp out more often).
I don’t think you want to use scented oil. It will draw attention to your position.
The scent is real faint (I’ve used it), unless you get the stuff with Citronella in it.
Can’t burn that inside in a closed environment. You want Lamplight Ultra-pure lamp oil if you are burning inside. $18 bucks at Ace Hardware for 100 oz. plastic bottle.
Anything else will create miserable headaches if not ventilated well.
Thanks for mentioning it…I’ll be buying more tomorrow.
Daisy K..So will kerosene
@odd questioner….petrolatum jelly, aka, Vaseline, also excellent fire starter. so is Chapstick. And dryer lint. I got plastic container full of it. Somebody here, I can’t remember who (I would like to credit them) posted a youtube video of using your pocket knife, aluminum can and household alcohol and made a simple stove that can boil a pot of water. Search it. I tried it. It really works!
You mean every household doesn’t have a #10 can and alcohol saved for cooking a meal?
Another reason for those cast iron skillets.
baby oil works aswell
Led lights, flashlights, and lanterns plus multiple solar system.
Being a Modern Soldier,(last 20 Yrs) who will carry his pack, or MRE’s, Can he function with out a GPS a Radio or a commander who has to tell him what to do. No platoon to support him, no instructions, no A/C for his tent. Has anybody seen the show Naked Survival?? This episode the other night, This Ex-soldier who served in Afghanistan, claimed he was a warrior, had all the tattoos, but within a few days into this show, with no gear, or support systems, folded, quit and pleaded to get picked up, abandoning his 20+ day in the jungle within 3 days. You can pin as many medals on your chest as you please of brag about serving in Iraq or Afghanistan, but when it comes down to real naked survival out there, with no support systems, most modern soldiers can’t cut it. I would put more faith in a woodsman, a firefighter, a college kid hiker, a Viet Nam Vet, a prepper, a bushman, a hunter, an adventurist, but not a Modern soldier. (Last 20 Yrs) Nope, Nada, No way. Their egos will get them killed.
A lot of what you know and can do in the sticks depends not on elite military training or some complex college degree, but in a couple of things:
1) what you’re used to. If that soldier were a sniper, he’d probably be happy as all get-out because snipers and their spotters/support live and breathe a life comparable to that of a master survivalist in the woods. A typical grunt expects his MREs, his battle-buddies, and a very long tail of support and cover.
2) what you can think up. Creativity and intelligence counts just as much as brawn in these situations. It’s not necessarily the strongest that survive – it is most often the smartest and most creative that make it.
Amen..it is a mind game. Can you control your mind and be calm, rational and patient.
and “don’t go down without one helluva fight”
Agreed!
The first line of defense against tyranny and evil, is keeping the mind and heart clear.
The way to that is to, have and keep, the mind and heart, in line with the Father.
Everything else will fall into place when the burden is fallen upon them. He, carries the burdens of His children that love Him.
Basically, follow His laws first, and be prepared to live like it is the 1700’s again.
All the hi-tech gadgets and back-ups can breakdown in a heartbeat. Too much dependence on those items can possibly leave people “in the dark”.
Back to the basics, and dependence on no man or woman; especially the gov.
Just sayin’
PWTW
I took a buddy up high into the mountains way back when. We had no trail experience, but he would learn. He was a body builder and strong as a mule. The backpack trip in was unremarkable, but he was sore and burned from carrying his ruck all day. When we went higher into a massive talus slope and he just couldn’t keep up. Seems he was looking for “flat” spots to put his feet. After I taught him to walk on larger edges, flats etc. and to bend his ankles, he was able to move more quickly. I gloated a bit and told him strength is good up here, but planning ahead, finesse and balance were far more important than strength. Experience and planning in all things helps, even walking with a ruck.
Army Motto: “Army of One”
Prepper Motto: “One is None”
The best is LED solar generated flashlights. Mine sit in my kitchen window being charged every single day……
@Stan522…Our local Dollar Store had solar lights for $1.00 a piece. I bought shit loads of them. The battery is only activated by pulling the tiny red tab for the battery. They are bright enough for use as a flashlight in a pinch or light the yard (not recommended if the grid goes down, but everyone got their own needs.)
Npgh
just wanted to say hello and that I am also from the pittsburghish area…Westmoreland county. Nice to see there’s someone local, and yep dollar tree is the way to go!
I am in greensburg
Greetings Anonymous!
it’s so good to know there’s a few locals on here. I’ve been following this site for three years now, I hardly ever comment, but I think all the information and ideas on this site is AMAZING! By the way has anyone else been using the free coupons that harbor freight put out? Hubby and I went on Sunday and we got a free tarp and three free led lights. They also have free work gloves, free headlamps (of which they were out of at the time) free screwdriver sets, flashlights, 24 pk batteries, etc. go on to dealsoff.com/harbor freight..scroll down and you will see where to click to get the coupon. yes they take the ones you can print at home. good way to get free stuff!
As above stated, some states will NOT be solar accessible.
I couldn’t even charge a battery with a solar charger for 4 days here–chemtrail sprays stole our sun and finally at this late hour, we have sunshine!! 🙁
So I can not rely on the sun oven in the attic for cooking; therefore, Coleman cooker and fuel in gallons.
KY Mommy – if you get lots of rain, you/whomever could put together a water wheel type generator. Use the falling rain to spin the wheel – wheel attached to the generator. OR make a waterway from the house to the rain barrels that passes the water through the wheel.
For those saying “You ain’t gonna get much.” You are right. But with no solar, and maybe no high winds, the only free energy comes in the form of the rain. And what is a hydroelectric dam but a rain catcher that uses rain in a creek or river to turn a turbine. Great thing here is you don’t need the 50′ tall turbine to draw attention to you for miles around.
If the rain isn’t feasible or enough, use pack animals. Donkey on the main wheel of a grinder. You are basically converting wheat/hay/grass to electricity. Even if it’s low amounts, it’s something. ‘In the world of the blind, the one eye-ed man is king.’
Our solar systems are on the small side. 100 watts here, 100 watts there, 500 watts in the shop, 30 watts in the deer blind. Enough to run our well. Beats leaving your property to find fuel. If solar doesn’t work invest in wind to make the minimums work.
anticipating an “all-out reconciliation” with God and nature here soon, I made a “stratified downdraft gassifier” to generate ALL our electrical needs. Made it out of steel tanks and pure-ass ingenuity. If anyone is to have “comfort” during this mess our “Liar-in chief” in D.C. so magnanimously GAVE us, we need to be smarter than that asshole! All I need to do is walk outside, fire up that monstrosity and plug the house in. Oh yea- black out the windows. That POS can kiss my 59 year old, lily white, asymmetrical sagging ASS!
PS. It will look like yesterday, but you won’t have any utility bills and you will have to walk.
I walked yesterday, I walked today, and have walked every day for the past 11 years…..good for my health and I have no car bills….no fuel, no maintenance, no insurance,etc……Freedom from some such bills is, well….freeing
fob
“Old, broke and financially unprepared for retirement”- that’s me! 😉
Half of all Americans have No Savings whatsoever. 1/3rd of People from the ages of 25 to 35 live with their parents. In case you haven’t noticed we are already in SHTF and the drip drip drip is just getting faster. For many we are already working our SHTF Plan.
At least you know it. Many of us may be in the same boat.
I have turned back to “old school” methods as much a possible…still have a ways to go.
If it happens, I will have exactly what I am supposed to have.
Grafique, if you’re talking about those cheap red oil lamps made in China, forget them. They leak. I tried one once and lamp oil leaked everywhere.
The ones I bought are seamless ceramic. Of course that was 3 or 4 years ago.
Anyone care to understand where Grafique’s anti-Biblical theories come from?
Read Rabbi Louis Israel Newman’s book:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/38835370/Jewish-Influence-on-Christian-Reform-Movements-by-Louis-Israel-Newman
Gotta get the good ones from Lehmans
My diesel powered Sami is not effected by EMP… nore is my baja bug…. and I live in the country….
Darn it! I got the massage oil by mistake. …I guess it won’t go to waste now that the lights are out and nothin’ better to do…
burt, you know that when you’re done, you can sell it to the bank! yer lettin’ a FORTUNE slip through yer fingers!
Solar lights are way safer, reasonably priced, and very efficient to light your house with! 2 or 3 will do a nice job of illuminating your house, and you can read by them.
Cheap at Walmart!
EMP will also take out all your solar panels, probably even flashlights and any thing else with a wire if the EMP is stong enough.
Make a Faraday Cage with metal trash can with a tight metal lid. Home depot. Ytube vids all over that one. Store all your electronics in the cage.
when the lights go out people should rob and loot the neighborhoods of illegal aliens and welfare baboons with hoodies and saggy pants.
You are to late, Idea already taken care of, Sold it to the locals as a do it to yourself program.
His first mistake was working in Chicago.
he should have taken a $6/hour job at the Slurp & Go and lived in a double wide “down south”
you can call him your brother then ….
stupid regional bigot
No, he is right. I will never go there. Chicongo. Shitcago. Urban centers are ALL hellholes. The S is HTF and urban centers are becoming killing zones. He should have stashed an old Honda XR100 nearby. Wrapped the electrical in foil and he would have had transport. Instead now hes stuck in an alley with a gun to his head.
Notevto self: make you pack look like crap…
He’s right, NetRanger. Described me to a Tee.
I travel swift and pack a light tote, stupid
regional bigot that I am. I believe in the
concept of the quick and the dead.
Accidently gave him a thumbs up, but he’ll
need all the support we can give him there.
also would his flashlight work after emp?
Oil lamps will be good for sure. Make sure you get some containers for fuel/water and some good filters. Learn how to make your own water filters if you don’t already know. Plywood to reinforce your entryways if needed to be. Hide your supplies and NEVER get to cozy with your neighbors, with them knowing what you have for food. If you cut them off they will be desperate to get what is yours. People will be armed and confusion knowing who is the enemy and who can be trusted will be very hard to determine. Spies will be around finding out who has what. People will take what is yours so make sure you have a good understanding of your homes/surroundings. People will be in packs and military will be stretched to the max. Don’t EVER give up your weapons or be detained. It’s a long time in a detention center away from your family friends. I’m sorry but you will have to take out anyone who tries to detain you. They will strip everything you have while your detained and stockpiled by order of the states etc. I would say if there are roaming national guard going house to house, you better take a few shots from another location. You don’t want a whole unit coming at you or called in more backup or it may be too late.
My biggest one is NEVER stop for a roadblock. They will take all your weapons at checkpoints and detain you until they see fit to release you, which could be a long long time or for years. Don’t be afraid to engage the enemy if it comes down to it! We are not slaves and are being treated like slaves. Defend your rights and freedom. There will be no talking to these people. Don’t let them try and be nice and trick you. Pay attention if you see them having lots of TIE TIE straps etc you know what they are there to do. They may have huge gatherings in bigger cities and threaten with being detained for having weapons or roaming patrols with loud speakers telling you that this area is off limits and you must leave the area or be forced in jail or a FEMA camp.
List your best tips or tactics so each of us can learn from each other. We are stronger when we all share info on how to beat the masses. Many of us are ex-military which helps but many are civilians and have great ideas or may know even more than others. Sharing and planning and preparing is our best weapon right now.
Swimming pool filters. Best already made filters. Have had them lab tested. Just some food for thought. Use it!!
Well said my friend i take your advice seriously….well said…you have the same mind set as mine
Well said my friend i take your advice seriously….well said…you have the same mind set as mine
If the government has road blocks. Might it not be best to take out a stationary target? And speed the collapse up?
Random looters and raiders will be bad enough. Organized forces will be the biggest threat. I would hate to get looted by them and then days/weeks later it all come apart and become every man for himself.
IMHO, when the economy crashes. Food distribution stops and there ain’t enough stored for most of Fedgov. Just enough for those in bunkers. Military, DHS, etc. and their families will be on the wrong side as there isn’t enough stored for ALL the government thugs and their families.
Between the the armed elements and their families. We could be talking 10 percent of the populace. Not including useless bureaucrats. NO WAY is there enough food stored to keep them going for months.
Tell me where I’m wrong.
Clint,
In answer to your question: I am old, live alone, and have no place else to go except my home. I live in a small town (1,800). I have a friendly dog who will alert me if anyone comes into my yard, but he will be no help if someone breaks in.
Here is my plan. I have a 6 foot privacy fence around my yard and I have a stash of chicken wire fencing to put across my ground floor windows to make it harder for someone to break them and get into my house. I have been looking into getting some of that shatterproofing film for my windows, but I am not sure I can install it myself. If necessary, I have a bunch of clear tape that I plan to put over my windows to make it harder to shatter them.
I have printed out some stickers in English and Spanish that say “Biohazard” “Quarantine” “Contagious Disease” that I might put on my front door. Alternately, I might put out a note to an imaginary friend that says, “Judy. We are out of food and heat so have evacuated to the senior center. We will be coming back periodically to check on the dog since the senior center won’t take him. Don’t come in. Moose is probably cranky since he hasn’t eaten for a while.”
Does anyone have any other ideas?
P.S.
I won’t actually go to the senior center. I will be hiding in my house with my revolver, hoping that I don’t have to shoot anyone.
Add a shotgun, even 20 gauge with buckshot to your “armed response” capabilities. EVERYONE of sane mind and purpose hopes they NEVER have to shoot someone.
The simple reality is this: Should anything resembling these WROL scenarios go down for real…YOU may very well have to shoot someone. A revolver is fine if you are proficient and FULLY AWAKE when needed. Otherwise, “stack-the-deck” in your favor and add a shotgun to the “choices” when TSHTF!
God Bless and best of luck!
Truth avenger, the one time in my life when I tried to shoot a shotgun, it blew me off my feet, knocked my glasses off, and severely bruised my shoulder.
@DaisyK…hold it tighter to the shoulder, in the pocket. If you can afford it, get a pistol grip shotgun, that may help.
@ Daisy K –
Check out the shotgun accessories section of the on-line catalog for Cheaper Than Dirt. They have a fore-grip that has a Thompson SMG pistol fore-grip molded into it. Even with a pistol grip on the rear, you can ‘lean-into-it’ and take at least half of the recoil off your shoulder or rear hand.
A drop in bore adapter with a decent length rifled barrel ($100, approx., for quality)and that old, well used break action shotgun that grandpa left you can ALSO become a reasonable quality single-shot rifle in your favorite caliber.
Please don’t forego the advantages of a 12 ga. shotgun at close range just because one jumped back on you and slapped you in the shoulder. Get back up on that horse!
8 gauge(shoulder mounted cannon/ammo difficult to acquire), 10 gauge, 12 gauge, 20 gauge, 16 gauge, and finally 410. Even a 410, 3 inch magnum pump with buckshot is more than lethal at close range. Best of all, very little recoil compared to ALL of the others.
If you can, try out a 410 shotgun via a friend or range and get a feel for the recoil vs. LARGER loads, try it.
Many “experts” claim a 410 is inadequate for self defense. At “in-home” ranges: It will more than do the job. Winchester has introduced some very “formidable” 410 offerings. They were designed for the 410/45 colt revolvers. Through the longer barrel of a shotgun, these same rounds are capable of greater distance and terminal ballistics.
If possible, try it out. You may have found “your shotgun sweet spot”.
A 410 gauge loaded with a “slug” will do much damage into the chest of an intruder, even at 30 yards.
I wouldn’t rule it out either.
D a shotgun is a good idea, better than a revolver. Recoil should not be that bad. either you held it wrong or some fool gave you a magnum shell. A 16 or 20 Ga with dove or target loads should give you no problem. Ask around, go to the range or gunshow, lots of people would be happy to let you shoot a few and help you. Here n Casper they have a small gun show at the range about twice a year. or $5 or so you should be able to shoot a few shots and see. Lots of people would help you.
I agree on your assessment paranoid. Try smaller shotguns, in the home you will do fine by it.
Paranoid. I don’t know what kind of shell it was and I don’t remember (if I ever knew) what kind of shotgun is was. But it might have been a fool that loaded it. It was my ex-husband.
daisy k, Im getting a picture of who you are. Yes a shotgun may be hard for you. hopefully there will be good hearted people that will want to help you. I know not everyone on here is a runner or can even run, some are scarred shitless and some are calm as day and want this. I think in your case just do what you can and enjoy your life. the tape over your windows being in a small town as you are I wouldn’t waste your time. Save your money and you are dangerous. I can picture you with a smile on your face sitting down and they see no threat if someone tries to break in. Make sure you shoot them square in the chest and know how many bullets you have of course. If there are more than 1 person you need to get that threat too. Most people would think you are no issue or would not even have a gun. Best advice practice with that gun and hide ammo for it in different places and have another gun just in case you somehow lose it. Dont worry being in a small town, most will try to take care of that town alone. Big cities are going to be issues. I think you have nothing to worry about.
To CR-Iowa
I have 3 guns. Two are .38 5 shot revolvers and one is a very old .32 revolver that is my “give away” gun in case the government comes to disarm us. I have eight .32 shells to go with it and I will give them those also.
I currently have about seven boxes of .38 ammo, mostly target ammo, but I have almost two boxes of hollow point. When I practice, I usually only shoot about 5 or 10 rounds at a time.
I hope you are right about small town safety.
@CR-IOWA:
We should meet up. I don’t know any other preppers around here and would like to know people with like minds. Maybe we should meet up.
To CR Iowa
I am in Wyoming. I take it you are in Iowa. That is where my husband was from — Estherville. I remember it being very hot and muggy in summer. I was never there in winter.
Had to laugh at that one DaisyK
My partner couldn’t hold a 12 gauge tight to her shoulder, or steadily aim and shoot a pistol, so we have 8 tall cans of hornet-wasp spray, that project a concentrated toxic stream 20 plus feet, available in all the rooms and just inside the home entrances, as well as inside the gated outside wall entrance, plus in the cars. Intruders won’t like the spray in their eyes, nose and mouth, or on their guns and sights, nor will roadside attackers or interrogators, and you don’t need a concealed carry permit. Cost? Got ours at bigbox depot, 2-packs for $5.
Good idea, Franz
I live in Wyoming so I don’t need a concealed carry permit, although I have one. I have taken the class twice since I moved here. I also took a gun class in Colo when I was in college, and my husband used to take me out to target practice 2 or 3 times/month.
What was that? A 10 gauge, 3″ mag
@ Daisy K
I may be a guy but I also have a scorching case of arthritis, makes it difficult to grip sometimes. Plus, I never owned a gun of any kind until about 5 years ago. The VERY FIRST firearm I purchased was a pump action 12 gauge. It’s reliable and probably one of the fiercest weapons for close quarters combat. Here are some approaches I have found to help me use this weapon; I hope that they may help you too:
A) get a replacement buttstock that has both the traditional buttstock AND a pistol grip in one unit. Definitely get one that has a recoil pad
B) purchase “managed recoil” shotgun shells. They absolutely help, and I mean a lot. When I first purchased my 12 gauge, I lived in an area where the only range I could easily get to required you to use slugs, not buckshot. Managed recoil helped make it possible for me to train with my new weapon. I continue to use them, even now that I live in a new area and can use 00 buck shot. They have been such a help for me!
C) You might also want to consider getting a 20 gauge and not a 12 gauge. It might not be quite as powerful, but it will certainly put a world of hurt on anyone bent on trying to do you harm (brief note and aside: I believe there’s a special place in hell for cowardly punks trying to be “manly” by pushing a woman around)
D) Finally, if you have the money, you might want to consider a semi automatic shotgun. Like all semi automatic firearms, it uses some of the energy of the gun being fired to eject the spent shell, instead of directing all of the energy back towards your shoulder
I hope that this will help. I am a firm believer in the equality of men and women before Almighty GOD and as citizens of the republic. A woman who can use a shotgun to defend herself will implicitly understand the phrase “great equalizer”
Good luck and GOD bless 🙂
Ideals Mastering Power Creating All Life GOD IS
careful with that semi-auto advice peeps. when your LIFE is in the balance, a pump will fire EVERY TIME! and there aint much difference in time reloading if you know how to use it. I agree it would help an older person with less recoil and fast loading times, but there IS a downside to simiauto. I took my two 1100’s out a few months ago. I had just got one and the other one I had shot many times(skeet). long story short, neither one of them would cycle rounds…I think they were made-in-china crap, as I recall. a pump fires EVERY time, maybe even more often than THAT. but great ideas there for SOME people.
