Food Prices Increasing....Backup Plans Part 2

As discussed in the first part of this series, food prices are on the rise and we need to make our food dollars stretch. We also need to be creative. I have 1 large room that is dedicated to my preps and I have to be creative on how I use that space. Currently I am installing more shelves along the walls and once that is completed in the center of the room my indoor aquaponics garden will be constructed.

I will construct a frame that will house two large totes on top and two on bottom and I will need two dual aerators. The bottom totes, 1 will contain spices (basil, thyme, etc) and 1 container of beans (Pinto and Great Northern). The two top totes will contain 1 of tomatoes and the other will be green and red peppers.

If you go on You Tube you can find many videos to create your aquaponics but I have include these 2 basic ones to give you an idea.

Be prepared, not sorry

Sharing The Blessings

On this day I count my blessings of family, friends (including my furry friends) health and most of all the joy of every day. Even though it has been a challenging year for me I know so many with little ones that are just wondering where the next meal is coming from or how to keep a roof over the family's heads.
On this day I urge you to take a look at your food stores and donate a few items to your local food bank. If you have old coats or blankets please take them to your local shelter. No one should be cold or hungry on Christmas.

I have done alot of traveling in the last 11 years for my work and the only family I have had to share Christmas with was my dogs. They have been stuck with me hauling them all over this country and have done it happily. No matter the day they are always happy to see me and having them in my life has really been a comfort when I was not able to be with my family. If you feel you could make a forever home for a dog or cat visit your local humane society. There are so many wonderful pets just waiting to make it Christmas everyday for you. If your house is already full the shelters always welcome donations, blankets, food, bowls, litter etc..

Here is my fur family...

Weazle

Killian

Happy Holidays!

Food Prices Increasing....Backup Plans Part 1

Food prices have skyrocketed since 2010 and now as we near the end of 2011 from January 2010 to December 2011 the price of eggs rose a total 24.8%, milk 12.2%, Beef 14.6%, Vegetables 14.9%, Fruits 16.9%, and grains are at 13.8% but are expected to skyrocket in 2012 due to the many droughts of 2011 and the increased consumption by foreign countries along with the demands of bio fuels.

Only 2% of the United States population produce food.

From my perspective in 2010 to now the price difference in some of the things I buy..

    2010                                                                Now

Totinos Pizza $.98                                               $1.59
1 gal of 2% Milk $1.29                                       $2.89
Bread $.99                                                          $1.89
Eggs $.99                                                            $1.89
Beef Roast $9.90                                                $14.69

I have like most of you had to make that dollar stretch farther than I ever have. I find myself shopping at the Dollar Store more, use more coupons, and really search for deals. When you factor in the price of fuel it may seem like a losing battle. Here are some of the things I am doing to help with these prices and also try to prep.

The store that I do much of my grocery shopping at offers customer rewards each week, like 1 free item (this week it was a free box of pasta) They also award points for every dollar you spend and you can use these points to trade in for free groceries. They always have the buy 1 get 1 free and lately they have been offering soups, box dinners, and meat buy 5 get 5 free (this really helps on the prepping) They have their own gas station and when you spend so many dollars on groceries you get a discount on gas. (usually between 3 and 5 cents per gallon)

Make A Grocery List

I am a compulsive list maker and I always go to the store with a list and very seldom do I buy extra. By making a list and sticking to it you will find that you can keep your spending in check. Most grocery stores send out a weekly deal flyer, you can make your list and coupons accordingly. Also if possible try not to take your children shopping with you because as you mothers know your kids are victims of the advertising world and want what they see on TV so you will tend to spend more if you have them along.

20% For Prepping

Because I am single I spend $100 every two weeks for groceries and 20% ($20.00) of that goes toward prepping. Now mind you I will make a pot of chili (or large batch of something) that will feed me all week plus freeze a few containers.

Pack A Lunch

It amazes me how many people I know that will eat fast food or run to the corner convenience store and buy their lunch? $5 to $10 a day adds up! I have always packed my lunch just to save that money and also I like my stuff better than some heart attack in a sack.

Let me know how you save on the price of food and prepping.

Be prepared, not sorry

False Information... A Test??

If you have or have not heard this past weekend, survivalist and prepper boards, blogs, email, and You Tube were buzzing with information that federal agents raided a LDS cannery in Tennessee trying to obtain customer lists. This information so far seems to be false and it has caused an uproar and apparent rift in the prepper community. SouthernBellePrepper has ties in the LDS community and decided to do her own investigation which is great that she took it upon herself to not take this story at face value.

Once it began coming to light that this was false information SouthernPrepper1 made a video that many lost the points that he was trying to make about sticking together and how the government is always throwing out false rumors and propaganda to test a foe on how they will react, to gain recon, or to cover their own tracks. My brother served during Vietnam and used to talk about the government doing this all the time.

Again I want to reiterate the points that SP1 was trying to make. Stick together and its fine to report anything you deem worthy but take it with a grain of salt and don't be afraid to dig. I am convinced this was purely done by the government to test the prepper communities reaction. To gauge how we will react and with how much resistance we will put up.