Daisy, shotguns with buck or slugs have brutal recoil, are low capicity weapons and very diffiuclt to reload under stress. Get yourself a .223/5.56 carbine (AR-15). Very easy to shoot and you can reload a 30 round magazine in the time it takes to reload ine shotgun shell.
Thanks Red, Butt, IMP and all:
I will consider all your suggestions. I am printing them out and will ask my brother who lives in Colorado.
Daisy, in a town of 1800, there will be few bad people. Most likely, the only people that come to your door are ones that will offer help. You are small, so you offer no threat to someone. Keep your wheel gun hidden on you, dont show it or tell anyone that you have it. Dont pull it out until you are ready to pull the trigger. Odds are that you will never have to use it.
I agree with agent A, you are not a threat and make sure you hide it, don’t let someone see it or they might try to take it from you. With your age and just a dog most people are going to be nice or try and give some help. That is why chances are if something happens the truth is nobody knows how bad its going to get. I live in a city of about 180,000 people in IOWA. Most know a lot of people and they are helpful, but many will buckle under direct force from the government and would turn you in I believe. (2 faced people). They are nice but will be more of a pain in the ass then our team. I could see the news if on say please take your belongings and go to this area where help is going to assist you. many will not go and the ones that stay will be patrolled for looters. My belief is if it all falls apart I need to get some supplies maybe in and out if you know what i mean, but under no circumstance would I ever break into someones house and try to steal their stuff even if Im starving to death. If that happens I will turn the car on and get drunk and pass out from CO and CO2 fumes. I would never steal from a person but if a business has tons of food and they dont accept any payment then thats the only circumstance where I would go fill a couple of carts up during a collapse. Just being honest.
Buy a 20 gauge shotgun and lots of rifled slugs and buckshot. I taught my daughters to shoot early on and each of them got Remington 870 shotguns for their 18th birthdays. Oldest weighs 110 pounds and can bust clays all day long. Youngest is 135 pounds, lives in the country and has taken out skunks, badgers and a coyote. Practice with it using field loads, but keep the slugs and buckshot handy. Sporting clays helps acclimate you to recoil and improves hand to eye coordination.
EBOLA
Catena, I couldn’t find any ebola warning stickers, but I found some radiation hazard stickers. I printed out a couple.
D if you are going to try that: The health dept has Red posters that say: Quarantined TYPHOID, Or at least they used to, go ask them to see one.
I’ll see your Ebola and raise with Cholera!
DaisyK,
I like your note on the door and stickers to put up on the front door! 🙂
I think these are very good ideas!
Make sure you cover the windows well, so no one outside will be able to see light from candles, oil lamp or flash lights inside the house.
KY Mom,
Around here, most people use solar lights in their front yards. I also have flashlights, lots of batteries, several cases of 50 hour liquid paraffin lights, and other lighting sources, including alcohol stove, propane stove, etc. I have a pretty good collection of solar lights to put out during the day and bring in at night. They don’t make a lot of light, but I will still cover the windows in whatever room I have the lights in. I am better off with no lights if anyone breaks in, since I know my house and the burglar won’t be able to see where he is going. There are NO windows in my bathroom so I should be able to keep a light on in there.
My note and/or stickers will depend on conditions at the time. If things are really bad and I think someone might want to kill and eat my dog, my note might say, “Jim, ran out of food and had to leave. My dog died and he is too heavy for me to drag outside. If you still have a key to this place, could you please bury him? Or at least drag him outside because he is starting to decompose and the longer he is in here, the worse it will get.”
We will all have to be creative, depending on circumstances.
DaisyK: I’m thinking your brilliant….hope you don’t mind, I’m going to steal some of your ideas….thanks
PKLL
Daisy–I am thinking self-made stickers with sharpies are more believable.
JMO.
Not pre-planned??
Try using the FEMA protocol, goog le it, its a big square spray painted with a giant X I believe …then a number for # of occupants deceased or evacuated and the actual disease found … I plan on using on the Garage Door in GIANT font and hopefully look legit
Here is a picture and how to read the X…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_search_and_rescue#mediaviewer/File:Katrina_x_large.png
PKLL
@big e …better yet, join your local CERT(community emergency response team) team and get free training on all that stuff, including lifesaving. it gets you closer to the gubmint to see what’s happening in your area during an emergency. keep yer friends close, and your enemies CLOSER!
You can also go to a truck stop and buy actual UN class bio-hazard and toxic signs. They only cost a few bucks each and you could pick and choose. We use them on the trailers when we haul certain things and they do fall out of the holders or get wet and tear so they need easy replacements. Just remember it is a crime to have one in place in normal times.
Just for fun buy a cheap paper hazard suit and rip it up then leave it on your front lawn for everyone to see and have a n-100 mask with fake blood expectorated inside it beside the suit.
Nothing like a little bad intel/mis-information to make others think twice.
Good idea,
I am bookmarking this post; there are so many good ideas.
Last year someone said they had biohazard and quarantine stickers for the front door, caution tape and they were mixing something up that looked like vomit and crap to put on the porch near a chalk outline. That should scare a lot of folks away!
I thought of putting up change of cage instructions for a fictitious caretaker of my canaries on the outside door to make whoever might be rounding up people on “the list” think I am not home.
What I am about to type is totally ILLEGAL with rule of law. Although having the components now is NOT illegal.
Also. As far as I know, it is NOT illegal to discuss ways to defend your self should society break down.
You can buy 3/4th inch pipe/endcaps and 12 gauge shot gun shells. There are ways to trigger the shell from a distance by hitting the primer. Possibly by using a mouse trap and string. OR possibly heating the primer like firing a model rocket.
Again. WARNING!!! ILLEGAL WITH RULE OF LAW!!!
The thought is. If people are trying to break down your door or at your front gate. You can trigger the shotgun shells from a distance. Which are buried in the ground at an angle. Like mini claymore mines. The best gun fight to win is the one where you are not at risk.
DaisyK. Get someone or a young couple who aren’t useless. No one is an island. Hopefully they are of good moral character and will do well post collapse. Better still to try and find a community. Old or not, knowledge and attitude will be of high value to a community after the collapse.
I wonder how many people know why its illegal to make the devices you speak of ..while in a state of Rule of Law.
I’ll wait and see who gets it right
Not a lawyer and I’m 50 odd years out of date sooo. I cannot say, but trip guns have been illegal for years. On the other hand, making your own guns didn’t used to be. If you didn’t sell them. As noted above, a 12 gauge rd will fit in a 3/4 threaded iron pipe. I used to make my own cannon when I was a kid by taking a shell opening it up and removing the shot adding homemade flash powder. Them putting it in the pipe, screwing on an end cap, with a hole drilled in it, of the proper size. fixing it to a 4×4 with hose clamp, Using a cut off sharpened 60 penny nail and a rat trap for a firing pin and setting off the trap with fish line from a good ways back. Used as a trip gun I’m sure it’s illegal. but as a gun with an odd trigger who knows? As I’m sure the PTTB are reading this site, why not do something useful and tell us. (Takes a little practice to nail the rat trap to the 4×4 correctly.)
Paranoid,at moment still legal to make own firearms,Daisy,a knoxx or similar recoil stock really takes the sting out of a shotgun,trip guns,they sell legally trips for blank shotgun shells,what you put in em up to you.
OK,here is a pic/ad for overpriced unit for trip 12 gauge,anyone with a shop/garage can make this,ht tp://www.deltaforce.com/survival-self-defense/12-gauge-boundry-security-system-comes-with-4-blanks-180-feet-pull-cord.html ,to avoid moderation delete space in http.
Says video has been 404’d. Is there another link?
@Sierra Dave, that device is the same one the FBI has charges on with Mr. Winters aka: Doomsday Prepper in Florida at the moment. He made and sold 3 of those to the undercover agent. OPSEC Bro. lol Also burying barrels of food on your property seems to be a good enough threshold for a house raid these days. Just saying.. OPSEC. Learn it, live it.
Oh hell, not paying child support is enough to get you raided by SWAT these days…
Wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a big set up and they pressured him repeatedly to make and sell something.
That’s my guess too. I’ll bet they even furnished the materials for it…
I have a stash of chicken wire fencing to put across my ground floor windows
Wire cutters??
much more $$ expensive $$$ but “hardware cloth” is a better protective screening for entry points … I’d advise it only on the upper windows to keep nasty flaming bottles being thrown in … lower floor window/doors need full scale blocking …
Illini Warrior,
I had the chicken wire left over from another use. I considered hardware cloth, but I wasn’t sure I could cut it. Also, it is heavy
KY Mom
Yes, I have wire cutters (3) and nails (several sizes and types) and two pounds of those U-shaped nails, and a portable drill that operates on a battery. I plan to put the chicken wire across the windows on the outside, in case someone throws a rock. Then tape on the windows on the inside to make the glass stronger and help keep it from shattering. Some of my windows have screens and some have storms. All are double pane. So an intruder would have to blast through more than one pane of glass (plus the chicken wire.)
I also have dead bolts on my front and back doors (solid core doors) and an alarm that fits under the back door. The front door has a lockable storm door, as well.
I have also come up with some ideas on how to set non-electric alarms in my yard. Examples: tin cans with pennies or pebbles in them strung on fish line. Or fish line with fish hooks attached at eye level. A couple of inches over the top of my head would be eye level for most people. I have also started planting thorny bushes along the inside of my fence. (Roses, raspberries) Too expensive to do all at once, but I hope they will spread. After I see how well they do this year, I will plant some more next year.
My neighbor’s 35-pound Border Collie recently learned how to jump over my 6 foot wooden fence, so I got a whole bunch of finish nails and pounded them along the top of the fence with about 3/4 inch showing. That has stopped the dog. Later I may do the same thing on the other side and across the back fence,
How about those high intensity light stick trip wire devices , you can also get them in IR for use with NOD’s set them up on your perimeter then post an overwatch .
They would never see it coming used these in the service ahead of an OP with a ranged distance.
Semper Fi 8541
http://stayingprepared.net/?p=1762
https://www.readymaderesources.com/cart/security-and-protection/cyalume-surface-trip-flare-non-pyrotechnic-6-ultrahigh-intensity-chemlight-incl-free-shipping/prod_1179.html
Semper Fi 8541
DaisyK,
The above comment about the wire cutters is by “KY Mommy”.
That is NOT me, but a different person.
Just wanted you to know.
Take care!
KY Mom
Daisy K: Use carpet tac…you know the strips of wood and nails they use to hold down your carpet? They work great for fences and window sills…..lots of stuff….thanks for reminding me of that.
Gotta run to HD now…
PKLL
PK
Great idea. I had considered barbed wire, but it is illegal for now. And if the SHTF I have a hard time installing it myself without getting hurt (with no doctors available.)
I am off the hardware store today for carpet tac!
No, not you….anyone wanting entry will have wire cutters.
Like those thinking to survive by planting gardens.
Wire cutters will get the intruder in in 5 minutes and all produce in that garden gone in the same.
Daisy, you are brave and my heart goes out to you.
NO!!! SHE IS FEMALE AND ALONE AND OLD.
SHE WON’T LAST LONG. GET REAL PEOPLE!!
SHE NEEDS HELP. TO MAKE IT!!
Don’t know where you live Daisy K. but you are welcome in my home in AZ….
PKLL
Thank you PKLauLau,
But I am in northern Wyoming. I have a brother in Colorado. If the SHTF, and autos work, I would try to get to Colorado or persuade him to get here. He is not a prepper, so has little stored, but he does have knowledge of all things mechanical, and can use a gun.
We would both be better off in Wyoming. Too many people in Colorado, and I am the one with all the TP and food.
The safety film is expensive. But if you watch youtube videos, takes them minutes of pounding with a bat to break through.
I have tested some glass with just some Solar film. It helps a fair amount in keeping the window intact. And it’s mch cheaper.
One might also look into how and/or what the searchers spray painted on buildings in the Katrina disaster. If I remember right they had a code for the date and if anyone was dead or alive inside.
“freelance journalist currently traveling and working in the Middle East. ”
I sure hope he finshed the story BEFORE he left for the land of the sand dwellers .
Water filtration is crucial. If you get sick you can’t walk or fight.
We are on well solar pumped water. We use the ten inch whole house water filters in series for all water that comes into the house. 20 micron first, then 5 micron and lastly 1 micron. We also have an RO filter system for all drinking water.
We use the Culligan Whole House filter housings (They are identical to the Sears filter housings. They cost about $35.00 each. A case of 48 20 micron or 5 micron filters are about $65.00 delivered on Ebay. A case of 1 micron filters are about $80.00 . We change the filters out every two to 3 months.
In get home bags we carry the MSR Sweet Water filter with externam silt filter.
I have worked in the third world and seen what bad water can do to a person.
MREs are great as you do not need to add water and you can eat them out of the pouch. Downside is they are heavy and only last a few years sitting in a hot car. Freeze dried pouches last about seven years, but you need access to water. We carry both.
I like the small solo stove. You can cook with small pieces of wood, alcohol ot heat tabs.
We also each carry a military sleep system in the vehicles and they can go in the packs. The system consists of a light weight summer bag,a heavier winter bag and a Gortex Bivy cover. If you put all three together, the system is good to -40 degrees. I have seen several people die in or next to their vehicles by freezing to death here in cold country. Carrying a sleeping bag in your vehicle can be the difference between life and death. You can get the military sleep systems on Ebay brand new for about $150.00
Our next project is to develope, seal and sanatize a spring that is about 250 feet behind the house, hook it up to a 3,000 gallon water tank, and run it to a filter system in the house. It should be a good backup even if there is only 25 feet of elevation.
:)….
Thats good stuff to know informational only not to do.. I hear the same thing if you buy tannerite and mix about 5lbs with a pipe filled with black poweder with the end drilled out and buy a resister from radioshack and send a 9v current down it and hits the compact blackpowder then will with the pressure set off the tannerite and you have a really good collapse device. I READ THIS and for INFORMATIONAL ONLY AND NOT TO DO. FREEDOM OF SPEECH dumb asses. but that will really work too i hear.
Tanerite is ammonium nitrate fertlzter and a sensitizer, A more interesting thought is tape it to a gallon jar of Gas. I’m sure there are people on this site who would be happy to tell you about FOO GAS.
Great site…
http://www.itstactical.com/skillcom/lock-picking/how-to-escape-from-zip-ties/
PKLL
…already got that one covered, thanks to my brother the escape artist…
Six…LOL….okay, I’ll bite….what is FOO gas?
PKLL
FOO GAS: Used in Korea and NAM, Take a 5 Gal Gov gas, can fill it with 1/2 Gasoline and 1/2 Kerosene, tape a 1LB block of C4, or TNT to the side/bottom. Burry it shallow, with driveway stones on top. When it goes off it’s most impressive. Never tried it with Tannerite and a 5 Gal propane tank and, thank you ATF, I’m not going to. Just answering a question. I do NOT recommend this in peacetime. If any of you people, who have a blasters permit, do try this, please post on net and tell me.
i forgot about those, that is good stuff to bring up, because when these bastards come its going to be things they are not used to. I love the movies how trip wires are put out and the good guys came see them or seem to always know where they are at. Sure the military trains for them but its very easy to hit something when its dark and your starting to get tired or your other senses are engaged.
Paranoid: Thanks…I would never try this and I do not recommend copying this information for reprint and passing around…..
PKLL
I was referring to escaping zip ties. My bro is a master at it.
Excellent ideas, advice & inspiration in this whole thread today! As we live each day and set aside needful items and learn skills, don’t forget to HIDE HIS WORD IN YOUR HEART!!!
Clint Hospo, good evening, and I have similar plans. the article is a very plausible scenario, not much unlike “One Second After” or “Lights Out”. I expect something very similar myself. My prepping is continuing.
My wife is an English major and writer. Time and again, she’ll tell you that if you really want to get the facts of a situation or scenario into a person’s head, do it with a story of fiction based on facts.
Now where can I buy the rest of the story?
This is a good story. What I might suggest is moving away from Sh!tcago altogether. I understand why the story is written as such with the main character experiencing the worst firsthand. However, they have warehouse jobs all over this country. You have seen the ghetto violence in places like Chicago with the muggings, racial profiling, hordes of youths, slap games, gangs, knockout games, etc. These are happening in a relatively “stable” society.
As far as weapons, it would be ideal to have a small pistol like an LCP. If I were to go full size I would go G23 or SA XD .40. Beretta 92F is really not all that ideal of a pistol. Yes, I understand the idea of concealment and what will fit in a BoB or go bag. However, I cant stress enough the idea of having a semi-collapse rifle or fully collapsible rifle. I like the Keltec Sub 2000, just don’t trust the build or reliability. What would have helped Jason in this case is a folding AK-47 with side folding stock. Of course, you have to have a bag to conceal it, but that is feasible. Yes, you want to blend in, but once Jason turned down that crowded lane where the two thugs were fighting, then the “blend in with the crowd” scenario would have ended. It would have been time to break out the AK and let people know that you aren’t there to loot or screw around. Yes, people would realize that you may have something they want…they may even want the rifle, but they would have to bleed from a 123 grain bullet wound if they wanted to threaten your life.
another regional bigot with delusions of where HE lives …. yeh, TX cities don’t have ghettos …. Dallas took in a ton of NOLA trash and … nobody noticed it
ILLI Wawa.. Hey IL really does sucks. I lived there for about 10 years. IL is the armpit of the country,next to Gary Indiana where 4 of the last 5 IL Governors are in Prison; Taxes are way high, and you have little to zero gun rights=worst in the country besides Washington DC. All Flat land that floods out. The rivers are full of Chinese flying carp and winters are brutal from the wind off Lake Michigan. Little Job opportunities, I could go on… Don’t get mad, just move like I did. I still have buddies up there that complain about it all the time. Just saying, people need to understand that all of those thousands of decisions you made your entire life got you to where you are today. Stuck in IL where property values rarely appreciate. Chicago is the next Detroit. I saw that coming back in 1988 when I moved out of that police state. Oh and the Chicago Ghettos are the shoot out murder capitol of the US. Just saying..
many don’t understand the culture of how one gets anchored in Illinois’ city and suburbs…I lived in Texas for a while…the “Republic” mentality is hard to understand sometimes by those of us who have been financially sequestered in IL.
Where did I ever say that I live in Texas? Of course there are ghettos there. Mainly filled with welfare sucking leeches. I hope to never return to TX. However, TX overall, is a much better place to live than that pathetic dump known as IL. Grow a brain.
thats good to know with the sleeping bag info. We all know a lot of things but we forget sometimes if we dont use for a long time. I liked seeing peoples ideas and what they want to do. I asked the wife if it comes down to it are we going to feed your sister and her kids etc. We wil run out of stuff quickly. she says it will be for only us but if SHTF we will see if she can break away from her sister. Im the only shooter in the family and a very good one. No being cocky here but faster and more accurate than most people but not as good as people who compete or 700 yards plus not an ace. Pistol I have a sigp226 and a FN5.7 with holters for both. Shotgun benelli m2 will be used in the house for defense with every other round staggered with buckshot and a slug with buckshot mix with TUNGNSTON!! lol long range got a .338 laupa and for middlerange scar16s. In very good shape for the most part. Love hearing your tips. Learning to can food and have a plan and extra fuel so good on that. IF a EMP hits we dont know if a car will run or not. Have a mountain bike as well to get around if possible. Stay out of open areas by yourself unless you live in a smaller town and can trust people not sniper hitting you. I believe FIRES will be everywhere. Imagine if a large fire goes off in a big close neighborhood, its going to set the neighbors on as well and into one big blaze if its windy etc. In a city if a huge fires gets out of control without fire trucks to be there it will be Hell on earth. Thats why I would put your ammo and half your weapons in different places in case you get shot or detained or dead, there is weapons for others if they needed to get out of that one home
CR,have a 4 part military sleep system,is great as can build it to conditions,in theory dressed will keep me OK at -30,really don’t want to test that theory out though!
Good stuff to hear no doubt. I’m just not going to be controlled. Right now Seeing Pelosi going to the border and trying to pass amnesty we all know what the fucking bitch is doing. Pelosi is a traitor plain and simple. Pelosi should be impeached without question. You can’t tell me those hundreds of thousands of kids etc were not helped down at the border while allowing transportation etc costs to get these people here. They didn’t look hungry or malnourished one bit. Then we the middleclass have to pay for it. They won’t go after the poor for tickets they have nothing, so have the police say they are behind on revenue and need to ticket more people and have them in court to pay fines and fees for the system. That’s all it is anymore. Everybody knows it. If there were a thousand people like me she would be removed from office and then sent to live TV to admit her crimes she has committed. Then kicked out the front door and a new leader to take her place. I have never seen things this bad morally and price-wise nowadays for gas. its over 4 dollars in pittsburgh for the cheap stuff. That will cause food prices to increase. Everything at the store is 4 bucks or more. Buy an apple a buck each or more. A gallon of milk over 3 bucks. People will not be able to sustain this much longer with utility prices and everything going up. We all can see the chain reaction coming until the system goes back down. I hope when the fire is over we can go after these bastards that caused this mess to our great nation.
Do you want to kill The Beast without firing a shot?… Starve it!
How do you starve it?… it eats $$$, so stop giving it your $$$ and it won’t be able to pay its army and other hordes that suckle at its teats.
Stop voluntarily complying with the Beast’s debt-collectors. If you’re an employee then amend your W-4 deductions to 9 (for most this will reduce withheld tax to zero). Do not consent, do not comply, and do not cooperate: if millions did this, then the system would collapse from being simultaneously overwhelmed and under-funded.
Take a lesson from those you consider to be the Founding Fathers of the USA… REVOLT by withholding your $$$ and consent/cooperation from the tyrants.
On The Ethicality of a Tax Revolt:
http://williamthien.wordpress.com/tag/founding-fathers/
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia on Tax Revolt:
http://www.christianpost.com/news/supreme-court-justice-antonin-scalia-suggests-americans-should-revolt-if-taxes-get-too-high-118337/
STB
When they come to give you an audit just tell them that all your tax info was stored on a hard drive. You cant provide the hard drive as it was destroyed in a house fire. Simple solution.
You just tell the IRS you sent the entire tax payment in. But they must have lost it along with their Lois Learner Emails. Now go pound sand.
Tell them you emailed your tax return to Lois Lerner.
@CR-Iowa – You brought up a great point. Fire will be the worst weapon of them all, and accessible by everyone. You got all your preps in your home and some thugs come by and knock on your door, If you refuse them, they will burn you out of your home. Another great reason to at least Cache food and other items outside of your main residence or BOL. The motto, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. You should have several months of food, weapons, ammo, clothes, etc in bins or barrels other places, hidden by a bush or under a pile of trash or rubble, fire wood, etc. Its going to get real nasty out there and why keeping a person on 24/7 watch for threats will be necessary. Or an alarm bell, to warn the other in your neighborhood, etc.
Dear Who,
That is my worst fear. I live in a frame house and I am worried that someone might burn down my house if I refuse to open my door.
If I see someone with a firebomb, I will definitely shoot them. But it will probably be too late for me, my pets, and my house, since the bottle with the gasoline will already be on the way by the time my bullet hits them.
HOW do I keep my house from burning down?
I do have a fire extinguisher and some large boxes of baking soda. But even if I can shoot them and put out the fire, the integrity of my house will be compromised where the burned out area is.
Daisy, Being an ex prof firefighter, there is not much you can do. Maybe set up barbed wire fence parameter beyond throwing distance from your house. With trip wire alarms you can shoot anybody within your barbed wire line. You could run 2 PVC pipe lines on each side of your top roof-line with holes about an inch apart and hooked up to your water source to rinse your roof off if necessary for a water curtain. What ever side is burning turn on that side of the PVC water line. You will need all the pressure you can get so split up the lines for each side. Not much will stop gasoline, as roof asphalt shingles will melt. But that is a start.
Daisy….I think you should look for others of a like mind….you would be an asset.
fob
There are a few things you can do. Unfortunately they are more long term. Fire resistant roof shingles are easily available, when you reroof, just ask. If you ever reinsulate your house fire resistant insulation and siding are also around. Ask your insurance guy to do an outside inspection for fire issues. Don’t know about where you live, but up in the MTS they can tell you a lot about fire proofing your house. Including using sprinklers for help. In the old days they used iron shutters that slid over the windows. I’ve even seen old tin cans split and used as wood covering. Best answer is a neighbor you can alert, who can shoot. Don’t know how far from people you are; but a buried telephone wire and a battery phone setup is easy.
Paranoid, Who, and Feisty,
My house has R-50 insulation in the ceiling. I don’t know if it is fireproof. The roof is old and needs to be replaced, but I don’t have the money. I will check out your suggestions. Thank you.
I live in town on a small lot (35′ wide X 140′ deep) My house is set near the front of the lot, just 17′ from the sidewalk.
Unfortunately, my next door neighbor on the north is bi-polar and went off his meds about a year ago. He is totally nuts. In fact, he recently told a judge that “everyone” in the neighborhood hates him and wants to murder him. He filed a police report that his neighbor on the other side of him had pointed a gun at him. He said he knew this because he could see the red dot on his forehead.
The building next to me on the south is a substandard 4-plex that people move out of within a few months. Just as I get to know someone, they move out.
Across the street is a Mormon family that keeps to themselves. Next to them is a single lady who has relatives in the area and would probably move in with her daughter and son-in-law in a SHTF, leaving her house vacant.
That is everyone on the block. Up the street is a widower, a church, a vacant house and a parking lot. Down the street are mostly rentals, where people move often. The only one of those tenants that I know very well right now is the pastor of a fundamentalist church in the next block down. I probably should start going to his church, even though Ii disagree with them on most things. Behind me in the next block are Mexican families, all related to each other. Nice enough, but most of them don’t speak English.
1. Make friends with the Mormon family. They are usually good people, a bit pushy sometimes, but they are likely concerned about safety, just as you are. Best way to keep people off you place is them, they can cover about 3/4 of your property, just as you can cover theirs. At these ranges, a 22 rifle would work just fine, and they are cheap. 2. Talk to the Parson and the widower, Good people need to help each other. The nut case may also be useful, If TSHTF, take him a jar of jelly and say you are concerned people might be sneaking up on your place (Or his) he might be a wonderful person to watch your back.
Paranoid,
The widower was the husband of the best friend that I had made since I moved here. He is a good guy, but keeps to himself, especially since his wife died last fall.
DaisyK.
You bring up a good point so I will put my two cents in the jar. I live in a neighborhood that the houses are close to each other and fire is a concern of mine. Some of these people do open burns and have left the fire unattended and went to SLEEP.
Besides city water I do have a good shallow well with about 15 gal. a minute flow. The well is not hard wired into the electrical box but has a male plug. I can plug into the house current or use a generator. I have made attachments to the sides of the house to insert sprinkler heads which spray covers the roof. They are attached to the sprinklers with two hoses joined by a “Y” connection that leads to the well or spigot for city water. This is to prevent sparks from catching the roof on fire. I do have a Indian Pump like a big supper soaker and various fire bottles, ABC and one Halon. I do not have much brush around my home. Keep the rain gutters clean for I have tall pines that always manage to get pine needles everywhere. I also have to garden hose hookups that have 50ft+ hoses with a good metal spray nozzle to each hose.
Direct assault on your home with a firebomb is hard to defend against.
Your saying you would pass on a beretta 92F, pull out a Kel-Tec 2000 and tramp up and down the street? Better yet you would whip out an AK? Learn something for a minute,,,
Better Jason blends in with the crowd as he moves street to street exiting the city, not stopping to mowe down looters. Jason probably chose the beretta 92 for quality, reliability, and capacity ( aside from out of the box accuracy at 20 yards). No my friend, Jason needs to move quickly out of the zone not racking up kills with a military round such as a 7.62. Jason doesn’t mean buisness, Jason means to get the f out of dodge and to his rally.
How someone snuck up on him with his back against the wall and training I will never understand?!?
92FS is a good choice, what are you going to do with a lcp? Lcp and an AK? Really
You didn’t read what I wrote, or you just can’t comprehend. I would pass up the 9mm 92FS if I could get a 40 S&W. 40 S&W is a much more damaging round, preferably a JHP round. I could give a sh#t about the Geneva Convention at that point (I want to kill, not wound people). That being said, I would take a Ruger LCP chambered in .380 or 9MM for it light weight and portability provided I could carry the AK or Keltec Sub 2000 as well.
Do you not understand the idea that at some point Jason may need something more than a pistol? Most folks just can’t grasp this concept. Did you read anything about me saying that he carrying the rifle from the outright? Or did I say break it out when things get rough. I think I said the latter. Jason would have been better off not being in Chicago in the first place, but that can’t be changed. It would have been more ideal if he Bugged out in a pair for mutual support.
That Keltec could be easily stowed in a small pouch affixed to the outside of the pack. A pistol is a defensive weapon and not all that accurate beyond 25 m. Hell, it’s tough to hit something with a pistol at close ranges when you aren’t even stressed out, let alone when you are being pursued. That is why some people recommend a shotgun for home defense.
I would advise you to bone up on your reading and comprehension, otherwise you are just wasting peoples time on this forum. What I listed are techniques, and my opinion. And yes, the 7.62 x 39 is a top choice of mine as it is devastating out to 300 yds. You can also fix a bayonet for close combat which could help out Jason in this case. The fact that Jason should avoid all conflict and contact goes without saying. However, in this scenario he is forced to act and spends precious time dicking with a pistol. Yes, I would be damned to be caught without a side folder AK with 4 30 rd magazines in Jason’s case. But, I also value my life and the idea of getting home alive.
I already got 2 beautiful, old kerosene lanterns but no oil.. With no home, ain’t no use to keep stocking up… need a settled-down situation first! Problems, problems!
FYI- The price of Kerosene had really been jacked up like $8-$9 a gallon. If you can even find it on the store shelves anymore. You need to go to an old neighbor hood hardware store. I bought 2x 5 gal kerosene metal cans, $45 ea, and the 10 gal, so about $180 into just 10 gal of Kerosene. However it will keep for years, Kerosene will not break done that much over time. So when you are looking for kerosene heaters, check out the cost and availability of the kerosene first. Then think about running those for a few months. Stick to wood stoves, if you can for heat. But this is what preppers do, is figure this all out before SHTF.
Check your local Home Depot and Lowes…in the outdoor garden section under the roof and waaaaay in the back corner. This time of year they will stack the black five gallon metal cans of kerosene out there. I bought some three weeks ago for $15.00 ea.
Don’t forget a fire extinguishers for different kinds of fires…would be a shame to have all your preps burn up by a knocked over lamp.
PKLL
HD or Lowes in my area did not carry Kerosene at all, even though they sell the heaters online and shipped in. So get it now where ever you can. 5 to 10 Gals for starters.
Kerosene is $5 a gallon here at the service stations that have kerosene pumps. It’s been that price for the last 3 or 4 years. I would never buy that high-priced canned stuff at the hardware stores or Wal-Mart.
Some years back, I walked into the local Home Depot, and they had 5 gallon metal cans of K-1 kerosene on closeout, marked down from 20 some bucks/can (who pays that ?) to $4.94/can…..less than a buck a gallon. And to top it off, since it was heating fuel, there wasn’t even a sales tax on it !
I bought all 30 cans that were in the stack, and managed to get it in my pickup ( fortunately, I have long, tall side tool boxes up on the edge of the bed ), double and triple stacked !
Brought it home, added it to the two 55gal drums I’d already stashed away, and now have a couple hundred gallons in storage. Stuff will be good forever.
I stick with candles and LED lanterns for emergency lighting plus plenty of spare batteries for the lanterns. I get sick from the smell of kerosene plus there are no oil lamps that are well-made anymore.
Our total collapse/power grid down indefinitely, plan; includes candles (non-scented),cause we can’t handle the kerosene fumes either.
We won’t have much need for night lighting anyway. We expect to be so damn tired by nightfall and supper that we just go to bed with the chickens and get up with them to start the routine over again.
Most people don’t have a clue what real manual labor is like. After hauling water and working up firewood all day, old folks like us, will be ready to collapse.
The people that have never worked manually, day in and day out, will sure be in for a heap of hurt.
Thank God our BO location is in the mountains, and we have horses to help with the heavy work, however; we then have to manually cut and drag hay from the fields to supply the winter feed for them.
Dragging hay and forking it into the barn is sure heck of a lot easier than dragging firewood and gallons of water up the mountains though.
ANON-You know they make fancy scented oil for those lamps and it comes in quarts in plastic bottles.
Just sayin, maybe just have a bottle of that on hand for an emergency like a short power outage .
Poorly written pap. Without even getting started on simply turning off telecoms rather that dropping bombs, diesel trucks will keep running as will older petrol cars and anything not actually wired up to an antenna when the EMP crackles. Modern electricty distribution networks would be down for maybe a day then back up with BAU all over it.
whats BAU ? Mr Obvious ?
BAU = “Business As Usual”. It’s an IT/technology slang acronym.
THANX @ Odd Questioner
What is this site doing, recycling the same stories over and over?
The lights aren’t going out, everyone will just be paying more for them!
The bigger question for all is when is the planet’s eco system going out?
In the spirit of hospitality, I’ll take your question on:
“The bigger question for all is when is the planet’s eco system going out?”
Society will break down long, long before our global ecosystem is at that kind of risk. The reason why is that one critical resource or another will fall short first, causing unrest, then societal collapse.
To answer one other bit:
“The lights aren’t going out, everyone will just be paying more for them!”
For awhile, yes. Eventually too many people will be without, will rise up against those who still have, and, well…
First of all I don’t need your hospitality! Secondly, after the herd is trimmed and fully programmed, there will be rationing going on with utilities, food, traveling, etc., it won’t be any different then any other country that has been over-thrown.
My parents went through the depression of 29, and WWII, so I know a little bit of how it’s going down. The elites (always) use the same play book!
BTW, I could care less who gave me thumbs down! That just reflects how stupid americans are!!!!!!!!!
You also seem to know very little about good manners and behavior. you won’t last long.
Your name says it all!!!!!!
He sounds like a pampered metrosexual. His parents went through the depression. But I wonder, did he/she experience hardship personally?
So I assume you live in somewhere like Europe? How is that Sharia law going for you all? Does your government recognize unalienable rights? I bet you willingly pay CO2 taxes. You are the moron, and you are complicit in what is happening. Take your enviromarxism and cram it.
You ass-u-me – nuff said!!!!!!!!!!!
Everyone makes assumptions kid! Like you, making blanket statements about an entire nation. So answer Texas Slouch’s question: how do you like high unemployment and Sharia law?
The difference is that this will be world wide unlike the depression. The rest of the planet recovered before the U.S. did. My parents went through it too and that doesn’t make you smart. Your arrogance gets you the red thumb,nothing else.
The only difference genius is they will be using high tech weapons to be able to wipe out more people. But everything leading up to that event will be the same such as like people on here, brainwashed sheeple, slow to learn, quick to assume, never learning from the past!
Guess where you can stick you red thumb? This site has a bunch of retards – have fun in the camp, or one of the illegals telling you all what!!!!!!!
km, I’ll try to be civil to you. The only retards who ever come to this site are trolls bought and paid for by the Obama regime. I hope you’re not one of those. This site is a community of good, intelligent people who would be glad to help you with advice on survival-related issues if you would just act right and stop showing your rear end. Showing your rear end doesn’t work with any of us here. Now, if you want to start over and act right, we’ll try to help you, or at least I will. Otherwise, forget it and move on.
I trying to figure out how you “know” there will be “rationing” of utilities.
Unless you are actually a gov troll, you don’t have a crystal ball to see what TPTB will do.
In fact, my bet is that TPTB and including fat cat politicians will be in a hidey-hole somewhere trying to save their own ass from some highly pissed off citizens that have bought their bullshit for decades.
Now those same citizens sit in the “dark” with their life savings/pensions/soc sec…..GONE…bankrupt…dispair.
Pretty pissed off I’d say; pissed off enough to kill.
So km, you are on the wrong site for “brainwashed sheeple”. Maybe you should stick to facebook, where the real brainwashed and ignorant folks hangout all day.
Ignorant, because they are foolish to believe all their posting of private info isn’t stored and monitored by TPTB.
Brainwashed because they follow the lies and staged bullshit by the politicians and liberal media.
Hey braveboy, who the fuck put YOU in charge of who can post here and who can’t? You want your own site, then fine, you can call it The Stupid Hillbilly.com
Hey bubbles, your not my boss, nor is anyone else on this useless sight! Your a bunch of fudge butts sitting around thinking your little articles and info are going to save lives – LOL! DC is taking down the supposed best military guys, you all really think your going to survive? Clueless wonders!!
There is only (one) way to survive: Have the MOST HIGH protect you and your family. Again I don’t care if you agree or not.
I’m not here to convince, but to instruct!!
HAPPY TRAILS TARDS!!!!!!!!!!!!
km…and your comments are an example of how rude YOU are….just YOU, and not your Country….by your comments, I think you want some information, but you are stuck in the past….get past your anger, because we are ALL in this together, believe it or not….think of dominos…
Giving you a benefit of a doubt here….otherwise, would like to know just why you sought out this site?
fob
km is just a kid…..ever hear a European call anyone a “retard”…..leave it alone and it will go away. Just another wanna be troll….
“First of all I don’t need your hospitality!”
Not my zoo, not my monkeys.
“Secondly, after the herd is trimmed and fully programmed…”
Ever try to control 3.8 million square miles of land with 308 million folks all going apeshit? Not even the entire US military could handle that – doubly so since most of them will be too busy looking after their own families to bother with any government’s orders.
Oh, you say China/Russia/Bumfuckistan will swoop in under the UN banner? Sheyah, right. The moment US money stops flowing in, China’s economy goes straight to hell, meaning that they’ll be too busy with their own problems. Russia will hold out a bit longer, but they’ll be rather busy trying to keep themselves afloat, and keep their south-western neighbors from doing anything too stupid, because…
The Mideast will of course go ‘splodey without the US around, but everyone there will be way busy trying to kill each other and Israel, as Sunni attacks Shi’a, and everyone goes after the Jews and Kurds.
This leaves out a lot of the globe, but most of it will quickly follow suit, either due to resource starvation, or general unrest due to the rest of the planet going to shit.
…and you think that anyone is going to marshal enough resources to do anything about that? Oh, wait – you think the “elites” will meander out of their bunkers and simply take over?
Sure thing – and I have a bridge to sell you. Best laid plans of mice and men, etc.
“My parents went through the depression of 29, and WWII, so I know a little bit of how it’s going down.”
The Great Depression? Puh-leeze – that was a cock-up that righted itself in just a couple of years, but was prolonged and aggravated by one incompetent politician after another (with FDR being the worst at it… only WWII saved the US from his economic tender mercies.)
“The elites (always) use the same play book!”
Wrong-O. Why? Because you’re not looking far enough back in history. 😉
Ok folks, how many friggen times are we going to get a description of what it’s going to look like when we get a CME, IED, EMP, IUD, MICKEY MOUSE or a bunch of government false flag wahoos plinking with AKs at the end of a dirt road power transformer……. For the love of God, concentrate on what you CAN_ do!
You heard of the movie, “Meet the Fockers”….well meet the Obamas’……
http://news.yahoo.com/ugandan-gorillas-under-threat-tourist-dollars-protect-035417263.html
No shit PO’d P…anyone who reads this bs and believes even a small amount of it is fucked.