Information and networking is vital in the prepper community and we can't be afraid to share or take it personally if for some reason the information is false as in this case. Knowledge is power and we can't allow fear or ego to strip us of that.

Thank you SBP and SP1 for all you do for the prepping community.

Be prepared, not sorry

The Physical Toll When SHTF Part 2

THE BIGGEST PREPPER CHALLENGE

As we discussed in the first part of this series when SHTF the physical demands of daily life are going to increase and if that day were to come today are you physically ready? If your answer like mine is "no" then I want you to participate in this challenge with me. It doesn't matter how much ammo or food we have stocked if we physically can't meet the demands to survive. Can you physically carry your BOB for miles? What about chopping wood for days on end?

Growing up on a farm and participating in high school sports, 4-H, and FFA I was in great shape. I continued to work out and up until a year ago I was running 5-7 miles 4 times a week with strength training 2 times a week. But like many people I had a injury and my workouts stopped, I gained weight, and started the mind games with myself saying "Oh I will start working out again next week" and next week comes and I justify not working out by telling myself I have too much work to do around the house or working overtime at work.

Excuses stop now

I love to run and used to run half marathons. It's funny how you can love to do something but sabotage yourself from doing it! One of the best marathoners in history (the penguin) when asked what is the hardest part of training for a marathon answered "getting out the door". He's totally right because once those shoes are on and your out the door the excuses stop and the hard part is over.

In training for half marathons I learned these guidelines which you will need to apply to this challenge.

1. Start slow and gradually work up - Starting any new physical regiment go to your doctor first and get a checkup to make sure your healthy enough to start your challenge. When you start your challenge start slow and work your way up. If you overdo it and are sore or injure yourself you are setting yourself up for excuses and failure.

2. Schedule your workout time - This is a must to ensure that you have that time for your workouts and also cuts down on the excuses. I work nights so I like to run in the morning after work. It's cooler at that time and it also helps me unwind and sleep better during the day.

3. Find a activity you enjoy - This an important component to your challenge. Find something you love to do. I love running, a friend of mine loves her Zumba classes. Let's face it if you don't like doing the activity it will seem like work and a chore and you will find excuses not to do it.

4. Set a goal and reward yourself - When I decided to take up running I set my ultimate goal of doing a half marathon but I had small goals all the way in my training. My first was a 5k and upon completing that I rewarded myself with a fleece running vest I had been wanting. The next goal was a 10k which I rewarded myself with a Columbia ski jacket that I wanted. Then the half marathon was actually the reward. I signed up for the Pacific Shoreline Half Marathon which is held at Huntington Beach California. It was a great weekend trip with 30,000 other runners, a beautiful hotel room that overlooked the ocean, a health expo, and the run was breath taking along the beach with bands every mile. Goals and rewards will keep your motivation up.

5. Make your workout social time - Most of my running time is done on my own but when I was living in Dallas every Saturday morning I would meet my girlfriends at White Rock Lake and we would run the lake (9.2 miles). It didn't even feel like a workout because we were too busy talking about our week, dating, etc. then on Sunday we would meet for yoga with brunch afterwards. Believe me workouts are way less painful when sharing with friends.

The Physical Prepper Challenge - Foundation

The three basics we want in this challenge are

Endurance 

Strength

Flexability 

When SHTF you will need all three of these elements so setup your Prepper challenge to include these.

My challenge will be structured this way.

Endurance - Running 4x's per week
Strength - Weight and resistance training 3x's per week
Flexability - Yoga 2x's per week

I will be making a Prepper Challenge page where we can share our workouts, goals, and experience. Keep in mind that these will apply to the physical demands of the WROL like carrying your BOB, gathering firewood, building shelter, etc.

Will you be the Biggest Prepper?

Be prepared, not sorry

 

The Physical Toll When SHTF Part 1

Can you physically handle the future after SHTF?

Have you thought about the changes your body will go thru after the SHTF? Your diet will change dramatically along with the physical demands. Your day to day living will consist of activities that are grueling physical labor that is needed to survive.

*Gathering/Chopping Wood
*Hunting/Fishing
*Food Preparation and Storage
*Growing and Tending Gardens
*Tending Livestock
*Scavenging

And the list goes on and on.....

Take a good look at yourself right now and ask the question

"Am I in physical shape to handle the SHTF if it happened right now?"

If your answer like mine is "NO" than maybe it is time to start working on that issue right now. The next few posts I will be dedicating to this subject because literally your life and your families life depends on this. If you die in the first few days of a WROL situation from a heart attack game over for you and those who are depending on you.

Thank you EastTennesseePrepper for being brave enough to take on this scenario, show the vulnerabilities, and sharing them with us.

Be prepared, not sorry

Mother Nature Provides The Lessons For Prepping

Mother Nature Provides The Lessons For Prepping

As preppers we prepare for EMP's, economic collapse, and some even prepare for zombies but not too many give thoughts to natural disasters. Mother Nature can be just as deadly and unpredictable as the East Coast has been realizing over the last few months and these scenarios are played out over and over but yet many are caught unprepared.