If you are in ANY city, your chances are slim and none that you will be able to get out. The amount of sheep in your way will completely eliminate your chance to escape.
A poster in the previous article is armed to the teeth, has military experience and has a bag full shit that cost thousands of dollars…he better be real good to get out…then where will he/you go?
He probably has a bol…what did you plan for?
No one likes hearing the facts…or the truth.
If I’m at work and the SHTFin an EMP they will Plan D. I will have to find a way to sneak out of the building. I have GHB in car and I have 1.7 miles to walk. The middle 1/4 mile do that is through the north end of Main Street where the dope dealers, homeless mentally ill and no gooders hang out in front of the soup kitchen. One block back from there are at least 8 registered sex offenders according to the registry. I have a super big shirt in my bag, plan to wear my GHB backwards under the shirt and look like a fat ugly possibly pregnant woman. I’ll have to pass 1 , possibly 2 police stations unless craziness makes if necessary detour.
I do have to say I think folks will be so shell shocked that unless you’re in the likes of ghetto shitcago or N’Awlins looting may not start ASAP. It may take a few hours. Maybe I’m wrong. We won’t really know until it happens–and I hope it never does.
Before I say anything else: Cool idea w/ the backpack and the big shirt!
You’re luckier than I am, currently. If something sudden hits when I’m at work, I have a solid three days’ walk ahead of me – fortunately I hike aggressively for fun, so this doesn’t present too much of a problem for me once I get out of the urban areas.
I’ve never lived in a town big enough to have more than one police station.
Of course, not having a job, I don’t ever have to go near any bad neighborhoods.
My town is across the river from the town where I work. It’s 1 mile from my doorstep to the other side of the bridge, then .7-.8 mile through to where I work. Those two blocks on the work side of the bridge are gonna be hairy. I have to walk down Main Street in both towns, my house is 200ft from police station.
Like the movie, ‘It’s A Disaster’/?????
Just like the Good Book says…
Mat 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Sounds pretty darn serious to me.
Those that think it will be a “walk in the park” when SHTF and then a “reset” shortly thereafter to resume life as usual, are delusional.
Those that follow the lie that, because they go to a building called a church,they don’t need to prepare, and they will “escape” this coming tribulation; will be like the virgins that didn’t have oil in their lamps.
They will find the door to God will be “shut”.
PWTW.
“A poster in the previous article is armed to the teeth, has military experience and has a bag full shit that cost thousands of dollars…he better be real good to get out…then where will he/you go?”
First off, in most collapse scenarios he’d have to be literally psychic or powerball-level lucky to get out right as it meets the fan, but before the masses clog everything up.
Second, an AR-15 you don’t know how to use and don’t maintain is worthless compared to an old Mosin-Nagant that you’re intimately familiar with.
last man standing ,
That was most likely me , I will get out it may take awhile but I will get out , I know how to use all that stuff in my Bag of Evil . The key is stealth and planning . Having a BOL is a priority , it could be as simple as a remote primitive camp no place is going to be secure bugging out is the last option. Know your AO and plan your routes accordingly with an EMPHASIS on options. I got a real world education from Recon and know how to apply it but that is no guarantee of survival . When things go TANGO UNIFORM it gets fluid and dynamic. Keeping a level head and thinking is your most precious resource.
Stay ahead of the curve and develop your own intel.
Practice running your bugout route with your gear , know your limitations . The end game is to survive and ultimately Organise a resistance . If nothing happens you can rest with the fact you have acquired the knowledge and experience to be able to,take care of yourself and others in a hostile and challenging environment.
IMPROVISE ADAPT OVERCOME
RESIST
Semper Fi 8541
Amen brother. Hope you do. You will be one of the few to get out.
I know great folks who live in extremely bad places with a ton of sheep and misfits…they seem to think that they will have weeks of warning and will be able to recognize a collapse and either drive safely or get on a plane and get to their bol…1000 miles away.
The odds are fucking slim to none.
The level head is key…I have Marine blood running through my vains…father was a Tanker in Korea. He absolutely discouraged us from joining the mil from what he saw. Lots of mil in our family and one on the Vietnam Wall in DC. Son wanted to do the career thing and after a tour in Iraq and saw the bs there said fuck it.
Everyday I go to work and see people pissing away their lives with way to much worthless crap. Hell, I even see myself that way!
aw fuck…just “don’t go down without one helluva fight”
I’ll be resisting alright.
Lastmanstanding…..You won’t be the last man standing…alone
There will be many “standing” at your side, at my side….and on and on….
Take hope from that….
fob
One of my Motto’s is.
Be aware globally, prepare locally.
While this is a story. It helps motivate people to prepare. AND how to prepare.
A Kelly Kettle and a sun oven come in very handy to cook food without electricity.
The Kelly Kettle lets you cook food quickly – will boil water in 5 minutes. It heats fast and cooks fast. You can use just about anything as fuel – pine ones, leaves, card board, etc. It is lightweight, so great for hiking and/or camping.
I have the Global Sun Oven and have used it to cook many different kinds of food. To name a few, homemade soup, beans, cake, brisket, chicken, BBQ ribs, etc. It is loot heavy and I can easily lift and move it. It is very nice on a hot day to fix a nice meal and not have to heat up the house. I usually cook food in it on my deck. Unlike when we cook food on the grill, dogs don’t even realize food is cooking in it.
I have no affiliation with these products. I am just passing along a tip as a satisfied customer.
I made a solar oven utilizing a cast iron kettle and a glass pane from an old picture….worked great. Lined it with foil and cooked hamburger…Also remember that water can be made potable by being in the sun for 8 hours….
Can make drying rack with old picture frames, a few hinges, and some screening….
fob
KY Mom, I have the Kelly Kettle base camp model and I love it. It boils water faster than my old Coleman propane stove. All you need for the Kelly Kettle are twigs, leaves, pine cones, etc; NATURAL fuel.
What is better….solo stove or kelly kettle?
PKLL
PKLL, I never tried a solo stove so I can’t comment on that one. But I do know the Kelly Kettle is great. You can put leaves, twigs, pine needles in it for fuel and it will boil a full pan of water in 5 minutes. I’ve even cooked a meal on it. They have 3 different models. I bought the base camp model which is their best one. I recommend Kelly Kettle. [I have no connection to the company. Just a satisfied customer and offering survival advice.
Thanks Braveheart…I have been looking at them since you all recommended them…
PKLL
PKLauLau,
I have read that the Kelly Kettle is actually an old product that has gained popularity in recent years.
You can buy the Kelly kettle for about $80, a little more to get a kit with accessories. (See post at bottom of comments with more info.)
If you opt to get one, select the stainless steel model. The reviews I read said it will last longer.
Just don’t let the kettle boil dry.
I don’t have a solo oven, so I can’t comment on it.
Hope this helps!
Take care!
KY Mom
KY mom: thank you…looking into it…
PKLL
My refrigerator went out and I decided to try living without for six months. First I cooked or smoked or ate most everything in the fridge, A charcoal webber bbq also works well as a smoker using hard wood. When I went shopping I just avoided the refrigerated isles unless I was going to consume it right away or smoke/dry it, You can actually live very well without a refrigerator. Not saying it was as dramatic as this story, but is was good practice in improvisation when things don’t always go as planned,
It’s “Weber” damn it! JUST ONE B. Why does everyone keep spelling it wrong?
Well, whatever the story, new people come across this site every day, folks who aren’t years into it like us. What is useful is to contribute additional ideas, allow the story to be a springboard for helping people get started. I like to refer folks to thesuvivalistblog.net “10 things to do now” list.
What I did today was go the the 10/10 sale and grabbed some supplies while getting .10 off a gallon of gas for every $10 spent on 10/10 items. Filled the back of my SUV for under $100. Then off to another store with fresh ga peaches .99 a pound. Getting ready to make preserves.
What did you do to prepare today?
Well even Lot couldn’t find one good person to stave off God’s punishment for those of Sodom and Gomorrah. Good Luck!
If we can influence one soul here to prepare it is worth it. Those of us who frequent this sight ‘know each other’ and we sometimes disagree…well a lot of times we disagree, but we all have the same goal and that is to be a survivor and self reliant no matter how Great or small an event may be. Our parents or events have taught us to think critically and not just accept facts because someone in authority said so.
Some times I will disagree or find the day’s posting irrelevant to what i am currently doing, but I still read the comments, for many post off-topic but relevant links. For example I skip the anti-Jewish, Zionist rants. Why, You may ask? Because I have my beliefs that I was taught as a Southern Baptist. And what I was taught and how people support Israel to the contrary of those teachings just baffles me. And I like to think that it is possible to discuss and disagree with policy, politics and religion without being antisemititic or racist. I will stand up for God and the constitution and what I believe, I refuse to hate a nation of people based on what their elites do. But if folks want to go back and forth about it in the comments here, that’s fine, I don’t have to read it.
“I will stand up for God and the constitution and what I believe, I refuse to hate a nation of people based on what their elites do.”
I could not agree more , well said .
Npph….I stopped commenting here after being blasted for having children in a most crude and hateful way. Swore I’d NEVER comment again. But the town I work in just got over a 72 hour boil order and of course I was instructed to keep my restaurant open. I took advantage of the situation and kept the jugs and added 100 gallons of water to my preps at no cost to me. BI is right, we had customers get CRAZY over water.
IL mom, can’t take others biases personally. I got my ass handed to me on this board last year for a post. However, there were a lot of folks who had my six, like Braveheart and BI (I was posting under an old moniker).
We all come into this with different perspectives, and typewritten comments leave a lot open to Interpretation. It’s hard to see sarcasm or a joke some times,
And I remember the post your talking about. To each his own and folks should’ve let you be.
I became a prepper so I would NEVER need help. I can understand opinions, and not taking things personally, I have never treated anyone with such disrespect as I was. And NO ONE took up for me, glad they did for you. But I’m out…wish everyone the best.
Don’t understand; Having childern,in a crude and hateful way? There is only one way, and yeah, it’s pretty crude, but not hateful. And is spite of what mothers say; they are UGLY!
Hahaha… you must’ve missed the sitting on a dick comment. Thanks paranoid!
I certainly missed that comment…whatever, don’t give em any more energy. Time to change that subject!
Explaining the Bible would be like walking the foot paths of the Grand Canyon, looking down and finding a book that explains how all this great mass was created in 3 days. Or it would be like finding a stop watch on a bench and looking to see you’ve just found and discovered the device that stops time. Both are absent of any basic rational if you actually connect the dots for the big picture. Here, George Carlin explains it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r-e2NDSTuE
Me? I just got done canning 30 lbs of strawberries (I picked them last month at $1.20/lb, then cleaned and froze them until I could get time to can the whole wad.) Blueberries are in season now, and then it’s off to the next fruit season. 🙂
Also, you don’t have to make grand gestures – once you get the basics, you can add stuff on at just $40 each paycheck. Doesn’t sound like much, but over the space of a year it really adds up.
Our blueberries are still mostly green, but there’s a load of them. The freezer’s still full, so we might can them this year. I love blueberry pies.
Blueberry pancakes and blueberry muffins…did I mention BLUEBERRIES?
Don’t for get the free stuff along the back roads…serviceberries, chokecherries, wild apples, rose hips, elderberries…
If you live in the Seattle area, blackberries are monstrous and freaking everywhere.
I’m trying to learn how to can….I can’t remember or find the post where SHTFers recommended the best book to learn from….suggestions?
PKLL
@PK….Ball Blue Book – The Guide to Home Canning and Freezing is the best
fob
FoB: Thanks….
PKlaulau, Check out “Frugal Living on the Watkins’ Ranch” website. “The Rancher’s Wife” can ‘can’ anything I do believe. Check out the archives section. Its very detailed on canning a lot of items. Its an informative and clean site.
Thanks all….I actually think I have run across the Ranchers wife site….I’ll check my bookmarks…
PKLL
There a tons of YouTube videos for step by step instructions. I learned how to can bacon on YouTube!
FOB is correct, also the reuseable Tattler lids do work, not so well on greasy meat. Ads on this site and Survival blog. Tomatoes are the easiest to can, you don’t need to pressure them. To start out REAL Easy, get a vacuum sealer with a suction tube. You can put dry stuff in jars and just suck the air out, if you also use O2 absorbent some stuff will last years.
Paranoid, water bath works for pickles, pickled squash, tomatoes, tomato juice, green beans, pickled beets, pears, peaches, apples(just a few).
I have been using WB canning for these for 40 years and
never lost a jar of either.
Ooh, green tomato relish.
Recipe….????
PKLL
Green Tomato Relish Yield: 6 pints
2 big onions finely chopped
10 small green tomatoes finely chopped
3 diced bell peppers (orange, yellow, red, green-your choice; pretty with color though!)
Add the following and boil for 10 minutes:
2 TB celery seed
1 TB mustard seed
2 cups sugar
3 cups vinegar
Pour boiled, hot solution in pint jars. Seal with clean, new lids and add rings.
Voila…your own chow-chow with no preservatives and a lot cheaper.
Note: nice to do when green tomatoes get picked due to frost warning.
Is this the recipe you wanted?? 🙂
KY mommy: yes, thank you…. 🙂
PKLL
IL mom: thanks too….not sure I want to tackle meat before the basics….but I really want to can hamburger meat….that’s my main goal…
PKLL
Hamburger is very easy….but must use the very lean variety….cook as you would normally (add whatever seasoning you wish…ie: onion, garlic, whatever) drain well and can…recipes galore in Ball’s Blue Book…
fob
Meat is the easiest items to can! Good luck!!!!
Important: When canning beef, pork,stuff with grease, Allow canner to cool slowly, otherwise cans will bubble and get grease on lids. Then they will seal poorly
Fob and all: thank you…
Paranoid and KY mommy: Thank you for the information….will check it out….
PKLL
K.I.S.S. B&B pickles:
8 lbs. cucumbers sliced (I use a mandolin slicer)
2 large onions sliced
Chill the above with ice and 2/3 cup salt for 2 hours in a large bowl; then drain and rinse.
Put in prepared mason jars.
Boil 6 cups cider vinegar, 5 cups sugar, 2 tsp. turmeric, 2 tsp. celery seed, and 3 TB mustard seed for 10 minutes.
Pour over cucumber/onion in jars leaving 1/2 inch clearance. Add lids and rings.
Water bath for 10 minutes.
You will NEVER buy B&B pickles again from the grocery!!! 🙂
PKLL, FOB has the safest ideas for books to learn how to can,but I personally like Jackie Clay’s canning book from “The Backwoods Home”. I’m an experienced canner but have still learned from her. She’s a marvelous woman and lives the life she tries to teach.
$40 each paycheck?? That’s a lot for most young couples with young children to clothe and feed.
Noted, if they are prudent and pass on smoking, cable, entertainment like movies, etc, use yard sales and discount outlets, it is better, but $40 a week working at chinamart is not feasible.
I’m assuming a paycheck every two weeks. Split accordingly. 😉
You are right, $40 per week is a lot of money for some, and also quite unnecessary. The Mormons have a site that shows how to start cheap. Another site named Grandpappy.com has a list of a years cheap food, done by a guy named Adkins?. You won’t like it, but a years food for one can be had for only $200-300. Start with Vitamin and mineral pills. then add: rice, then Sugar, then oil, then salt, beans, and just keep going. The starter stuff is all cheap. Boring but cheap.
I went to the auction and got a good deal on a trio of Californian bunnies. I figured prices might be cheaper at the end of the month. Plus sold 18 table eggs and 12 hatching eggs.
The $40 dollar budget is an outstanding idea. I always wait and make a big purchase…usually.
This has been a good discussion.
To all of you regardless of your views…I love you all.
“don’t go down without one helluva fight”
No way these bastards win…NO WAY.
Let’s see today I canned 7 more quarts of homegrown green beans, froze 6 quarts of squash, peas and hung out a good two pounds of onions to dry. Next week I start on the pickles(canning) and canning our own tomatoes. May have some corn ready to put up next week too. Made another 5 lbs of detergent with descent bags.so it doesn’t clump.
My potato plant is a full 5 inches taller than it was when I planted it, June 23nd. I’d say it’s “growing like a weed”, but in truth, the weeds aren’t doing nearly as well…:)
Mine are too. Tried potato towers this year. They are over 4 ft. I’m using wire towers with straw. I hope everyone is honest about production. I’ve heard 75-100 lb per tower. I’ll be ecstatic with 25-per with my first try.
I’m using a planter, I figure if I do it right, I can get around 4 pounds out of one planter. I’ll be hilling it up with some fresh dirt, tomorrow.
It looks very healthy and strong so far.
I’m exploring re-purposing a flower bed on the north side, under my windows. I’m thinking about next year, unless I can sprout something that I can plant this time of year here in Oregon.
This seems to be good, dark soil with few rocks and just a touch of volcanic sand…I do live at the foot of a volcano.
I wish I could post a pic for y’all. I’m particularly proud of this one.
Aftermath, I have lunch, and then study hall.
….better early than late…….BA.
Time better spent I’m sure.
I just stumbled on a wonderful video, 5 unusual things you can do with a tube of chapstick.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAhD0bakf_4
Six,don’t need to see the video,have a pretty twisted mind,can think of all sorts of unusual things to do with a tube of chapstick!
🙂
OW!
I’m working on two more shelves and a quilt rack. I’ll be finished in about a week. Unfortunately, I already have the stuff to fill them – I’m behind the power curve.
couple of easy ways to build up long term food storage
http://store.lds.org/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Category3_715839595_10557_3074457345616706237_-1_N_image_0
and walmart.com sells Augason Farms products
orders over $50 free shipping to the house
or have it sent to the store and pick it up there,free shipping also
poor man’s Berkey
http://www.homespunenvironmental.com/Bucket_Drip_Filtration_System_p/sk-1001.htm
Lamp Oil and Wick Burn Time*
http://www.alpharubicon.com/primitive/lampoilburntime.htm
another tip for lighting is headlamps
great for when you have a job that requires both hands
go on Ebay or Amazon and buy the types backpackers use
MUCH better battery life that department store models
consider Petzl,Princeton Tec or Blackdiamond
ok those are some of my best tips
how about the rest of you ???
I really like the Platypus Gravity water filtration system….Amazon…
PKLL
These water filters are also sold as kits without the buckets
http://www.homespunenvironmental.com/product_p/bc-0102.htm
They also make for great barter items.
http://www.homespunenvironmental.com/v/vspfiles/Better%20than%20Gold.pdf
1. Check out Eagletac’s D25A (single AA) flashlight and their D25A2 (two AA’s required) flashlight. AA batteries are easy to get and store.
2. Invest in (portable, easy-to-carry) solar power: a solar panel connected to a battery that can recharge basic electronics.
3. Keep all the above in a galvanized steel trash can lined from top to bottom and around with cardboard and your electronics will be safe from an EMP.
– the Lone Ranger
I SEE THE AA BATRIES ARE NOW HAVE A SHELVE LIFE OF 10 YEARS
LRanger: I read somewhere….maybe here, that when you close the lid of your trashcan you should put steel window screen across the top to ensure contact all around lid when closed.
Is that necessary?
PKLL
I heard to use foil tape? I didn’t see the screen comment. Faraday cage project somes after water setup. Going to get my 275 gal container weekend after next. Found a really good deal. Gotta wait till hubby gets back from a check on dad in MS before I pick it up. Don’t want the neighbors noticing it sitting on the trailer in the driveway for too long.
Lone Ranger, I have my electronics and LED lights in a metal can lined with packing bubbles {Fed Ex store or UPS store].
Clouds are forming in the Mid-East as I type this comment. Those clouds I fear are in the shape of a mushroom and yes they have the Star of David on some of them. Israel will not and I repeat WILL NOT allow them-selves to be surrounded any more than they are right now. Jordon is next on the list and yes in will fall also. Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Iran for all tense and purposes are under if you will radical control. Only Jordon is still stable so to speak of. Now if ISIS attacks Turkey will NATO go to their aid I say no, so you see Israel will have its back to Sea more than they already have and that my friends will not happen! The big boys will soon start flying and TEOTWAWKI will be at hand. At the first cloud everyone that has big boys will also let them fly if only for the sake to wreak as much damage on their enemies as they can. We live in very troubling times. Keep your eyes and ears open my friends. The current in the River grows swifter with each passing hour now.