A 5.8 magnitude earth quake rocked Virginia on Aug 23 and evacuated many locations in Washington and put 2 nuclear power plants offline. Hurricane Irene on Aug 29 killed 33 people, power outage to 4 million people, and caused 2 million to evacuate. Last weeks snow storm has claimed 15 lives with 2 million without power last week and as the writing of this post close to 200,000 were going on their 2nd week without power.

Don't say it can't happen where you live

I don't care where you live, it can happen to you. There is not a place in this country that is immuned to a natural disaster. It could be hurricane, flood, wildfire, tornado, snow storm, earthquake, or volcano (remember Mt. Saint Helens?)

I remember the great blizzard of 78 in Michigan. 55 people in Michigan alone died due to that storm. Many were without power for 3 weeks. Thank god my parents heated with wood, we had a huge pantry, and life really wasn't altered too much for us except for no tv etc. We had huge 55 gal drums and a creek running thru our property so we would fill these up to water the livestock and we heated over a fire outdoors to bath in. My father worked for the county and they had a generator so he would fill up containers of drinking water to bring home.

My challenge to you

The east coast has teaching lessons. Be prepared! This is the minimum you need to prepare for NOW!

*1 month food and water for each person in your family
You may think this is overwhelming but just work at it. How over wheming would it be if you are unprepared with nothing and your family is in jeopardy?

* Alternate heat source and 1 month supply for it
If you have a fireplace or wood stove have a 1 month supply cut and seasoned. If its kerosene again 1 month.

* Alternate cooking source
If you have a grill 1 month supply charcoal or gas. I strongly urge you to have a rocket stove. There are plenty of videos on to show you how to build one and I will be posting a DIY to make one.

*Bugout location with supplies
You may want to bug in but be prepared. There may be reasons that arise that you can not stay in your home. What's your plan B?

* 1 vehicle with a full tank of gas that can carry all the family along with bugout bags and some supplies
You may have to leave and you don't want a vehicle that can't carry the whole family or not have enough gas to get you to your bugout location.

Don't let this be overwhelming. Just work at it.

Be prepared, not sorry.

Prepology: Countdown to Winter

This is a great article to prepare your vehicle for the coming winter months.

Prepology: Countdown to Winter

Be prepared, not sorry.

Childrens Role In The Retreat

Do your children have a role in your retreat?

I grew up on the family farm. What that means is "everyone" contributes to the operation of that farm. I remember I was driving tractors before my feet could reach the pedals. I remember driving the tractor and the baler while my brothers stacked the bails on the wagon.

When I was in my teenage years my brothers had left home and so it was my job to wake before school and take care of steers, chickens, pigs, and my horse, then I repeated this in the evening. Also it was my job to take care of treatments, wounds, and on many occasions emergency situations where I had to "wing it".

This taught me responsibility, work ethic, and the most important.......self-reliance...

When I was in Alaska I was impressed by the kids with their skills, self reliance and the best example of this is the "Junior Iditarod". These kids as young as 9 compete in a 125 mile out and back course which is a overnight run. They are out there alone in sub zero temps with their teams and they just take it in stride very naturally.

They know how to survive, hunt, fish, drive quads, snowmobiles, and avoid danger. It is second nature to them.

I have heard several parents say they want to shelter their children and I think this is the absolutely worst thing they can do to their children. Children can be an important asset to the retreat. They can tend livestock, gardens, food preparation, and depending on age and skill they can contribute to security.

Teach them now.....

Teach your children to use weapons, prepare food, fish..etc. Use this as family bonding time. Go camping, teach them to build fire, build shelter, fish, navigate, etc. It doesn't have to be gloom and doom it can be lasting fun family memories.

Valuable memories that can contribute to the retreat and maybe save their lives...

Be prepared, not sorry.

Economy Makeover

Please watch and chime in....

Gear And Knowledge

I think as preppers we are always looking for newest ideas in gear and of course more knowledge. But how do you sort through it all? I don't know about you but I am at times overwhelmed buy the opinions and sometimes contradictory information out there.

I have purchased gear that looks great in the pictures and someone says "this is a must have" and when I received the gear it had plastic parts that I know in a long term survival situation it will never last. Then you have people saying "you get what you pay for so you have to buy the most expensive to get the best". Well all I can say is I have to prep on a "budget" so huge purchases are out of the question. I will honestly say I have picked up gear and supplies at garage and estate sales.

There are also individuals that are conducting survival classes throughout the country that I would really love to attend but again I'm on a budget so that is really something that has to be saved for or I have to work on my own to gain that knowledge. So I would really like you to share your experiences with myself and the readers on

What gear, gadgets, and knowledge sources

You have used and were worth the money?

What wasn't worth the money?

What isn't out there now that needs to be?

Knowledge is power.

Be prepared, not sorry

Homemade Grapejuice Wine

Well I have just tried a new experiment, I am trying my hand at making Goddess Wine! Jump on over to the Goddess DIY page and check it out!!! 

Goddess Wine

Silence Is Golden/Video

Because I feel this is such an important subject I wanted to post this video. This is not to instill fear but to give a reality check that security is just as important as your food, water, and shelter. This is how the bad guys will think and act....... you have to be prepared.

Thank you to NewAmericaNow for making this video and the permission to share it.

Be prepared, not sorry

Silence Is Golden

Silence Is Golden.......that old adage to me has a new meaning......

In Alaska when you are fishing you carry a small wooden bat which is used as soon as you bring that fish on shore you bat them quick to prevent thrashing which is a dinner bell to bear....

One of the most interesting and entertaining things I have ever seen was when I was in Alaska during the salmon run. In Alaska there is a term called "Combat Fishing". This term means 4 deep fisherman in a river who may hook each other or become a bears new target.

This is a contact sport!!

I was sitting on the hood of my truck and watching this spectacle when a mama grizzly walked on the scene with her two cubs. You could almost read her mind as she looked at them as if to tell them to "stay, watch, and learn".

The cubs planted their butts and mama seemed to take a deep breath and charged the fisherman. The poles and catch were immediately abandoned as this huge mass of muscle and fur decided the buffet was on.

Amid the scrabbling fishermen she then took her pick of the days catch and took it back to her her cubs..What did she did teach?? The bigger....the badder...and the most resolved wins.............also she taught them "where you hear a bunch of humans making noise there will be food"

Silence

Silence is Golden.....in a WROL situation you don't want the hum of generators, the gun shot, the tractor, the sound of vehicles or lights during the night. To those that want to take what you have these are the same as 'ringing the dinner bell"

You want LIVE traps...learn how to use a bow..learn to set snares. If you have generators house them in a room or building with sound deadening material. Always be conscious of how much noise your making because there will be others listening.

Be prepared, not sorry

Guns And Goddesses

This is a subject that that most women either are intimidated to approach or they are dependant on their men and feel they will leave it up to said partner. I can't stress this enough........

You are responsible for your safety and that of your offspring...

I lived in Alaska for a couple of years and there is nothing more pure or dangerous than a grizzly protecting her cubs. Her whole existence is to protect them and with her instincts, brute force, and.......NO FEAR.. she will defend them to her death.

I was raised with a father who was the Great White Hunter/Fisherman and three older brothers. My first experience shooting a gun I was 6 years old, standing on a bucket with a 12 gauge resting on a fence post with my father next to me. When I pulled that trigger it knocked me off that bucket and on my ass. As I lie there trying to regain the wind that had been knocked out of me my father came and stood over me and said...."Always respect what a gun can do"...and I always have.

Now living on the farm with said Great White Hunter there was a family of six to feed so we hunted. We hunted rabbits, squirrel, pheasant, turkey, and deer. I learned how to field dress a rabbit before I knew my times tables. I thought everyone ate that way until high school and a friend came over after to school and raided the refrigerator and ate what she thought was chicken and was squirrel and she informed me that "squirrel was something you fed in the park and not ate"....

Over the years I have come to embrace bow hunting. In Alaska I was even on a women's league and it really does give you the sense of empowerment. Every women needs to know how to use and be accurate with a weapon/weapons when it comes to prepping and when SHTF.

Take a hunters safety course or sign up for a shooting class at a local range because you need to be that mama grizzly that will protect herself and her family no matter what. Another piece of advise my father gave me which women have a hard time with and you MUST get over is..........

"If you point a weapon at another person you MUST be ready to kill them"

If it comes to the point of you or your family being harmed or killed and you have pointed that weapon there must be no hesitation or conscious wrestling to pull the trigger.

Be prepared, not sorry

Where Do I Bug Out To?

Craftbyrd sent me this question:

"I have a question? Where is everyone going to bug out to? I'm being sincere here. I have always had this in the back of my mind. Get in the car and go but then the thought of what do I do when the car runs out of gas and where the heck am I going to go?"

This is a question that has a million different answers by a million different preppers and I hope my readers chime in on this and give their answers also.

My answer to this question has many different aspects to it. For one there is "no perfect bug out location" every location has it's pro's and con's. Climate, growing season, water availability etc. are all factors to be considered.

The first thing I would ask you is:

What are you used to? By this I mean where is your location now? Is it in a southern state where you have lived for years and know the area? Understand the challenges of living there such as hurricanes? You know where the fresh water is located? This is something that could be your saving grace. This is a huge factor because most people say " I will bug out to the wilderness where no one is" and the problems with that are:

They are not familiar with the area

They don't understand the challenges it offers

Where or how to obtain their food and water

A good rule of thumb is find a bug out location that is within 1 tank of gas from your current location. And I urge you to do this now so you have that time to:

Find your location

Know your location, where is the fresh water? what food options do you have i.e hunting fishing? what is the population in the area?

If you have to bug out for an extended period of time (weeks/months) these are what you need to have in that location.

Water
Food
Shelter

I am looking forward to seeing additional comments and answers from my readers.

Be prepared, not sorry

Bannock Recipe

Sword_Overseer posted this in the comment section and it was such a great recipe that I wanted to make sure everyone was able to enjoy it. Thank you Sword_Overseer for sharing!