River Rat at the ready!!! NOMI///MOLON LABE!
From the Baghdad Railroad in WWI to the Baku oil fields in WWII to Desert Storm all these wars are oil wars.
Nobody would really give a fuck about Israel if they weren’t constantly sticking their nose in places they don’t belong. They ain’t got no oil. They only have a big mouth and a chip on their shoulder.
There is oil offshore from Israel. They just need to develop the field!
They have a shitload of natural gas too.
Israel gets everything it needs in certain locales for certain people from the US taxpayer and our politicians.
Most of the country has archaic sewer and water system.
God will be sorting this out.
Stupid question: What will it look like when the lights go out? DARK. And there won’t be any shooting in Chi town, Guns are illegal there. This guy is preped and he made 50 yds and is already surprised, oh well.
I feel sorry for the Troops in the government who are young maybe 19 years old with about 3-4 of them who probably wish they were with their families and are preppers but were reassigned to a small town to make sure nobody leaves the area. Then they are standing around thinking what to do, F Obama and this and that. Then out comes a pack of locals and kills them. Steals their stuff and without knowing they probably wanted to defect to the civilian population and not go against the American people. I could see this happen and on the other hand you have a anxious group of troops who get off on having a power trip containing people to a town or something and you have good civilians that approach them and they do very wrong to the people and torture them etc. We will have to make choices and mistakes will be made. That’s why make sure you do your best to make good judgement calls on situations like this. I tell you what, if I see troops and police kicking people and doing unconstitutional blows to people they will be taken out very quickly. I will not stand for any of those mother-fuckers. We are so close to a breakdown in America I believe. Now we are seeing the cheapest gas going over 4.00 a gallon for the first time. Its just a matter of time before people start really acting out with more violence. IF you can’t see what Obama is doing then you either are very dumb and don’t really care what happens to you or only care about yourself. I still think someone is going to do something to the DC admin if things get a tad worse.
Gas here is $3.45. Maybe they haven’t sold enough here to get their tanks refilled.
you must be in the midwest. The prices that i’m saying are near Pittsburgh Pa
Eastern NC.
Gas is $3.55 here in S. Jersey
Gas here just went down another penny. It’s now $3.44.
A day without sunshine, is like…..well…. Night!!
~Steve Martin
The sun will rise every morning like always unless man fucks it up.
Just remember that.
If it doesn’t, we’ll all get what we deserve.
doomer porn
The Walk by Lee Goldberg
“Marty Slack thinks he’s prepared. He’s wrong. Nothing can prepare him for this ordeal, a quest for his family and for his soul, a journey that will test the limits of his endurance and his humanity, a trek from the man he was to the man he can be … if he can survive The Walk.”
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6536169-the-walk
Thumbs up if you come here just to see braveboys emotional meltdowns!…lol
Thumbs up if u come here just to see braveboys emotional meltdowns!…lol
There’s no better entertainment than hearing braveboy shout THE END IS HERE on a daily basis and how he hates everybody who doesn’t listen to it.
Do you guys come here just to be hateful? Have an opinion or helpful suggestion even if it is unpopular…otherwise…go troll somewhere else…
PKLL
To anonymous and whoever is posting under my name, both of get f#$%ed! I don’t hate anyone who disagrees with me. Quit telling your stinking lies. if you don’t at least have some prep advice to offer, then move on. You’re not contributing anything useful here.
BH, someone is really jealous of you. Your name keeps getting hijacked. Trolls. Can’t live with them, certainly could live without em!
Nopitypartyhere. I believe we can all live without trolls. I don’t think there is a soul here who would disagree with me.
I don’t know, you never tried my Troll Burgers or fillet of Troll
Paranoid, I might take up that offer one day.
paranoid, you’re simply full of crap. Just and old man with one foot in the grave and a chip on your shoulder because of it. Sorry if the truth hurts…..
Dear Anon: You are correct, I am getting old, Don’t see as well as I used to. But a fair amount of the meat in my Frig has bullet holes in it. I’ve been a life member and above of the NRA longer than you have been alive, my CCW is up to date, and I’m packing. So hopefully we will never know about the rest. But feel free to bet as you like; you’re faded.
Uh… I said certainly could live without them?!?!?
Anonymous is the one is full of shit and needs to go trolling elsewhere.
Like I said previously, { And you completely ignored} braveboy, who the fuck put YOU in charge of who can post here and who can’t?
NPity….you got redthumbed for that??? LOL…amazing…must be the troll thumbers….
PKLL
People love red thumbing me. The must get a real thrill from it.
Like YOU don’t ” red thumb” anybody else’s posts right pity party. Another ” wheeze n’ geeze ” who’s full of BS.
Anony: LOL…you sound like someone gave you a really big stick and you like to poke people with it….and torture dogs….watch out little man, things have a way of coming around right back to you.
PKLL
Pk looloo, you’re full of shit. If ANYTHING was ever to ” come back at me”, it certainly would NOT be your sorry, shriveled up old ass.
Anony….LOL….
PK
Wow! Looks like the hillbilly red thumbs brigade is out in all their chicken shit glory lol…………
@Braveheart…..apparently someone/some people view you as a threat, therefore you get targeted by the trolls…
Eh, who cares what the trolls and their handlers think 🙂
fob
FOB, they’re not the first ones and won’t be the last either. I don’t live my life according to anyone’s opposing viewpoint of me. That’s THEIR problem and not mine. I don’t owe such people a damned thing.
Just watch for more false flags, or what city the DHS is Training nearby. Seems every one of these events there is a Training session just miles away. This keeps happening over and over. Sandy Hook, LA Airport, etc. The Government will start shutting down services like EBT Food Stamps, just to see what happens. These events are BETA Testing, so they can prepare, to bust heads. And just before the Big one hits like the Stock market crashes, they will cause a great massive communication and electric grid outage to cover up the market crash. Or when China cuts off lending and the dollar crashes. These sociopaths running this government will avoid responsibility and use a false flag to cover up their negligence. Its inevitable.
Stories like this are made to get people thinking. We all know the world is going to shit and eventually the lights will go out for good. So what are you gonna do when that happens? Plan now, for all scenarios, including how you would get home from work (if you’re lucky enough to still have a job), and how you and your family will protect yourselves. It’s easy to speculate, but until it actually happens we don’t really know how things will be. My personal belief is that it will take the majority of the sheeple quite a while to realize the gravity of the situation, and we will have a little time to get home & bug-in. At least that’s what I’m hoping. The more I read about the sad state of the world and all the crazy shit that’s happening, the more I’m convinced TEOTWAWKI is very, very close. Stay safe everyone.
What will the poor trolls do when the power is out and they cannot go online to ridicule people on prepper sites?
Starve to death in their Mom’s basement.
Paleface & prep 49er:
LOL….
The trolls will get what they deserve.
And the preppers will weep inconsolably they won’t be able to get their daily fix of doom porn, after all, if you’re a prepper, it’s the ONLY thing that makes life worth living!
Kind of sounds like the scenario in the old movie The Day the Earth Stood Still gone berserk.
I was just getting settled in for a good story.
Be sure to tune in next week for another action packed episode.
Episode #2 has already been posted. Just click on the link for “next week’s installment”.
This installment thing is like the old serial Westerns we used to see on Saturday mornings at the movie theater. Only those as old as Baby Boomers will remember that!
I bet you can remember when you had to wait on the T.V. to warm up for 10 minutes before it had a good picture 🙂
lol…pop had a couple pulleys and a rope upstairs to turn the antenna on the garage roof when he changed channels…” boy, go up and turn the antenna until I yell.” After midnight you could eat popcorn and watch the test pattern.
Yep at midnight TV would shut down and they would play the National Anthem followed by the test pattern and the dial tone…………….
Man/woman…boy are you guys old.
The National Anthem.
I am going to start singing it at least once and day and Pledging Allegiance to the flag.
It was good for us then…it will be good for us now.
“don’t go down without one helluva fight”
Hey that was in the early 1960’s when there was no color TV yet, only about 3 national channels and the local stations what you could pull in with a Roof top antenna or rabbit ears. When Walter Cronkite sited the news and it was Gospel and trusted. When Kennedy’s Funeral the Viet Nam war footage, and the early Apollo Moon orbit missions footage was blurry and beamed back to the world. My Uncle was a TV repairman carried a RCA tool box with tubes to replace blown ones. There was no TV remote so your dad would always tell you to get up to manually change the channel to his desire along with the volume. Sunday nights it was Lassee and Grilled Cheese sandwiches. Yes the Good Ol’ days. Then color TV came in, low and behold Ginger and Marry Ann on Gilligans Island looked even hotter, and Flintstones afters school shows were on. Yes at Midnight the TV would play the national anthem and test pattern followed with a crappy solid tone like a dial tone and that is usually what would wake you up off the couch turn the Boob Tube off and go to bed. As Walter Cronkite would end the news cast with “And that’s the way it is.” He had like a 90% credibility Rating. Unlike today MSM prostitutes who are told what to say instead of solid investigating. Just look at the Media reporting of the illegal Iraqi war.
WWThunkit: UH….alarm…have you seen the you tube on the subliminal messages in that particular national anthem????????? I’ll find the link….gal slowed it down and you can SEE where they put in stuff like (don’t quote me) Obey the government, etc….
I was so pissed when I saw that….
Way back then, they were planting the seeds of sheeple…..God help us…
PKLL
Link to subliminal messages on sign off. This will make your blood boil….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rnkg-yCPryE
PKLL
I remember watching test pattern saturday mornings waiting for the cartoons to come on,
TOBOR the 8th Man was on in the afternoon in the mid 1960s.
I remember when there was still a white dot in the middle of the screen, for about a minute after you turned it off…
I also remember remote controls that had a cord running from them to the TV.
The remote control in our house was a kid.
LOL! Ya, me….
LOL! Me too!
Everyone, I was the ‘remote control’ for our TV when I was a kid in the 60s. Man, it hurts to get old, doesn’t it?
@Braveheart…..haven’t you heard? “OLD” is the new “YOUNG”…..because of who WE are…..We are STILL here! Whoever said “only the good die young” really meant the rest of US still have work to do….
fob
You can either see yourself as getting old, or as accruing more practical experience. The catch is, you’ve got to be able to REMEMBER that far back…
Sixpack
Why do these people always thumb down your postings? Nobody else gets red marks for similar postings. I think that someone just looks for ‘sixpack’ and then hits the red button without reading first!!
Yeah, that’s just my own personal trolls. The other 3 must be on vacation or something.
You know you must be doing something right, when it’s not WHAT you say, but that YOU said it that irritates them…
Grafica is a red thumb-er, That is a for sure known, especially when it comes to religion which he has no facts to back up his superstitious beliefs.
OUR DOLLAR GENERAL STORE IS NOW 2.00
I GO OVER TO THE OTHER STORE, TONS OF FOOD, DOG TREATS,STILL 1 DOLLAR, YOUR LOCAL STORE HAS AN ISLE FOR $1,
Catena…be careful what you feed your pets from a dollar store…check first to see if it came from china…not all do, but some may
fob
ha just bought some evaporated milk, made in peru, you must read every label nowadays
So if it comes down to it, you would eat dog treats? grrrrrrrr….. lol Yeah, dollar stores have this surplus reject goods from China. Make sure the exp dates are current and without metal shavings or lead in it. I would not buy anything for human consumption originating in China or Vietnam like shrimp.
“early in July” huh?
Well , I have absolutely NO plan for no electric , except i plan (at some point) to be without it.
I get up in the morning at dawn and go to bed at dark.
The only thing that i might miss is Macs site , its been alotta good conversation the last few years.
Thanx
Now stock yer pantries and mind yer busiiness .
And you will have far, far better night vision to see the scumbags poking around outside!
That is something everyone posting should keep in mind.
You can look from the dark into the dark, but you CAN NOT look from the light into the dark.
My prep this week was build a cage to see how much grass the protein larder that is the local wallaby population is eating. The little bastards are stopping my future beef steaks from getting fat.
A 9mm Beretta…in Chicago…in an office building? Should have started with “Once upon a time…”; that’s how all fairy tales begin. Just sayin’
Is this the beginning of a good Robert Ludlum novel? Robert Ludlum died several years ago… this reads like something submitted by one of his ghost writers?
Crab,Eric Van Lustbader carried on the Bourne series in a good fashion.
I have been reading much by James Rollins….his Sigma Force books are great (as are his other “stand alone” books….”Amazonia”, “Deep Fathom” etc….
fob
You don’t prepare for a crisis in the midst of one! Water/ I don’t suppose water plants will be running – food, buy plastic totes/ fill with beans, rice (boil in a bag) pkg cereals (boiling water) like oatmeal etc. You can make up gal plastic bags with 2 pks cereal, sugar pks, dry milk etc. THINK – batteries, short wave (if possible)gas, (with additive added).
TARPS, plastic sheeting, gorilla tape, staple gun ( large) – plenty of garbage bags/ including industrial size – WATER for toilets – put large clean garbage cans (collect water from roof in rain) – Medical box/ HONEY (buy at local farmers mkts ( 85% in stores are useless/ China syrup water) baby food ( dry cereal – formula etc)….Much more but these are just a few suggestions – The point is (documented) many underground bunkers have been constructed – filled with supplies NOT for US. Remember the seed vault in Norway.
Somebody is getting prepared. The news reported this week that a single neutron bomb exploded over U.S. could wipe out all electronics….I’ve always been apprehensive about cars all being computerized (not older models)…Think of how everything is now controlled by computers/
RIOTING. A few months ago there were riots out West when people didn’t get their food stamps for ONE day! We’ve had our lights go out here quite often – I have a LIGHT box/ MATCHES – don’t forget these/ lighters – baby wipes in place of water/ Ask yourself how would I (family) survive for maybe months – sit down and go over how you would survive/
buy an old reel mower and keep your grass cut and bushes trimmed and your lawn and house cleaned up then it will stand out from every one else and look nice and be noticed and also dont forget to impale a few dozen dead bodies on your fence and out front by the road that will deffinatly make people go around/past your place and not bother to stop by for a visit
plenty of wood.
Plenty of oil lamps and oil ( i collect them kinda a nut about the old oil lamps I also make oil lamps out of little bottles so you can carry one around with you and it not be so large)
a few solar panels
a generator dual fuel set up some propane bottles and usually have plenty of gasoline around ..Im out in the sticks
candles ..check
if it goes long term .. black spray paint for the windows..or black plastic
plenty of tactical flashlights and regular every day flashlights and batteries
coleman stove, and grill with charcoal or my wood
long range two way radios
>plenty of ammo<
modernsurvivalblog.com/alternative-energy/do-it-yourself-olive-oil-lamp/comment-page-1/
-Be informed is 100% correct. Power goes off and most people are going to die from lack of water or via water borne diseased water supplies. Pretty much a horrible way to die.
I will interrupt my daily schedule and finish writing my post on Water is life, but can also be death.
There are many 3rd world countries without clean drinking water. You may get sick, maybe a couple hundred thousand will die, but there will not be a “massive” die off. Even China and India have polluted water. China imports water to make products to sell us and the rich chicoms to drink.
“There are many 3rd world countries without clean drinking water. You may get sick, maybe a couple hundred thousand will die, but there will not be a “massive” die off.”
You are wrong. When the power goes OFF, the U.S. WILL be a bona fide ‘third world country’. Speaking of which, I personally know someone right now who got infected with E-Coli… while IN a hospital, with the power ON. It’s in her bloodstream and she is in a world of hurts. All this while the U.S. is a ‘First World country’.
Try these numbers on for size.
More than 3.4 million people die each year from water, sanitation, and hygiene-related causes. Nearly all deaths, 99 percent, occur in the developing world.
Lack of access to clean water and sanitation kills children at a rate equivalent of a jumbo jet crashing every four hours.
Of the 60 million people added to the world’s towns and cities every year, most move to informal settlements (i.e. slums) with no sanitation facilities.
780 million people lack access to an improved water source; approximately one in nine people.
“[The water and sanitation] crisis claims more lives through disease than any war claims through guns.”
An American taking a five-minute shower uses more water than the average person in a developing country slum uses for an entire day.
Over 2.5X more people lack water than live in the United States.
More people have a mobile phone than a toilet.2,4,5
I can spout more facts and figures for you, but you have much, much to learn about water.
More here:
h t tp://water.org/water-crisis/water-facts/water/
I have a grade 2 water treatment and a grade 2 water distribution license. I have been in places such as Haiti. You believe what figures you what from where ever you read them. Yes, I agree the US will become a third world nation very soon. But the rest is just fear porn. Just boil your fucking water like everyone else.
I can’t remember if I heard this here, or if my cousin the trucker told me. But anyway, this guy who is college educated, must be in microbiology or bio- engineering type–who quit that job and went int trucking–says he can take water samples from springs headed to the Mississippi River (think springs that start on cattle/pig farmlands) and concentrate enough bacteria from those samples that 1 drop into a drinking water reservoir would be enough to cause mass E. coli contamination, illnesses and death. Now I have a masters in biology, I’m not sure if this is true, but it is something to keep in mind. Best to have water purification/ treatment than risk death by E. coli.
Just because people in third world countries survive on dirty water, don’t think that we can. Our bodies need to become gradually used to toxins.
For instance, you can inoculate yourself against rattlesnake venom gradually, in case you get bit.
Measles decimated the Americas when the disease was brought here from Europe. Europeans had built up some immunity over the centuries so that even if they caught it, they were sick a few days, but survived. American Indians died from it, though.
Good points DaisyK-
He is correct about boiling water though, once you hit 212 degrees, most if not all pathogens should be neutralized or dead. In the event you cannot boil your water, I would highly suggest pre-filtering, down to .02 microns if possible as this will remove down to the virus which are smaller than the cysts and protozoans you will encounter in lakes, streams, etc.
If you are drinking boiled water, it is going to taste ‘off’. Pour it back and forth between 2 clean containers if possible to re-introduce oxygen molecules. This will improve the taste just like you aerate fine wines prior to drinking.
I just know the die off is going to be huge if we totally lose power though, as the general population has no clue about water borne diseases and death.
Or have lots of Tang for that boiled/filtered water.
Sawyer 2-bag water filter system. Filters to 0.1, one of the best filters around. Cost varies from $100 – $300. They also make a unit for your house. I think that runs about $1500
Pelosi on the Border: We Have to Use This ‘Crisis’ as an ‘Opportunity’
Breitbart dot com
Direct link…
http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-TV/2014/06/28/Pelosi-on-the-Border-We-Have-to-Use-This-Crisis-as-an-Opportunity
Well, lights out.
No problem here for me.
Off.grid, camped out permanently.
Off road.
Got plenty of wood for heat and cooking.
Been prepping for a.while.
Old.woman alone.
It’s coming, in more ways than this story.
Got steel traps?
Easy enough to trap meat.
Alum and plain non iodine salt.will render a.usable fur pelt.
Learn skills while the getting is.good folks.
Think and plan.
And.think.some more.
No, I don’t know all the answers.
But a little preparation goes a long way.
I don’t often comment here, but read as often as I can.
My children are grown and sail there own ships.
So there is just me to worry about.
Learn something each and every day.
God.bless.each and everyone out there.
Not one more inch
Mission
Hey Mission good to hear from you again. How are you at identifying eatable mushrooms? Any advice would be appreciated. Figured that would be a speciality for you. Thanks!
I don’t eat wild mushrooms Former Cal Girl.
Simple as that.
Next…
Sorry dear. Seriously.
Good to see you though.
Take care always
Mission
22Mission, good to hear from you. How have you been?
Good to.see.ya Braveheart.
Been doing fine.
No more city life for me.
Found this tract of land through a friend.
Mature hardwoods.