How to Make Bannock

Instructions

Step 1: Mix dry ingredients listed in one of the recipes below. This can be stored in a plastic or mylar bag until you need it.
Step 2: Add water until you reach the consistency somewhere between pancake batter and pizza dough. At this point you can also optionally add any other ingredients you see fit (ie raisins, nuts, sausage etc).
Step 3:Flatten dough onto a pan until it’s about a half an inch thick.
Step 4: Cook on a greased pan (or non-stick cast iron pan) until medium brown underneath, flip over, cook, and repeat. Each side takes about 8-10 minutes depending on the heat of the heat source.

Recipe 1 (breakfast bread) for Single Serving
1 cup flour
1/2 cup powdered milk
1/3 cup powdered egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
Mix all together and store in a plastic or mylar bag. Pack away in your bug-out bag or just take it with you when you’re camping!

Recipe 2 (dinner bread) for Single Serving
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons powdered milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
Same as other recipe; mix all together and store in a plastic or mylar bag. Add water and cook over a fire!

Another trick is to have either a pre-made snare or the supplies to make a squirrel pole. On overnight survival hikes I have scored as many as three squirrels hanging from a single pole. They provide a stew base, meat and a ration extender. Squirrel guts make great catfish bait too.

Be prepared, not sorry

Heroes And The Price Of Liberty

On this somber day of September 11th and the 10th anniversary of 9 11 and the act of evil cowardice that is forever engraved in the hearts and minds,  I want to thank the men and women who's courage rings true of our founding mother's and fathers. They paid the ultimate price for our Nation



One Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty, and justice for all.

That day we were not Democrat or Republican......We were Americans that came together to to cry, mourn, and stand resolved to not allow this despicable act to bring us to our knees.  The words of a great president came to mind

Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.
John F. Kennedy

Those brave souls that left behind mothers and fathers, husband and wives, sons and daughters bore that burden, and met that hardship to secure our liberty.

I lost a friend that day in the twin towers Angel Juarbe,  Jr. NYFD Ladder Company 12. The first into the towers. Angel had just won $250,000 by winning a show called "Murder In Small Town X". But he was a fire fighter first and foremost, it was the core of his being. He was and is my hero. His body was found on Dec 17th and buried with all the honors a true hero deserved. He left behind his mother and sister.

Proud To Be An American

Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.
Ronald Reagan

The Price Of Prepping

The price of prepping can not only drain you financially but emotionally. Right now the media spotlight is on shows such as "Doomsday Preppers" and "Living for the Apocalypse". We see these very prepared individuals with thousands of dollars in food stores, off the grid bug out locations,  and weapons that could outfit a small army. I am in awe of these individuals and hearing their story and how they have prepped is amazing but.........sometimes I do feel like I am behind and I almost get in a full fledge panic that I'm not near ready like they are. I have seen people that are new to prepping basically throw up their hands and say "I'm so far behind what's the since of even trying" and they quit so if your feeling this way........

Take a deep breath and take a step back.

Remember the people you see on these shows have been prepping for years. Every journey starts with that first step and every step gets you that much closer. I realize with the state of the economy and trying to prep is a challenge but here are some practical ways to prep on a budget and ease that panic mode.

Coupons - I am an avid couponer and with a bit of effort you can save money and prep. For instance I had a coupon buy 1 deodorant and get the second free and the same for shampoo. Right there I was able to save and prep!

Farm Markets - Farm markets are a great place to save money and prep. Many times when you approach these farmers you can buy in bulk at a great price and can these items. For a fraction of what you would spend at the store and some effort you can do alot of prepping this way.

Make Lists - I am a compulsive list maker. I have lists for everything! The reason I make this lists is because it keeps me focused and working toward my goals. Not to mention everytime you check off something on your list you achieve that sense of accomplishment and a piece of mind that you are getting that much closer to your goal.

Network - Sometimes as preppers we get so caught up in the op sec that we isolate ourselves which can breed more anxiety. Now I'm not saying tell any and everyone about your location, stores, etc. I am saying there are plenty of survivalist boards where you can go and talk to people about canning, or what you need in a bug out bag. You can get answers to your questions from like minded people and ease that feeling of anxiety and who knows you may make a few friends along the way. A couple of great boards are http://www.survivalistboards.com/ and http://www.survivalblog.com/. There are also some great podcasts such as www.blogtalkradio.com/theprepperpodcast and www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/

Set Small Achievable Goals - Set small achievable goals for your prepping. Start out by storing 3 days of food, then, 7, then 14 etc. You will be amazed at how this will add up before you know it and remember each step gets your closer.

Learn New Skill Sets - Knowledge is power and when SHTF it's also priceless. Take a first aid course, many times these are sponsored and cost little to nothing. You Tube is amazing for gaining knowledge, this past week I just typed in "Homemade Smoker" and I got all sorts of great ideas! Many times a new skill set will cost you little or no money but could make that HUGE difference later on.

It is possible to prep on a budget without the drain on your bank account or your sanity.

Be prepared, not sorry.

Why Your BOB May Not Save You

This past Labor Day weekend of rustic camping with my boyfriend and his sons inspired this post. Now mind you when I go camping I bring everything but the kitchen sink. Medical supplies (including supplies for toothaches) my own supply of firewood, bathing and hygiene supplies, toilet paper for the outhouse, and the list goes on. Basically the whole back of my truck was filled for a 3 day camping trip not to mention Scott's truck was also.

We had a great time and upon packing up this morning Scott uttered the words that inspired this post...

"You know if we had to bug out we wouldn't even have a tenth of this stuff"

On the way home my mind was trying to wrap around those words and all the scenarios that ran through my head. Go to any survival board, You Tube, or survival blog and you will find endless information on the best type of BOB's to have, what you should have in it, etc. But the consensus is it should have 3 days of supplies in it to get you to your bug out location.

Ok you made it to your bug out location now what?

Most people have given more thought to whats in their BOB then where they are bugging out to and what happens when they get there. Some don't even have a bug out location but they have a BOB? If you don't have supplies stashed at your bug out location how do you live past the 3 days of supplies you have in your BOB? What if you can't go home for weeks or months or perhaps not at all, is your BOB going to save you?

With the contents of your BOB could you last weeks or months? 

Unless you are a hardcore survivalist your answer like mine is going to be "NO" so you need to have a plan. A bug out location that has food and supplies to sustain you for months and those supplies have to include a way to purify water, and hunting and fishing supplies. You have to have the answer to these these questions and the answer has to be for MONTHS

Shelter
Water
Food

Be prepared, not sorry.

SHTF Is Not The Only Reason To Prep

As we are witnessing right now with Irene bearing down on the East Coast, prepping for the SHTF scenario is not the only reason to prep. This should also be a learning exercise for us all. North Carolina is under a mandatory evacuation order, so this poses several questions which you should consider no matter where you live because a natural can happen no matter what part of the country you live in.

I have to leave but I planned on "Bugging In" and all my preps are here so how much do I and can I take? What is my evacuation plan? Where am I going to, to ride out the storm? My BOB is stocked for 3 days but what if I can't return for days or weeks?

Katrina taught many people hard lessons about not having a plan and "riding the storm out". With many that decision cost them their lives and the ones that did survive had to endure looting, homelessness, and devastation that is still present.

No home or possessions is worth your life or your family’s life. 

As preppers we get caught up in how much food we have stored, how many weapons and ammunition we have stock piled, but very little if any thought has gone into having a plan for evacuation (bug out). With most people (myself included) you have 1 bug out plan, 1 route, 1 destination. You not only need a plan B but you need a C, D, E, and F.

All the questions I posed to you above, you need to have an answer and a contingency plan for each of them in 5 different scenarios. 5 different evacuation routes, 5 different destinations, etc. What if the roads you plan on taking are closed due to floods? What if you location is where the devastation is centered? What if you can't make it back home for weeks?

 Things to consider when making your plans, how quickly you can get out, do you have stores (cache’s) along your route, supplies that can last weeks if necessary.


This is my challenge to you and myself....Come up with 5 different contingency bug out plans.

Be prepared, not sorry.

How Do I Get My Partner To Prep?

This is an issue that tends to come up time and time again in the prepper world and I had the same problem until finding a man that was like minded (which believe me took a long time to find).

How do I get my partner to prep and not look at me like I am crazy?

First you have to realize that the prepper community is a small percentage of the population and most are viewed as either:

"The sky is falling type" which was the Y2Ker's. So people look at that scenario and say oh you are just getting all freaked out for something that's never going to happen.

The other is "militia". Guns, camo, and standoff's.

So with these images ingrained in their mind,  you start to have that talk with your partner about prepping for SHTF scenario and they get that glazed over deer in the headlights look and they blow you off.

You are left thinking "why don't they get it"?

Here is an initial approach that will be understood and received better by a partner that is not familiar with prepping.

Every year there are a myriad of natural disasters here in the United States, tornados, floods, blizzards, hurricanes, and wild fires. Most don't think about this or just think "it won't happen to me". There is no doubt that if more people had been prepared for Katrina there would have been less loss of life.

When initially talking to your partner everyone understands preparing for natural disasters. As children in school we are taught fire and tornado drills so that mindset is already there. And a natural disaster can affect you no matter what part of the country you live in or the world for that fact. Witnessing the aftermath of Katrina and the Tsunami in Japan this sets the stage for you to approach your partner and have a discussion that is rational and practical in their mind.

A definite DON'T  is talking about Op Sec,  guns, and WROL scenarios especially where women are concerned. That is just too much for a newbie, keep it simple and let them ease into prepping. All you are looking for initially is them to acknowledge "yes it's good to be prepared" and not look at you like your crazy. Let them come to their own conclusions because not everyone's scenario of the future is the same.

Be supportive and make it a "couples bonding experience". I know that's not exactly a bonding experience that you’re going to find on EHarmony but I know many couples that prep and this is something they do together and enjoy it! It doesn't have to be a negative or gloom and doom experience.