Isolated, behind a locked gate.
Same general area, just out some 15 miles.
Been here just over a month.
Working clearing brush, setting up this camp.
Assembling my camp.
Seen from comments you been passing close by hauling supplies to your BOL.
Pondering how to flag ya down…
But doing great.
Glad to be close to nature again.
Got plenty of game here.
A huge creek for fish.
Used to get made fun of for growing up trapping, hunting, gathering herbs.
Now happy I know what I do.
Even get asked by others what to do.
I say learn much.
And understand life ain’t always easy.
Take care of yourself dear friend.
I always remember kindness Braveheart.
And you are one who cares.
Stay safe
Mission
You don’t want the little green, slimy ones found in cow pastures…er, maybe you do… 🙂
Just had a thought…one item I never hear you fellas talk about for preps is a CHAIN FALL. My husband bought a used one a few years ago. I thought he was nuts, but in VA I found a flat stone at our land I wanted lifted to make a table. It few years earlier it took hours and many a cuss words to get that sucker loaded on a trailer using pry bars and chains to move it to the camp.
Hubby made a tripod of 2x4x10 , hung the chain fall from it, used a tow rope to figure 8 around ends of stone and lifting it was like child’s play. We even moved a freshly fallen tree that had a base of 24 inches from across the road, because we had a use for it and did not want to cut up the trunk.
Just saying, they are heavy, but they’re handy!
Cant wait, will be a nice change where i live, not likely the end of the world,,,,
Amen brother…I completely agree.
No one lives forever.
Hope you are well.
Am excellent, planting, working on my house, and building a fence around property, got an older Ford super duty to put my refer box on, suns shining, lifes good!
Mother nature is watering my plants for me, it’s nice to have a helping hand once in a while.
I survived 12 days after Hurrincane Sandy hit the Northeast without electricity or heat. We had 21oF temps at night along with 4″ of snow. Evrything was pretty orderly.
WHen the SHTF, it will be a different story. In order to survive one better know how to operate at night AND have night vision equipment. Your chances of survival will increase 10x as you will own everything for 300m around you in the dark…. It will get intersting to say the least…..
Good ideas there 21Bravo.
Could have used some night vision just a little while ago after posting my last comment.
Had a panther outside and below me scream. Went out to take a look see and the sucker growled at me, too damn close.
So, got my big bright flashlight and put it on strobe. Walked right to where I heard it.
Saw nothing but fired a few shots off with my 22 pistol and screamed right back as loud as I could.
Good gawd, I knew one was here but not that close.
Folk often ask if I am not scared.
I always reply that I am the badest ass back here in these woods.
Sometimes though, it does get hairy.
Night vision sounds great.
Will be looking into it.
Thanks much.
Take care
Mission
21Bravo, I have an old night vision scope I got from Wallyworld back in 2002 for only $150 and they don’t even carry them anymore. I test it once a month and keep plenty of spare batteries for it.
Braveheart,
Save your pennies up for a gen 3 ITT pinnacle PVS-14 WAY better than a Gen one Russian tube system . Their performance is unbelievable. Prices have been going down lately they run off of a single AA battery , tube life is 100,000 hours plus and they are Milspec full 10 year warranty , company is a military and law enforcement supply company and has a good reputation. This is one item you want to by new , you have upon ordering to fill out an ITAR form for purchase saying they are for personal use and you will not export them , it helped when I ordered mine by using my work .gov email address. TVNC has them on sale from time to time . Be prepared
To pay about 2500 for a complete set with “skull crusher ” head mount .
I have a pair of gen 1 30,000x Russian binoculars I liberated in Grenada in 1983 they still work and are useful , some of the Russian gen 1 plus stuff is usable in passive mode , but the gen 3 us stuff is the beast of another color. It takes a while to get used to wearing them and using them in the dark but they have their uses . Another technology is the newer FLIR systems but they ate currently out of the affordable for me price range 4000 plus for a basic unit.
Being in Tennessee BH I would file for a suppressor first for that m1 carbine you have then go for some night vision gear . If you have a GI version of the Cabine DO NOT LET THAT GO THEY ARE VERY SCARSE NOW AND PRICES HAVE BEEN RAISING , they are way better than a mini 14 for accuracy and durability . Most engagements in Urban , suburban areas will be CQB in nature that rifle will serve you well , the round has been criticised as weak but it is the equilvent of a .357 fired in a rifle. It’s good out to a 100- 150 yards light and pointable. Ammo procurement may be a problem as it is not currently a NATO issued round but that can be solved later by kenetic means. Plus it’s light enough to fasten to an assault pack . It performed will in WW2 , korea and the jungles of Vietnam.
RESIST
Semper Fi 8541
Night breaker, my M1 Carbine is one of the old Universal models and that company went out of business in 1983. It’s a good shooter. I bought it at a gun show for only $400 3 years ago. It came without a rear sight. I was going to get a scope mount installed on it but none of the gunsmiths in my area have the right equipment to do it. I’ve been told because of the design of the receiver it requires a gunsmith to install it. So now I’m looking for a rear sight and a complete spare parts kit for it.
NightBreaker-
You are spot on with the GenIV ITT unit, they work awesome. Not cheap by any stretch, BUT…once you use it, you will know why you have to have it.
The head mount rack it come with works pretty good and the unit isn’t overly large or heavy like the old Ruskie units are.
I’m sure you have done this already, but for those who haven’t…go out on a clear night with the unit and LOOK UP. Your jaw will hit the ground. 🙂
Socrates ,
I use it on my OPSCORE helmet way more comfortable than the skull crusher mount.
And I have used it to look at the night sky . Breathtaking !!! Have also used it affocaly
On a small telescope ( Questar 3.5) held up to an eyepiece you would not believe how much you can see.
That gen 3 stuff is right out of SciFi .worth every penny.
RESIST
Semper Fi 8541
Yeah, when it all goes dark people will again talk to their next door neighbors again after 20 years. Kids today will actually go out doors and exercise again like bike riding and relearn talking with out pushing key pads.
The ones that live.
Yeah with no electronics anymore, things like the Hula Hoop, roller skates, the superball and Gyro will make a comeback for kids. lol
Maybe by then, they’ll stop persecuting kids for having hello kitty bubble guns…and going “pow, pow” with their finger pointed.
The lights are flickering already. The Titanic is taking on water. The writing is on the wall. Trouble is that most of you have already been drugged up by your fast food diet, water, and subliminal TV programs, phony news, and comic books. Basically you are toast and those pulling the strings attached to you scrotums know how to make you dance. For some, who read and are proactive there might be a chance. All the political and economic indicators point to the inevitable conclusion that sooner, not later the S will HTF. If you’re intelligent enough to understand the acronym you have the possibility of mitigating the nasty circumstances your politicians have created. The citizens voted these mentally disturbed beings into office and are partially responsible for the deadly mess they are faced with. Now you want to know how to survive. Or maybe your head is still deeply stuck up your own ignoble orifice, and you actually think that Uncle Sam is going to be there to change your pants when the SHTF. No, no, when you find yourself starving you’re going to need uncle spam not Sam, and much more. Get a manual written by a Russian who survived the implosion of the Soviet Union. This is written for Americans who are about ready to be left up the river without a paddle. Believe me, this is cheap or free at AMAZON, it’s called Yankee Anti-Zombie Survival Manual, it gets right down to facts, 101 rules to save your self and family. This Russian has seen and smelled TSHTF in his own country. Only experience can be transferred. Read and survive.
I’m surprised you didn’t get a bunch of red thumbs for recommending something written by a “Russian” in your comment.
Not your fault. Too much toxicity in your brain and body to understand that Russians are the least of your problems. A good diet with a bit of vodka will clear your brain. The tap water, soda pop,corn syrup and fast food provided by your friends in Wasington have altered your thought process to the point where you cannot distinguish reality, oh I forgot TV. Sober up comrade.
RR, Thanks for bringing the book to our attention. You got SP all wrong. She comes from Russian stock and loves the Russians as do most of us at this site who think the world of the Russians too. One of my childhood heros was Sasha Seimel, aka, Tigerman. We regularly read Pravda and RT and hoot and holler like we were full of that Russian ‘rot gut’ when Putin threatens to disconnect from the ‘petrodollars’ or shoves his thumb in old Obammie’s eye. We are not as backward as you may think. Stick around and you may learn a thing or to from the truly ‘best and the brightest of SHTFPlan’.
Folks, the Christians in the Middle-East are looking to Putin for protection. Other than God, he may be their only hope! What a reversal in circumstances!
A lot of great comments and thoughts. I look forward to reading the next chapter too.
KY Mom, I am going to do what you suggested at the top of this column and read this to the children. They already are thinking but I will use this to discuss some possible scenarios. Thanks for the suggestions.
Louisiana Eagle
Laeagle, I don’t particularly “love” Russians, as much as I recognize BS propaganda when I see it. I see ample evidence that the NWO is set to demolish ALL sovereignty on this planet, Russian, American, Chinese, Middle eastern, etc… I don’t want to see that happen, but this dumbed-down, drugged up country can’t seem to tie their own shoe laces, much less battle the NWO.
Russia is a Christian Nation, unlike the U.S, they protect their people. They’ve broken free of the Rothchilds, and are fighting to keep missiles off their ass/borders. They have that right.
They are not caving in and changing their laws and culture to accommodate gays and other misfits who go there to live…Putin couldn’t care less about how loud they scream “discrimination”. I can see why the NWO elites hate them so much—they haven’t caved like this country has. You need only to look to our southern border right now, and long for a leader who protected our borders, culture and people.
They seem to be finding the balls to do what WE should’ve done a long time ago—FIGHT THE NWO TAKEOVER and return our country’s sovereignty to the people.
I believe Russia merits some RESPECT. Respect that they have EARNED, by not bombing the EU and the U.S. into oblivion by now. In their shoes, our govt would’ve sent the bombs flying by now, yet all we can do is falsely accuse Russia for NOT being aggressive—instead, we call THEM weak.
No, I don’t love Russia, but I do respect morals, guts and truth. America just hasn’t shown any lately.
I’ve said it many times… “Whatever the NWO wants, I DON’T WANT, by any means necessary. What or why doesn’t even matter anymore”.
SP, We are on the same side. Keep up the good work and keep a stiff upper lip as the folks in the old-country use to say.
Sometimes my mind can’t stop reeling at the thought and scope of what is happening in regard to the NWO and those who have been developing it over the past century(s). It is breathtakingly evil and almost beyond comprehesion. How can so many people be so blind and oblivious to what is going on?
Concerning the Russians, is there any evidence that they understand what they are up against? There has always been a rivalry between the East and the West, but do you think Putin and colleagues have any clue about the NWO?
Laeagle, I DO believe they see the NWO bigger picture. For anyone with an open mind, if you read back over the last few years, you will see subtle hints about what is going on right now in the world. Like the Boston bombers, they’ve tried to warn people, but no one was listening.
Part of the “bigger picture” is the fact that EVERY COUNTRY who refuses or resists the bankster takeover of their country, gets persecuted in the media and subsequently bombed into submission.
Then the IMF steps in and takes over the resources and the people, when the dust settles. Ukraine is not the only country to be blatantly taken over by the globalist banksters.
IT HAS ALREADY HAPPENED HERE IN THE U.S. We should be able to recognize the symptoms, but we’re too busy waving our little flag ans shouting “USA, USA, USA”.
The only countries left in 2011 without a Central Bank owned by the Rothchilds Family are:
Cuba
North Korea
Iran
Think carefully when the war drums start to beat again, for Cuba, North Korea and Iran.
SixPack, As always, thanks for your insight. That the situation does not look good, is an understatement. I trust that ‘free men and women’ everywhere will figure out how to unite against the NWO and starve the Beast that is the NWO. We will probably all need to go Galt on a massive scale in order to deprive the Beast of the fuel which provides it such total power and control. The struggle is a cosmic one and goes beyond the physical efforts at domination and control by a few at the top. I really believe there is a spiritual dimension that must be understood and dealt with if our struggle is to ultimately succeed. Without an understanding of the spiritual elements and players, we are at a total disadvantage.
I feel this passage by Ayn Rand is most apropos for this time as much of what she wrote is: “Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark in the hopeless swamps of the not-quite, the not-yet, and the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish in lonely frustration for the life you deserved and have never been able to reach. The world you desire can be won. It exists.. it is real.. it is possible.. it’s yours.”
Here’s a good example of what OUR country has become:
http://www.infowars.com/obama-takes-gay-war-against-marriage-global/
No wonder Christian Nations look at us like we’re crazy…
RR: That was a good, informative read…
PKLL
Nothing will move. There will be no food in the stores, they will be shut down. No fuel for vehicles. Highways will be plugged as desperate people try to flee from stinking, smelly cities (no garbage collection and failure of sanitary systems). No electricity. No running water. All prisoners will break out of jails. The great entitled masses who are used to living on welfare handouts will freak out and will be stealing and murdering you to get your stuff.
Get out of debt, eat well, pray to the Lord God Almighty, get off your meds, get out of the cities (that’s the one I have to worry about). Preppers think they are ready for this. Hahahahaha. This will be worst time EVER. What you “prepped” will be stolen from you at the risk of your life. We have NO idea of what is coming down the pike.
AM,
“Preppers think they are ready for this.” You are absolutely right on. No one will be completely ready for what is to come, the Apocalypse! But, those who are prepping, preparing, and praying may certainly have a little advantage over those who have not. Your are absolutely right when you say, “We have NO idea of what is coming down the pike.”
One more thing.
Learn local.wild herbs and.how to use them.
Inner bark of.willow.contains a.mild.pain reliever.
Many herbs.work better than over the.counter drugs.
Peppermint leaves work to ward.insects.
I have used them in my bush hat to keep.flying bugs away.from my face.
Eating a little organic sulfur seems to work well.to.fend.off mosquitos.
Also fresh garlic daily. I add it to my nightly meal.
While everyone else is swatting and complaining, I don’t get bit near as often.
Stock up on plain borax.
I find a.million uses for it.
Kills smells well and degreases clothing and dishes.
Paraffin will make wet wood burn. Add a chunk to your next campfire and see for yourself.
Lavender oil works well for burns.
So.do the leaves of common Mullen.
Dip them in boiling water for a.few seonds first to wilt.them a little.
Excellent for sunburn.
No reason not to learn solar distillation of water.
Try putting plastic.over a large water container with a smaller.catch pan inside.
Put a weight in the center of the plastic.
What drips into the center container will be drinkable with a tad of chlorine bleach added. Many videos on YouTube or other sites.
Learn something each day.
Not one more inch for me
God bless each and all
They can’t eat me and I can only die once.
Mission
what will life be like when the lights go out ? Makes me think of Planes, Trains and Automobiles with John Candy.. In the hotel, lights off; “where’s your hands ?” ” Between to soft furry pillows”. “Ick.. those aren’t pillows”. “how bout those Jets ? “
How about those Bears… Not Jets. lol
I know this sounds silly but buying containers can be expensive. You could and just throwing this out to trip someones mind but at some stores like Menards, or a Trader joes or walmart etc they have outdoor pools that are good size for about 200 bucks. YOu could in theroy store this in your home or in a basement and fill it with water to clean off or to get water from. Just throwing an idea out.
@CR-IOWA Bad idea to have any open water pools in your house or basement as Humidity and Mold will set in to every orifice in your house killing you all. Always store water in closed containers.
good point, I was not thinking of that about the mold. There are people that have hot tubs in their homes in the basement. yes I know mold spores grow from moisture etc. I was just thinking for less than a month to clean off or to draw water and its out of the way for people to see unlike in a backyard etc. But good thinking
I think what keeps mold from growing around hot tubs in the chlorine they is usually used in the water. Chlorine is deadly to mold, even in small amounts. I’ve had plenty of experience with black mold, you don’t want to deal with any, trust me.
Boy this tablet screwed that all up—
I think what keeps mold from growing around hot tubs, is the chlorine that is usually used in the water. Chlorine is deadly to mold, even in small amounts. I’ve had plenty of experience with black mold, you don’t want to deal with any, trust me.
Chlorine bleach should not be used in mold remediation as confirmed by OSHA’s and EPA’s updated recommendations and suggested
guidelines.
The use of bleach as a mold disinfectant is best left to kitchen and bathroom countertops, tubs and shower glass, etc. Chlorine or bleach is just a temporary stay to the growth of mold.
Biocides are substances that can destroy living organisms. The use of a chemical or biocide that kills organisms such as mold (chlorine bleach, for example) is not recommended as a routine practice during mold cleanup. There may be instances, however, when professional judgment may indicate its use (for example, when immune-compromised individuals are present).
If you choose to use disinfectants or biocides, always ventilate the area and exhaust the air to the outdoors.
Laundry bleach is not an effective mold killing agent for wood-based building materials and NOT EFFECTIVE in the mold remediation process. OSHA is the first federal agency to announce a departure from the use of chlorine bleach in mold remediation. In time, other federal, state and other public safety agencies are expected to follow OSHA’s lead. The public should be aware, however, that a chlorine bleach solution IS an effective sanitizing product that kills mold on hard non porous surfaces and neutralizes indoor mold allergens that trigger allergies.
A non-toxic, non-alcoholic, organic solution is offered at http://www.pathogenkillerdotcom. The solution can be used for so many things such as cuts and burns, pets, drinking water storage and molds are removed from both surfaces and air-born spores. The solution is based from plants and is a certified BioGro product.
http://www.epadotgov/mold/hiddenmold.html
Y’all Beware! Keep Smilin
Dude, so idiotic. So, OSHA wants you to buy some chemical which works much less well? Chlorox does work great for mold IME. Use it once a week for a few weeks. Of course, mold is omnipresent; so, you’ll have more grow if you don’t rip out the infected material and also eliminate the water source.
idioticosha, you took the words right out of my mouth. I had to wear a hazmat suit and respirator when I cleaned up black mold.
It was so thick, it had to be scraped off the wall with a shovel. Simply tearing the lath and plaster would’ve released the spores into the air far and wide, and we couldn’t do that, so the mold had to be mitigated first.
I don’t care what chemical company OSHA is shilling for this week, bleach is cheap and it kills every organism in it’s path.
I use a light bleach spray on my counters and tables all the time. It kills much more than mold spores. I rinse out water containers with a bleach solution too.
Fuck OSHA. I’ve had to deal with their patent stupidity too many times.
@WhoWuddaThunkIt
Correct. Many do not think of the pitfalls of storing large amounts of water, like the immense weight or excess moisture it adds to the air.
Food grade sealed containers are the BEST way to go short term and long term. People who want a sealed food grade container that is fairly cheap, yet designed for the job, need to look no further than an AquaPodKit.
These are 65 gallon water bladders that are designed to be used…right in your bathtub. Your bathtub is designed to handle the full weight of water, PLUS the weight of an adult. So no real weight problems there.
-Fits almost any tub and holds up to 65 gallons of water
-The AquaPodKit is easy to use with your existing bathtub
-14 day supply of water for basic needs for a family of 4
-Costs much less than a 65 gallons of bottled water
-AquaPodKit is the *only* bathtub bladder that offers refills
We shouldn’t overthink solutions to problems, when low-cost, effective answers already exist.
Find them at Emergency Essentials, Amazon and a multitude of other places.
More on them here:
h t tp://www.aquapodkit.com/
get the 32 gallon plastic gabage pails, you will need 2 , more durable, and can stand the pressure,fill with water and 1/2 cup ,clorax very sturdy units i have 3
the pails are about $10 bucks
96 gallons
if one has cats, or knows person who does, cat litter containers are decently durable buckets & come with covers.
Be advised that the lids to those cat litter containers, are NOT air or water tight.
Get a king sized water mattress!!!!!!
…and build a taller, more squared frame for it? Just avoid the “memory foam” kinds and don’t forget the pool shock.
A pool?? Do you have any idea what that many gallons of water weigh and the liability on your floor?