Wal-Mart VS The Morons

This post came from a group I am a part of and was asked to post it here and keep it circulating

Wal-Mart vs. The Morons
  1. Americans spend $36,000,000 at Wal- Mart every hour of every day.
         
2. This works out to $20,928 profit every minute!

3. Wal-Mart will sell more from January 1 to St. Patrick's Day (March 17th) than Target sells all year.

4. Wal-Mart is bigger than Home Depot + Kroger + Target +Sears + Costco + K-Mart combined.

5. Wal-Mart employs 1.6 million people, is the world's largest private employer, and most speak English.

6. Wal-Mart is the largest company in the history of the world.

7. Wal-Mart  now sells more food than Kroger and Safeway combined, and keep in mind they did this in only fifteen years.

8. During this same period, 31 big supermarket chains sought bankruptcy.

9. Wal-Mart now sells more food than any other store in the world.

10. Wal-Mart has approx 3,900 stores in the  USA of which 1,906 are Super Centers; this is 1,000 more than it had five years ago .

11. This year 7.2 billion different purchasing experiences will occur at Wal-Mart stores. (Earth's population is approximately 6.5 Billion.)

12. 90% of all American s live within fifteen miles of a Wal -Mart .

You may think that I am complaining, but I am really laying the ground work for suggesting that MAYBE we should hire the guys who run Wal -Mart to fix the economy.

This should be read and understood by all Americans, Democrats, Republicans, EVERYONE!!

To President Obama and all 535 voting members of the Legislature,

It is now official that the majority of you are corrupt morons:

a.. The  U.S. Postal Service was established in 1775. You have had 234 years to get it right and it is broke.
b. Social Security was established in 1935. You have had 74 years to get it right and it is broke.

c. Fannie Mae was established in 1938. You have had 71 years to get it right and it is broke.
                             
d. War on Poverty started in 1964. You have had 45 years to get it right; $1 trillion of our money is confiscated each year and transferred to "the poor" and they only want more.
                             
e. Medicare and Medicaid were established in 1965. You have had 44 years to get it right and they are broke.
                             
f. Freddie Mac was established in 1970. You have had 39 years to get it right and it is broke.
                             
g. The Department of Energy was created in 1977 to lessen our dependence on foreign oil. It has ballooned to 16,000 employees with a budget of $24 billion a year and we import more oil than ever before. You had 32 years to get it right and it is an abysmal failure.
                             
You have FAILED in every "government service" you have shoved down our throats while overspending our tax dollars .
                                                           
Americans , keep this circulating. It is very well stated. Maybe it will end up in the e-mails of some of our "duly elected' (they never read anything) and their staff will clue them in on how Americans feel.

AND
I know what's wrong. We have lost our minds to "Political Correctness" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Someone please tell me what the HELL's wrong with all the people that run this country!!!!!! We're "broke" & can't help our own Seniors, Veterans, Orphans, Homeless etc.,??????????? In the last months we have provided aid to Haiti , Chile , and Turkey .. And now Pakistan .....home of bin Laden.  Literally, BILLIONS of DOLLARS!!! Our retired seniors living on a 'fixed income' receive no aid nor do they get any breaks while our government and religious organizations pour Hundreds of Billions of $$$$$$'s and Tons of Food to Foreign Countries! We have hundreds of adoptable children who are shoved aside to make room for the adoption of foreign orphans . America a country where we have homeless without shelter, children going to bed hungry, elderly going without 'needed' meds, and mentally ill without treatment - etc,etc. YET...................... They have a 'Benefit'  for the people of Haiti on 12 TV stations, ships and planes lining up with food, water, tents clothes, bedding, doctors and medical supplies. Imagine if the *GOVERNMENT* gave 'US' the same support they give to other countries.  Sad isn't it? 99% of people won't have the guts to forward this.   I'm one of the 1% -- I Just Did

Prepology: Dow Jones, today's causality

Prepology: Dow Jones, today's causality: " Well today did not go to well for the American stock market, the Dow ended up -634.76 points to cap the day or -5.5% down. Asi..."

Time To Charge With Treason!!!!!!!!!!!!

NAFTA was by far the worst piece of legislation ever created by the money hungry mongers in Washington. Every government official (including Bill Clinton)  who voted for this should be charged with TREASON. Just like another spy or persons that sell this country out they are charged with treason

On January 1, 1994, the North American Free Trade Agreement between the United States, Canada, and Mexico (NAFTA) entered into force.
All remaining duties and quantitative restrictions were eliminated, as scheduled, on January 1, 2008.
NAFTA created the world's largest free trade area, which now links 450 million people producing $17 trillion worth of goods and services.

Basically any U.S company could have their product manufactured in another country with cheap labor and bring it back with very limited tax or penalties.

Does anyone else smell payoff money here??

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to put the timeline of this and the mass exodus of U.S companies, triggering mass unemployment. Doe's our government think we are all that stupid??

What happened to "Buy American"? It died when this piece of s**t bill was signed!

I was a first hand witness to this. 3 days after the signing of this bill we were herded into the lunchroom and told in that our whole line was being shipped to Mexico where they only had to pay $3.50 per hour with no benefits. If we wanted to collect 6 more weeks of being employed we could go there and train the new scab workers....oh yeah sign me up for that!!!!!!!!!!!! NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I urge every reader of this to contact your government officials and DEMAND they repeal this act or be charged with TREASON.

Are We A Super Power Anymore?

As many of you have seen the U.S credit rating was downgraded. Are we a super power anymore? By the looks of things it's evident that we are losing that. All through history there has been shifts in power.

At one time Egypt with it's mighty Pharaoh's were the super power. Then Roman was the power that conquered and ran the world. Next the country that we escaped it's tyranny and King, England.

Anyone seeing a pattern here?

I believe our run as a a super power is winding to a very scary apocalyptic end. Over the next few days I am going to devote this blog to talking about this shift in power and how to prepare yourself and family for what I believe lies ahead.

Prepology: Sunday Misc Thoughts, Debt Ceiling, Jobs and Adult...

Prepology: Sunday Misc Thoughts, Debt Ceiling, Jobs and Adult...: " For those of you who are familiar ICS-100 or other parts of the incident command system you know about 'span of Control' now apply this..."

Addition To Women And Self Defense

Just to add to this article by MonsterMash I believe every woman should take a Krav Maga course.

Krav Maga is the official self defense system of the Israeli Defense Forces, and has been taught to hundreds of law enforcement agencies and thousands of civilians in the United States.

Krav Maga is a simple, effective self defense system that emphasizes instinctive movements, practical techniques, and realistic training scenarios.

It goes on the same principle of "Keep your friends close but enemies closer". By this I mean in most forms of self defense your keeping your enemy at a distance. With Krav Maga you want your enemy close to inflict more damage. This is something that is hard for women to do because when attacked by a man a women's first reaction is to try to get away and escape.

You are also taught that in an attack situation for women "you don't stop attacking until your enemy is dead". This is something else women have a hard time overcoming because their instinct is once the man is down, is to flee not attack.

Women And Self Defense

I just wanted to do a brief piece on women and self defense. The average woman, as we all know, isn't physically capable of defending herself from the average male. This isn't a slight against women mind you. It’s simple genetics. Physiologically speaking, a woman carries all her strength in her lower body, and has a weak upper body.
How do we change this? One, strength training. A good upper body strength training routine will do wonders for you. You don't have to be a bodybuilder, or "look manly" as I hear so many women say when I mention this. As a matter of fact, if you can bench press your body weight, you are considered strong. Anything more is just gravy. With the average woman hovering between 130-140 pounds, that doesn't seem so unattainable now does it?
Second, firearms training. Why? Several reasons. "Less lethal" pepper spray or taser type devices don't work 100% of the time. There's no guarantee it will work on your assailant for various reasons. Drug/alcohol addiction and/or natural pain tolerance is two of the biggest reasons. A bullet, properly placed, works every time. I don't care how high someone is. You put a slug in his nugget and its lights out. A firearm is the only self defense weapon that works all the time, with proper shot placement.
Now, as to choosing that firearm.....I recommend a snubby revolver for several reasons. It’s very reliable and less likely to jam. Most assaults against women are very up close and personal. Women are infinitely more likely to be sexually assaulted than men. You can punch a revolver up in a rapists guts, pull the trigger and ruin his whole day. You can't do that with a semi because if the slide is even slightly out of battery, the weapon won't fire. A snub nosed revolver is perfect for this kind of close in fighting.
My second recommended defensive weapon for females is the push knife. It requires no skill to use, other than making a fist. And it is very, very hard to disarm someone with one. Going back to attacks on women are going to be mostly up close and personal, the push knife is perfect for this type of scenario. Make a fist and start punching. You will cut or stab everywhere you touch on your attacker. Do it, and keep doing it until the threat is over.
And last, train your mind. Ladies, there may come a day to where you are in a contest. There won't be anyone to ring a bell. No one to cheer you on. As a matter of fact, the only thing you will win at the end of this contest is your life. Prepare your mind now. Get into the survival mindset. Observe your surroundings. Always have a plan. Have a back up to that plan. Tell yourself now that if you are threatened with bodily harm you WILL survive, and you WILL do what is needed to disable your attacker. Study up on the color coded threat levels and apply them to your everyday life.
Don't think "I can't." Think "I can and I will." A lioness may be smaller than a lion....but no less deadly when provoked. Remember that.

Guest Blogger MasterMash

Welcome To Survival Goddess

Glad you made it to my blog! Pull up a chair with have a cup of coffee and enjoy. I want to make this a resource of practical information for women to learn survival preparedness.

This is a NO FLUFF zone.

Being a regular on the survival message boards I know many women are intimidated and hesitate to ask questions or worse yet they have the mindset of "My man will take care of the weapons, security, and hunting".

What happens if your man is injured, or killed?

You have to have the same skills of your man and be equally good with them to ensure your own survival.

Knowledge is the key to survival and so I welcome guest bloggers ( female or male) to share their experience and knowledge.