I’m saying in a basement if you have one. Just threw that Idea out there to stump a few ideas or even those little kiddle pools you can store a good amount of water in or even in your garage. I just wanted to say people dont need to pay 15 bucks for a 5 gallon container, just a way to get some water then you could boil it and do whatever and its out of the way. I didn’t want this to be outside where people will go bonkers over it if there is no water available. They will steal it or even break it.
To user Iowa yes in CR and would be glad to meet you someday. I do think alike. Clinthospo and CR-iowa are the same people. Just used a different browser thats all.
Water 8.33 Lbs per Gallon. Do the math. Not good. 55 Gal Drum= 458 Lbs, One person is not moving it. Store on a cement slab.
or maybe bury all or part of it?
Why bother digging a big hole to bury a drum of water? Just going to have to dig it up in a few days.
I think I’d rather do it like they do at gas stations and siphon/refill with a hand pump, leaving the drum right where it is.
I read that as store the pool, the take it out and fill it when u need it?
Answers:
1. Dark.
2. Dunno. I’ll be at my retreat with all mod cons watching the rest of the world go down the crapper.
Bring it on !
Lucky for Jason along with his military background and prep mentality he shared ideas with others on sites like SHTF.A character there with the moniker of Warchild(something about a band Jethro Tull Jason thought) along with using shopworn prepper phrases had always mentioned the value of a Karrambit,a small but deadly tactical knife that with even basic practice could cause serious injury.With nothing to lose Jason ducked as pulling one handed and opening a quality Karrambit knife he always had in his front pants pocket and with a backward sweep opened up his assailants throat severing major arteries in the process and with other hand retrieved his 9m.m. and shot the assailants surprised friend with a hollow point to the head.Though Jason took no pleasure in killing people his training and background had kicked in,leaving two urban punks dead,he realized in that moment though not much in the big picture folks unprepared/those trying to help others will not be targets of these two at least.Walking down the alley with his opsec in overdrive now a small part of Jason’s mind wondered how Warchild was in this chaos,fearing from what he had read of his posts figured if not already will soon be dead trying to stop others from harming others with a devil may care attitude,he wished Warchild well and that the gods would welcome him with open arms,with that he continued his journey home and Patricia and his children.
TEN YEAR SCOTCH BROTH MIX (has anyone tried this??)
You’ll need a large and long container, – we use the Rubbermaid ones which are approx. 4ft x 2 ft long. This will allow you to make up *batches* of 165lbs of soup mix at a time, which you then package in Mylar Bags w/oxygen absorbers, heat seal (we have a steam iron and a plank of wood 36″ x 20″ which we just smooth the bag out across and iron shut for a vacuum seal) and store in smaller Rubbermaid containers which each take the 165lbs you’ll be packaging. The ones we use say they will hold 26 gallons (volume) and they cost about $6 each here. Not much more than a cardboard box from U-Haul.
You’ll need to make it in 12 batches, – it’s hard work to mix.
For each batch you’ll need…
4 x 22lb (or 10kg) rice. (Any kind will do).
2 x 11lb (or 5kg) kidney beans
2 x 11lb (or 5kg) barley
2 x 11lb (or 5kg) lentils (yellow)
1 x 5.5lb(or 5kg) green split peas
1 x 5.5lb(or 5 kg)chick peas
Method:
Put in two bags of rice to mixing container
Then add each of the other ingredients 5kg at a time, mixing as you go. (Use surgical gloves or you’ll have no nails left, LOL!).
When you have all the other ingredients mixed in with the first two bags of rice, add the last two bags of rice and *REALLY* mix well or you’ll get all rice on the bottom of your mixture.
Then take 3 *large size* Mylar Bags http://www.sorbentsystems.com/products.html and start scooping in mixture. We just use a 2 quart juice jug for a scoop. When you have it 2/3rds filled, add 2 oxygen absorbers and put plank over the mixing container and then spread the Mylar Bag tops over the plank and seal with a HOT steam iron. You should have a 3″ seal at least. The mixture will fit nicely into the 3 Mylar Bags and we usually fill them and then seal them all at once so we can get the best seal possible. Then place Mylar bags into your 26 gallon container, label, and put lid on tightly. These are Rodent Proof and can be stacked three high. They should be kept in a cold dark place and they will keep for 20 years at least stored this way.
MAKING SOUP.
Take 16oz of the dry mixture and put in about 6-7 quarts of water (with a nut of butter or a tsp. of olive oil to prevent soup boiling over) and add 3 tblspns (or to taste) of powdered soup stock. We like to use chicken stock.
Then add any veggies, meat, & seasoning you like (if available). (We like to also put in lots of garlic) (DO NOT USE ONIONS – they’ll spoil the mixture).
Bring to a boil and let simmer for two hours and you have enough soup for two days for 4 people.
On the second day you’ll need to add some more water (it thickens in the fridge overnight) and another tblspn stock. Make sure to boil for at least 10 minutes the second day to kill off any potential bacteria, – especially if you are not storing in fridge, but just in a root cellar or like that in the event of no electricity in summer.
We make our own bread and have a thick slice fer dunkin’ with a large bowl of this delicious soup and it serves as a main meal. You are FULL after just one (large size) bowl of this stuff.
Kids will usually only be able to eat half a bowl w/bread, or a small bowl, whichever you prefer. Adults will likely want a nice big bowl.
If there is any mixture left on the third day, just add the new mixture to it. You will need less of course, but you’ll get to know how to gauge things as you go along catering to the requirements of your own little family.
If you make up one batch at a time, it’ll cost you approx. $125 for all the ingredients, including 3 x 10lb canisters of powdered soup stock. (One for each Mylar Bag). That’s very doable I think, and in no time you’ll have your 12 batches or 1,980 lbs of soup mix. (Do it over 12 pay-days, and if you are paid weekly, – you’ll have your 10-year-supply in just 3 months).
That was good to know! Glad you took the time to explain it. Thats what I love to see on this site is more what people do and it trips my mind at least to do that or try something close or all new together. Thanks. Those mylar bags im going to have to look for, not sure what they are.
Scotch Broth Mix—Some of the beans, like the chick peas, take many hours to cook where the rice only takes a few minutes. Nutritionally, it may be tops; but, preparation wise, it has problems. I am still trying to figure out how to sort 25 pounds of chickpeas back out of the mix.
That is NOT how you make Scotch Broth!
Take 1 bottle of single malt Scotch & 1 tray of ice cubes. Mix. You young people are a disgrace.
LOL….
clay pots. I’ve seen them used for both heat radiation and refrigeration. Heat: put 3 tea lights in the bottom of a loaf pan. light them. invert a clay pot over the top, resting on the sides of the loaf pan, and plug the end. invert a larger clay pot over the 1st. it will heat a small room. for refrigeration: need 2 large pots, 1 to fit inside the other. sand inbetween the 1 pots, water the sand. put a cover over each pot. supposed to cool to approx. 40 degrees, but not for super long. still pretty neat, huh?
Tea lights will NOT heat a room; not even a 10 X 8 bathroom. I tried.
Another myth to sell tea lights??
I’ve never understood the allure of tea lights. Burned my nose several times while drinking my iced tea.
LOL….
Tea lights are what I use, for long enough to find the end of the toilet paper roll.
Does anyone out there know if LED lights will survive an EMP? I have doubts.
Any diode will burn out if there is too much current flow. So an EMP would definitely burn LEDs out if they are connected to power. If they aren’t connected to power, a solar EMP would not burn them out, but a nuclear EMP could. I believe that if individual LEDs are not connected to anything, they might survive a nuclear EMP. And by individual LEDs I mean the separate little bulbs with the two wires, not those in a replacement bulb of multiple LEDs wired together with a power supply.
Just to be safe, I would keep replacement LED fixtures and separate LED bulbs in a Faraday cage.
Of course, my plan is to go to bed when it gets dark, so I will use very little light. I do have candles, lanterns, lamp oil, kerosene, flashlights, batteries, and solar panels which will handle any necessary lighting.
They will not, but the old incandescent bulbs will
All this is utter nonsense. On March 11, 2011 we had exactly “That” happening in Tokyo following 10 minutes of very hard shaking. No electricity, no communication, no elevators, no ATM or cash available anywhere, most red lights out…
There was no panic, no screaming, no looting, nothing of the sort. People came out of the buildings, millions of them, assembled in the parks and green areas. There was a second big shake 20 minutes later and finally they started streaming home. No cash in hands but convenience stores were still open, distributing free water to anyone asking for it.
Our society is far more resilient than most people believe. What may do us in is loss of confidence in the money followed by a complete crash of trade. But we’re not there yet. The decomposition of civil society in the US is a different phenomenon. It’s already there in Detroit or East Saint Louis and possibly spreading but it won’t affect Beverly Hills anytime soon.
People in Japan have tradition and respect for one another.
Most Americans have none of that. Maybe 30%.
I believe people in Japan are more of the same race and values. When you have jealousy and different cultures your going to have clashes. Not saying a all white is better or mixed just that when i look around I look at everyone I see and smile. Majority of people will not even look at you, they are so anti-social and you can see that they have anxiety to get away from people its obvious.
lastman: Saw a video a few years back of Disneyworld or something in Japan….they had a very large quake and the people stayed calm and just sat down. They then helped each other and there was no ugliness or panic…..
I was very impressed….not sure most Americans would behave that way.
PKLL
Would you eat fish that came from the water near your Country? Not being rude, but want to know if YOU feel that they are safe, as I am not so sure. Thanks
fob
It depends on where you live. When I lived in Portland, I wouldn’t eat anything from the Willamette river, or the Columbia, where it joins the Willamette in North Portland.
However, now that I live at the foot of Mount Hood, I’d eat anything I could catch in the waters around here.
WOW. There are three people who’ve never seen the Willamette river up close, in Portland. Go walk out on the dock under the St. John’s bridge, then we’ll talk.
Get hold of a Range Finder and make Range Cards. I stood in front of every window and door and shot Ranges. Put results on 3×5 cards and tape to each window and door frame. If you can’t stand in front of your windows or doors shoot Ranges though them. Also mark over lapping fields of fire on them.
We are so fortunate in our AO, in a 2 mile+ radius 8 ft. down and we have all the clean drinkable water you want, so we have been dehydrating everything we can. Smaller packages (6lb. of mixed veggies will go into a 24oz, container), less weight, rehydrate a cup of mixed veggies and put in some Ramon noodles, or rice, with canned meat or without (remember spices, Italian, chili powder etc. you know seasonings) you are good to go. We have been living on our SHTF plan by eating just 2 meals a day (of what we will be eating) for close to a year now no ill effects, both feel great. Then in the evening to top it all off, a nice bowl of popcorn to end the day. Just some of the things we are doing. For us dehydration, eat what you are going eat, make recipes. Start living off the grid and without cooking on the stove as much as possible now, get used to it. Try new ways of cooking, char-coal,(Dutch oven), solar and open fire because if you haven’t, you’ll be glade you did, down the road. Get the family involved now, give everyone some responsibly to do things. The choice is up to you! WATER, FOOD, SHELTER, and DEFENSE with those in mind, prepare, life will be very UGLY without any of them in a very short time. While you can just have some fun learning to survive, do it now before you have to for real.
River Rat at the ready!!! NOMI///MOLON LABE!
good to know with the cards on the window.
RRat: For us gun noobs….can you explain a little more?
PKLL
PKLL:
A range finder is used to determine a given distance in yards; Example I live in a rural area, so if I want to know how far a tree is from my front door I’ll put the cross hairs of the range finder on the tree and then read what the distance it is from my front door (say) 250 yards. So now I know that anything between me and the tree is less than 250 yards. It takes a lot of guess work of your shot placement on target. On the range cards you make, I draw a picture of say of my house and mark from where I am taking the reading from and I also draw the tree. Use this method on several objects from whatever you use as the reference point; doors, windows, fences, etc. Now at each reference point tape your range card to that point and now you know real close any distance out to whatever range you want from that point. Hey just play with one and you’ll get the hang of it and what else you can use it for. Great for hunting game also. I hope this helps.
River Rat at the ready!!! NOMI///MOLON LABE!
Another way to do that is to get an aerial photo of your area, blow it up to the size you want to deal with. Locate your house or position, and some salient points in the viewing area from that spot, such as the tree or garage door 4 houses down, and measure the ranges to them as RR says. Now, measure the distance to those same locations on the photo, and determine the scale of the photo. You have to have a vertical photo, not an oblique. Use an average of the measurements, and keep central on the photo, even if it’s a rectified orthophoto or image.
Once you have the scale, say 1:6100, meaning 1 inch on the photo equals 6100 inches on the ground, that’s 508.3 feet, or 169 yards, or 155 meters, whichever you prefer to work with. Take the photo to a copy shop and have it shrunk or enlarged say 99% or 106% of your original and now you have a visual map, showing every tree, drive, intersection, doorway, and corner, with a scale of 1 inch equals 100 yards, or whatever scale you want to work with. Even tens or twenties is the best scale ratio, it’s simplest.
Make copies, put them on a board, you now have a range card you can drop an engineer’s scale on and read range directly to any thing in sight. An engineer’s scale is a ruler, 12 inches long, with each inch divided into 10, 20, 30, 50 parts, so you can read them directly, no math involved. Photo scale is 1 inch equals 100 yards, lay the 10 scale down and read the length, 4.2 inches equals 420 yards. Photo scale is 1 inch equals 500 feet, lay the 50 scale down and read the length, 4.2 inches equals 2100 feet, or 700 yards. You can convert feet into yards in your head very quickly and be within 10 yards of the actual conversion, which is fine for ballistics.
You can take that range ‘card’ anywhere on the photo that you can recognize, and determine the range to any other point shown on the photo, in seconds. Not to mention furnish copies to all in your defense team, they just became experts at finding the range to their target.
You can do a small scale version for your home and immediate surroundings, and another scale for one or two square miles around your neighborhood.
You can do all of this on Google Earth, as well, but computer use during decision time in defense work is not going to be a smart use of your time. KISS. Keep it Simple, Stupid.
RR and Smokey: Wow….I feel kinda stupid, but thanks…great explanations…
PKLL
It is possible to live without all the modern conveniences we have that are dependent on electronics and electricity but it means a revolutionary change in how we live. All those devices, if used well, make us time efficient. Take them away, and we need to spend most of our day getting the essentials for life. That means the economy becomes a subsistence economy with barter between various sub-regions (for things that can’t be grown locally, ie: spices, etc.).
In Venezuela, there is an apartment building that is half built and is occupied by mostly single mothers with no jobs. It has no running water, electricity etc. so everything has to be brought in and hiked up the stairs day and night. This requires a little army of impoverished young men to physically carry water, food etc. up the stairs. They are very fit if wiry. Gone will be the obesity epidemic as every calorie consumed will require many calories expended. People’s body shapes will revert back to what they should be: no such thing as a pot belly. People will look better and women will be very hot (no more ten-tonne Tesses because those calories just will not exist). Go to countries where calories are expensive to get and you will find the women are very beautiful because they are not fat. A non-fat face shows its features better and is more elegant.
It won’t be the end of the world but it will be the end of the lazy, the fat, the mentally weak and the disorganized. I don’t fear it.
They are trying to provoke us.
wow! lots of great ideas and advice from everyone! please don’t forget to utilize an LDS distribution center if you happen to have one near you. wonderful people who will help you get a start with your preps if you don’t know where or how to start, and no you don’t have to belong to the Mormon religion. I’ve been going to the one in Brecksville OH for the past several years stocking up on the staples of life. we are going again next week, not as fun as it used to be since they don’t allow self canning there anymore but you still can’t beat their prices. God bless you all and keep safe!
You can thank the govt for no more self-canning. We think they are trying to stop the canneries altogether, because it may be more difficult for the govt to control them at their whim. Mormons may seem meek to some, but they are a rebellious lot if need be. Mormons take care of their own…first.
But keep bringing in that crap from China with human poop for fertilizer.
Now, that is okay and helps pay the nation’s debt.
EXACTLY… the American people ALWAYS seem to come last to this govt, don’t we?
Yes, and I read somewhere that the govt is pressuring them to release their customer lists….
PKLL
PKLauLau
I read that too and it’s easy peasy. give them a fake name. trust me, I’ve been going to this LDS in Ohio for 4 years now and they still don’t know my real name or address. they don’t ask for your i.d. just pay and load up and go and yes the govt is definitely the ones behind the no self canning rule. you also used to be able to buy the gallon size mylar bags there too for 30 cents each, but not anymore. I figure i’ll keep going out there a couple times a year till they either get shut down or stop serving us non Mormon heathens. 😉
gardenbird: 🙂
Cots, especially for those of us who live in earthquake country and may have to sleep outside in a local shtf event (sleeping bag on the cot, may make life a little bit more comfy for elderly and kids). LCP and lc9 type tools may be a good easily concealed backup to your primary pistol, especially in an urban area where you don’t want to stand out too much and even better yet if it shares the same ammo as your primary pistol and pistol caliber carbine if you have one (and possibly may be more manageable to shoot by the woman and children if the need ever arises).
Oh yeah, don’t forget to count your blessings, say your prayers and stay “humane/human”. 🙂
Peace Out
One more, definitely not giving med or nutritional advice here just my observations I have experienced for myself and as always do your own research as everyone is different and some may be allergic to certain foods. Also dosage etc. is a concern for kiddos. (nope, not a Dr./nurse nor a nutritionist, just like to read and experience life)
(1) Since increasing my vitamin D a little bit, I noticed the colds/flus don’t come as often and don’t last as long and not as severe.
(2) Garlic and Garlic teas (with a little bit of lemon/lime and honey) seem to make the cold/flus more bearable and if initially taken at the onset, seems to give your immune system a better fighting chance
(3) This one I read about just recently, and used the last couple of days: Pinapple and pineapple juice may aide in better controlling a cough (and the Vit C doesn’t hurt either)
Question, especially for those of us right on the West Coast. Aside from moving, any good solid suggestions on dealing with the radiation from Fukishima? Like what foods to definitely avoid and what supplements to look into?
Danke 🙂
Peace out
I agree about Vitamin D and garlic: those two things will stop you from getting ill 99 per cent of the time. I live in a crowded city where people have awful personal habits but this keeps me from getting sick. Also get turmeric every week: it is a wonder spice. These are things most doctors will never tell you about yet are basic nutritional things to do that will keep you healthy. Crazily, most doctors know next to nothing about nutrition and how it improves human health. Medical quackery is alive and well but now it is about peddling pills recommended by pharmaceutical companies (who tend to send basically hookers – drug reps – to seduce the docs to peddle their pills).
The best source of vitamin D is sunshine. Everyone needs to get outside more often. The darker your skin, the more you need. I remember reading years ago that vitamin D was added to milk to help black people in the northern states get enough.
I avoid crowds as much as possible. I have been sick only once in the past few years. I had flu-like symptoms (chills, fever, and aching), but they lasted less than 24 hours. I haven’t had any longer-lasting illness since I was working in an office. Being away from people most of the time helps a lot.
Wash your hands often and keep your hands away from your face. That will keep you from catching a lot of illnesses.
In the northeast, it’s almost impossible to get enough vit D from sun exposure unless you’re out all day with no sunscreen. Just FYI for new englanders
Watch out for Vit D toxicity….happened to me after taking supplements…won’t happen with sunlight…..google symptoms….
PKLL
Bentonite Clay….and go to Health Ranger’s site….he has some information on getting rid of heavy metals and such…
PKLL
Butter collects heavy metals in your system also.
Do not eat the sushi, that’s for sure.
I quit eating seafood except rarely, about 20 years ago. The world is strip mining the oceans for protein, and not letting it replace. If the salmon are endangered, what are we eating them for? I won’t be a party to that.
So it’s pretty easy for me to say, don’t eat the seafood for a while.
To those wondering about the 7.2 down in the South Sandwich Islands, yes the USGS being a typical government aganecy downgraded it to a 6.9, this was NOT forecasted. This is a wild card zone, the Scotia Plate is more of a precursor to major earthquakes elsewhere in the world. This was the largest recorded earthquake in this area since a 7.6 on Sept. 8, 1961. This exact spot today in the past has lead to earthquakes like the 7.7 in the Aluetians back in 1929, and the recent 8.0 in the Rat Islands and 6.9 in the Kermadec Islands.
This seems like a precursor that concentrates on the western Pacific plate and the area of Sumatra, New Guinea to Fiji, China, Afghanistan and Pakistan, Greece, Turkey and Iran, Japan, and the Caribbean plate. Of course a much larger earthquake on the Scotia plate is also possible. Like usual, more precursor earthquake activity will show more.
The 5.2 in New Mexico that anyone might be interested in or felt, this is not uncommon. Most earthquakes in New Mexico, about half, are in this range of moderate size from 4.8-5.8. Nothing unusual here. Really anywhere that you have mountains you have earthquakes. New Mexico like Arizona has some decent size mountains. These earthquakes are just not everyday occurances. Utah and Colorado are places both that are capable of earthquakes in the high 7 range, perhaps even topping 8.
The earthquake activity on the Pacific is what is to watch for. About 90% of the time when this near exact spot gets hit in the South Sandwich Islands, a major earthquake follows within 15 days, and near 100% within 30 days.
Thanks for the info BI! I am from Arizona, have some friends in Tucson and Bisbee that said they felt it.
Just had a 6.8 earthquake in the Tonga/Samoa area right on the northeast corner of the Australian plate and the USGS did it again and downgraded it to a 6.4. The rest of the seismic stations, especially the one closest to this source in Australia says 6.8. The precursors said major earthquake here and were right.
What is really bothering me is how the USGS is downgrading practically every earthquake for the past 2 weeks. It could be atypical government equipment crap or that they are doing this on purpose for some insidious reason.
Or it wouldn’t be too unlikely that both crappy equipment AND insidious motives are true…we ARE talking about the govt.
Ok, so I don’t like pine apple or rhubarb, but this came out delicious, so have to share. I will list the full recipe and the substitutions I made…
3 cups crushed pineapple with juice
3 cups crushed strawberries (I used finely chopped peaches with half of them puréed)
2.5 cups finely chopped Rhubarb
1/2 cup golden raisins ( I used more rhubarb)
Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons (I used 3tbsp lemon juice, no zest)
13 c sugar
2 packages powedered pectin
1 c finely chopped pecans
Prepare canner lids and jars
2) in large deep stainless pan combine first 5 ingredients. Whisk in pectin until dissolved. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add sugar all at once, and return to a full rolling boil., stirring constantly. Boil hard for 1 minute stirring constantly. Stir in pecans. Remove from heat and skim off foam.
3 ladle into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Remove bubbles and adjust headspace if necessary. Wipe rime, place flats and screw on bands until fingertip tight.4) place in water bath canner, covered with water. Bring to a boil and process 15 minutes. Trn off heat, remove lid. Let cool 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool and store.
YUM 🙂
More canning today. More peach preserves, taking the leftover peaches, picked some rhubarb, and gonna use pineapple to make a conserve spread.. I’m reworking a expensive in my book. Well see how it turns out. Hubby like pineapple. I hate it. So well see. I have 18 cans of pineapple to dehydrate for him cuz he loves it as snacks and it was on sale!
The answer to the question above.
Can you say the “Walking Dead”!
I have almost stopped canning and went to dehydrating.
Takes up less room and it doesn’t heat up the house. Takes just a little more time.
Just checked the garden after the rain we got last night. Looking Good.
Got 5 gal bucket full of peas. after dehydrating them got a one gallon bag full separated into meal size bags.
Aim Small Miss Small
Sgt.
I though about more dehydrating, but canned foods have water in them. Dehydrated will soak up water in a situation where you are trying to conserve. Not disagreeing with you but something new preppers need to consider.
I’m aiming for equal parts of both.
nopitty–right about the water. But many of those fruits and vegetables can be eaten raw…the banana chips are dee–lish–us!!!
Just saying!
And I did use dried cabbage, potatoes, carrots, limas, onions, tomatoes with beef bouillon testing the flavor, etc. for soup–it was delicious.
Top Story
Jordanian Bedouin hoist Al Qaeda flag in Ma’an – 104 km from Eilat. US, Israeli forces on the ready
“Ma’an is the Falluja of Jordan!” shouted thousands of Bedouin Saturday, June 28, in the southern Jordanian town of Ma’an. They held ISIS placards and flags in one hand and automatic rifles in the other. Ma’an lies104 km from the Israeli Eilat and some 60 km from the main artery linking northern Israel to the south. DEBKAfile: In Washington, there was anxious talk Sunday about the prospect of the Islamists rocking Abdullah’s throne. This would leave the US no option but to approve American and Israeli military intervention in its defense.
http://debka.com/
River Rat at the ready!!! NOMI///MOLON LABE!
Looks like if the elites can’t get their war one way, or the other, they’ll try something else. Syria Failed. Egypt royally failed. Iran failed. Ukraine/Russia failed. N.Korea failed.
So now the old fall-back position—ISRAEL. Now they’ll get their war.
Quick note on article: First of all,Jason should have stayed in his work clothes,ditch the Kevlar pack for a ruck,and stayed the hell out of alleys.Wearing all that nice”fancy tactical BLACK running pants,Kevlar pack,and two RED bandanas” he just as well of hung a “Rob Me” sign on him. Follow Selco advice,Blend in with the crowds. @ KY MOM. Yikes!! I looked up Kelly Kettles and the cheapest was $400+. Same with Global Sun Oven.Do you have a recommend for something cheaper? Like Dutch Oven,or enamel earthen ware ?Otherwise,very helpful comments,I took a lot of notes. P.S. 5.2 earthquake here in AZ by N.M. border.southside out
South side,check out the build it solar site and scroll down to solar cooking,many plans with inexpensive setups,hope you find something you can use.
South side,
Emergency Essentials has the stainless steel base camp combo (complete kit) on sale for $114.95
The Kelly kettle will last for MANY years, if taken care of properly.
(Direct link below)
I purchased the sun oven for under $200, with accessories when it was on sale. The next time I see it on sale, I will post the link.
Kelly Kettle® Large Stainless Steel Base Camp Combo,
on sale now for $114.95,
“Kelly Kettle® is an ultra-fast camping kettle that can boil 54 oz. of water in 3-5 minutes while simultaneously functioning as a stove.
This combo includes the stainless steel Base Camp, cook set, pot support, and a can of Fired Up! fuel…
The Large Kelly Kettle® Cook Set includes a pot with a detachable handle, a lid which doubles as a plate, support grill to place over the fuel base.”
http://beprepared.com/kelly-kettle-base-camp-combo-large-stainless-steel.html
So, you post info that someone actually ASKED for, and some asshat thumbs you down for it?
No good deed goes unpunished…
LOL….trolls are insane…
PKLL
You can make a solar oven for almost no cost out of a box, some aluminum foil, and a piece of window glass. There are a number of good plans online. Most of the plans call for using a cardboard box, but if I make a solar oven, I’ll use a wooden box so it will last longer. I have lots of scrap lumber and old windows. I have some old door mirrors that I might cut to size and use in place of the foil. That might add to the efficiency.
I reiterate…..can make your own at virtually NO COST by utilizing what you have…..I used a cast iron dutch oven lined with tin foil ….placed the meat within….placed a piece of glass from an old picture frame on top and ….guess what? Cooked food. Please always remember that whatever a big company can offer, most times you can do it yourself if you ponder on it for a little while….ANYTHING the big companies can do SO CAN YOU! And for a fraction of the cost!
fob
I’m going to try that one next weekend, thanks. FOB.
(…if it’s sunny…) 🙂
Kelly kettles also available from cabelas.com. >$150 and you’re getting riped off
Southside, uh, where did you see a Kelly Kettle for $400? Sounds like some ripoff site. I got mine at Sportsman’s Warehouse for $79.95 Best $79.95 I ever spent. If there’s not one in your area, try their website and order online. Amazon might have them, but I don’t know their prices for them. Ebay might have some cheaper if you’re lucky.
amazon.com/Kelly-versatile-Kettle-Preparedness-accessories/dp/B004A93E28/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1404144179&sr=8-9&keywords=kelly+kettle
Exactly! Turning up on the street in brand-new gear – Kevlar vest, fancy fighting pants with knee patches, elbow protectors, one of those stupid Camel water thingys, a fancy hi-tech coat etc. – singles you out for a-hole treatment and being sniped.
Better to look like a bum: a worthless, non-entity that everybody runs past while they loot, rob, murder and mug. Inside your ruck sack you have your sh#t and under your clothes. But to the casual observer, you are a lost-looking sack of sh#t not worth the time of day. That’s how you survive. Do not draw attention to yourself: be the ghost who walks through the room unnoticed.
Anecdotally, I meet two kinds of Americans abroad: the ones with the big sign on their back that says “A-hole American Abroad”, and a very small number who you barely know they are American unless you talk to them. Those are the ones who are the survivors.
The real question here is – WHEN is TSHTF!!
We all Keep on talkin about it.. Coming up with all this FK-up scenarios.. But till today.. Now.. This moment .. It’s all mental masterbation!!
It’s summertime .. Hey.. Go out and enjoy it… Enjoy life – cause before you know it.. Your old, tired And will have realized that you’ve worried all these years for nothing.. And lost time can’t be reclaimed.
I am concerned .. The world IS a toilet .. But if all the turds want to keep
Killing each other in the sewage bowl
Of life… Just Let them at it.. It’s really none of our business to interfere.
Realist….Best to be as prepared as you can be…I don’t have much, because I believe that many, if not all, will be reduced to leaving their “places”….I think it far more important to Learn how to provide what you need, when you need it, for as long as you need it….have faith in what you know and stay calm….and in the meantime, take joy in life and the people/things that make you happy. And, for me, Faith in God helps me understand exactly the path we may all have to take…
The most important thing anyone owns lies between the ears…knowledge…and skills
fob
I hear ya.. I have all the preps down .. Fire power and ammo I can
Keep.. Grow stuff on a regular basis ..
I just feel that the elite live off all of us.. They ain’t gonna shoot themselves in the foot by eliminating us all..
Life will go on.. We will adapt and move forward
Yep went out kayaking 5-6 miles today.. Biked 18 yesterday. Physical conditioning is part of your prepping. I bike ave 12 miles an hour. Kayaking about 2 miles an hour.
The Realist
You said.
I am concerned .. The world IS a toilet .. But if all the turds want to keep
Killing each other in the sewage bowl
Of life… Just Let them at it.. It’s really none of our business to interfere.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
I would like to be unconcerned about a lot of things happening in this world.
There are two footings a prepper can take.
One is to prepare for war. That is more complicated.
The second is to prepare against the forces of nature with the frame of mind nobody is going to do harm to him in the aftermath.
Between these two ideas lies, what will the authority’s do.
What drives the prepper is the unknown. To make rumors, fact. We can track a hurricane or tornado and give warning. We can not tell when Martial Law will be set and what lies beyond that implementation.
They both have unknowns but one can have deliberate use of force.
I do not think it prudent to do nothing but if your thought of mind is to throw the chips in the air and let them fall where the be.
Have at it. It’s your life and all about Freedom..
I would have made the basic plot a bit different:
Hackers, believed to be in Iran, sabotaging US nuclear power plants provoke the US to use an EMP on Iran – to disrupt their communications, thus ending the hacking.
The hackers had control of an old Soviet-era multi-megaton “communication satellite”, which the hackers (not actually in Iran) then detonate a few hundred miles above an area just north of Omaha, Nebraska – blanketing the entire continental US, most of Canada, and much of Mexico with the EMP.
The rest of the story could more or less remain the same.
Terrorists will strike the Northeast first like Washtoilet DC or Jew York City first. Terrorists could not find Nebraska, as Nebraska has never attacked them.
If this scenario were to play out as a global EMP attack, better start thinking in terms of 18th-19th centuries. Very basic commodities, farming, husbandry, cottage industry tools. All things you have prepared for stockpiling was made and produced using 20-21st century methods and will eventually run dry and break down never to be had again.
One of my most treasured books is an encyclopedia of technology – dated 1899.
Those old books are always a great read.
…if for nothing but the “shock and awe.
An alternative idea is the wars are designed to create shortage. Remember when “cold fusion” was shot down about 30 years ago. It may very well be there are enormous potential energy sources (not just Iraq oil fields) and this is why the wars are being started – to prevent supply. Alt. idea, but not unreasonable. Along this line, any outage other than solar flare is mostly likely TPTB. Another way to squeeze the workers.
What is sick about all this, they are using children as shields. Who knows what is crossing our borders, but rest assured it is not good. With the Government taking bus loads after bus loads to almost every city in America now and aboard aircraft (faster distribution), there should be no doubt that this was preplanned. Black Swan or whatever you want to call it, the actors are on stage now to usher in, you guessed it, MARTIAL LAW following the wide spread sickness. Friends do all the research you can on almost every disease to find out what natural cures are out there and stock up on them NOW. Medicine will soon be in short supply either by use or held back on purpose, these people have absolutely no concern about the people they kill and or use to further their agenda. When they are found and identified, (OPPS accidently discharge of a weapon). Please take this as a warning and prepare for this event. Something horrible is about to come crashing down all around us. Remember the GOVERNMENT will say it’s all for the CHILDERN; every breath they exhale is a LIE, no matter who says it. Trust yourself to make the right dissensions. More events from now on will start happening very, very quick!
http://www.naturalnews.com/045773_pandemic_outbreak_mass_migration_public_health_risk.html
River Rat at the ready!!! NOMI///MOLON LABE!
Uhhh…this is literally pulled from a novel…and frankly the ones about zombies are more believable.
Stick to facts? Anyone?
fACTs?
hurricane katrina, sandy
or rodneyking riots
earthquakes or flood,wildfire, ect
you should have a backpack with some snacks and bottled water and a few supplies for any emergency
Not on THIS site, only doom porn is acceptable here.
Hey Mac….I have a request. How about no more “anonymous” postings…you could use the name “anonymous” but have either a letter or number behind it. Too many people can use the same “anonymous” moniker….and it would be nice to identify the trolls.
PKLL
Something related, but with a SHOCKING twist!!!
1. This is What Will Happen When the Dollar Collapses 🙁
http://humansarefree.com/2014/06/this-is-what-will-happen-when-dollar.html
2. The Government-Corporate Complex Takes Complete Control Of The USA 🙁
http://cosmicconvergence.org/?p=6321
when your out of heating devices try the benxomatic propane torch long lasting adjustable flame, and stock up now while their cheap
http://news.yahoo.com/blackwater-threatened-kill-us-investigator-iraq-report-070024512.html
h t t p://news.yahoo.com/blackwater-threatened-kill-us-investigator-iraq-report-070024512.html
EMP Attack Imminent, Warns Former Federal Agent–and DHS Admits It Is NOT Prepared! (Stunning Videos)
http://beforeitsnews.com/prophecy/2014/06/prepare-now-for-emp-attack-warns-former-federal-agent-and-dhs-admits-it-is-not-prepared-stunning-videos-2462422.html
headline quite sensationalistic
but some good videos and links
There soon won’t be any survivors to be worrying about surviving.
Once the cooling systems to nuclear power plant reactors, spent fuel pools, and whatever assorted private and military reactors stop working, the show is over permanently. A thousand or so simultaneous meltdowns will release so much radiation, the Earth will become pretty much dead with maybe only radiation extremophile bacteria and molds left.
Those who do apocalypse movies, books, or whatever, always seem to forget about the meltdowns that will happen if the cooling systems fail. Everyone dies. No one survives.
And if that ain’t just really the poo-poo hitting the fan… Why, dying could just ruin your whole day!
Obviously, no nukes are good nukes.
The truth hurts, but the lies are KILLING us.
Thanks, Joe, for not forgetting.
Self-defense is a natural right; when laws are in place that protect incompetent police by removing one’s ability to protect one’s self, simply because the aggressor has a badge and a uniform, this is a human rights violation. Indiana is leading the way by recognizing this right and creating legislation to protect it.
Read more at h t t p://thefreethoughtproject.com/state-passes-law-legalize-self-defense-police/#1SsvMW10dOfcfP1t.99
Excellent VRF! I wish all states had this law.
Link: http://thefreethoughtproject.com/state-passes-law-legalize-self-defense-police/#1SsvMW10dOfcfP1t.99
You should have a GET HOME bag, with just the basics. Bottled water, snacks, a cheap poncho, maybe one of those generator radio flashlight combos.
And i always wonder about the BUG OUT ideas, bug out to where?
If you live in a big urban area ok
but if you live in the rural or surburban area, your better off bugging in with supplies in your basement and laying low until order is restored.
“SHTF” can be considered to be already happening. It’s the declaration of the “Islamic” State and all the draconian things the elites will use that for to corral us all into their global “company-and-government-town” closed and controlled economy and totalitarian police state.
Losing electricity is nothing. If you’re not already non-electric (with this use of hyper-electric computers only as a last mass communication option)then you need to ditch everything modern. Start learning NOW to bushcraft with NO modern tools.
If you have simple modern (but totally UN-ELECTRIC and simple–old-fashioned!) tools to begin with, that’s fine. Use them but, be knowledgeable on how to totally bushcraft EVERYTHING–and FORGET the modern world!
What is the best bushcraft book?
PKLL
You might want to go to the web site whatdoesitmean and read the first article in red, about the Arizona earthquake, earthquake coming real soon.
Red Star, whatdoesitmean.com is not a reliable source of information and it’s run by Russian Intelligence. Sometimes I go to it for some comic relief, but that’s all it’s goof for.
It will be a little like the Twilight Zone episode, “The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street.”
Saw an article about using olive oil for a lamp, less flammable. Also read a comment some time back about buying those solar outdoor lights, as they can be used for some light and will recharge during the day. Good idea.
I try to warn family and friends to stock up and prep food, water etc for 1 month,but they don’t care.
http://freedomandlibertyoutpost.blogspot.com/
Off topic: Does anyone have those unscratchable itches on their arms, chest, neck, hands, etc. You know the kind that keeps you up at night and you scratch until you bleed because the pain feels better than the itch? The more you scratch, the worse it gets? If you have it, then you know what I am talking about and how it will terrorize your life….and doctors just can’t help you because they have no clue and they can find nothing wrong with you….
If you do…get your neck checked out. Turns out that most likely you have a bulge at the 4-5 cervical level. Your body is reading the “pain” signals as itching in your arms. Also, surprisingly enough, a dermatologist will better diagnose this than a GP.
I suffered this for years before I had an unrelated neck issue and found I had a bulge, did some research and put the pieces together. Not sure why I felt the need to post this…but if you suffer from this, it is excruciating.
Getting your neck fixed, a chiropractor, massage, benedril, heat or cold will solve the issue. Now, when I have the itching sensation, I just pop my neck and it’s gone.
Also, now is the time to get any medical stuff done…dentist etc. Find a doctor who deals in natural stuff and make friends…
PKLL
For PKlaulau
K.I.S.S. B&B pickles:
8 lbs. cucumbers sliced (I use a mandolin slicer)
2 large onions sliced
Chill the above with ice and 2/3 cup salt for 2 hours in a large bowl; then drain and rinse.
Put in prepared mason jars.
Boil 6 cups cider vinegar, 5 cups sugar, 2 tsp. turmeric, 2 tsp. celery seed, and 3 TB mustard seed for 10 minutes.
Pour over cucumber/onion in jars leaving 1/2 inch clearance. Add lids and rings.
Water bath for 10 minutes.
You will NEVER buy B&B pickles again from the grocery!!! 🙂
KY Mommy….I LOVE BB pickles and saw this above!!!! I have already copied it and hope to try soon.
Thank you!!!
PKLL
NEVER gonna happen
Wow, what a response to this story! If there ever was a collapse, what percentage of the population is prepared for the aftermath? I would put it at 5%. Even members of the super wealthy will not make it through. They will learn too late that money means nothing. Check out my list of bartering items to stockpile for the post collapse here. http://www.frontlineofdefense.com/semper-paratus